Strammer Max (Breakfast/Brunch Open-face Sandwich)
Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes | Serves: 4
I wish I could remember how I came across this breakfast/brunch entrée called a Strammer Max. Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? It’s an open-face sandwich with German descent. Some people may argue over the ham, the cheese, and the egg’s cook, but what I have below allows you to modify and adapt to your tastes and preferences. Get your knife and fork ready!
There is a lot of leeway for adapting this recipe to the chef and also the consumer. “Ham” can be a variety of cured or uncured meats, whatever your heart desires, even though the traditional ham is prosciutto. The cook on the eggs can be made to order per each person’s request: over-easy, over-medium, scrambled, and on and on.
Snipped chives are the traditional finality of this sandwich, but parsley will do just fine. Actually, that’s what is photographed in my post. My little clamshell of fresh chives somehow were left in the checkout lane at the store. Boo. So, fortunately, I keep fresh Italian parsley on hand 99% of the time, and I was able to sprinkle some greenery for the final dish’s photo shoot. Feel free to use another fresh herb that you may love more than chives or parsley. Dill would add a little “hmm,” but don’t go overboard with a strong herb like that. It will be reminiscent of ranch dressing and you may find yourself scraping some off for relief.
Multitask if you can, cooking the eggs, frying the bread, and making the sauce at the same time. If it’s easier, make each component as you get to it. No biggie. You may need to reheat the sauce, if you made it beforehand.
I suppose this recipe is more for people who have a knowledge of the culinary process and artistic freedoms that come with that in the kitchen, versus a kitchen novice that needs the structure and legalism for learning this breakfast sandwich.
I use a mixture of oil and butter to fry the bread on both sides. The addition of oil will help the butter to not burn. If you watch your heat, you can use all butter if you would prefer.
Sliced cheese is just fine! I have given a cheese sauce as an option if you’re interested.
With all that said, have fun and enjoy!
Strammer Max (Breakfast/Brunch Open-face Sandwich)
German open-face sandwich of ham, cheese, and eggs. Perfect breakfast or brunch recipe.
Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter, as needed
- 2-3 tablespoons avocado oil, as needed
- 4 slices hearty, artisan bread (sourdough, French baguette, etc.), sliced approximately 1/2" to 3/4" thick
- 8 slices flavorful ham (prosciutto, tavern ham, black forest ham, etc.)
- 8 slices cheese (Fontina, Muenster, Havarti, etc.), or Gouda Cheese Sauce (recipe below)
- 8 eggs, 2 per sandwich, cooked to order (over-medium, scrambled, fried, etc.)
- 3 tablespoons chives, sliced/snipped
Gouda Cheese Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk, more as needed to thin the sauce, if needed
- 2 cups Gouda cheese, shredded, see Notes
- sea salt , to taste, see Notes
- freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
Instructions
- In a shallow skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil.
- Once hot, fry the slices of bread on both sides, adding more oil and butter as needed. Set aside, but do not cover.
- If you are making the Gouda Cheese Sauce, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once hot, add the flour and stir with a whisk, breaking up all lumps. Continuously stir for 2 minutes; this will take the raw flour taste out of your sauce. Turn the heat down if it is beginning to brown. You want to keep a light-colored sauce.
- Add the milk and stir occasionally until you can see the sauce beginning to thicken, then stir continually until thickened further, but still a bit pourable.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cheese in two additions, stirring until the cheese has melted after each addition.
- Taste and adjust any salt and pepper according to your tastes. Turn the heat to the lowest setting on the smallest burner until ready to use. Add more milk as necessary if the sauce has thickened to where it is not pourable.
- Cook the eggs according to preference. I found cooking 2 at a time when the yolks need to be intact worked well since that is 2 per serving. Scrambled eggs are easy to cook several at once, then divide into servings.
- To assemble, per person, layer 1 slice of bread, 2 slices of ham, 2 slices of cheese, or a ⅓ cup cheese sauce, 2 eggs cooked to order, and sliced chives.
- Dig in with a knife and fork!
Notes
If you make the cheese sauce, purchase Gouda cheese in the red rind if you can. It’s most likely a younger Gouda which will melt easier.
Take the pot off the heat when adding the cheese. It will blend easier and be less likely to “break” the sauce. Don’t add salt until after the cheese has been thoroughly combined, because the cheese will add salt to your sauce. You can add as needed once the sauce has been completed. Nutrition chart was calculated with no additional sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, Fontina cheese, prosciutto, and French bread. The chart shown is a guestimate only. Calculate for yourself if you need more accurate results.
Take the pot off the heat when adding the cheese. It will blend easier and be less likely to “break” the sauce. Don’t add salt until after the cheese has been thoroughly combined, because the cheese will add salt to your sauce. You can add as needed once the sauce has been completed. Nutrition chart was calculated with no additional sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, Fontina cheese, prosciutto, and French bread. The chart shown is a guestimate only. Calculate for yourself if you need more accurate results.
Nutrition Facts
Strammer Max (Breakfast/Brunch Open-face Sandwich)
Amount per Serving
Calories
626.9
% Daily Value*
Fat
46.19
g
71
%
Saturated Fat
19.8
g
124
%
Trans Fat
0.04
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
5.09
g
Monounsaturated Fat
16.77
g
Cholesterol
457.45
mg
152
%
Sodium
1382.3
mg
60
%
Potassium
239.05
mg
7
%
Carbohydrates
16.34
g
5
%
Fiber
1.38
g
6
%
Sugar
1.35
g
2
%
Protein
36.87
g
74
%
Vitamin C
3.92
mg
5
%
Calcium
383.02
mg
38
%
Iron
2.84
mg
16
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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