Sunrise Egg Sandwich

Frenzied chaos kicks into high gear every morning at my house starting about 6am. Between the dogs, cats, three kids and two adults; all who have places to be and things to do the moment our eyes peel open, it's not exactly peaceful nor quiet most days.

The morning typically starts with an animal insisting they need to go outside, followed quickly by the beeping of the coffee pot, blessedly letting us know at least there’s hot fresh coffee to power us through. Immediately on the heels of the coffee pot, alarms beep throughout the house and the children rumble to life, emerging from their rooms sleep dazed, hungry and usually groaning at the injustice of another day of school. Some wake a little easier than others.

From there it’s a blur of cereal, backpacks, sibling bickering and looking for lost shoes, the exact right sweatshirt, chrome books and water bottles.

Finally, by 8:30am everyone is out the door and I’m left standing, still usually in my pajamas, the animals peering up at me reminding me if it’s finally time for their breakfast and wondering if a walk is in their future. I reheat my coffee. I take a deep breath. The day begins.

Usually a good breakfast is low on the priority list, especially on busy weekday mornings. But, after spending a long weekend in Hood River, Oregon a few weeks back and starting each morning at River Daze Cafe, which has the most delicious English muffins and therefore breakfast sandwiches I’ve ever had, I’m having a moment with English muffins.

I revived my sourdough starter, which was living dormant at the very back of my refrigerator for a bit. Sourdough starter is a bit like a pet or a high-maintenance house plant. It requires some love and attention by feeding it water and flour daily and keeping it nice and warm on the counter.

Once the starter was bubbly and happy again, I made a batch of sourdough English muffins from my tried and true favorite sourdough cookbook, Artisan Sourdough Made Simple by Emilie Raffa. The results were delicious and this is how my obsession with breakfast sandwiches got started. Let me just be clear though, you do not need to make your own English muffins. If you enjoy to bake, you can find a ton of recipes on the internet to experiment with. But store-bought is just fine and a great option.

A classic egg and cheese will always remain a tried and true favorite, but as a nod to River Daze Cafe and my own personal preference I couldn’t resist jazzing up my egg sandwich with a few veggies and a little heat from some Mama Lil’s peppers.

Mama Lil’s are marinated peppers that are sweet and spicy. I buy the big jars from Costco whenever they happen to be in stock but I’ve found the smaller jars at Safeway as well. If heat isn’t your thing, skip this step or just use a slice or two for a more mild flavor. A tasty breakfast full of veggies and protein is the little kindness we can all offer ourselves in the midst of busy wild days. Maybe sprouts and tomatoes aren’t your thing, but a few leaves of baby spinach, a slice of ham and a bit of bell pepper folded into your egg hits the spot. There are no rules when it comes to a breakfast sandwich, just have some fun with it and try something new.

Sunrise Breakfast Sandwich

• English muffin OR ciabatta roll

• 1 egg, fried or scrambled to personal preference

• Sprouts

• 2 slices tomato

• Avocado

• Pepper jack cheese

• Mama Lil’s Peppers

• Kosher salt and black pepper

Toast the English muffin or ciabatta roll. Once toasted, lightly spread a little butter on the bread and set aside.

In a sauté pan, fry or scramble an egg to your preference . Don’t forget to salt and pepper the egg. I prefer a fried egg, so I spray the pan with cooking spray and turn the heat to medium. I crack the egg directly into the pan and allow to cook for about two to three minutes before flipping the egg. Once the egg is flipped, I turn the heat off to the pan and allow the egg to rest in the pan for an additional minute or two.

While the egg cooks, slice up the tomato and avocado. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the tomato slices.

To build the sandwich, layer the pepper jack cheese on the warm toasted muffin followed by the hot egg. Top the egg with the tomato, avocado, sprouts and Mama Lil’s peppers. Place the other half the muffin on top the sandwich and gently press down. Eat and enjoy!