Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Why do they say that? By having breakfast in the morning, it helps decrease overall calorie intake for the day thus helping with weight loss and maintenance. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows reports from individuals who ate breakfast lead to greater physical activity in the morning and less caloric intake later in the day. Which means don’t skip out on this meal! According to Statistic Brain, only 44% of Americans eat breakfast daily. To prevent skipping breakfast, you must plan ahead! The amount made from this recipe is meant to freeze them in bulk to use when you are running late in the morning and “don’t have time to make breakfast”. 🙂 I got the idea for this recipe a while back when I was picking up those Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches and realized I could make these at home just as healthy and cheaper.
This recipe yields 24 sandwiches.
Ingredients
24 100-calorie English muffins
24 eggs
2 cups of fresh spinach, cut into ribbons
24 slices of turkey bacon (I used the Columbus brand found at Costco*)
24 thin slices of provolone cheese (I used the Sargento brand)
In a large skillet, cook all of the turkey bacon as desired. Place on a paper towel and set aside. While bacon is cooking, cut fresh spinach leaves into ribbons.
In same skillet, coat with cooking spray for each egg. One at at time, scramble egg and add a few spinach ribbons. Pour into prepared skillet.
You want the egg to be in patty like form to stay on the sandwich when you heat it up later.
Once you have all of the eggs done, set up a station to create each sandwich. Cut the turkey bacon slices in half so they will fit on the sandwich and cut the English muffins in half if they are not done so already. Don’t forget to add 1 slice of provolone cheese on each sandwich when assembling them.
After assembly is completed, wrap each sandwich tightly in plastic wrap. Just so they don’t go everywhere in the freezer, I like to place them in gallon size Ziploc bags. Sandwiches should last in freezer for several months.
When it comes time for breakfast, take a sandwich from the freezer and unwrap it from the plastic. Wrap the frozen sandwich in a paper towel and place it in the microwave open side down so the towel stays in place while heating. This helps keep the sandwich from becoming tough as well. Microwave for about 1 minute and 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on your microwave wattage. Be careful when removing the sandwich as it will be very hot including the paper towel it is wrapped in. Unwrap sandwich. Let cool for 1 to 2 minutes and devour!
The spinach is optional, but I highly recommend adding it as it is rich in iron. These sandwiches are also great for those who are calorie counting. If one sandwich is not enough, pair it with some fresh fruit and a light yogurt for an overall balanced meal. You can also just use these additional items as a snack before lunch too.
Serving size: 1 sandwich; Nutrition Facts: 267 calories 11g total fat 528mg sodium 25g total carbohydrates 8g dietary fiber 0g sugar 21g protein
*You can use the Oscar Mayer brand for 15 less calories per sandwich, but I find the one I use has a better quality. If you are not a fan of turkey bacon, I recommend using Jimmy Dean’s turkey sausage crumbles when cooking the egg or a slice of Canadian bacon.
Disclaimer: I do not get paid by or endorsed by any of the products mentioned in this post.