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These Breakfast Bagels Sandwiches truly are one of the best brunch options around. This is our take on the world-famous Anthony Bourdain sandwich. I truly think it is unbeaten when it comes to a savoury breakfast. The mortadella is pan-fried, on top of melty cheese with soft, fluffy egg, all piled into a warm, toasted bagel. It takes around 20 minutes to make and is very easy, once you get the hang of folding the eggs neatly into the bagel.
Bourdain first came across this sandwich in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he visited an iconic sandwich bar, Bar do Mané. Their creations are famous for oozing with melted cheese, full of mortadella, topped with mayo, and mustard in a toasted roll. He even included his adaption of it in one of his cookbooks, since he loved it so much. Bourdain’s recipe skipped the egg and had the sandwich in a bun but I love it this way with egg and in a bagel. I find it a cross between a New York style bacon, egg & cheese and his famous mortadella sandwich. If you’ve not eaten mortadella before, it’s a type of Italian cold cut made from pork. It’s fatty and a little tangy but mellow. Because of the fat content, it fries and crisps nicely in the pan to make this sandwich.
Now, I will say that this breakfast bagel isn’t for the faint-hearted. It has A LOT of mortadella per sandwich, which will either delight you or frighten you. But once in a while, as a treat, it is really so good. You can, however, go to my Courgette Frittata if you want a more nutritious brunch idea than these. If you have a little more time, making these 3 Ingredient Easy Bagels will add an extra level to these sandwiches.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- They are simple to make and take 20 minutes from start to finish.
- You are likely to have most of the ingredients on hand already.
- The combination of ingredients here makes the most delicious bite – salty, crispy mortadella, with melting cheese, fluffy egg, toasted bagel. It’s famous for a reason.
- If you’re a little worse for wear after the night before, something like this will definitely make you feel better with the good amount of carbs and cheese involved!
Ingredients:
Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!
Mortadella – a type of cured Italian sausage. It’s porky and fatty, with a great texture for crisping and layering. I really find mortadella a key aspect of this sandwich and it won’t be the same without.
Eggs – I use large, free-range eggs and use 2 per person. You could skip the egg if you don’t like.
Creme fraiche – I add a dollop when whisking the eggs together as I find it gives the eggs a fluffier texture when scrambling. You could add a splash of milk if you have that to hand or it would work without.
Mayonnaise – use whatever mayo you have in the fridge. Kewpie mayo is delicious and has a little more flavour than classic mayo. However it’s just for a base in the sandwich so either works.
Mustard – I used dijon, you could use English mustard too or skip mustard if you don’t like. It adds a sharpness that cuts through the fatty cheese and mortadella so I would highly recommend, to balance everything out.
Bagel – ideally one with everything-bagel seasoning for texture and for a savoury taste too. I like a thick bagel that you slice yourself, rather than a presliced one as I find those don’t have the same chew to them.
Mozzarella – Bourdain actually suggests provolone but it’s a little harder to find in the UK and not something I tend to have in the fridge. I’ve used grated mozzarella here, so you get a really nice melty cheese pull but not a strong flavour.
Substitutions and Variations:
Mortadella – you could use another type of ham or cold cut if you really had a craving for it, such as salami, prosciutto, bologna, even sliced turkey, but I do find it works best with mortadella so try to use that!
Creme fraiche – no need to buy a tub of creme fraiche for 2 tbsp to go in the eggs. Add a splash of milk or skip completely if you like.
Bagel – I have made this between all sorts of bread – bun, English muffin, sourdough bread, even in a brioche bun. They all work and will be delicious, even if best between a bagel as it holds its shape well.
Mozzarella – other cheeses work too. Something that melts well is ideal, such cheddar or gruyere. They have a stronger flavour than mozzarella but ultimately, it’s up to you and your tastes.
Add-ons – if you fancy something a little brighter, you could add rocket or some avocado slices for a little bit of greenery in these Breakfast Bagels Sandwiches. Perhaps even some leaf spinach. It’s not a necessity but sometimes it is nice visually (and physically!) to add some greens.
Here’s how to make delicious Breakfast Bagels Sandwiches:
Here’s a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe at the bottom of the page for detailed instructions.
ONE: In a bowl, crack the eggs and the creme fraiche, season with salt and pepper. Beat together and set aside.
TWO: Slice your bagels, then spread mayo on one side and mustard on the other.
THREE: Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add a small knob of butter and swirl around the pan. Once foaming, pour in the whisked eggs and swirl the pan until they are in a thin flat layer. After a few minutes, the egg will start setting around the edges but still be wet in the middle. Lay the two bagel halves face down in the egg across from each other and flip the whole thing over with the egg so that the bagels are underneath with a layer of egg over the top.
