The Breakfast Panwich

I know most of you don’t know me. I mean, you know a lot about me, but not characteristic stuff. Well here’s something that not many people know – when I’m eating breakfast, I’m a sandwicher. If you or someone you love is also a sandwicher, then you know what it is. If you don’t know anyone like that, it basically means whatever I’m having, 9 times out of 10, I’m going to make it into a sandwich. It’s a blessing and a curse, really. A blessing because it tastes so freaking good most of the time, and a curse because whenever I’m piling something on, I look up to see my wife’s judgmental eyes staring at me. As if I’m a lion on the plains of Africa, about to dig into a freshly caught chunk of bacon.

Anyway, my undeniable love for breakfast sandwiches is about to shine through. Because yes, thanks to Wilton, making a breakfast sandwich just got a whole lot easier!

I know, it seems like all I’m ever doing now are Wilton posts. To be honest, I haven’t really been in the kitchen as much as I used to. I want to say the summer vacation Seb was on from pre-k really messed me up and cranked my laziness up to 11. But he just started kindergarten! So even though it’s unnaturally quiet around the house, I’ll hopefully be able to start working on the blog again.

And here we are! Wilton surprised the hash browns out of me when they said they were sending me these two pans. First off, they’re for breakfast! Not cakes, not cookies, not a holiday mold… Breakfast! In case it wasn’t clear, I love breakfast?! Not only is it the most important meal of the day, it’s also the tastiest (don’t argue with me over that, you’ll lose)! Secondly, it’s not only for breakfast… it’s for breakfast SANDWICHES! That’s it, I’m done. Drop the mic, second round knockout, grand freaking slam.

I knew that once I got back into the kitchen, this is the first thing I was going to do. And it totally was.

As if THAT wasn’t enough, there’s a pan JUST for bacon! I mean, if anything in this world deserved it’s own pan, it’s freaking bacon!

Yeah, you could use it for other stuff. But we all know what it’s really for. It’s ok, Wilton. I caught what you threw. I picked up what you put down. The eagle has left the nest and is headed to Baconville. WINK WINK.

At first, my plan was to make some sort of english muffin for it. Now I don’t know if you’re keen on how to make english muffins (it’s pretty easy), but doing them in a pan like this would’ve been a challenge. So after thinking about it for a few days, I figured the best thing you could utilize this pan for would be pancakes. It’s basically what it was designed for. I’m sure whoever it was that developed this pan, created it for the sole purpose of making breakfast sandwiches with pancakes. And I surely hope that person is considered for the next Nobel Peace Prize

I didn’t originally want to go with pancakes though. I thought the sandwich going to be too much like the one at that fast food joint with the golden arches and the clever names for everything. But then I got to thinking, like I do. And if you’re making these at home, that makes them about 468 times better than that other place. You know what you’re eating, there’s no additives and preservatives that could make it edible for the next 200 years, not to mention it’ll be hella cheaper than stopping over there every morning. So yeah, take that, fast food!

After I decided it was going to be pancakes, the rest of the questions started flowing through my head. Do I put syrup in the pancake batter? Will cheddar cheese in the eggs be ok with the pancakes? Is it worth the time to use that pan for bacon? …The answer to all these questions is “[expletive] yeah!”

Alright, enough beating around the bush, let’s get the breakfast train moving.

The Panwich

 

1 package – Bacon
3 each – Eggs
A Pancake Recipe

 

Salt and Pepper
Cheddar Cheese, shredded (optional)
Maple Syrup (optional)

Notes:

• The Panwich. Like that? Yeah you do.
• The Breakfast Sandwich Pan and the Oven Griddle Pan from Wilton are both needed for this. But, they won’t be available in stores or on Wilton.com till around October.
• You can use my pancake recipe, which I generously provided the link for. You’re welcome!
• The pancake recipe can make enough for 2 pans. That’s 6 sandwiches total. Almost a full week of morning happiness.
• To store: Since you’re probably not going to eat 6 sandwiches in one sitting, you can do what I did – Try your hardest. If you still can’t, then you can store everything separately in baggies – bacon in one, eggs in another, etc. – and keep them in the fridge.
• To reheat: Just make your sandwich, wrap it up in a napkin, and put it in the microwave for 1 minute. This made mine perfect, but all microwaves vary, so if it doesn’t feel as warmed up for you just pop it in for a few seconds more.
• I put cheddar in my eggs, but that can be skipped. As can the maple syrup in the pancakes. You know, if you’re not one for great things.
• Speaking of which, the syrup does not effect the top of the pancake, but it does sink to the bottom when baked. It leads to the bottom layer being a bit sticky, which is terrible…

…If you leave that layer on the outside of your sandwich. See what I’m saying? I took pictures of my sandwich with the sticky side down (where you would be holding it) because it was better for picture taking. But when you’re making your sandwich, flip it, and have the sticky part on the inside of the sandwich where.. get this… you’ll never touch it!

