-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      
 INSTAGRAM BUTTON    PINTEREST BUTTON    FACEBOOK BUTTON       
----------------------------------

recipe | a simple and filling weekend breakfast




Weekend breakfast has become a bit of a special tradition in our home. Typically, I am up early with the baby, Calvin close behind. Sometimes we sneak downstairs and begin making breakfast while their daddy sleeps and other times the whole family is involved. One of us whipping up pancakes and eggs while our toddler is perched on the counter "helping", while the other juggles a baby and grabs ingredients. 

Our go-to is usually a whole wheat pancake recipe that includes oats and minimal sugar. But lately, I've mindlessly grabbed a pound of breakfast sausage here and there to keep on hand for our weekend breakfast. I was glancing through the pantry and came up with this recipe. 

This is a chop-chop, throw in the oven, sizzle-in-a-pan sort of recipe. It really comes together pretty quickly and is best served hot. I like to add heaping amounts of chopped up fresh sage both part way through cooking and at the very end for an extra kick because I love the flavor. The sweet potatoes add the perfect texture of softness and touch of flavor along with the onions. I put them in early so they'll caramelize. Toward the end of sizzling sausage, I actually like to take it out of the pan and soak up the grease, rinse the pan and wipe it down and then continue cooking. That may seem like a lot of work, but I prefer less greasy texture in this dish and that's how I accomplish it. Just before taking the sausage mixture off of the stove, I throw in extra sage and drizzle with maple syrup. I like to heap spoonfuls into a bowl and top with a fried or poached egg. 

Take this recipe and do with it what suits your taste. Maybe a different herb or roasted butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes. Perhaps you like your onions crunchy instead of caramelized. That's the beauty of a breakfast like this. You get to use creativity and taste for a cozy morning meal.






Ingredients: 
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
Olive oil for drizzling 
1 lb. breakfast sausage
1 large onion, thinly sliced 
1 handfull fresh sage
1 T. maple syrup (more or less to taste)
4 eggs, cooked however you prefer (really, any way is great. My favorite is poached or fried.)


Preheat oven to 400 F
Spread sweet potatoes on foil-lined baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a fork easily pierces the cubes. 
Cook the breakfast sausage in a deep skillet on medium-high. After about 5 minutes, add the onions. Let them sizzle together until sausage is almost finished. I like mine very brown and onions very caramelized. 
If you'd like, take this time to drain off the grease and wipe down the pan. Return sausage and onions to the pan and turn back to medium-high heat. Toss in most of your fresh sage and drizzle in maple syrup.
Throw a couple of eggs on another skillet and cook to your preference. 
Mix sweet potatoes into sausage mixture, add the rest of the sage and pile high into bowls. 
Top with egg, seasoned with salt and pepper.