sausage – The Pajama Chef

Layered sweet potato and sausage scrambled egg muffins to make your mornings better! These little treats are so flavorful and delicious. They're toddler approved and freeze great!

Sweet Potato + Sausage Scrambled Egg Muffins

April 16, 2018April 12, 2018 Sarah

Layered sweet potato and sausage scrambled egg muffins to make your mornings better! These little treats are so flavorful and delicious. They’re toddler approved and freeze great!

Little man takes his breakfast to school most days. Along with being a time-saver (hello, we leave the house at 6:45 am), food is also the ULTIMATE distraction in toddlerland. I just can’t bear to leave him when he’s grabbing at my leg and wailing. #theworst So… food it is! (Heaven help us on the days I go in late. Seriouslyyy it.is.so.sad.) He is always psyched to sit down at the little table with his pals and dive in to some breakfast.

As with everything when you’re busy, making things ahead is KEY for success. Or at least, less stress. HA! Lately I’ve been making a big batch of scrambled egg muffins on the weekend for little man to enjoy for breakfast at school. We usually pair a muffin for him with some fruit or a quarter of these homemade applesauce waffles (that I also make in batches and freeze). This obsession started with a ricotta egg muffin recipe I found (will share THAT recipe soon, I promise!) and escalated into these tasty treats.

I seriously adore everything about these scrambled egg muffins. They’re layered, similar to a breakfast casserole, but instead of a bread base, I roasted up some sweet potatoes with lots of yummy herbs. Then I cooked some sausage, crumbled it over top of the sweet potatoes, and poured the egg mixture over everything. Top with cheese, bake, and enjoy. SO easy. You could make these with your kids… that’s what I did! My little guy had so much fun filling up the muffin cups with all the ingredients (I did pour the egg mixture but he did everything else–including helping me whisk the eggs). Since my son is still pretty young I did let the sweet potatoes and sausage cool before he handled it, but he had a blast helping his mama in the kitchen. Lately he’s going through a bit of a picky eater phase, but I really believe he’s been enjoying these scrambled egg muffins so much because he helped make them! It’s the sweetest thing. Hope you guys enjoy these as much as we do!

one year ago: Lentil Veggie Mac & Cheese
two years ago: Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Bars
three years ago: Butternut Squash and Mushroom Tart
four years ago: Oatmeal Fudge Bars
five years ago: Neely’s Lemon Pasta Salad
six years ago: Pineapple Apricot Teriyaki Chicken
seven years ago: Chicken Pot Pie

Sweet Potato + Sausage Scrambled Egg Muffins

Servings: 12
Time: 60 minutes
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Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound)
1 1/2-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence (or other dried herbs)
8 ounces breakfast sausage
10 large eggs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used Gruyere)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Dice sweet potatoes into small one inch cubes, then toss with oil and herbs. Place on a single layer on a large baking sheet, then roast in the oven for 30 minutes until soft, tossing once or twice.

Meanwhile, cook sausage and drain grease.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and Dijon mustard.

Grease a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray, or line with silicone liners.

When sweet potatoes are cooked, divide between muffin wells. Top each with crumbled sausage, then pour egg mixture on top. Repeat until ingredients are gone–amounts may vary slightly, as my silicone muffin cups are a little small. Top with cheese, then bake for 22-25 minutes until set.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Also freezes great!

Breakfast, Recipes, Waffles

SRC: Loaded Cornbread Waffles

November 20, 2016November 19, 2016 Sarah

Cornbread waffles filled with cheese, peppers, and onions are loaded with sausage, tomatoes, a creamy avocado spread, and a fried egg for an impressive brunch like no other! This is a fantastic restaurant-worthy dish that’s easy to make at home. You’ll be sure to love it!

Cornbread waffles filled with cheese, peppers, and onions are loaded with sausage, tomatoes, a creamy avocado spread, and a fried egg for an impressive brunch like no other! This is a fantastic restaurant-worthy dish that's easy to make at home. You'll be sure to love it! #secretrecipeclub

I can’t believe I’m writing my LAST Secret Recipe Club post! So sad. But I’m glad the club is going out on a good note…it was a good run, guys! And this month, I had a GREAT SRC assignment. I was assigned to choose and make a recipe from April’s blog, Home Sweet Homestead. April lives in the great state of Indiana [YAY I still love Indiana even though I now live in Tennessee]. She always is making lots of delicious recipes that her carnivore husband loves while still accomodating her food allergies. I’m always impressed by her creativity and innovation in the kitchen. It was hard to narrow down the list, but I eventually decided to choose between the following: Swedish Meatballs, Fish & Chips, Peanut Butter Quinoa Protein Balls, Chicken Fried Chicken, Apple Pie Breakfast Quinoa, or Loaded Cornbread Waffles. I think by the title of this post you can figure out what recipe I chose, but MAN was it hard to decide. I guess I had frying things [even though I rarely do that] and quinoa on the brain when I browsed her blog… and I chose neither, ha.

