You’ll want to eat them here and there, you’ll want to eat them anywhere! Dye your eggs green with spinach and transform them into savory Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast Sandwiches inspired by the Dr. Seuss classic.
Green Eggs and Ham has been on my book list from the beginning, but let me tell you, it's been the most challenging book to create a recipe for yet! It seems so obvious (the recipe is right there in the title), but I went around quite a few times before I achieved something I loved. I did not like those early versions, Sam-I-am; I did not like green eggs and ham.
About Green Eggs and Ham
Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904-1991), aka Dr. Seuss, published Green Eggs and Ham in 1960. A gifted cartoonist, he spent six decades writing and illustrating over 60 children's books, including some of the most celebrated of all time, such as The Cat in the Hat (1957), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1957), and The Lorax (1971). His distinctive illustration style is immediately recognizable, and his books have sold hundreds of millions of copies in dozens of languages worldwide.
A key factor in this sensational success was Geisel's focus on reaching early readers with simple words set in a predictable poetic rhythm that also told exciting and fantastical stories. This was pioneering territory, as most reading primers used to teach reading in the 1940s and 1950s were famously bland and insipid. The then-director of the education division at Houghton Mifflin, William Spaulding, was on a quest to change this status quo. He reportedly invited Geisel to dinner and challenged him to “Write me a story that first-graders can’t put down!" using a set list of only 300 words.
After much creative back and forth, The Cat in the Hat was the result, using just 220 easily-recognizable words. Green Eggs and Ham followed soon after in 1960, and one-upped The Cat in the Hat by using only 50 words--apparently the result of a bet with his publisher at Random House.
The story of Green Eggs and Ham revolves around Sam-I-am, a jaunty figure who enters the first pages of the book riding a majestic beast. He presents a grumpy, unnamed protagonist with a plate and a question: "Do you like green eggs and ham?" Our protagonist replies that he does not. Sam-I-am spends the rest of the book presenting progressively wilder scenarios in which one might enjoy green eggs and ham. After much arguing, our hero finally surrenders and gives them a try. As it turns out, he does like green eggs and ham! For anyone who's ever tried to convince a skeptical eater to try something new, this is likely #relatable.
Recipe Inspiration
You do not like them. So you say. Try them! Try them! And you may. Try them and you may, I say.
Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs and Ham
When I began working on this recipe, I started very literally: ham, dyed green, along with fried eggs with green yolks, to match the illustrations. Others like Feast of Fiction have gone down this literal recipe road, but I ran into a few problems.
First: the eggs. Separating the egg yolks, dyeing them green, and then adding them back onto their whites was challenging to get right at each stage. It was easy to break the yolks when separating, dyeing, or transferring them. If I did manage to keep my green yolks intact, getting them to attach to their whites again without sliding around in the pan was tricky. And, of course, egg cookery goes quickly! By the time I was able to get everything assembled in the pan, the egg whites had often overcooked before the yolks could set, or a white film would cover over the green yolks, basically negating all the hard work that had come before to turn them green.
Then: the ham. I played with mini hams, ham steaks, sliced breakfast ham, and more, made both in the oven and on the stovetop. I tried green glazes and green dye baths, and each time, across the board, I just couldn't get over the gross factor. Green ham looks rotten! Off! Spoiled! And I know that some kids love gross, but I just couldn't get past it, friends. Hats off the literalists and the lovers of weird among us, but I just had to switch gears.
With the drawing board wiped clean (and freed from literal interpretation), I returned to the eggs. I knew that it would be much easier to dye the eggs green if they were scrambled instead of separated and fried. And after burning through a lot of green food coloring during testing, I was eager to find a more natural way to color them as well. A handful of spinach was the perfect solution! Whizzing up the eggs with some no-prep baby spinach in the blender turned them a beautiful vivid green (no food coloring required!) while also adding a boost of nutrition.
To me, there's no finer way to enjoy eggs and ham together than in a breakfast sandwich. Taking a cue from a Smitten Kitchen recipe by Deb Perelman, I poured the spinach-egg mixture into a thin layer in a pan, cooked it until set, then turned it into a neat square with an optional cheesy middle to top an English muffin or roll. The eggs are quick to make back-to-back for multiple sandwiches, and topped with ruffles of deli ham and warmed in the oven, they made delightful gooey, savory, hearty breakfast sandwiches. Voila! Easy green eggs and ham, my way.
Ingredients You'll Need
To make these Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast Sandwiches, you'll need:
- English muffins or another favorite roll for breakfast sandwiches (bulkie rolls, croissants, bagels, ciabatta rolls, whatever you like!)
- Eggs
- Baby spinach
- Water
- Table salt
- Unsalted butter
- Deli American or cheddar cheese (or any melty cheese of your choice)
- Sliced deli ham
As with every recipe, before you start cooking, make sure to measure out and prepare your ingredients ahead of time. Then, you'll have everything you need when you need it! For all of the ingredient measurements and details, see the recipe card below.
How to Make Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast Sandwiches
The full recipe with detailed timing and instructions is below, but here are some key moments to look out for along the way:
- Dye the eggs: Blend the eggs along with baby spinach in the blender to turn the mixture green.
- Add the cheese: Pour ½ cup of the egg mixture into a hot skillet and place a slice of cheese in the middle, if you like. (It's optional, but also: is it?)
- Fold the eggs: Use a spatula to fold the bottom edge of the eggs up and over the middle (covering the cheese, if you're using it).
- Make a square: Go around the circle to fold the left side, top, and right sides over the middle as well, turning your circle into a square.
- Transfer: Use the spatula to transfer your (possibly cheesy) egg square onto a toasted English muffin.
