Best Breakfast Sandwich – Cooking Classy

Easy and super delicious homemade Breakfast Sandwiches! A family favorite made with toasted English muffins, creamy herbed eggs, flavorful cheddar, and thin cut deli ham folded into layers to perfectly fit. Such a tasty way to start the day!

A Simple Homemade Breakfast Sandwich

This is a classic breakfast sandwich with a few upgrades (hello herbs and cream!) plus a few simple swaps to make them faster (using stovetop scrambled eggs and pre-cooked meat like deli ham).

They are a classic morning comfort food and make a super satisfying lazy Saturday morning breakfast. They don’t require any special cooking skill, and they are one of those breakfasts that everyone can agree on.

Plus I’ve shared lots of other options to switch them up including various filling ideas and cooking methods because this is the ever-so-versatile breakfast sandwich after all.

The key to the recipe is just that you don’t walk away while they are toasting under the broiler and forget about them. I think we all have at least one memory of doing that to that blackened piece of garlic bread or what not. These are much too good to be wasted to charring.

Breakfast Sandwich Recipe Ingredients

See below for full recipe with amounts.

• English muffins: White, wheat or sourdough
• Eggs: Pasture raised are best.
• Heavy cream: Half and half can be substituted.
• Salt and black pepper
• Parsley and chives: Fresh herbs will give best flavor but in a pinch use 1/3 the amount dried.
• Deli ham: I like black forest or Tavern ham but honey or maple ham is fine too.
• Cheddar cheese: See cheese note below for more options.
• Cooking spray: Olive oil or avocado oil spray will be best.
• Hot sauce: This is optional for a little kick.

How to Make Eggs for a Breakfast Sandwich

Stovetop (recipe method)

1. In a mixing bowl using a fork whisk together eggs, heavy cream, parsley, chives, salt and pepper until combined.

2. Spray a 12-inch non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-low heat and add eggs. Cook, and stir until curds begin to form, scoot to shape into a square about 7-inches.

3. Cut into 4 portions then turn each portion to cook on the opposite side. Remove from heat before eggs have reached desired doneness as they’ll continue to cook from residual heat of pan.

Oven (alternative method): 

1. Use 8 eggs, 3 Tbsp cream, 3 Tbsp parsley, 2 Tbsp chives (salt and pepper to taste). This makes enough for 6 breakfast sandwiches or 4 sandwiches plus 2 servings of leftover eggs.
2. Heat oven to 350 and a grease 9 by 9 baking dish.
3. Pour scrambled egg mixture into baking dish and bake about 15 minutes until eggs are set. Cut into 6 squares.

Microwave (alternative single method):

For 1 breakfast sandwich follow my microwave scrambled eggs option here (you can add herbs and use cream for milk).

How to Make a Breakfast Sandwich

1. Cook eggs using one of the methods directed above.
2. Heat oven broiler: Set an oven rack one level above center and preheat oven broiler to LOW broil. If you don’t have low broil option then just use the standard high option and keep oven rack in center of oven.
3. Toast English muffins: Place English muffins on a baking sheet, split side up. Transfer to oven and let toast until golden brown, about 1 minute (keep a close eye on them don’t walk away).
4. Heat with cheese and ham: Remove from oven, spray each cut side with cooking spray. Place cheese slices on four of the halves, then on the other four fold and layer ham slices (2 slices on each of the four).
5. Return to oven and let broil until cheese has melted nicely, about 1 to 2 minutes (again keep a close eye on them don’t walk away).
6. Assemble breakfast sandwiches by layering each cooked egg portion over ham on english muffin, add hot sauce to taste if desired, then top with the cheese covered English muffin. Serve right away.

Possible Variations

• Bread Base: In place of english muffin you can also make these with toasted bagels (plain, wheat, multi-grain, everything, sesame), croissants, bread slices, ciabatta, or even smaller naan.
• Meats: Cooked breakfast sausage patties (such as Jimmy Dean), turkey sausage, or Italian sausage will work in place of ham (pre-cook in skillet instead of oven). Or use cooked bacon (pork or turkey bacon), cooked chorizo, or leftover roast ham slices or deli turkey.
• Cheese: Other delicious cheeses to use are Swiss, gruyere, Monterey jack, havarti, provolone, gouda, fontina, muenster or American.
• Eggs: While there’s not much of a substitute for eggs (unless you are swapping all the fillings to vegan), you can switch up the cooking method and try with fried sunnyside eggs, boiled eggs (sliced), microwave scrambled eggs, poached eggs, or baked eggs.
• Herbs: Try with other herbs in place of those I’ve included here including chervil, tarragon, basil, thyme, or dill (keep in mind the flavor combo you are looking for between type of meat, cheese and herbs).
• Add vegetables: For an upgrade try them with sliced or mashed avocado, sliced tomatoes, arugula, spinach, or sauteed bell peppers or mushrooms.

