A few weeks ago on the way home from church, Brian asked me the dreaded question: “what’s for lunch?” Normally the thought of cooking when I’m hungry and hot (our air conditioner in the car is broken right now) makes me agree to picking up tacos…but I’ve been trying to 1. Eat healthier 2. Stick to the budget 3. Not break rules 1 and 2 just because I’m hungry and hot. So I had to think fast. What could I cook in a hurry that would be satisfying and delicious? I started remembering the things I had: farm fresh eggs…homemade bread…tomatoes… and it hit me…I said “I’m going to make you the BEST fried egg sandwich you’ve ever had!”

Let me go on a little rabbit trail here…does it annoy anybody else when they’re asked “what’s for dinner/lunch”? I don’t know why it bothers me. Maybe because Brian usually wrinkles up his face and says “that doesn’t sound good. Let’s get pizza.” He’s not moved by my desire to stick to Rules 1 and 2.

*Pro Tip: Years ago, I started a thing that might have saved our marriage…when Brian asks “what’s for dinner?” I say, “it’s a surprise!” He always laughs, and I almost never throw anything at him anymore. It works out beautifully.

I’ve been getting farm fresh eggs from my sweet friend, Lindsay. Aren’t they just gorgeous? And while I can run hot and cold on eggs, lately I’ve been absolutely craving them. On this particular day as I ate the Best Fried Egg Sandwich You’ve Ever Had with a fork and knife, it fell apart all over my plate. In case you’re wondering why I was eating a sandwich with a fork and knife…I don’t know honestly. I always have. I remember in high school a girl said to me “pick up your burger and eat it like a man!” And I said, “uh, I’m not a man…” Then in college I broke my front tooth and had to get a crown, so now I really don’t bite into things with my front teeth. It’s a weird fear I’ve got. Anyway, as I was eating all the sandwich remnants on my plate, I thought, I should just make this a salad. So here it is! The Fried Egg Sandwich Salad! It’s more of an idea than a recipe, so make it your own!

It starts, of course, with frying your eggs. I like to do this first because they don’t have to be piping hot, and I actually like for them to be cooled some so they don’t wilt my lettuce. I fry my eggs in olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. This time, I broke the yolks, although you definitely don’t have to. If you’re into runny yolks, I think that would be yummy.

In my opinion, there are 2 things that contribute to this being The Best Egg Sandwich (Salad) You’ve Ever Had…First, homemade bread. I’ve been making Don’t Waste The Crumbs’ 90 Minute Man Bread for years. It turns out perfect every time. Here’s the link if you want to try it. The only thing I do differently than the recipe is I put it in a cast iron pan for the last rise instead of transferring it after it’s done rising. You’ll see what I mean if you read the recipe.

https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/90-minute-man-bread/

The other thing that takes the flavor over the top is basil. You can sprinkle it over the top or mix it in with the mayo. I used purple basil…look how pretty! I love how purple basil can range from dark purple to green with purple veins. It tastes exactly like most other kinds of basil to me, but I think it’s so much more fun to use purple produce…”because purple heads will not be denied!”

Now that I see my pictures, I’m remembering that I added some Italian parsley as well. I’m obsessed with parsley, so I add it to almost everything. I think that’s one of the keys to taking your meals to the next level: fresh herbs. So bright. So flavorful. So healthy!

Time to put it all together! I used spring greens, tomatoes, avocado, toasted bread, fried eggs, and for the dressing, I thinned Hellman’s mayonnaise with a little almond milk and mixed in the fresh herbs. You could definitely use ranch or another dressing, but I wanted it to taste as much like the sandwich as possible. And it really did!

If you decide to try it, let me know what you think! I’m working on planning out my schedule, so let me know- what would you like to see a blog about?