A quintessential fast food breakfast classic using a plant-based patty, a hearty non-egg slice, and cheese on a toasted english muffin.
I love pancakes. And waffles. And french toast. And avocado toast. And cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting. And donuts. And basically any kind of warm bread or bread-type breakfast food stuff.
My husband, on the other hand, loves cold cereal. He also likes breakfast sandwiches. Scratch that. He loves breakfast sandwiches! Mainly because they taste really good. Also maybe because they’re healthy. And maybe because I make them for him.
These little darlings taste pretty amazing.
So for his birthday each year, and whenever I want to make him feel very special, I make this Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich for him. He absolutely loves them. We also make them whenever we go camping since they are so easy to prep and put together. Seriously, once you have the key ingredients, they come together in less than 20 minutes.
This recipe consists of four components – breakfast patties, Vegan Egg Batter, Just Egg or Tofu, sliced vegan cheese, and toasted english muffins. You can substitute or omit any of these; but we think they’re perfect when made as outlined below – and since you’re not going to want to make any substitutions, it’s time to get down to business and show you how to create The Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich.
1 – The Breakfast Patty is made with lentils, rice, rolled quinoa, mushrooms, onions, and packed with a whole of love. The flavor and texture of these beauties are reminiscent of a traditional breakfast patty but with zero cholesterol and zero saturated fat. You can check out my detailed post for the breakfast patty recipe here.
The best part is that these breakfast patties store extremely well in the freezer. I place them in a freezer-safe plastic bag and take out the quantity I need when we want to make a sandwich. Then all you need are your remaining ingredients.
2 – Tofu, Vegan Egg Batter, or Just Egg. Just Egg was a temporary and fleeting addition to our home. Previously and currently, I slice a block of tofu lengthwise into four slices and used a wide mouth mason jar or glass to create nice round circle tofu slices. Just Egg is a chilled concoction of mung bean that is really good at mimicking the texture, consistency, and look of eggs. And it’s a pretty amazing product. They scramble just like eggs.
If you can’t have soy and don’t have access to Just Egg, you can try out my Vegan Egg Batter. It doesn’t scramble but it does fold up into an omelet, which can be folded into a square for these sandwiches.
We have successfully used Just Egg and the Vegan Egg Batter in quiche and these breakfast sandwiches, though getting them out of these rings is no picnic. Folding them is the way to go.
– If you are unable to find or use Just Egg or mung beans, you may use Tofu. That’s what we use most of the time. A block of firm tofu works great in this recipe. Just follow these directions and the photos in this pictorial. It’s super easy and tastes great!
Start by draining the water from a block of Firm Tofu. Press the block in between some paper towels on a plate to remove any excess water. Stand the block up on its end and slice it in four long slices. Lay the slices down on the cutting board and cut a circle out of each slice. I’ve successfully used a wide mouth mason jar for this; but a large round cookie cutter or metal food mold makes a cleaner circle.
Once you have your four circles of tofu, cook them in a skillet with a little oil or margarine and sprinkle with the kala namak, if desired. Cook until slightly golden, about 2-4 minutes each side. By the way, save the scraps for eggless salad or a breakfast scramble or whatever else you can imagine.
3 – The next component in the Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich is a slice of cheese. But first, I have a little secret. I don’t really like cheese, not like most people anyway. I prefer pizza, spaghetti, lasagna, eggplant parmesan, and potatoes without any cheese. Believe me, I get very strange looks when I order pizza without cheese. Greasy oily stuff sitting atop an otherwise glorious slice of pizza is a huge turn off. (I eat pizza for the crust!) I’ve always felt this way. However, there are two big exceptions – (1) a grilled cheese sandwich and (2) this Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich.
A melted slice of cheese between the breakfast patty and Just Egg is the glue that makes this sandwich – not that I would ever recommend you put glue on your sandwich. We’re talking about a slice of melted cheese. If you’re vegetarian, simply use your favorite slice of cheese. If you’re vegan, you’ve probably already learned that not all vegan cheese products are the same and have your own favorite brands.
My favorite sliced cheeses are made by Violife and Follow Your Heart – smoked gouda is my favorite. They taste good and melt nicely on a sandwich. Daiaya provolone works especially well since it comes round, as displayed here in all its circular glory. It’s a matter of preference. Just know that this ultimate breakfast sandwich likes cheese. Any kind of cheese. If you don’t consume oil-free, you can use my oil-free plant-based Vegan Cheddar Cheese.
Quick Tip: If you want your cheese to melt, I highly recommend you microwave your Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich for about 15-20 seconds. This trick should melt your cheese perfectly.
