Sausage Cheddar and Maple Muffins

I made these last night for today’s breakfast. It was tasty! It kinda reminds me of McDonald’s sausage, egg and cheese McGriddles without the eggs, but better and healthier. The inspiration came when I was looking to make breakfast muffins. I had a couple of sweet Italian sausages and cheddar cheese in my fridge. So I decided to make sausage and cheddar muffins. The maple syrup was added in at the last minute because I was thinking about how much I adore maple flavored breakfast sausages and voilà! Out came these muffins.

The maple syrup is not overpowering at all. It gives a nice subtle sweet flavor in the background. These would also be a wonderful addition if you were hosting a brunch, which I did today. But unfortunately, Nelson was on a strict no carb diet. But he had half of the muffin regardless because it’s that good. So bake some of these the next time you’re hosting a brunch!

Print this recipe

Ingredients:

2 sweet Italian sausage links (about 6 ounces), casings removed (you can use regular pork sausages for this)
a drizzle of olive oil for cooking

1 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
a handful of fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped (mine rendered about 3 teaspoons)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup of buttermilk
1/3 cup of olive oil
1/3 cup of good maple syrup

Preparation:

In a small skillet over medium high heat combine sausages and olive oil. Crumble sausages until lightly browned and cooked, about 5-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausages to a plate lined with paper towel. Set aside and let it cool.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease or line baking cups in the muffin pan.

Using a stand mixer (or mix by hand) combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cheese, parsley and sausages. Stir to combine.

In a medium bowl whisk together egg, buttermilk, olive oil and maple syrup. Pour egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just moistened.

Spoon batter into the greased or lined muffin cups and bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick/tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool slightly for 8-10 minutes in the pan before transferring them to the cooling rack.