I have wonderful memories from my childhood, and food directly relates to many of them. Weekend breakfasts with my parents and brother come to mind in particular. During the week, my mom would always have breakfast ready for us before heading off to school (she’s the best!) but it was Saturday mornings where we would really get a treat! My mom would either make Mickey Mouse waffles or my dad would make the perfect fluffy omelets and freshly buttered toast…oh so good! The one classic that comes to mind though is the infamous “Neely McMuffin” – toasty bread with melted, gooey cheese with a slice of sauteed tomato, a strip or two of bacon and a perfectly cooked fried egg on top. DE-LI-CIOUS! My dad would “poke” the egg with fork and the warm yolk would run down the sides and sink into the rest of the sandwich to make the ultimate breakfast.

Are you hungry yet?

This healthy vegetarian version is my slightly lighter twist on the “Neely McMuffin” my parents used to make. Feel free to add some bacon, sausage or country ham to this dish to “beef” it up a little if you prefer 🙂

Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day, so why not get all the food groups in at the same time? Tomatoes are considered a fruit, right?

Open-Faced Egg Sandwich (aka “The Neely McMuffin”)

Ingredients

1/2 tsp oil (or small pat of butter)
1 egg
Spinach leaves
1 large or 2 small slices of tomato (I like Roma)
1 slice of cheddar cheese (swiss, goat, gouda, mozzarella etc would all be good too!)
1 slice of GF bread, english muffin or thin bagel
Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional condiments for serving (mustard, pesto etc)

Directions

1. Lightly toast bread in the toaster oven. Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan or skillet over medium heat.
2. When the oil is almost sizzling, crack the egg into the pan. Cook until the white appears solid, about 3 to 4 minutes*. While egg cooks, add the tomato slices to the side of the pan and lightly saute on each side.
3. Once bread is lightly toasted, switch toaster setting to broil. Add a slice of cheese on top of bread and place under broiler until slightly melted, about 30 seconds to a minute.
4. Remove cheese toast from the oven. Top with raw spinach leaves, sauteed tomato slices and cooked egg. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve!

* This is for a sunny side up egg. For eggs over easy, carefully flip the egg over onto the yolk side and cook another minute or two. You’ll probably want to turn the egg after 2 to 3 minutes, instead of 3 to 4, depending on how well done you like your eggs.

Recipe Notes: Feel free to add meat on top of the cheese layer, if preferred (sliced sausage, bacon, turkey bacon, canadian bacon or country ham).
I like to add a drizzle of mustard on top before serving but plain jane or a spoonful of pesto would work well also!