Before Jeff and I got married, I had this fantasy that we’d eat breakfast together every day.

Isn’t that romantic?

Are you done laughing now?

Instead, I send him to work with a Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Bagel Sandwich. A turkey sausage and cheese omelet on a whole wheat bagel. I can knock one out in about five minutes flat, usually while I’m still half-asleep. The way Jeff talks about it, you’d think I served it up topless in hooker boots.

But I only do that on Saturdays.

Jeff is totally content to have this breakfast sandwich every day, so I’ve been making the exact same breakfast sandwich, at least five days a week, for three-and-a-half years.

OK, almost the exact same sandwich.

I’ve been slowly but surely tweaking it to make it healthier. Using two links of turkey sausage instead of three. A whole egg and an egg white instead of two eggs. A half-ounce of cheese instead of a whole one. Little changes that add up.

I actually did the math, and by eating this sandwich instead of a McDonald’s Bacon, Egg and Cheese Bagel, Jeff’s saving 150 calories and 11 grams of fat, besides getting twice the fiber and 8 more grams of protein.

Not too shabby.

If turkey sausage isn’t your thing, you can trade it for bacon, smoked country sausage, boneless pork chops, leftover pork loin or chicken. Make a vegetarian version by adding mushrooms, sauteéd spinach or onions to the omelet, or make a cheese omelet, and top it with sliced avocado.

And don’t forget the hooker boots.

Breakfast Bagel Sandwich

Rebecca Crump (EzraPoundCake.com)

Makes 1 sandwich (approximately 400 calories)

• 2 turkey sausage links (raw or prepackaged and fully cooked, your choice)
• 1 whole wheat bagel
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg white
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 ounce cheese (preferably something spicy, like a pepper jack or habanero cheddar), sliced, grated or crumbled

1. Prepare the turkey sausage links according to the directions on the package. Slice into 1/2-inch pieces, and set aside.
2. Split a bagel, and place it in the oven, cut-side down. Set the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Meanwhile, grab a small skillet, and grease it with butter or nonstick spray. Place it over medium heat.
4. While the skillet is warming, whisk together the egg and egg white in a small bowl. Add a little salt and pepper.
5. Pour the eggs into the hot skillet. As the omelet begins to set, use your spatula to lift the edges and let any uncooked egg run into the pan. Let the omelet cook, without touching, until the top looks moist but not runny, about 30 seconds.
6. Sprinkle the sausage and cheese evenly over half of the omelet. Slide your spatula underneath the other half of the omelet, and gently fold it over the filling to get a half-moon shape. Cook for about 10 seconds. Then turn off the stove, and flip the omelet to the other side for a few seconds, just until the egg is cooked to your liking.
7. Remove the bagel from the oven. Slide omelet onto the bottom half of the bagel, and top with the other bagel half. Dig in immediately, or wrap the sandwich in foil and send it on its way.

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