Recipes Archives | Serving Tonight

Meal Prep Breakfast Sandwiches

This post is putting my secret love of processed American cheese and my not-secret love of my husband on display. I’m not going to use up all my space defending American cheese, I’m just going to give you one word and we can move on: MELTY. Are you with me?

In the mornings, my supply of energy and motivation in the kitchen is pretty limited but it’s still important to show Joey some TLC with a decent breakfast. Meal Prep Breakfast Sandwiches are my love language…? Yeah, I think that’s what I’m saying.

Less than an hour’s worth of work toasting English muffins and frying eggs earns you a week’s worth of warm, cheesy breakfasts. And, puts a smile on husbo’s face. It’s a win-win guys.

These sandwiches are pretty simple: English muffin, fried egg, a splash of hot sauce, Canadian bacon, and American cheese. But, feel free to use whatever breakfast things you like: sausage, bacon, a little spinach, whatever makes you happy. This recipe makes 9 sandwiches because the pack of english muffins I got a Costco came with 9. Any quantity will work.

Once you’ve made and assembled your sammies, let them cool completely, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, then freeze in a freezer-safe food storage bag. In the morning, unwrap a sandwich, microwave it for 1 minute and you’re good to go. Hot and hearty, and a great way to start your day!

How to Make Meal Prep Breakfast Sandwiches in Pictures

Toasted English muffins on a sheet pan, eggs in a carton, Canadian bacon, and slices of American cheese laid out to make breakfast sandwiches — Get your ingredients ready and toast your English muffins in the oven: 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through. I got this Canadian bacon at Costco. And you can find American cheese at any grocery store, gas station… bowling alley… library… literally anywhere.

Canadian bacon browning in a skillet — Brown the Canadian bacon. Maybe you could skip this step, but you are supposed to cook it before eating and I’m not sure the minute in the microwave is enough.

Whole eggs being poured into a skillet to fry — Melt butter in a skillet and fry the eggs. (Do this in 2 batches and I usually crack them all into a bowl first and pour them out one by one.) BTW, is there anything more personal than egg cookery? I fry mine for a minute or two per side, and I poke the yolk so it spreads out nicely.

Fried eggs with hot sauce and Canadian bacon in a skillet, being topped with American cheese — Splash some hot sauce on those eggs, pop on the Canadian bacon, and top with cheese. At this point, I usually turn the heat to low and put a lid on the skillet to melt the cheese quickly.

Breakfast sandwiches wrapped in plastic wrap next to a pan of some that still need wrapping — Slide the cheesy, hammy eggs onto the toasted English muffins and let them cool completely before wrapping them in plastic wrap.

Meal Prep Breakfast Sandwiches

Less than an hour’s worth of prep, toasting English muffins and frying eggs earns you a week’s worth of warm, cheesy breakfasts.

Author: Megan
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes plus cooling time
Yield: 9 sandwiches 1x
Category: Breakfast
Method: Meal prep
Cuisine: American

Scale

Ingredients

9 English muffins
9 slices of Canadian bacon
2 TBS butter
9 eggs
salt and pepper
hot sauce
9 slices of American cheese

Instructions

Split the English muffins and toast them in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, flipping them over halfway through.
Meanwhile, brown the Canadian bacon in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Remove to a plate and wipe out the skillet with damp paper towels.
Lower the heat to medium and melt 1 TBS of butter in the skillet. Pour half the eggs into the skillet (I like to crack them in a bowl first and pour them out one by one). Break the yolks if you like, season with salt and pepper and let cook for a couple minutes before flipping. Season the second side with salt and pepper and a few dashes of hot sauce. Top each egg with a slice of Canadian bacon and a slice of cheese, turn the heat to low, cover the skillet and let the cheese melt. Use a spatula to transfer the eggs to the toasted english muffins. Repeat with the remaining butter, eggs, etc.
Let sandwiches cool completely. Then, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and freeze them in a freezer-safe food storage bag. To reheat, unwrap and microwave one sandwich straight from the freezer for 1 minute.

Delicious Finds and Good Times at TRiO Restaurant and Market

TRiO, if you don’t already know, is the gorgeously modern market and restaurant in Kitty Hawk that feels like its own little neighborhood inside. There’s people you know, and those you don’t. Lots of activity, and good smells everywhere. Drinks being shared, and plenty of pretty (and delicious) things to look at and pick up.

