Breakfast sandwiches offer a hearty morning boost

Almost every morning, we have the same thing for breakfast – lots of coffee, scrambled egg substitute with an English muffin and a homemade sausage patty seasoned with Penzey’s spice blend. On Sundays, we try to have something a little more interesting to accompany our hours-long ritual of reading the newspaper and working the crossword puzzle.

Typical choices include pancakes, waffles, french toast, eggs Benedict and last week’s delicious departure from humdrum fare – breakfast sandwiches. We started with flaky croissants from the Station on Kings, then piled on our personal favorites. The sandwich on the right featured crispy slices of slab bacon from Lloyd’s, cheddar cheese and a fried egg.

From an eating standpoint, this was a good choice, as the ingredients stayed in place and allowed Jack to pick up the sandwich and take a bite without spilling the contents (except for the fine spray of croissant crumbs, which was inevitable). The sandwich on the left seemed good in concept, but didn’t work as well.

When I lifted the bundle of scrambled egg, cheese, bacon and mashed avocado, all the ingredients started to slide out. The problem wasn’t solved no matter how tightly I tried to hold things together. I ended up eating my sandwich with a knife and fork, while Jack was able to enjoy his as designed.

What makes a good breakfast sandwich? The first thing to choose is the bread, biscuit, roll or wrap. If you’re going with avocado, you’ll want something sturdy enough to hold the moist chunks, perhaps a hearty whole-grain bread. If your ingredients are more delicate in texture, you’ll want something that won’t overpower the contents, such as a brioche roll.

Another thought to keep in mind is whether or not you’re willing to resort to flatware. To keep the sandwich intact so it can be eaten out of hand, don’t go overboard with sloppy ingredients or include too many. For example, the fried egg stayed in place, while the scrambled egg tumbled out. Also, choose items that will stack nicely and stick or melt together.

Include a balance of textures and flavors – as in any dish, you’ll want to try to incorporate sweet, salty, fatty, acidic, creamy and crunchy. Here, crunchy bacon, creamy cheese, and tender egg all worked well with hints of sweetness from the flaky croissant. And, if you want to include an egg in the sandwich, consider frying it in a ring, which will keep it perfectly round.

While these sandwiches were fairly ordinary, you can spice up your morning with the judicious use of condiments or more savory ingredients. Sautéed spinach or onion adds texture and flavor; remoulade or aioli spread on your bread adds a little heat, while different types of cheese can change the flavor profile.

With all these options for breakfast sandwiches, we shouldn’t ignore the chance to add some sweetness. For example, combine brie and sliced strawberries on a croissant, make a breakfast pizza with English muffins spread with Nutella and topped with berries, or coat a slice of sourdough with crunchy peanut butter and top with banana slices. I’ve included a few recipes to get you started.

Basic Breakfast Sandwich

1 English muffin
1 egg
1 t water
1 t butter
1 t mayonnaise
2 T mashed avocado
1 oz cheddar cheese
1 t minced red onion
dash Tabasco
1/2 C baby arugula

Split the muffin and brown it in the toaster. Whisk the egg together with water until smooth. Melt butter in a nonstick skillet and pour in egg. Place the cheese in the middle of the egg. When muffin is toasted, coat one half with mayo and spread the other with avocado; set aside. When the egg sets, fold one side over the middle, repeating with the remaining sides to form a square. Place the cooked egg on the mayo side of the muffin. Sprinkle with onion and splash with Tabasco. Top with arugula and the other half muffin, avocado side down. Yield: 1 sandwich.

Breakfast Wrap

6- or 7-inch whole wheat tortilla
1 t butter
1/4 C chopped mushrooms
2 C baby spinach
2 eggs, beaten
2 T crumbled feta cheese
1 T chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 t white pepper

Place the tortilla on a paper plate and microwave for 1 minute; set aside. Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium. Add mushrooms and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Pour beaten eggs over the vegetables and stir until set, about three minutes. Spread the egg in the center of the warm tortilla; top with crumbled feta and tomatoes. Sprinkle with white pepper. Wrap by folding in each end, then each side. Yield: 1 wrap.