“Mom, I’m still a little bit hungry.” Those are the exact words I hear after every meal, especially after breakfast.
Part of that is my fault. Our standard go-to before school meal is a store bought muffin. Calling it a muffin is a stretch, as it’s really more of a cupcake. Full of sugar and studded with chocolate chips, it’s no wonder that my son if left feeling hungry.
I know that is not the right way to start the day, but the mornings get a little crazy. Time is of the essence as we are on 2 different school schedules, and even worse some mornings my younger son swims before school. It takes just a couple seconds to put a store bought muffin on a plate, so that’s what I typically do.
The problem is that he’s burning calories like crazy because: 1) He’s a teenage and 2) He swims so much that his body is always busy trying to recover and restore. Clearly, he needs more than some white flour and sugar, but also something that is quick to prepare AND quick to grab and eat.
We’ve had quite a few swim meets that require us to travel. The thing about swim meets is that they start early. Sometimes my boys would have to be at the pool for warm-ups starting at 6am. It’s harsh, and increasingly difficult to manage while staying in a hotel. We always make sure to book a room at a hotel that has free breakfast in the morning, which is how my boys were introduced to biscuits and sausage gravy. While it is not the healthiest choice, a few bites of fat and protein can go a long way.
I set out to make something with similar flavors, but less fat and more protein. I started with lean chicken breakfast sausage from Whole Foods.
A buttery flaky biscuit is delicious, but not a good option for a breakfast with staying power. I swapped that out with a toasted whole wheat English muffin. Instead of a cream based gravy, I used a little flour to thicken up nonfat milk.
Cinnamon apples round this out with a little sweetness and vitamin boost. This is a quick prep to do on an evening, leaving the components separate. In the morning, just toast the English muffin, warm the sausage patty in the microwave, and top with the apples.
Both my kids loved these (one of them sans the apples), so I am definitely making the effort to have this prepped every couple weeks. A “little bit hungry” no more.
Ingredients
- 14 oz bulk breakfast chicken sausage
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 2 cups nonfat milk
- 1/2 tsp dried sage
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and sliced
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- English muffins
Instructions
- Form sausage into 8 thin patties.
- Cook 3-4 minutes per side in a nonstick skillet.
- Remove patties and keep warm.
- Add flour to skillet and a drizzle of olive oil if the pan is dry. (If greasy, don't add the oil)
- Scrape up brown bits and work flour into oil.
- Slowly whisk in milk until fully incorporated and add sage.
- Lower heat, add chicken patties, and let gravy cook and thicken.
- Season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Combine sliced apple with brown sugar and cinnamon.
- In a covered dish, microwave a couple minute on medium power until the apple is softened.
- Toast the English Muffin.
- Layer sausage patty, a spoon of gravy, and a couple apple slices on the toasted English muffin.
Notes
I cook the apple because my son can't eat raw fruit. It would also be good with crisp uncooked apple slices.
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