Eggs Benedict Sandwich
Eggs Benedict Sandwich- Turning the classic open faced sandwich into a handheld one with a few minor swaps like jammy eggs and lemon chive aioli.
June 20, 2022 by Nicole Collins
There are 2 things that I will order 100% of the time if I see it on a menu.
Egg benedict and chicken & waffles.
And, it doesn’t matter what time of day it is. If one of these two things are on the menu, they’re on my radar.
If they’re both on the menu, I’m in trouble.
It’s no secret that I’m absolutely obsessed with eggs benny. We make some variation pretty frequently around here.
But, you guys know my mind is constantly in motion. And, one night I got to thinking about what an eggs benny sammie would look like.
There were many different versions of this sandwich that flipped back in forth in my brain. I conferred with friends. I solicited the advice of Instagram. I went back and forth and back and forth on how I could get the traditional flavors in a (mostly) portable sandwich.
And ultimately, what you see in front of you today was the grand prize winner. And boy, this is a winner alright.
So today, we’re making an Eggs Benedict Sandwich!
Here’s how this is going to work. We’re going to stick with the traditional flavors and components of a classic eggs benny. But, by changing the preparation method just a smidge, we have a completely new and exciting way to eat such a popular and beloved brunch meal.
So, LET’S DO THIS!
The cool thing about this sandwich is there isn’t actually a whole lot to do. On the surface, it seems like it could be complex. But in reality, this is a bing/bam/boom kind of deal.
Let’s start with the base of this sandwich. Just like the original, we’re using a classic English muffin. We’re going to brush it with a little butter for extra richness, and pop it in the oven to get nice and toasty. But, there’s a bonus step here. We’re also going to take some Canadian bacon and throw that on the same sheet pan to warm in the oven right along side the English muffins. With that, we’re a third of the way there!
While the bread and meat are warming, we can simultaneously have our eggs cooking and be making our sauce. Poached eggs are traditional in an eggs benedict. That runny yolk is arguably the best part of the whole situation. But, those of you that have been with me for a while know that your girl loves a runny yolk in every circumstance EXCEPT a sandwich. So to honor the idea of a runny yolk without making the sandwich a gooey mess, we’re going to compromise with some jammy eggs.
If poached eggs are my number one favorite egg, jammy eggs are an extremely close number two. Jammy eggs have a nice firm yolk, similar to a hard boiled egg. But the yolk is firm enough to not run all over the place but wet enough to still feel just a little saucy. It’s the best of both worlds. Since jammy eggs basically keep their egg shape, they can be a little awkward to fit onto a sandwich. So we’ll dice them up, egg salad style, to make them a little more manageable.
For the saucy component of our sandwich, we’re going to skip the hollandaise and make a hollandaise inspired aioli. Hollandaise is like a first cousin of mayonnaise, so it’s not a stretch to start our “sauce” with mayo. Then, we’ll add in some lemon and cayenne (which are both standard ingredients in a hollandaise). And finally, we’ll mix in some minced chives to tie it all together. From there, it’s time to assemble!
Once the muffins and ham come out of the oven, we’re going to layer in some fresh spinach between in between the two. The heat will wilt the spinach ever so slightly while still allowing it to keep a nice little bit of crunch. Then, we’ll pile on the egg, schmear our top muffin with aioli, close the sandwich, and DIG IN.
This sandwich…WOW. It almost has an egg salad kind of vibe since the chopped egg and creamy mayo are next door neighbors in the sandwich. Then, you have the savory ham to add a little oomph and the fresh spinach to help cut the richness of the whole thing. Stuff that between two perfectly toasted English muffins (which are perfection all on their own), and you have a rockstar of a bite.
SO GOOD!
And if you have any question about how passionate I am about this sandwich, check the amount of ALL CAPS I’ve used in this post!
Alright, everyone! I’m always looking for ways to take traditional recipes and transform them into something new. So if you have something you want to see, definitely let me know!
I hope you all enjoy! And, let’s eat!
Eggs Benedict Sandwich
Serves: 4 Print
Ingredients:
For the Lemon Chive Aioli:
¼ mayonnaise
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp minced chives
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Sandwich:
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
4 english muffins, split
8 slices Canadian bacon
4 eggs
1 cup baby spinach, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Make the Lemon Chive Aioli: To a small mixing bowl, add mayo, lemon juice, chives, cayenne, and a tiny pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well to combine. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange Canadian bacon and English muffin halves, cut side up, in a single layer on the baking sheet. Brush the English muffin halves with melted butter. Bake for 8-10 mins until the muffins are lightly golden and toasted.
Meanwhile, make the jammy eggs: Fill a medium saucepan with water, and bring to a boil. Gently add eggs into the boiling water, and boil for 7 mins. After 7 mins, transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water, and allow eggs to chill for 2 mins. Remove from ice bath, and peel the shells off the eggs. Carefully, dice the eggs into bite sized pieces.
Assemble the sandwich: Put a small dollop of aioli on the bottom of each muffin. Top with spinach, Canadian bacon, and jammy eggs seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper, evenly divided. Drizzle the eggs with remaining aioli, and place the remaining muffin halves on top to close the sandwich. Enjoy!
Recipe notes:
*Cooking the eggs for 7 minutes gets us a jammy egg. Since the yolks are still slightly runny, they can be a little tricky to dice without losing the yolk. I like to have a small spoon nearby to help scoop any runaway yolk up off my cutting board and onto the sandwich.
*You could replace the jammy eggs with a fried egg if you want.
*If you’re not serving these all at once, wait to cook the eggs and toast the muffins until you’re ready to eat. The aioli will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.
