Almost BLEAT with Chipotle Cream Cheese
July 21, 2017 by Nicole Collins
I'm taking you guys to my happy place today...brunch!
I LOVE brunch! But, really I just love breakfast food. And, any excuse to eat breakfast food is more than fine by me.
That's why I love breakfast for dinner, breakfast for lunch, breakfast for brunch, breakfast for midnight snack...
I think you get the gist of what I'm telling you here.
Today's recipe is one of my top “go to” meals that fits all of the above categories. Well, maybe not breakfast for lunch. I haven't quite mastered poaching an egg in the microwave.
I make this ALLLLLLL of the time, but I must be embarrassingly honest with you (as I always am). The last time I made this dish, it was an epic fail.
Have you guys ever seen that movie “Because I Said So” with Mandy Moore and Diane Keaton? That's one of my favorite movies!
Anyway, there's a part in the movie where Mandy Moore's character, who is an incredible baker, burns her souffle. See, she's a girl who's dating 2 guys at once: one that she met on a whim and one that her mom picked out for her (but she doesn't know that). The chemistry with the mom's guy is forced, and she comes to that realization when her souffle doesn't rise at his house. That was the first time ever that she'd ever ruined a souffle.
I had one of those moments while making today's recipe for my bestie at brunch a few weekends ago. Not the “I'm juggling 2 guys and I'm not myself with the wrong one” kind of moments. But the “I've never in my life overcooked a poached egg” kind of moments.
I'd been talking up and talking up this open faced sammie to Sultan forever. The trouble started with my unripe avocado. I knew it wasn't ready when I bought it, but I forgot to close it up in a paper lunch bag the night before (which totally works when you remember to do it by the way!) So, while I was fighting with the avocado, I totally left my eggs in the water wayyyyyy too long. Instead of a luxuriously runny, silky yolk; it was pretty much a hard boiled egg outside of it's shell. Ugh...
And to make matters even worse, remember that unripe avocado? Besides being so hard it was impossible to work with, it was DISGUSTING! So bitter...ewwwwww
So, what's the moral of this story?
We all have our “off” days (and I feel like I've been having an abnormal amount of “off” days lately), but that doesn't mean we give up. In the movie, Mandy was having a really off day with the good guy (the super cute one, p.s.); but she attempted her chocolate souffle again, and it was perfect. All was right with the world again.
And, I did the same thing. I gave that avocado a few more days to ripen up, perfectly poached my egg, and enjoyed a little brunch (for dinner) as I always do.
So, let's talk about what's right with this sammie. BLEAT stands for bacon, lettuce, egg, avocado, tomato. But I'm calling this an Almost BLEAT, because I swapped the lettuce out for fresh spinach! Lettuce just doesn't belong at breakfast (or brunch) in my opinion. Otherwise, we're sticking with the traditional ingredients.
Well, except for the chipotle cream cheese spread. That's what really makes the sammie! It's creamy. It's smoky. It's just a touch spicy. It's incredible is what it is. And it's versatile! It makes a delicious dip for veggies or a great schmear for a fancy grilled cheese too!
The trick to this sammie though is seasoning every layer with a pinch of salt and pepper. It really makes a difference!
So, don't let the “off” days get you down. I won't! Because, brunch will always be there to save the day!
And, I've got a redemption run planned for Sultan any day now. Though, now she can make this yumminess for herself!
Enjoy, and let's eat!
Almost BLEAT with Chipotle Cream Cheese
Serves: 1 Print
Ingredients:
For the Sandwich:
½ of Bagel Thins bagel (plain or wheat is fine), toasted
¼ cup fresh spinach
2 slices cooked bacon
2 slices tomato
¼ avocado, sliced
1 poached egg (fried egg works too)
1-2 tbsp chipotle cream cheese (recipe below)
salt and pepper, to taste
Chipotle Cream Cheese:
4 oz whipped cream cheese
1 tbsp adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles)
1 green onion, chopped (green and light green parts only)
Directions:
Make the chipotle cream cheese: In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, adobo sauce, and green onion. Stir until combined. Set aside.
To assemble, layer ingredients in this order: bagel thin, chipotle cream cheese, spinach, bacon, tomato (seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper), avocado (seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper), and poached egg (seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper). Enjoy immediately.
Recipe notes:
*To poach an egg, this method works for me every time. Over high heat, bring a small pot of water with 1 cap full (about a tsp) of white vinegar to a simmer. Break egg in to a small ramekin, being careful not to crack the yolk. As soon as the water starts to bubble, reduce the heat to medium high heat. Add a pinch of salt to the water. Carefully, drop the egg in to the water, and set the timer for 3 minutes. When the time is up, remove the egg from the water with a slotted spoon, and blot with a paper towel to dry. I normally poach 1 or 2 eggs at a time.
*If poached eggs aren't for you, a fried runny egg will be delicious too.
*You'll have plenty of chipotle cream cheese left. It's really good as a veggie dip, a sandwich spread, on a grilled cheese, or alone on a bagel. It'll store in the fridge for about 2 weeks.
*With all of the goodness going on in here, 1 half of a bagel thin is the perfect size for me. Feel free to double and eat the whole thing!
