Can you even believe it’s back-to-school time already for many kids in the country? We have a little bit of a break going right now, but we’ll be following along soon enough. For parents with kids at home and teachers getting ready to return to the routine, knocking out a solid breakfast is often a big challenge. My solution? Let the kids do the cooking.
My son Ty has always had a love and knack for cooking. At the tender age of ten, he begged to try and actually executed a complicated Two Fat Ladies recipe for traditional British venison pasty. It turned out perfectly. We were all happy and impressed and – needless to say – have encouraged his continued presence in the kitchen. That’s my kid, friends. As home educators, our back-to-school routine is a little different than that of many people. In a nutshell, the boys are charged with getting out of bed, changing into day-clothes, getting food in their bellies, and being at the table – ready to tackle the day’s lessons – by a certain time. As often as not, Ty is voted the designated breakfast cook on account of his brothers’ affinity for his hearty creations.
Ty’s Best Breakfast Sandwich is a perfect example of his style. Two slices of buttered sourdough bread are stuffed with a meltable cheese, crispy hash browns and bacon, and scrambled eggs before being crimped, toasted to perfection, and served with hot sauce for his hot-sauce-fanatic-brothers. Part of what makes this particular combination so handy is that it can take advantage of leftovers from previous breakfasts or from brinners!
Ty’s tool of choice for this heavenly way to start the day is the Cook’s sandwich maker from JCPenney. Clocking in at $30 (and nearer to $15 on sale!) it’s a fantastic and inexpensive little number to have around to encourage your kids’ creativity in the kitchen. You should see how excited they get to try out new combinations in the sandwich maker. If you don’t have this handy-dandy little gadget, you can crimp the edges of your sandwich with a fork or press and toast it in a hot skillet or under the broiler.
Cook’s Notes
- Ty likes to use sourdough bread for his Best Breakfast Sandwich not just because of the flavour, but because it’s sturdy enough to being buttered, filled, crimped, and toasted.
- He starts with bacon and hashbrowns that were already cooked and leftover from a previous meal. He chops the bacon and reheats that and the hashbrowns together giving them a chance to crisp up even further.
- Ty advises you to leave a little ring of empty bread around the edges of your sandwich when filling them. That makes them easier to crimp and keeps the cheese from running out.
Ty’s Best Breakfast Sandwich
Rate RecipeIngredients
Per Sandwich:
- 2 slices sourdough bread
- 1 tablespoon softened butter
- 2 tablespoons leftover hashbrowns or home fries
- 1 slice of crispy cooked bacon, chopped
- 1 scrambled egg
- 2 tablespoons grated Monterey Jack or 1 slice meltable Cheddar cheese divided
Optional for serving:
- hot sauce
Instructions
- Heat a sandwich maker or place a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Butter the slices of sourdough bread on one side each. Assemble the sandwich on the sandwich maker or skillet by placing one slice of bread buttered side down. Leave 1/4-inch of empty space around the outside edge of the bread and lay in half of the cheese topped with the hashbrowns, bacon, scrambled egg, and remaining cheese. Lay the second slice of bread -buttered side up- on the sandwich and close the sandwich maker. If using the skillet, use a fork to crimp the edges quickly and carefully. The sandwich maker will toast it evenly on both sides at the same time, making it unnecessary to flip it. If using the skillet, flip the sandwich after the first side is golden brown. Either way, transfer the sandwich to a plate when both sides are beautifully golden brown. Serve while still hot with hot sauce, if desired.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
did you make this recipe?
Make sure to tag @foodiewithfam on Instagram and #hashtag it #foodiewithfamily so I can check it out!
JCPenney also keeps Ty stylish while cooking courtesy of the affordable and on-trend Arizona Jeans line. My guys are tough on clothes, and Arizona Jeans shirts and pants hold up well enough to be passed on down to the brother behind them in line. Given their low starting price, I’d call that a bargain and a half. And now – a chance for one Foodie with Family reader to enter to win a $100 JCPenney Gift Card! All you need to do is answer the following question: What makes your family uniquely you? How do you stand out?
Sweepstakes Rules:
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You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
- Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
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- Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
- For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 72 hours to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 8/18 -9/15/2014.
Be sure to visit the JCPenney brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!
Reader's Thoughts...
maria cantu says
My kids are so amazingly well-behaved.
Barbara Montag says
Tweet https://twitter.com/JalapenoMama/status/508827313463914496
Barbara Montag says
We’re a unique family because we all look and dress differently.
And we all different personalities.
thank you
Stacey b says
Tweet https://twitter.com/MomOF2Boysz/status/508734805039931392
Stacey b says
My family stands out because because my kids are crazy, silly.
Gina M says
tweet–https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/508256961985802240
Gina M says
I like to think our family stands out because we are polite, hard-working, and generous.
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 at gmail dot com
Susan Smith says
https://twitter.com/susan1215/status/508002405435572224
Susan Smith says
we are unique in that we actually like to spend time together and my children get along and don’t argue with each other.
sandra says
we’re all different
rachel says
We’re mixed race so that always gets some looks.
Anne says
I just tweeted about Ty’s cool sandwich and this promotion:
https://twitter.com/NotherAnneOther/status/506589638262530048
Anne says
We just had a great example of what makes us, well, us: I was making dinner and glanced out the window, and there was a huge rainbow, the kind that goes all the way across the sky. I called out to my spouse, and we stayed out there looking at it and taking pictures until it completely faded.
We go out at night to watch the International Space Station pass overhead, or to watch meteor showers, or to look for auroras. We listen to loons, and rush outside when we hear osprey flying overhead. We know the world around us, and appreciate it.
Janice Cooper says
https://twitter.com/disneyfan40/status/505890303556214784
Janice Cooper says
I think our family humor makes us stand out. My hubby always has a joke or funny come-back for any occasion. On my side of the family they love him.
Vincent says
How wonderful to have such a talented & industrious young man in your family!
tweeted
https://twitter.com/rubylorikeet/status/505833730275938304
Vincent says
We like to road trip and visit friends near & far. People are often pleasantly surprised when we ask to visit even though we live far away.
Anna S. says
We are all very close to each other, but we still fight!
Kimmy Ripley says
I think our family stands out because of our unique style of dress. We always make an effort to look fashionable.
Dawn Monroe says
My family is unique in several ways. It’s a huge family! We have six kids, raised two nieces and nephews and we have six grandkids and counting. One of the best things about my family is our sense of humor.