Pepaw's Breakfast Recipe

Cook the meat

Choose your meat: For bacon, place 2 strips in a cold skillet, then turn heat to medium. Cook 3–5 minutes per side until crispness reaches preference. For sausage patties, heat skillet over medium, add 2 patties, and cook 3–5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through (internal temp 160°F / 71°C). Transfer cooked meat to a plate lined with paper towel to drain and keep warm.

Prepare the pan for eggs

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter to the same skillet and let it melt, swirling to coat the bottom. If skillet is very greasy from the meat, spoon off excess fat first, leaving a light coating for flavor.

Cook the eggs (fried/sunny-side or over-easy)

Crack 2 eggs into a small bowl one at a time to check for shells. Gently slide eggs into the skillet, keeping them spaced. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. For sunny-side up: cook undisturbed 2–3 minutes until whites are set but yolks still runny. For over-easy: cook 2 minutes, gently flip with a spatula, and cook 15–30 seconds more for a runny yolk, or 1 minute for medium yolks. Remove eggs to a warm plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm.

Optional: Add cheese

If using cheese, place sliced or shredded cheddar on the eggs in the last 20–30 seconds of cooking and cover the pan with a lid for 20–30 seconds to melt.

If using toast: while eggs cook, toast 1 slice of bread to desired darkness in a toaster. Spread 1 teaspoon butter on the hot toast. If using a store-bought biscuit: warm according to package instructions (typically 15–20 minutes at 350°F / 175°C if baking from frozen) or split and warm in a skillet for 1–2 minutes per side until golden. Spread butter on the warm biscuit.

Assemble: place toast or biscuit on plate. Add the two eggs next to it and the two pieces of cooked meat alongside. Garnish with chopped fresh chives if desired and serve hot with hot sauce or ketchup on the side.

Serve immediately. Estimated serving: 1 person. Enjoy Pepaw's Breakfast!