Sausage Pancake Muffins

Back when I taught in a private school, there were mornings when I didn't eat breakfast. I'd run through the McDonald's drive-thru on the way and pick up a McGriddle sausage sandwich. It was a sweet and savory combination that I really enjoyed. But the amount of sodium and the other unhealthy ingredients soon led me to make the decision to stop eating them. And did anyone besides me ever wonder how they got those little syrup "spots" in the sandwich part?

Goodbye, McGriddles! What could I eat instead?

I experimented with several different recipes to try to recreate those tasty breakfast sandwiches. The best alternative I've found is not a sandwich but a muffin. Well, a pancake in the form of a muffin. Because I didn't want to lose the "grab and go" aspect of the McGriddle.

I took my family's favorite pancake recipe, halved the ingredients, added some sausage and maple syrup and there it was! The perfect sweet and savory breakfast all in one little muffin!

Here's what you need:

1 cup flour
2 TBSP sugar
1 teas baking powder
1/2 teas baking soda
1/4 teas salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
2/3 cup milk
2 TBSP real maple syrup
2 TBSP melted butter
1 cup cooked sausage, crumbled

In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, maple syrup and melted butter. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined. Add the sausage and stir again.

Divide the batter among 9 greased muffin cups. Don't use paper liners because the paper will stick to the muffins and be terribly difficult to peel off. Just grease the muffin tin VERY well with butter or olive oil. Also, pour a little water into the empty muffin cups if you're using a 12-cup pan. This keeps the pan from warping in the heat of the oven.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean.

Carefully remove from the muffin tin. I take a toothpick and loosen the edges of the muffins, then lift them out with a spoon. If desired, drizzle with a little more maple syrup.

These freeze well, too. Just allow to cool completely, then place in a Ziploc bag to freeze. To reheat, allow to thaw in the fridge. Heat for 20 seconds in the microwave or for a few minutes in the oven. Of course, all this is assuming they last long enough to freeze.