Prolific food reporter Maria Scinto asked a collection of noted breakfast-specialist Chefs what they considered the best Fast Food Breakfast Sandwich. Some of their responses left me a touch be-fuddled…
For me, Maria’s article was more an educational update than a review. According her Chef inter-viewees, I’ve been missing out on a whole slew of ‘breakfast’ sandwiches I never considered as such before…
Anything on a Biscuit?
Let’s start by looking at the pros’ top sandwich choices…
McDonald’s Sausage Egg McMuffin
Alan Thompson is the head chef at Cassiobury Court, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Watford, England.
His fave Fast Food breakfast sandwich is the same one chosen by millions of diners-on-the-run around the globe: McDonald’s Sausage Egg McMuffin.
“It actually has a good fat and salt and carb balance. A seasoned sausage, perfectly round egg that eats clean, and that slice of processed cheese with a low melt point that glues the lot together,” he observes.
McDonald’s McGriddle
Zachary Chancey is an executive chef with The Alida Hotel in Savannah, Georgia.
He also starts his day – occasionally – with a stop at the Arches. His grab-and-go choice is the McGriddle
While some call it a ‘prettied-up’ McMuffin, Chancey says, “As a chef, I respect balance, and the McGriddle nails it. You’ve got the savory punch of sausage and egg, the creamy melt of American cheese, and then — boom — the sweet maple griddle cakes that wrap it all up like a warm hug. It’s a layered flavor profile that hits every note: salty, sweet, rich, and indulgent.”
Taco Bell Breakfast Crunchwrap Supreme
Jessica Chan is a chef-turned-food blogger who shares recipes on her blog Jecca Chantilly.
Her tastes could be said to run to the more sophisticated. She hits Taco Bell for it’s Breakfast Crunchwap Supreme.
“What makes the Breakfast Crunchwrap so special is the creamy jalapeño sauce that comes with it. The creamy jalapeño sauce is mildly spicy, tangy, and zesty, which helps tie everything together,” she explains. “The addition of pickled jalapeños creates an irresistibly sweet and savory combo … [For] a spicy food lover like me, […] my go-to is the Breakfast Crunchwrap from Taco Bell.”
Chick Filet (CFA) Chicken Biscuit
Auset Shridevi is a chef with 20 years’ experience who has also turned blogger, at a site she calls Eating Love.
“Hands-down, Chick-Fil-A is the best fast-food restaurant, so [it] should come as no surprise their Chicken Biscuit is my favorite breakfast sandwich. The biscuit is buttery [and] delicious, and the meat is classic Chick-Fil-A … Pretty much says it all.”
My take
Well… I have a number of comments on the chefs’ choices, and breakfast sandwiches in general.
First, I have to note that none of the breakfast sandwiches listed above has any vegetables to speak of…
Second, they’re all relatively heavy on salt, fat an Calories. But that might be nutritionally allowable, since you need a good stoking of body fuel to get your day on the rails….
Third, until today, I have never even come to close to considering he CFA’s Chicken Biscuit (see photo, top of page) a breakfast sandwich. But I guess, if it’s available at breakfast, and it comes on a bis-cuit… If I accept CFA’s definition of the Chicken Biscuit as breakfast-appropriate, that means I have to reconsider a whole slew of new possibilities as potential breakfast fodder.
Fourth, even though the Breakfast Crunchwrap is stuffed with breakfasty stuff… I can’t accept the crunchwrap format as a breakfast thing. Or am I just being persnickety?
Fifth, the price of these ‘breakfast items’ has me a bit muddled. They’re all over the place. Choosing from the ‘menu’ above, you can get a breakfast sandwich for as little as just over $5, all the way up to just under $8. And that’s not even on a deal where you get a beverage thrown in.
My overarching concern…
One can always truly balance-out any of these breakfast bombs with a handful of fresh fruit. But why couldn’t any of the restos represented in the list not just add some tomato and lettuce to their sammys? To at least pay lip service to the principle of nutritional propriety…
My morning routine can include a variety of salty, fatty, carby selections. But I always follow up with a generous handful of apple slices, fresh raspberries and/or seedless grapes…
~ Maggie J.