John's Bagel Breakfast Sandwiches

In the days before the teen was even a glimmer in our eyes, my "boyfriend" and I would have sleep-overs on the week-ends when our exes had the kids.  Back in those days, he would cook up some tasty treats...I think he was just wooing me...because that stopped when we got married...hmmm.  Haha, I make it sound bad, but I love to cook...and he cleans up...so I thought THAT was a win-win situation as we settled in to our life together!  What cook doesn't want to walk out of a dirty kitchen and know someone else is doing the cleaning???  I LOVE our arrangement!

One of his premier breakfast offerings were his bagel sandwiches.  This was way before there were fast-food bagel sandwiches on every drive-thru menu.  My John was a front runner in the bagel sandwich breakfast in Austin, Texas!  :-)))

I can make a pretty good replica, but I have to say, they aren't quite the way I remember from those laid back Sunday mornings of 1990 and 1991 :-)  His were definitely better.

So, I'll write down the way I do it...but I know he probably had a couple of "secrets" he threw in that made it special.  I may never know what they were!

JOHN'S BAGEL BREAKFAST SANDWICHES

Ingredients:

2 whole grain bagels
4 slices Baby Swiss cheese
Softened butter
2 large eggs
A pinch of dried basil
Salt
Pepper
A pinch of garlic powder
A smattering of onion powder
A sprinkling of white wine (usually left over from last night's bottle)
A teaspoon of water

Method:

Slice both bagels in half and lightly butter all four slices.  Place on baking sheet and top the bottom piece of each bagel with 1 slice of cheese.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, with lid available, melt about 1 teaspoon butter over medium low heat.  Add about 1/2 teaspoon of the water to the bottom of the pan with the butter. (that's the way I get a basis for the steam)

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, basil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion, a tiny splash of wine (you don't want to be able to taste the wine, but it does seem to make a difference that it's there).

Pop the bagels under the broiler and lightly toast/melt the cheese.  Start the eggs (below).  Place toasted bagels on the plates you will serve on.

While the bagels are toasting, add the egg mixture to the saucepan and let the eggs begin to come together.  I raise the edge and move it around, in a similar fashion as when making an omelet, letting the runny egg get under the firming edges.  Put the lid on when it's still runny on top.  Let some steam develop.  Open the lid and sprinkle some water on top of the eggs, replace the lid.  These eggs start to rise and get fluffy.  Steam to your level of "happy doneness".

Remove lid and remove pan from heat.  Using a spatula, cut the egg "round" into 4 wedges.  Put a wedge of egg on each piece of bagel that has cheese on it.  Put a slice of cheese on top of the wedge and then put another wedge of eggs (with the triangle points facing opposite directions) on top of that piece of cheese, and top it with the top part of each bagel.

the finished bagel sandwich - I made a single today
so the eggs are not as fluffy as when 2 are used

I cut mine in half because everything smooshes out otherwise.  I can keep a better grip on half a sandwich.

Open wide...it's awesome and somewhat addictive.  I didn't think I would like basil and garlic and onion and wine in my eggs so early in the morning...but I did...and I do.

2 Whole Wheat Bagels from Bada Bing on SPI

So stop in at Bada Bing Bagels and grab some whole wheat bagels and give these sandwiches a try.  Maybe not something the kids will dig...but they surely did ring MY chimes!

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!