Decadent Grilled Cheese Eggs Benedict

Looking for a fun twist on your weekend brunch routine? We’ve all had those mornings where regular eggs benedict feels a bit too expected, and a basic grilled cheese seems too simple for guests. That’s where this grilled cheese eggs benedict comes in – it’s the perfect mix of two breakfast classics that’ll make your morning feel special without keeping you in the kitchen all day.

What I love about this recipe is how it combines the comfort of melty grilled cheese with the classic elegance of eggs benedict, all while being easier to put together than you might think. It’s become my go-to when I want to impress at brunch without stressing over complicated techniques or hard-to-find ingredients.

What Kind of Cheese Should I Use?

When it comes to making a grilled cheese eggs benedict, you’ve got plenty of tasty cheese options to choose from. Traditional choices like sharp cheddar or Swiss work great since they melt smoothly and have enough flavor to stand up to the rich hollandaise sauce. If you want to get fancy, try using Gruyere or fontina – both melt beautifully and add a slightly nutty taste that pairs really well with eggs. Just make sure whatever cheese you pick is a good melting cheese (sorry, but crumbly feta or fresh mozzarella aren’t your best bets here) and that you slice it thin enough to melt completely before your bread gets too brown.

Options for Substitutions

This creative twist on eggs benedict has plenty of room for making it your own:

• Bread: While the recipe calls for extra-thin bread, you can use regular sandwich bread, sourdough, or even English muffins. Just keep in mind that thicker bread will need a bit more time to get golden and crispy.
• Butter/Mayonnaise: For the outside of your grilled cheese, either butter or mayo works great – they both give you that nice golden crust. If you’re out of both, a light coating of olive oil will do the trick.
• Ghee: No ghee? Regular butter works too, but you’ll need to clarify it first by melting it and removing the milk solids. In a pinch, you can use hollandaise sauce from a packet.
• Tomato paste: This gives the sauce a unique twist, but you can skip it for a traditional hollandaise. Or try sun-dried tomato paste or even a bit of sriracha for a different kick.
• Protein options: The recipe is super flexible with proteins – Canadian bacon, regular bacon, ham, sausage, or go veggie with spinach or asparagus. Even smoked salmon would work great here!
• Cheese: Any melting cheese works well – try cheddar, Swiss, Gruyere, or American. Just avoid hard aged cheeses as they won’t give you that gooey middle.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The trickiest part of this recipe is getting the timing right – you’ll want to coordinate the poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, and grilled cheese so they’re all ready at the same time, so start with the hollandaise and keep it warm in a thermos or double boiler.

When making the hollandaise sauce, adding the warm butter too quickly or having the heat too high can cause the sauce to break, so whisk constantly and add the butter in a very slow stream while keeping the temperature low.

For perfectly poached eggs, avoid using fresh eggs (eggs that are 1-2 weeks old work better) and create a gentle whirlpool in the simmering water before sliding in the egg – this helps the white wrap around the yolk instead of spreading out.

The grilled cheese should be cooked on medium-low heat to achieve that golden-brown crust without burning – rushing this step on high heat will leave you with burnt bread and unmelted cheese inside.

What to Serve With Grilled Cheese Eggs Benedict?

This rich and indulgent breakfast mashup calls for some lighter sides to balance out the meal. A simple mixed green salad with a light vinaigrette helps cut through the richness of the cheese and hollandaise sauce. Fresh fruit like berries or citrus segments add a bright, refreshing element that works really well with the savory flavors. If you’re serving this for brunch, consider adding some crispy breakfast potatoes or hash browns on the side – they’re perfect for soaking up any extra sauce that drips onto the plate!

Storage Instructions

Prepare Ahead: You can get a head start by making the tomato hollandaise sauce up to 24 hours in advance. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge, and when you’re ready to use it, warm it gently in a double boiler or microwave in short bursts, stirring frequently.

Keep: This dish is really best enjoyed fresh and hot off the griddle. If you have leftover components, store the grilled cheese sandwiches and protein separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. The hollandaise sauce can be kept in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days as well.

Warm Up: To enjoy leftovers, warm the sandwiches in a skillet over medium-low heat until crispy again. The hollandaise can be gently reheated using a double boiler method, stirring constantly. I’d recommend making fresh poached eggs rather than trying to store and reheat them, as they don’t maintain their texture well.

Preparation Time	15-25 minutes
Cooking Time	20-30 minutes
Total Time	35-55 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1600-1800
• Protein: 50-60 g
• Fat: 120-130 g
• Carbohydrates: 90-100 g

Ingredients

For the sandwiches:

• Extra-thin slices white or whole wheat bread
• Softened butter or mayonnaise
• 2 slices cheese of your choice for each sandwich
• 1 slice canadian bacon, ham, 1 cooked sausage patty, or 2 cooked bacon strips per sandwich (or cooked spinach/asparagus for vegetarian)
• Poached eggs, 1 for each sandwich

For the tomato hollandaise:

• 1 cup melted ghee (or clarified butter), warm
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• Kosher salt, to taste
• A few dashes hot sauce

Step 1: Prepare the Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

• extra-thin slices white or whole wheat bread
• softened butter or mayonnaise
• 2 slices cheese of your choice for each sandwich
• 1 slice Canadian bacon, ham, 1 cooked sausage patty, or 2 cooked bacon strips per sandwich (or cooked spinach/asparagus for vegetarian)

Spread softened butter or mayonnaise on all slices of extra-thin white or whole wheat bread.

Place half of the slices, buttered side down, into a nonstick skillet preheated over medium heat.

Add a slice of your chosen cheese on each bread slice.

When the cheese begins to melt, layer your chosen meat (Canadian bacon, ham, cooked sausage patty, or two cooked bacon strips) or cooked spinach/asparagus for a vegetarian option on top of the cheese.

Add another slice of cheese, then top each sandwich with a remaining bread slice, buttered side up.

Cook the sandwiches until the underside is golden brown, then carefully flip each sandwich and gently press on top.

Cook until the other side is golden brown and the cheese is fully melted.

I like to use a mix of mayo and butter for extra flavor and perfectly crisp bread.

Step 2: Poach the Eggs

• poached eggs, 1 for each sandwich

While the sandwiches cook, poach eggs to your desired doneness.

Carefully crack each egg into gently simmering water, and cook until the whites are just set and the yolks are still runny.

Remove each egg using a slotted spoon, and briefly hold the spoon against a folded paper towel to drain excess water.

Personally, I prefer a 3-minute poach for a perfectly jammy yolk.

Step 3: Assemble the Grilled Cheese Benedicts

Place one grilled cheese sandwich on each plate.

Top each with a poached egg (from Step 2).

Generously spoon about one tablespoon of warm tomato hollandaise over each egg.

Serve immediately, with extra tomato hollandaise on the side if desired.

For a bright finish, I like to add a sprinkle of fresh herbs or a dash of hot sauce.