The World’s Greatest Sandwich aka the Spanglish Sandwich was created by Thomas Keller but served up by Adam Sandler on the big screen. It’s the ultimate crossbreed of a BLT, grilled cheese, and breakfast sandwich in one!

(This recipe was originally published in November 2010, but was updated with new photos and content in 2020).
Years ago while working at the Food Network, I was doing sandwich research for a project and discovered the World’s Greatest Sandwich from Spanglish. At the time I hadn’t seen the film, but watched it years later.
It stars Adam Sandler who plays a critically acclaimed Los Angeles chef. His character returns home late one night from work and creates the World’s Greatest Sandwich as a late night bite. Although it’s intended to satisfy a late night craving in the movie, it's perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner as well.
The true mastermind of what is simply the Spanglish Sandwich is world renowned chef Thomas Keller, the same chef responsible for Remy’s Ratatouille recipe! The Spanglish sandwich is in its most basic form a BLT with fried egg and cheese, however the quality of the ingredients used makes this breakfast BLT shine.
Ingredient notes
- Bread: Keller’s original recipe calls for 2 slices of pain de campagne, which is a French rustic country loaf. I would recommend this or any other crusty artisan bread.
- Bacon: Use good quality thick-cut bacon. I like the Black Forest rubbed bacon sold at the meat counter at Whole Foods. It’s made in house and is delicious, but use whatever is your favorite.
- Lettuce: Tender leaves of butter lettuce (aka Boston lettuce or bibb lettuce) stand in as the L in this BLT with cheese. Butter lettuce is sometimes hydroponically grown and features very delicate yet sturdy leaves. It’s the quintessential “fancy” lettuce for this fancy chef-worthy breakfast BLT. You can use leftover butter lettuce to make more sandwiches or use them for lettuce wraps!
- Cheese: The original Spanglish sandwich uses Monterey Jack cheese which is a relatively mild cheese that melts really well. You could swap it out for a more flavorful cheese if you desire, but I like sticking with the original.
How to make it
Cook the bacon until crisp, then drain on paper towels.
Meanwhile, place the slices of cheese on one slice of the toasted bread and place in a toaster oven or under a broiler to melt the cheese.
Spread the other slice of toast with a schmear of mayonnaise, top with the cooked bacon, sliced tomato, and lettuce.
Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Fry the egg, turning over briefly when the bottom is set. Alternatively rather than flipping it, put a lid on the pan and let the top of the egg gently cook with its own steam. There’s less of a chance to break the yolk, and the egg still turns out perfect. Slide the finished egg on top of the lettuce.
Top with the other slice of toast, melted cheese side down.
Cut in half, letting the yolk run down the sandwich. Serve immediately.
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Expert tips
There are many ways to cook bacon, but this is how I prefer to do it. Add the bacon to a cold frying pan and turn on the heat to medium heat. You can even cover it at this point to avoid potential splatter.
Cook until the fat renders, flipping over once the bottom is nicely browned and continuing to cook the other side until browned and crispy. Remove with tongs and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. The bacon will get crispier once it starts to cool.
You can 100% swap out ingredients for others you may have on hand or ones you prefer. I think the concept is that this is the World’s Best Sandwich, but that might be different in your eyes if you prefer a different type of bread or cheese for example. If you want to replicate the idealized Spanglish sandwich, then use the ingredients as they are written.
Other recipes you may like
- Shake Shack SmokeShack Burger with Bacon
- Don Gondola Italian Grilled Cheese
- Hawaiian Grilled Cheese
- Braaibroodjie (South African Grilled Cheese)
- Strammer Max (German Open-Faced Ham Sandwich)
- Uitsmijter (Dutch Ham, Gouda and Egg Sandwich)
- Galette Complète (Ham, Egg, and Cheese Buckwheat Crêpe)
- Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- Thomas Keller's Crispy Braised Chicken Thighs with Olives, Lemon, and Fennel
- Browse all Movie & TV Show Recipes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
World's Greatest Sandwich from Spanglish (BLT with Fried Egg and Cheese)
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 slices thick-cut bacon
- 2 slices Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 slices Pain de Campagne (rustic country loaf) toasted
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 4 slices tomato
- 2 leaves butter lettuce aka Boston lettuce or bibb lettuce
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Cook the bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels and set aside.
- Place the slices of cheese on one slice of the toasted bread and place in a toaster oven or under a broiler to melt the cheese.
- Spread the other slice of toast with the mayonnaise, top with the cooked bacon, the sliced tomato, and the lettuce.
- In a nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Fry the egg, turning over briefly when the bottom is set (keep the yolk runny!). Alternatively rather than flipping it, put a lid on the pan and let the top of the egg gently cook with its own steam. There’s less of a chance to break the yolk, and the egg still turns out perfect.
- Slide the finished egg on top of the lettuce. Top with the other slice of toast, melted cheese side down. Place the sandwich on a plate and slice in half, letting the yolk run down the sandwich.
Notes
- There are many ways to cook bacon, but this is how I prefer to do it. Add the bacon to a cold frying pan and turn on the heat to medium heat. You can even cover it at this point to avoid potential splatter. Cook until the fat renders, flipping over once the bottom is nicely browned and continuing to cook the other side until browned and crispy. Remove with tongs and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. The bacon will get crispier once it starts to cool.
- You can 100% swap out ingredients for others you may have on hand or ones you prefer. I think the concept is that this is the World’s Best Sandwich, but that might be different in your eyes if you prefer a different type of bread or cheese for example. If you want to replicate the idealized Spanglish sandwich, then use the ingredients as they are written.
- Recipe created by Thomas Keller and made famous by Adam Sandler's character in the film Spanglish.
- Fun fact: Thomas Keller is the same chef responsible for creating Remy’s Ratatouille recipe!
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
Ver9nika says
THE BEST BLT SANDWICH I HAVE EVER MADE. Added Kewpie Mayo with a little grain mustard.