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Feb 22, 2021

Loaded Breakfast Muffins

These loaded breakfast muffins are the perfect grab-and-go packages of breakfast deliciousness. 

Loaded Breakfast Muffins





I'm super excited about these muffins. I like to make a dozen of them, wrap them and freeze them, and then defrost and reheat them one at a time as needed to have a ready made breakfast for a busy morning. 

These muffins include breakfast sausage, cheese, eggs, and spinach. Plus, instead of sugar, these muffins are slightly sweetened with chopped apple. Protein, veggies, and fruit! Kind of like an omelet in a muffin. 


Loaded Breakfast Muffins on a cake plate




To make these muffins, you will first need to cook breakfast sausage and then cook three cups of baby spinach until it has wilted. 

For the sausage, I used sausage links that I cooked and then cut into small slices. You can also cook bulk breakfast sausage, which you break up as you are cooking it. Once you've cooked the sausage, add the spinach to the pan and cook it until it is just wilted. 

These muffins also include a pile of freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese. Who doesn't love cheese? 

The surprise ingredient in these muffins is chopped apple. You can go with tart or sweet apples. I used Envy apples in these muffins, which added a faint sweetness. I'm looking forward to trying these with Granny Smith apples. 



Loaded Breakfast Muffins in a basket




The recipe for these muffins calls for buttermilk. 

Substitutions for buttermilk:


If you don't have any buttermilk on hand, or if you are tired of buying a full quart of buttermilk and then tossing out most of it, you can create your own buttermilk by combining a cup of milk and a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. 

Another option is to keep some powdered buttermilk in your fridge or freezer. Just whisk the powdered buttermilk into the flour mixture and substitute water for the buttermilk in the liquid buttermilk. 

The final option is to freeze leftover buttermilk. If you are using buttermilk for baking, this solution works perfectly. Just be sure to divide it into small portions so that you can thaw "just enough." 

The batter for these muffins pretty much fills the cavities of a muffin tin. 



Loaded Breakfast Muffin batter in the pan





I used a cookie scoop to portion the dough into the cavities of a muffin tin. I didn't use paper muffin liners to make these muffins. Instead, I sprayed a muffin tin generously with spray oil. 

To remove the muffins from the muffin tin, be sure to use a thin knife to slide along the sides of the muffin cups to release the muffins. 

If you use paper liners, be sure to spray them with spray oil. Otherwise, the cheese will stick to the paper. 



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Welcome to this month's Muffin Monday, hosted by Stacy of Food Lust People Love. On the last Monday of every month, we post muffin recipes. Be sure to check out everyone's muffins. 




Loaded Breakfast Muffins with sausage, cheese, spinach and apple




Loaded Breakfast Muffins

Loaded Breakfast Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins
Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories
These loaded breakfast muffins are the perfect grab-and-go packages of deliciousness.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 8 ounces uncooked breakfast sausage
  • 3 ounces baby spinach 
  • Cooking spray
  • 9 1/2 ounces (2cups) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/4 cupsvbuttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2/3 cup finely diced apple
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped scallions

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a 10 inch frying pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. 
  2. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to let cool. 
  3. Heat your oven to 375 degrees F with a rack in the middle. 
  4. Spray a 12-well muffin pan with cooking spray. 
  5. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. 
  6. In a medium bowl, melt the butter in the microwave and allow to cool to room temperature.
  7. Add the buttermilk and eggs to the butter and whisk until combined. Pour the mixture into the flour mixture and mix with a rubber spatula until just combined. Add the cooked sausage and spinach mixture.
  8. Sprinkle the batter with the cheese and apple. Fold until just combined. 
  9. Divide the batter with an ice cream/cookie scoop among the muffin wells; they will be very full. Sprinkle with the scallions.
  10. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. 
  11. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around each muffin to loosen, then transfer to the rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
muffins
Breakfast
American
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This recipe was adapted from The Kitchn



Would you like to comment?

  1. These really are like an omelet in muffin form! The perfect grab and go breakfast.

    ReplyDelete
  2. These definitely are loaded! I love the tip about freezing buttermilk. I keep a bag of plastic ice cube trays for freezing small amounts of things, like tomato paste and basil pesto. Freeze, pop them out and add to a ziploc.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Sue. I got tired of tossing out leftover buttermilk and found out you can freeze it!

      Delete
  3. They are great and delicious! perfect on the go as well as with a salad!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a perfect grab and go breakfast. Thanks Karen.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ohhhh yumm! You packed so much good stuff in there! My son gets tired of the various heat and eat breakfasts I make ahead for him, this would give him something new to try.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is delicious loaded breakfast muffins I need to try it.

    ReplyDelete

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