Tamago Breakfast Sandwiches
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SPAM is one of those ingredients people either love or think is disgusting. Personally, I freakin’ LOVE SPAM. If you ever visit Hawaii you’ll find SPAM musibi everywhere. What is Musibi? It’s essentially a bed of rice topped with spam, furikake, and a drizzle of teriyaki sauce all held together with a piece of seaweed. Since the ingredients keep well without refrigeration, they make the perfect snack for long days at the beach.
I grew up visiting Hawaii every few years, so SPAM just reminds me of good times, a sandy bum, and a full belly!
SPAM is a great substitute for ham in many instances, especially in breakfast recipes. You can swap it in quiche Loraine or throw it in an omelette with some melty cheese!
My favorite way to use it, however, is in this Tamago (“egg” in Japanese) breakfast sandwich which is filled with Tamagoyaki-inspired folded eggs, furikake, spicy gochujang mayo, and a few slices of seared SPAM. I’ve made this on white bread, sliced whole wheat, english muffins, and brioche. But my favorite (because I’m a glutton) is the good ol’ butter croissant.
Yo, I never said this is the healthiest of breakfasts, but it’s tasty as heck. And seriously, if you clicked on this recipe with “SPAM” as the first word on the page, did you really think it was going to be healthy anyway? Really now??
Pro-SPAM people — make this. Make this tomorrow or make it this weekend if you must wait. But make it. It will not disappoint.
Anti-SPAM people — yes you COULD swap in sliced deli hams, like black forest or honey baked. You can also simply omit the pork products all together for a less-salty/less-fun, but still delicious, version of this incredible breakfast sando.
Anti-MEAT (aka vegetarian) people — Kimchi or avocados (or both? I haven’t tried it but I imagine it would be delicious) are my trusty substitutes for non-meat days.
The Recipe
Makes 2 sandwiches, can easily be scaled up or down
Ingredients
2 croissants, or your bread of choice
1 can of low sodium SPAM (or regular) about ¼ can per sandwich — OR 4-6 slices of deli ham (meat is optional) (🔥Veggie-licious)
4 large eggs
Nori Fumi Furikake, about 2 tablespoons
1-3 teaspoons gochujang, depending on your heat tolerance
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)
1 teaspoon oil
Instructions
Make gochujang-mayo
In a small bowl, combine the gochujang and mayonnaise. Mix until homogeneous. Taste and adjust if needed — more gochujang to increase spiciness, more mayo to decrease spiciness. Reserve for assembly.
Toast the bread
If using croissants — do not toast croissants in a toaster; they will burn. Instead, slice them in half horizontally with a serrated bread knife. Heat a medium sized non-stick skillet over medium heat. (🎩A Fresh Start) You have the option of melting the butter to coat the skillet here, which I highly recommend! Place the croissant halves cut side down, allowing them to brown slightly, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat then wipe the pan with a paper towel. Reserve croissants for assembly.
If using other breads — toast the bread as you normally would if you’d like. You can also keep them untoasted for a softer textured sandwich. Reserve the bread for assembly.
Heat your proteins (optional)
If using SPAM — remove the SPAM from the can, you might need to shake it a bit, then slice it for the sandwiches. I personally like 4 thin slices (about 1/8th inch each) per sandwich, but you could also use thicker slices. Your choice on thickness and quantity.
Set the non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the SPAM slices or deli ham flat on the dry skillet.
For SPAM — cook each side until slightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Reserve for assembly.
For deli ham — leave it on the skillet for about 1 minute then remove; you’re only warming it up so it’s not cold. If you brown it, the ham will be too dry. Reserve for assembly.
Make eggs
(🎩Oil Slick) Place the pan over medium heat; in a small bowl scramble 2 eggs. Pour the eggs into the hot skillet, then rotate the skillet to create a thin layer of eggs to coat the bottom. Once the eggs are 90% cooked, turn off the heat.
Using chopsticks, a spatula, or your fingers (it’ll be hot, beware!), fold the egg sheet to fit the size of your bread (ie, fold it in thirds like you would fold paper for a letter envelope OR fold the top, bottom, left, and right sides toward the middle to create a square). Reserve for assembly.
Repeat with the remaining eggs. You may need to re-grease the skillet with some oil before cooking.
Assemble the sandwiches
Spread a layer of gochujang-mayo on the bottom half of the croissants, or your bread of choice. Next, place a folded egg on top, then add the SPAM or deli ham. Finally, sprinkle with furikake and close the sandwich.
Enjoy!
Hot Tips 🔥
VEGGIE-LICIOUS — Meat is totally optional! Simply exclude it, or if you’re looking for some veggie add-ins, I highly recommend kimchi (drained so your sando doesn’t get soggy!). Avocado is always a crowd favorite too, although I would choose creamy-avo or kimchi-fire, not both. Finally, sauteed spinach or sauteed mushrooms could also work (be sure to drain these as well because they release a ton of liquid)!
Tricks 🎩
A FRESH START — A buttery skillet is the perfect way to freshen up stale croissants! When the croissant is laying on melted butter (cut side down), as the steam rises from the butter it warms and re-hydrates the interior of the croissant producing a just-baked softness.
OIL SLICK — If you used deli ham, you may need to grease the non-stick skillet with ½ teaspoon of oil; if SPAM, there may be enough residual oil to omit.