Breakfast Sandwiches Revisited
Great breakfast.
One of my favorite things about running a website is seeing what types of recipes and content people are drawn to.
I’ve basically learned that it’s impossible to predict what will catch on.
I’ve written posts that I was positive people would love and share with others and they fizzle and die within a day or two.
Meanwhile, there are posts that I wrote years ago that are still some of the most popular posts on Macheesmo.
Without question, the most popular post of all time on the site is a post I wrote a while ago on breakfast sandwiches. While the method I used in that post still works, I’ve adapted it over the years based on a bunch of comments from readers so I thought I would share the new version of my breakfast sandwich.
Spinach and Egg Breakfast Sandwiches
Yield: 12 sandwiches
Prep Time:
Total Time:
Ingredients:
12 eggs, scrambled
2 cups baby spinach
2 tablespoons butter
6-8 ounces cheese, grated
12 whole wheat English muffins
Helpful Equipment:
Muffin tins
Directions:
1) Scramble eggs and grease each muffin tin with a bit of butter.
2) Add baby spinach to each tin. Just a few leaves per tin will do the trick.
3) Evenly divide eggs between 12 muffin tins.
4) Bake eggs at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes until they are cooked through.
5) Pop the eggs out of the tins.
6) To make a sandwich, toast the english muffin, add the cheese and egg. Mash the egg down a bit so it evenly covers the muffin.
7) Bake for a few minutes to melt the cheese.
8) These freeze great. You can either freeze the egg cups without muffins or make the sandwiches and then wrap them in foil and freeze them as completed sandwiches.
9) The individual egg cups reheat perfectly in the microwave. The foil-wrapped sandwiches reheat better in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees (keep them wrapped in the foil).
Cooking the Eggs
In my original post, I cooked the eggs whole in the muffin tins and while that looked cool it wasn’t always reliable. If you had eggs of difference sizes then some might not be entirely cooked and some might be overcooked.
So I do it a bit differently these days.
Artsy.
It’s not rocket science, but basically I just scramble the eggs before cooking them which makes sure that they cook evenly.
I like to add a few tablespoons of water to my 12 eggs and then I just lightly scramble them with a fork.
New technique!
A number of commenters said that the eggs were sticking in their muffin tins when they made these.
There’s only one way to avoid this consistently: butter. If you use nonstick spray or whatever, don’t come yelling at me if it doesn’t work. I use butter and it works like a charm.
You just need a light layer of it coating the whole muffin tin.
Butter is better.
While you can just do the eggs, I’ve started adding in things to my eggs while they cook.
I generally don’t eat a lot of meat in the mornings, but you could definitely add some crumbled sausage or ham to the tins. I went with spinach though on this occasion.
Almost anything that you could put in an omelet would work here.
Just a few leaves.
Then just evenly divide the eggs in the tins. Obviously it should be about an egg per tin and the tins will be about 3/4 full.
Evenly divided...
Baking the Eggs
Bake these guys at 350 degrees for about 20-22 minutes and they should be perfectly cooked. Be sure to check them to make sure the very centers are cooked through. If they aren’t, then cook them for a few extra minutes.
Once they cool for a few minutes, the egg cups should easily slide out of the tins.
Awesome.
Making/storing the Sandwiches
There are basically three ways to deal with storing these bad boys.
Eat them immediately
You just made some delicious sandwiches so plan on eating one or two of them right away. I like to toast my muffin and then add some cheese to it. Then I just toss on one of the egg cups and press it down a bit so the egg squashes out to the edges of the muffin.
Then I bake it for a few minutes to melt the cheese and eat it. Delicious!
Whole wheat muffins.
Make the Sandwiches – Freeze the Sandwiches
This is my preferred method of storing the sandwiches. I just cut a muffin in half, add some cheese to it, and toss on the egg cup.
Then I wrap the whole thing in foil and store all the individually wrapped sandwiches in a large freezer-safe bag.
Once they are frozen they keep fine for months.
Making and wrapping.
Freeze Just the Eggs
A number of commenters mentioned that this is their preferred way to store these and it works great.
Basically, once you pop all the egg cups out, let them cool briefly and then wrap each egg cup in plastic wrap (or foil) and store the individually wrapped eggs in a freezer safe bag.
This method cuts down on the freezer space you’ll need and some people think that the egg by itself reheats better than the whole sandwich.
Reheating the Sandwiches
If you just froze the eggs, reheating is very easy. Just unwrap the egg and microwave it on high for about 90-120 seconds. Then toast the muffin and add some cheese if you want.
