Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich

Crisp bacon, griddled eggs, and melted cheddar fill toasted English muffins, with a staggered cooking order that keeps the bread crisp for serving.

25 min

4 sandwiches

A toasted English muffin holds crisp bacon, a griddled egg, and melted cheddar on a plain plate.

Ingredients

4 English muffins

8 slices thick-cut bacon

4 large eggs

4 slices sharp cheddar cheese

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet · Parchment paper · Large nonstick skillet · Egg rings, optional · Tongs · Toaster

Keep the batch moving

Start the bacon first, prep the eggs and cheddar while it bakes, then toast the muffins as the bacon rests and griddle eggs together when the skillet allows.

Protect the toast

Let muffin halves cool in a single layer with cut sides up, and assemble only when the bacon and eggs are ready.

Bake the bacon

01. Heat the oven to 400 F and line a rimmed sheet with parchment so the bacon releases cleanly.

02. Bake the bacon in one layer for about 14 minutes, rotating the pan once; look for crisp centers and deeply browned edges.

Toast and shape

03. Toast split muffins cut side up until golden, then keep them in one layer so steam does not soften the cut faces.

04. Melt butter over medium-low heat and use egg rings for neat rounds, or nudge the whites inward with a spatula.

Cook the eggs

05. Season the eggs and cook until the whites are opaque; loosen the edges before turning so each round stays intact.

06. Top each egg with cheddar, cover briefly to melt it, and move finished eggs to a warm plate if another batch remains.

Build the sandwiches

07. Start bacon first, stage eggs and cheese while it bakes, and toast muffins as the bacon rests; hold an early egg batch in a 200 F oven if needed.

08. Put two bacon slices on each toasted bottom, add the cheese-topped egg, and cap just before serving to limit trapped steam.