Open Faced Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Breakfast Sandwich. Boy is that a mouthful! One, hearty, savory, cheesy, delightful mouthful which may sound complicated, but is quite the opposite.
The Breakfast Sandwich
In my house, it’s all about the breakfast sandwich. I don’t know when that happened exactly, but it was probably because of our kitchen remodel. We had a panini press to cook on, and made scrambled eggs in it constantly, for either breakfast sandwiches or burritos. I know it sounds weird, but it WORKED!
Now that the kitchen remodel is just about done, it’s nice to be able to make a proper egg sandwich. Lately, I’ve been trying to watch my figure, so I wanted to make something without so much bread. We must keep the cheese though. WE MUST! Therefore, I present you with the open faced egg sandwich.
Challenge Accepted
This recipe was born out of a challenge sponsored by Cacique®! Because I love challenges, I immediately jumped on the opportunity. The challenge was to create a unique recipe out of at least 4 of 10 ingredients: Cacique® Ranchero Queso Fresco, Cacique® Four Quesos Blend, sun-dried tomatoes, sourdough bread, pine nuts, olive oil, egg(s), red onion, basil, and bacon. Because I’m vegetarian, I didn’t use the bacon, but I think I came up with a pretty swell (and easy!) dish as a result.
The Sauce!
While all of the work lies in the making of the awesome sauce, it doesn’t take long at all. Pour boiling water over the sun-dried tomatoes to help them soften, then throw all the sauce ingredients in the blender. Consequently, you get a five-star breakfast for minimal effort!
The Open Faced Build
What takes this particular open faced egg sandwich over the moon is that luscious sun-dried tomato pesto with Cacique® Ranchero Queso Fresco. The Cacique® cheeses are made from recipes that have remained the same for over 40 years, so they know what they’re doing! I’d eat the Ranchero Queso Fresco all by itself (and I have), it’s that good. Because of the natural and fresh ingredients, the cheeses posess a unique flavor all their own. Combined with the smoky & spicy chipotles, tangy tomatoes, and luscious pine nuts, it’s a match made in foodie heaven. Spread on toasted sourdough, and top with a mix of Cacique® Four Quesos Blend and fresh, herbaceous basil. The goodness is broiled until gooey and delicious! Add a sunny-side up egg, and finish with quick-pickled red onions and basil. As a result, you have a pretty bombastic sandwich on your hands!
What do you think? Will you try this open faced delight?
If you think this sandwich is the bomb, just wait until you see the plethora of recipes on Cacique®‘s website, including their complete line of not only cheeses, but creams, chorizos and yogurt! While you’re drooling over their recipes, don’t forget to check out their Facebook and Instagram!
Breakfast Sandwiches Forever,
- For The Quick Pickled Onions
- 1/3 Cup Julienned Red Onion (thin slices)
- 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- A Pinch of Salt
- A Pinch of Pepper
- For The Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
- 1 1/4 Cup Water, divided
- 1/3 Cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes (packed, and NOT in oil)
- 2.5 Ounces Weight of <a href=”http://www.caciqueinc.com/products/ranchero-queso-fresco/” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow” data-mce-href=”http://www.caciqueinc.com/products/ranchero-queso-fresco/”>Cacique<sup>®</sup> Ranchero Queso Fresco</a> (1/4 of a wheel)
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
- 1/3 Cup Pine nuts, toasted
- 2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo
- 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- For The Sandwiches
- 4 Slices Sourdough Bread
- 1 Package <a href=”http://www.caciqueinc.com/products/cacique-four-quesos-blend/” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow” data-mce-href=”http://www.caciqueinc.com/products/cacique-four-quesos-blend/”>Cacique<sup>®</sup> Four Quesos Blend</a><br data-mce-bogus=”1″>
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Basil, reserving some for garnish
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 4 Large Eggs
- 1/4 Salt
- A Pinch of Pepper
- For an optimal cooking experience, heat a small pot with a cup of water and bring to a boil. Also pre-heat your broiler.
- In a small bowl, combine the onion, salt, pepper and apple cider vinegar. Toss to coat, and refrigerate until ready to use. Toss in the middle of the rest of the preparation.
- Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl, and pour your boiling water over them, allowing them to sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts until slightly browned, about 2-3 minutes, tossing frequently so they don’t burn.
- Transfer to a blender or food processor along with the remaining ingredients, and blend well until you have a smooth paste. If using a blender, the mixture may be too thick to blend. In that event, stop the blender, and push the mixture down with a spoon, and blend on low again. Repeat until you’ve reached a smooth consistency.
- Toast the bread, and lay on a large cookie sheet.
- Combine the <a href=”http://www.caciqueinc.com/products/cacique-four-quesos-blend/” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow” data-mce-href=”http://www.caciqueinc.com/products/cacique-four-quesos-blend/”>Cacique<sup>®</sup> Four Quesos Blend</a> with the basil in a bowl.
- Smear 2-3 tablespoons of the pesto on the toasted bread, and divide the cheese mixture among them.
- In a large skillet or flat-top under low heat, add the olive oil, and carefully place each egg in the skillet being careful not to break the yolk. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slowly cook your eggs until the whites are completely done, but the yolk is still runny*, then turn off the heat.
- Place your sourdough bread in the broiler to melt the cheese, about 30-60 seconds.
- Once the cheese has melted, top with sunny side up egg, and garnish with quick pickled onions and basil, and enjoy immediately!
*Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Cacique®. All opinions are my own.
Looks absolutely fantastic. Winner in my book.
I agree with Cathy, this is definitely a winner!