“English Breakfast” Inspired Sammys for Two
To skip the post and step-by-step instructions and go straight to recipe, click here.Before I say anything else, first, a HUGE disclaimer: I am not claiming that this sandwich accurately represents a traditional full English breakfast, or “fry up”. It is, however, inspired by the main components of a full English breakfast and how delicious they are together. This sandwich is a scrumptious, high-calorie, indulgent treat that’s great for an extra-hungry brunch, or, my favorite, a breakfast for dinner.
Typically, a full English breakfast, or fry up, consists of the following: fried eggs, back bacon (which is more common in the UK than it is in the states, where we more often use belly bacon), mushrooms, tomatoes, breakfast sausages, baked beans (the UK version of baked beans tends to be more tomato-y and less sweet than the American kind), toast, and blood sausage. Sometimes roasted potatoes or hashbrowns are included, too.
The delightful sandwich that we’ll be making today includes the vast majority of these items with a few changes. I left out the blood sausage, because not only is it not my taste, but it’s also a bit difficult for me to find where I live. Also, I added cheddar cheese to hold the sandwich together and Americanize it a bit - I fully understand that adding cheese to a full English would enrage some, but you know what? I’m from Wisconsin, and cheese is delicious. Lastly, I didn’t add beans directly to the sandwich because it gets a bit too soggy and messy, and we want to keep that delicious *crunch* on the bread! But, the sauciness from a side of baked beans makes a great little dip!
Recipe Notes
Bacon: In my recipe, I just use my favorite type of American bacon, because I think it’s the most delicious - a nice thick-cut pepper bacon. It’s certainly not traditional for an English breakfast though. If you want to go a more traditional route, you may have a little trouble finding the right ingredient. UK bacon is pretty different from what we call “bacon” here in the states - it’s a cut of pork from the loin, or back of the pig, which is then cured (which is what makes it bacon), whereas US bacon is a much fattier cut from the stomach of the pig, which is not only cured, but smoked as well. You may be able to find UK bacon in some specialty butcher shops labeled specifically as “back bacon” if you want to give it a go.
Beans: As with the bacon, US baked beans and UK baked beans have some differences. Breakfast beans that you would find in the UK usually have a slightly thinner, less sweet, tomato-based sauce. In comparison, US baked beans have a smoky, thick, almost barbecue-y sauce on them and are typically slow-cooked, often with smoky meats to enhance that barbecue flavor. While I personally love American baked beans, even with a breakfast-y dish like this, you can still find UK breakfast beans in the US. They’re made by Heinz if you want to try them. They come in a light blue can and will be labeled, “baked beans in a deliciously rich tomato sauce”.
Sausages: I think the best kind of sausages to use for almost any nice breakfast recipe are fresh, unfrozen breakfast sausage links that you’d find in the butcher’s section of your grocery store. Sausage patties may seem like the more obvious choice for a breakfast sammy, and can certainly be substituted if you’d prefer, but with the UK’s love of bangers, I thought links would be a little more on theme. But either way, I do feel that fresh sausages are much more flavorful and better for the dish than anything pre-cooked or frozen.
Eggs: I think that an over-medium egg adds just the right amount of moisture to the sandwich without making it soggy or slippery. To get an over-medium egg, you want the yolk to be jammy but not completely runny, and the white fully cooked through. But don’t be discouraged if your yolk breaks or something - a fully cooked fried egg will be just as delicious! It just won’t offer as much of a moisture or sauciness to your sandwich. Or, if you prefer it more dry, go for that!
Bread: The type of bread used in a full English varies from person to person, but what I’ve seen most often is just a classic white bread. This, however, doesn’t hold up to the large amounts of hearty filling in our sammy, so I’ve gone for a nice sourdough. I think sourdough is the ultimate grilled cheese bread anyway, and this sandwich is basically an elevated grilled cheese after all. Two thick slices of sourdough will give you the strength needed to hold together all those delicious fillings, as well as the porous surface area to fry up in that butter and get nice and crunchy and golden. Yum! I would recommend going for an oval-shaped loaf from your grocery store’s bakery section, or even a local bakery or farmer’s market if you have one available!
Tomatoes: If you can get your hands on them and they’re in season, use heirloom tomatoes all the way. But, for this recipe, I’ve also suggested cluster vine tomatoes, as they’re fairly easy to get year-round from the grocery store and hold up to the light frying well. I’d just avoid roma tomatoes, as they’ll have a much thicker, harder-to-bite skin and dry texture, as well as cherry or grape tomatoes which will just fall right out of your sandwich.
Cheese: As I said earlier, cheese usually has no place in a full english. But, my American butt likes to put cheese on everything, and it holds the sandwich together in one piece well. So, cheese it is! I used a nice medium cheddar, but I think any kind of cheddar would be delicious, even white if you prefer it. Cheddar goes great with all the other included ingredients, so it seems like a natural pairing to me.
Mushrooms: Classic, easy-to-find, white button mushrooms make the perfect addition to this dish. They go so well with all the other ingredients and blend in for that perfect bite. But, if you’re a big mushroom lover like myself, something a little more special like baby portobellos or chestnut mushrooms would make the dish a little more mushroom-forward and a little fancier, too.
Step-By-Step Walk-Through
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Step 1:
Cook Bacon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
Lay 4 slices of thick-cut pepper bacon out on a parchment-lined baking tray.
Once oven is preheated, bake the bacon for 16-21 minutes or until your desired crispiness. While the bacon is cooking, proceed to the other steps of the recipe. When bacon is done, remove from the oven and place on a paper towel-lined plate until ready to assemble sandwiches.
Step 2:
Cook Produce
Place a large frying pan over medium low heat.
