Recipe excerpt from the new book Meal Prep Magic: Time-Saving Tricks for Stress-Free Cooking by Catherine McCord. Text copyright (c) 2023 by Catherine McCord. Photography copyright (c) 2023 by Colin Price. Published by Abrams.
Every item on this page was chosen by a The Pioneer Woman editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.
Catherine McCord's Pull-Apart Egg Sandwiches Will Feed a Crowd
The 'Weelicious' cook offers a recipe that works for breakfast or dinner.
Welcome to The Pioneer Woman Cookbook Club! This month, we're featuring Catherine McCord, Weelicious blog founder, food writer, and cookbook author of Meal Prep Magic. Read on to learn her tried and true kitchen organization tips, how she makes mealtime easy, and grab a delicious pull-apart egg sandwich recipe that will be your new "little black dress" of meals.
If Marie Kondo is your organizing guru for life, Catherine McCord should be your equivalent for mealtime. Her latest cookbook, Meal Prep Magic, offers "time-saving" tips for "stress-free cooking," but she doesn't jump right in with delicious family meals. Instead, she shows how to give your kitchen a reset with her unique fridge and pantry organization tools. We all want to create the type of kitchen our family enjoys spending time in. As Catherine says, the kitchen is where life happens... well, it can be.
In this incredibly fast-paced world, fridges are often a jumbled mess of leftovers (from how many weeks ago?), fresh produce, and on-their-last-legs veggies. Or, it's just totally empty. Opening that Pandora's box can feel like a reflection of your self-worth—especially if you're a parent. "When it's disorganized, your mind and emotions are constantly in a state of chaos," Catherine says. "When it's visually appealing, everything feels much more under control."
Catherine's meal prep system has a handy acronym, "POPE." First, you "Purge" your entire kitchen—fridge, pantry, cookware, spices—of the items you don't need. Next, "Organize" what's left so your kitchen is intuitive, keeping the things you use most close by and using clear food storage containers. "Prep" applies to figuring out your meals and groceries for the week. Now, it's time to "Execute" and cook the darn thing!
Once in that state of organizational kitchen bliss, it's easier to breeze through any recipe, including the straightforward ones Catherine is known for on her blog Weelicious. We're talking crispy artichoke hearts with caesar dip, easy blender banana breakfast loaf, and grilled pork tenderloin with zippy chimichurri sauce.
Much like Ree Drummond, who wrote a blurb for the book, Catherine creates step-by-step recipes that aren't overly complicated. Her pull-apart egg sandwiches are the perfect example. It's what Catherine calls the LBD, or little black dress, of meals. They're appropriate for all occasions, "from an epic brunch when entertaining, to a low-key, weeknight meal when you need something quick and the fridge is bare."
She adds a few flourishes to make typical egg sammy ingredients decadent. Sure, you could make regular scrambled eggs, but why not level it up with ricotta soft-scrambled eggs? Layer that fluffy goodness onto Hawaiian rolls with pesto and crispy prosciutto. The whole assembled masterpiece is then brushed with herby melted butter. "You can make [egg sandwiches] simply," says Catherine, "or you can turn them into something that's really special and unique."
If you've worked your way through the first three steps of "POPE", this final "execution" will feel much more comfortable and quick. "Food for a family can be secondary to the connection that comes from being at the dinner table," says Catherine. "If a family enjoys one of the Meal Prep Magic recipes, that means they felt calm, enjoyed it together, and hopefully the food evokes feelings and creates memories."
- Yields:
- 4 - 6 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 35 mins
- Cook Time:
- 15 mins
- Total Time:
- 50 mins
Ingredients
For the Ricotta Soft-Scrambled Eggs:
- 2 tbsp.
unsalted butter
- 6
large eggs
- 1/2 c.
whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1/4 c.
freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
For the Sandwich:
- 1 oz.
thinly sliced prosciutto
- 1
19-oz. package dinner rolls, cut in half widthwise
- 1/3 c.
pesto (store-bought or homemade)
- 1
batch Ricotta Soft-Scrambled eggs
- 1/2 tbsp.
unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 tsp.
garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp.
dried basil
- 1/4 tsp.
dried oregano
crushed red pepper
flaky salt
Directions
- Step 1To make the Ricotta Soft-Scrambled Eggs: Melt the butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. While the butter melts, add the eggs, ricotta, parmesan, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Whisk until well combined and no lumps of ricotta remain. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring almost constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the eggs are set and no liquid remains.
- Step 2Make the sandwiches: Preheat the oven to 450° and line a rimmed sheet pan with foil.
- Step 3Cook the prosciutto in a medium skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and let it cool, then coarsely chop.
- Step 4Place the bottom halves of the dinner rolls on the prepared sheet pan and spread an even layer of pesto on top of each. Add the scrambled eggs, dividing them evenly, then sprinkle with the crispy prosciutto. Top with the remaining dinner rolls halves.
- Step 5Combine the melted butter, garlic powder, basil, oregano, crushed red pepper, and flaky salt in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, distribute the garlic butter evenly on the tops of the rolls.
- Step 6Bake for 5 minutes, then cut into individual rolls and serve.
Tip for the ricotta eggs: A nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron pan works best for this recipe, but if you don’t have either of those, spray whatever skillet you want to use with a little nonstick spray before adding the butter. Also, the curd of these eggs will be much smaller than traditional scrambled eggs, which is a truly beautiful thing! Resist the urge to cook these eggs further than directed; the key to creaminess is cooking them just until they set
Tip for the sandwiches: If you have a child resistant to bigger flavors like pesto, there’s no shame in replacing the pesto with a slather of ketchup or their favorite savory spread.
Butter Swim Biscuits Are as Good as They Sound
These Fried Fruit Hand Pies Are an Oklahoma Treat
'Cook It Wild' Makes It Easy to Cook While Camping
Grab a Skewer of Maya Kaimal's Chicken Tikka