Michelin-starred chefs share 9 easy breakfast sandwich hacks every home cook should know

Over the last year, I've been testing out different breakfast sandwiches to find the best recipe.

And after I made Gordon Ramsay's version for my celebrity chef showdown, I realized just how much a simple hack or two could really elevate my first meal of the day. 

Ramsay's breakfast sandwich had some of the best eggs I've ever tasted thanks to his unique (but easy!) cooking technique, plus the addition of some crème fraîche. 

Inspired by the delicious meal, I decided to ask Michelin-starred chefs for their favorite breakfast sandwich hacks to get even more tips. 

From selecting the best bread to whipping up a perfect hash-brown patty, here are nine breakfast sandwich hacks to get your day started. 

Turn to McDonald's for some morning inspiration, but add a few tasty - and healthier - upgrades.

Greg Marchand, the chef patron of Frenchie in London and Paris, first told me about his bacon and egg muffin when I asked Michelin-starred chefs to share their favorite quick lunch recipes. 

"This muffin wins, every time," he said. "My kids and wife love it, too, and — if you're like us and generally have cheese, eggs, and bacon in the fridge — it's perfect and comes together in about 10 minutes. It's healthier than the famed McDonald's version and about 100 times better!" 

I actually put Marchand's bacon and egg muffin up against McDonald's in a taste test and discovered that the chef's easy and foolproof sandwich was definitely superior.

Marchand's recipe includes smoked bacon, cheddar slices, and a fried egg, along with ketchup and HP sauce. It's super moist but still deliciously crunchy, and the sandwich is structured in a way that gives you a little bit of everything with every bite. 

Get the full recipe for Marchand's bacon and egg muffin here. 

Michelin-starred chef Curtis Stone believes picking the right bread is essential for a really great breakfast sandwich.

"The bread choice is king when it comes to building a great sandwich," Stone, who runs Maude and Gwen in Los Angeles, told Insider. "It can make or break the sandwich." 

Stone recommends using a freshly-baked croissant to get that deliciously flaky texture with each bite. 

Or go for some stecca bread, which he said "cradles all the sandwich juices in its nooks and crannies." 

Toasting your bread in a frying pan can give your sandwich the perfect texture.

"One key for me is always the bread," Tadaaki Ishizaki, of xx, told Insider. "Not specifically what type of bread I'm using, but how to give it the perfect texture. Whether I'm eating a sandwich for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, I enjoy a nice crunch with every bite." 

Instead of using a toaster, Ishizaki always throws his bread on low heat in the frying pan, pressing it against the pan until he gets the perfect crispy texture. 

"If done correctly, it will stay crisp and crunchy for a very long time," Ishizaki said. "Since bread is the first thing you bite into when eating a sandwich, I feel it is one of the most important."

You can whip up your own miniature sausage patties in no time at all.

To make Stone's miniature sausage patties for four, you'll need: 

• 8 ounces coarsely ground pork (not lean, preferably from pork shoulder) 
• 1 garlic clove (finely chopped) 
• 1 teaspoon fresh sage (finely chopped) 
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (finely chopped) 

To start, mix your garlic, sage, and thyme in a medium bowl with ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Then add your pork and mix until everything is combined. Cover and refrigerate the mixture for at least 15 minutes (it can stay for up to one day). 

Once the mixture is ready, divide it into eight equal portions and form patties that are slightly wider than English muffins. 

Add some olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then add your patties and cook for two minutes on each side, until they're both browned and just cooked through. Set the patties aside in a warm place until you're ready to serve.

Stone also adds heavy cream and Gruyère cheese to make the scrambled eggs in his sandwich extra fluffy.

To make Stone's scrambled eggs, you'll need: 

• 4 large eggs 
• ¼ cup heavy cream 
• 2 ounces Gruyère cheese (grated) 
• 1 tablespoon butter 

First, whisk the eggs, heavy cream, and ¼ teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl until they're well-blended. 

Place a medium-sized nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the butter, melting it. Then throw in the egg mixture and leave the eggs untouched for 30 seconds. 

Sprinkle your cheese over the eggs and, with a silicone spatula, begin stirring to create curds. Cook for two minutes, until the cheese melts and the eggs are just set but still creamy. Remove from heat and serve. 

Some homemade spicy mayonnaise can give your breakfast sandwich an exciting kick.

Stone told Insider that he also loves adding this spicy mayonnaise to his breakfast sandwich, and the recipe only requires three ingredients: 

• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce (Stone recommends Sriracha) 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

To make Stone's spicy mayonnaise, first whisk the mayonnaise, hot sauce, and lemon juice in a small bowl.

Then just spread the mixture onto your bread slices — Stone loves using toasted English muffins, biscuits, or slider buns. And voila, you're done! 

And a crispy hash-brown patty will give your breakfast sandwich some delicious crunch.

Soo Ahn, the chef of Adalina in Chicago, told Insider that adding a hash brown to your breakfast sandwich is a total game-changer. He was inspired after seeing the hack at the Chicago Filipino restaurant and bakery Kasama. 

"Ever since I saw that, I've been doing that," Ahn said. "And it's definitely elevated my breakfast sandwiches. I love a good crispy hash brown, where the outside is nice and golden-brown and the inside is soft." 

To replicate Ahn's homemade hash brown, you'll just need four ingredients: 

• 2 peeled potatoes
• 6 tablespoons bacon fat 
• 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese (grated)
• 2 tablespoons chives (chopped)

First grate the peeled potatoes, making sure to wring out all the excess moisture. Then pour the bacon fat into a pan over medium-high heat. 

Add your grated potatoes to the pan, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. After about five to six minutes — once your potatoes are crispy and brown — flip the patty over and cook it for another five to six minutes. 

Finish your hash brown off with the parmesan and chives. 

Michelin-starred chef Chris Morgan swears by American cheese in his breakfast sandwich.

"I am a simpleton," Morgan, who runs Bammy's in Washington, DC, told Insider. "I'm not a big proponent of fancying up breakfast sandwiches."

Morgan keeps things classic when he makes a breakfast sandwich at home, always going for American cheese. 

"It has to be American cheese on a breakfast sandwich," he said. "My favorite breakfast sandwich in the world is egg, American cheese, and wheat bread with any protein." 

Morgan also adds some ketchup and hot sauce on a plate to dip his sandwich into. 

"When it's done right, it's hard to beat," Morgan said. "I'm really adamant about breakfast sandwiches being simple." 

Just adding some avocado is another easy way to upgrade your first meal of the day.

Danny Lledo, the executive chef and owner of Xiquet, told Insider that he always adds avocado to his breakfast sandwich. 

"Whether it's egg, cheese, with meat or whatever, avocado almost creates a bit of a dressing," he said. "Cut slices of avocado or mash it up to be more of an avocado spread." 

Lledo also recommends adding some salt, pepper, and mustard with the avocado. 

"That's a great little upgrade," he said. "Avocado on a breakfast sandwich always goes great."