FOUR: Use a spatula to fold the edges on top of the bagel and remove from the pan. Set aside and keep warm (ideally, but we will reheat again later).
FIVE: In the same pan over medium-high, add a drizzle of oil and add piled up, folded pieces of mortadella into the pan. Use 1 slice per folded piece, you want it about the size of the bagel so it’s easy to layer up. Fry on each side for 2-3 minutes until golden and crisp. Once flipped, add a sprinkle of grated mozzarella and wait until they melt.
SIX: Shuffle all the mortadella over to one side of the pan, add the egg and bagel back in to warm through and toast. You can break the two halves apart and then pile the mortadella mountains into the bagel, one on top of the other. Top with a bagel lid and enjoy.
Cooking Tips:
Building the mortadella ‘mountains‘: using a slice per ‘mountain’, you want to fold and layer it into a little pile that will sit in the sandwich. Bourdain says that creating air pockets in between the folds is key for good sandwich texture so aim to each slice build some height with each slice. You can tear the slice to make this easier. Then stacking 3 separate mortadella mountains on top of one another in the sandwich creates more of these air pockets.
Cooking the eggs: using a non-stick pan is key here to make sure you can flip it easily. I find medium-high is the best way to do it. At high heat, you risk scorching the underside of the egg before the top has had a chance to cook but too low and the egg doesn’t cook fast enough to hold together and you risk a sloppy mess when trying to flip it. I like using a rubber spatula here to make sure the edges are loosened and then a larger fish slice to flip it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can! Once the Breakfast Bagels Sandwiches are assembled, wrap tightly in foil and place in a freezer bag. Pop in the freezer – they’ll keep for up to 3 months. I find they taste best if defrosted at room temp and then warmed up, so ideally, remove from the freezer the night before, defrost overnight and then pop in the airfryer for 8-10 minutes until piping hot all the way through.
Something that melts well is ideal, so mozzarella is up there but you could also use cheddar or gruyere. They have a stronger flavour than mozzarella but ultimately, it’s up to you and your tastes. Bourdain suggests that American cheese (like the slices) does work well in a sandwich as it’s mellow and melts well, so this is an option too.
Anthony Bourdain’s favourite sandwich was from Bar do Mané in Sao Paulo. It has crispy mortadella stacked up with layers of melted cheese. Add mayo and mustard to a toasted roll and layer up.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
I love this Caprese Bruschetta, Chicken Parmesan Sandwich or try Stanley Tucci’s favourite sandwich. If you want more breakfast or brunch inspiration, Pistachio Cream French Toast is a real brunch showstopper as are Mango Pancakes (Hong Kong style). This Ham & Cheese Croissant Bake is delicious too.
Easy Baking Recipes
3 Ingredient Bagels
Breakfast & Brunch
Chorizo and Potato Breakfast Hash
Lunch Recipes
Courgette Corn Fritters
Breakfast & Brunch
Salmon Omelette
Made this recipe and loved it?
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Breakfast Bagels Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2 bagels
- 4 eggs
- 2 tbsp creme fraiche
- 1 tbsp mayo
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 6 slices of mortadella
- ½ cup grated mozzarella
- Salt
- Pepper
- Knob of butter
- Drizzle of veg oil, or any neutral oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, crack the 4 eggs and the creme fraiche, season with salt and pepper. Beat and set aside.
- Slice your bagels, then spread ½ tbsp mayo on one side and 1 tsp mustard on the other.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add a small knob of butter and swirl around the pan. Once foaming, pour in the whisked eggs and swirl the pan until they are in a thin flat layer. After a few minutes, the egg will start setting around the edges but still be wet in the middle. Lay the two bagel halves face down in the egg across from each other and flip the whole thing over with the egg so that the bagels are underneath with a layer of egg over the top.
- Use a spatula to fold the edges on top of the bagel and remove from the pan. Set aside and keep warm (ideally, but we will reheat again later)
- In the same pan over medium-high, add a drizzle of oil and add piled up, folded pieces of mortadella into the pan. Use 1 slice per folded piece, you want it about the size of the bagel so it’s easy to layer up. Fry on each side for 2-3 minutes until golden and crisping. Once flipped, add a sprinkle of grated mozzarella and wait until they melt.
- Shuffle all the mortadella over to one side of the pan, add the egg and bagel back in to warm through and toast. You can break the two halves apart and then pile the mortadella mountains into the bagel, one on top of the other. Top with a bagel lid and enjoy.
