Make-Ahead Muffin Melts

I'm interrupting my normal posting schedule to bring you what I think is a recipe goldmine...the make-ahead muffin melt.  First I must disclose a few things.  First, I'm absolutely crazy for English muffins.  They're right up there on my list of top ten things I like to eat.  Next, I must let you know that I love all breakfast foods.  Breakfast is my all-time favorite! Last but not least, even though I do love to cook and spend countless hours in the kitchen, sometimes I just like to be lazy.  Hence my love for all things simple, easy, effortless, and of course all things make-ahead.  If none of these things appeal to you then you will most definitely not be as excited about this recipe as I am.

This little muffin melt probably doesn't look like much, but it's one of my favorite food discoveries this year.  In fact, I was going to share this recipe in my upcoming The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook review, but I really felt like this recipe deserved a post of it's own. 

Hardboiled eggs, chopped bacon, mayo, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, and cheese

In my house we like to procrastinate.  We sleep in until the last possible second, leaving little time for a home cooked breakfast.  Usually in the mornings my kids only have time for cereal or (gasp) instant grits.  This is where this recipe comes in.  These little muffin melts are heartier and healthier than cereal, but they are also just as quick and just as easy as pouring a bowl of cereal.  Best of all, you can totally eat these on the go whereas you definitely can't eat cereal on the go.  

Basically this recipe is a customizable egg spread that can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator.  When you're hungry for breakfast you simply take the egg spread out of the fridge and smear it on a English muffin.  Then you slide the muffin under the broiler and broil for 3-4 minutes until it gets all bubbly and golden.  The end result is a hot and hearty breakfast in minutes. The English muffin gets kinda crispy, as does the top of the muffin melt, but the interior of the melt is creamy and delicious. It's literally perfect on-the-go breakfast food.  Perfect to make for kids before school.  Perfect to make for hubbies who are eating on the go.  Perfect to make for a Mom who has absolutely no time for herself.  Perfect.

Who doesn't have time to take a bowl out of the fridge and smear this on an English muffin?

The other reason I love this recipe is because you can customize it to suit your tastes/needs.  There really is no end to the possibilities here.  Don't want bacon?  Add ham, or sausage, or even chorizo.  Want to cut back on fat?  Leave out the egg yolks, use reduced fat mayo, and/or cut back on the cheese.  You'd never notice the changes.  Maybe you want a vegetarian option?  Forget the meat and add in scallions, peppers, onions, spinach, tomatoes, etc.  Don't like English muffins?  Opt for bagels, a biscuit half, or just plain regular white bread.  You could literally make a different option every week.  I don't know about you all, but I like things that are easy and I always like having options.  To me this is something worth getting excited about.

Make-Ahead Muffin Melts

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

by Ree Drummond

Serves 6-12, depending on serving size

12 slices bacon

12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

1 cup real mayo

1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

5 dashes of Worcestershire sauce

6 English muffins, split

Fry the bacon until crisp.  Use a knife to chop it up, then put it somewhere safe so your family won't wolf it down (I cut the bacon into lardons/slices prior to cooking it.  I think it cooks faster and easier that way).  Peel the hard-boiled eggs.  Then give them a rough chop.  Add the cheese, the chopped bacon, and the mayo to a bowl.  Next add the Dijon mustard, the garlic powder and the Worcestershire sauce.  Fold all the ingredients together, then give it a taste.  Add more of whatever you think it needs.

Preheat your oven's broiler to low.  Spread a good amount of the spread onto the halved English muffins.  Place them on the lower rack of the oven and broil them for 3-4 minutes, being careful not to burn them.  The topping should be hot and the cheese should be melted.  

If you're looking for breakfast options, please give these a try! 

Expect a glowing review of Ree's new book The Pioneer Woman Cooks soon!