Growing up, I was always told breakfast was the most important meal of the day. For my brothers and I, breakfast was often a big bowl of sugary cereal and/or pop tarts. Don’t get me wrong, I loved that stuff as a kid, but realize now that was the worst type of breakfast we could have eaten. It definitely made me sleepy mid-morning. Luckily, my mom came up with a great idea to give us something healthier and just as easy for us to grab before school. It was especially helpful when I was in high school and rushing out the door for school.
She started making her own version of McDonald’s Egg McMuffin. She would put a cooked egg, ham, and a Kraft cheese square between an English muffin, wrap it up and store it in the refrigerator for us to pop in the microwave. It was delicious!
Fast forward a few years (like 30 plus ha) and I have become less of a breakfast person during the week. I just don’t like to eat that early. You could almost say I’m a natural intermittent faster. I think it’s partly because I’m not much of a morning person and I need to wake up a bit before eating and partly due to the fact that I’m always timing my morning routine down to the last minute to get to work on time. Anyway, as I was recently thinking about what I could pack for breakfast to enjoy once I was at the office, I remembered those healthy and easy breakfast sandwiches and was inspired to make my own version. As a single person these also made life easier because I could make just the amount I wanted for the week. I choose to make three sandwiches, but you could also make more and freeze them for later. Mine did take a little bit longer to prepare than my mom's, but it was totally worth it. Here’s what I put on mine.
Ingredients for three sandwiches:
3 Eggs
3 English Muffins (I used Thomas’ Light Multi Grain 100 calorie)
¼ cup of Sargento Mild Cheddar Shredded Cheese
6 slices of Garrett Valley Farms Sugar Free Uncured on (paleo approved)
½ T. Unsalted Butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cook turkey bacon in a skillet to your preferred doneness. Set aside and let it cool. While that’s cooking, heat another skillet to low/medium, and spray the skillet with nonstick cooking spray to coat the bottom and add half a tablespoon of butter for a bit of flavor. This cuts some of the calories and fat if that is a focus for you. Crack each egg into the skillet and add salt and pepper to taste. You can break the yolk now or when you flip the egg to cook on the other side.
Once eggs are cooked, set aside to cool. When eggs are cooled, begin building your
sandwiches. Slice the English muffin open and layer one side of each muffin with one egg. Top the egg with 1/3 of the cheese and top with two slices of turkey bacon. Add the top slice of the English muffin and you are ready to wrap.
I wrapped each one in plastic wrap first and then foil. If you make more than just what you want for the week, you can add each to a large freezer bag and freeze them for later.
To re-heat, pop them in the microwave or, if you like them toasted, you can put them in a toaster oven or toast them in a pan on the stove before eating.
There are so many ways you could enjoy this type of breakfast sandwich. Switch up the kind of meat you use (i.e. Canadian bacon, pork or beef bacon, sausage, etc.) if you want or eliminate it altogether. It’s a recipe that you can make to please your own tastebuds. For me this is a great way to enjoy a delicious, healthy, and filling breakfast while saving time and a little money.
I hope you enjoy this version and are inspired to try it or create your own!
Side note: This is pan looks like it would be perfect for creating those perfectly round eggs without having to fry them in butter.