The Classic Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich
on Dec 31, 2023, Updated Sep 06, 2024
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A New York-style BEC is the perfect way to start your day and couldn't be easier to make at home. This is the sandwich we all crave, somehow both simple and magical all at the same time.
There is no better way to start the day than with a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich at home. If you need a real breakfast ahead of a busy day, had a late night out, or need a substantial breakfast you can take on the go, the BEC is the answer. (Ask any New Yorker.) And, yes, it’s the perfect antidote for a hangover, should that be the situation. This is the quick and easy BEC sandwich you can make for your family for breakfast, or hey, maybe even for lunch or dinner. Fast, inexpensive, satisfying, and so darn easy to make.
You’ll also want to check out my Breakfast Bagel Sandwich and the Breakfast Biscuit Sandwich — similar but different, and other excellent breakfast sammie choices.
Table of Contents
The Classic Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich: This is the BEC breakfast (or lunch or dinner) sandwich we all dream about, that perfect combo of simple ingredients.
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Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Ingredients
- Roll of choice – The perfect breakfast sandwich is made on a roll. A classic deli roll is, well, classic, but I also love ciabatta rolls. Use any rolls you like, seeded or unseeded. Make sure to toast the bread with a bit of butter for extra crunchy deliciousness.
- Butter
- Bacon – You can fry up crispy strips of bacon in the pan, as directed below, or cook your bacon in the oven.
- Eggs – Cook the eggs like an omelet, or try this easy oven-cooked egg trick if you like.
- Salt and black pepper – To taste.
- Cheese – Choose from cheddar, Havarti, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or good old American — any cheese you like will work, and the cheese melts into the hot eggs in the skillet.
- Sriracha – To taste. This is optional but highly recommended.
Variations
I like the classic BEC just the way it is (New York Style), but you can feel free to play!
- You can use sliced bread instead of a roll if you prefer.
- Add a slice of tomato, avocado, and/or onion if you like.
- You can also just sub in a toasted bagel for the roll in this sandwich.
How to Make a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich
- Toast the rolls: The step of toasting the rolls in the pan with a bit of butter makes all the difference, so try not to skip that.
- Start cooking the eggs: Heat the remaining butter in a skillet over medium heat. Pour in the eggs, and as the bottom sets, use a spatula to lift up the edges of the eggs and let the uncooked eggs run underneath.
- Add cheese: When the bottom is almost cooked but the top is still slightly wet, sprinkle over the cheese. Let the eggs cook for another minute, then fold the sides of the eggs over the middle so that it takes on a rectangular omelet shape.
- Cut into roll-sized pieces: Transfer the omelet to a cutting board and cut it in half. This will make the eggs a good size to fit on the rolls.
- Fit and place the bacon: Add the strips of bacon, cutting them so the bacon fits on top of the eggs (though a piece of bacon sticking outside of an egg sandwich is pretty blissful).
- Top and serve: Unless you just hate spiciness, you really should add a squiggle of hot sauce over the top. For me, it makes the sandwich.
Kitchen Smarts
When you are cooking the eggs you are thinking more along the lines of an omelet, letting the eggs firm up on the bottom, the cheese melt in the middle, and lifting the sides so the runny eggs can run underneath. But you know what? If you want to scramble the eggs and add the cheese towards the end, you do that. Perfection is hardly the goal here — the eggs are going into a sandwich, for heaven’s sake.
FAQs
I didn’t realize how much of a New York thing a bacon, egg, and cheese (more accurately pronounced as one word: baconeggandcheese — that’s how a real New Yorker would order it) sandwich was. You can get them in delis and bodegas all around the city and also at the many breakfast carts stationed on NYC corners. Sometimes, this sandwich is also referred to as BEC or “deli-style.”
Many New Yorkers start their day with a BEC, picked up on the way to work. It’s also worth noting that it’s thought of as the ultimate hangover cure, and if you wake up feeling a little worse for the wear, a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich will help you get your groove back. That’s a fact.
What to Serve With Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwiches
Truth? A bacon, egg, and cheese needs nothing more than a cup of coffee and maybe the New York Times.
More Quick and Easy Sandwich Recipes
- Classic Club Sandwich
- Fried Egg and Cheese Tostadas
- Herbed Chicken Salad
- The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Breakfast Bagel Sandwich
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Classic Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 ciabatta rolls
- 4 teaspoons unsalted butter (divided)
- 4 slices bacon
- 4 large eggs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
- ½ cup grated Havarti (or other cheese)
- Sriracha or other hot sauce (to taste)
Instructions
- Slice the rolls in half horizontally. Heat a heavy pan, such as cast iron, over medium-high heat and melt 2 teaspoons of the butter. Place the roll cut sides down in the pan, and let the halves sizzle until the bottoms turn golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Place the bacon in the pan over medium-high heat and cook until it is crispy, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, pour off any fat left in the pan, and (carefully; that pan is hot!) use a wad of paper towels to wipe out the inside of the pan.
- Crack the eggs in a bowl and lightly beat them with the salt and pepper. Melt the remaining 2 teaspoons of butter in the pan over medium heat. Pour in the eggs, and as the bottom sets, use a spatula to lift up the edges of the eggs and let the uncooked eggs run underneath. When the bottom is almost cooked but the top is still slightly wet sprinkle over the cheese. Let the eggs cook for another minute, then fold the sides of the eggs over the middle, so that it takes on a rectangular omelet shape. Slide the omelet out of the pan onto a cutting board and cut in half, so that each piece takes on a similar shape to the ciabatta rolls.
- Place the cooked eggs on the bottom of the browned roll. Place the bacon on top of the eggs, give it all a loving squirt of Sriracha or other hot sauce, and cover with the top of the roll.
- Serve the sandwich warm, and take 10 minutes out of your day and read the paper, and think of this moment warmly all week.
Notes
- You can use sliced bread instead of a roll if you prefer.
- Add slice of tomato, avocado and/or onion if you like.
- You can also just sub in a toasted bagel for the roll in this sandwich.
- Try a slice of ham instead of the bacon.
