Your Savory Breakfast Sandwich Is Missing A Scoop Of Jelly

Breakfast fanatics typically fall into one of two camps: sweet or savory. That's not to say there aren't days when a savory person won't pick up a donut or a sweets person won't snatch a sausage link, but generally, there's a preference. For those in the savory camp, a breakfast sandwich is one of the best, most versatile eats. It's filling, portable, customizable, and dang delicious. Here's the thing, though: Savory breakfast sandwiches are even better when they include one sweet ingredient — jam. 

Combining sweet and savory/salty foods has become so mainstream that it's incredible to think the idea still strikes some as being too out there. And yet, the suggestion of topping a breakfast sandwich with jelly has caused some angst. Rapper Wale stirred things up once when he tweeted about adding jam to a turkey breakfast sandwich. Many followers expressed disgust at the idea, but Chef José Andrés tweeted in solidarity with him. Journalist Nneka M. Okona shared on her website that the combo might be a Southern thing. She grew up eating McDonald's sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches with a packet of jelly added in and was surprised to learn that others viewed the pairing as strange. 

For the uninitiated, here's why it's time to try this sweet and savory breakfast sandwich combo.

To make a case for slathering some jam on that breakfast sandwich, we need only look to other sweet-savory breakfast favorites. A Monte Cristo, for example, is a delectable brunch treat made with ham and melted Gruyère cheese inside a French toast sandwich — it's also sprinkled with sugar and dipped into a side of fruity jam. Hot honey has also become a tasty, trendy a.m. addition: It's a self-contained sweet-savory fusion and takes morning dishes like breakfast sandwiches and breakfast tacos to a whole new level. 

How about something that has been around forever? Enter maple bacon. Cured with a generous pour of pure maple syrup, strips of maple bacon have a tantalizing combination of salt, smoke, and sweetness. So, when put into perspective, the idea of adding a bit of jelly to that bacon, egg, and cheese suddenly seems pretty intriguing.

As for which flavor of jelly to try, some make a strong case for grape jelly in savory breakfast sandwiches. (This is a combo also seen in grape jelly cocktail meatballs.) Others say that strawberry jam is a better partner for sandwiches made with meats like sausage and bacon. Ultimately, experimenting to find the best breakfast sandwich jam is part of your morning adventures.