It’s also the go-to source for things that will make a get-together or, for me, a game night with friends, way more special. The secret ingredient: TRiO’s cheese. Specifically, a stunning and diverse cheese board I ordered in the afternoon and picked up a couple hours later, arriving to game night like a champ with my fancy, shareable snacks for everyone to enjoy. I didn’t have any special requests for the cheese board, just that it would feed four people and I casually mentioned to Scotty, who works in the kitchen and behind the cheese counter, “The funkier the better.” A little while later, I wondered if I shouldn’t have thrown that comment out there so haphazardly… maybe not everyone in my group loves the overripe, moldy cheeses that I’m so smitten with?

What to do with kale stems

Lotta kale going on around here lately. Lots and lots of kale. Creamy kale stuffed into toasty roasted mushrooms. Cheesy kale stuffed into sweet, earthy spaghetti squash. It just seems useful at this point to share my favorite thing to do with all the leftover kale stems. I freeze mine so I usually have a bag waiting for me whenever I need an easy meal or a quick, convenient appetizer. Here is my favorite “recipe”, if you can call it that. It is spicy, garlicky, and served on toast. Plus, it takes less than 10 minutes to make, so… yes, we’re on the simple track to easy town.

Cheesy Kale-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Just waaaayy too busy being delicious and nutritious over here to bother with good looks. I know, this recipe is not very photogenic. But, actually… The longer you stare at it… It kind of becomes beautiful. All golden-bubbly and cheesy, full of a super-savory leek, onion, and kale mixture, with a little extra cheese mixed in for more yum.

Half of a spaghetti squash filled with kale and topped with a cheesy crust on a white plate

Stuffed Mushrooms with Kale and Cream Cheese

High five for little roasty mushrooms stuffed with onion-y kale and cream cheese, topped with toasty breadcrumbs! These were my recent addition to a family Christmas get-together where I was tasked with bringing some kind of vegetable appetizer. I’m not a crudités kind of girl, I refuse to bring something raw to the party. I’m here to cook and make things creamy and roasted and crispy on top. Can’t stop me. So, vegetables? No problem – earthy, meaty mushrooms + kale. Appetizer? I gotcha – bite-sized + finger food. Let’s party.

A Tradition of Remembering

Christmas traditions are a funny thing. The whole is not greater than the sum of its parts- the value is actually in all the little components and the story behind the tradition.
Given the opportunity to peek into three local chefs’ Christmas traditions, a few things became clear to me. Food is more than just food, traditions keep important memories and bonds alive, and kindness is hiding in plain sight on the Outer Banks.

Miso Deviled Eggs

Just in time for last minute holiday entertaining: Miso Deviled Eggs! Deviled eggs, without fail are the one thing I can whip up last minute, without having to make a trip to the store and they’re great for a crowd. Disclaimer: I’m saying “whip up” but this is the mess I make every time I make deviled eggs. Whatever.

A Chef’s Recipe for a Holiday Symphony

Holidays meals have a rhythm and feel all their own. Chef Joey Russo described it as a symphony, with friends and families playing the music of kitchen hustle and bustle, all culminating in an epic, heartwarming feast. Hoping to capture the almost tangible food energy surrounding Thanksgiving and Christmas, I met Joey in the kitchen at Russo’s Bistro & Bar, ready to cook a holiday dish to share here. But, Joey Russo’s undeniable cooking prowess comes second to his ability to inspire you and make you feel a part of a moment. We cooked food. And I learned a few things, for sure. But the act of preparing a meal, amid talk about holiday memories and traditions was so satisfying; it crystallized for me the basic goodness and peace that’s found in cooking and feeding others. It doesn’t really matter what’s on your holiday table; the celebration and symphony is in getting it there, and sharing it with people you love.

Sweet Days at Tullio’s Bakery

Lacy, coffee-colored cannolis, with creamy, chocolate-chip-dotted filling peeking out of each end. Cupcakes swirled high with buttercream under a shower of cookie crumbs. Artfully decorates cakes and pies, almost too pretty to eat. These were the first things to grab my attention walking into Tullio’s Bakery in Duck. The next was Dawn Amoruso with bright blue eyes and a pretty smile, busying herself behind the counter. She and her husband Tom have owned Tullio’s since 2003; Tom is the baker and when he and Dawn decided to move to the OBX from New York and purchase the bakery, he learned all he needed to know practically overnight from the previous owner.

Chicken Noodle Soup with Sherry and Cream

Slide over, holiday food… soup season is still going strong and cannot be stopped. This Chicken Noodle Soup with Sherry and Cream is the latest thing I’ve been cooking for any and everyone, any chance I get. After years of making it, following the discovery of a version of the recipe somewhere online and making a handful of tweaks and twists, this soup has finally reached its status as lifelong love, forever in rotation, Best Chicken Noodle Soup Ever.