• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
always from scratch
  • Main Course
  • Desserts
  • Side Dishes
  • Video Editing Service
  • About Me
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Main Course
  • Desserts
  • Side Dishes
  • Video Editing Service
  • About Me
    • Email
    • Instagram
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Main Course
    • Desserts
    • Side Dishes
    • Video Editing Service
    • About Me
    • Email
    • Instagram
  • ×
    Home

    The Italian Breakfast Sandwich

    Published: Oct 2, 2022 · Modified: Apr 23, 2023 by Vinny and Marisa · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Bacon egg and cheese sandwich with hashbrowns and spinach cut in half and open

    I don't want you to live another morning without trying this Italian Breakfast Sandwich. This will cure your hangover, fill your stomach, fuel your workout, knock your socks off, and start your day right.

    Italians are known for their food. But you never hear about breakfast from Italians. So, I thought I'd take a stab at an Italian Breakfast Sandwich. It's not like chicken parm breakfast or anything crazy. It's delicate. It's a light Italian touch. It's romantic.

    What Makes This an "Italian" Breakfast Sandwich?

    Well, we made it, so I guess that's a start. But, we're not truly Italian, it's our heritage, 2nd and 3rd generation. But we let our Italian heritage influence this sandwich. The crispy parmesan eggs are what puts the "Italian" in this sandwich.

    Let me tell you something about crispy parmesan eggs. I know everyone can cook good eggs, but make your over-easy eggs like this and you will thank me. Forget about the sandwich, just throw your eggs on a piece of toast. Unbelievable.

    Bacon First, Because We NEED The Fat

    I always start my bacon in a cold pan and bring it up to medium-high heat and fry until crispy, flipping only once. Some people like to cover the bacon or put something on top of their bacon. I find I get flat crispy bacon when I cook it starting from a cold frying pan.

    But you can make your bacon however you want as long as save the bacon grease. It's not absolutely necessary, but it really helps with the hash browns. Butter can always be substituted if necessary.

    Bacon egg and cheese cut in half

    Delicious and Flavorful Hash Browns

    Hashbrowns should be moist but crispy! Here is our hashbrown recipe, or follow below!

    Start by grating your potatoes on a large grater. It's really quick this way. Then you want to rinse the potatoes until the water runs clear. Dry them as best you can. I used a cheesecloth because that's what I had, but you can use paper towels if you need to. Drying the potatoes thoroughly is really important to make a crispy hash brown. If you leave the potatoes wet, they will steam and be moist and mushy. We don't want moist and mushy. We call that muciad.

    Grate your onions next and then mix them with the grated potatoes in a bowl, and press one clove of garlic into the bowl. Add salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, and cayenne pepper for a well-seasoned hash brown. Leave out the cayenne if you don't like them spicy.

    In a large pan, add 2 tablespoon of bacon fat. Bring to medium-high heat.

    Spread the potato and onion mixture evenly across the pan. You want this to be a relatively thin layer of potatoes. It may take two batches, but with 3 medium potatoes and a large pan you should be able to do it with one pan. Cook the hash browns for 7 minutes without moving them. They should be golden brown on the bottom at this point.

    Flip them over in sections. Add 2 tablespoon of butter or some more bacon grease on top of the potatoes. Allow them to cook again on the other side for 5 minutes. Start mixing potatoes at this point to make sure they are cooked through. It should take another 2-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    Remove them from the heat and put them to the side.

    Sautéing the Spinach

    In the same pan, heat olive oil to medium heat. The spinach sautés quickly. Start by tossing in 2 crushed garlic cloves and cook until fragrant. Add the bag of spinach a handful at a time. Stir and cook until spinach is wilted. Transfer to a plate.

    Finally, The Crispy Parmesan Eggs

    Heat the pan back up to medium heat. Add a tablespoon of butter. Grate Parmesan cheese over the pan, about ¾ Cup for 4 eggs. Carefully crack your eggs over the parmesan cheese and allow to cook for about 2 minutes. The parmesan won't melt, it will start to become brown and crispy. Flip the eggs over and cook for another minute or two depending on how cooked you like your eggs.

    Remove your eggs from the heat and it's time to build your Italian Breakfast Sandwich

    Italian Breakfast sandwiches cut open on cutting board

    Building The Italian Breakfast Sandwich

    My wife made homemade English muffins the morning we made this sandwich. I know what you're thinking, why would be put the Italian Breakfast Sandwich on an English muffin? Well, we're Always From Scratch, if she makes some fresh English muffins, that's what we're using. Normally, I'd put this on a semolina roll, but you try finding a semolina roll in rural North Carolina.

    Toast whatever bread you're putting this delicious meal on first. Start with hash browns, spinach, egg, then bacon. Close your sandwich up and enjoy your day like you're about to embark on the greatest morning of your life. I promise you won't be disappointed!