While pan is heating, slice one medium heirloom or cluster vine tomato into 6 slices (four full slices and two end pieces). Set the end pieces aside and use them for something else.
Also thinly slice 6 white button mushrooms.
Melt 2 tablespoons of salted butter in your heated pan and spread it around to cover the whole frying surface.
Add the tomato slices on one side and the sliced mushrooms on the other side of the pan.
Let everything brown for 2 minutes, then flip the tomatoes and stir the mushrooms.
Let everything cook another 3 minutes before removing from pan and setting aside on a plate. Don’t turn off or rinse pan.
Step 3:
Cook Sausages
Turn heat under pan to medium. Add 4 small breakfast sausage links.
Cook for around 6 minutes on each side, or until cooked through and deep brown on the outside.
Remove the sausages from pan and set aside on same plate as produce. Do not rinse or turn off pan.
Step 4:
Cook Eggs
Turn heat to low. Wait 3 minutes to allow pan to cool down. In the meantime, crack 2 large eggs into separate small bowls.
Gently pour each egg onto opposite ends of the pan to avoid breaking the yolks. Cover the pan.
Cook for about 2 minutes until whites look just about fully cooked.
Carefully flip eggs and cook another 20-30 seconds to achieve a jammy, but not overly runny yolk and a fully cooked white. Remove eggs from pan and set aside with sausages and vegetables. Do not turn off or rinse pan.
Step 5:
Build Sandwiches
If you want a side of baked beans, put them in a pan over medium heat to warm up now.
Shred ½ cup cheddar cheese of your choice.
Butter one side of two pieces of sourdough bread and place them butter-side down in your frying pan.
Sprinkle each piece of sourdough in the pan with about 2 tablespoons of the shredded cheddar.
Cut the sausage links in half lengthwise and lay two over each piece of bread in the pan.
Follow up by layering two tomato slices, two bacon slices, sauteed mushrooms, and a fried egg on each.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the sandwiches.
Butter one side each of two more pieces of sourdough bread. Place them butter side up to top off each sandwich.
Turn heat to medium. Cover the pan and cook just until the butter on the top slices is melted.
Flip each sandwich over - this will take speed and finesse to make sure you don’t lose too many fillings, so work quickly! Cook sandwiches for another two minutes, covered, to ensure both sides of the sandwich get golden brown and crispy and cheese gets melty.
Remove sandwiches from the pan and place on the cutting board.
Let sandwiches rest for 3 minutes. Cut sandwiches in half and serve with side of baked beans if desired. Enjoy!
“English Breakfast” Inspired Sammys for Two
Servings: 2 Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients
4 slices sourdough bread
6 TBS. salted butter
1 medium heirloom or cluster vine tomato
6 white button mushrooms
4 slices thick-cut pepper bacon
4 small breakfast sausage links
2 large eggs
½ cup cheddar cheese
Baked beans of your choice (optional)
Directions
Step 1: Cook Bacon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Lay slices of thick-cut pepper bacon out on a parchment-lined baking tray.
Once oven is preheated, bake the bacon for 16-21 minutes or until it reaches your desired crispiness. While the bacon is cooking, proceed to the other steps of the recipe.
When bacon is done, remove from the oven and place on a paper towel-lined plate until ready to assemble sandwiches.
Step 2: Cook Produce
Place a large frying pan over medium low heat. While pan is heating, slice tomato into 6 slices (four full slices and two end pieces). Set the end pieces aside and use them for something else. Also thinly slice white button mushrooms.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the salted butter in your heated pan and spread it around to cover the whole frying surface. Add the tomato slices on one side and the sliced mushrooms on the other side of the pan.
Let everything brown for 2 minutes, then flip the tomatoes and stir the mushrooms. Let everything cook another 3 minutes before removing from pan and setting aside on a plate. Don’t turn off or rinse pan.
Step 3: Cook Sausages
Turn heat under pan to medium. Add breakfast sausage links. Cook for around 6 minutes on each side, or until cooked through and deep brown on the outside. Remove the sausages from pan and set aside on same plate as produce. Do not rinse or turn off pan.
Step 4: Cook Eggs
Turn heat to low. Wait 3 minutes to allow pan to cool down. Crack 2 large eggs into separate small bowls. Gently pour each egg onto opposite ends of the pan to avoid breaking the yolks. Cover the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes until whites look just about fully cooked. Carefully flip eggs and cook another 20-30 seconds to achieve a jammy, but not overly runny yolk and a fully cooked white. Remove eggs from pan and set aside with sausages and vegetables. Do not turn off or rinse pan.
Step 5: Build Sandwiches
If you want a side of baked beans, put them in a pan over medium heat to warm up now.
Shred your cheddar cheese.
Butter one side of two pieces of sourdough bread and place them butter-side down in your frying pan. Sprinkle each piece of sourdough in the pan with about 2 tablespoons of the shredded cheddar.
Cut the sausage links in half lengthwise and lay two over each piece of bread in the pan. Follow up by layering two tomato slices, two bacon slices, sauteed mushrooms, and a fried egg on each. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the sandwiches.
Butter one side each of two more pieces of sourdough bread. Place them butter side up to top off each sandwich.
Turn heat to medium. Cover the pan and cook just until the butter on the top slices is melted. Flip each sandwich over - this will take speed and finesse to make sure you don’t lose too many fillings, so work quickly! Cook sandwiches for another two minutes, covered, to ensure both sides of the sandwich get golden brown and crispy and cheese gets melty.
Remove sandwiches from the pan and place on the cutting board. Let sandwiches rest for 3 minutes. Cut sandwiches in half and serve with side of baked beans. Enjoy!