Cornbread waffles filled with cheese, peppers, and onions are loaded with sausage, tomatoes, a creamy avocado spread, and a fried egg for an impressive brunch like no other! This is a fantastic restaurant-worthy dish that's easy to make at home. You'll be sure to love it! #secretrecipeclub

For those of you who know me, you know I’m a breakfast fiend so when I saw loaded waffles I said, “sign me up!” April’s original recipe is gluten and egg-free, but I just used my regular all-purpose flour and an egg because that’s what I had on hand. I’m sure the original recipe is wonderful too! It’s been a long time since I’ve made waffles so I was glad to dust off my waffle iron for this delectable meal! It is absolutely perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. No matter when you serve it, everyone is bound to enjoy this savory take on waffles. [Unless you don’t let them, like poor #BabyVolde below.]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BM_3wzvAdMr/

There is so much good stuff in and on these cornbread waffles. Though loaded dishes are super popular at restaurants, I rarely order them because usually the base [fries, tortilla chips, potato soup, etc.] is soggy and/or bland and the dish itself isn’t very healthy. While I won’t say this is the healthiest breakfast or brunch on the planet, it’s better than some–and these waffles are certainly NOT bland or soggy. 🙂

Cornbread waffles filled with cheese, peppers, and onions are loaded with sausage, tomatoes, a creamy avocado spread, and a fried egg for an impressive brunch like no other! This is a fantastic restaurant-worthy dish that's easy to make at home. You'll be sure to love it! #secretrecipeclub

The waffles are filled with peppers, onions, cheese, and garlic and are the crispiest, heartiest waffles I’ve ever made at home! That’s the cornmeal for you! They truly DO deserve that cornbread title. These aren’t cornmeal waffles; they are cornbread in waffle form. Yum. In terms of toppings, I took a slightly different route than April–I added some ground sausage and a fried egg to the mix. But don’t forget April’s fresh toppings! These waffles wouldn’t be the same without the creamy avocado spread, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, or sour cream. I suggest using all these toppings but feel free to use what your family will enjoy. 🙂 No matter how you make them, they are sure to be great!

Cornbread waffles filled with cheese, peppers, and onions are loaded with sausage, tomatoes, a creamy avocado spread, and a fried egg for an impressive brunch like no other! This is a fantastic restaurant-worthy dish that's easy to make at home. You'll be sure to love it! #secretrecipeclub

Thanks, April, for a great recipe. And thank you to everyone who has been a part of the Secret Recipe Club–it’s been fun and tasty, guys! 🙂 I’ll miss checking out posts every Monday but look forward to other blogging events in the future.

one year ago: Simple Teriyaki Chicken
two years ago: Chaider
three years ago: Pizza Frittata
four years ago: Lemon Herb Eggs in Ciabatta
five years ago: Honey Whole Wheat English Muffins
six years ago: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Loaded Cornbread Waffles

Servings: 3
Time: 60 minutes
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adapted from Home Sweet Homestead

Ingredients:

for avocado spread

1 avocado
2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
juice of 1/2 a lime
salt

for waffles and toppings

1/3 to 1 pound ground sausage
1/2 bell pepper – approximately 3/4 cup, finely diced
1/4 onion – approximately 1/4 cup, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled
freshly ground black pepper
chopped tomato, for topping
cilantro, for topping
sour cream, for topping
1 egg per person, for topping
shredded cheddar cheese, for topping

Directions:

In a bowl, mash avocado. Mix in cilantro, lime juice, and a sprinkle of salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

In a large skillet, brown ground sausage. You’ll only need about 1/3 pound for 3 servings, but you could make a whole pound and have leftovers–this is what I did!

When cooked through, remove sausage to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

In the same skillet, add peppers, onions, and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened.

Meanwhile, prepare waffle batter. In a medium bowl, stir togehter flour, cornmeal, and baking powder. In a measuring cup, whisk together milk, cheese, egg, and butter. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and stir gently to combine. Fold in softened vegetables and a healthy amount of freshly ground black pepper. Batter should be thick but still able to be poured, so add a little extra milk if its too thick. I ended up adding a bit TOO much milk so I had to add another tablespoon of cornmeal too.

Cook batter in your waffle iron according to manufacturer instructions, until crisp and golden brown. Batter should yield about 3 waffles.

