The short answer: A great breakfast sandwich is five parts stacked in the right order: toasted bread, a hot egg, a protein, melted cheese and one extra for flavor or crunch. Toast an English muffin, cook an egg in a buttered skillet, add a slice of cheese while it's hot so it melts, then stack it with bacon, sausage or ham and close the sandwich. It takes about 10 minutes.
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Below are a build-your-own chart, 15 breakfast sandwich ideas in four groups, a freezer batch method for 12 sandwiches and the reheating times that keep them from going soggy.
A good breakfast sandwich is one of the simplest ways to make a regular weekday morning feel like a treat.
Build your own breakfast sandwich
Pick one item from each row.
| Part | Choices |
|---|---|
| Bread | English muffin, bagel, croissant, biscuit, brioche bun, toast, tortilla (for a wrap) |
| Egg | Fried, scrambled, folded omelet, baked sheet pan egg, egg whites |
| Protein | Bacon, sausage patty, ham, Canadian bacon, turkey sausage, smoked salmon, black bean patty |
| Cheese | American, cheddar, pepper jack, Swiss, provolone, cream cheese |
| Extras | Spinach, tomato, avocado, pickled onion, hot sauce, pesto, everything seasoning |
Classic breakfast sandwich recipe
Makes 1 sandwich. About 10 minutes.
- Toast the bread. Split and toast an English muffin, then butter it lightly.
- Cook the protein. Brown a sausage patty or crisp 2 strips of bacon, and keep it warm on a plate. Making several? Cook bacon in the oven on one sheet pan.
- Cook the egg. Melt 1 teaspoon of butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Crack in 1 egg, break the yolk if you want it neat, season with salt and pepper, and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side until set.
- Melt the cheese. Lay a slice of cheese on the egg, add 1 teaspoon of water to the pan and cover it for 30 seconds.
- Stack. Bottom muffin, protein, egg and cheese, any extras, then the top.
A wide-mouth canning ring or an egg ring in the pan shapes the egg to fit an English muffin. For a softer, more fully cooked egg, FoodSafety.gov's safe minimum internal temperatures chart says to cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm, and egg dishes to 160°F.
15 breakfast sandwich ideas
Classics
- Bacon, egg and cheese on a toasted kaiser roll or bagel
- Sausage, egg and American cheese on an English muffin
- Ham, egg and Swiss on a croissant
- Canadian bacon and egg on an English muffin with a slice of cheddar
Biscuits and bagels
- Southern biscuit with a sausage patty, egg and pepper jack
- Chicken biscuit with leftover fried chicken and honey butter
- Everything bagel with scrambled egg, cream cheese and chives
- Smoked salmon bagel with cream cheese, tomato, red onion and capers
Lighter options
- Egg white and spinach on a whole-grain English muffin with feta
- Turkey sausage and avocado on whole wheat toast
- Veggie scramble with peppers, onions and cheddar in a tortilla
Weekend and holiday
- Croissant club with ham, turkey bacon, egg and Swiss
- Monte Cristo-style with ham and Swiss on French toast (use our French toast recipe)
- Leftover holiday ham with egg and sharp cheddar on a biscuit
- Pesto egg melt with mozzarella and tomato on sourdough
How to make freezer breakfast sandwiches
Make 12 sandwiches in about 45 minutes and you have breakfast for two weeks of workdays.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1. Bake the eggs | Whisk 12 eggs with ½ cup milk, salt and pepper. Pour into a greased half sheet pan and bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes, until set. Cut into 12 squares. |
| 2. Cook the protein | Bake 12 sausage patties or 24 strips of bacon on a sheet pan, then drain well. |
| 3. Assemble | Stack 12 English muffins or biscuits with egg, protein and cheese. Skip watery extras like tomato. |
| 4. Wrap | Wrap each sandwich tightly in parchment or plastic wrap, then foil, and label it with the date. |
| 5. Freeze | Freeze them flat in a freezer bag. The USDA's freezing and food safety guide notes frozen food stays safe indefinitely, but these taste best within 1 to 2 months. |
Reheating times
| Method | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Microwave from frozen | Remove the foil, wrap in a paper towel, cook at 50% power, then flip and finish on high | About 1 minute at 50%, then 30 to 60 seconds |
| Oven from frozen | Keep it in foil at 350°F | 25 to 30 minutes |
| Air fryer from thawed | Unwrap, 340°F | 6 to 8 minutes |
Reheat until the center is steaming hot. The USDA's leftovers and food safety guidance is to reheat leftovers to 165°F.
