Photo by Kimberley Hasselbrink
I don’t think it’s extreme to say that this whole concept of freezable breakfast sandwiches has changed my world. Or at least my mornings. Definitely my mornings. Suffice it to say, they are amazing.
If you love eggs in the morning, often buy breakfast on the way to work, wouldn’t mind saving a few bucks, or all of the above, then boy oh boy, freezer-friendly breakfast sandwiches are about to make you happy. Here’s what to do.
Before we launch into it, I have to give a huge shout-out to Kitchn reader for cluing me into the possibility of freezer breakfast sandwiches. I read Schwed’s comment on making these egg sandwiches in and felt like a light bulb went off, followed by a rainbow, followed by a confetti parade. Needless to say, I had to try it immediately, and when I did, it felt like an entire second set of lightbulbs/rainbows/parades went off when it actually worked. Breakfast on rushed weekday mornings, solved.
Cooking the Eggs
There are a few different ways you can approach the eggs for these sandwiches: make on the stovetop, bake the eggs individually in , or make a big dish of baked eggs, like a frittata or a soufflé. After remembering Faith’s recipe for easy, make-ahead baked , I decided that was the route I wanted to take.
I think baking the eggs in a big pan has a few advantages here. For one, it’s mostly hands-off and fairly fool-proof — just whisk the eggs with milk, pour them in a casserole dish, and bake for about a half an hour. This gives you time to assemble everything else for the sandwiches, and you can even bake the bacon in the oven at the same time. You can also make perfectly shaped egg rounds using a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass that’s about the same size as your English muffins. It’s super easy, and the egg rounds fit perfectly on the sandwiches. For the nutrition-minded, a 10-egg oven omelet comes out to roughly one-and-a-half eggs per sandwich after cutting.
Photo by Image credit: Kimberley Hasselbrink
This method does create some scraps, which you can piece together for extra sandwiches if you have more than six English muffins in your package, or you can save the scraps for salads, stir-fries, or other quick meals.
You can also use any of the other egg-cooking methods mentioned above — go with whichever one makes the most sense for your cooking.
Reheating the Sandwiches
You may be skeptical of how these sandwiches reheat, and I understand that. Admittedly, they aren’t as good as if you’d made everything fresh that morning, but for a make-ahead sandwich that can go from freezer to microwave to breakfast table in about a minute, I have to give these two thumbs up. The eggs are soft and eggy, the cheese is melty, the bacon is chewy and crunchy. The whole thing works.
Personally, I like to remove the English muffin top and toast it separately to give the sandwich some fresh, toasty crunch, but you don’t have to.
Make Them Yours
The recipe I give below is about as basic as you can get, which is how I love my egg-wiches. But there’s also a lot of possibility here! You could whisk some wilted greens, cooked broccoli, or other leftover vegetables into the eggs. You could add a few shakes of hot sauce on top of the cheese. You could go completely gourmet and use brioche buns instead of the English muffins.
This is really a recipe that you can take into your kitchen and make your own. Have fun!
How To Make Freezer-Friendly Breakfast Sandwiches
Yield: Makes 6 sandwiches
Ingredients
- 10 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 slices bacon (optional)
- 6 slices cheese, like cheddar, Monterey jack, or Swiss
- 6 English muffins
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- 9x13 baking pan
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Baking sheet
- Aluminum foil
- Paper towels
- Dinner plate
- Spatula
- Biscuit cutter or drinking cup, roughly the same size as the English muffins
Instructions
Heat the oven to 375°F: Place one rack in the lower third and another rack in the upper third of the oven.
Make the eggs: Whisk the eggs together with the milk and salt in a large mixing bowl. Film a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray, and pour the eggs into the pan. Place on the lower rack in the oven. Bake until the eggs are puffed around the edges with golden spots, and a paring knife inserted in the middle comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely.
Make the bacon (optional): Line a baking sheet with foil. Lay the bacon on the baking sheet in a single layer with no pieces overlapping. Turn up the edges of the foil to catch the grease. Place the bacon on the upper rack in the oven and bake until the bacon is crispy, 15 to 20 minutes. When finished, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. When cool, break each piece in half to make them easier to fit on the sandwiches.
Slice the cheese: If you haven't already done so, slice 6 pieces of cheese.
Toast the English muffins: When the eggs and the bacon are both finished, place the English muffins cut-side-up on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for just a few minutes, until the edges are toasted. If desired, you can brush the muffins with butter before toasting.
Cut out the egg rounds: Use a spatula to lift the eggs out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Using a large biscuit cutter or drinking glass (roughly the same size as your English muffins), cut 6 rounds out of the eggs. (The scraps can be used to make more sandwiches if you have extra English muffins, or they can go in salads, stir-fries, or other quick meals during the week.)
Assemble the sandwiches: Lay the bottom halves of the English muffins in a row on your counter. Top each one with an egg round, a slice of cheese, and 2 pieces of bacon (if using). Finish by adding the muffin tops.
Wrap the sandwiches for freezing: Wrap each sandwich in a square of aluminum foil. Use a permanent marker to write the contents and date on the sandwich. Put all the sandwiches in a freezer bag or container.
Freeze for up to 1 month.
Reheating instructions: Unwrap the frozen sandwich and place on a microwave-safe plate lined with a paper towel. (The towel helps absorb some of the melting ice so the bread doesn't get soggy.) Heat at full power for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the egg is warmed through. (You can also toast the muffin top separately, if you'd like!)
Recipe Notes
Hot breakfast sandwiches for a crowd: You can serve everything right away, if you like! Assemble the sandwiches after all the components are out of the oven, while the eggs are still warm. To melt the cheese, place the open-faced sandwiches in the warm oven for a few minutes, then add the toasted English muffin top.
Refrigerator breakfast sandwiches: You can also refrigerate all the sandwich components separately and assemble them when ready to eat. All the components will keep for up to 5 days.