Sausage Egg and Cheese English Muffins

When I was a kid, I would BEG my mother for a sausage egg mcmuffin (from you know where) because they were, and I’m sure still are if we’re honest with ourselves, very delicious. Every now and then she’d give in and let me have one and I swear I never wanted it to end. I haven’t eaten one in years, I can’t even remember when was the last time, but what I do know is that I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to recreate it at home. The best thing about these sausage egg and cheese english muffins is that you can make them ahead of time and keep them in the fridge for breakfast throughout the week; just reheat, grab and go! The homemade breakfast sausage really takes them over the edge, and they’re not complicated at all to make. In the same time it would take you to get in your car, drive to the drive-through and order a breakfast sandwich you could make it for yourself from scratch, feel good about it, and not have just one but actually four of them. Its a win-win situation no matter how you slice it. 

Let’s start by making the breakfast sausage. These aren’t just any breakfast sandwiches with store-bought sausage, that wouldn’t be great enough for us, no. So we’re making our own breakfast sausage from scratch, because it’s just 100 times better. In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, sage, thyme, brown sugar, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, crushed fennel, and garlic powder. 

**Tip: If you want a more flavorful breakfast sausage, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour or overnight to marinade.**

Divide the mixture into four equal parts and then shape into thin large patties. Place them on a plate and set aside for cooking. 

**Note: You want these patties to be large and thin because they’ll shrink and fatten up while they cook, making them the perfect size and shape for the sandwich.**

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a tablespoon of oil. Once hot, place the sausage patties in and cook for 2 minutes, or until golden brown, flip over and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. 

**Tip: If your skillet isn’t that big, you might have to cook the sausage in two batches, two at a time. You don’t want to crowd the skillet or else they won’t brown properly.**

Heat a griddle, along with 4 egg molds, over medium high heat. Once hot, grease each with cooking spray. Crack a large egg into each mold and cook until the whites have set and no longer clear. Season with salt and pepper, and then carefully remove the molds. Flip the eggs over and cook on the second side to cook the yolk somewhat through. 

**Note: You don’t have to cook the yolks through if you prefer them runny, but for this sandwich, I like them cooked through since that’s how they real ones are sold.**

**Note: If you don’t have egg molds, you don’t have to use them at all, but I like that perfectly round shape. If you want to grab some molds, I got these from amazon and I love them!**

Split the english muffins in half and then place them on a baking sheet. Lay a slice of cheese on the bottom half of each muffin. Bake for about 5 minutes, just to toast the bread and slightly melt the cheese. 

**Note: I’m using American cheese for this because that’s how they’re sold, but if you’re really adverse to it, feel free to use cheddar or whatever cheese you like!**

Remove from the oven and place a sausage patty on top of each slice of cheese, and then an egg. These sandwiches don’t have any sauce because I like eating them with ketchup, but feel free to slather mayo or some kind of aioli on them if you’d like. 

Place the top half of the english muffins on and serve warm right away. 

 
These are great if made ahead and eaten throughout the week. Just allow them to cool off, and then wrap in wax paper. Place in the fridge for up to 4 days or place the wrapped sandwiches in a large freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. 

 
I’ve seriously been obsessed with making these on Sunday and keeping them in the fridge for breakfast throughout the week. It’s so easy and delicious! If you want to be more healthful about them, you can use whole wheat english muffins, swap out the pork for ground turkey instead, and use all egg whites! 

Sausage Egg and Cheese English Muffins

The Classics: Sausage Egg and Cheese English Muffins are a great breakfast to keep in the fridge or freezer all week, and then just grab, reheat and go!

Servings 4 sandwiches

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Ingredients

Sausage:

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Sandwiches:

• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 large english muffins
• 4 slices American cheese

Instructions

• In a large bowl, mix together the sausage, sage, thyme, brown sugar, salt, pepper, fennel, red pepper, garlic, and paprika, until evenly combined. Divide into 4 even portions, and then shape into thin large patties. They'll shrink and get thicker when they cook.
• Heat a large skillet, with the oil, over medium-high heat. Once very hot, plate the sausage patties in and cook for 2 minutes, flip over and continue to cook for another 2 minutes until golden brown on both sides. If your skillet isn't big enough, you'll probably need to cook them batches. Transfer to a plate, cover with foil and keep warm.
• Heat a griddle over medium-high heat, place 4 egg molds on and heat through until hot. Grease each center and sides of the molds with cooking spray. Crack an egg into each mold and cook until the whites are firm, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Once the eggs have set, carefully remove the molds, and flip over each to cook on the side side, about 2 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Split the english muffins and place on a baking sheet. Lay a slice of cheese on each bottom and bake for about 5 minutes to toast the muffins and melt the cheese slightly. Remove from the oven and then lay a sausage patty on top of the cheese, and then an egg. Sandwich together with the top bun and serve immediately, or let cool and then wrap in wax paper and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also place the wrapped sandwiches in a freezer food storage bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Enjoy!

Author: The Candid Appetite