This homemade breakfast sandwich recipe is inspired by one of the few items on the Maccas menu that I enjoy - the Sausage & Egg McMuffin - but it has so much more taste.
A perfectly cooked, homemade sausage patty made from scratch, sitting on top of melted American cheese and topped with an egg, cradled between two English muffins. YUM!
The best bit: this quick breakfast almost certainly takes less time to make than the time it would take for a Maccas run!
What you need to make sausage and egg muffins
- Large frying pan, preferably non-stick.
- Toaster, ideally with a bagel or crumpet function that allows you to toast only one side of the muffin.
Sausage and egg muffin ingredients
- Mince - use whatever makes you happy - beef or pork; I prefer it with pork. Use 80/20 lean to fat mince so that there is sufficient fat to keep some juice in the sausage.
- Spice mix consists of salt, sugar, nutmeg, ground coriander, dried rosemary leaves, chilli powder, onion powder, garlic powder, white pepper.
- English muffins - perfect accompaniment; the best result is when you can set your toaster to only toast one side (the inside of the muffin).
- American cheese - melty American cheese is the go-to here, but if you can't find it or would rather use something else, go for it.
- Eggs
- BBQ sauce - optional; use the BBQ sauce of your choice to tie it all together.
How to make sausage and egg muffins
Add the spices to the mince - add all of the spice ingredients to the mince (1), and using a gloved hand, spoon or stand mixer with a mixing paddle, mix until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and the mince becomes emulsified (2). The easiest way to see you've mixed it enough is when it appears homogenous and you can't see any separate strands of fat.
Preheat oven to 80C - this is optional, but you can place cooked patties into the oven to keep them warm while you make the eggs (and bacon, if using).
Divide mixture - divide the sausage mince into 4 equal patties, around 125g each and roll into a ball (1). Place each portion on baking/parchment paper and then place more paper on top of it (2). Using a large pot or pan, press the sausage mince balls into a thin patty (3).
Cook sausage - heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. If you're not using a non-stick pan, add 1 tbsp of neutral oil. When the pan is warm, add however many patties as will fit into the pan without them touching. Cook for around 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through - the internal temperature should be at least 71C. Remove the cooked patties to a plate in the oven (if using) to keep them warm and repeat until all patties are cooked.
Cook eggs - if using eggs, crack them into egg rings, or just directly into the pan you cooked the sausage patties in. If you're not using a non-stick pan, add a little oil to prevent the eggs from sticking. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to the top of your eggs and cook to your liking. While the eggs are cooking, start on the muffins. Take care not to overcook the eggs.
Cook muffins - ideally toast only the inside face of the muffins; use the crumpet or bagel mode on your toaster if it has one. Repeat until all muffins are cooked.
Assemble & serve - place a slice of cheese on top of one of the muffin halves (1), followed by a sausage patty (2) and then an egg (3). Add some BBQ sauce if desired to the top slice of the muffin and then place that slice on top of the egg.
Tips
- If you want to add some bacon, it works well.
- The patties cook best when they're not too thick. Roll them into a ball and place between two sheets of baking/parchment paper and use a pan to flatten it.
- To set the top of the egg white, add a splash of water to the pan and cover it just before serving - the steam will set the top of the egg.
- Get more eggs (and height!) by cracking two into your egg ring.
- Use 80/20 mince where possible - it's the perfect lean to fat ratio for these patties.
- It's important to mix the mince thoroughly until it's emulsified. You'll know it's ready when you can't see separate strands of fat.
- If your toaster has a bagel or crumpet function, you can use it to toast only the inside of the muffin.
- Use the oven to keep the patties warm while you cook the eggs, bacon (if using) and muffins.
Can I use scrambled or poached eggs?
Absolutely. Typically I prefer scrambled or poached eggs, but I find fried eggs work better in this muffin. Do whatever makes you happy, or leave it out all together.
How to make this a more complete breakfast?
If you want more food, you could try having 2x sausage patties, bacon, a coffee and hash browns.
Can I make this ahead?
The sausage mince works well to make ahead. I typically make this and then cook them fresh each day. The sausage mince will keep in the fridge up to the use by date of the mince. Alternatively, you can reheat already cooked patties in a frying pan or in a microwave.
You can also freeze in flattened portions and cook straight from frozen. Because the patties are so thin, they will brown up and cook through without leaving the centre frozen.
English muffins?
English muffins work very well in this recipe - but if you prefer you can make the sandwich using slices of your favourite bread, or use a bread roll.
Sausage and Egg muffin
| Prep | Cook | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 5 mins | 10 mins | 15 mins |
- 500g mince 80/20 lean/fat, beef or pork is fine - see note 1
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp coriander powder aka ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/4 tsp chilli powder optional
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 4 English muffins
- 4 slices of American cheese or your favourite cheese slices - see note 2
- 4 eggs optional
- BBQ sauce optional
- Add the spices to the mince - add all of the spice ingredients to the mince, and using a gloved hand, spoon or stand mixer with a mixing paddle, mix until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and the mince becomes emulsified. The easiest way to see you've mixed it enough is when it appears homogenous and you can't see any separate strands of fat.
- Preheat oven to 80C - this is optional, but you can place cooked patties into the oven to keep them warm while you make the eggs (and bacon, if using).
- Divide mixture - divide the sausage mince into 4 equal patties, around 125g each and roll into a ball. Place each portion on baking/parchment paper and then place more paper on top of it. Using a large pot or pan, press the sausage mince balls into a thin patty.
- Cook sausage - heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. If you're not using a non-stick pan, add 1 tbsp of neutral oil. When the pan is warm, add however many patties as will fit into the pan without them touching. Cook for around 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through - the internal temperature should be at least 71C. Remove the cooked patties to a plate in the oven (if using) to keep them warm and repeat until all patties are cooked.
- Cook eggs - if using eggs, crack them into egg rings, or just directly into the pan you cooked the sausage patties in. If you're not using a non-stick pan, add a little oil to prevent the eggs from sticking. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to the top of your eggs and cook to your liking. While the eggs are cooking, start on the muffins. Take care not to overcook the eggs.
- Cook muffins - ideally toast only the inside face of the muffins; use the crumpet or bagel mode on your toaster if it has one. Repeat until all muffins are cooked.
- Assemble & serve - place a slice of cheese on top of one of the muffin halves, followed by a sausage patty and then an egg. Add some BBQ sauce if desired to the top slice of the muffin and then place that slice on top of the egg.
- Mince - use beef or pork mince, both work well. Aim for a 80% lean to fat ratio. As with a burger patty, the fat is what helps the sausage be juicy.
- Cheese - use American "cheese" if you can find it, as you'd typically use on a burger. If you can't find it, or prefer to use another type of cheese slice, do whatever makes you happy!
- Eggs - poached and scrambled eggs work well in place of the fried eggs if you prefer. If you like your eggs runny but want the whites set without flipping it, add a splash of water to the pan and cover for about 20 seconds for the steam to set the top of the egg.
- Serving size - the mince mixture can serve 6 comfortably for the unscaled recipe.
- Make ahead - the sausage mixture will be good in the fridge, up to the use by date on the mince. Store covered.
- Freeze - the sausage mixture freezes well - I portion into single serves and place freezer bags and then flatten. Doing this allows you to cook straight from frozen. I do not recommend freezing eggs as the texture is not great.
