Spicy Canadian Breakfast Melt w Pepper Dem

Spicy Canadian Breakfast Melt w Pepper Dem

Spicy Canadian Breakfast Melt

Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 12 mins | Serves: 2

A Canadian breakfast icon elevated through technique and fearless execution. Peameal bacon, crispy fried onions, sauteed scotch bonnet, fried minced garlic, caramelized in a cast-iron pan with Worcestershire, stacked between a brioche bun, oven-toasted with heavy melted emmental until creamy and golden. Finished tableside with fresh microgreens and a final hit of Pepper Dem. This is what happens when a classic gets the respect it deserves.

These are the breakfast melts that change how people think about morning food.

The Breakfast Prophets have spoken.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE FILLING

  • Peameal bacon slices 
  • 2 medium yellow onions, sliced thin
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced fine
  • 5 fresh slices of scotch bonnet 
  • 3 tbsp butter (for frying)
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

FOR THE MELT

  • 2 brioche buns (quality brioche—structure matters)
  • 4-5 slices emmental cheese  
  • 1 cup fresh microgreens (arugula, radish sprouts, or mixed)
  • Hawt Sawhcey Pepper Dem (for finishing)

INSTRUCTIONS

Fry the Onions:

  1. Slice onions thin—you want them to fry crispy and caramelize
  2. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat
  3. Add sliced onions and fry, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes until golden, crispy, add scotch bonnet and fry for another few minutes lowering heat.
  4. The onions should have colour and texture—some crispy edges are essential
  5. Transfer to a plate and set aside

Fry the Garlic:

  1. In the same skillet, add ½ tbsp butter over medium heat
  2. Add minced garlic and fry, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes until golden and fragrant
  3. Do not burn the garlic—you want golden, not brown
  4. The garlic will infuse the butter with flavour
  5. Remove garlic-butter from heat and set aside

Fry the Peameal:

  1. Return skillet to medium-high heat, add remaining 1.5 tbsp butter
  2. Pat peameal bacon slices dry with paper towels (critical for searing)
  3. Place bacon slices in hot skillet (you should hear immediate sizzle)
  4. Fry 2 minutes per side until edges are crispy and center is tender
  5. Add fried onions, scotch bonnet and fried garlic back to the pan
  6. Drizzle Worcestershire sauce over everything
  7. Let sauce coat and caramelize for 30 seconds, then remove from heat

Assemble for Oven-Toasting:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F
  2. Place brioche bun halves on a baking sheet, cut-side up
  3. Layer thick slices of emmental on both the bottom and top brioche halves
  4. You want heavy cheese coverage
  5. Place in preheated oven for 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted, creamy, and bun is toasted golden
  6. The emmental should be bubbling and pooling slightly
  7. The brioche should have a light golden-brown color

Build the Melt:

  1. Remove toasted brioche with melted cheese from oven
  2. Bottom bun (with melted emmental) → arrange peameal bacon, fried onions, and fried garlic on top of the cheese
  3. Top bun (with melted emmental) → place on top of filling
  4. Press gently—the melted cheese will create a seal

Finish Tableside:

  1. Plate the melt immediately while warm
  2. Top with fresh microgreens for contrast and brightness
  3. Drizzle Hawt Sawhcey Pepper Dem on top and down the sides
  4. Serve immediately while the cheese is still creamy and warm

THE FINISH

This melt is already layered with technique—everything fried to golden perfection, the Worcestershire caramelized into the bacon and onions, the garlic infused into the butter and built into every layer. The emmental is creamy and melted, the brioche is toasted to structure, the microgreens bring fresh contrast.

Now comes the final moment.

Drizzle Hawt Sawhcey Pepper Dem across the top and down the sides of the melt, letting it pool where the cheese is still warm. Do not cover it. Do not drown it. A proper finish respects what came before.

The Canadian breakfast tradition + the fried technique + the Worcestershire depth + the emmental richness + the fearless pepper dem... they have all done their job perfectly. Now Pepper Dem arrives as the final word, the signature, the moment that transforms a good breakfast into your breakfast.

This is Canadian breakfast meets mastery. This is technique with flavor. This is fearless always.

CHEF NOTES

  • Frying Everything: This is non-negotiable. Frying the onions creates caramelization and crispy texture. Frying the garlic infuses the butter. Every element gets technique applied to it.
  • The Fried Garlic: Must be minced fine and watched closely. Golden garlic is perfume. Burnt garlic is bitter. Don't walk away.
  • The Oven Toast: This is the key difference. Toasting the brioche in the oven WITH the cheese allows them to marry. The cheese melts into the bread, creating structure and creaminess.
  • The Peameal: Thick-cut is essential. You want that tender center with crispy, caramelized edges from the pan.
  • The Emmental: Heavy melt coverage is the move. The cheese should be creamy, not just melted. It's the binder and the richness.
  • The Timing: This melt needs to be served immediately. The warmth is part of the experience. Warm cheese, warm brioche, cold microgreens, hot pepper dem.

VARIATIONS

  • More Heat: Fry minced scotch bonnet with the garlic
  • Extra Savory: Add crispy shallots alongside the onions
  • Cheddar Version: Use aged cheddar instead of emmental for sharper depth
  • Herb Butter: Melt herb butter under the cheese for aromatic lift
  • Egg Option: Add a fried egg on top before the microgreens

FROM THE KITCHEN OF HAWT SAWHCEY

Where Canadian tradition meets fearless technique. Every element earned its place.