Sandwich done!
If you froze the whole sandwiches, which is my preferred method, you can also unwrap them and heat them in the microwave.
The best way to reheat them though is in the oven. Just toss the frozen sandwich (still wrapped in foil) in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and the finished sandwich will be as good as on day one.
30 minutes? You’re crazy!
About 20% of the hundreds of comments on the original post say that my reheating method doesn’t make sense. After all, it takes 30 minutes for the sandwich to cook!
Here’s the thing though… when it comes to prep time in the morning, there is no active time needed for the oven method. You don’t need to stand over your oven while the sandwich reheats.
The idea is that you wake up, toss the sandwich in the oven, take a shower, get ready to go, and then as you are leaving… BAM… your sandwich is done.
I don’t know anyone who gets out of the door faster than 30 minutes after waking up so you just let the sandwich cook while you are doing other stuff.
It works like a charm and you’re left with a really delicious breakfast any day of the week.
Pretty hard to beat!
I still make these sandwiches pretty regularly and they are a great way to start the day.
http://bhas4.blogspot.com/ - "What's up, just wanted to mention, I loved this blog post. It was help..."
Anne-Marie - "This looks awesome! My husband and I are going camping this weekend, a..."
Claire - "As a lover of all things Cajun (I lived in Louisiana for several years..."
Marc - "This was great. I had no tahini so used peanut butter. Thanks for shar..."
Rob P - "I prefer cast iron pizza to using a stone. I have skillets but I also ..."
Whitney @ The Newlywed Chefs - "Nick, you've done your job well! I've been reminded that I need to mak..."
Everything about this right here is freaking genius.
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Love make ahead breakfast ideas like this one — and honestly, who doesn’t like a fresh hot meal in the morning before work?
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Having breakfast made and ready to go in the freezer is awesome. Thanks for the idea on adding spinach :) I tried it using mini bagels a few weeks ago and had decent results.
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Ha. The breakfast sandwich is how I found you. I think you have Pinterest to thank for that one being so popular (as well as it being a fabulous idea!).
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I agree that it is always surprising what recipes people comment the most about. On my blog, anything sweet gets more comments than most. I love your idea of a baked egg filling for a breakfast sandwich….great idea for a crowd too!!
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What a great alternative to pop tarts. Seriously, Love the spinach addition, and isn’t it funny what posts become your most popular. Mine is roasted golden beets?
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I can totally see why your breakfast posts are the most popular! You make a mean sandwich, Nick =)
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looks good, nick! i second that you never know which posts are going to be the most popular- one of my highest posts is a chicken and kale soup recipe. i’m like, really people?? but hey, whatever!
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Thank You Thank You! I’m not a big breakfast fan but know if I don’t eat in the morning I eat to much later on. This is great way to get protein & veggies in the morning without the work every single day!
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“What the BLEEP is wrong with this recipe? I used 3M 77 Adhesive Spray on the muffin tin and my eggs STUCK!” :p
Great recipe, Nick. My wife will love these.
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Nick replied: — April 16th, 2012 @ 8:39 am
Haha. Thanks Chris. :)
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Not sure what I did wrong but my scrambled eggs puffed up & overflowed my muffin tin! I did 12 eggs, scrambled, divided evenly among a 12-cup tin. They were like big, hollow mushrooms. I’ll try it again but not ’til I get some sage advice. HA
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Nick replied: — April 16th, 2012 @ 10:37 am
Hmm… I wonder if you had some air trapped in the tins? Maybe once you add the eggs, use a fork to make sure the eggs and spinach is filling the tin without any air bubbles. If you had air trapped it would expand as it heats and push the eggs all over the place.
That’s the only thing I can think of! They will puff a bit while cooking, but they shouldn’t overflow unless you are using a pretty small muffin tin.
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Laura replied: — April 16th, 2012 @ 2:18 pm
I didn’t do any spinach… just egg. Could that have something to do with it? Could I have over-scrambled, which would leave too much air?
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robin replied: — July 28th, 2012 @ 10:50 am
Great recipe and time saving idea! Yum!
Laura, (this advice may be coming a little late but I just stumbled across this site…) your eggs probably puffed up because you just beat them too much. They will puff up if you use an electric blender or mixer, or if you over beat them by hand. I bet your regular scrambled eggs and nice and light and fluffy, which is great when eating them on their own, but not so great for a sandwich recipe like this one. Hope that helps. :)
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How long would these keep in a freezer? I was thinking that it might be a way of saving some of our farm eggs from the warmer seasons into the winter when the hens stop laying.
