If you ever watch British baking or cooking shows, and you aren't British, you might understand my condition: I call it British Breakfast Envy. I've been hearing terms like “full English breakfast” and “beans on toast” for years and thinking to myself “Why, that sounds proper delicious. It's too bad such things are utterly unattainable for an American bloke like me.” But then I realized...we have baked beans in the United States. We have vegan breakfast sausages, toast, and by golly if tomatoes didn't originate from the Americas themselves. So why the bloody hell can't I make an English breakfast for myself? Or at least a vegan, English–ish version?

So, I gathered the essential aforementioned ingredients, added spinach for colorful nutrition and potatoes because why not, and made an insanely savory and satisfying meal. I highly recommend breaking off pieces of toast, stacking the sides on top, and creating perfect little bites like mini open–faced sandwiches. Cheers!

What:

toast:

sourdough bread

vegan butter

baked beans:

vegan baked beans

vegan bacon bits (optional)

potato hash:

russet potatoes

halved garlic cloves

olive oil

salt

pepper

rosemary (optional)

sautéed spinach:

spinach

garlic

olive oil

salt

pepper

cherry tomatoes

vegan sausage

How:

toast: Make toast.

baked beans: Heat over the stove. Stir in some bacon bits for extra flavor, if desired.

potato hash: Preheat oven to 400ºF. Dice potatoes. Peel and halve your desired amount of garlic; leaving the garlic in larger chunks prevents burning in the oven. Combine potatoes and garlic and toss lightly with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary if you so choose. Roast in the oven until cooked through and crispy, tossing partway through for more even crisping.

sautéed spinach: Roughly chop spinach. Sauté with olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced garlic until adequately wilted.

roasted cherry tomatoes: Wash tomatoes and pop them straight into the oven along with the potatoes. Roast at 400ºF until they become soft, juicy flavor bombs.

vegan sausage: Prepare according to package instructions. I sautéed mine on a nonstick pan with no added ingredients.

What did I use and why?

Beyond Breakfast Sausage: Although sausage links seem to be more traditional, these patties do not disappoint. They live up to the Beyond burger reputation.

McCormik Bac'n Pieces: These are the most widely available vegan bacon bits where I live. English breakfasts seem to very meat forward, so I thought, why not go all out? Their flavor did come through and made the beans more savory.