I love egg sandwiches. I don't know what it is about them, but every weekend I crave them for breakfast (or brunch, depending on when I get up!) It seems pretty easy, right? Crack an egg, slap it between a few slices of bread, you're good. But a perfect egg sandwich is complex. Crispy bread, unctuous egg, savory sausage, and creamy, rich cheese. All melded together to make something so much greater than the sum of its parts.
Okay I'll stop now before I start to wax even more eloquent... I told you, I love eggs! Lots of protein, you know.
I've recently found a vegetarian sausage that I absolutely love - Morningstar sausage patties. They are so delicious, and they add the perfect touch to this sandwich with their blend of spices. Plus, they're organic! I also use regular sausage sometimes, but I'm trying to be more health- and environment-conscious, so I've been eating more like a vegetarian when I can. Feel free to choose your own favorite vegetarian or carnivorous option.
The first step is, obviously, to cook the egg. I like to use a non-stick skillet so that I only need a little bit of butter or olive oil. Make sure your pan is warmed up before you drop the egg in, and then break the yolk up.
Drop your sausage patty in the skillet opposite your nicely cooking egg, which you have sprinkled with some pepper. Mmmm, pepper.
When your egg is done on one side, flip it over to the other. I like mine really well done, so you can see it's a little bit toasty brown, but if you like yours less cooked, just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Once your egg is done, take it out of the skillet and set it aside. I like to chop up my sausage a little bit to make it spread out better on the sandwich, and also let it brown better on all sides.
Take the sausage out once it's done. Now it's time for the assembly - this sandwich is put together much like a good grilled cheese (because who doesn't love that?!). I like to melt a little butter in the skillet and then swirl my pieces of bread around in it. I find that gets the best coverage while minimizing the amount of butter you need to use. Do use real butter if you have it, because it gives the best flavor.
The type of bread is key. You want a fairly thin slice, so that it doesn't overpower the egg and sausage flavors. My favorite breads are whole wheat, but since I don't buy the groceries here at school, I have to make do - and I have to say, plain white sandwich bread works quite well.
Turn your heat on medium, and place your first piece of bread butter-side down in the skillet. This is important, folks! My grandfather once tried to make a grilled cheese sandwich with the butter-side up, and he gained the eternal status of "awful cook." Well, maybe more than that one incident contributed in his case, but still, you don't want to chance that, do you?
Here's the line-up: cheese, egg, sausage, and more cheese. Sounds pretty delicious, right?
I like shredded cheese because I can easily control the amount, and my favorite to use is sharp cheddar, but it's totally up to you. Even a plain slice of plastic-wrapped American cheese (sans plastic, of course) would work just fine.
Cook for about 5 minutes per side, but watch it carefully because it may cook faster or slower depending on the heat of your stove. If you find that the cheese is not melting well, turn off the heat and put a pot lid over the skillet. The steam from the hot sandwich will stay in, instead of escaping, and help to make an ooey-gooey masterpiece.
And there you have it! A delicious, protein-rich breakfast sandwich that will stick with you for hours. I hope to bring you some more baking recipes soon, but for now, make yourself a good breakfast - it's the most important meal of the day!
The Perfect Egg Sandwich
2 pieces of thin sandwich bread
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 Morningstar sausage patty
1 egg
1 T. butter
pepper, to taste
Put a small pat of butter in a non-stick skillet and turn the heat on to medium. After the butter has melted, crack the egg in and break the yolk with a fork. Season with pepper to taste. Place the sausage patty at the other end of the skillet. Flip egg over after about a minute, depending on how well done you prefer. Remove egg from skillet when fully cooked. Break up the sausage and ensure all sides are browned well. Remove.
Melt the rest of the butter in the skillet and carefully dip one side of each piece of bread into it until well coated. Assemble the sandwich in the skillet with bread (butter-side down), half of the cheese, the egg, sausage, the rest of the cheese, and the other slice of bread (butter-side up). Cook 2 minutes per side on medium or until golden brown. Cover with a pot lid if the cheese is not melting well.
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