Double Egg-n-Bacon Sandwich {Powernap}

Welcome to the Powernap Express, a new weekly column that focuses on the quick off the cuff cooking experiments, side dishes and small plates I make each and every week. Powernaps are short and sweet, and so are these recipes. Want to read about the homemade snacks I whip up on a moment’s notice, or about my latest variation for a fast, yummy scallion dipping sauce? This column is where you will find those recipes, and more.

I’ve been wanting a place to focus on these smaller everyday recipes for a while now. I talk a lot about family dinners, big desserts and involved condiments, but often skip over the smaller stuff that occurs in my kitchen daily. Like the quick side dish I make to compliment herbed-citrus roast chicken, or the delicious lunch panini I invent on a whim using found items from my crisper. This column will include everything from my new favorite quick breakfasts, to riffs on homemade pasta sauce and my latest idea for salad dressing using my frozen summer herbs. Many times the recipes I share will originate when I experiment with whatever is in my pantry or my farmer’s market haul that particular day. Those sorts of cooking experiments (for better or worse) take place in my kitchen regularly. They are always off the cuff, tasty and quick, and you should know about them. After all, a lot of them end up becoming more permanent fixtures in my Naptime Chef repertoire and hopefully will in yours, too.

To kick things off I’m going to share the recipe for the most awesome breakfast sandwich in the world. I just tasted it for the first time last weekend when our friend Chris whipped them up while we were at a house party with 10 adults and 12 kids for New Year’s. Everything about the weekend was amazing, except for the fact that our children were far too young to understand the concept of sleeping in. Shortly after our New Year’s Eve celebration ended, theirs began. On Saturday morning the toddler set was up and at ’em while the 30-something parent set begged for mercy. Enter Chris with a generous slab of bacon, several dozens eggs and a hefty block of cheese. While the kids were treated to cereal and Scooby-Doo, we quietly devoured our quivering towers of grease down to every last meaty bite. What stood this sandwich apart from the ordinary McMuffin variety was not only the topping of two (yes, 2) fried eggs, but the technique Chris used to make it. I’ve included the visual below. I don’t plan to make these part of our daily, or even weekly, menu, but I’m sure I’ll be eating them again at some point soon.

Cook the bacon in a shallow skillet

1. Cook the bacon in a shallow skillet. Use the best quality bacon available.

Drain the bacon on paper towels

2. Drain the bacon on paper towels while you fry the eggs in the bacon fat. (Yes, you heard that right.)

Fry eggs in the leftover bacon fat

3. Fry the eggs to desired doneness. While the eggs are frying prepare the rolls.

Toast the buns in the oven with butter, top with bacon and cheese

4. Top the toasted buns with bacon and cheese, allow them to melt in the oven.

Top with two eggs (yes, 2!)

5. Top the cheese with two (2!) fried eggs, close with bun and serve.