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Go to silicone muffin pans, nothing sticks in them and then just pop out.. 100% sure of non stick!!
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Kmrdjanov replied: — October 26th, 2012 @ 12:46 pm
Brilliant. I think these are even on sale at Aldi right now!!
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I just put these in the oven and I can’t wait to try them! So stinkin easy!!!
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I have made these too. A good suggestion to keep them from sticking is to line the muffin pan with the foil baking cups. Works great every time.
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Love this idea and can’t wait to make it!! Since I want to make these with bacon, should I cook the bacon before adding it to the egg or just put it in and let it bake with the egg?
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Kyla replied: — May 1st, 2012 @ 10:41 am
Ohhh I would definitely cook the bacon first. It won’t crisp up cooking in the egg.
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Jessica replied: — May 8th, 2012 @ 7:20 am
I made some with bacon, cooked the bacon in the oven on a separate pan than the eggs but with both pans in at the same time, and then layered the bacon on the sandwich when I stuck them in the freezer wrapped in aluminum foil. Popped the whole sandwich packet in the oven in the morning for 25 minutes and it was perfect.
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We love this recipe! It’s yummy and versatile. Today I made them with cheddar cheese and sprouting purple broccoli from our CSA. Most of them will go in the freezer. Thanks for that idea!
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Or…save the energy to heat up for oven and keep it that way for 30 minutes. Toss and egg with spinach in a small fry pan for a couple of minutes. Add some cheese. Toss on toast. I basically do that every morning. I don’t see the need to pre-make something as simple as this
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Daphne replied: — May 15th, 2012 @ 7:55 am
This is a wonderful idea for those of us that don’t want or don’t have time to stand over a stove top in the morning. Get them out of the freezer, pop them in the oven and get ready for work or drink coffee while they’re heating up.
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Jessica replied: — August 25th, 2012 @ 8:29 pm
Perhaps Anne doesn’t have children and a job. :-)
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Heather replied: — April 30th, 2013 @ 12:21 am
My hubby gets up for work at 4am.
I like this idea because even HE will pop this food in the oven before showering. (I adore the man..but, I amnot getting up at 4am to cook a hot breakfast.)
I pack his lunch the night before. Set the coffee pot up for him to “flick the switch” ..at the same time he can pop the frozen sandwich in the toaster oven and head off to shower and shave. (Ours has a timer that will turn itself off..so no overcooking if he is late downstairs)
And more importantly, I can make a batch of these in the oven WHILE making dinner. Time saver!!
LOVE IT!! Thanks for the post. I intend to try the scrambled/spinach idea next time!
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what size are your muffin pans..3″” or larger?
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for sandwiches you plan to reheat in the future, do you toast the muffins? i thought in the last post you toasted, buttered, and stored. please let me know if it would be better to toast before storing or let that process happen naturally during the reheat. thank you!
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K replied: — May 17th, 2012 @ 9:12 am
Same questions… I can’t tell from the photo.
This is a great idea – I always eat breakfast in the car as I have a long commute (normally a garage-bought egg and cress sandwich) but if these work out they would be way better.
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Nick replied: — May 17th, 2012 @ 9:18 am
If I plan on reheating them, I don’t toast them normally since they should get plenty toasted during the reheating process.
If you did toast them before though, it would be fine.
Good luck!
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K replied: — May 22nd, 2012 @ 5:42 am
I made a test batch of two last night, and had one for breakfast this morning.
Tasted great, and the texture was good on re-heating too; the muffin toasted up nicely in the oven.
Only thing was my egg was a tiny bit frozen in the middle after 30 mins so I blasted that on its own in the microwave for 30 secs, so I maybe need to increase the oven temp or time.
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robin replied: — July 28th, 2012 @ 10:53 am
I would try making the egg flatter before increasing the oven time or temp. They might burn or dry out. Just my 2 cents. :)
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So wish I had thought of this. Cooked and froze lots of meals for my dad for 10 years before he died. He loved eggs, bacon, sausage for breakfast. I’d scramble and baggie up then freeze with a piece of bacon or sausage. This would have saved a lot of time, and given me/him the option of scrambled or individual eggs.
Not just a timesaver for morning, but great for preparing for a shut-in!
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AWSOME cant wait to try these. And I perfer the oven method of reheating. Your right about the 30 minutes. No one is out the door that fast unless the really smell and dont get dressed.
