The Best Homemade Bacon Egg and Cheese

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I’ll go ahead and say it right from the onset. I’ve eaten a LOT of Bacon Egg and Cheese sandwiches in my life. The classic Bacon Egg and Cheese (or BEC as they’re affectionately known) will likely go down as one of my top 5 most eaten foods. I’ve crafted this dish over the years and can tell you this is categorically the Best Homemade Bacon Egg and Cheese Recipe you will find

NYC is the universal home to the Bacon Egg and Cheese Sandwich

It goes without saying that there is no other place in the world that has perfected this iconic dish than New York City. Every corner store Bodega has their version of a BEC, and they will swear by theirs being the best. It’s as competitive as Pizza and Cheesecake in that city

It is also such an extremely economical meal, costing barely a couple of bucks at the store (and to make for yourself) which is another reason why it is so popular. In the morning there would be scores of tradespeople and professionals alike scoffing down their BECs on the side of the road. The grill in the Bodega will be covered with Eggs frying up over a high heat, and that all too familiar pile of crispy Bacon is stacked sky high at the back of the grill

Each component is critical to produce the best Homemade Bacon Egg and Cheese Sandwich

It may sound simple: Bread, Bacon, Egg, and Cheese. However, choosing the exact right type of each ingredient, and cooking to perfection is the key to mastering this iconic dish

Choosing the Best Bread

There is only one type of bread that is acceptable for a BEC, and that is the classic Kaiser Roll. The amazing texture of a fluffy inside and a tougher, chewy outer crust is the perfect vessel to hold the sandwich together. It’s not too bready either, allowing the filling to still shine. The Kaiser Roll delivers the optimal texture for a great bite, from the first to the last

The Bacon Must be Crispy

It goes without saying the Bacon needs to be crispy. Although, cooking Bacon to its crispiest form without burning it is somewhat of an artform. There are a few ways you can cook Bacon, either bake in the oven or pan fry over the stove. The true, authentic method is frying it over the stove

The key to getting a perfectly crisp piece of bacon is to let all the fat render out on one side before flipping. Once you flip it, pool all that rendered bacon fat into one part of the pan and have your Bacon swim in the hot fat. This will crisp the Bacon perfectly!

Finally, and this is less of a thing in the US, but more to our European and Australian viewers. Streaky Bacon is the only acceptable form of bacon. None of this Rasher / Canadian Bacon. The Bacon cut from the Pork Belly is the best to use. It’s the crispiest, carries the most fat so it’s got the most flavor!

The is only one choice for Cheese

We’ll keep this section simple, and there is only 1 answer. Processed American Cheese is the only acceptable cheese to use in a BEC. Don’t get fancy with your Gruyere or your aged Cheddar. American Cheese has the perfect melting consistency and flavor to compliment the sandwich

Fry the Eggs for the Best Result

Likely the most controversial choice in our recommendation, but we recommend Fried Eggs, cooked Sunny Side up as the preferred Eggs in the Best Homemade Bacon Egg and Cheese Recipe. I know the Bodegas typically cooked up a form of scrambled eggs where they whisk them together, then cook as a slab on the griddle. This way is ok, however we much prefer the runny Egg Yolk incorporated into the sandwich

Biting into the Sandwich and having that tasty Yolk begin to self-sauce the sandwich is such a great experience in the BEC eating process. An Egg is an egg, so the flavor will basically be the same. We just much prefer the texture of a Sunny Side Up Fried Egg, and the fun / theater it brings to the eating experience

Is adding Sauce acceptable on a Bacon Egg and Cheese Sandwich?

Categorically the answer to this question is YES! We don’t want to be super specific about which sauces to use in your sandwich, however adding your favorite sauce does elevate the sandwich massively. Personally, we prefer some beautiful BBQ Sauce, which for Americans that seems a little unusual. Adding BBQ Sauce to Bacon and Eggs is a very classic British addition, and it’s amazing. Trust us, give it a try. Personal favorite is the good ol’ Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce

Another great addition to a BEC is hot sauce. Adding a little bit of heat to that sandwich adds a delicious depth of flavor and character. So, when it comes to sauces on the Best Homemade Bacon Egg and Cheese Sandwich – we’re totally open for customization!

This recipe is for 2 sandwiches. You can scale the recipe according to how many sandwiches you wish to make

The Best Homemade Bacon Egg and Cheese Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 Eggs
• 8 slices of Streaky Bacon
• 2 Kaiser Rolls
• 2 slices of American Cheese
• 1 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
• Salt
• BBQ Sauce and / or Hot Sauce (optional)
  
  

Instructions

1. Prepare the Bacon by heating a large frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the Bacon, ensuring all pieces are contacting the pan and aren’t overlapping
2. Cook the Bacon for 4 -5 minutes until the fat has rendered and begins to pool in the pan. Flip over, then cook the bacon in the pools of Bacon to crisp up, another 2-3 minutes. Once crispy and cooked, set Bacon aside on paper towels
3. Remove excess Fat from the pan, leaving about 1 tsp. Crack the Eggs over the Pan carefully to avoid the yolk from breaking. Cook for 5 minutes until the Egg whites have solidified and there are no translucent piece of Egg surrounding the Yolk
4. Cut open the Kaiser Roll and butter each side of the bread. Layer the Sandwich by placing the American Cheese on the bottom, followed by the Bacon, Eggs (2 per sandwich). Add your favorite Sauce to the top bun, add to the Sandwich and you’re all done!
   
   

Personally, I like to squish the sandwich down a little bit to break the Egg Yolks before I eat it. This makes the eating process slightly less messy and allows you to control the Egg Yolk to get it all in the sandwich!

We hope you agree this version is one of the Best Homemade Bacon and Egg Sandwich Recipes. Let us know in the comments below or on our social media pages (Instagram and Pinterest) what you think

Feel free to check out some of our other delicious Egg Recipes for some fun breakfast meals

Happy Cooking!