4 – The crowning english muffin brings all of these components together to make this a delicious Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich. Freshly baked and toasted to a nice golden brown. Did I lose you? Why did I make my own? One reason: It’s difficult to find any bread products without excessive sodium in it, and even harder to find English muffins that don’t contain milk. So I tend to make my own when we want a treat like this.
Don’t get me wrong; the store-bought versions are delicious and work great – they just contain dairy and have too much sodium for someone on a low sodium diet. So, if you’re not trying to keep your blood pressure down or need to restrict sodium, please feel free to purchase your english muffins at your local grocery store. They will work very well.
So, yes, I made my english muffins; but no need to feel pressured…. Although, if you’re up for an adventure, I highly recommend you try this extremely simple and fun. These English Muffins are fail-proof, soft and fluffy, take no time and are a breeze to make, toast up perfectly, and are vegan. Check out these beauties!
Now its time to bring it all together.
The Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich!
Ingredients
- 4 Breakfast Patties
- margarine or oil (optional)
- 1 bottle Just Egg, Vegan Egg Batter, or one block of Firm Tofu
- dash of kala namak or black salt (optional)
- 4 slices of vegan cheese or Vegan Cheddar Cheese
- 4 English Muffins
Instructions
- Sauté the breakfast patties in a skillet over medium heat until a little crispy, about 3-5 minutes on each side. You may use a little oil or margarine if you prefer.
- Remove the patties and set aside.
- Cook the Just Egg or Vegan Egg Batter (or Tofu slices) over low to medium heat for a few minutes. When the “egg” begins to firm up, flip the ends up and over toward the center to create a square shape. Sprinkle a little kala namak now. * You can also use english muffin rings (or metal food rings or cookie cutters) to create round shaped Just Egg circles. Just be sure to cook it on a low setting for 10 minutes, or until the top is almost firm, then flip on to other side for a few more minutes. *** See Notes below if substituting Tofu.
- Place a piece of vegan cheese on top of the egg. Cover with a breakfast patty.
- Slice your English muffin in half and toast in a toaster oven or in the skillet.
- Place the “egg”-cheese-patty stack of goodness on top of the bottom slice of toasted English muffin. Top with the top of the English muffin.
- If you’re like me and need that cheese to melt, place the sandwich in the microwave for 10 seconds. Alternatively, place the sandwich back in the skillet and cover with a lid to heat through for about a minute. This will melt the cheese better.
- Serve!
Notes
– Kala namak (black salt) has a subtle sulfuric scent. It mimics the smell of eggs and lends it to a more traditional experience. A little sprinkled on top does the trick.
To make this gluten free, omit the breakfast patties and use a gluten-free English muffin – Aldi and Glutino both have really good gluten-free English muffins, which are sometimes located in the freezer section.
Over the past couple of years, I have made these breakfast sandwiches so many different ways – just egg or tofu; ready-made vegan sausage patty or homemade; English muffins or toast or homemade English muffins; and cheese slices, Mighty Cheez Sauce, or Vegan Cheddar Cheese. Regardless of how we make them, they are delicious!
To print or save this recipe, please click on the link below.
The Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich
Equipment
- stove
Ingredients
- 4 Breakfast Patties
- margarine or oil optional
- 1 bottle Just Egg, Vegan Egg Batter, or block of Firm Tofu
- dash of kala namak or black salt optional
- 4 slices cheese
- 4 English muffins
Instructions
- Sauté the breakfast patties in a skillet over medium heat until a little crispy, about 3-5 minutes on each side. You may use a little oil or margarine if you prefer.
- Remove the patties and set aside.
- Cook the Just Egg or Vegan Egg Batter over low to medium heat for a few minutes. When the Just Egg begins to firm up, flip ends up and over toward the center to create a square shape. You can also use english muffin rings (or metal food rings or cookie cutters) to create round shaped Just Egg circles. Just be sure to cook it on a low setting for about 10 minutes, or until the top is almost firm, then flip on to other side for a few more minutes. *** See note below and pictorial in post if using Tofu.
- Place a piece of cheese on top of the egg. Cover with a breakfast patty.
- Slice your English muffin in half and toast in a toaster oven or in the skillet.
- Place the Just Egg-Cheese-Patty stack on top of the bottom slice of toasted English muffin. Top with the top of the English muffin.
- If you’re like me and need that cheese to melt, place the sandwich in the microwave for 10 seconds. Alternatively, place the sandwich back in the skillet and cover with a lid to heat through for about a minute. This will melt the cheese better.
- Serve!
Nice pictures. You have been busy.