How to Build the Perfect Breakfast Sandwich

Everyone loves breakfast sandwiches. They’re quick to make, easy to eat, and perfect for rushed mornings when you’re eating on the run. But most of us have probably had one too many bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches, so why not switch it up a bit?

As a breakfast chef at Black Dolphin Inn, one of Florida's most high end boutique hotels, I constantly challenge myself to come up with creative and unexpected breakfast sandwich ideas. Even when I have a menu full of delicious items like shrimp and grits, banana bread pancakes, and the like, the breakfast sandwich always seems to be a crowd favorite.

So whether you'd like something over the top like the fried chicken, egg, bacon and hot sauce honey butter biscuit below, or something like a breakfast sandwich with whole wheat bread, avocado, Sriracha, and Swiss cheese with soft boiled eggs, there are a million possibilities ahead of you. 

So if you’re craving something new to start your day, then it’s time to switch it up with this handy breakfast sandwich guide! By following a few simple steps, you’ll be able to create the perfect creative sandwich every morning of the week. 

Guidelines

• A great sandwich is composed of six very important attributes - by combining sweet, salty, fatty, acidic, creamy, and crunchy characteristics, you’ll craft a sandwich that fits all the flavor profiles and taste textures that make each bite irresistible.
• To create a sandwich that not only has all the flavors present, but also stays together, one must consider the art of the build. By combining ingredients that stack or stick to each other, you’re able to create a sandwich that stays together until the last bite. Mayo works as a great base and glue to help everything stay together.
• Melted cheese also helps slippery items stay put.
• The largest ingredient of the sandwich (think the burger part of the burger) should sit at the bottom so the other ingredients don't get smushed out. 
• By tightly wrapping the finished sandwich in butcher paper, and slicing it in half with a serrated knife, you’ll be able to have two perfect halves that stay together rather than fall apart of squish out. 

A Very Important Points to Keep in Mind

• Tinfoil works wonders for keeping sandwiches hot and toasty long after you've made them.
• For added crunch, try toasting bread or pan frying it with some butter
• Use ingredients that “go” or grow together - i.e. foods that come from the same area, region, or season often taste better together like tomatoes and basil, or pineapple and cilantro, or sage and pumpkin.
• Sauce it up! By adding a delicious sauce, you'll be able to take any regular old sandwich to the next level.
• When you incorporate eggs, remember that there’s a ton of ways to get different textures - poached, fried, sunny side, scrambled, over easy, over medium, soft boiled, hard-boiled, marbleized, sous vide, etc…

If you need some help on putting these points to use, try getting creative and pick a few items from the categories below: 

Breads

Bagel, English Muffin, Toast, Naan, Pita, Focaccia, Ciabatta, Brioche, Sourdough, Sesame Seed Bun, Biscuit, Tortilla, Croissant, Flat Bread, Wrap, 

Proteins

Bacon, Ham, Pork Roll, Sausage, Turkey, Fried Chicken, Pulled Pork, Brisket, , Pork Belly, Chorizo, Porchetta, 

Alternative Protiens

Tuna, Smoked Salmon Duck Egg, Chicken Egg, Quail Egg, Tofu, Black Beans, Hummus, Nuts, Nut Butters

Cheeses

Cheddar, Muenster, Swiss, Provolone, Brie, Mozzarella, Havarti, Fontina, Smoked Gouda, Asiago, American, Cream Cheese, Pimento Cheese, Feta

Greens

Arugula, Spinach, Chickory, Kale, Chard, Watercress, Basil, Mint, Sage, Butter Lettuce, Shaved Brussels Sprouts

Toppings 

Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions, Pickled Jalapeños, Salsa, apples, carrots, garlic, Eggplant, Roasted Red Peppers, Fried Onions, Pureed Pumpkin, Pickled Red Onions, Dill

Sauces

Pesto, Honey Butter, Chipotle Mayo, Jams, Garlic Aioli, Sriracha, Hot Sauce, Thousand Island, Peanut Butter, Apple Butter, Spicy Red Pepper Spread, Artichoke Tapenade, Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Butter, 

Overwhelmed by all of the awesome possibilities? Try your hand at one of these recommendations and put your own personal spin on it. 