Breakfast sandwiches for a crowd
For a holiday morning or overnight guests, bake the eggs and bacon on sheet pans, set out split biscuits and bagels, and let everyone build their own. It pairs well with a make-ahead dish from our Christmas breakfast ideas. Or skip the assembly line and bake an easy breakfast pizza on one sheet pan.
Plan the week's breakfasts
For a lunch or dinner fried or grilled chicken sandwich (not breakfast), see that recipe page.
One batch-cooking session on the weekend can cover the busiest mornings of the week.
- Meal Planner & Grocery List, $3.99. Plan freezer sandwich day, the week's dinners and the shopping list on one page.
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Want more fast options? Our quick breakfast ideas list 35 breakfasts you can make in 10 minutes or less. Prefer a make-ahead protein? Peel a batch of how to peel hard boiled eggs for toast mornings when the griddle stays off.
Skipping the bread? See our keto breakfast ideas for low-carb mornings.
Prefer a wrap? Our breakfast burrito recipe makes 8 at once with 10 filling combos. When you want a plated brunch instead of a handheld, try an eggs benedict recipe.
For a handheld that skips the bread, try breakfast tacos with soft scrambled eggs and a make-ahead freezer method.
Want more handhelds for lunch and dinner? Browse our 30 sandwich ideas sorted into cold, hot and make-ahead builds.
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Weekly meals, a grocery list sorted by aisle, and pantry and freezer inventories so you shop once and waste less.
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Frequently asked questions
What goes on a breakfast sandwich? A breakfast sandwich usually has toasted bread, an egg, a breakfast meat like bacon or sausage, and a slice of melted cheese. Add spinach, tomato, avocado or hot sauce for extra flavor.
What is the best bread for a breakfast sandwich? The English muffin is the most popular bread for a breakfast sandwich because it toasts crisp and holds the egg without getting soggy. Bagels, biscuits, croissants and brioche buns are also great choices.
How do you cook an egg for a breakfast sandwich? Cook the egg in a buttered nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side, breaking the yolk if you want it neat. Use an egg ring or a canning ring to shape it to the bread.
How do you make freezer breakfast sandwiches? Make freezer breakfast sandwiches by baking 12 eggs on a sheet pan at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes, cutting them into squares, and stacking them with cooked meat and cheese on English muffins. Wrap each one, freeze it and reheat it until steaming hot.
How long do frozen breakfast sandwiches last? Homemade frozen breakfast sandwiches taste best within 1 to 2 months. They stay safe longer when kept frozen at 0°F, but the bread and egg dry out over time.
How do you reheat a frozen breakfast sandwich? Reheat a frozen breakfast sandwich by removing the foil, wrapping it in a paper towel and microwaving it at 50% power for about 1 minute, then flipping it and heating it on high for 30 to 60 seconds. Heat it until the center is steaming hot.
How do you keep breakfast sandwiches from getting soggy? Keep breakfast sandwiches from getting soggy by toasting the bread, draining the meat well, skipping watery toppings like tomato for frozen sandwiches, and wrapping them in a paper towel when you microwave them.
Can you make breakfast sandwiches the night before? Yes, you can assemble breakfast sandwiches the night before and refrigerate them wrapped in foil. Reheat them in a 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.
What cheese is best on a breakfast sandwich? American cheese is the best melter for a classic breakfast sandwich. Cheddar, pepper jack, Swiss and provolone add more flavor, and cream cheese works well on bagels.
What can I use instead of meat in a breakfast sandwich? Use avocado, a black bean or veggie patty, sautéed mushrooms, or extra egg and cheese instead of meat. Spinach and tomato with feta also make a filling meatless breakfast sandwich.
How many breakfast sandwiches does a dozen eggs make? A dozen eggs makes 12 breakfast sandwiches when you bake them on a half sheet pan and cut them into 12 squares. For thicker egg layers, use 15 eggs.
How do I plan breakfast sandwiches into the week? Pick one weekend batch-cooking day and plan the sandwiches for your busiest mornings. The Meal Planner & Grocery List from HomeBase Paper Co. ($3.99) keeps the batch day, the week's meals and the grocery list on one printable page.
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Sources
- FoodSafety.gov: Safe minimum internal temperatures foodsafety.gov
- USDA FSIS: Freezing and food safety fsis.usda.gov
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety fsis.usda.gov