Pork Roll Egg and Cheese Sandwich Recipe – State of Dinner (2024)

There are some days when you just need a salty, cheesy breakfast sandwich, and the Pork Roll Egg and Cheese Sandwich is one of the best! It is a New Jersey staple that can be found at diners across the state, but it is also simple to prepare at home!

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Americans across the nation know how delightful the combination of salty pork and yolky eggs can be, especially when combined with buttery toast! But unless you are from New Jersey, you may not have been introduced to their version of this delicious meal. Let me tell you, it is worth a try!

We made the Pork Roll Egg and Cheese Sandwich for our New Jersey state dinner. Well, we actually made this one a brunch.

For the next several days my son asked for this sandwich for breakfast. He was sad when we ran out of pork roll! I am already considering another order!

What is Pork Roll?

Pork roll is cured pork that has a blend of spices, salt, and sugar. It looks similar to bologna and spam, but pork roll fans would argue these pork products could not be more different.

Pork roll has a bold sweet and salty flavor that is perfectly designed to be enjoyed as a breakfast sandwich.

Ingredients

As the name of the sandwich suggests, in order to make a Pork Roll Egg and Cheese sandwich you have to have pork roll, egg, and cheese.

Pork roll is an ingredient that is most commonly found in the New Jersey area, but it is available to order online for those of us who cannot get it local.

American cheese is the traditional cheese used for this sandwich, but you can substitute your favorite cheese. I think it would be delicious with pepper jack! Just slice the cheese thinly so that it can melt without the egg overcooking.

For an authentic pork roll egg and cheese sandwich, make it on a toasted Kaiser bun! Though even the most loyal New Jerseyan can be found enjoying this sandwich with a different type of bread. I'll share some other ideas for buns at the end of this post.

How to Keep Pork Roll From Puffing

The heat from the griddle will cause the center to puff up and make a little dome. This keeps the center from browning.

To prevent that from happening, just cut little slits around the pork roll. 4 slits seems to be the magic number.

How to Cook Pork Roll

Pork roll should be cooked over medium-high heat. This will allow it to brown and caramelize without drying out the meat.

It takes about 3 minutes for one side to brown.

At that point, flip the slices over and cook the other side until they are browned as well.

How to Cook an Over Easy Egg

It is best to cook the egg and the pork roll in separate pans, or you could also cook them in the same pan one after the other. That's because the pork should be cooked on medium-high heat, but the egg needs to be cooked on medium-low.

Cooking on a lower heat will allow the egg whites to cook thoroughly without getting crusty and brown on the bottom.

Once you have melted your butter, crack your eggs into your pan.

Leave them perfectly still for 2 minutes, cooking on medium-low heat.

Pour a little bit of water into the pan around the eggs and place a lid on the pan. The water will evaporate creating steam. Doing this allows the top of the eggs to cook without having to flip your eggs and risk breaking the yolk.

These eggs will cook for a total of 3 minutes, start to finish. For the last 30 seconds of cooking, top them with cheese and place the lid back on the pan so that the cheese can melt.

Don't forget to season with salt and pepper!

Assembling the Sandwich

Put the sandwich together in this order:

1. The bottom of a toasted Kaiser roll
2. Pork roll slices
3. Egg and cheese
4. The top of a toasted Kaiser roll

Okay, it really doesn't matter what order you put it in. You do you. But that's how I made my sandwiches!

Other Breakfast Recipes You May Enjoy

• This first one isn't really a breakfast recipe, but this sandwich would pair fantastically with these Truffle Fries!
• Sausage Green Chile Breakfast Casserole
• Sausage Gravy
• Gooey Butter Coffee Cake

Frequently Asked Questions

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