    Let me know what you think of this recipe! Leave a comment, we love feedback! Follow us on Instagram @vindelgiudice or Tiktok @alwaysfromscratch.

    Check out some of our other breakfast foods!

    Southwest Potato Breakfast Burrito

    Soft and Crispy Breakfast Potatoes

    Mushroom Onion Swiss Grilled Cheese

    📖 Recipe

    Bacon egg and cheese sandwich with hashbrowns and spinach cut in half and open
    Print Recipe

    Italian Breakfast Sandwich

    A breakfast sandwich built with Bacon, Egg, parmigiana, spinach and hash browns. The parmesan crusted eggs make for a crispy over easy or sunny side up egg with heavily seasoned hash browns and garlicky spinach.
    Prep Time30 minutes mins
    Cook Time30 minutes mins
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: comfort food, Egg sandwich
    Servings: 4 People

    Ingredients

    • 4 English Muffins or Semolina Rolls
    • 4 Eggs
    • ¾ Cup Parmesan Cheese, Grated
    • 3 Russet or Golden Potatoes
    • 1 Small Onion
    • 4 tablespoon Butter
    • Bacon
    • 1 Bag Spinach
    • 3 Cloves Garlic
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • ½ teaspoon Pepper
    • 1 teaspoon Paprika
    • ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
    • ½ teaspoon Oregano
    • ½ Tsp Dried Parsley

    Instructions

    • Start by frying your bacon in a large pan. Place bacon in cold pan and heat to medium high heat. Fry until bacon is crispy.
    • Grate your potatoes on a grater with the largest grating hole available. Then rinse potatoes until water runs clear. Dry thoroughly.
    • Grate your onion and mix with potato mixture. Press one clove of garlic into the mixture. Season with oregano, parsley, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
    • In a large pan, place 2 tbsp. of bacon grease and bring to medium-high heat. Spread your potatoes evenly across pan (you may have to do 2 batches). Leave without moving for 7 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip over and place 2 tablespoon of butter on top of the mixture. Cook for another 5 minutes without mixing. Then for the last 2-5 minutes mix potatoes thoroughly until brown and crispy.
    • Sauté spinach in same pan that you cooked potatoes. Crush two cloves of garlic and place in pan with olive oil on medium heat and cook until fragrant. Add spinach and cook until it wilts, about 2 minutes.
    • In a pan, place 1 tablespoon of butter. Once heated, spread parmesan on the pan and carefully crack your egg over the parmesan. Fry how you would normally fry an over easy egg. Flip after 2 minutes.
    • Toast your English muffins or roll. Place your hash browns on the bottom of the roll, followed by spinach, your egg, then your bacon.

    More Main Course

    • Cheesy pull of baked ziti on a spoon being scooped from the baking dish
      Authentic Italian Baked Ziti
    • Italian stuffed shells with meat sauce and ricotta
      Italian Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce and Ricotta
    • rustic italian tortellini soup topped with parmesan
      Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup with Sausage
    • eggplant parmigiana
      Better Than Olive Garden Eggplant Parmigiana

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    No Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Vinny DelGiudice, MS CCC-SLP

    My name is Vinny. I am a speech pathologist specializing in swallowing and voice disorders and an Italian who has been eating too much food his whole life. I want to share the recipes I grew up eating in an Italian-American home and the recipes that I cook in my home for my family. At Always From Scratch, we consider any food that we make at home a healthy meal for the family!

    More about me →

    Our Top Recipes!

    • chicken francese topped with capers and lemon
      Restaurant-Style Chicken Francese
    • broiled lemon garlic flounder over arugula and topped with lemon slices
      Lemon Garlic Broiled Flounder
    • one pan chicken thighs with lemony basil orzo
      Cast Iron Lemon Basil Orzo with Chicken Thighs
    • lemon spinach pasta with lemons, zest and pecorino on side
      Lemon Pasta with Spinach

    Christmas!

    • Mussels with white wine sauce and tomato garnished with parsley
      Mussels in Tomato White Wine Sauce
    • close up of baked clams garnished with parsley and lemon
      Italian Stuffed Baked Clams
    • Shrimp Cocktail dipped in cocktail sauce
      The Best Homemade Shrimp Cocktail
    • linguine with clams
      Linguine with Clams
    • garlic sage seared scallops on a plate
      Garlic Sage Seared Scallops
    • Cheesy pull of baked ziti on a spoon being scooped from the baking dish
      Authentic Italian Baked Ziti
    • Italian stuffed shells with meat sauce and ricotta
      Italian Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce and Ricotta

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Coming soon!

    Contact

    • Client Inquiry Form
    • Video Editing Service
    • Instagram
    • About

    Disclaimer: I may earn from affiliate links on this page. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Always From Scratch