Grilled Cheese Eggs Benedict with Bacon and Hollandaise Sauce
Instead of Eggs Benedict over ham and a biscuit, put it on top of double grilled cheese sandwich with bacon grilled into the outside! You heard me. Then smother with hollandaise sauce and take a nap because DAAAANG.
Make the hollandaise sauce first. Set it in a bowl of hot water to keep it warm (don't microwave it!)
Add an inch and a half of water to a wide nonstick skillet for poaching the eggs. Set it just below medium heat. It will take a few minutes to get to temperature (190 degrees F). (You probably wont be able to get all 8 eggs in one pan, so if it's important to you to have them all done at the same time, prepare 2 pans of water with the salt and vinegar called for in each pan.)
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to the "Keep warm" setting, or 170 degrees F. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet and place it in the oven (to keep the completed sandwiches warm.)
Now make the grilled cheese sandwiches (click here for the recipe).If you're thinking, "I already know how to make grilled cheese! I'm not gonna click that link!" then you're going to miss out on important instructions (like the steps where we're adding bacon and creating a crispy cheese layer on the outside of the sandwich).
When each grilled cheese sandwich is finished, put it on the cooling rack in the oven. (so that the bottom stays crispy!)
Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon vinegar to the water.
While the water heats, crack each egg individually into 8 ramekins or 8 small bowls.
When the water reaches 190, use a nonstick slotted spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan, trying to release all the bubbles at the bottom. You want the water to be as smooth as possible.
When most of the bubbles are gone, gently lower each egg into the water as smoothly as you can. It's okay if water enters into the ramekin. Lower it down into the water at an angle, then slowly dump the egg and then lift the bowl out. Repeat with all the eggs (You may have to do it in 2 batches, or use two pans of water as mentioned above.) Then set a timer for 4 and 1/2 minutes.
When the timer goes off, use the slotted spoon to gently lift each egg out of the water. Add your poached egg to the top of your grilled cheese (see assembly instructions below). Or place the eggs in an ice bath and store in the fridge for up to 8 hours. (Reheat in hot water for 1 minute.) One tip for making your poached eggs look nice is to simply use a spoon to cut off the jagged edged whites.
To assemble: Plate each grilled cheese sandwich. Slice it in half. Top each half with a warm poached egg. Drizzle with warm hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle with green onions and a few grinds of black pepper. Serve hot! With a big glass of orange juice and some fresh fruit.
Notes
I recommend serving this dish with fresh fruit. It's pretty rich, and the fruit helps balance it out. I wrote out a shopping list that includes the ingredients needed for the hollandaise sauce, grilled cheese, and poached eggs; all the stuff you need for this Grilled Cheese Eggs Benedict:Hollandaise:
4 egg yolks
1/2 or 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon + plus 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper*
2-3 dashes of salt
black pepper to taste
1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, melted (hot!)Grilled Cheese:
1 loaf challah bread
plenty of butter (at least 4-6 tablespoons)
8 thick slices of sharp cheddar* cheese (or more)
8 slices of bacon, cooked (click here)
1+ cup shredded cheeseEggs Benedict:
8 fresh eggs (to poach)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 cup sliced green onions
black pepper