While waffles are cooking, fry one egg per person using, you guessed it, the same skillet as before! Scrambled eggs would also be delicious–or no eggs too if that’s what you prefer.

Top each waffle with a smear of avocado spread, sausage, chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro, cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and a fried egg. Enjoy!

Be sure to check out all the other SRC recipes linked up today below!

Breakfast, Main Dishes, Meat, Pork, Recipes

Sausage and Ranch Potato Skillet with Fried Eggs

September 10, 2014December 14, 2015 Sarah

This easy sausage and potato skillet is seasoned with a healthy herb ranch blend and topped with a fried egg, making it a perfect breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner! Delicious!

I love skillet meals! One dish meals are seriously my go-to for weeknights. Less courses=less dishes=less clean up=more time to read on the couch/bake pumpkin treats/watch tv/brush our little spoiled cats or anything else my little heart desires. Usually my skillet meals include rice, pasta, or quinoa, and cheese. Always cheese! But sometimes you want something a little lighter and fresher. Not that rice or pasta dishes can’t be light, but you know what I mean, right? For me, the key to delicious light meals is lots of flavor. Like ranch! Mmm, ranch dressing. Whoever invented that stuff was a genius!

A few weeks ago, on a whim, I made a batch of healthy herb ranch seasoning and used it for some roasted potatoes alongside a little breakfast-for-dinner meal with cheesy scrambled eggs, oatmeal scones, and berries. Not that you’ll NEED extra ideas for using this ranch seasoning [I think it’s going to become a standard addition to my pantry] but let me just say that ranch seasoning on popcorn is amazingggg! Mmm, it’s 8 am and I want some ranch popcorn. Haha.

Now, that meal was good…but I had visions! Visions of a ranch-seasoned skillet meal with crispy roasted potatoes, crumbled breakfast sausage, bell peppers, onion, garlic, jalapeno and a fried egg on top! Well, my fried eggs are actually over-easy eggs but same diff. 🙂 I am happy to report that this skillet was everything I dreamed it would be… a fresh, filling meal full of ranch flavor AND the best part was that it’s healthy! That’s why I used that ranch seasoning blend… all the flavors of a hearty, creamy ranch without tons of salt, sour cream, or mayo. To make the potatoes super crispy I roasted them in the oven with some of the ranch seasoning, then tossed them with the sausage and bell pepper mixture after everything was cooked. Don’t forget the avocado on the side… a bite of creamy, cool avocado alongside this spicy ranch-y skillet is just divine! Enjoy!

P.S. Don’t forget about my giveaway for Healthy Solutions Spice Blends! Ends Saturday! 🙂

two years ago: Peach Ginger Pie
three years ago: Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad
four years ago: Chili Burgers

Sausage and Ranch Potato Skillet with Fried Eggs

Servings: 4
Time: 30 minutes
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Ingredients:

1 pound red potatoes, cut into eighths [quarter, then half each quarter]
1 1/2 tablespoon ranch seasoning, divided [see below, or use your favorite]
cayenne pepper – optional
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound breakfast sausage
1 cup red onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced – optional
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 eggs
diced avocado, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss red potatoes in 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning, a sprinkling of cayenne, and olive oil. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until fork-tender. I like to bump the heat up to 475 for the last 5 minutes or so of baking to get a nice crispy crust.

While potatoes are cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon. Drain grease and return sausage to pan. Add onion, green pepper, red pepper, and jalapeno, if using. Saute for 10 minutes or until onions are soft. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Cover and remove from heat. When potatoes are done, add to skillet with sausage and vegetables and stir in remaining 1/2 tablespoon ranch seasoning.

Cook fried eggs to desired doneness, then serve a fried egg on top of each serving with diced avocado.

Healthy Herb Ranch Seasoning

Servings: 1 cup
Time: 5 minutes
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from Wildflour’s Cottage Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried chives
1 teaspoon dried dill
2 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar, optional
1/4 teaspoon dried minced onion, optional
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a Mason jar and shake to combine. Store covered until ready to use.

Can combine with 1 3/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt for a ranch dressing/dip; just mix well and thin with milk or buttermilk to reach desired consistency.

Linked up with Weekend Potluck.

