~ Open-Faced Ham, Swiss & Rye Egg Sandwiches ~

It is for my love of Sunday brunch I am posting this, and, you can thank my husband Joe that I am posting it at all.  It all started yesterday.  Correction, it started at Easter.  I baked my usual Berkshire ham, which gifted me with luscious leftovers.  Leftovers prompted me to bake a loaf of ~ Try My Rye:  It's Homemade in the Bread Machine ~  so we could enjoy ~ Melanie's Hot Russian Ham & Cheese Meltdowns ~ (grilled cheese sandwiches with a special hot Russian mustard on them).  You can get these recipes by clicking on the Related Article links below!

"Honey, I'll be home in 10 minutes.  Got anything to eat?"

On Friday night, Joe worked late, into the wee hours of yesterday morning.  Before I even got up on Saturday, he was out the door and off to a meeting.  Around 11:30AM he called me to report, "I'm on my way honey, I'll be home in 10 minutes.  Got anything to eat?"  He sort of knew I did. All of the ingredients for one of his favorite breakfasts:  ham, Swiss cheese, rye bread and eggs. Fast forward to this morning.  I asked, "what do you want for breakfast?" Joe replied, "the same thing as yesterday."  He opened up his laptop computer on the kitchen counter (to work while he waits), just as he does every Sunday morning.  The million dollar question came next. "Have you posted this one on your blog yet?"  I shook my head and said "No, and I hadn't planned on it".

"Rethink your plan", said Joe.  "This one belongs on your blog."

For two hearty breakfasts:

2  1/2"-thick slices caraway seeded rye bread

1  cup grated Jarlsberg Swiss cheese, or your favorite Swiss

4  1/4"-thick slices ham, the best available

4  jumbo eggs, at room temperature

1  stick butter, total throughout recipe

freshly ground sea salt and peppercorn blend

Note.  This is really quick to make if you have all of your ingredients prepped and your hardware ready. Get ready and get organized!  

~ Step 1.  Start by poaching four eggs.  You can poach them any way you want to, but, I recommend my way.  ~ It's Monday Morning! Wake Up & Poach an Egg!!! ~ can be found in Categories 9 or 15.

Note:  If poached eggs are not "your gig", fried (sunny side up) or scrambled eggs are good too!

~ Step 2.  In a 10" skillet (a nonstick skillet works best for this recipe), melt 2 tablespoons of the butter.  Add the ham slices. Increase heat to saute, until ham is golden around the edges on both sides, turning only once.  About 1 1/2-2 minutes on the first side and 1 minute on the second side.

~ Step 3.  Turn heat off.  Remove the pan from the heat.  Transfer ham from pan to a small plate (I put it on the same plate with the eggs), loosely cover with foil, to keep warm, and, wipe the pan clean with a few paper towels.

~Step 4.  Return the pan to the stovetop and over low heat, melt 3 more tablespoons of butter. Increase heat to medium and add 1 slice of the bread.  Saute until bread is browned on both sides, turning only once, about 1 1/2 minutes on first side and 1 minute on second.  The instant you flip the bread over onto the second side, scatter 1/2 cup of grated cheese over the top of the browned side, cover the skillet and cook on the second side.  Uncover and transfer bread to a serving plate, wipe out the skillet and repeat this process with the second slice of bread.

~Step 5.  Assemble the sandwiches as follows: bread w/melted cheese, 2 ham slices, 2 poached eggs, salt and pepper.

Serve Immediately:

(If you were organized and worked quickly, everything is at the perfect temperature.)

I eat methodically, cutting into and savoring one egg at a time...

... mopping up the liquid yolk-gold with the rye bread as I go!!!

Open-Faced Ham, Swiss & Rye Egg Sandwiches:  Recipe yields 2 hearty breakfasts.

Special Equipment List:  cheese grater; serrated bread knife; any equipment necessary for poaching eggs my way or your way; 10"  skillet w/lid, preferably nonstick; long-handled bacon fork; aluminum foil; paper towels; spatula

Cook's Note:  I love eggs with "runny yolks", and, sometimes, even I don't have the time or the inclination to cook an entire stovetop breakfast.  On those days, I crisp my rye in the toaster while I make ~ A Simply Satisfying Breakfast:  Soft-Cooked Eggs ~. You can find my recipe/method in Categories 9 or 20!

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie's Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2014)

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~ Try My Rye: It's Homemade in the Bread Machine ~

~ Melanie's Hot Russian Ham & Cheese Meltdowns ~

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