School mornings. What can I say? They can be hectic or they can be calm and there is no real way to tell until 7:00 in the morning. It usually looks like this:
5:30- Becky to the gym. I get up & do a little work.
6:30- We start to hear kids moving around.
7:00- Our oldest comes out of his room, dressed & ready to go. We wake up the other three.
7:10 – here is the pivotal turning point. Either the kids were ready to get up and it is a fast transition, or they are still tired and we have to go back into their rooms ten times trying to coax them out of bed. (Reminder- they go to bed early, around 7:00 pm).
Once they are downstairs, we have 40 minutes to have them ready to walk out of the door. They have to be dressed, have their teeth brushed, be prepared with their things and have a full belly. We stopped giving them just carbs in the morning (like toast, etc…) and started making sure that they have at least one protein in their meal before they head off to school. Our youngest son doesn’t eat lunch until 1:00, so we need his stomach to be full & his mind to be ready.
Yes… a satisfying breakfast can be an easy and fun part of the morning routine. With school year schedules in full swing, we are all met with busy mornings and busy schedules, but we need to fuel our bodies to get the most out of our days… kids are no different.
Becky and I started buying Johnsonville Fully Cooked Breakfast Patties (at the request of Beau, our 8 year old). Since then, all of the kids are eating it in the morning, so it solves our dilemma of time (it’s ready in 40 seconds) and protein (5 grams per patty which equals 10 grams per serving). They like the links, too. Links are easy to prepare and perfect for little hands in the kitchen.
The best part is that we can make it into a recipe and the kids help. They make exactly what they want in these mini egg muffins. Becky and I have been making these with the kids on the weekends and we LOVE them. So do the kids. We just heat them up in the morning, they are quick, taste great and they store well. (Full disclosure: they don’t last more than two days in our house, so I can’t tell you how long they actually store, but they taste great on day 2)
RECIPE FOR SAUSAGE EGG MUFFINS (makes 12 muffins)
- 1 package of Johnsonville Fully Cooked Breakfast Patties
- 8 whole eggs
- 1/4 cup of milk
- 1 cup of cheese (your favorite or a blend)
- 2 peppers (I use a mix of bell peppers)
- 1/2 an onion
- 1 Tablespoon fresh Basil (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
- muffin pan
Begin by pre-heating your oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is warming up, you can start cutting your peppers and onions into 1/4 inch pieces. Then sauté them in a pan for about 10 minutes or until the onions become translucent.
The kids will also enjoy this. It is a great way for them to have a little fun with vegetables…see their pepper mustaches.
Next add your eggs, milk, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl and whisk together. (This is one of Ethan’s favorite things to do. There is something about cracking eggs that he just loves.) It is also a good time to grate your cheese if needed.
The next step is to cut your Johnsonville Fully Cooked Breakfast Patties into 1/4 inch cubes.
Once all the ingredients are prepared, you are ready for assembly. Start by adding a spoon full of your pepper and onion mixture to the bottom of you muffin pan. Then add your Johnsonville Fully Cooked Breakfast Patty cubes and sprinkle your cheese on top of the sausage. Last, add your egg mixture to the top of the muffin pan. (see assembly below)
Then place the muffin tim on the middle rack in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the egg has cooked through.
You can eat them while they are warm, or save them for in the morning. They also make a great after school snack for the kids.
ENJOY!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Johnsonville. The opinions and text are all mine.
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