Start the day with a warm and toasty sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast! Make Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches are assembled the night before and heated up in the morning.
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If there's one favorite breakfast dish in my house, it has to be a savory, customizable, hot and delicious breakfast sandwich.
We love them so much that we even have one of those breakfast sandwich makers. Have you seen them? A feat of breakfast engineering, it has been a fun and much-used appliance.
However, we're here to talk about DIY breakfast sandwiches made not with a gadget but in a more traditional way using the stove and oven. And if you love them as much as we do, I think you're really going to love my Make Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches recipe!
What to expect from this recipe
- A way to make six, sausage, egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches for a crowd that are refrigerated overnight and baked in the oven all at once in the morning.
- The sandwiches can also be wrapped up individually and stashed in the freezer. Then, choose one of three ways to heat them up for breakfast or a snack.
Either way, you'll love this meal prep recipe that gets the heavy lifting done in advance for easier mornings. And everyone will LOVE the homemade breakfast sandwiches.
Can I make breakfast sandwiches ahead of time?
I've found that this is one of the most-asked questions from hungry people who love breakfast sandwiches. And the answer is yes—you CAN make breakfast sandwiches ahead of time, and they turn out really delicious, too.
This recipe, which makes a batch of six breakfast sandwiches, is perfect for those weekends when you're trying to feed a crowd—such as family members staying with you for the holidays or overnight guests. On those mornings, no one wants to wait around while you crank out egg sandwiches one at a time. (It's no fun for you, either!)
Make-Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches are also ideal for folks who want to make a batch of breakfast egg sandwiches that can be easily reheated for a fast morning breakfast or afternoon snack.
Breakfast sandwiches—a New England diner favorite
Lucky for us, in New England, there's always a local diner nearby serving up hot breakfast sandwiches. (Two favorite spots are August First in Burlington, Vermont and Elm Centre Cafe in Southbridge, Massachusetts.)
Hot, filling, and easy to hold in one hand so the other can hold a cup of coffee, the sandwiches became a diner staple through the second half of the 20th century. That popularity eventually led to McDonald's creating the Egg McMuffin for their franchises; after that, a sausage, egg, and cheese became everyone's favorite breakfast.
Getting a diner breakfast sandwich means getting to choose everything from the type of breakfast meat (bacon, sausage, ham), the type of bread (English muffin, bagel, biscuits—all of which may be made in house), and cheese (like cheddar, pepper jack, or Swiss.) And, in true hometown diner style, breakfast sandwiches there are often enormous, with the fillings spilling eclipsing the bread slices or muffin holding them.
Of course, we can't always head to the diner for a huge, nap-inducing breakfast sandwich—most days, we need something that we can whip up at home, and that comes in a more reasonable size so we can stay awake at work and school. And that's what makes a big pan of meal prep breakfast sandwiches so handy.
More reasons why you'll love this recipe
Well, first off, hot sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches make a delicious and filling breakfast!
Second, this is a make-ahead sandwich for breakfast recipe—so dang convenient! Assemble the sandwiches the night before and let them rest in the fridge or freezer. In the morning, bake the whole batch to feed a crowd—or reheat a single freezer friendly breakfast sandwich to eat on the go.
The filling includes breakfast sausage patties (I use pork sausage, but plant-based sausage will also work), scrambled eggs, and Cheddar cheese. The scrambled eggs are super moist even after baking or reheating.
Going to a breakfast or brunch potluck? Make ahead English muffin breakfast sandwiches will be a very welcome contribution!
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🔪 How to make Make Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches
Ingredients:
- English muffins: A breakfast sandwich on an English muffin is a perfect size that's filling, but not too filling. Also, I prefer them for their texture in both fresh and reheated sandwiches.
- Eggs: Use large eggs; whenever possible, get your eggs from local and humane suppliers.
- Milk: Whole or 2% milk makes the scrambled eggs rich and flavorful.
- Salt and Pepper: Just a little is all you need to season the eggs.
- Sour cream: To keep the scrambled eggs moist until they're reheated, I add in a little sour cream.
- Butter: Use salted or unsalted butter here for the toasted muffins; it's also added to the scrambled eggs.
- Sausage patties: My recipe calls for pork breakfast sausage, but turkey or plant-based sausage patties can be used, too.
- Cheddar cheese slices: Cheddar is my preferred kind, but you can also try Swiss, pepper jack, havarti, or any flavor you like.
- Onion powder: A little onion powder gives a savory flavor to the melted butter brushed over the sandwiches.
Toast the English muffins
Yes, do exactly that! Toast them so the tops and bottoms are nicely browned.
Make the scrambled eggs
Whisk together eggs, milk, and spices. Gently cook the eggs in a large skillet. Stir a little butter and sour cream into the eggs and hold them aside.
Option 1: Baking breakfast sandwiches for a crowd
Lay the English muffin bottoms out in a baking pan or on a baking sheet. Top each with a sausage patty.
Add a generous helping of scrambled eggs.
Add a slice of cheese to each sandwich and finally the English muffin tops. Wrap the pan tightly and refrigerate the make ahead breakfast sandwiches overnight.
In the morning, baste the sandwiches with seasoned butter, then bake them until they're hot and melty.
Option 2: Wrap individual sandwiches
Brush the muffins with seasoned butter, then build the sandwiches with sausage, eggs, and cheese. Wrap the sandwiches in foil, add them to a heavy-duty bag, and pop them in the freezer.
FAQs
In the recipe below, there are directions on how to heat up the frozen breakfast sandwiches in one of three ways: in the microwave, in a toaster oven, or using an air fryer. Your sandwich will be ready in just minutes.
