How To Replicate The Egg From A McMuffin Without A Mold

When you're on a road trip, a McDonald's Egg McMuffin makes perfect sense. It's the epitome of convenience and there are worse nutritional choices you could make. According to McDonald's, the breakfast sandwich provides 310 calories, 17 grams of protein, and about 15% of the calcium, iron, and vitamin D the average person needs, along with 13 grams of fat and 770 milligrams of sodium.

While you could simply search out a copycat recipe for the McMuffin, it's more satisfying to work on improving it at home. For example, you can select more flavorful or more nutritious meat for your DIY McMuffin. Or, you can kick up the flavors of your breakfast sandwich by reaching for your favorite condiment, like Sriracha or Caesar dressing. But there's one thing the McMuffin has going for it, and that's the perfectly shaped egg that fills the sandwich. 

McDonald's explains that they use Grade A eggs, cracked into an egg ring, with the yolk broken to achieve their "iconic round shape." Short of purchasing another kitchen gadget, is there a way to copycat the look of the egg on a McMuffin?

You probably have this tool at home already

Of course, you can purchase an egg ring to use at home to make your breakfast sandwiches for a low cost. But if you already have a tool that will get the job done, there's no need to wait, even for Prime shipping. Yes, there's one more use for the humble Mason jar — specifically for the ring and lid of a quart-sized, wide mouth Mason jar, according to Serious Eats.

In The Kitchen With Matt demonstrates how to use just the ring of a Mason jar as a mold to get beautiful egg rounds. But, at times, this would result in eggs that were a bit browned, rather than the perfect tender texture (via Serious Eats). Using both the ring and the lid of the Mason jar protects the underside of the egg and keeps it melt-in-your-mouth delicate. Adding a little water to the skillet, and covering with the lid for the brief cooking time helps steam the egg to McPerfection. 

Top your egg with the perfect melty cheese, and you'll have a breakfast sandwich that looks beautiful and tastes even better.