• I experimented. With the eggs, I whipped the yolk with a fork but left one whole to see if I could get a runny egg in my sandwich because, YUM. But after baking, it just cooked all the way through anyway. So it’s better to hit the yolk with a fork and spread it out so you get more yolk flavor throughout the whole egg rather than just in one spot.
• You can take both the sandwich pan and the bacon pan and fit them on the same rack in the oven, but I like cooking my bacon at 400°F, while the sandwiches cook at 350°. So best to do the bacon first.
• No. Wait. Do the bacon second. If you do it first you’ll be like me and wind up eating half your bacon before the sandwiches come out of the freaking oven.

Alright, let’s get crackin’.

It’s easy enough really. Hardest part is probably going to be making the pancake batter, and that in itself is just putting the ingredients in a bowl and whisking it about. Seriously, this isn’t rocket science. It’s barely 1st grade reading level.

• First thing you want to do is turn on your oven to 350° and get the batter done for the pancakes. The simple and ultra tasty pancakes you can conveniently find right here on this awesome blog I found is the recipe I used. It’s really just putting everything in the bowl and mixing. Fo reals.

• Next, spray the pan with non-stick, and get yourself something to scoop the batter into the pan. I used a cookie scooper. Fill up the cavity about half way, not to the top. Make sure you shake it around to let it settle.

• When you have all the batter in the pan, put a few drops of syrup in each one. Don’t load it up, don’t go crazy. A few drops is enough to give you a good flavor. I’d say 3-4 drops around the pancake. If you want to stir it around it’s your call. The flavor comes through either way. Trust me, I’ve tested it!

• Your pancakes are ready, now, crack one egg into each of the center cavities.

• When in there, hit the yolk with a fork and stir it around gently till the yolk is stretched about the egg. Don’t sit there and scramble it, just enough to break the yolk.

• Sprinkle with salt, fresh cracked pepper, and a pinch of shredded cheddar if you’re going that route.

• With the pan full, pop it into the oven for about 12 minutes. When you see a slight brown edge around the pancakes and the eggs are firm it’s ready.

That’s really it. Remove everything from the pan, put it aside, clean it out and repeat everything. Like I said, I had just enough batter for 2 pans worth so it’ll give you 6 sandwiches.

• Next, crank the oven up to 400° and get the bacon in there for about 15 minutes or until it’s cooked to your liking. I like mine charred. In case you were wondering. There’s seriously nothing to this pan, just put the bacon on it and pop it in the oven.

I’ve never used one of these special bacon pans before, but I absolutely loved it. I always put my bacon in the oven because it’s easier than tending to it in a pan. I’m also a creature of habit and I always get myself a sheet tray, line it with foil, and fill it up with bacon.

Of course, when it’s done I have to fish the bacon out from the sea of grease that rendered. And I’ll be honest with you. It’s cool and hip and manly man to be all like “Yeah! Bacon grease! Let me dip my bread in it, or use it to fry my eggs, or rub it all over my body before hitting the beach.” I mean, I’m sure that’ll smell absolutely fantastic, but no. Just no.

That grease can’t be good for you in the long run. I’m a huge lover and admirer of all things bacon, but as soon as it’s done cooking, I’m patting and trying my best to soak up all the excess grease off the bacon with paper towels.

This pan is designed to help with that. The raised platform you put the bacon on is surrounded by a reservoir where the grease pools and creates a sort of greasy mote, if you will, surrounding the island of bacon that you just constructed.

The Island of Bacon. Set me up on a cruise ship to that chunk of paradise, right?!

Anyway, you could see all that grease that your bacon isn’t floating in or soaking up. Yeah, the strips still have some grease to them, but not nearly as much as they would’ve had if they were in a regular pan.

Like these that I so happen to cook right beside the others. You can see the difference and they were in for the same amount of time. The sheet tray didn’t even fully cook where as the bacon on the Wilton pan was nice and crispy.

Still not convinced?

Same amount of time, same rack in the oven. I’m telling you right now, if I’m making bacon, it’s going to be on this pan.

Act now, and we’ll double your order!

Jkjk, I couldn’t resist. I know I’m sounding like an infomercial but I love how well it works. Only thing I would change is the size. But that can easily be fixed by just getting another one which I plan on doing. They’ll fit side by side in the oven so c’mon. No brainer.

Oh! And cleanup! I haaaaaaaaaaaate having to clean up after cooking or baking. And I hate the ridges in grill pans even more. But these are spaced out enough, and the grease trench is wide enough to make cleaning fairly simple. I just let it soak for a bit in hot soapy water and it came out clean as a whistle a few short scrubs later.

But back to the sandwich! You’re… making a sandwich. Not too hard, I’m sure you don’t need my instruction on this.

• Just pile it all on. An egg, some bacon, and top it with another pancake. And boom, it magically turns into a pile of happiness.

Remember, it’s a cinch to reheat it too. So when you pull it out of the fridge, make your sandwich, wrap it up in a napkin, and put it in the microwave for a minute.

Oh, and don’t follow my pictures if you plan on stretching out your bacon for all your sandwiches. I may have put a taaaaaaaaad more than I’d recommend if you want bacon throughout the week. Do what I say, don’t do what I do.

And that be that! I really do hope this gives you some confidence and inspiration to stop making a morning visit to the cashier at the drive-thru window. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with this. Simple, quick, tasty. It’s ok, you could thank me after coffee.