After sweet success with converting my famous French Toast into muffins, I said to myself, "Self, if you can turn sweet French Toast into muffins, why not savoury Breakfast Casserole too?"
I love the idea of making breakfast muffins with bread instead of flour, because all the work has been done. I make a sausage breakfast casserole for Christmas every year, adding red and green peppers for the festive touch. I didn't have any peppers this time, but it turns out it's super easy, and super tasty to turn these into muffins. Now my hubby will be happy because unlike me who loves a sweet breakfast, given the choice he prefers savoury.
The only difference between breakfast casserole and these muffins is that everything is mixed together, instead of layered, making it easier. I also didn't bother to leave it in the fridge overnight, because really, this is about portability. Bake the muffins the night before, then wrap them individually when cooled and you have breakfast on the go.
You could very easily substitute cooked bacon or chopped ham for the breakfast sausage, depending on your taste.
Of course, if you're June Cleaver and get up at 5:30 every morning to make your children and husband a delicious home cooked breakfast (and if you can get them all up early enough to eat it), well, you'd probably prefer the casserole. But even so, you'd still get an extra 1/2 hour of sleep and maintain your greatest mommy ever status!
Hmmm... I wonder if my French Toast soufflé would work this way? That will be next!
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Breakfast Casserole Muffins
If you can make French Toast
Muffins, why can’t you make Breakfast Casserole Muffins? Loaded with protein,
they make a great portable breakfast that will hold you over until lunch.
Makes 12 muffins
1 lb breakfast sausage meat
or 1 pkg breakfast sausages, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped green onions, or
shallots
1/2 cup red and/or green peppers, if
desired
8 eggs
1 cup milk (skim or 1%)
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (or to
taste)
1 loaf
whole grain bread, cut into 12 slices (let slices dry out if possible)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
cheese
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray muffin
tin with oil.
Cook breakfast sausage meat, onions
and peppers, if using, together. If using sausage meat, when cooked through use
a potato masher to break down into uniform bites. Drain extra fat.
In a bowl, whisk together eggs,
milk, mustard powder, salt, pepper and hot sauce until combined. Add cubed
bread and stir until mixture is absorbed. Add 3/4 cup cheese and stir to
combine.
Divide mixture evenly among the 12
muffins. Tope each muffin with a sprinkling of cheese. Bake in centre of oven
for 25 minutes until browned and set.
Cool completely, wrap individually
in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag to freeze. To reheat frozen muffins,
remove plastic wrap and place in microwave on defrost setting for 1 minute.
