Pork Roll, egg, and cheese is a classic New Jersey breakfast sandwich. If you are from Jersey then you know what pork roll or taylor ham is. I learned when I was living in northeast Pennsylvania that not everyone knows what pork roll is. When people would ask what;s pork roll, I would think how do you not know what it is. My response, one of the best breakfast meats ever! That’s when I realized it’s a Jersey thing.
Pork Roll Back Round
There are two major companies who make pork roll. One is Trenton and the other is Case. John Taylor of Hamilton Square, New Jersey created this ham in 1856 and named it Taylor Ham after himself. Taylor Ham took a name change in 1906 from ham to pork roll, since it was not really ham. Pork roll was invented in Trenton New Jersey, hence the name Trenton Pork Roll. In 1870 George Case created his own recipe for this delicious meat. I have had both of them and they are equally tasty. However, Case pork roll now says gluten free on the label.
Pork roll, egg, and cheese sandwiches are something I ate often growing up. I ate it less often as I got older. My diet changed drastically after being diagnosed with cancer. I eat this when I want something bad for me, which is probably only about once a month. It is more of a treat now.
INGREDIENTS
- Case pork roll, 2 pieces per sandwich
- Gluten free dairy free bagels
- margarine
- eggs
- gluten free dairy free cheese (Daiya)
- salt
- pepper
- ketchup for dipping
Making the Pork Roll, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich
I start by putting my bagels in the toaster and the pork roll in the frying pan. Pork roll is already cooked so all you need to do is heat it up. I do like to get a crispy coating on mine.
I usually butter my bagel to keep it soft. Once the pork roll is cooked, put the cheese on top and then put another piece of pork roll on top of that. This helps the cheese melt better.
Put the pork roll on the bagel and cook the eggs. You can cook the yolks until they are hard or soft. I like mine to have a soft yolk so I can dip my sandwich in it. Add a little ketchup on the side for dipping as well and you are ready to enjoy your pork roll, egg, and cheese sandwich.
Check out the website for Case pork roll and Trenton pork roll to see where you can buy it. http://www.caseporkrollnj.com
Trenton NJ even has a pork roll festival! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.