Sandwiches Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Breakfast Sandwich
A morning classic with bacon, egg, and cheese on a toasted English muffin.
Contains common allergens
In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.
Good to know
- Crispy
- Ready in under 30 minutes
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes30-minute meals
Instructions
6 steps- 1
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving about 1 tsp of bacon fat in the skillet.
- 2
Crack the egg into the skillet with the reserved bacon fat. Cook sunny-side up, over-easy, or break the yolk for a hard fry, seasoning with salt and pepper.
- 3
While the egg cooks, toast the split English muffin until the edges are golden and crispy.
- 4
Lightly butter the warm toasted English muffin halves.
- 5
Place the slice of cheese on the bottom half of the muffin. Top immediately with the hot fried egg so the residual heat begins to melt the cheese.
- 6
Break the crispy bacon slices in half and layer them over the egg. Cap with the top half of the English muffin and serve hot.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
77/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving80
Calories
5 g
Protein
0 g
Carbs
6 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
The bacon-egg-and-cheese on an English muffin is an American diner and deli staple, popularized nationally when fast-food chains formalized it as the morning handheld in the early 1970s. The split English muffin, with its nooks engineered to catch butter and yolk, became the default carrier because it toasts crisp without the heaviness of a roll.
Listahan note
This version cooks the egg directly in the reserved bacon fat and stacks the cheese under the hot egg so the residual heat melts it, instead of leaning on a microwave or a separate buttered pan.
Technique cues
- Leaving about a teaspoon of bacon fat in the skillet to fry the egg seasons it with smoke and salt that plain butter or oil cannot add.
- Placing the cheese on the bottom muffin and dropping the hot egg straight on top uses carryover heat to soften the slice, so you never have to flip or steam it.
- Toasting the split muffin until the edges crisp gives the sandwich a structural shell that holds up to a runny yolk without going soggy.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Start the bacon first, then crack the egg into its fat and toast the muffin while both cook so everything lands hot together.
- Make-ahead
- Cook the bacon ahead and refrigerate; reheat it in the skillet to re-render the fat before frying the egg.
- Leftover move
- These do not store assembled, but a fully built sandwich can be wrapped in foil and frozen, then reheated in a 350F oven.
- Cleanup rhythm
- One skillet does the bacon then the egg, so you only have a single greasy pan and the toaster to wipe down.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
thick-cut bacon
Smoky main protein
Purpose: Its rendered fat both crisps the bacon and becomes the cooking medium that flavors the egg.
Handling: Cook 6-8 minutes turning occasionally until crisp, then break the strips in half so they lie flat on the muffin.
Adaptation: Turkey bacon or breakfast sausage patties work, but you lose rendered fat and should add a little butter to the pan.
large egg
Binding center
Purpose: The yolk is the sauce of the sandwich, whether left runny or broken for a firmer hard fry.
Handling: Fry in the reserved bacon fat and season with salt and pepper as it sets.
Adaptation: A folded egg-white-only patty works for a leaner build but tastes drier without the yolk.
sharp American or cheddar cheese
Melting layer
Purpose: A sharp slice cuts through the richness of bacon fat and yolk while melting cleanly against the hot egg.
Handling: Lay it on the bottom muffin half so the egg melts it on contact.
Adaptation: Pepper jack adds heat; Swiss melts well but is milder.
freshly split English muffin
Carrier
Purpose: Its craggy split surface toasts into crisp ridges that grip butter and catch drips of yolk.
Handling: Split by hand or fork-split, then toast until the edges are golden and crispy.
Adaptation: A toasted bagel or biscuit changes the texture toward chewy or flaky and crisps less at the edges.
butter
Finishing fat
Purpose: A light brush on the warm toasted muffin adds richness and seals the crumb against moisture.
Handling: Spread lightly on the muffin halves while they are still hot so it melts in.
Adaptation: Mayonnaise spread thin gives a similar moisture barrier with a tangier edge.
Technique notes
- Pour off most of the bacon grease but keep a thin film, since too much fat makes the egg spread and greases the muffin.
- Break the yolk in the pan if you want a portable sandwich, or leave it runny if eating at the counter.
- Assemble the instant the egg comes off the heat, since the melt depends on that carryover warmth.
Ingredient swaps
- Dairy-free direction
- Skip the butter and use a dairy-free cheese slice; the sandwich loses some richness but the bacon fat carries flavor.
- Lower-sodium direction
- Use lower-sodium bacon and a reduced-salt cheese, and season the egg lightly since the cured meat already brings salt.
- Weeknight shortcut
- Cook bacon and a folded egg in batches on a sheet pan, then assemble several muffins at once.
Serve alongside
- Crispy hash browns
- Home fries with paprika
- Fresh fruit salad
- Sliced avocado with flaky salt
- Black drip coffee
- Fresh orange juice
- Cold whole milk
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Best eaten immediately; a fully assembled sandwich keeps 1 day in the fridge wrapped tightly.
- Reheat in a 350F oven or toaster oven for 8-10 minutes to re-crisp the muffin rather than the microwave, which softens it.
- Freeze assembled sandwiches wrapped in foil for up to 1 month, then reheat from frozen in a 350F oven about 20 minutes.
Equipment
- Cast-iron or nonstick skillet
- Fish or egg spatula
- Toaster or toaster oven
- Paper-towel-lined plate for draining
Make this household-aware
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Plan it in Listahan
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