A killer breakfast sandwich with crispy bacon, egg, and cheese wrapped up in foil from a corner deli (or bodega if you’re in New York) can be a saving grace when contemplating whether to actually get out of bed and face the day. The same goes for these make-ahead egg sandwiches.
Perfect for reheating on busy (or lazy) mornings, most of the work for this freezer breakfast sandwich recipe happens in the oven, starting with sweet frizzled onions and custardy, quiche-like eggs that get their lift from a generous splash of heavy cream. The all-important slice of cheese comes in the form of melty American (or cheddar cheese, if you must). And a Calabrian chile-mayo replaces plain hot sauce with a creamy kick.
For the exterior, skip fiddly croissants, bulky sourdough, and chewy bagels. Stick with tried-and-true toasted English muffins, broiled en masse so you don’t have to keep reloading your toaster.
If you want to switch it up, there are lots of egg and cheese sandwiches to consider including ones stacked with buttery scrambled eggs and breakfast sausage patties, grilled cheese topped with a fried egg, and egg toast with feta and chives.
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What you’ll need
Metal Baking Pan
$26 At Amazon
Whisk
$10 At Amazon
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$32 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour 10 minutes
Yield
8–12 servings
Ingredients
2
2
2
12
1
½
8–12
½
2
8–12
Preparation
Step 1
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°. Place 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced, on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt over, and toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer.
Step 2
Grease a 13x9" baking dish with unsalted butter. Line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on long sides; grease parchment with unsalted butter. Whisk 12 large eggs, 1 jalapeño, finely chopped, ½ cup heavy cream, and remaining 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt in a small bowl to combine; season with freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to prepared baking dish.
Step 3
Place pan with egg mixture on upper rack and baking sheet with onions on lower rack in oven and bake until egg mixture is puffed around the edges and mostly set in the center (it should only jiggle slightly when tapped), 20–25 minutes. Remove egg mixture from oven and let cool. Transfer onions to upper rack and continue to bake until softened and lightly browned around the edges, 10–15 minutes more. Let cool.
Step 4
While the onions are cooling, heat broiler. Butter cut sides of 8–12 English muffins, split; broil until toasted and golden, about 3 minutes. Let cool. Decrease (or increase) oven temperature to 375°.
Step 5
Mix ½ cup mayonnaise and 2 Tbsp. Calabrian chile paste or 1–2 Tbsp. sriracha in a small bowl; set aside.
Step 6
Run an offset spatula around edges of pan to release egg sheet, then remove from pan. Cut egg evenly into 8–12 pieces, depending on the size of your English muffins. To build sandwiches, stack an egg piece, 1 slice American cheese or cheddar, and 1–2 Tbsp. onions on bottom half of each English muffin; close up. Wrap individually in parchment paper.
Step 7
If not making ahead: Place sandwiches on a clean baking sheet; bake until heated through and cheese is melted, 9–12 minutes. (You can also microwave 30–45 seconds or leave unwrapped and heat in a cast-iron skillet over medium, about 2 minutes per side.) Unwrap and spread 1 Tbsp. chile mayo over cut side of top half of each English muffin just before serving.
If making ahead: Freeze in parchment paper. When ready to eat, bake frozen, wrapped sandwiches in a 375° oven, 10–15 minutes, microwave on high in 30-second bursts, 30–60 seconds, or unwrap and heat in a cast-iron skillet over medium, about 3 minutes per side, to warm. Spread 1 Tbsp. chile mayo over cut side of top half of English muffin just before serving.
Do Ahead: Sandwiches can be frozen 3 months ahead. Chile mayo can be made 3 weeks ahead; keep refrigerated.
Editor’s note: This breakfast sandwich recipe was first printed in our March 2023 issue. Head this way for more of our favorite breakfast recipes →