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Bacon and Cheddar Breakfast Sandwiches

Source of Recipe

From "The New Essentials Cookbook" by America's Test Kitchen


Recipe Introduction

"No portable breakfast is as satisfying as the breakfast sandwich. You can buy one almost anywhere�a fast food drive-through, corner bodega, or school cafeteria�but unless you like soggy bread, cold cheese, and rubbery eggs, your best option might be to make them at home. We started with our tried and true fried eggs, cooked in bacon fat for a great flavor bonus. After a minute over the heat, the eggs got topped with bacon and cheddar cheese. Covering the pan and letting it sit off the heat let the eggs cook through gently and gave the cheese time to melt. Tomato and baby spinach added freshness, and a simple mixture of mayonnaise and hot sauce gave our sandwiches just the right amount of richness and tang. If there's not enough fat left in the skillet after cooking the bacon in step 2, add enough vegetable oil to measure 1 tablespoon."

List of Ingredients

◦ 4 English muffins, split
◦ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
◦ � cup mayonnaise
◦ 1 tablespoon hot sauce
◦ 4 large eggs
◦ Salt and pepper
◦ 6 slices bacon
◦ 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
◦ 1 � ounces (1 � cups) baby spinach
◦ 4 thin tomato slices


Recipe

Adjust oven rack 5 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Spread insides of muffins evenly with butter and arrange split side up on rimmed baking sheet. Combine mayonnaise and hot sauce in bowl; set aside. Crack two eggs into small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining two eggs and second small bowl.

Cook bacon in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until crispy, 7 to 9 minutes; transfer to paper towel-lined plate. When cool enough to handle, break each slice in half. Broil muffins until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through broiling. Flip muffins and broil until just crisp on second side, 1 to 2 minutes; set aside while cooking eggs.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working quickly, pour one bowl of eggs in one side of pan, and second bowl of eggs in other side. Cover and cook for 1 minute.

Working quickly, top each egg with three pieces bacon and � cup cheddar. Cover pan, remove from heat, and let stand until cheddar is melted and egg whites are cooked through, about 2 minutes.

Spread mayonnaise mixture on muffin bottoms and place one bacon-and-cheese-topped egg on each. Divide spinach evenly among sandwiches, then top with tomato slices and muffin tops. Serve.

Serves 4






❧ Variation: Sausage and American Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches

Substitute ketchup for hot sauce. Substitute 8 ounces bulk breakfast sausage, formed into four 4-inch patties, for bacon. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sausage patties and cook until well browned and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side; transfer to paper towel-lined plate. Substitute four slices deli American cheese (4 ounces) for shredded cheddar cheese.