Recipe: Eggs Benedict Sandwiches-The Flavor of Elegance with the Essence of Ease

I love Eggs Benedict.

Butter filling the crevices and pockets of a warmly toasted English muffin, the creamy tang of smoothly whisked Hollandaise sauce, savory bacon or ham, and a perfectly poached egg perched above. Clean, brightly flavored parsley sprinkled on top for contrast – lovely!

And yet. With a large family, this can become an operation equaling the efforts of a small restaurant, without the benefits of a crew of kitchen staff all working to make it happen (since it’s usually just me in the kitchen so far). So. I have adapted and tweaked and come up with my own version that is far more family-friendly, with the flavors and textures we still love.

(Attempting to combine Saturday-morning-ease with feeding a large tribe, foodie purists may blanch at some of my tweaks. Please forgive me for my low-bred adaptations if you find them beyond what you can bear. In the meantime, my family will continue to enjoy our speedy, handheld version of this classic, elegant brunch specialty without apology or hesitation.)

Hoping you enjoy this riff on Eggs Benedict!

Eggs Benedict Breakfast Sandwiches

• English muffins, one per person, split, toasted, and buttered generously
• 1 egg per person – fried gently as desired (i.e. sunny side up, hard, scrambled…), lightly seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1-2 slices ham, or sliced turkey, or 3 strips of bacon per person
• about 2 Tbsp “Hollandaise/Fauxlandaise” Sauce per person- see below for recipe
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley per person, optional

Take two halves toasted and buttered English muffin. On bottom, spread about 1 Tbsp “Hollandaise/Fauxlandaise” sauce. Layer with ham, turkey, bacon, or meat of choice. Gently lay fried egg on top, dollop another tablespoon “Hollandaise/Fauxlandaise” sauce, sprinkle with tablespoon fresh parsley. Place second half of English muffin on top, place on plate. Place in front of grateful and hungry diner. Bon appetit!

• Another option is to cook two eggs per person and layer them more like an open-faced Eggs Benedict, one egg on each English muffin half, with the sauce, ham, and parsley on each. Then you will need knives and forks to eat it, but it might increase the elegance quotient if that’s what you’re after. Or just increase the protein/serving size quotient to satiate children with appetites like bears with hollow legs. (That’s usually what I’m after.)

“Hollandaise/Fauxlandaise” Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 heaping Tbsp yellow mustard (or dijon)
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar
• dash salt
• dash ground black pepper
• dash cayenne pepper
• dash granulated garlic, optional (but I always do)
• 2-3 Tbsp butter, melted, optional. (This is if you want to be just a step closer to genuine and assuage your conscience, but I often don’t, shamelessly.)

Whisk ingredients together in small bowl till smooth. Taste and adjust as desired. Set aside. Keep leftovers in refrigerator.