Egg ChuckMuffins (not to be confused with a similarly named processed product) were a weekend treat for many years, Chez Chuck. It’s a great way to make brunch from leftover ham or, alternatively, spare bacon (though it’s hard to know how any bacon in the house could be called “spare”).

INGREDIENTS

Bacon
English Muffins
Thinly sliced cheese (cheddar or provolone work best)
Mayonnaise (optional)
Eggs (one per muffin)
Olive Oil
Butter

Note: While normally I don’t encourage the use of packaged bread products, English Muffins can be hard to find fresh and the packaged version is fine for this meal.

PREPARATION

Step 1 – Bacon

Grill the bacon or lightly fry thinly cut ham in olive oil until lightly seared. Keep warm in the oven while you do the rest.

Step 2 – English Muffins

Split the English Muffins and very lightly toast in the toaster. Add thinly sliced cheese to both halves (just enough to cover the surface of the muffin). Use whatever cheese is to your taste, but something without an overwhelming flavor is best such as cheddar or provolone.

Put the muffin halves with cheese under the grill for one minute; just long enough to soften the cheese; it doesn’t have to be fully melted, just softened is good. An alternative version for mayo lovers is to only put cheese on one half and a light smear of mayo on the other. I actually prefer it this way, but if you took a vote Chez Chuck the fully cheesed version would win hands down!

Step 3 – Eggs

Use one egg per whole muffin. Pan fry eggs in a mixture of olive oil and butter on medium heat until the white is just hardened but yolk stays soft. Move the pan around gently to test – the yellow should continue to wobble if it’s still soft.

If the whites seem to not want to fully cook (liquid white sits on top of the hardened whites), you have two options. Flip the egg, but this isn’t easy, or cut through the white where it seems liquidy and it will quickly finish cooking. This is what I do – it’s not as visually pretty as flipping but it’s much easier!

Step 4 – Assembly

When the eggs are done assemble your Chuckmuffin as follows: Take one half of a cheese-covered muffin – add the bacon, then slide the egg on top. For a different twist (but just as good!) you can also add a small handful of raw baby spinach. Close the muffin with the top. Put the assembled Chuckmuffins under the grill for one minute and they are now ready to serve!

If the egg is properly runny, then this should be eaten with a knife and fork. If you have sadly slightly overcooked the egg until it is a bit hard, you can eat this as a sandwich. It’s just as tasty if the yolk is hard, but aim for a runny yolk next time.

A heart healthy version would be to used poached eggs. At Chez Chuck we are opposed to poached eggs on principle: they are a pain to cook right; and more importantly you don’t get that lovely hint of butter and olive oil on the eggs!

Enjoy your brunch with the family…