Morning, Noon, or Night

A recent study may have simply confirmed what many of us already have observed - Americans are ordering breakfast foods all through the day. The NPD Group, a provider of consumer and retail information, found that breakfast sandwiches, which in my book must involve an egg, make up nearly half of those orders. A hasty Egg McMuffin may suffice for the weekday commuter crunch, but weekend brunch-lunch-snack-or-dinner "breakfast" sandwiches merit some kitchen improvisation.

Any sandwich, breakfast or otherwise, is a portrait in flexibility, but a few loose guidelines help: Don't overstuff or overcomplicate, and avoid crusty breads that will cause the filling to squish out of the sides when you take a bite. That said, choose any type of bread you like, from hearty to light, and though I prefer mine over easy, eggs cooked sunny side up, scrambled, or poached are also fine. Forgo the meat if you like, but, please, keep the cheese - any good melting variety will do. Let your imagination and tastes lead you to new variations - morning, noon, and night.

IRISH BREAKFAST SANDWICH
SERVES 2

Pullman bread offers a great combination of qualities that make it ideal for these hearty sandwiches. It's got the crisp crust and resilient crumb of French bread, but comes in either a rectangular or archetypal American loaf shape. And it's tastier and sturdier than standard supermarket sliced white.

4 slices Irish or Canadian bacon
4 1/2- inch-thick slices Pullman bread
1 tablespoon butter, plus extra for toast
1 medium tomato, cored, halved, and seeded
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 eggs
2 thick slices (about 1 ounce each) Dubliner cheese

In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until it is heated through and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes per side. Meanwhile, toast and butter the bread and set 2 slices on each of 2 plates. Place a slice of bacon on each piece of toast.

Return the skillet to medium high heat, add 11/2 teaspoons butter and heat until bubbly. Slice each tomato half into 2 thick slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook about 21/2 minutes per side (if the pan starts to smoke, reduce the heat) or until dark brown. Place 1 slice of tomato on each bacon-toast sandwich half.

Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add the remaining butter and heat until bubbly. Break the eggs into the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until the whites have set, about 1 minute. With a spatula, gently flip the eggs. Lay a slice of cheese on each egg, cover the pan, and cook until the whites are lightly browned, the yolks are softly set, and the cheese begins to melt, about 1 minute.

Set each egg-and-cheese combination on a sandwich half, top with a slice of toast (buttered side down), cut in half, and serve at once. Or if you prefer to warm the sandwiches through before serving, heat them in a microwave for 30 seconds.

CAPRESE SANDWICH
SERVES 2

4 1/2- inch-thick slices Pullman bread
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for toast
4 slices prosciutto or other
Italian or Spanish artisan ham
1 medium tomato, cored and cut into 4 slices
10 fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
2 eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 thick slices (about 1 ounce each) fresh or smoked mozzarella cheese

Toast the bread and brush 1 side of each slice with olive oil. On each of 2 slices of toast, place 2 slices of prosciutto, 2 slices of tomato, and basil leaves.

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, break the eggs into the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until the whites have set, about 1 minute. With a spatula, gently flip the eggs. Lay 1 slice of cheese on each egg, cover the pan, and cook until the whites are lightly browned, the yolks are softly set, and the cheese begins to melt, about 1 minute. Set each egg-and-cheese combination on a sandwich base, top with a slice of toast (oil side down), cut in half, and serve at once. Or if you prefer to warm the sandwiches through before serving, heat them in a microwave for 30 seconds.

GREEK BREAKFAST ROLL-UP
SERVES 2

For crunch and color, add baby spinach or romaine lettuce.

2 eggs
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/3, cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced roasted red peppers
1/3, cup (about 6) Kalamata olives, pitted and quartered
1 large village bread or lavash

In a small bowl, beat the eggs together with salt and black pepper. In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 1 minute. Transfer the shallot to a bowl and set aside.

Return the skillet to medium-high heat and heat the remaining olive oil. When the oil is hot, pour the beaten eggs into the pan and cook, without stirring, until they begin to set, about 15 seconds. With a spatula, lift an edge of the cooked egg and tilt the pan so that uncooked egg runs underneath the cooked portion. Repeat around the entire edge until no runny egg remains. Remove the pan from heat, sprinkle the shallot, feta, red peppers, and olives evenly on top of the eggs. Cover the pan and let stand until the eggs are firmly set and the filling is warmed through, about 2 minutes.

Lay the bread or lavash on a work surface and fold in half. (This keeps the filling from soaking through the thin bread.)With a spatula, slide the eggs onto the bread. Add greens, if you like, and roll tightly, taking care not to squeeze the filling too hard. Cut the sandwich in half. Place a half on each of 2 plates and serve at once.