Cheesy Toasted Pesto Egg Breakfast Sandwiches

These crisp and cheesy Toasted Pesto Egg Breakfast Sandwiches create a unique twist on traditional bacon & eggs and are sure to become a morning favorite!

Several years ago I went on a week-long sailing trip in Croatia. What a beautiful part of the world! If you are into sailing, or actually just into traveling for that matter, definitely put Croatia on your list!!

When you are on a long sailing trip you need to get a little creative with food at times. You're somewhat limited to the provisions you stocked at the beginning of your trip. And like all things, even with the best planning intentions, sometimes you end up having to improvise.

On the trip, we ended up having leftover pesto that we wanted to use up. Like most recipes, the idea for these sandwiches went through a couple of iterations, but ultimately this awesome pesto egg breakfast sandwich was born!

This is a great recipe to add to your everyday breakfast collection. Read on to learn more about how to make these Cheesy Pesto Egg Sandwiches, or jump straight to the recipe to start cooking!

Why you’ll love this recipe

These breakfast sandwiches are perfect for any day of the week because they.....

• use fairly simple ingredients, several of which you likely have in your refrigerator already.
• include traditional breakfast ingredients - bacon and eggs.
• have a unique flavor profile from the addition of the pesto
• are ready in less than 20 minutes, making them a good choice for a weekday breakfast.

Ingredient Notes

The full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.

• Pesto: You'll want to use basil pesto for this recipe. You can either use pesto that you've pre-made or you can buy it from the store.
• Bacon: I've taken to buying bacon by the slice at Whole Foods. It is a bit more expensive than buying an entire package but I don't use bacon often so I like the flexibility of being able to get just a couple of slices.
• Eggs: You'll need one large egg per sandwich.
• Bread: The recipe calls for sourdough bread because it gives you a nice crunch when pan-toasted but I've also made them with whole-grain bread and that works well too.
• Cheese: I generally use cheddar cheese for breakfast sandwiches but you could substitute your favorite type of cheese.
• Spreadable butter: My favorite butter spread is Brown & Brummel but anything that's soft and will spread easily prior to toasting will work.

How to make pesto egg sandwiches

Complete instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

Heat the pan. Since you'll be cooking the eggs and the sandwiches in the same pan, you want to spray half of the pan with cooking spray to keep the eggs from sticking. Then preheat the pan so the bread toasts nicely.

Prep the bread. You'll start by spreading butter on one side of each slice of bread. Coat the non-buttered side of two slices of bread with pesto and place each, butter side down, on the side of the pan you didn't coat with cooking spray.

Cook the eggs. While the bread begins to toast, crack two eggs into the pan on the side coated with cooking spray. You are going for fried eggs but if they run into each other as your crack them you can always separate them later.

Finish the sandwiches. Once the eggs are done cooking, top each slice of bread in the pan with an egg, two slices of bacon and some cheese. Place the remaining slice of bread on top of the sandwich, with the buttered side facing out. Continue to toast in the pan until golden brown then carefully flip the sandwich and cook for another couple of minutes until both sides are golden brown. Serve immediately.  

Additional notes from the kitchen

Can I use turkey bacon?

I use real bacon, instead of turkey bacon, in this recipe because I just can't resist the crisp crunch of perfectly cooked bacon. It's one of my favorite breakfast foods! My theory is, I'd rather use the real thing and keep the indulgence to once-in-a-while things! If you prefer, you can use turkey bacon, or just leave the meat out if you want to make it a meat-free meal.

If I make pesto, what do I do with the leftover?

Since the recipe only calls for about a tablespoon you will have quite a bit leftover if you make a full batch. If you don't have something planned for it, you can freeze the leftover portion.  When I make a batch of pesto I always freeze some in ice trays so I have it on hand for recipes like this.

Tools you'll want for this recipe

10" non-stick skillet – A high-quality non-stick skillet is a kitchen necessity and is key for making crispy toasted sandwiches, quesadillas and many other things.

More breakfast recipes

If you are looking for more ideas for interesting breakfast recipes check out these reader favorites:

Turkey Sausage and Mushroom Egg Muffins

Breakfast Quesadilla

Cheesy Toasted Pesto Egg Breakfast Sandwiches

Author: Kathryn | Urban Foodie Kitchen

These crisp and cheesy Toasted Pesto Egg Breakfast Sandwiches create a unique twist on traditional bacon and eggs and are sure to become a morning favorite!

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 2 sandwiches

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 large eggs
• 4 slices center cut bacon, cooked
• 4 slices sourdough bread
• 1 tablespoon basil pesto
• 2 tablespoon spreadable butter
• 2 sliced gouda or cheddar cheese

Instructions

 

• Prepare the pan. Spray a medium non-stick skillet with cooking spray or lightly coat with butter.  Heat pan over medium heat.
• Prep the bread. While the pan is heating, spread one side of each slice of bread with butter. Spread the pesto on the non-butter side of two slices of the bread and place in the pan, buttered side down.
• Cook the eggs. While the bread starts to toast, crack the eggs into the pan and cook for 1 minute. Lightly pierce the yolk of each egg with the corner of a spatula.  Cook for an additional minute. Carefully flip the eggs. It's OK if they fold over slightly.  Cook for 1 more minute.
• Finish the sandwiches.  Once the eggs are cooked, top each slice of bread with an egg, two slices of bacon and a slice of cheese. Place the additional slice of bread on the top of each sandwich, with the buttered side facing out. Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Carefully flip the sandwiches and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan and serve immediately.

Keywords : breakfast sandwiches

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This post was originally published in September 2016. It was updated in May 2022 with some new information and photos. No changes were made to the original recipe.