Green Bean Frittata Breakfast Sandwiches with Candied Bacon & Shallot Dijonnaise

The other day I was listening to a podcast called The Sporkful and on it was another podcaster named Brendan Francis Newnam. He and the co-created of the podcast The Dinner Party Download recently released a book called Brunch is Hell: How to Save the World by Throwing a Dinner Party. I have not read the book but on The Sporkful, Newnam outlined the bones of his anti-brunch argument and I found myself agreeing with him. Brunch can, indeed, be hell. The line-ups, the prices, the ill-advised 11 AM cocktails. Hanging with your friends shouldn’t test your patience, bankrupt you and leave you, as Newnam puts it, drunkenly “drooling on yourself” for the rest of the afternoon. But here I am with these Green Bean Frittata Breakfast Sandwiches, so it’s clear I didn’t agree with the man completely.

I do agree that brunch line-ups are a bit much and no, I don’t need a “fun” spritzer render me useless by 2 pm. But I do stand by the concept of brunch, mostly because I love breakfast foods. And the breakfast foods I love tend to be too labor-intensive to make on a weekday. So, really, if you can’t bust them out on a Saturday or Sunday at 11 AM, when can you? When do I get to enjoy the benedicts, waffles and stuffed french toasts of the world? When?

The companion to the anti-brunch sentiments in Brunch is Hell, is the far more positive argument for the dinner party. Now, I am an avid dinner-party-thrower…I suppose hostess would be a tidier title but it just makes me feel like a snack cake.  Anyway, I like throwing a good dinner party because I feel like I was raised in the midst of one. My childhood was awash with large family feasts sprawled across mismatched tables with shoulder-to-shoulder seating. I remember being quite small when my mom told me that the best memories are made around the table and the older I get the more right she seems to be. That’s the stuff you will remember.

But, in spite of the best efforts of my bf and I, the dinner party is seemingly endangered. We are far more likely to be invited out to a restaurant than someone’s home, which seems sad to me. How will we make a sense of family, a common memory if we leave all our celebrations to professionals? The quality of the food at a dinner party is always secondary to the company and the setting. It’s about crafting an experience for the people you dig. It’s a valuable gift with or without the perfectly cooked roast.

So, here is my solution to the drawbacks of brunch and the seemingly impending demise of the dinner party: Make brunch at home. Daytime meals always have less pressure. The booze will cost less because, in my experience, people tend to drink a little less when the sun is out. It’s perfectly acceptable to ask someone to pick up the righteous bagels from the bakery next to their house when you’re hosting a low-key, daytime gathering. And you get to make all the breakfast foods that take too much time on a Tuesday. Yes, you get to see your friends without the social, financial or time-related pressures that come with traditional dinner parties or brunching experiences.

Okay, so now I feel like you should have a pretty clear idea of what you should do. You should call your besties and stock up on everything you need for these Green Bean Frittata Breakfast Sandwiches. They aren’t difficult to pull off and they have candied bacon and pickled shallot Dijonnaise. Essentially, they have all the hallmarks of an overpriced menu item at your local brunch haunt. Oh, and you’ll be at home, so you and your friends can laugh, shout and swear to high heaven without traumatizing any patrons within earshot. This is very important, especially if your friends are anything like mine.

If you took a peek at the recipe, you probably noticed that you’re required to sprinkle sugar over bacon. And yes, you won’t feel super good about your life choices in that moment. But once that glossy, sticky bacon is nestled into a Green Bean Frittata Breakfast Sandwich, you’ll realize you made all the right moves. There is nothing better than candied bacon, nothing! This knowledge is what keeps me running 50km a week. Honestly, I need a T-shirt that reads, “Will Sweat for Bacon”. I feel it would be an inspirational addition to my running wardrobe.

But enough about my “healthy” lifestyle, let’s talk Green Bean Frittata patties. These bad boys are pure magic. They’re light, airy and strangely filling. Honestly, this sandwich will stay with you like no other breakfast. Eggs may be the most efficient source of calories. I have no science to back up that claim, but it feels true. Eggs keep me going, I am a food camel when I eat eggs. Anyone else? No seriously, is this freakish? Anyway, the only tricky thing about these Green Bean Frittata patties is getting them out of their ramekins. The will put up a bit of a fight, but you can ease the struggle by buttering each dish. I would suggest you line them with parchment paper as well and grease the paper too. Is this overkill? Maybe, but busted egg patties are hard on the ego.

So, that’s everything you need to know about these Green Bean Frittata Breakfast Sandwiches. They have candied bacon, they have a pickled shallot Dijonnaise, they are basically perfect. Make them for everyone you love…Unless they’re vegan – that might come off as slightly, um, dick-ish.

Enjoy!

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