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What is an Egg Sandwich?

Angie Bates
Angie Bates

An egg sandwich is a general term for any sandwich whose primary ingredient is egg. They may be made with fried, scrambled, poached, or hard boiled eggs or egg salad. The eggs might be placed on white, wheat, rye, or sourdough bread; English muffins; bagels; or croissants. A sandwich may be very simple, including little other than eggs and bread, or complex, such as eggs Benedict, a type of open-faced egg sandwich.

Simple egg sandwiches are often considered comfort food. Frequently made at home, bread may be buttered or coated with mayonnaise, ketchup, or other condiments. If eggs will be scrambled, they are usually cracked into a bowl and mixed first. Sometimes milk may be added to the egg mixture to help increase fluffiness. Salt and pepper is often added directly to the egg mixture as well. The egg mixture is then poured into a nonstick or buttered pan, cooked until no longer runny, and placed between the bread slices.

Bacon is a popular addition to an egg sandwich.
Bacon is a popular addition to an egg sandwich.

Fried eggs are made by cracking the eggs directly into a pan and flipping them once during cooking. Both the whites and the yolk are solid in a properly cooked fried egg. Small single egg pans can be found which allow the fried eggs to form a circular shape roughly the size of an English muffin. These eggs are commonly seen in breakfast sandwiches at fast food restaurants, such as McDonald's famous Egg McMuffin®.

Mayonnaise is commonly used on egg sandwiches.
Mayonnaise is commonly used on egg sandwiches.

Both scrambled and fried egg sandwiches may also have cheese — often American — or meats sandwiched with them. Bacon and sausage patties are popular meats included with these sandwiches. While fried egg sandwiches may be used with any bread type, English muffins are most commonly paired with fried eggs.

Hard-boiled eggs are made by boiling eggs for several minutes inside the shell. Once peeled, these eggs can be sliced and placed on bread or mashed with mayonnaise or Greek yogurt, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and a variety of spices and condiments to make egg salad. Egg salad sandwiches are often served with tomato slices or lettuce.

Hard-boiled eggs are ideal for egg sandwiches.
Hard-boiled eggs are ideal for egg sandwiches.

More complicated egg sandwiches, such as eggs Benedict, are offered at many restaurants. Eggs Benedict is an open-faced egg sandwich, meaning while it sits on a piece of bread — always an English muffin in this case — it lacks the top piece. On top of the English muffin is usually a piece of ham, though bacon may also be used. A poached egg, or one that has been cracked into boiling water to cook, sits on top of the meat. The sandwich is then topped with hollandaise sauce, a gourmet sauce consisting of egg yolk, butter, and seasoning.

Discussion Comments

Drentel

@Feryll - I agree that eggs are a good for getting the protein you need, but they can also raise your cholesterol, so you might want to try a tuna sandwich now and then in place of the egg sandwich. Tuna is also loaded with protein.

Feryll

I am always looking for new ways to prepare eggs. I usually eat three scrambled eggs as part of my breakfast. Then I eat a couple or three more cooked one way or another during the rest of the day. Eggs are loaded with protein, and when I am working out I like to eat as much protein as I can so I can build muscle mass.

If you have trouble getting enough protein then you should try eating egg salad or egg sandwiches. As I said, eggs are loaded with protein and better for you than processed protein powders.

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    • Bacon is a popular addition to an egg sandwich.
      By: Kelpfish
      Bacon is a popular addition to an egg sandwich.
    • Mayonnaise is commonly used on egg sandwiches.
      By: Alexandra
      Mayonnaise is commonly used on egg sandwiches.
    • Hard-boiled eggs are ideal for egg sandwiches.
      By: Natika
      Hard-boiled eggs are ideal for egg sandwiches.
    • Croissants are a good base for an egg sandwich.
      By: Alexandra
      Croissants are a good base for an egg sandwich.
    • Sourdough bread can be used to make an egg sandwich.
      By: enzo4
      Sourdough bread can be used to make an egg sandwich.