If You're Only Using English Muffins For Breakfast Dishes, You're Doing It All Wrong

Is there anything crispier and more delightful at breakfast than a well-toasted English muffin? The soft, chewy interior paired with the extra-crunchy exterior makes an English muffin perfect for any breakfast sandwich. It even works with just a little butter. But if it is so delicious at breakfast, why are we only eating it once a day? English muffins, like any bread, can be incredibly versatile. If you're not sure how to take that beyond your morning routine, you're in luck. We've got some ideas.

An English muffin is just another kind of bread, and one of the mistakes people make with English muffins is to not take advantage of that versatility. There are many ways to make them, but they all start with a wetter dough than regular bread. This allows the outside to cook up crispy while the inside stays chewy, filled with nooks and crannies. That makes them an amazing vessel for, say, garlic bread. Make sure you pull them apart with a fork instead of cutting clean with a knife. That way, your garlic butter mixture can soak into the uneven, spongey surface. Add cheese and it will melt into every crevice for a perfect bite every time.

Hamburger? A simple sandwich? Swap the bread for either of those with an English muffin and they will work wonderfully. For grilled cheese, try using mayo instead of butter since it has a higher smoke point. Cook over medium-low heat for about five minutes on each side to get a crispy outside and melty interior

For a simple snack, turn a pizza bagel into a pizza with English muffin. Cover your sliced English muffin halves with pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings. Toast them first if you want extra crispiness. If you're in a nacho mood, toast your muffin halves and cut them into quarters. Layer with shredded cheese, jalapeño slices, onion, tomato, and seasoned beef, then broil until the cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, salsa, and sour cream, and you're good to go.

Top the muffins with hummus, tomato, olives, and feta for a Mediterranean twist. Or, go with Mexican toppings for more of a tostada. Tuna salad and cheese get you a quick English muffin tuna melt. You can even chop the muffins and mix them with sautéed onion, celery, mushrooms, and sage to make a savory stuffing — or fill the mixture into muffin tins and bake for individual stuffing cups.

English muffins lend themselves to sweet dishes just as easily as to savory ones, too. For breakfast, you might have peanut butter or jam on one, but later in the day? What about English muffin s'mores? Spread Nutella or a thin layer of chocolate on a toasted muffin. Top with marshmallows and crushed graham crackers, then heat them under the broiler until they're as melty as you like. You could also spread brown sugar butter, top with walnuts and pistachios, and finish with a touch of honey to make an English muffin variation of baklava. There's no reason to limit English muffins to breakfast. If you have any favorite bread dish, try it with an English muffin and see how it transforms. The results might just surprise you.