Who knew? Omelettes in a sandwich maker! Who would have thought that my trusty sandwich maker could turn out light and fluffy triangles of this beaten egg delight.
Add some ham and cheese and you have the perfect breakfast or brunch snack, that only takes a few minutes to prepare and even less time to cook.
Ham & Cheese Omelette Pockets
Now you might say, what is wrong with an omelette in a frying pan? Nothing, I would say. But, just the thought that you could use that old sandwich maker for something other than the traditional grilled sandwich surely makes you want to at least give it a try. Also, the kids will love these little triangles of eggy goodness that you can incorporate with whatever ingredient that you are trying to encourage them to eat.
What you will need for the perfect Ham & Cheese Omelette Pockets
You will need 3 large eggs to provide the minimum amount of mix to fill most normal sized sandwich makers which is sufficient for 2 persons.
For the ham filling I simply take one slice of my favourite shop bought Peppered Smoked Ham finely cut to mix in evenly. You can of course choose your own ingredients or a different type of ham, but I find a good smoked ham adds flavour to any omelette.
The cheese I have chosen for this omelette mix is a mature grated cheddar. I prefer my cheese to have a good depth of flavour, but you could opt for any type of cheddar or whatever is in your fridge. I find it much easier to buy my cheese ready grated from my local supermarket and always have a few bags of different kinds of cheeses in my fridge so I'm always ready for that craving for a snack. These are usually bought in resealable bags so you can just use the amount you want and keep the rest for later (up to 5 days so no need for waste).
Any omelette needs a good amount of seasoning, so a healthy pinch of salt and plenty of ground black pepper added to the mix is a must.
Making the perfect Ham & Cheese Omelette Pockets
Firstly, as in this case there will be no buttered bread in contact with the non-stick plates, it is advisable to oil the plates a little before adding the omelette mix. For this I simply use a shop bought "1 Cal" cooking spray (the one I bought even has a buttery flavour) which does a great job in placing an oily mist over the plates.
Now crack 3 large eggs into a bowl. Each pocket will usually take 1 medium egg but I have found that 3 large eggs, especially when ham and cheese are added to the mix, is sufficient to spread evenly over the 4 pockets of the sandwich maker.
Now beat the eggs together and add seasoning in the form of a pinch of salt and a good amount of freshly ground black pepper (as shown). I love black pepper, and this omelette mix can really handle plenty!
The cooking process for an omelette is a little different to a toastie where you wait for the sandwich maker to heat up fully and the plates to be at their full operating temperature. You can experiment with this method yourself (particularly as different appliances have different max power settings) but I prefer to turn on my sandwich maker and after 1 minute start to add the mix (for reference my appliance normally takes 4 minutes to get up to temperature).
Spoon the mix evenly into the pockets of the sandwich maker. Use a small ladel or large spoon rather than trying to pour out of the bowl. This is a lot less messy but don't worry if it's not perfect as you will find it will still cook fine.
Around 2 mintes after turning on (and ensuring the mix is evenly in position) close and lock the lid, and cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes. You can of course open at this point and decide you want to cook a little longer, but beware, as by this time your appliance is up to full operating temperature and even 30 seconds can overcook your omelette.
After cooking for approximately 3 to 4 minutes or until cooked to your liking, turn off the appliance and remove your omelette pockets (as they will continue cooking even though switched off).
NEVER lift your omelette pockets out with your fingers as the plates will still be extremely hot! Always use wood or plastic tools to loosen and lift away and they usually come off the non-stick surface easily. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
The Recipe
Ham & Cheese Omelette Pockets
EQUIPMENT
- 3-in-1 snack maker with sealed toastie plates
PREPARATION TIME : 7 minutes
COOKING TIME : 4 - 5 minutes (approx.)
SERVINGS : 2
INGREDIENTS
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cal cooking spray
- 20g slice of smoked ham (finely diced)
- 30g mature grated cheddar cheese
- pinch of sea salt
- ground black pepper to taste
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- Oil the plates sparingly with 1 Cal spray on cooking oil
- Place 3 large eggs into a mixing bowl
- Dice the slice of smoked ham
- Measure out the grated mature cheddar cheese
- Beat the eggs together and season well with salt and ground black pepper
- Stir the ham and cheese into the beaten egg mixture
- Turn on the appliance and after 1 minute evenly add the mixture to the bottom plate
- After 2 minutes close the top plate
- Cook for a further 3 to 4 mintes or to your own preference
Or you could try...
Why not try replacing the smoked ham with some chopped chives which perfectly compliment the eggs and cheese.
Perfect with...
They are also simply delicious with fresh cherry or chopped tomates.
How does your sandwich maker compare?
For most of the recipes shared here I use my trusty Tower Deep Fill 3-in-1 Sandwich Maker, so obviously you may need to adjust your ingredients slightly if you are using a different appliance. Having said that, most sandwich makers are very similar in design and size, and the amount of each filling is a guide only and you can increase or decrease, add or subtract, according to your personal taste.
Never be afraid to experiment, and remember you won't always get the perfect result first time, so if at first you don't succeed try, try and try again. It's great fun!
If you want to check out some of the alternative 3-in-1 machines available check out our guide...
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