Photo by Quentin Bacon
These breakfast sandwiches have that irresistible savory-sweet-smoky balance that lights up all your taste buds. It starts with French toast made savory with a Parmesan and mustard seasoned egg batter. That is spread with a luscious tomato jam that’s been simmered with a hint of honey, and then sandwiched with a generous slice of smoky ham. It’s a super-satisfying handful that is impressive enough to serve company for brunch, but that’s also convenient to eat on the go and have at your fingertips for every day.
Ingredients
4 large eggs
½ cup non-fat milk
½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup grated parmesan cheese (1 ½ ounces)
Olive oil cooking spray
12 slices whole grain Italian bread (each about ½ inch thick, 3 inches high x 4 ½ inches wide)
6 ounces sliced smoked ham, such as black forest
6 tablespoons Tomato Jam (recipe follows)
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard powder and pepper. Stir in the cheese.
Directions
Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and preheat over a medium heat. Dip 4 of the pieces of bread, one at a time, into the egg mixture until completely moistened and coated with cheese. Then place them in the skillet and cook until the outside is golden brown and the center is warm, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with two more batches of the bread slices, wiping the pan out with a paper towel and re-spraying with oil between each batch.
Spread ½ tablespoon of the tomato jam onto one side of each piece of the French toast, then fold a slice of the ham onto each of 6 of the pieces and top with the remaining French toast to form a ham sandwich.
Makes 6 servings
Serving size: 1 sandwich
Per serving: Calories 290; Total Fat 9g (Mono Fat 3g, Poly Fat 2g, Sat Fat 3.3g); Protein 21g; Carb 31g; Fiber 5g; Cholesterol 145mg; Sodium 690mg
Excellent source of: Manganese, Phosphorus, Protein, Riboflavin, Selenium, Thiamin
Good source of: Calcium, Copper, Fiber, Folate, Iodine, Iron, Magnesium, Molybdenum, Niacin, Potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Zinc
To refrigerate and reheat:
Allow to chill, unwrapped, in the refrigerator for 30 minutes then wrap in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to 4 days. To reheat, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, wrap the sandwich in foil and bake until warmed through, about 20 minutes. Alternatively, unwrap the sandwich, re-wrap in paper towel and microwave on high for about 1 minute per sandwich.
To freeze and reheat:
Allow to chill, unwrapped, in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, then wrap in plastic wrap or foil and place in a sealable freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, there is no need to thaw. Place, wrapped in foil, in a cold oven as it preheats to 350 degrees. Once the oven reaches temperature, continue to cook for 25-30 minutes until warmed through. Or, remove any foil or plastic, rewrap in paper towel and microwave for 2 minutes on high for one serving.
Tomato Jam with Honey
When you cook fresh tomatoes low-and-slow with a little vinegar, some sweetener and salt, you wind up with a tomato jam that tastes like a fresher, chunkier, upgraded cousin of ketchup. This version is lightly sweetened compared to most recipes (and I think more flavor balanced) and it’s done with honey, so there is no refined sugar involved. This tomato jam is essential for the Savory French Toast Sandwiches, but it will also elevate a simple grilled cheese, turkey or grilled vegetable sandwich and is delicious on a turkey burger, or spread on crostini with some soft goat’s cheese.
Ingredients
4 ½ pounds ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped (about 10 cups
½ cup honey
¼ cup cider vinegar
¾ teaspoon salt
Directions
Combine the tomatoes, honey, vinegar and salt in a large, heavy pot. Bring to a boil over a medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the mixture at a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down and the mixture has thickened to a jam-like consistency, 1-2 hours. (Once the mixture has begun to thicken, you will need to stir more frequently to prevent burning)
Makes 24 servings
Serving size: 2 tablespoons
Per serving: Calories 35; Total Fat 0g (Mono Fat 0g, Poly Fat 0g, Sat Fat 0g); Protein 1g; Carb 9g; Fiber 1g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 75mg
To refrigerate:
Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.
To freeze and thaw:
Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, then place into a sealable plastic freezer bag or pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, transfer the cubes of sauce to a sealable plastic freezer bag where it will keep for up to 3 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator for 18-24 hours. Allow to come to room temperature before serving. Alternatively, Place in a microwave safe dish, cover and microwave on high for about 20 seconds for one portion to 1 minute for the entire batch.
