They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Who “they” are, I’m not really sure, but I wholeheartedly agree. If you’re like me, you wake up hungrier than an adolescent kid on his third day of fat camp, and visions of applewood smoked bacon dance in your head. For my loved ones and me, Saturday and Sunday can’t officially begin until we are sinking our teeth into a juicy combo of meat, dairy and carbs, and there’s no better way to do that than in the form of the modern-day breakfast sandwich. A staple in the homes, hearts and diets of hungover Americans nationwide, the breakfast sandwich is by far the best part of waking up, and a perfect excuse to eat eggs every meal of the day.
Our standard breakfast sandwich is usually comprised of two over-easy eggs, American cheese, bacon, and avocado on an English muffin or Kaiser roll. A perfectly delicious start to the day indeed, but I thought we’d get a little more serious for this Ultimate edition, and incorporate some pimento mac and cheese from an old grilled cheese recipe. A typical egg sandwich will leave you feeling energized and ready to conquer the day. This one will most likely put you right back to sleep, but sometimes a good food coma is just what you need.
Quick tip: Stack the mac and cheese high and keep the egg yolk runny, and then soak up the yolk overflow with any fallen mac and cheese that may escape the sandwich.
The Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich
Eggs
Sliced yellow American cheese
English muffins / Kaiser rolls
1 sliced avocado
Applewood bacon
½ cup elbow pasta
1 teaspoon Frank’s RedHot Sauce
1 clove minced garlic
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Cracked black pepper
8 ounces shredded cheddar
1 sliced bell pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Salted butter
Honey
Get started by having a big cup of coffee, because you’re going to need to be somewhat awake for this one. Set up a pot of boiling water for the pasta, and preheat the oven to 415° for the bell pepper and bacon (yes, we’re roasting the bacon, not frying). Roast the bacon and bell pepper on separate tin foil-lined baking sheets for approximately 15 minutes, flipping the bacon halfway through. Drizzle some honey and EVOO on the bell pepper, and season heavily with salt and pepper before roasting.
Start boiling the pasta when the pepper and bacon are about halfway cooked, and then combine the garlic, cayenne pepper, Frank’s RedHot, paprika, and some cracked black pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise and shredded cheddar and then set aside.
Dice the roasted pepper and fold into the mayonnaise mixture along with the hot drained pasta, and mix well until the cheddar is completely melted.
Fry an over-easy egg (or two) in some salted butter, add two slices of American cheese to the egg, and cook until the cheese is slightly melted. Lightly toast the English muffin or Kaiser roll, and prepare for assembly. Butter both sides of the carbs, and then stack the sliced avocado, mac and cheese, bacon, and fried egg. Add some salt and pepper and try your best to keep the sandwich ingredients contained as you dig in. Enjoy.
