One Happy Place

Sausage, egg, and cheese on an english muffin has been done. Isn’t that what most of the world pictures in their mind when someone says “breakfast sandwich”? Thanks, McDonalds. Well, the version I am showing you guys today isn’t a far stretch from the original concept but it sure improves it.

The sausage is homemade with spices you likely have on hand (anyone have 6 canisters of poultry seasoning from Thanksgivings past? and uses from ground chicken that is of course, much leaner than using pork. Instead of a simple slice of melted cheese, this sandwich arms itself with a cheddar cheese crisp. It adds a really great texture to what otherwise would be a whole bunch of soft sandwich. Feel free to switch up the egg cooking style on this one–it’s totally up to you. I personally was in the mood for a sunny-side up egg but go scrambled if you want–less messy and just as amazing.

Little changes and small improvements to the original really make all the difference in the kitchen. Speaking of which, my fridge has been broken for the last couple of weeks and has been freezing everything in it. I got an almost new hand-me-down today and I can’t tell you how happy I am. Imagine that–a fridge that doesn’t freeze. The little things, I’m telling you!

INGREDIENTS (makes 2 sandwiches)

For the chicken sausage:
8 ounces ground chicken (mixture of white and dark meat, if possible!)
1 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the cheese crisps:
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

Remaining sandwich ingredients:
2 eggs, cooked to your preference (shown sunny-side up but scrambled also works well!)
2 english muffins, toasted

DIRECTIONS

1. In a mixing bowl, combine ground chicken and sausage spices. Be very gentle and do not over-mix. I suggest using your hands for this task.
2. Divide the sausage mixture into two thin, rounded patties. In a non-stick skillet (if needed, you can use a touch of olive oil), cook the sausage patties until cooked through over medium heat. Set cooked patties on a paper towel and set aside.
3. Wipe out the non-stick skillet with a paper towel. Over low heat, take half the grated cheese and place into the skillet in a round shape. Cook until crispy and easily removed from skillet onto a paper towel to drain. Repeat for second crisp. [Side note, I make the cheese crisps one at a time because I use my favorite tiny skillet (here!) to make all the components of the sandwich. This is by no means necessary but I love how perfect round everything comes out.]

4. Cook eggs to liking.
5. Toast english muffins.
6. Assemble sandwiches with sausage patties, eggs, and cheese crisps onto toasted english muffins.

The printable recipe is below! Enjoy this one guys.

For all of you that follow me on instagram, you probably get the distinct impression that eggs are my favorite food. Truth is, they really aren’t. I simply quite enjoy eggs for breakfast. Since I am inflicted with that wonderful responsibility of (kind of, completely, and desperately) needing my day job, an early morning breakfast is really my time to cook, photograph in non-crappy light, and share my creations.

Therefore, you’re going to see a whole lot of eggs and a whole lot of breakfast in general. Hey, I’m a believer in embracing what we are capable of and trying to be the best at it–so, I am a self-proclaimed egg expert. One of these days when I figure out how to have copious amounts of money drop into my bank account magically and consistently–I’ll post every freaking meal of the day.

I am a huge fan of breakfast/brunch egg dishes that you can easily cook for multiple people at the same time. Sometimes I feel like the only way to make a fresh egg breakfast for more than one other person is to put one of those super tall paper chef hats on and do the hotel make-your-own-omelette thing.

These eggs in cheesy clouds all cook at once and are all effortlessly and perfectly cooked at once. It’s a fancy looking dish accompanied by a truly not difficult recipe. I feel the need to point out that there are only two ingredients–four if you include the chives and black pepper for garnish. You whip the dickens out of the egg whites, fold them with nutty gruyere cheese, drop the yolks in, bake them for a bit, and finish them with showers of black pepper and fresh chives. They are like a cheesy, puffy miracle–whatever that is. Also, side note, they look absolutely magical. 

Ingredients
6 whole eggs, separated (the fresher the eggs, the better!)
1 cup grated gruyere cheese
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
2. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper and spraying with non-stick spray (I used coconut oil spray but please use whatever you have on hand!)
3. While oven pre-heats, set out one small prep bowl and one medium mixing bowl. Separate each egg and place the yolks in the small prep bowl and the whites in the medium mixing bowl. (I know this picture shows 7 yolks when the recipe calls for 6–I was afraid I would later pop one because I’m klutzy–so I separated an extra one. Don’t judge me)

4. Using a hand mixer, starting on low speed, whisk the egg whites while moving in a circular and even motion. Slowly increase speed to high over the next two minutes. We are looking for soft peaks–there is truly no set time on how long this whole process takes–it took me 4 minutes of mixing after reaching my high speed to get these soft peaks. Let these photos guide you on what you’re looking for. Soft peaks means that when you make a little dollop shape in the whites with a spoon and move away, it stays for a few seconds before slowly falling.

5. To bowl of whipped egg whites, using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the grated cheese.

6. Using a large metal spoon, divide the cheesy egg white mixture into 8 large dollops onto your lined, greased baking sheet. Using the spoon, create a deep well in each dollop.

7. Using your fingers, ever so gently, take the egg yolks that you’ve set aside, one at a time, and set it into each well.

8. Bake for 10 minutes or until egg yolks have just set. This timing, for me in my climate and with my oven, resulted in a medium-done egg yolk. Trust your eyes and gut on this one! When the clouds are done, they will be golden brown and the egg yolks will me lightly cooked and still runny.

9. Generously sprinkle the finished clouds with the fresh chives and black pepper before serving.

I hope you all love this one as much as I do!