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Do you think this would work the same for egg whites? My DH and I love DD’s egg white flatbreads, but at $3+, I would love if this method worked!
Found this on Pinterest BTW…
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Nick replied: — May 24th, 2012 @ 9:03 am
I think it would definitely work with egg whites. Shouldn’t make a difference! Good luck!
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I rediscovered the joy of making my own breakfast sandwiches this morning, thanks to this recipe. I browned up some sausage and added a bit of it to the eggs before popping them in the oven (no spinach though, didn’t have any). I just wanted to give you another big “THANK YOU!!!” for posting this. :-)
One suggestion I might make for anyone else though, leave out 1 egg per half dozen if you plan to add milk. Mine were still delicious, but it overfilled the muffin cups a bit–especially once I added the sausage.
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Adding crumbled Morningstar Farms (kosher) fake bacon adds additional flavor, for vegetarian consumption.
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question on reheating: is ti 30 minutes in a pre-heated oven, or 30 minutes from the time the oven is turned on? made some test ones tonight – yummy!!
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Nick replied: — July 2nd, 2012 @ 6:06 pm
Hey Jenn,
I turn on the oven and toss them in for 30 minutes. That usually does the trick.
Been meaning to update this post though… I found a really quick and wonderful way to reheat them.
1) Unwrap from foil and wrap in a paper towel
2) MIcrowave on high for 2-3 minutes.
3) Remove from microwave and add to a skillet on medium high for about a minute per side.
The microwave time defrosts and melts the cheese, then the skillet time crisps up the english muffins. And you don’t have to have your oven on for 30 minutes during the hot summer…
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Jenn replied: — July 2nd, 2012 @ 6:10 pm
excellent! and thanks for the speedy reply – will try both methods :)
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George replied: — January 15th, 2013 @ 4:07 pm
Just wanted to say that I’ve tried this method before and as you say, it combines the best of both worlds:
(A) Microwave heats through to hot hot heat temp;
(B) Skillet provides crunchy crust, so it’s not just a soggy (albeit tasty) mess.
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Why do you need to bake the eggs after you’ve scrambled them?? Why not just
slap them on the muffin and cover with cheese, spinach and whatever??
Thanks!
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Nick replied: — July 16th, 2012 @ 11:01 am
Hey Suzy, they aren’t cooked when they go in the muffin tins. They are still raw so you need to cook them. You could definitely scramble them in a pan obviously but they are easier to “sandwich” in the muffin tin shape.
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Love this but still working on making it work for me…I used a 12cup cupcake pan..is that too small? I coated with butter cooked 20min and my eggs did not pop out like yours? Any tips for that..and I use the microwave method and it makes it kind of soggy at times..I’m trying the oven today.
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Amy replied: — August 27th, 2012 @ 10:32 am
I am curious about the size of the tin, too. All I have are the 12 count cupcake tins… is that going to be too small for this recipe to work?
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Nick replied: — August 27th, 2012 @ 10:45 am
I used a 12 count tin also… it worked fine. You should be able to fit a dozen eggs in a 12 count tin unless it is the mini-sized tin which obviously won’t work.
Good luck!
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I’ve found the best way to microwave frozen or refrigerated sandwiches is to wrap them all around in a layer of mostly-wrung-out damp paper towel. This keeps the bread/bun soft and enjoyable. If the center starts out frozen, it might take as long as two minutes until everything is hot and wonderful. I’ve had great luck microwaving eggs, whole and scrambled, with and without additions, in silicone muffin cups and other containers of that material.
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Loved this recipe; but upon reheating my eggs were dripping with water. I literally had to squeeze them out over the sink.
Any ideas on where I sent wrong? Maybe I froze them before they were completely cooled?
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Nick replied: — September 12th, 2012 @ 7:07 pm
Hmm… it’s possible that you overheated them when reheating also. Or if you mixed in milk/water before scrambling them, it’s possible you added too much.
I’ve never heard of that issue before assuming the eggs are cooked through and cooled. Sorry about that!
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Make these the original way and we LOVE them. I simply “break” the yolk once in the muffin tin. GREAT stuff!
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I made these and just pulled them out of the oven. I buttered my tins as directed and guess what they are all stuck. So I started combing through the recipe for where I went wrong. I added shredded cheese before I baked it… I think we all know how bad melted cheese sticks! They may be a little ugly from getting them out of the pan but they taste delightful!
