Brunch - Copycat Egg McMuffins Done in a Toaster Oven

If you want an Egg McMuffin at home and all you have is a toaster oven, no problem. This is all done with a a Breville BOV800XL toaster oven.

Making brunch is not fast and it does not make a lot, but it does taste great! This can also be done in a full sized oven if you do not have a toaster oven or want more servings.

This method makes three servings.

Step 1: Tools

Paper plates, optional (I like the Chinet Classic White Dinner Plate 10-3/8-inches)

Wilton 2105-1829 Mini Round Pans, 4 by 1.25-Inch, Set of 3 (for egg baking)

Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker's Quarter Sheet Pans, 2 each (lined with aluminum foil)

Heavy-Duty Cooling Racks, Wire Pan Grade, Commercial grade, Oven-safe, Chrome, 4-1/4 x 8 Inches, Set of 2

Parchment paper, optional (see Notes for warnings)

A knife (for cracking eggs)

A silicone spatula (non-scratch – for assisting eggs out of the mini pans)

A plastic fork (non-scratch – for scrambling eggs)

Tongs

A paper towel (for buttering mini pans)

Aluminum foil (not pictured)

The Mini Round Pans, Quarter Sheet Pans, and Cooling Racks all came from Amazon.

Notes:

Parchment paper and waxed paper are two completely different things. Do not use waxed paper in baking.

Parchment paper is flammable and always has been. It is paper. That being said, since I bought my last batch of parchment paper, a warning has appeared on the boxes.

“Do not touch parchment paper to an open flame. Always preheat conventional oven first. Withstands temperatures up to 425°F. Never use under broiler, in toaster ovens or in halogen light ovens. Remove and discard starter tape.”

Although bakers have routinely been using parchment paper up to 500 °F (260°C) for years, the auto-ignition temperature of paper is currently accepted to be about 425 °F (218°C) to 475 °F (246°C).

The open flame referenced in the warning starts at about 1100 °F (590°C). The Quartz heating elements in toaster ovens can run from 1000 °F (537°C) up to 2000°F (1093°C) so their temperatures are equivalent to an open flame. The heating element shields and the top, bottom, and sides of an oven can all be much hotter than the air in the oven. Put any of these surfaces together with parchment paper and you may have a fire in your oven. Even the walls of a conventional oven can set fire to parchment paper.

So, if you use parchment paper in any oven, trim the parchment paper carefully. Do not let it overhang the tray or touch the parts of the oven.

The other options are to use the rack bare, use aluminum foil, or use a silicone baking mat trimmed to fit. Cleaning the bare rack can be a major pain because of the crossing wires. I have not used foil but things have a tendency to stick to foil. I have no idea of the outcome with a silicone mat but they are rated to about 480 °F (249 °C) which is below the highest baking temperature.

Step 2: Supplies

Milk (Lactaid for the lactose intolerant)

Large eggs

Canadian Bacon (Jones Dairy Farm is my favorite)

Butter (Kerrygold Irish Butter is my favorite)

Hash Brown Patties (Walmart or Kroger’s. Kroger’s brand does not have onion)

Salt and Pepper

English Muffins (not pictured) (Bays Original English Muffins are my favorite)

Note:

The type of milk is not important except to the lactose intolerant.

Step 3: Hash Brown Patties

Preheat the oven to 425 °F (218 °C).

Place the frozen hash brown patties on the rack

Bake for 24 minutes, turning halfway through baking

Remove and cover with foil

Notes:

After turning the hash brown patties, start preparing the eggs so they can go into the oven when the hash brown patties come out.

There are different instructions on the various patties but 425 °F (218 °C) and 24 minutes is what has worked best for me.

Step 4: Eggs

Butter each mini pan (I use a paper towel with a little butter on it to wipe each pan)

Crack one egg per mini pan and examine the egg (to see if it is a keeper)

Pour in a dollop of milk (one to two teaspoons or five to ten ml)

Scramble with the plastic fork (you do not want to scratch the non-stick coating)

Salt and pepper to taste

Lower the over temperature to 350 °F (177 °C) when you remove the hash brown patties

Bake the eggs for 17 minutes

Notes:

After about 11 minutes, add the Canadian bacon to the oven.

The mini pans are non-stick but the butter makes it easier to get them out of the pans and, more importantly, adds to the flavor.

If you are trying to do this off “hard rations”, in the past, I have used liquid eggs (that had been frozen for storage) and Mini-Moo’s half-and-half creamer cups. I prefer the eggs in the shells and Mini-Moo’s are not reduced lactose, but in a pinch…