by Bottom Line: The My Hammy Spice breakfast sandwich from Denny’s brings just the right amount of kick for a breakfast item and really delivers on the taste.
At breakfast time, do you like spicy or not so spicy? Myself, I like to have a little bit of kick with my eggs and sausage and hashbrowns and whatnot, but I am not looking to ignite a fire in my mouth first thing in the morning. Spicy does not necessarily go well with coffee, and I’ve got to have coffee when I get up. That’s why Denny’s new My Hammy Spice breakfast sandwich is just right to start off the day. It has a bit of a kick and it’s plenty tasty. And it goes well with a cup of Joe.
The classic Moons Over My Hammy sandwich consists of ham and scrambled eggs with melted Swiss and American cheese all tucked between two grilled slices of artisan bread. The spicy variation adds chorizo and pickled jalapenos to kick things up some. The name of the sandwich is supposedly referring to the eggs as the moons over the ham which is the “My Hammy” or something like that, but that’s all just an excuse for a silly name. This is no silly sandwich, though, especially the spicy version which is packing a lot of flavor.
When you first bite into the sandwich, the chorizo wakes you up and gives an initial kick. I am a lover of chorizo and this is definitely a good version of that spicy sausage that delivers a nice richness. (It has a fair amount of salt as well, but that goes with the territory). The eggs are nice and fluffy as you would expect from a breakfast place. The ham kicks in a little bit more on the saltiness, but otherwise gets mostly lost in the mix. Though, I guess it has to be there seeing as it is in the name.
The American cheese adds some creaminess and there is a bit of sharpness in there as well which may be coming from the Swiss cheese. The jalapenos were sparse on one side of the sandwich but more plentiful on the other. The bites with those were definitely the best. The toasted artisan bread is crunchy and buttery and probably some variation on sourdough. Overall, this is quite a tasty sandwich even if it is heavy on the salt. It is pretty messy, though, so even though you can hold it in one hand, don’t try eating it while driving!
Heat-wise, this comes in around the Mild level on my scale. The chorizo adds spiciness from all the seasoning, but not much burn while the cheese, eggs, and bread temper the heat. The half that had the most jalapenos delivered a little bit more kick, though not too much because those pickled peppers are pretty mild. But they definitely added to the taste profile.
Nutrition-wise . . . this here ain’t no diet food! I don’t see the nutrition breakdown for the My Hammy Spice on the internet, but I have seen a number of 1,200 calories mentioned for the sandwich. And that doesn’t include the side of hashbrowns which pile on another 180 cals. If you eat this whole thing for breakfast, might as well just plan on celery sticks for the rest of the day! I split it across two days and each half proved to be quite filling. And considering that this runs $11.49 in my area for the sandwich and side, you get your money’s worth if you stretch it out to two meals.
The My Hammy Spice is apparently designated as a limited-time-only item, so don’t expect it to stick around on the menu for long. But I believe that chorizo and pickled jalapenos are regular ingredients they keep in the kitchen, so you can probably order it off the menu once the special goes away (though expect them to amp up the price in that case). But this is definitely worth getting, especially if you are a breakfast fan. Denny’s has always done breakfast well, and this is a nice addition to the menu that kicks things up.
Spice It Up: Since the first half of the sandwich did not have too many jalapenos, I decided to kick it up and a few drops of sriracha did the trick. That went well with the other ingredients and amped it up to just the right amount of spice I am looking for with breakfast. If I were to have this for lunch, I am probably going to throw on a few drops of habanero sauce to bring some more burn.
