Description
Hearty breakfast muffins layered with maple-fennel beef sausage, melted Gouda, crispy fried eggs, tangy pickled onions, and peppery maple butter. They are perfect for a filling weekend breakfast or brunch.
Ingredients
1 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp chilli flakes, optional
454g beef sausages, skins removed
2½ tbsp maple syrup, divided
10g chives, snipped and divided
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 Gouda cheese slices, or another preferred cheese
4 medium eggs
4 white English muffins, split
40g salted butter, softened
170g pink pickled onions, drained
Instructions
- Crush the fennel seeds and chilli flakes with a mortar and pestle. Alternatively, place them in a sealed bag and crush carefully with a rolling pin.
- Combine the crushed spices with the sausage meat, 1½ tablespoons maple syrup, half of the chives, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix thoroughly and shape into 4 equal patties.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage patties and cook for about 2 minutes on each side until deeply browned.
- Place one slice of Gouda on each patty. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook for another 2 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the sausage is cooked through. Remove and keep warm.
- Wipe any browned cheese residue from the pan and return it to medium-high heat. Crack in the eggs, season with salt and pepper, and fry for 2–3 minutes, until the whites are set and crisp around the edges and the yolks reach your preferred doneness.
- While the eggs cook, toast the split English muffins until lightly golden.
- Mix the softened butter with the remaining 1 tablespoon maple syrup and a little freshly ground black pepper. Spread the maple butter over the cut sides of the warm toasted muffins.
- Place one cheesy sausage patty on each bottom muffin half. Top with drained pink pickled onions, a fried egg, and the remaining chives.
- Add the muffin tops and serve immediately while hot.
Notes
For extra heat, increase the chilli flakes or add hot sauce when serving; omit the chilli flakes for a milder version.
Gouda can be replaced with cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack, or another good melting cheese.
Pickled onions can be replaced with caramelized onions, and fresh spinach, arugula, or sliced avocado can be added.
The eggs can be cooked until firm or replaced with scrambled eggs, especially for easier eating on the go.
Sausage patties can be shaped ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
For the best texture, serve immediately. Drain the pickled onions thoroughly and toast the muffins well to help prevent sogginess.
Store leftover cooked sausage patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. Reheat thoroughly and prepare fresh toast and eggs before assembling when possible.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Pan Fry
- Cuisine: British-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 breakfast muffin
- Calories: 690 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 1350 mg
- Fat: 43 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 245 mg
