HAM & CHEESE BREAKFAST SANDWICH

With a surplus of homemade English muffins lying around just waiting to go stale, I started to wonder if there was another use for them that I’d yet to consider.  Enter the breakfast sandwich.  Like spicy fried chicken sandwiches, I ate my fair-share of these hand-held wonders growing up.  Today, sadly, I don’t make it down to the old Micky-D’s as often as I once did.  Not as keen on eating battery-farmed eggs and sub-par pork products, I’ve been at a loss in my search for a breakfast sandwich made with good, quality ingredients.  Believe me, I’ve checked.  So, armed with a fresh package of organic American cheese slices, a carton of pasture-raised, organic eggs and some preservative-free Canadian bacon, I set out to recreate a more wholesome version of the iconic breakfast sandwich of my youth.
I’m not much of a sweets guy when it comes to breakfast.  In fact, I’ll pass on the french toast, Belgium waffles and pancakes just about any day of the week.  Instead, this is what I crave.  A warm, lightly toasted English muffin slathered with butter, topped with gooey cheese, salty meat and a perfectly seasoned egg.  It might not be brain-food, but with one of these in your belly, I guarantee you’ll be well-equipped to deal with any of the day’s challenges.  So, if you’re like me and love a great breakfast sandwich but are less than inclined to patronize the local fast-food mega-chain, do what I did and make one for yourself.  I think it goes without saying that they were OUTSTANDING.  I’d like to think of them as another perfect example of a fast-food favorite cooked with slow food sensibilities.

BREAKFAST SANDWICH

If you’re any kind of fan of the classic Egg McMuffin, odds are you don’t need a recipe to put one of these together.  Cheese, egg and Canadian bacon is a pretty straightforward concept, but if you really want to reproduce a sandwich that is true to the original you are going to have to create one of those unnaturally perfect egg discs.  I played around with a couple of different techniques and eventually settled on cooking the egg in a ring mold set inside of a skillet over low heat.  Another option would be to slowly bake the eggs inside the cups of a silicone muffin mold.  That being said, I also made one using soft-scrambled eggs and another with a soft-centered, over-easy egg that were each outstanding, so feel free to break from convention.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 extra-large, organic eggs from pasture raised chickens
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or nonstick cooking spray
  
• 4 English muffins, fork split
• 4 slices organic American cheese
• 4 slices Canadian bacon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

METHOD:

1. Warm 2 tablespoons of the butter in large, nonstick skillet over low heat.  Rub the inside of a 3-inch ring mold or cookie cutter with some butter or spray liberally with nonstick cooking spray.  Repeat with the remaining molds and set them inside of the skillet to heat up slightly.
2. Carefully crack each of the four eggs into their own small bowls or teacups.  Taking your time, and ensuring that each ring mold is sitting squarely on the base of the skillet, pour the eggs from their cups into the ring molds.  Season the eggs to taste with salt and black pepper.  Now is the time to break the yoke if you want.  Cover the skillet and allow the eggs to gently cook until they have set and are no longer runny, about 8-10 minutes.
   
3. Meanwhile, lightly toast the English muffins and warm the Canadian bacon in another small skillet set over medium heat.
4. When the eggs are cooked, carefully remove the molds from the skillet.  If the eggs do not release on their own from the molds, run a small paring knife along the base of the mold to free any stuck edges.
5. Compose the sandwiches by lightly buttering each half of the English muffins then layer a slice of American cheese, then the egg followed by a slice of the warmed Canadian bacon.  Top with the other half of the muffin and serve immediately.
   

Makes 4 sandwiches

MEATLOAF SANDWICH

Like roast beef, I’ll sometime make meatloaf just for the sandwiches.  Funny, considering I wouldn’t touch them as a kid.  I’m not sure if it was a texture thing or the idea of eating a ‘loaf’ in between two pieces of bread that threw me off, but whatever it was, I made sure they never ended up in my lunch bag.  These days, however, leftover meatloaf is a godsend and something that rarely lasts more than a day in our fridge. You see, as good as meatloaf is straight from the oven, something magical seems to take place after an overnight rest in the cold.  Not only do the savory flavors concentrate, but the consistency of the loaf changes as well, firming up a bit for easy sandwich slicing.  Served warm or cold, a good meatloaf sandwich seems to hit all the right notes.  You don’t need a recipe for a meatloaf sandwich, just the inspiration to make one.

MEATLOAF SANDWICH

In my book, meatloaf sandwiches are good served warm or cold.  Find yourself some good quality bread, a ripe tomato and your favorite condiments and start stacking.  The build I’ve described below is about as simple and delicious as you can get.  Even so, don’t be afraid to throw on some pickled onions, peppers or any other toppings that suit your fancy. Come to think of it, they’re damn good with just a squirt or two of ketchup.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 slices, thick-cut artisan or rye bread, lightly toasted
• 4 slices leftover meatloaf, sliced into 1-inch thick slices
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons good mayonnaise
• 4 slices tomato
• 4 leaves butter or leaf lettuce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  

METHOD:

1. If you are planning on eating a warm sandwich, heat the meatloaf wrapped in foil in a low oven until hot.
2. Assemble the sandwiches on a clean cutting board, starting by spreading on the dijon and mayonnaise, followed by lettuce, meatloaf and tomato.  Serve at once or wrap in foil to allow the flavors and sauce to soak into the bread a little.
   

Makes 2 large sandwiches