The Ingredient Your Breakfast Sandwich Is Missing

Whether you're enjoying a relaxed weekend morning or you're in a frenzied weekday rush, you'll still want to eat a good breakfast. And breakfast sandwiches make eating—and enjoying— breakfast incredibly convenient. From bagels to brioche, bacon to sausage, the breakfast sandwich truly has an incredible amount of variations. For many, a classic BEC (bacon, egg, and cheese) is a super simple go-to, but breakfast sandwiches needn't be limited to that standby.

But if you're tired of the standard bacon, egg, and cheese, there are plenty of ways to spice things up, both at a bodega and when you're cooking at home.

The secret to a great breakfast sandwich is all in the sauce.

Chef Joseph Cuccia former chef and owner at 17 Summer Restaurant in Lodi, New Jersey, suggests adding hollandaise sauce to the classic sausage and egg sandwich. Sure, the sauce is typically used on Eggs Benedict, but that's why it makes such a delicious breakfast sauce, too.

And if you don't like hollandaise, adding any dressing or sauce will really take your breakfast sandwich to the next level. It's a step you might skip when building a breakfast sandwich, but you shouldn't overlook it.

"I think a great breakfast sandwich is basically a portable Eggs Benedict," Cuccia says. "Poached egg, English muffin, maybe turkey sausage, some hollandaise… it looks better than a deli sandwich, is somewhat lighter, and is delicious."

Here's how to construct a perfect breakfast sandwich, complete with all the ingredients you need.

Bread: You really can't go wrong with a bagel, but you may want to steer clear of a prominently-flavored variety like pumpernickel. Of course, any type of roll also works beautifully. Choosing a base like a croissant, an English muffin, a brioche roll, or a biscuit will elevate any breakfast sandwich to the next level.
Meat: Bacon is the perennial favorite, but people also love turkey bacon, Canadian bacon, or even specially flavored or smoked bacon. And New Jerseyans swear by Taylor ham, aka pork roll. Pastrami is a slightly underused addition that can spruce up even the dullest sandwich. And if you're a vegetarian, portobello mushrooms or other hearty vegetables are a great idea.
Cheese: American cheese tends to be the default, but cheddar, provolone, swiss, fontina, and Muenster are all great choices. (Of course, the cheese isn't always a necessity if there's a heavy or creamy sauce like Hollandaise involved.)
Egg: Over easy? Sunny-side up? Poached? Scrambled? Honestly, you can't go wrong. The malleable egg is delicious on a breakfast sandwich, no matter what.
Condiments: Hot sauce, ketchup, hollandaise, honey, and aioli are some of the more popular condiments used to spice up breakfast sandwiches. Scallions, roasted red peppers, varying types of potatoes, and even tomatoes are great breakfast sandwich toppings, too.

Now that you're armed with this sage advice, we hope that you craft (and savor) the world's best breakfast sandwich tomorrow morning—we're confident that you can do it. Enjoy!