Asparagus, Bacon and Egg Breakfast Sandwich

Oh, the sweet, breezy, untroubled Saturday Morning.

When it’s the sun that finally coaxes you awake (no need for that jarring cell phone alarm).

And it’s within your rights to hop back into bed to have your morning cup of coffee or tea. And then fall back asleep for an extra fifteen minutes.

And goodbye to the usual microwave-warmed instant oatmeal (convenient for grabbing on the way out the door) – you’ve got all the time in the world to cook up a feast for breakfast.

My favorite on lazy mornings is a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich.

But I needed to add some fresh, nutritious produce to transform the dish into something Scrumptious Pumpkin –ready.

I knew bacon and egg were classic pairings for fresh spring asparagus, so I thought: why not add chopped asparagus to an egg sandwich?

I also used shallots and chives to add tons of additional flavor.

And I ended up with – far and away – the best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever made.

And yes, this is also quick and simple to make.

Because I know that’s another requirement for lazy Saturday mornings!

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this dish.

Begin by preparing the bacon.

Yes, I managed to sneak bacon into this “skinny” breakfast sandwich!

Here’s how, I:

• used center-cut, low-sodium bacon and
• limited the portion to 2 slices per serving

Because – as much as I strive for a healthy diet – what’s life without a little bacon every now and again?

And, surprisingly, the nutrition facts for center-cut, low-sodium bacon are not bad at all (for a once-in-a-while-treat):

2 slices have about 47 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 1 gram of saturated fat.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and arrange the bacon on the wire rack so no two pieces are overlapping.

Then cook the bacon until it begins to turn golden and form tiny bubbles along the top of the bacon.

Carefully, very carefully – there will be hot bacon grease on the pan – place the baking sheet on the counter to cool.

Note: the bacon will continue to crisp as it cools, so you’ll want to remove it from the oven before it becomes too crispy.

Next, grab some fresh asparagus.

Hold one spear at each end and snap it in half – the end that naturally breaks off is the tough part that should be discarded.

To save some time – so you don’t have to snap every piece individually – grab a small pile of asparagus and trim off the ends in one chop, using the broken piece as a guide for how much to chop off.

Then run your knife through the pile of trimmed spears, cutting them into quarter-inch pieces.

Grab a shallot and cut off both ends.

Then slice it in half lengthwise, making it easy to peel off the skin.

Place one half flat-side-down on the cutting board for stability.

Cut thin slices lengthwise.

Then run your knife in the opposite direction, dicing up the shallot into bite-sized bits.

Grab a small bunch of fresh chives and use some kitchen shears to chop up the chives (or use your knife if you don’t have shears).

Next, prepare the eggs.

Break six eggs into a large mixing bowl and add a bit of 1% milk.

Then whisk vigorously – with all the strength you can muster for a lazy Saturday morning –  until all the yolks are broken and well combined.

Heat a bit of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

Cook the shallots for just a couple of minutes, until they’re lightly softened …

… and then add the asparagus.

Cook a couple of minutes more, then reduce the heat to medium-low.

Add the egg mixture and allow the eggs to begin to firm and set along the bottom of the pan.

Season with salt and pepper, then grab a wooden spoon or rubber spatula and regularly scrape and fold the eggs until the eggs are no longer liquid.

Remove the eggs from the heat.

Note: the eggs will continue to cook a bit after you’ve removed them from the heat, so you want to cook them just until they are solidified and no longer liquid.

Place a small saucepan over the burner, still set to medium-low.

Heat some 1% milk in the pan until it’s lightly simmering.

Then add some shredded Monterey Jack cheese and some Dijon mustard, and turn off the heat.

Stir until the cheese is all nicely melted and gooey.

Then immediately assemble your breakfast sandwiches while the eggs and cheese are still hot!

Grab some whole wheat English muffins that have been cut in half and toasted.

Add two slices of bacon to each half.

Then spoon a very generous portion of the scrambled eggs over the bacon. (Even though there are just 1 1/2 eggs per serving, it looks like a lot more because the asparagus and shallots bulk up the recipe so much!)

Top with some of the cheese sauce.

And then add a few chopped chives.

Then serve it up with a side of crisp, grilled asparagus.

This is a very richly flavored, very indulgent-tasting breakfast sandwich.

The asparagus and shallots are perfect complements to the fluffy eggs and crispy bacon.

And the melted cheese makes it very decadent, filling, and satisfying.

More good news: I did the math, and one open-faced sandwich (this recipe makes a total of 4 servings) averages a reasonable 350 calories!

Does a lazy Saturday morning get any better than this?

Here is the complete printable recipe: