I made Martha Stewart's breakfast sandwich, and the easy dish took me less than 10 minutes

Stewart's egg sandwich recipe was part of the "Sandwiches" episode, and she called her dish "the perfect way to start your day."

Stewart begins her cooking demo by talking about one of the best sandwiches she's ever had — a bacon, egg, and cheese in New York City.

I haven't been in NYC for the last year due to the pandemic, and was desperately missing a classic BEC from my local bodega (a New Yorker's signature hangover cure).

As I watched Stewart's beautiful sandwich ooze onto her plate, I wondered if it could recapture the memory — and flavor — of some of my cherished breakfasts in Manhattan.

So I decided to put her recipe to the test.

All you need to re-create her egg sandwich is:

• 1 English muffin
• 2 slices applewood-smoked bacon
• 1 large egg
• Fontina cheese

I struggled to cut the fontina cheese into large slices, only later discovering Stewart's pro tip.

The lifestyle expert recommends placing your cheese in the freezer for 10 minutes beforehand, then slicing it (and grating a little for the end).

Since I was making two breakfast sandwiches, I cut four small slices of fontina for each English muffin.

I placed my bacon in a large pan over medium-high heat, cooking until the strips turned crispy.

During her demo, Stewart said it's important to use the "highest quality bacon you can find."

"And it can't be bacon that's been sitting around, cooked for a long time," she added. "It has to be freshly cooked."

Per Stewart's instructions, I first placed my English muffins split-side down on the pan to warm them up. Then I turned them over to toast.

I transferred my bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, then cracked my eggs right into the same pan and sprinkled some salt and pepper on top.

Stewart fries her egg in the bacon grease, which means you can also cook your egg with the bacon if there's space in your pan.

Since I was making two sandwiches, I waited until my bacon was finished. But I loved that I didn't have to wash the pan or use a fresh one — talk about an easy cleanup!

I'd recommend getting your muffins in the pan right when you start cooking the bacon so that your cheese will have melted by the time the eggs are ready. That way, you can have your breakfast sandwich at its most fresh.

Another pro tip? Get those fontina slices as thin as you can. My small but chunky slices were a little slow to melt.

Stewart said during her demo that the bacon grease can help cook the yolk. But whatever you do, don't break it.

"If you break the yolk, fry another egg," she added.

But I will admit, reader, that I forgot one of Stewart's steps here. She recommends topping the fried egg with some grated fontina cheese while it cooks. As a huge cheese lover, I'm still shocked I missed this step.

But the more cheese, the better — so definitely don't repeat my mistake.

First I put the bacon slices on the bottom halves of my English muffins.

Just like that, I was done! And it all took less than 10 minutes.

I couldn't help but compare Stewart's dish to the McDonald's-inspired breakfast sandwich a Michelin-starred chef taught me how to make back in January.

Greg Marchand's bacon and egg muffin had cheddar cheese oozing out of the sides and was absolutely dripping with sauce. But Stewart's sandwich looked worryingly dry and barely had any color.

But, I reminded myself, you can't judge a book — or a sandwich — by its cover. What really mattered was the taste.

Between the crispy bacon, the fried egg, and the toasted English muffin, there's a whole lot of crispiness to Stewart's favorite breakfast sandwich.

But, unfortunately, there's no creaminess to balance it out. Stewart doesn't have any sauce in her sandwich — as Marchand's did with both ketchup and HP Sauce. The fontina cheese wasn't soft enough to add new texture, plus its mild flavor was easily overpowered by all the bacon. It definitely didn't remind me of my beloved BEC.

My parents, who both tried the sandwich, agreed.

"It's overpowered by the English muffin," my dad said. "There's too much bread for just one egg."

The sandwich is super simple to make, but it just needs some balance.

I'd maybe try the recipe with scrambled eggs instead — similar to an Ina Garten breakfast sandwich I made earlier this year — or I'd pick a creamier cheese to coat the English muffin, and add some extra sauce for a bit of sweetness.

In the meantime, I'll still be searching for my next favorite breakfast sandwich.