Schuylkill Station Special (Scrapple Egg and Cheese Sandwich)

Background: My appreciation for breakfast sandwiches on Italian rolls developed while I was working in generation station maintenance in Philadelphia. We spent a lot of time along the rivers and there were always sandwich shops nearby. This sandwich is based on a small shop on the ground floor of the Schuylkill station (which dated back to 1912) near 26^th and Christian streets, which pumped these out all morning (like 6am) for everyone working there.

Ingredients:

8 oz scrapple cut into 4 even slices;
2 Italian rolls split
1.5 oz. cheddar cheese grated
1.5 oz pepper jack cheese grated
3 eggs
¼ cup half and half
1 tbsp olive oil
spray canola oil
2 cherry peppers
3 tbsp barbeque sauce (personal choice I use Johnson’s homemade).

Steps:

1. Start the scrapple in a medium low nonstick pan sprayed with canola oil and allow to stiffen up on the underside (about 10 minutes), then carefully turn over and allow the other side to brown (about 8 minutes) flattening the patties also. Normally I turn one two more times until browned, it’s a slow process but worth the time spent. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towel.
2. While the scrapple is cooking, split the two rolls longways being sure not to break the “hinge”. Heat up a large pan or griddle, add the olive oil and lay in the rolls rotating a couple times (it’s good to use some weight for consistent browning). Once browned remove and lay on plates.
3. Wisk the eggs together with half and half then pour into a wide preheated pan at medium low (I use the same pan that the rolls were browned in). Allow to cook until the top starts to dry up, add the cheeses across the center from side to side, and once the edges just start to brown flip one side towards the center, then the other side toward the center. Turn off the heat.
4. Spoon the barbeque sauce on both sides of each roll, place 2 pieces of scrapple on one side of the roll, then cut the omelet in half at the center and again longways (I just use my spatula in the pan). Place two sections of omelet on each roll, keeping the ends facing inside. Salt and pepper to taste, add the cherry peppers, cut, and serve.