The Cheese You Should Buy For Perfect Egg McMuffins At Home

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McDonald's has been helping customers get their days started with its iconic Egg McMuffin for more than five decades. California franchise owner Herb Peterson originally created it as a riff on eggs Benedict; after some tinkering, the breakfast sandwich hit test markets in 1972 and was available nationally by 1975. It actually began as an open-face sandwich that came with honey or jam before becoming the Egg McMuffin we know: a fresh cracked egg, Canadian bacon, and American cheese on a toasted and buttered English muffin. Mickey D's then took it from good to great with a 2015 switch from liquid margarine to butter. If you want to try making your own McMuffins, you should buy Walmart's Great Value Deluxe American Cheese Slices for the best replica version.

The suggestion comes from Mike Haracz, a former McDonald's corporate chef TikTokker who shares food info and tips about his former employer. He said you can't actually get the same cheese since it's formulated exclusively for the chain, but named the Great Value Deluxe as tasting the closest, noting the ingredient lists for both are nearly the same.

If you want to try another American, he says to get it sliced at the deli counter or shingled in a package (how the Great Value Deluxe comes), because the burger giant doesn't use the individually-wrapped ones. Those plastic-wrapped slices have less of the fat that provides a richer taste than the deli-style. Finally, further duplicate the chain's practices by taking the cheese out of the refrigerator to warm up for at least an hour.

American cheese is purposely designed to melt well, made with an emulsifier that keeps it from clumping or becoming oily. You can use that attribute and make your McMuffin's cheese more melty by putting the slice on top of the hot egg to take advantage of the rising heat and the Canadian bacon underneath, reversing how McDonald's usually layers it. It will also help to toast and butter the English muffin as the egg is cooking instead of before, so it will be hotter and provide more heat against the cheese.

For another component of the breakfast sandwich, create the egg's signature round shape by making it inside a bottom-greased ring, biscuit cutter, or the upside-down top of a canning jar in a skillet. McDonald's also uses steam to help make it more airy and fluffy. Add a little water around the ring and cover the pan to duplicate the process, letting it cook for a few minutes until the egg is done. Boost the Canadian bacon (which actually is bacon, not ham) by skilleting it in a little butter for extra flavor.

Experiment with changes like scrambling the egg or using ham or regular bacon instead of the Canadian. Add jalapeño slices or hot sauce for a kick of heat, or try additions like tomato, fresh or caramelized onions, or roasted red peppers. You could also make a Sausage McMuffin with Egg by swapping in a sausage patty for the Canadian bacon, or a Sausage McMuffin with just a sausage patty and cheese.