- Repeat and assemble: Make three more egg squares to top all of the English muffins, then top each with the ham. Heat them all up in the oven so they're warm for serving!
Why This Recipe Is Great for Kids
I've spent years writing cookbooks and creating recipes that are safe, fun, and engaging for kids and home cooks of all ages. Here are some key features of this recipe that make it perfect for kids and families to make together at home:
- This take on green eggs and ham isn't literal, but it's easy and achievable at breakfast time! The egg mixture is fun to whir up in the blender and quick to cook, and the only thing you might need a knife for is to cut open rolls or to slice cheese.
- You get a few chances to practice your technique when folding the egg squares! Even if the first couple (or all of them) turn out a little wonky, they'll still be delicious inside your sandwiches (where no one can see what shape they are anyways!).
- For picky eaters who might not be the biggest fans of spinach, you can't taste it in this recipe (the salty ham and cheese are the stars!), so it's a good way to give greens a try in a more background way. Plus, the spinach offers some nice bonus nutrition to start off the day.
- If you simply must turn your ham green, you could pop the deli ham into a bowl with water and green food coloring and let it hang out while you make the eggs, then dry it off and sizzle it up in the skillet before adding it to the sandwiches. Just don't serve it to me!
Let's Cook!
Gather your equipment, measure your ingredients, and get cooking with this kid-friendly recipe! If you loved making it together, please leave five stars and share your stories in the comments.
Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast Sandwiches
Good To Know
- This recipe makes four sandwiches to serve for a family breakfast, but you can cut the recipe in half to make just two sandwiches, if you prefer; use 3 tablespoons of water to cut the ⅓ cup in half.
- The recipe calls for English muffins, but you can use any bread or roll that you like! Bulkie rolls, bagels, sandwich bread, or even plain croissants would all be great here.
- To add a little pizzazz to your breakfast sandwich, you can spread your bread with condiments of your choice. Mayo, mustard, or ketchup are all classic, but you can also add a little sweetness with jam or jelly, some tang with chutney, or some heat with salsa or a dash of hot sauce. Or skip the condiments and keep things plain–the sandwiches are delicious on their own!
Equipment You'll Need
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Aluminum foil
- Toaster
- Butter knife (optional)
- Blender
- Kitchen towel
- Liquid measuring cup
- 10-inch nonstick skillet
- Plastic spatula (metal will scratch the skillet)
- Oven mitts
- 4 Serving plates
Measure Your Ingredients
- 4 English muffins or other rolls, split open
- Condiments of your choice (optional, see notes)
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups baby spinach (2 ounces)
- ⅓ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- 2 square slices deli American or cheddar cheese, cut in half (optional)
- 4-8 slices deli ham
Let's Cook!
- Set your oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- 4 English muffins or other rolls, split open, Condiments of your choiceToast the English muffins or rolls in the toaster (you might need to do this in batches). Transfer them to the foil-lined baking sheet with the insides facing up. Use a butter knife to spread the tops and bottoms with your favorite condiments, if you like. (Ask your diners what they’d like on their sandwiches; if they place different orders, you can use a marker to write each person’s name on the foil next to their sandwich to keep track of whose is whose.)
- 4 large eggs, 2 cups baby spinach, ⅓ cup water, ¼ teaspoon table saltAdd the eggs, spinach, water, and salt to a blender jar. Place the lid on the blender and hold it in place with a kitchen towel. Blend the mixture until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Use a liquid measuring cup to measure out ½ cup of the egg mixture from the blender.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 piecesIn a 10-inch nonstick skillet, melt one piece of butter over medium heat until it’s melted and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully pick up the skillet and swirl to coat the pan with an even layer of melted butter.
- 2 square slices deli American or cheddar cheese, cut in halfWorking quickly, pour the ½ cup of egg mixture into the skillet and swirl and shake the pan to coat the bottom in an even layer. Let the eggs cook until set, about 1 ½ minutes. Place a half-slice of cheese (if using) in the middle of the eggs.
- Use a plastic spatula to loosen the edges of the eggs from the pan. Working quickly, fold the bottom side of the eggs over toward the middle (covering the cheese, if you’re using it). Repeat folding three more times from the left, top, and right, going around the circle and turning it into a square.
- Let the egg square cook for 30 more seconds. Turn off the stove and slide the skillet to a cool burner. Use the spatula to transfer the egg square to one of the toasted English muffin bottoms.
- Repeat steps 4-8 to cook the remaining eggs with the remaining butter in three more batches, so each English muffin bottom has an egg square. Turn off the stove.
- 4-8 slices deli hamTop each egg square with 1-2 slices of ham and the English muffin top.
- Place the rimmed baking sheet with the sandwiches in the oven. Bake until warmed through, about 10 minutes. (This ensures all four sandwiches will be hot to serve at the same time!)
- Use oven mitts to remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it on the stovetop or a cooling rack. Use the spatula to transfer each sandwich to a serving plate. Serve.
Conversation Starters
As you enjoy your breakfast sandwiches, talk about Green Eggs and Ham and what it was like to make the recipe together. You can help young readers make connections to the book and share your own answers, ideas, and stories with them with the following prompts:
- In the story, Sam-I-Am convinces his friend to try something new. Is there something in your life (a food, an activity), you thought you wouldn't like before you tried it, but it turned out you did?
- This recipe uses spinach to turn the eggs green. What other ingredients could you try adding to the eggs to turn them another color? Do you think it would taste good?
- Dr. Seuss uses simple words and rhymes in his books. Can you come up with a rhyming poem about your breakfast in a Dr. Seuss style?
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