No matter what you call it, a Taylor ham, egg, and cheese sandwich has a knack for hitting the spot any time of day. Salty, flavorful Taylor ham/pork roll joins with fried eggs, melty American cheese, and a lightly-toasted hard roll for one really good breakfast sandwich. These steps show how I make one at home - SPK at your discretion.
You know I don’t deal in clickbait, inflammatory, or overly excitable content (exception granted for the strength of my conviction that olive oil chocolate chip cookies are better than ones with butter), but I know I’ve gotten some people going just from the title of this post.
Taylor ham may go by pork roll in your neck of the woods, but my North Jersey heart couldn't bear to stray from Taylor ham in the title. (Here's the history of pork roll for the curious - I'll spare you the rehashing here).
Think of it like this: all Taylor ham is pork roll but not all pork roll is Taylor ham. For the purposes of this sandwich whichever brand of pork roll you can get your hands on will work fine.
I'm currently living far outside the northeast, meaning if I want a Taylor ham, egg, and cheese sandwich, I'm going to have to make it myself. Same goes for disco fries and crumb buns (working on this recipe now).
Forgive the level of detail here for a breakfast sandwich recipe but there are a few things that just make a pork roll egg and cheese (trying that out, doesn't feel right!) just SO GOOD. While substitutes can be had to result in a still-tasty sandwich, I highly recommend sticking with the recipe - hard roll, American cheese - to see what all the New Jersey fuss is about.
My Perfect Taylor Ham, Egg, and Cheese
Here's how I make a Taylor ham, egg, and cheese sandwich. I'm a fan of the 2-2-2 THEC method (I made that up myself): two slices of Taylor ham, two eggs, and two slices of cheese.
Reason being: Taylor ham is salty with a fairly pronounced flavor, so I prefer to use a little less than the serving size (three slices) per sandwich so it doesn't overwhelm. Two eggs stack without being unwieldy and more than make up for the missing slice of ham, with cheese being, well, delicious. Two slices are better than one.
As for the SPK (salt, pepper, ketchup), don't get on my case too badly but I actually just do P. As mentioned above the Taylor ham is sufficiently salty for me, and while I don't mind ketchup alongside scrambled eggs, it just doesn't feel right to me on this sandwich. If anything I'll do a little hot sauce.
What You'll Need
Taylor Ham/Pork Roll: This will be near the bacon and other breakfast meats. In my experience it's most common to find packages of Taylor ham pre-sliced in thin slices (8 per pack), but you may find it available in thicker slices (4 per pack). The preference is yours, but I like how quickly the thin slices brown up - it's also all I can find. If you'd like super-thick pork roll, check to see if the deli department has a whole chub they can fresh-slice from.
Eggs: Two per sandwich, though you can just use one if you'd rather.
Cheese: American cheese is classic on a Taylor ham, egg, and cheese. Melts in a flash! I prefer yellow.
Rolls: Look for kaiser rolls or more generic hard rolls. These have a darker, firmer crust with a lighter, more airy interior. While they look similar, they're a whole different thing than softer hamburger buns, so those aren't a good substitute. If a hard roll isn't available you can also use a lightly-toasted bagel. (Forgive my sort-of wrinkly rolls as I was using up my freezer stash here.)
BTW salt is missing from this list because I don't use any. Taylor ham is plenty salty and I prefer just giving the eggs a few good cranks of black pepper. That said, salt to your tastes. Ketchup too, for that matter.
How To Make a THEC
Brown the Taylor ham.
Cut notches into each slice of Taylor ham, then cook in a little butter until both sides are browned.
Toast the roll.
Use that leftover butter/Taylor ham grease to lightly toast the cut-sides of the roll.
Cook the eggs.
Add more butter to the pan and crack in two eggs. Cook until the whites have solidified just about up to the yolk.
Melt the cheese.
Flip each egg over, season with pepper, then top with a slice of cheese. Throw a little splash of water into the pan and cover it (this traps in steam for a speedy melt). Cook for another 1-3 minutes - more on timing below.
Wrap to heat.
Assemble the sandwich then wrap fully in aluminum foil for a few minutes to allow the flavors to meld and for all of the components to heat up again.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Brown that pork roll: While Taylor ham/pork roll is fully cooked, in my world it's non-negotiable that you really need to brown it in the pan before eating. It makes a BIG difference in terms of flavor.
- Ensure good browning: Slice four notches into the outer edges the Taylor ham slices before browning. The resulting shape is often referred to as resembling a fireman's badge. This prevents the slices from puffing up so much, ensuring more of the surface area maintains good contact with the hot pan to brown.
- Cook eggs over-medium or -hard: Totally do your own thing but my preference for eggs on a breakfast sandwich is cooking them somewhere between medium and hard. Basically all jammy or mostly jammy/little bit runny. Truthfully I can be loosey-goosey on my timing so sometimes I end up with medium, sometimes hard, and it's all good! Medium/hard eggs are also easier to tuck into on-the-go than easy as you don't have egg dripping all over the place.
Did you enjoy this recipe? I’d love for you to leave a star rating and a comment review in the recipe card below!
Taylor Ham, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter divided
- 2-3 thin slices Taylor ham/pork roll
- 1 kaiser roll/hard roll sliced in half
- 2 large eggs
- Ground black pepper
- 2 slices American cheese
- Hot sauce or ketchup to taste
- Salt if needed
Instructions
- If your roll isn't bakery-fresh, slice it in half, then wrap it fully in aluminum foil. Place it on the middle rack of a 350°F oven for 10 minutes or so, until warmed. Set the roll aside while you start on the rest of the sandwich.
- Slice notches into four equidistant edges of each slice of Taylor ham - north, south, east, and west. This prevents the slices from puffing up while browning.
- Add about one teaspoon of butter to a non-stick skillet set over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add both slices of Taylor ham to the pan and brown for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove these to a paper-towel lined plate and cover with foil to keep the heat in.
- Take your sliced roll and place it cut-side-down in the hot pan for a few minutes, until lightly golden. Remove this to a plate once done.
- Add the remaining two teaspoons of butter to the pan and adjust the stovetop heat to low to low-medium. Swirl the butter around the pan as it melts and heats. Crack two eggs into the pan, taking care not to break the yolks.
- Cook the eggs undisturbed until the whites have just set all the way up to the yolks, but the yolks are still jiggly. I gently shake the pan to check. Don't be afraid to lower the heat as needed if you notice the egg white edges becoming frizzly and browning.
- Carefully flip each egg over, trying your best not to break the yolks. Season each egg with freshly-cracked black pepper and immediately top each with a slice of cheese. Add a tiny splash of water to the hot pan and cover it to create steam to ensure a good melt. Cook for 1-3 additional minutes, the shorter end of the range for over medium eggs, where the yolks are slightly runny and the longer end of the range for fully jammy yolks, though do cook them for less or longer if that's your preference.
- Assemble the sandwich by placing the following on the bottom bun, in this order: slice of Taylor ham, egg with cheese, egg with cheese, slice of Taylor ham, top bun. I prefer splitting up the slices of ham to disperse the flavor and saltiness, but of course you do you.
- Optional: Gently wrap (so as not to squish the eggs) the assembled sandwich in foil for 5 minutes to allow everything to heat up again and form a nice and cohesive flavor. Then dress with hot sauce or ketchup if you like, salt to taste if needed, and dig in immediately.
Notes
- Taylor ham serving size - I prefer to use two slices of Taylor ham/pork roll as I find it very salty, however the serving size on the package is three slices. Use however many you like.
- Roll substitute - if a hard roll of any kind isn't available, use a lightly-toasted bagel instead.
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Nutrition
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