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02/03/2013
~ Egg Bagel, Sausage & Scrambled Egg Sandwich: A Super Breakfast for Super Bowl (or any) Sunday ~
You've heard me say it before: I am not a morning person. I do not love to cook breakfast. Eating breakfast, well that is another story. I love breakfast and I have a particular weakness for a well-made bagel, sausage and egg sandwich. I am very particular about it too: Only a NY bakery-style yellow-colored egg bagel, a juicy sweet-sausage patty, and, a fluffy scrambled "egg pancake" will do. Cheese? I prefer my sandwich without it, but, I'll put it on for you if you ask nicely... two slices of white or yellow American cheese per sandwich!
On weekdays, Joe and I almost never eat breakfast together. He picks up a cup of coffee and a muffin at The Pump Station, in Boalsburg, on his way to the office. The Pump Station was originally a gas station that some folks ingeniously converted into a coffee shop. I am pleased to report that they make a bagel, sausage and egg sandwich that I approve of.
Whenever Joe and I are out and about in the morning hours together, we like to use their drive-through to order our coffee, Joe's muffin, and, my bagel sandwich (without cheese). That being said, as much as I love their sandwiches, if you go there, you only stand a scant 50/50 chance of them getting your order right. Mine often comes with cheese, and, on occasion they forget the sausage and substitute bacon. Unless you're eating there, you are a mile down a four-lane highway before you find out this is not what you ordered. Even if you stop to check out your sandwich in their parking lot before you leave, who wants to start their day starting over. Not me!
Once is a mistake, twice is disappointment, three times is inept, four times (after a polite phone call to an arrogant, excuse-making owner-ess) is either: untrained personnel who can't place an order correctly, or, a cook who can't read and produce said order, or both. After five times... you've lost my business AND I'm blogging about it. Buying local isn't always what it's cracked up to be. No cheese means no cheese, and, McDonald's is short two miles down the road!!!
On Sunday mornings, I always cook breakfast. It's one of our fun traditions. We sleep late, so, sometimes breakfast is more like brunch. Joe and the poodles stay in bed watching ESPN, while I meander downstairs, tune my kitchen TV to something of my liking, then, I cook up something scrumptious. Next, we gather around the kitchen counter, eat, read the Sunday newspaper, and, promply at 11:30AM, we tune into WHVL-TV's (local Comcast channel 14) Centre of It All Show, to watch me on it, doing my weekly Kitchen Encounters cooking segment!
Today, is such a Sunday. It is also Super Bowl XLVII Sunday. Forty-seven total Super Bowl games and I've seen every one of them. I have no allegiances to either team that is playing tonight, and, while many people complain annually about "the hype" for this game, I consider it a "man holiday", so, I treat it with respect. As they say, "payback is hell" and Valentine's Day is right around the corner. This means, if Joe wants my bagel sandwiches for breakfast, he's getting them. If he wants chili at game time, he's getting that too!
It all starts with the bagel! It must be the perfect bagel!
It must be an egg bagel.
Don't cheat.
Here in Happy Valley?
That would be an egg bagel from:
Wegman's... they're the real-deal!
For this recipe, you will need:
3 egg bagels, the best available
6 slices American cheese
For the sausage:
1 pound of sweet sausage, the best available, your favorite brand
Note: I prefer to buy the sausage in links and form the patties myself, to ensure they are the proper size: 1 pound of sausage = 3, 5 1/3-ounce patties.
For the eggs:
3 jumbo eggs, at room temp
3 teaspoons salted butter
6 tablespoons milk
freshly ground: nutmeg, sea salt and peppercorn blend
If you don't have a nutmeg grinder, use just a pinch of ground nutmeg.
~ Step 1. Using a pair of kitchen shears, remove and discard casings from the sausage. Portion the meat into 3 equal-sized, 4" round patties. Over medium heat, fry until golden on both sides, turning only once, about 4 minutes per side. Place patties on a plate, cover with foil and set aside.
Note: I like to prepare my eggs one-at-a time in a small 8" nonstick skillet. For each one:
~ Step 2. Break one egg into a 1-cup measuring container. Add 2 tablespoons of milk + a few grinds of nutmeg, sea salt and peppercorn blend (about 4-6 grinds each). Using a fork, thoroughly whisk the mixture together.
~ Step 3. In skillet, melt 1 teaspoon of butter over low heat.
~ Step 4. Place a 4" egg ring into the skillet. Pour the whisked egg mixture into the ring.
~ Step 5. Increase heat to medium-low. Using the fork, stir the egg mixture around, almost constantly, until it starts to form soft curds, about 2-3 minutes:
~ Step 6. There will come a point when the egg will start to separate from the sides of the ring. It is now time to stop stirring.
After about 15-20 more seconds of cooking, run a paring knife around the inside perimeter of the ring to loosen the egg from the ring completely.
~ Step 7. Using a pair of tongs, remove the egg ring. Using a spatula, flip the "egg pancake" over, to cook on the second side, about 15-30 more seconds.
~ Step 8. Repeat this process with the remaining 2 eggs. Transfer each "egg pancake" to a plate, cover with foil and set aside.
~ Step 9. Slice, lightly-toast and generously butter the bagels.
~ Step 10. Immediately, place two slices of cheese on the bottom of each bagel, followed by a slice of sausage and an egg pancake. Top with the buttered bagel top and wrap the sandwich in alumium foil.
Note: Wrapping the sandwich in foil for a few moments will steam the bagel a bit and melt the cheese.
Egg Bagel, Sausage & Scrambled Egg Sandwich: A Super Breakfast for Super Bowl (or any) Sunday : Recipe yields 3 sandwiches (two for Joe and one for me).
Cook's Note: When I make these sandwiches, I often make a double batch: six of them. I tightly wrap each of the extras in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator. For as long as they last, Joe takes one to the office with him each day.
To reheat: Place wrapped sandwich in microwave for 1-1 1/2 minutes. So much better than the drive-through!!!
Extra Cook's Note: For a variation on the same theme, for those of us who are always looking for a way to get out of cooking breakfast, check out my recipe for ~ English Muffins, Sweet Sausage, Eggs & Cheese: My Super-Simple, Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole ~ in Categories 9, 17 & 20!
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2013)
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