Breakfast, Egg Dishes, Recipes

Lightened Up Cheesy Sausage Grits Breakfast Casserole

March 24, 2014March 25, 2014 Sarah

Since moving South, Ben and I have been exposed to many new things. From language [y’all] to restaurants [meat and threes] to just a slower pace [though Nashville isn’t quite as sloooow as other places in the South], life here is different. We love it here, but have become pretty proud of our Northern roots. Case in point: my birthday is coming up next month and I am begging Ben to get me a super sweet Indiana-shaped pendant necklace from an etsy shop. Gotta support Indiana from afar!! Though there are some areas/stereotypes of Southern culture that we don’t embrace, there is one MAJOR one that we do: the food! And what is more Southern than grits?

I actually [willingly] ate grits before moving to Nashville, but they are all over the place here, but these… oh my… THESE are the best I’ve ever had! It’s probably because they were made in the South. 🙂 I don’t think it was the cheese that helped, do you?

This breakfast casserole is a fun alternative to the traditional potato-based breakfast casserole. The leftovers fed us breakfast [and lunch and dinner] for days, which is absolutely wonderful for busy weekday mornings. Though it seems pretty funny to call this recipe “lightened up” because it’s so indulgent, it is light compared to many recipes.

Serve this casserole with fruit, potatoes, toast, or any other traditional breakfast sides and I can guarantee you this meal will be absolutely devoured, day after day! It is so good. Enjoy!

one year ago: Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd Filling and Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
two years ago: Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken
three years ago: Sweet and Spicy Peanut Soup

Lightened Up Cheesy Sausage Grits Breakfast Casserole [adapted from South Your Mouth]
click to print

Ingredients:

2 cups water
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups quick-cooking grits
1 pound breakfast sausage [regular or turkey]
6 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces skim milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
5 egg whites, beaten
3 eggs, beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring water and chicken broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in grits and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Brown sausage in a large skillet, breaking apart with a wooden spoon to crumble. Drain well and set aside.

Add cheese, milk, butter, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne to the grits. Stir until the cheese melts, then stir in sausage and eggs/egg whites.

Pour mixture into a 9×13 baking dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Time: 90 minutes [20 minutes active].

Yield: 16 servings.

Notes: 6 whole eggs can be used instead of the 5 egg whites/3 egg combo that I chose. To make ahead, prepare casserole as directed then cover and refrigerate overnight. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking as directed above.

Linked up with: Tuesday Talent Show.

Breakfast, Egg Dishes, Recipes

Sausage, Apple, and Egg Casserole

February 29, 2012June 10, 2015 Sarah

Happy Leap Day! Speaking of holidays, my family always has the same egg casserole, Easy Cheese Souffle, on Christmas morning. [Yes, I know it’s February, and I’m talking about Christmas. So what? And is Leap Day a holiday? I’m pretty sure it is, right?] It’s a pretty simple make ahead egg casserole dish–full of layers of cheese, eggs, and bread with a little bit of spice. There’s so much cheese in Easy Cheese Souffle that it rivals the eggs for prominence in the name. In fact, cheese is such an integral part of my Christmas breakfast experience that I have a hard time reconciling breakfast casseroles that include meat and do not include cheese. Even if I’m eating said egg casserole and it’s not Christmas.

So it came to me as a shocking surprise that I was drawn to this recipe for Sausage, Apple, and Egg Casserole.

No cheese? Whaaaaat?

Did I read that right?

I had to check myself from throwing some cheese in there out of habit when I was prepping it on a Friday night for Saturday’s brunch with friends. And you know what? I am so glad I didn’t add any cheese.

[Cue another “whaaaaat?”]

See, not adding cheese allowed the other flavors–bread, sausage, apples, eggs, onions, milk, and pepper–to stand out. And with only seven ingredients [and no cheese], everything had a chance to shine in every bite. The maple sausage added an extra level of wow to this dish, and it’s definitely going to be a keeper in my breakfast repertoire–even without cheese!

Question of the day ~ Are there certain recipes you feel just have to be so, like me and egg/cheese casserole?

Sausage, Apple, and Egg Casserole

Servings: 8
Time: 20 minutes prep + overnight resting + baking
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from The Brunette Foodie [blog disabled now]

Ingredients:

1 pound ground maple sausage
1/3 baguette, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup onion, minced
2 Gala apples, diced
1/2-1 1/2 cups skim milk
8 eggs
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Then, cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking the sausage as it cooks. Meanwhile, place the baguette cubes in a single layer in the baking dish, then evenly add onion and apple on top.

After sausage is cooked, drain grease then add sausage to baking dish. In a bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup milk and eggs, making sure that yolks break. Pour mixture over top everything else, and add up to 1 additional cup milk if needed. I used more of a softer baguette [which is more like Italian bread], but if you use a true baguette you probably won’t need the extra milk–mine just needed more moisture.

Top with some freshly ground black pepper, then cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and then bake, uncovered, for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown.