This reduced calorie breakfast sandwich delivers high on flavour, is great to keep in the freezer for a quick, hot and hearty brunch. No one will know they’re calorie controlled, so don’t tell ’em!

Who doesn’t love a fast-food breakfast muffin? But the commercial ones come in at up to 480 calories, so to me they’re just not worth it!  And those eggs….are we really sure they’re really real eggs?

They are delicious though, so I set out to find a reduced calorie solution, and was inspired by Chrissy Teigen who describes this as hubby John Legend’s favourite breakfast sandwich recipe. Ms Teigen published the original recipe in her book Cravings: Recipes For All the Food You Want To Eat.

In my low calorie version, you don’t even need to get a chopping board dirty – made with mostly pantry staples, I make up a batch and freeze them for a grab and go anytime brunch. Just a minute’s defrost in the microwave, and they’re ready to cook.  At 282 calories, or 332 if you like to add a slice of cheese, these are a delicious calorie controlled version of a popular classic.

Put the minced pork into a roomy bowl. Grate the onion straight onto the pork (you can finely chop it if you like, but this gives you more “crunch” in the final product, and I prefer it to be smoother).

Then add the Swerve brown sugar, garlic powder, thyme, red pepper flakes, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Finally add the spoon of oil.

Mix it all together with your hand – but don’t over-mix. You just need to make sure all the spices are well distributed, and that the sugar doesn’t stay in any lumps like it tends to want to do. Don’t make it into a smooth paste, keep it recognisably mince.

Next separate the mixture into lumps – I find 65g is a perfect amount. Then gently press together and roll each portion in your cupped hands. 

Roll the mixture in your hands, pressing gently, but not too much. When it feels like it’s just stuck together, flatten the ball between your palms, and shape it roughly into a 2.5 to 3inch diameter patty, less than 1cm thick. If you’re freezing some (and I highly recommend you do – they’re so useful to have on hand), lay them between strips of parchment paper and pop them in a freezer bag.

Now for the sandwich… Cut the english muffins in half and pop them in the toaster.  Warm a non-stick frying pan, and put the patties in on one side of the pan on a medium heat. You don’t need any oil – the small amount added to the mix is plenty!  Turn after a minute or two, and cook the other side. They’re thin, so they don’t take long to cook through. After another minute turn again.  

Now add 8 sprays of fry-light, or whatever spray oil you prefer to the other side of the frying pan, and crack in two eggs, trying to keep the whites from spreading too far (think about the size of the muffin, and try to keep it close)

Turn the patties again whilst the eggs are cooking, till they’re nice and brown on both sides. When the eggs are done to your liking (we like them easy over), it’s time to assemble.

Place a square of cheese (if using) on one half of the toasted muffin, add the patty, add the egg and top with the other half of the muffin. You don’t need to butter the muffin, even Hubs who is a confirmed butter lover agrees it’s not necessary!

I’m not a fan of cheese, so mine comes to a grand total of 282 calories. If you’re a cheese fan like Hubs, then yours will be 332 cals. Well worth the calories!!

RECIPE:  Sausage and Egg Breakfast Muffin 282 cals

Ingredients

Makes 11 patties (some to eat now, the rest for freezing)

• 600g lean minced pork
• 150g onion (2 small onions) grated
• 1 1/4 tablespoons swerve brown sugar substitute
• 1.5 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (add an extra half teaspoon if you like heat)
• 1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly milled black pepper 
• 1 dessertspoon vegetable oil

To serve two people:

• 2 English muffins
• 2 medium fresh eggs
• 2 slices of cheese (optional)
• 8 sprays of Fry light or cooking spray

Method

• In a mixing bowl, add minced pork, grated onion, brown sugar substitute, garlic powder, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and oil.
• Mix with your hand to distribute all the ingredients and ensure no lumps of sugar remain. Do not over mix
• Divide into 65g portions
• Roll and flatten each portion in the palm of your hand, shaping into a 2.5-3inch patty less than 1cm thick.
• If freezing, place the patties between parchment paper and place in a freezer bag. To use them later, defrost for about 1 minute (probably less) in the microwave before cooking.
• To prepare, split and toast the English muffins
• Place the patties into a warmed non stick frying pan on a medium heat. No need for added oil, the oil added to the mix is sufficient. Turn after a minute. Turn again.
• Add 8 sprays of fry light or four 1-second sprays of cooking oil to the other side of the frying pan. Carefully break in two eggs, trying to keep the whites from spreading too far so that they fit nicely in the muffin.
• While the eggs are cooking, keep turning the patties till they’re nice and brown on both sides and cooked through. 
• When the eggs are cooked to your liking, assemble the sandwiches.
• Put the bottom of the muffin on a plate, place the cheese slice next, then the patty. Top it all with an egg, then put the muffin lid on last.

Calories: without cheese 282cals. With cheese 332 calls

Note: based on English muffins at 140 calls which is the lowest available to me, you may be able to find lower ones. Also, you may choose to use “light cheese slices”, but when the whole sandwich is this low in calories, you don’t need to!

Patty = 79 cals. Muffin = 140 cals. Cheese = 50 cals. Egg = 63 cals