Helpful Make Ahead Tips

• If you’d like to prepare these as freezer breakfast sandwiches then instead skip the toasting steps and just assemble after cooking the eggs (with raw cheese, deli ham or cooked bacon or cooked sausage).
• Wrap in foil and store in an airtight container in the freezer up to 3 months or in the fridge for 4 days.
• To heat: Thaw in fridge overnight then remove foil and heat in the microwave on microwave safe plate until warmed through, about 1 minute. Or bake in the oven in the foil at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.

More Family Friendly Breakfast Recipes to Try

Breakfast Sandwich

Easy and amazingly delicious breakfast sandwiches. Made with toasted English muffins, creamy herbed eggs, flavorful cheddar, and thin cut deli ham (plus lots of options to change things up, see notes).

Servings: 4

Prep15 minutes minutes

Cook10 minutes minutes

Ready in: 25 minutes minutes

• 5 large eggs
• 3 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp salt, or more to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 Tbsp minced fresh chives
• 4 English muffins (white, wheat, or sourdough), split in half
• 8 slices (8 oz) deli ham, such as black forest or tavern
• 4 slices (4 oz) cheddar cheese (preferably medium or sharp), or Swiss cheese
• Hot sauce, to taste (optional)
• Olive oil cooking spray or avocado oil spray

• In a mixing bowl using a fork whisk together eggs, heavy cream, salt, pepper, parsley and chives until combined.

• Spray a 12-inch non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-low heat and add eggs. Cook, and stir until curds begin to form, scoot to shape into a square about 7-inches.

• Cut into 4 portions then turn each portion to cook on the opposite side. Remove from heat before eggs have reached desired doneness as they’ll continue to cook from residual heat of pan.

• Set an oven rack one level above center and preheat oven broiler to LOW broil. If you don’t have low broil option then just use the standard high option and keep oven rack in center of oven.

• Place English muffins on a baking sheet, split side up. Transfer to oven and let toast until golden brown, about 1 minute (keep a close eye on them don’t walk away they may even toast faster).

• Remove from oven, spray each cut side with a fair amount of cooking spray. Place cheese slices on four of the halves, then on the other four fold and layer ham slices (2 slices on each of the four).

• Return to oven and let broil until cheese has melted nicely, about 1 to 2 minutes (again keep a close eye on them don’t walk away).

• Assemble breakfast sandwiches by layering each cooked egg portion over ham on english muffin, add hot sauce if desired, then top with the cheese covered English muffin. Serve right away.

MAKE AHEAD

• If you’d like to make these ahead you can skip the step of toasting and just cook the eggs, then layer with the deli ham and uncooked cheese.
• Wrap each in foil and freeze up to 3 months.
• Thaw overnight in the fridge then warm in a 450 degree oven (still in foil) until heated through, about 10 minutes or in the microwave unwrapped from foil on a microwave safe plate, about 1 minute.

VARIATIONS

• Bread base: In place of english muffin you can also make these with toasted bagels (plain, wheat, multi-grain, everything, sesame), croissants, bread slices, ciabatta, or even smaller naan.
• Meat: Cooked breakfast sausage patties (such as Jimmy Dean), turkey sausage, or Italian sausage will work in place of ham (pre-cook in skillet instead of oven). Or use cooked bacon (pork or turkey bacon), cooked chorizo, or leftover roast ham slices or deli turkey.
• Cheese: Other delicious cheeses to use are Swiss, gruyere, Monterey jack, havarti, provolone, gouda, fontina, muenster or American.
• Eggs: You can switch up the cooking method and try with fried sunnyside eggs, boiled eggs (sliced), microwave scrambled eggs, poached eggs, or baked eggs (see notes in post).
• Herbs: Try with other herbs in place of those I’ve included here including chervil, tarragon, basil, thyme, or dill (keep in mind the flavor combo you are looking for between type of meat, cheese and herbs).
• Add vegetables: For an upgrade try them with sliced or mashed avocado, sliced tomatoes, arugula, spinach, or sauteed bell peppers or mushrooms.

Nutrition Facts

Breakfast Sandwich

Amount Per Serving

Calories 537
Calories from Fat 288

% Daily Value*

Fat 32g49%

Saturated Fat 14g88%

Trans Fat 0.02g

Polyunsaturated Fat 4g

Monounsaturated Fat 11g

Cholesterol 309mg103%

Sodium 1363mg59%

Potassium 385mg11%

Carbohydrates 29g10%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 32g64%

Vitamin A 1197IU24%

Vitamin C 6mg7%

Calcium 285mg29%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.