Since the kids are heading back to school next week, I thought I’d share one of my favorite quick and hearty breakfasts for the kids. I have hesitated sharing this particular meal only because 1) it is really quite easy and seemed too simple to blog, and 2) It’s origin is very embarrassing and painful: McDonald’s!
I resent nearly everything they stand for and pretty much everything they make, and the only item I can currently stomach at McDonald’s is their cinnamon rolls (and possibly their iced coffee), but I confess that this particular recipe is directly derived/stolen from McDonald’s Egg McMuffin. I, of course, have refused to let “Mc-Anything” cross my lips as something I would cook or aspire to, and so I originally called it something like an “Egg, cheese, and bacon/ham/canadian bacon sandwich”, to hide its true origin. The kids in their younger years promptly shortened the name to “Egg Sandwich Thingy”, a name that they have stuck with to this day. Colleen, not so enamored with retro-baby talk, prefers to simply call them “Egg Sandwiches.” Call them what you want, but they are heartier than cold cereal, easier and quicker than pancakes or an omelet, and quite tasty!
The idea first came to me when I was using a ramekin dish to make scrambled eggs in the microwave for the kids (faster and easier cleanup than a frying pan), and one day it occurred to me that the round scrambled egg patty I was making was remarkably similar in shape and size and form to what you would get on an Egg McMuffin. I checked, and sure enough, it was almost perfectly sized for an English muffin. I toasted one up, slapped some ham and cheese on the egg, put it all together, and voila—a beautiful breakfast sandwich! I have since used bacon (usually chopped), sandwich ham, smoked ham, sausage, and Canadian bacon (the leanest of the alternatives) with everything from American cheese to cheddar, to Monterey Jack, to shredded Mexican cheese on both regular and wheat English Muffins, and all the variations have turned out great.
I’ve also since upgraded from the simple ramekin covered with a paper plate (a paper towel was too flimsy when the egg would occasionally pop inside the microwave), to two different “professional” microwave egg poachers, a single egg model, and a double egg model. For this post, I did one in the ramekin, and two in the double cooker, just because I use slightly different techniques for each.
The process really only takes 5-10 minutes, and is easy enough that my 12 year old son can make it himself. To prove it, I’ve used Hunter as the chef here today (and thanks to daughter Kellie for the photography!).
Ramekin Version
Double Egg Cooker Method
With the double egg cooker I have, the egg compartment is a bit smaller, so the following steps are just a little bit different.
Add the top muffin half and you’ve got two beautiful breakfast sandwiches in less than 10 minutes!
- 1 Egg
- 1-2 Tbs Milk (we use 1%)
- Salt – optional
- Pepper – optional
- 1 English Muffin (original, sourdough, or wheat)
- 1 Slice cheese (American, cheddar, fat free, whatever)
- 1 Slice Canadian Bacon (or 2 slices lunch ham, or bacon, or whatever)
- Mustard – optional ( Sweet Hot Mustard is our favorite, but ymmv…)
- Toast English Muffin
- Coat 3-inch ramekin with non-stick spray or oil
- Break egg in ramekin
- Add milk, and a pinch of salt and pepper, if desired
- Mix eggs in ramekin
- Cover with paper plate, microwave 1 minute
- Place layer of Canadian bacon on egg
- Place layer of cheese on egg (fold corners for less meltage mess)
- Cover with plate again and microwave for 10-15 seconds (just enough to soften cheese without liquefying it)
- Place one side of toasted muffin on top of cheese in ramekin, and turn dish upside down on plate. Smack bottom of ramekin or use fork or knife to dislodge egg from ramekin if necessary
- Spread mustard on other half of toasted muffin, if you wish
- Place on top (bottom, really–I always turn it cheese side up to eat) of egg and eat!
- Toast English Muffin
- Coat egg cooking cups with non-stick spray or oil
- Break egg in bowl (only do one egg at a time initially)
- Add milk, and a pinch of salt and pepper, if desired
- Mix egg in bowl
- Pour mixed egg into cooking cup
- Repeat with other egg if doing two at once
- Close cooker lid, and microwave one minute for one egg, or 90 seconds for two
- Place toasted muffin half (or halves) on paper plate. Spread mustard on it if you wish now.
- Lay cooked egg cups on top of muffin halves. You may need to use a fork or knife to make the egg come out cleanly on the muffin.
- Place layer of Canadian bacon on egg
- Place layer of cheese on egg (fold corners for less meltage mess)
- Place half-sandwich(es) in microwave for 10-15 seconds (just enough to soften cheese without liquefying it)
- Place second muffin half on top of cheese and eat!
Gourmeting it up: You can use nice cheese, you can use prosciutto or some other fancy meat, and add some basil or other fresh herbs in the eggs to make it a bit less McDonald’s-ish.
Healthy cooking note: Colleen tells me that when we use whole wheat muffins, Canadian bacon, and fat free cheese, this counts as healthy and is a good source of protein for a day of hiking or other physical activity. I tend to believe her, but the proof will be when she retroactively edits this and adds the Weight Watchers Tag…
* Weight Watchers Notes: Points are the same for any type of English muffin, and for any single slice of standard cheese (regular, low fat, fat-free).
I like it! Kudos to the kids for this, too. When I’m going for the McDonald’s, I actually prefer NOT to gourmet-it-up. I like the full-fat American cheese slathered on an egg over a sourdough muffin, and I usually prefer mine with good ol’ breakfast sausage. The heart-attack platter (err, full-bodied breakfast) is well worth every bite! [K]
I actually prefer the sourdough breakfast sandwich at Jack in the Box or the Croissant Breakfast sandwich (at Carl’s?) to the McMuffin. The eggs just seem so artificial at McDonald’s. But these home-made versions are the bestest! Actually used some halved, smoked breakfast sausages on one that Hunter made today. He said they were very good!
OMG, Works like a charm. Can add all kinds ingredients if desired.