Vegetarian Egg Mcmuffin(healthier alternative to sausage egg mcmuffin))

Whoever made the rule that we could only order a sausage egg mcmuffin from Mcdonald's between the hours of 5-10 am were IDIOTS!! How on earth can I satisfy that craving at 3 pm when the damn drive thru lady won't let me order my favorite sandwich!! I guess it's just as well though, considering that if I could, I would probably be a 500 pound Asian woman...

On a much lighter note, I came up with this quick and easy copycat recipe so that everyone can enjoy this delicious sandwich ANY TIME OF THE DAY! It's also half the fat because I use an all veggie pattie that tastes pretty darn good, slathered in between a buttered up piece of english muffin. I have to admit though, that I will ALWAYS be a sucker for the sausage patty that Mcdonald uses for their Mcmuffin! At least with this recipe, you have the option of going healthier. You can omit the butter(can't see why you would want to),use fat free sharp cheddar cheese, use ALL egg whites, and even use fat free english muffins as a substitute! Although, I will warn you..I tried the fat free english muffins before and they don't taste very good! Nonetheless, how awesome is it that you can enjoy a favorite sandwich of yours with only half the calories?!? TRY THIS RECIPE...YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!!

Love Always,
Sav

You will need:

A tin food can with the top lid and bottom completely removed
one whole egg(or just egg whites if you wish)
one Morning Star veggie patty(original tastes the best)
an english muffin
slice of cheese(I like American)
butter
a large pot with lid to cover
cooking spray
some water

Crack your egg into a small bowl and lightly salt and pepper

Place your tin can into an ungreased and unheated non stick pot. Turn the stove up to medium-medium high heat. Put the lid on and allow the pot and can to heat up before adding in egg.

Spray the bottom of the tin can with some cooking spray. Carefully, drop in your egg. Add a little bit of water to pot(just enough to coat the bottom of pan). Put lid back on, and allow to cook for 5 min or so. Check your pot at least once during cooking time and add more water if it has evaporated before your egg is fully cooked. When your egg looks cooked but you still have more water in your pot, remove the lid and turn up the heat to high for a quick second, to allow your water to evaporate. Remove and set aside.

Follow the directions on the Morning Star package. You can choose which way you'd like to cook them. It should take a good 8-10 minutes.

Here's a picture of what the packaging looks like:

When your veggie patties are almost done, start buttering up your english muffins and place them buttered side down in a large skillet. Once they've browned, flip them over and place a slice of cheese on it and allow it to sit for about 10-15 seconds. Remove from heat.

Check on your veggie patties and remove them when they have fully cooked through. Now all that's left is putting it all together and well, do I really need to tell you how to do that?? :)

Homemade biscuits and gravy with crumbled up maple/brown sugar sausage links topped with crunchy bits of bacon.

For the biscuits you will need:

2 cups and 1/4 cup of cake flour
1 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of shortening
2 T of sugar
3/4 tsp of salt
2 1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1 cup of buttermilk(I sub this for 1 cup of whole milk plus 1 T of vinegar-let it sit for 5 min. to sour)
1/4 cup of melted unsalted butter(to brush the tops of biscuits before/after

For the gravy you will need:

1/3 cup of bacon grease
1/3 cup of all purpose flour
1 1/2- 2 cups of warm whole milk(start off with 1 1/2 then add more to control consistency)
2 T of butter(optional)
2 pinches of sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Optional: sausage links/1 pkg of bacon/ shredded cheddar cheese for the toppings!!

Place all your bacon in unheated cast iron skillet on medium-medium high heat. Cook until crispy. Drain on paper towels and reserve the bacon grease for later use.

On medium heat, add some bacon grease into skillet and add in your sausage links. I just hold the links over the pan and squeeze out the sausage to remove it from it's casing. Once browned, remove from heat and drain on paper towels.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in shortening with a fork. Add the buttermilk, adding a little at a time, stirring until fully incorporated.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead a few times. Roll out dough with a rolling pin starting from the middle, moving outwards, creating a circle that should measure out to a 1/2 inch thick. Cut biscuits using a 2 inch biscuit cutter.

Place your biscuits into a well greased cast iron skillet. Brush the tops with melted butter. Bake for 14-15 minutes...or until slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and brush the tops AGAIN with more melted butter.

How to make the Gravy:

Heat the bacon grease in a cast iron skillet. Add some butter(optional). Add in the flour and whisk until smooth. Slowly, add in the milk and bring to a small rolling boil. Reduce the heat to low to let simmer and stir it until it thickens up to desired consistency. If its too thick for you, add more milk...just start with 1 1/2 cups and gradually add more as you go along. Season with 2 pinches of sugar plus salt and pepper to taste.

This dish is sooooo bad for you...that I only allow myself to make it ONCE a YEAR! LOL. How I prepare it in the video is how my husband loves to eat it. Personally, I like to split the biscuits in half as soon as they come out the oven, and then DRENCH it in some honey...okay not some....A LOT OF HONEY, honey!! :)

Watch and see how I make this hearty and most satisfying dish at home!!