Pesto Egg Sandwich with Bacon and Provolone
Sometimes a Pesto Egg Sandwich is just the thing you need to start your day off right. It’s packed with protein and flavor! Plus it’s easy to make ahead to have ready in the freezer for a quick + nutritious breakfast on busy mornings. It also makes for a delicious brunch recipe!
We eat eggs and toast pretty much every day in my house. For us, breakfast is truly the most important meal of the day. I just feel better when I start my day off with a decent amount of protein, and to me, that means eggs. This pesto breakfast sandwich is a great source of protein and a fun twist on our egg routine!
Plus, throw in some melty cheese, and you can’t go wrong. You also can’t go wrong with adding bacon to a breakfast sandwich, and that is definitely an option here. Let’s make it!
Ingredient notes
Pesto Egg Sandwich
- Bread – I used the ciabatta loaf from Trader Joe’s, cut into four pieces for this photo shoot, but I have also used the pack of 4 ciabatta buns from Trader Joe’s. Both work! I would also recommend using sourdough bread, an english muffin, or whole wheat bread.
- Eggs – I went with scrambled eggs for these breakfast sandwiches but you can also do a fried egg or scrambled egg whites. Another delicious way to make this recipe is to incorporate the viral pesto eggs into your sandwich! You’ll just want to skip the step of adding pesto to your bread.
- Cheese – I like either provolone or cheddar but feel free to experiment here. I think swiss would also be yummy.
- Pesto – You can make your own or use your favorite store-bought pesto. My go-to store-bought pesto is Trader Joe’s Vegan Cashew Pesto. Lately, I’ve been making my homemade pesto without garlic on repeat. While you’ll only need a few tablespoons of pesto to make a couple of these sandwiches, you can always use the leftover pesto for everything from turkey pesto sandwiches to pesto orzo.
- Butter – I’ve been buying the New Zealand grass-fed salted butter from Costco recently. It’s not the least expensive butter you can find, but it is better than non-grass-fed butter for a few reasons: it’s higher in Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins and it has great flavor!
- Tomato – I like tomato for some added veggie action and flavor, but you can skip tomato if you’d like.
- Bacon – Also optional but highly recommended!
How to make this pesto egg sandwich
Cook bacon
If you plan to add bacon to this sandwich, start on that first. If you haven’t started making bacon in the oven, now is the time to start. It turns out evenly cooked and is way less messy. I have instructions in the recipe card! No matter which method you choose, place the cooked bacon strips on a paper towel-lined plate to soak up some of the grease.
Make pesto
If you’re making your own pesto, you’ll want to make that next. I actually love making my basil pesto without garlic if I’m planning to use it for breakfast dishes like this. I just don’t want anything too garlicky in the morning lol. But I do love all the pesto recipes I have on this site!
Slice and toast bread
If you are using ciabatta loaf or english muffins, start by slicing each lengthwise so you have two slices of bread. Toasting the bread a bit before adding the pesto and mayo helps prevent the bread from absorbing too much liquid and getting soggy.
Cook eggs
I like to scramble the eggs, but you can also use fried eggs. You will need 1 egg per sandwich either way.
To scramble the eggs, beat well in a small bowl until fully combined. Heat a small nonstick pan over medium heat with butter.
Once the pan is hot and the butter is melted, add the eggs and use a rubber spatula to continually draw the eggs toward the center of the pan. Do this until the eggs are mostly set but slightly wet-looking.
Assemble sandwiches
Add a thin layer of pesto to one slice of bread and mayo to the other slice. Add cheese slices, then scrambled egg. Then top with tomato and bacon (if using).
You can just dive right in here, but the cheese will not get super melty without some extra help. There are a few ways to fix this.
What I found worked best is loosely wrapping the sandwich in foil (really just like a hammock situation if that makes sense), and placing in a 400F oven for 3-5 minutes. The cheese gets perfectly melty and the sandwich is warmed through and gah it’s so good. And so worth that little extra effort.
You can also heat a skillet over medium-low heat and warm the sandwich on both sides like you’re making a grilled cheese. The downside for me is with ciabatta bread (which is my fave with this recipe) the outside gets harder than I want. If you use sourdough or any typically sliced bread, this method works better.
Why you’ll love this pesto egg sandwich recipe
- Great source of protein
- Colorful, fun alternative to a traditional egg breakfast
- Simple, flexible ingredients – There are lots of combinations of meat, veggies and egg variations that are all great on this sandwich!
- Quick and easy!
What to enjoy with pesto egg sandwiches
These skillet fried potatoes and onions go great with any egg breakfast! And pairing them with an oat milk matcha latte or homemade cold brew is the icing on the cake!
Freezing and reheating instructions
This is a great recipe for meal prep! To make these sandwiches ahead, follow the instructions in the recipe card, but hold the tomato. You can add that back in once the sandwich is warmed or you can just skip it.
Wrap assembled sandwiches tightly in foil or parchment paper and place in the freezer.
To reheat, remove sandwich(es) from the freezer the night before you plan to eat and store in the fridge.
The next day, preheat the oven to 400F and place the wrapped sandwich(es) directly on the oven rack and heat for about 20 minutes until warmed through. Use tongs to remove the wrapped sandwich from the oven!
Tried this recipe?
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More easy breakfast recipes
Pesto Egg Sandwich with Bacon and Provolone
Sometimes a Pesto Egg Sandwich is just the thing you need to start your day off right. It’s packed with protein and flavor! Plus its easy to make ahead to have ready in the freezer for a quick + nutritious breakfast on busy mornings.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 5
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 sandwich 1x
- Category: breakfast
Ingredients
- 4 ciabatta rolls
- 1 tbsp butter, salted or unsalted is fine
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 8 slices of bacon, two slices per sandwich
- 4 slices provolone cheese
- about 1/3 cup pesto (about 1 tbsp per sandwich)
- about 1/3 cup mayo (about 1 tbsp per sandwich)
- 1 medium-sized tomato, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Arrange bacon slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment in an even layer. Cook in the oven for about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the baking sheet and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate until ready to use.
- If making your own pesto, do that next. If using store-bought, go straight to step 4!
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat with butter. Once butter is melted and beginning to sizzle, add the beaten eggs and use a rubber spatula to continually pull eggs towards the center of the pan. Cook until eggs are mostly cooked, but slightly wet-looking.
- Toast the rolls lightly. Mine fit in my toaster but if yours don’t, you can toast under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or in a toaster oven. You just want them lightly toasted on the inside to prevent sogginess, especially if making ahead.
- Immediately add the pesto to one side and mayo to the other. Add the cheese, then egg, tomato, then bacon. Top with remaining bun. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 4 sandwiches.
- You can enjoy the sandwiches immediately if you wish, but to get the cheese nice and melty–wrap the sandwiches in foil (or parchment) then place in the oven for about 5 minutes. It’s totally worth it. The bread will be warmed through and the cheese super melty.
Notes
Bread – I used Trader Joe’s ciabatta loaf, cut into 4 even pieces. I’ve also made these with their ciabatta buns, which come in a pack of 4. If you don’t want to use ciabatta, you can also use any bread you like.
Meal prep – If you want to make these for meal prep, make sure to follow the instruction about toasting the bread, it will help prevent the bread from getting soggy. Assemble the sandwiches as instructed above, but don’t add tomato. You can add tomato in after reheating or skip it. Wrap finished sandwiches in foil and freeze and enjoy within 3 months.
Reheating – Move sandwich(es) from the freezer the night before you plan to enjoy. Preheat oven to 400F and place the wrapped sandwich in the oven for about 20 minutes to warm through.
