My Favorite Breakfast

Aaahhh, Sunday Mornings. What is it about Sunday? It feels more restful than the rest of the week. Maybe it is anticipating church, maybe it is the way I was raised, but it feels special. We've had church at 8:00 AM for the past year. That isn't TOO bad, but you wake up, get ready, and go. Mid-Day church has always been awful, with two kids whose naps get interrupted... until now. Stephen doesn't take naps, and Joe is fine if he misses one here or there. Now we have church at noon... and it is HEAVENLY!! Because it is a bit early to eat lunch first, we decided to do brunch! And brunch around here means I get to make my favorite breakfast EVER. Eggs Benedict!! There are a few slight (and not-so-slight) changes to my favorite Eggs Benedict though. First, I don't use Hollandaise. I know, GASP!! Such heresy!! Can't help it, I like this sauce better. It's basically a cheesy bechamel. Don't knock it till you've tried it! Also, we just pan-fry our eggs instead of poaching. Half the family hates runny yolks (weirdos) and half of us love them (me and Joe, of course!) so Stephen just cooks them all to order. He's VERY good at leaving them runny for me!! A Note though, if you cook them this way, make sure all other elements are ready to go, so you can put the egg right on the "sandwich" and serve. We put ours on a plate under a lid to stay warm, and those perfect yolks cooked a little bit more. Oh well, still yummy!!

Cheese Sauce for Eggs Benedict
Printable Recipe

2 Tb butter
2 Tb flour
1 cup milk (plus 1/4 cup)
1/4 tsp white pepper
sprinkle of ground mustard
about 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a small pan over medium-high heat. Add flour, and whisk till it starts to darken and smell "toasty". Slowly pour the milk in, whisking quickly and constantly, it will start to thicken FAST right at first. Stir until it barely starts to bubble and has thickened. Lower heat to low, sprinkle in pepper and ground mustard, and stir in cheese till melted. Drizzle in up to 1/4 cup of milk if it is too thick. Leave on VERY low heat, stirring occasionally, until ready to serve.

Cut English Muffins in half and toast them. Fry up some Canadian bacon or ham (just get it heated and browned a bit) and slice some cheddar cheese.

To Build:
Ham on top of muffin. Cheese on top of ham. Egg on top of cheese. Sauce over all.

Mmmm, cheese sauce. I have had both, and I just like this better!!

Want to know something funny?? My breakfast is sitting on my couch. :) Usually I get out a folding table, cover it with a tablecloth, pick a photogenic plate, and take lots of pictures. I was too impatient this time, so I took pictures on the couch!

They may not be runny, but at least they're still soft!! Yum, I love this breakfast. Sorry for the few pictures, I was in a hurry to eat!

If you're in the mood to try something new, or have never tried hollandaise in the first place, try your Eggs Benedict my way!