The following “Chew This!” column has been reprinted from “The Courier-Times”, Saturday, July 18th 2020 edition. By: Blaise Doubman. This column also appeared in “The Shelbyville News”.

Homemade Breakfast Sandwiches
Blaise Doubman

What did you have for breakfast this morning? What did you wish you had had for breakfast? Ha! I remember my Grandpa Max always saying that breakfast was his very favorite meal of the day, but he hated cooking at such an early hour so generally he would have breakfast foods for dinner. I am not a morning person either, which is becoming increasingly worse the older I get. My Grandpa Max would go to bed dreaming of breakfast the next morning which he would say would consist of pancakes, bacon, eggs, toast and cornmeal mush served alongside a big cup of coffee and a smaller glass of orange juice. It would all be in his dreams though because when he would get up in the morning it was generally a cup of coffee with a donut or some toast that he would eat for breakfast. Sometimes I would laugh at this, but I knew exactly how he felt. Somewhere in the history of food, I sometimes wonder, if loving breakfast foods but hating the early morning hours in which it is generally prepared was what led to the invention of “brunch”? Breakfast foods served at a later time of the day. Ha! Possibly.

I thought of my Grandpa Max when developing this recipe. I have been wanting to make a homemade breakfast sandwich for years and finally decided to tackle it. I am not sure why I waited so long in trying one because they are super simple to throw together and really versatile! I mean you could basically add anything to this that you like! I wanted to keep things somewhat simple though and decided on a take on the classic “BLT” but with fried egg and cheese added. To take things a little further, I decided to brush the bacon with a little pure maple syrup and sprinkle it with some black pepper, but this step is totally optional. For maximum flavor I like my sliced tomatoes sprinkled with salt, black pepper and garlic powder. But you could sprinkle them with whatever you may like! White truffle salt, balsamic vinegar or even toasted poppyseeds would be delicious! These sandwiches are even travel friendly because you can wrap them in aluminum foil and eat them on the go!

Homemade Breakfast Sandwiches

This recipe makes two sandwiches but can easily be doubled or tripled. Feel free to experiment and use some of your favorite fillings such as avocado, turkey bacon, sausage patties or even thinly sliced white or red onion.

2 English muffins, split and toasted
12 slices thick cut bacon
¼ cup pure maple syrup
4 large eggs
1 tomato, sliced
2 shreds leaf lettuce
2 slices Swiss cheese
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the bacon slices evenly and brush with the pure maple syrup and sprinkle lightly with some freshly ground cracked black pepper. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until desired crispness. For more crisp bacon, cook longer. For less crispy, cook less.

Remove the bacon from the oven and carefully transfer bacon slices to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the fat. Cover with another paper towel and set the bacon aside.

In a large skillet, place about 3 tablespoons butter and place over medium low heat. Once the butter is bubbly and hot, carefully add in the 4 large eggs, leaving some space between each. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Allow to cook 3 minutes, carefully flip and cook 2-3 more minutes, depending on how you like your fried eggs. With this sandwich I prefer a runny yolk, so I cook mine about 2 more minutes or less. Sprinkle the other side with salt and black pepper.

Sprinkle the sliced tomatoes with salt, black pepper and garlic powder.

Assemble the sandwiches by layering the ingredients between the 2 slices of toasted English muffin. The assembly is up to you, but I like it stacked in the following way. Bottom of the English muffin, slice of cheese, bacon, tomato, fried egg, lettuce, English muffin top.

Eat immediately or wrap up in aluminum foil and eat on the go.

Ask and Answer: I have heard from a few people wondering what my favorite type of pure maple syrup is. I really prefer maple syrup bought from my local Farmer’s Market, however there are perfectly fine pure maple syrups available at your local grocery store. When picking out a pure maple syrup, remember that you get what you pay for. The more expensive maple syrups are generally the best. If you feel guilty about spending so much on a bottle of maple syrup, just tell yourself that a little really does go a long ways on food and in recipes.