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Just made tonight and I covered tins with butter..still all were stuck. I used a non-stick muffin tin to cook them in. Any suggestions?
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Nick replied: — October 10th, 2012 @ 6:10 am
Hey Amber, that’s odd… how old is your tin? it might be that you need a new one. They should just slide right out. Also, maybe try a little nonstick spray instead of butter next time although butter works for me. Good luck!
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Another reheating option is to wrap the frozen sandwich in a paper towel, set the microwave to 30% power and heat for 1min 30sec. Flip the sandwich over and heat on high power for 45sec or a little longer depending on your microwave and preferences! These are such a good way to get a healthy breakfast and save me so much time on those hectic school mornings!!
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Kay replied: — October 12th, 2012 @ 8:15 am
….and thanks for experimenting and sharing, Nick! :)
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I use this same method! I wrap mine in super cheap plastic baggies (the kind you fold over, no zipper) and flash freeze them on a metal cookie sheet.
To reheat, I toss the whole thing in the microwave for one minute. Take the sandwich out, wrap in first in paper towel (to absorb moisture) and then in foil (to retain heat) toss that whole thing in my work bag and head out the door. When I get to work I finish heating the sandwich properly in the toaster oven, it gets perfectly warmed through, still a little crunch, and not soggy at all.
At home, I would heat it in the microwave the same for 1-1.5 min, then out of the plastic and straight into the toaster oven to finish. Done in under five minutes and ready to go :).
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I make breakfast sandwiches for a low calorie breakfast. Instead of cheese I add tomatillo salsa (or any salsa). So stinkin’ good! I make the egg on the stove top and th english muffin in the toaster. It isn’t hard and it doesn’t take a lot of time. HOWEVER, if I’m tired and lazy I won’t make it. A million times I’ve wished that I could have a bunch in the freezer. You gave me the confidence and the know how to try it, and that’s saying a lot because I actually have a lot of confidence in the kitchen.
Thanks so much!
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First of all, my boyfriend and I are crazy about these, and they have been SUCH a time-saver in the mornings, and have given us the energy we need to get through the day. Thanks for the great idea!
I’ve done two batches of these now, and they’ve gotten stuck in my muffin pan, too. I’ve tried non-stick spray AND butter. My non-stick muffin tins are in pretty good condition still, too. I think in the future I’ll put in a square of foil or something… would make for easier wrapping anyways… but if your or anyone else has revisited this problem and have solutions I would LOVE to know!
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Hey Nick: Great idea you have here with the breakfast sandwich. I am a retired guy with heart disease and am always looking for something better. I used egg substitute (Aldi’s), added fresh mushroom and diced up some sweet onion and placed them in a six spot muffin tin. I put them in a pre-heated toaster oven at 450 on bake for 40 minutes. They came out nice and cooked. I then toasted my Thomas Light English Muffin, added some reduced fat Mexican cheese on one half, put the egg on the other half and put it all in the microwave for 30 seconds. Ready to eat. I am going to experiment with slicing some Canadian bacon and adding to the mix. I took what I cooked up and didn’t consume and placed them in the freezer. I like your thinking, thanks!!!
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I was just wondering if you could use bagels instead of muffins?
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Nick replied: — December 21st, 2012 @ 8:05 am
Of course! Should work great! Good luck!
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I was wondering if you ever thought of “whoopie pie” tin. They are larger and flatter, making a great sandwich size and shape (no smooshing), but I am unsure how much a cooking time adjustment I would need on the eggs. Any thoughts?
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Nick replied: — January 20th, 2013 @ 8:43 pm
Hmm… I’d say you would probably want to take 10 minutes off the cooking time. I think they would cook pretty fast in a pan like that. Should totally work though!
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I’ve done it a bit different. I make two eggs like an omelet, using 1 TB of 2% milk, the english muffins, a couple of slices of deli ham, and a square of Kraft singles. Each omelet makes two sandwiches. I suppose you could add whatever you wanted to the omelet like the spinach. I’ve reheated them from frozen as well, I like wrapping them in a paper towel and microwaving them like Kay previous poster, said.
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Thank your for the tweeked recipe! I call my son “king of the hot breakfast” because he believes cereal is a snack food and eggs, pancakes, bacon, toast, hashbrowns, those are all breakfast foods. lol Always on the lookout for a new “make ahead” recipe and I can tell this will quickly become one of our favorites
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What a simple but brilliant idea! Thank you for sharing this. Pinning it now!
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