Examples and Inspiration:

• Toasted Brioche, Fried Egg, Muenster, Arugula + Chipotle Aioli
  Mix the adobo sauce from a can of chipotles with mayonnaise - adding as much as your spice tolerance can handle. Fry an egg over medium high heat and toast your bun. When the egg is done, top it with a slice of muenster cheese and set aside. Smear both sides of the bun with chipotle aioli. Add the fried egg topped with cheese on top of the bottom half of the bun and top with arugula. 
• English Muffin, Scrambled Egg, Gouda, Ham + Apple Butter 
  ​Beat 2 eggs with a dash of hot sauce and salt and pour into a greased nonstick pan. Turn the heat to medium and put your English Muffin in the toaster. Constantly stir the eggs so they stay creamy and light and top with a slice of gouda. Put the egg aside and add the ham to the pan, fry until the meat starts to get some color on it. Smear the toasted english muffin with apple butter and add the ham, egg and cheese.
• Biscuit, Over Medium Egg, Fried Chicken, Honey, American Cheese and Hot Sauce
  ​Fry chicken tenders or use prepared or leftover. Cut buttermilk biscuit in half and place 1 slice of cheese on each half. Place under the broiler until the cheese has melted and the biscuit is hot. Fry 1 egg over medium and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove the cheese biscuit from the broiler and add fried chicken, a drizzle of honey, the egg and a few dashes of hot sauce. Place the top half of the biscuit on top. 
• Tortilla, Sunny Side Egg, Queso Fresco, Black Beans, Chorizo, Pickled Red Onion and Cilantro
  ​Pickle red onions, fry up the chorizo with onion, tomato and cilantro, and heat up a small amount of black beans. Cook the egg sunny side and warm the tortilla so it's more pliable. Add the sunny side egg, queso fresco, black beans, pickled red onion, spiced chorizo and a few cilantro leaves and roll like a burrito. 
• Croissant, Medium Boiled Egg, Apple, Brie, Honey and Nuts
  ​Boil water, add egg for cook for 8 minutes, shock in cold water, peel and slice. Heat a warmed croissant and add a few slices of brie, a few thin slices of apple, a small handful of nuts, a drizzle with honey and the medium boiled egg. 
• Ciabatta, Marbleized Egg, Pesto, Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella
  ​Slice ciabatta in half and and drizzle with olive oil. Grill on a panini press until golden brown and crisp. Crack an egg into a greased nonstick pan and let it begin to cook. Run your spatula through the middle of it so the egg yolk bleeds into the white, let it cook, then flip it and cook until egg is cooked through. Smear the ciabatta bread with pesto, add mozzarella, cooked egg, tomato a sprinkle of salt and basil. 
• Toasted Sourdough, Pimento Cheese, Fried Egg, Sausage and Butter Lettuce
  ​Heat a nonstick pan over high and add a drizzle of neutral oil. Add the egg and let it cook until the edges are crispy and lacey. Flip the egg to cook the rest of the white and top with a dollop of pimento cheese. Toast sourdough and smear one slice with butter. Add the sausage, then add the pimento cheese topped fried egg. Finish with a layer of lettuce. 
• Toasted Focaccia, italian Marinated Cooked Tuna Fish, Soft Boiled Egg, Feta, Roasted Eggplant, Spicy Red pepper Spread and Spinach
  ​Blend roasted red peppers with fresh garlic and olive oil and set aside. Slice focaccia in half and smear with the spicy red pepper spread from step one. Add a layer of the cooked tuna to the bottom half of the focaccia and add the soft boiled egg. Sprinkle it with feta and top with a handful of spinach and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. 
• Bagel, Cream Cheese, Smoked Salmon, Soft Boiled Egg, Grilled Aasparagus and Dill
  ​Toast a bagel until it's golden brown and smear each side with cream cheese. Add a layer of smoked salmon, along with a sliced soft boiled egg, a few sprigs of grilled asparagus and a sprinkle of chopped dill. 
• Toasted Whole Grain, Avocado, Sriracha, Soft Boiled Egg, and Swiss Cheese
  ​Boil water and add egg. Time for 7 minutes and then remove from heat, shock in cold water, and peel immediately. Slice the egg in thin rounds. Add a piece of swiss cheese to one slice of toasted whole grain and add the soft boiled egg and a drizzle of sriracha. Smash half of an avocado to the other piece of toasted wholegrain bread and add a squeeze of fresh lime juice. 
• Corned Beef Hash and Swiss Cheese Breakfast Grilled Cheese
  ​Add butter to a nonstick pan and add chopped sweet onion. Cook down until soft and remove from heat. Add more butter and some chopped boiled potatoes, garlic salt, and paprika and cook until the potatoes begin to brown. Add a handful of chopped corned beef and the reserved onions and cook for a little longer until everything begins to crisp up. Take a slice of texas toast and top it with a slice of swiss cheese and a spoonful of the corned beef hash. Smear the remaining slice of toast with dijon mustard and place another piece of swiss cheese on top. Close the sandwich and butter the exterior. Grill until the bread is crispy and the cheese has melted. Top with a sunny side egg if desired!

Want even more help with awesome breakfast recipes? Click the links below to get the full recipe for each of these awesome day starters.