'Break the Rules' Egg Muffin Sandwich - Loni's Version. Yours may look different depending on the rules you break.
I grew up looking forward to weekend mornings, hoping that particular Saturday or Sunday would be the day my parents decided it was too much work to make breakfast. Instead, my dad would take a trip to McDonald’s and bring home a stiff brown paper bag with red markings.
I could smell the contents of the package even before he appeared at the doorway of the kitchen. The melted cheese, sausage and slather of butter on a toasted English muffin was my childhood nirvana.
Alas, nostalgia for McDonald’s McMuffin, wore off one day. I stared down at the little breakfast bundle in front of me and saw a tired, over-salted, mass-produced blob. I wanted to savor my weekend mornings with a sandwich that had more layers of complexity…and so I created the ‘Break the Rules’ egg muffin sandwich.
What I love about ‘sandwich recipes’ is that it affords everyone, even the most novice of cooks, the opportunity to completely veer away from the recipe. Instead, the recipe serves as inspiration; a general direction.
I think the only two elements I would say are truly necessary in this recipe are the egg, which should have a gooey center that bursts when you bite into the sandwich, and the cheese. Now, I only say that because I absolutely adore these ingredients and hope you enjoy them as well.
As for the rest, see what is in your fridge and what you crave. Start the day with a burst of creativity and a spark of optimism that things are more glorious than even you imagined.
You must break an egg and break the rules to truly make a ‘Break the Rules’ egg muffin sandwich.
English Muffin. Thought to have originated in the 10th century, became fashionable in the 18th century and commonplace in the 19th century. Made with yeast-leavened bread. For me the defining deliciousness of an English Muffin is the dusting of cornmeal. Some pizza crust also use this technique to give added texture and crunchiness.Ah, the good old egg. This image I took reminds me of either a "Get Cracking" commercial or the one about "This is your brain on drugs" commercial. Anyways, you will need a fried egg for my version of this sandwich. The pan should be on medium heat, with a drizzle of olive oil. I add 1/2 pinch of salt sprinked on the egg while it is in the pan. When the bottom seems cooked enough to flip, do it. I love my yolk in the sandwich between "gooey" and "runny".Don't get fake cheese. Get a block of a medium firm, slightly salty cheese. I had some Asiago in the fridge so used this. Sliced several pieces to cover one half of the muffin. Then stick both parts of the muffin into a toaster oven. I only have a toaster oven, no toaster just for bread slices, I find the oven much more versatile. The cheese will melt in the toaster oven...and not make a mess :-).Now for a little green goodness. I like using arugula. Unfortunately, when I decided to take photos of me actually making this sandwich, I only had spinach. No problem: substitute.Fried egg, just the way I like it. Notice how the edges are brown and crispy, the middle yolk still an orange hue, ready to burst open on first bite. A gooey, runny yolk is what brings all the flavor components together in this sandwich. It is the unifying entity.Tomatoes are in season and I have been getting a bumper crop as part of my Community Support Agriculture share. These are dry-farmed tomatoes and incredibly sweet and flavorful. Not like the ones you usually get at a grocery store.I've been on a sun-dried tomatoes kick these days. I found a jar of sun-dried tomatoes in my fridge soaking in olive oil. Decided to place a couple in my sandwich creation.Decided to sneak in a piece of salami for an additional bite of saltiness since I had used some tomatoes. Thought the smokey, meaty, salty elements would contrast nicely with the sweet, fresh, bright notes from the tomato slices. A thin slice of prosciutto could also do the trick.Instead of using mayo or butter, I thought of going with humus since it offers an element of creaminess with a lot more flavor; almost like the impact of mayo and mustard in one. Foie gras would work nicely as well and be truly decadent.Voila! The results of the 'Break the Rules" egg muffin sandwich recipe. If you followed the rules, your sandwich should actually look different.
