boiled eggs on english muffins with asparagus and cheese sauce

serves 2

Ingredients

4 eggs boiled, cooled, peeled, and sliced
2 whole-wheat English muffins, split, toasted, and buttered
4 stalks asparagus, trimmed, chopped, and cooked briefly in the microwave (1 min on full power)– optional
1/2 cup cheese sauce or grated cheese (see below for cheese sauce directions)
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Instructions

To assemble: place warm, buttered muffins on plates and top with eggs. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Gently lay asparagus pieces on top of the eggs and drizzle cheese sauce (or sprinkle with grated cheese) and again dust with salt and pepper. (If you’ve used grated cheese, you might want to put the egg “sandwiches” together on a broiler-safe baking sheet and place them under the broiler for a minute or so, plating afterward.)

Notes

*Easy Cheese Sauce: In a small, heavy saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Whisk in 1 tablespoon flour until smooth. Add a pinch each: kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, cayenne, and dry mustard or nutmeg. Let cook two minutes, stirring, and then whisk in 1 cup barely warm milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring, and cook until sauce begins to thicken. Stir in 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. (If you like thicker sauce, you can whisk together a little more flour in a 1/4 cup of flour and stir it in before adding the cheese… or just begin with double butter and flour to start with. The traditional flavorings here are onion and nutmeg. If you’d like to use onion, mince a teaspoon and cook it in the butter before adding the flour and making the roux.)