Make-Ahead Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches

Name: Make-Ahead Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan; 12 large (600 g) large eggs, cracked into a bowl (about 12 eggs out of shell); ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk, cold; ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt; ¼ tsp (½ g) black pepper, freshly ground; 12 muffins (684 g) English muffins, split in half; 12 oz (340 g) thin-sliced deli ham, about 12 slices, each folded to fit a 3-inch (7.5 cm) muffin; 9 oz (255 g) sliced sharp cheddar cheese, 12 slices, at room temperature if possible

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A dozen ham, egg and cheddar sandwiches built on toasted English muffins, with the eggs baked in one pan instead of fried one by one. Wrap and freeze them, then reheat one in about two minutes for a hot breakfast on busy mornings.

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 25 min
Wait: 40 min
Total: 1 hr 40 min
Makes: 12 sandwiches

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Steps

Before you start

Clear freezer space for a flat stack of 12 wrapped sandwiches, and have a large zip-top freezer bag ready.
Cut 12 pieces of parchment or wax paper, about 8×8 inches (20×20 cm), for wrapping. Foil alone can't go in the microwave.
Plan on about 100 minutes in total. 40 of those are cooling time, which you can't skip. Wrapping warm sandwiches traps steam and makes them soggy once reheated.
Make sure the English muffins are already split, or split them with a fork so the nooks and crannies stay craggy.

1
Heat oven, prep panOven 350°F / 175°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F (175°C).
- Line a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish with parchment, leaving a 2-inch (5 cm) overhang on the two long sides to use as handles.
- Smear the softened butter over the parchment on the bottom and sides.
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Ready when: Parchment is lined and evenly buttered.
Tip: The butter helps the parchment cling to the pan and keeps the eggs from sticking.
2
Whisk egg mixture
- In a large bowl, whisk the 12 eggs, ½ cup (120 ml) milk, ½ tsp kosher salt and ¼ tsp pepper for about 1 minute.
- Stop when the mixture is a uniform pale yellow with no streaks of white and a few small bubbles on top.
- Pour it into the prepared pan.
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Ready when: No visible streaks of egg white remain.
Tip: Whisk gently rather than furiously. Too much air makes the eggs puff, then collapse into a spongy layer.
3
Bake the eggsOven 350°F / 175°C
- Carefully carry the pan to the oven without sloshing and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 22 to 25 minutes.
- Check at 22 minutes.
- Eggs should be puffed slightly and set across the whole surface.
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Ready when: Center no longer jiggles when the pan is nudged, a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean, and the center reads 160°F (71°C).
Tip: If the center is still wobbly, bake in 2-minute increments. Overbaked eggs turn rubbery and weep once frozen.
4
Cool and cut eggs
- Lift the egg slab out using the parchment handles and set it on a cutting board.
- Let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Cut it into a 3×4 grid to make 12 squares, each about 3 inches (7.5 cm) wide to match the muffin size.
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Ready when: Eggs are warm, not hot, and the squares hold together cleanly.
Tip: Cutting piping-hot eggs tears them. Use a sharp knife and press straight down instead of sawing.
5
Toast the muffins
- Toast the 12 split English muffins in a toaster on a light setting, in batches, for about 2 minutes per batch.
- Stop when the cut sides are pale golden and dry to the touch but still soft.
- You want them lightly toasted because they will soften again in the freezer and be reheated later.
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Ready when: Cut sides are pale golden and slightly firm, not dark brown.
Tip: Over-toasting now leads to hard, crumbly muffins after reheating.
6
Assemble sandwiches
- Lay the 12 bottom muffin halves on the counter.
- On each, stack one slice of cheddar, one folded slice of ham and one egg square.
- Top with the muffin tops.
- Press each sandwich gently so it holds together.
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Ready when: Each sandwich has cheese on the bottom, ham, then egg, with the top muffin sitting level.
Tip: Placing the cheese on the warm egg side is also fine. The warmth of the egg softens the cheese slightly, which helps it stick.
7
Cool completely
- Set the assembled sandwiches on a wire rack in a single layer.
- Let them sit for 30 minutes at room temperature, until no warmth remains in the center when you press a sandwich.
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Ready when: A sandwich feels cool, not warm, when held in your palm.
Tip: Never wrap warm sandwiches. Trapped steam turns into ice crystals and makes the muffins soggy.
8
Wrap and freeze
- Wrap each cooled sandwich snugly in its own square of parchment, folding the edges under like a present.
- Place the wrapped sandwiches in a large freezer bag in a single layer or a flat stack, press out as much air as possible, and seal.
- Write the date on the bag.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
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Ready when: Every sandwich is individually wrapped and the bag is sealed with little air inside.
Tip: For easier handling, freeze the wrapped sandwiches flat on a tray for 1 hour before stacking them in the bag.

Good to know

Tips

Pull the pan from the oven as soon as the center is set. Eggs continue to cook as they cool and again when reheated, so slightly underdone is better than overdone.
Squares of egg can be trimmed or folded to fit the muffin edges if your pan cuts them slightly large.
Wrapping in parchment first and foil second works for both microwave and oven reheating if you remove the foil before microwaving.
Always check that the middle of the sandwich is steaming hot, or reaches 165°F (74°C), before eating. Microwaves heat unevenly.

Make ahead

"The whole recipe is designed to be made ahead. Sandwiches keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also bake and cut the eggs a day ahead, cover and refrigerate them, then assemble the next day. Let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while you toast the muffins."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: assembled sandwiches should not sit out more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 3 months, individually wrapped in a freezer bag. To reheat from frozen in the microwave, unwrap, wrap loosely in a damp paper towel, and heat on a microwave-safe plate for 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, flip, then heat 30 to 60 seconds more until hot (165°F / 74°C in the center). Reheat from the refrigerator for 45 to 60 seconds total. To reheat in the oven, unwrap, wrap in foil, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20 to 25 minutes from frozen."

Substitutions

thin-sliced deli ham → cooked breakfast sausage patties or Canadian bacon. Use fully cooked, cooled patties. Canadian bacon slices are a one-for-one swap by count.
sliced sharp cheddar cheese → Swiss, pepper jack, or American cheese. Use the same number of slices. American melts the most smoothly on reheating.
English muffins → split biscuits, bagel thins, or small sandwich rolls. Pick a size close to 3 inches (7.5 cm) so the egg squares fit, and trim the eggs if needed.
whole milk → half-and-half or unsweetened plain non-dairy milk. Half-and-half gives a creamier egg layer. Non-dairy milk works with a slightly less tender texture.