Runny egg. Slightly crispy sausage. Creamy sharp white cheddar. Fresh, garlicky pesto.
That's what went in between the slices of my toasted English muffin this morning. This breakfast sandwich is based on the Yolko Ono, which is the best fried egg sammie around, from the best Portland food cart: Fried Egg I'm in Love. 
Amanda is friends with one of the Fried Egg owners, Jace. We make sure to stop by every time we're in Seattle's little sister to the south…not just because we know Jace, but because holy fried egg, it's so good! And also, they have a lot of fun. Those guys are basically the only reason I still look at Vine. And they sell super cute tshirts. And they use Aardvark hot sauce, which I love. And, the sandwiches all have fun music-inspired names, like Yolko Ono, Sriracha Mix A Lot, Free Range Against the Machine, and Back in Black Bean. Annnd one more thing, they have contests on Facebook where you can help name their new sandwich specials. So fun. So good.
My favorite is their original crowd pleaser, the Yolko Ono, which inspired this lil' mashup here. Of course I still dream about the real deal, but this homemade version will totally do the trick between trips to Portland. 
If you're not putting pesto on your fried egg sandwiches, you're not livin', friend. 
Sausage & Pesto Fried Egg Sandwiches
Inspired by the Yolko Ono
For each sandwich, you'll need:
1 English muffin, toasted
1-2 tablespoons pesto (store-bought, or recipe below)
2 slices aged white cheddar
1 pork breakfast sausage patty, cooked
1 fried egg (over medium for me, please, with salt & pepper)
Hot sauce for serving
To assemble, add a healthy dollop of pesto to both pieces of English muffin, then add cheese to one side, top with sausage patty, fried egg, and other English muffin half. Serve with hot sauce. Dig in.
Basic Basil Pesto
Makes about 1/2 pint
1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 garlic cloves
2 cups fresh Basil
1/4 cup cup nuts (I used almonds, but you can also use pinenuts, walnuts, etc)
Squeeze fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
If using a high-powered blender like a Vitamix or Ninja: add ingredients in order listed (not including salt & pepper), starting with 1/4 cup olive oil, and blend, slowly increasing speed, until smooth (use tamper as necessary). Add more olive oil if it's too thick. If using food processor, add garlic & nuts, and pulse for a few seconds until ground, then add remaining ingredients, and pulse until smooth (adding more olive oil as needed.
Stir in salt & pepper to taste.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
