For A More Flavorful Breakfast Sandwich, Swap The Sausage Or Bacon For Some Leftover Slow-Cooked Beef

Breakfast sandwiches have been stuck in a protein rut for too long, and it's time for you to help them break out. It was an easy rut to fall into, because the classic combination of bacon or sausage with egg and cheese is simple and delicious. Why would it ever need to change? But breakfast sandwiches are as practical as they are tasty, and they're a great way to use up small amounts of leftovers that would otherwise go to waste. Add the meat from your leftover slow-cooked beef recipes, for instance, and you'll wonder why you stuck with the go-tos for so long.

It really doesn't matter what kind of slow-cooked beef you're working with. A great pot roast recipe will work, but barbacoa, ropa vieja, or anything really goes here. That's because slow-cooked beef packs so much flavor in a small bite. Bacon and sausage work because they provide a salty, spiced balance to the mild richness of eggs and melty cheese. Pot roast and other slow-cooked beef do the same with umami, but come with decadent and deeply flavored sauces that add far more complexity than your average breakfast sandwich. 

The eggs will help the sauce cling to the sandwich, melding everything together into a perfect unified bite. It might sound like a lot of soft textures, but you should be getting some crispy contrast from the toasted bread anyway, so the melt-in-your-mouth beef actually fits in well.

Swap leftover slow-cooked beef for the meat in any breakfast sandwich recipe, and it'll be delicious, but there's more fun to be had. For starters, you can consider sides and flavors more associated with beef dinners than breakfast. Think of horseradish sauce and cheeses like provolone or Swiss, that go so well on classic roast beef sandwiches. Fried hashbrown patties are already great on a breakfast sandwich, but they go particularly well as a classic potato pairing with tender beef, and add more to the texture.

Lots of slow-cooked beef dishes also pair well with Southwestern or Mexican flavors and toppings, which is also true of eggs. The eggs will help the sauce cling to the sandwich, melding everything together into a perfect unified bite. However, some slices of creamy avocado and a squeeze of lime will bring a cooling, bright balance to a heavy breakfast sandwich. Pickled red onions or jalapeños are also often used to cut the richness of stewed beef tacos, and they'd be a great, quick pick-me-up for your slow-cooked beef breakfast sandwich too.

Once you've practiced your slow-cooked beef and breakfast combos, you can move on to maybe the best breakfast use for leftover pot roast and other similar dishes: a hash. Once again, pairing these meals with their natural partner, the potato, is a great way to fill out a breakfast. Leftovers are already one of the best parts of stewed beef, so why wait until lunchtime to enjoy them?