The best homemade breakfast sandwiches: Shelly’s Friday Favourites

I love breakfast. I love it so much that sometimes when I go out for dinner, I’ll order breakfast. There’s just something comforting about the five staples of breakfast: eggs, bacon, pancakes, biscuits, and hash browns, and there are so many ways you can mix up these five together or on their own that it’s impossible to get bored of them.

Take homemade breakfast sandwiches for example. Odds are you’ve probably had a breakfast sandwich at Tim Hortons or MacDonalds, and they usually consist of an English muffin, egg, and cheese.

These fast food breakfast sandwiches are good when you’re on the go, but when do you have the time to invest in your own breakfast sandwiches by making them at home? That’s when the magic happens. All you have to do is put together a list of different toppings, grab your skillet, egg poacher, or Cuisinart Griddler and you’re off to the races.

Avocado, Nutella, bacon, maple syrup, and more: all of these toppings work together to make the most amazing breakfast sandwiches you’ll ever try, and the best part is you’ll be the reason why your family gets to eat them.

Don’t forget about the quality of your eggs: the best egg sandwiches start with farm fresh eggs. I didn’t realize this until I brought home a few of my own chickens and started making eggs with just-layed eggs. When you crack an egg you just brought out of the henhouse, it gives a whole new meaning to farm-to-table.

Try these breakfast sandwiches this weekend and let me know what you think.

Bacon, Egg, and Smoked Gouda Sandwich

If you only put cheddar on your egg sandwich, you’re missing out. There are so many different types of cheese that go well with eggs and bacon that you have to work your way through them until you find your favourite. I love smoke Gouda on an egg sandwich, so this quick recipe (and photo) from Dailyappetite.com is one of my favourite.

Directions

Butter the English muffin and toast.

On the thickest half of the English muffin, stack smoked Gouda, bacon, poached egg and watercress and top with the other half of the English muffin!

Loaded glazed doughnut breakfast sandwich

Ok, this one might seem a bit over the top, but I made it for my doughnut-loving son a few times and he likes to tell all of his friends how his mom makes him doughnut sandwiches. I’ve even made my own glazed doughuts fresh the day before for these with my doughnut pan, and the sandwich becomes even better. No wonder so many kids want to sleep over on the weekend. Photo and recipe from sheknows.com.

Directions

Slice open the doughnuts, and set them aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the bacon, and cook until it is crisp.

Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, and drain all but 2 teaspoons of bacon grease from the pan.

Add the doughnuts cut side down to the pan, and cook until browned. This helps warm the doughnut and gives them just a slight crispness.

Remove the doughnuts from the pan, and set them aside.

Add a little more bacon grease (or vegetable oil) to the pan to fry your eggs. After you crack the eggs into the pan, break the yolks, and season them with salt and pepper.

Once the bottoms of the eggs are cooked, flip them, and continuing frying until the other sides are browned and fully cooked.

Add 1 egg and 1 slice of bacon (broken in half) to a doughnut bottom, and top it with the top half of the doughnut.

Enjoy warm.

Hot baked Nutella & Cream Cheese Sandwiches

This reads like a dessert, but I’ve made it for brunch if we’re having people over. The only difference is that I use the Nutella sandwich as a base and I add stuff to it: bacon, banana, and salmon berries are a few things I’ve tried, and it’s always the one thing people come back for. Photo and recipe from thekitchn.com

Directions

Heat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat. When the oven is hot, lay each slice of bread on the baking sheet and put in the oven. Turn the oven to BROIL and toast the bread for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven.

Spread a softened cube of cream cheese on the toasted side of four slices of bread, one cube to each. On the other slices, spread a thick layer of Nutella. Sprinkle each slice very lightly with salt.

Put the sandwiches together and put back in the oven. Broil for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove when both sides of the sandwich are toasted golden brown.

Cut each sandwich in half and drizzle with melted chocolate. Place on plates and surround with fresh berries. Serve immediately.

Bacon breakfast sandwich

Life is better with bacon, and life is even better when you start the day with a bacon sandwich. This recipe (and photo) from layersofhappiness.com is fast, easy, and a must-try this weekend.

Directions

If you are making lots of sandwiches, preheat oven to 200 degrees so that you can keep them worst.

In a medium skillet, sauté the green onions with a pinch of salt until soft and a little bit crispy. Remove from skillet and set aside.

In the same skillet, fry the bacon. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Toast bagels/breast if desired. Set aside.

Over very low heat, melt butter in the skillet and crack two eggs in the pan. Separate and gently break the yolks (if you don’t like runny yolks!) Sprinkle salt and pepper on eggs.

Once eggs are cooked through, lay two slices of bacon on one egg, sprinkle green onions on top of bacon, lay cheese on top of green onions, and let cheese melt. Lay of a piece of foil over the pan for a more even melting of the cheese.

Meanwhile, spread mayonnaise on both sides of toasted bagel or bread.

Gently life the egg without the toppings on top of the egg with all the topping. Place the eggs on the sandwich and sprinkle on more green onions, if desired.Top with arugula if desired and then with other half of the bagel/bread and fold parchment paper in half. Place bagel between layers and wrap so that the bottom half of the sandwich is in parchment paper.

All you need to do to have a better breakfast this weekend is try to make your own breakfast sandwiches. Here are a few different kitchen tools I use to make my own.

Poach your eggs easily in the Paderno frying pan with egg poacher

The Cuisinart Griddler makes egg-sellent egg sandwiches, pancakes, and other breakfast goodies

Make your own doughnuts for a snack or a breakfast sandwich