A pepper and egg sandwich is a hearty meal made with pan-roasted bell peppers, eggs and cheese stuffed into a butter-toasted bun. An Italian American staple that an Indian chai lover adopted for her family. 🙂
Our go-to weekend breakfast always includes sandwiches, from a simple fried egg and cheese sandwich to a fancy Korean street toast, or on slower mornings, a bowl of balaleet. Then we got hooked on this pepper and egg sandwich recipe. I feared F would pick out all bell peppers like usual, but surprisingly he did only for the green peppers! He loved it so much that this got added to our weekly menu!
Ingredients
- Bell pepper: you can use red, yellow, orange or good old green or a mix of whatever you have!
- Red onion: you may replace it with some shallots
- Cheese slice: I have tried cheddar, mozzarella, Havarti, etc so use whatever cheese slice you have on hand!
- Milk: use full-fat milk or half milk and half cream
- Parmesan: freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano is my go-to now, but you can use parmesan or pre-grated parmesan.
- Buns/rolls: I have tried using plain sliced bread, but that did not appeal to us the way the buns did! I have used long rolls, hot dog buns, and even bakery-bought freshly baked Samoon bread. Whatever kind you use, you must butter them and toast them in the oven.
- Butter: use melted butter, or some days I feel too lazy to melt it, so I use ghee instead!
- Hot sauce and mustard sauce: Optional. I recently started adding this to the sandwich, but very little so it doesn't overpower!
- Olive oil
- Eggs
- Salt & Pepper
I urge you to try this in this same simple form before you make it Indian. Thank you!
How to make?
I have made this Pepper and Egg sandwich several times by now, but I wanted to find out if I can skip the oven task and use the stovetop to toast the buns/rolls. But I went back to using the oven because... let me tell you - it makes a BIG difference in the "experience" of eating.
The taste may not differ, but the way the buns/rolls become light and crisp after being under the grill/broiler cannot be mimicked on the stovetop. And that is what makes this bell pepper and egg sandwich superior!
If you're building out a weekend breakfast spread, this pairs well alongside my savoury French toast; both come together in one skillet and are ready in under 20 minutes.
No oven?
If you do not have an oven, and you still want to make this... then I would suggest that you toast the rolls/buns on a low flame for a longer time with just a dab of butter.
Let's make a bell pepper egg sandwich!
Preheat your oven grill to medium or switch on the broiler. Line a baking tray with foil and place the bread rolls. Split your rolls lengthwise but not all the way through. Brush the inside of the rolls with melted butter or ghee.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the chopped bell peppers and onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes or until the peppers develop some colour and soften.
Take a medium bowl and whisk together the eggs, milk, grated parmesan, salt and pepper, and set aside.
Make sure the bell peppers are well roasted.
Pour the egg mixture over the bell peppers and use a spatula to move the mixture lightly to prevent it from getting firm. We need it silky smooth and lightly scrambled and NOT like a thick omelette.
Your oven must be ready by now. Place the baking tray on the top-level rack or under the broiler, cut side up, for about 1 or 2 mins max or until the rolls turn golden brown. Keep a watch as it can get burnt easily in seconds. Remove it immediately.
Silky smooth, when the eggs are almost done but not fully cooked yet.
Top the eggs and bell pepper with the cheese slices and cover the skillet so the cheese melts.
Divide the mixture and stuff it into your warm, buttery, toasted rolls. Squeeze some hot sauce, mustard sauce or mayo, which are only optional and serve immediately.
FAQs
What's the difference between bell pepper and capsicum?
None at all! A bell pepper is a capsicum. Growing up in India, I only ever called it capsicum. It's the same vegetable; the name just changes by country. India, New Zealand, and Australia say capsicum; the British say red/green/chilli pepper, and in the US and Canada it's bell pepper.
Can I use samoon bread instead of hot dog rolls?
Yes, and it's actually my favorite option when I can get it fresh from an Iraqi or Middle Eastern bakery. Split it the same way as the rolls, butter the inside, and toast it in a hot oven: the slightly chewy crust holds up to the egg and pepper filling, the same way it does in my arayes.
Can I add potatoes to this sandwich?
You can... diced, pan-fried potatoes are a nice bulk-up if you want a heartier sandwich. Cook them in the skillet before the peppers go in so they have time to crisp, then proceed with the recipe as written.
More Breakfast Recipes
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📖 Recipe Card
Pepper and Egg Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
For the stuffing
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bell pepper, diced into one-inch pieces
- 1 medium onion, diced finely
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 to 3 cheese slice
For the egg mixture
- ¼ cup milk
- 4 large eggs
- 3 to 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, you may use parmesan
- salt and pepper to taste
For the sandwich
- 4 hot dog rolls
- 1 tablespoon melted butter, to lightly brush inside of the rolls
Other optional
- hot sauce
- ketchup
- mustard sauce
- mayonnaise
Instructions
- Preheat your oven grill to medium. Line a baking tray with foil and place the bread rolls. Split your rolls lengthwise, but not all the way through. Brush the inside of the rolls with melted butter or ghee.1 tablespoon melted butter to lightly brush inside of the rolls4 hot dog rolls
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the chopped bell peppers and onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the peppers develop some colour and soften. Meanwhile...2 tablespoons olive oil1 bell pepper diced into one-inch pieces1 medium onion diced finelySalt and pepper to taste
- Take a medium bowl and whisk together the eggs, milk, grated parmesan, salt and pepper and set aside.¼ cup milk4 large eggs3 to 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano you may use parmesansalt and pepper to taste
- Pour the egg mixture over the bell peppers and use a spatula to move the mixture lightly to prevent it from getting firm. We need it silky smooth and lightly scrambled, and NOT like a thick omelette. Meanwhile...
- Your oven must be ready by now. Place the baking tray on the top-level rack or under the broiler, cut side up, for about 2 to 4 mins or until the rolls turn golden brown. Keep a watch and remove it immediately.
- Top the eggs and bell pepper with the cheese slices and cover the skillet so the cheese melts.2 to 3 cheese slice
- Divide the mixture and stuff it into your warm, buttery, toasted rolls.
- Squeeze some hot sauce or mustard sauce and serve immediately.hot sauceketchupmustard saucemayonnaise
Notes
Nutrition Info
Nutritional information is an estimate provided for informational purposes only. Values may vary based on ingredient brands, cooking methods, and portion sizes.
Recipe inspired and adapted from Laura's famous Peppers and Egg Sandwich.
Famidha Ashraf says
I love this bell pepper and egg sandwich because it’s totally satisfying. It’s simple, tasty and perfect any time of day. With a little prep, the whole batch comes through quickly.