Spam Sandwich

Simple and delicious, fry up a spam sandwich with cheddar cheese, eggs, and a thick slice of Spam on toast. This comforting breakfast sandwich can easily be customized many different ways as well. Check out my ideas for this easy recipe below.

What is spam?

Spam is a canned pork product sold by Hormel Foods. Created towards the end of the Great Depression it gained popularity as a low-cost pork product that was able to be stored for long periods of time. In case you are wondering what the "Spam" name means? It is a mystery known only to a handful of Spam executives. Two popular guesses include "Spiced Ham" or "Shoulder of Pork and Ham".

Fried Spam Sandwich

There is no deep-frying involved when making a fried Spam sandwich. The "fried" simply refers to searing a slice of Spam in a skillet until browned. A fried Spam sandwich can be as simple as Spam, bread, cheese, and mayo, but I personally think it is best with a fried egg.

Over-easy eggs are my favorite to serve on this sandwich. The runny yolk is the perfect condiment, and it is well complemented by a few dashes of hot sauce. However, folding an omelet to use on the sandwich works great a swell.

I like a melty cheese such as mild cheddar. The hot Spam slices will quickly melt the cheese, so I toss a slice over the meat just before removing it from the skillet.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Spam - There are many different flavors of Spam and any of them will work well for making sandwiches.
• Butter - Olive oil can be substituted.
• Eggs - A couple of large eggs cooked over easy is perfect, but fluffy scrambled eggs also will make a great sandwich.
• Mild cheddar - Sharp cheddar or American cheese slices will also work very well, or substitute your favorite cheese.
• Sandwich bread - The best Spam sandwich recipe is an unpretentious affair. Therefore, simple toasted white bread is customary. However, for the sake of variety, I often switch it up with sourdough, English muffins, or even bagels.
• Mayonnaise - For even more flavor you can substitute my Cajun mayo or Chipotle mayo.
• Optional - Some people enjoy this sandwich with tomato slices or pickle slices too.

How to make it

Begin making your homemade Spam sandwich by setting a frying pan over medium heat on the stovetop and then add the Spam slice to the hot skillet. Fry the spam until it is nicely browned and appears 'fried', then flip and repeat with the remaining side. Top the Spam with a slice of cheese shortly before removing it from the skillet.

Melt butter in a separate small skillet set over medium heat and add your eggs. Season the eggs with salt and black pepper then cook until the bottom of the eggs have set, then flip the eggs to cook the remaining side. Be sure to leave the yolks a little runny. (you can also cook the eggs sunny side up if preferred)

Toast bread while the eggs finish cooking, then assemble the sandwich by painting one side of the toasted bread with mayo, then add the crispy Spam, cheese, and fried eggs. Cover with the remaining slice of bread and serve.

This recipe was originally published on FoxValleyFoodie.com on July 30, 2020.