Grown-Up Bacon & Egg Sandwhich (Caramelized onions, pancetta and arugula)

Fried egg sandwiches....mmmm....so good. There was a little breakfast joint in McKinney, TX, called Bill Smith's Cafe, that had the greatest egg sandwiches: perfectly fried egg with lettuce, tomato, cheese and mayonnaise. I always try to make it but it feels so heavy when I do it at home for breakfast. Then I came across this little recipe in the Breakfast for Dinner article in September's Cooking Light magazine. I changed it around a little bit to work with what we had in the fridge and it was amazing! With caramelized onions and arugula, it's a little more sophisticated then a Bill Smith breakfast sandwich and happened to be perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.

*recipe makes 2 sandwiches, double if you need four*

6 slices of pancetta (if using regular bacon use only 4 pieces)
1 whole yellow onion, sliced nice and thin
1 tablespoon water (ok, I'll be honest I used Sam Adam's Oktoberfest instead!)
1/2 tsp Tabasco or other hot sauce
1 tablespoon butter (ok, I used more)
Dash of sugar
Cooking spray
4 slices of hearty multi-grain bread
2 large eggs
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup arugula
2 slices swiss cheese, optional

1. Cook pancetta (or bacon) in a non-stick pan until crisp.  Remove pancetta to a plate lined with paper towel. Leave the grease in the pan (yikes, I know but wow it's good)

2. Add onions, water (beer) and hot sauce to the bacon pan. Stir to coat well and let cook over a medium heat.  Sprinkle in your dash of sugar. Stir frequently to prevent fast browning. You want these puppies to soften and turn a soft golden brown. The onions will reduce by more than half the original size.  They'll get limp and sweet and mmmmm good. About 15-20 minutes is good. Cook for less time if you like them crunchy.

3. While onions are cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray (ok, yep, I used butter.) Grill your slices of bread until golden. Set aside.

4. In the same pan, fry your eggs to your desired doneness.  Season with salt and pepper. If you want, you can throw on a piece of cheese and melt it on your eggs.

5. Build your sandwich! Place half of the onions on one piece of bread, top with egg, then add arugula. Top with bread and serve with a side of fresh fruit.