Chances are, you’re not going to beat Bobby Flay when it comes to food opinions. He’s one of the most notorious names in cooking as Food Network royalty, earning several Daytime Emmy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Author, James Beard Award recipient, four-time restaurateur, and fierce competitor, Flay’s always up for a challenge — and for a midnight snack, too. His go-to? A delicious New York bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich.
Before he attended the French Culinary Institute and made a name for himself, Flay was like any other New Yorker. He still manages to keep life simple by coming home to his beloved cats and humbly whipping up breakfast after dark. In an Instagram post for Misfits Market, he fondly recalls, “It’s one of the things I grew up eating. You know, we’d go to our local deli, 24-hour late-night situation and get a bacon egg and cheese sandwich. You know maybe after a couple of cocktails or something like that.”
Flay has been making these sandwiches for years. In the sponsored social media post he breaks down how to make the sandwich using fresh ingredients—and it’s surprisingly simple.
While you can always order a bacon egg and cheese sandwich from chain restaurants like Starbucks and McDonald’s when you’re home and your favorite places are all closed you can still enjoy breakfast any time of day. All Bobby Flay uses for his sandwich is bacon eggs American cheese salt pepper harissa (a heavily spiced Tunisian red pepper paste) and a brioche roll—that’s it! By making the bacon first you can cook the eggs in rendered pork fat for amped-up flavor season them and let the cheese melt on top before throwing it all on your harissa-slathered bun or toast for perfect late-night comfort meal.
If you want to freestyle and elevate your sandwich learn the best way to cook bacon! You could also switch up your seasoning routine by coating it in brown sugar and chile flakes or scramble your eggs by whisking in crème fraîche and butter for fluffier texture! Don’t have harissa on hand? Combine mayonnaise sriracha and lemon juice to make simple three-ingredient breakfast sauce—for zestier savorier taste! And while brioche is plenty rich already another way revamp your sandwich is by using French toast as bread—for twice breakfasty late-night satisfaction.