If you'd rather keep your breakfast sandwiches in the fridge instead of freezing them, I recommend storing them for no more than two or three days. Longer than this and the sandwiches are likely to become soggy.
Frozen breakfast sandwiches can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.
Use any kind of breakfast sausage patty you prefer in this recipe: pork, turkey, black bean, or plant-based. You can even use homemade sausage patties.
Tips:
- To reheat your breakfast sandwich in an air fryer or toaster oven, remember to put a frozen sandwich in the fridge the night before to defrost. I found that thawed sandwiches reheat much more quickly and with better results than still-frozen ones.
- To reheat your breakfast sandwich in the microwave, doing so with a frozen sandwich works just fine.
- Though the recipe is ideal for times when you need a make-ahead breakfast dish, you also have the option of baking the breakfast sandwiches as soon as they're assembled.
The Make-Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches recipe is below, along with directions for reheating! Here are more breakfast and brunch dishes to try:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Make Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches
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Ingredients
- 6 English muffins
For the scrambled eggs:
- 7 large eggs
- ⅓ cup milk (2%)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Other sandwich ingredients:
- 6 precooked breakfast sausage patties, fresh or frozen
- 6 slices Cheddar cheese
For the butter baste:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Toast the English Muffins, tops and bottoms until they are lightly browned.
Make the scrambled eggs:
- Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk them together until they're blended and smooth. Whisk in the milk, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and one pinch of pepper.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, pour the egg mixture into the pan.
- Allow the eggs to sit for 1 minute, then slowly push a spatula across the bottom. This will push up the egg that has cooked and allow uncooked egg to flow over the bottom. Let the eggs sit for 30 seconds, then push the eggs again with the spatula. (Reduce the heat a little if they're cooking too fast.)
- Repeat this every 30 seconds or so to slowly cook the egg and push the curds together. When the eggs are cooked—no liquid left but the eggs are still jiggly—remove the pan from the heat.
- Gently stir 1 tablespoon of butter into the eggs until it's melted. Then, stir the sour cream gently through the eggs. Hold the scrambled eggs aside.
Option 1: Six make ahead sandwiches to bake in the morning
- Spray the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking dish or baking sheet with nonstick spray. Lay the bottoms of the English muffins in the pan.
- Place a sausage patty on each muffin. Then top the sausage with the scrambled eggs, dividing the eggs between the 6 sandwiches. Do your best to keep the egg on the sandwiches, though a few curds will inevitably topple off.
- Place a slice of cheese on each sandwich, and then place an English muffin top on each one.
- Wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap and pop the pan into the fridge to rest overnight.
- In the morning, preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter with the ¼ teaspoon of onion powder, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and pinch of pepper in a small dish in the microwave, stirring it to make it smooth.
- Remove the sandwiches from the fridge and brush the tops of all the sandwiches with the butter mixture. Use all of the butter on the sandwiches. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake the breakfast sandwiches for 30 minutes. Remove the foil for 7-10 minutes more, until the tops are browned and the sandwiches are hot in the middle.
- Serve the sandwiches immediately! Leftover sandwiches should be wrapped well and stored in the fridge.
Option 2: Freeze individual sandwiches
- Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter with the ¼ teaspoon of onion powder, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and pinch of pepper in a small dish in the microwave, stirring it to make it smooth.
- Brush the insides of the English muffins with the butter mixture.
- Place a sausage patty on each muffin bottom. Then top the sausage with the scrambled eggs, dividing the eggs between the 6 sandwiches. Do your best to keep the egg on the sandwiches, though a few curds will inevitably topple off.
- Place a slice of cheese on each sandwich, and then place an English muffin top on each one.
- Wrap each sandwich in aluminum foil, and place the wrapped sandwiches in a freezer-proof bag. Freeze the sandwiches for up to one month.
- IMPORTANT: If you're planning to reheat a sandwich in an air fryer or toaster oven, put a sandwich in the fridge the night before to defrost.
To reheat a frozen sandwich in the microwave:
- Remove the foil from the frozen sandwich, and place it BOTTOM SIDE UP on a plate. Drape a damp paper towel over the top and sides. Microwave the sandwich for 1 minute. Turn the sandwich over, and zap it for another 30-35 seconds until it's heated through. Eat immediately.
To reheat a sandwich in the toaster oven:
- THE NIGHT BEFORE: Put a sandwich in the fridge to defrost overnight.
- Open and flatten the foil, and open up the sandwich so that the eggs and cheese are on one side and the sauasge is on the other. Put the foil with the two sandwich halves on the rack in your toaster oven.
- Set it to the Bake function at 350° F. Bake the sandwich for about 2-4 minutes until it's heated through.
To reheat a sandwich in the air fryer:
- THE NIGHT BEFORE: Put a sandwich in the fridge to defrost overnight.
- Open and flatten the foil, and open up the sandwich so that the eggs and cheese are on one side and the sausage is on the other. Poke a few holes in the foil for excess moisture to escape.
- Put the foil with the two sandwich halves on the rack inside the air fryer basket. Set it to the Air Fry function at 350° F. Cook the sandwich for about 2-3 minutes until it's heated through.
Notes
- To reheat your breakfast sandwich in an air fryer or toaster oven, remember to put a frozen sandwich in the fridge the night before to defrost. Thawed sandwiches reheat more quickly and with better results than still-frozen ones.
- To reheat your breakfast sandwich in the microwave, it's fine to microwave it while it's still frozen.
Nutrition
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