Getting Down with The Muffin Pan: French Toast Cups with Sausage and Apples

Ah, wonderful lazy Saturday mornings.  I love a Saturday morning with no plans, when you can get up whenever you want and if you feel compelled, cook up a sweet breakfast.  This Saturday I decided to get experimental with breakfast.  One of my most popular and most viewed post are my Bacon and Egg Toastcups.  Since you all seem to like these so much I decided to do another breakfast twist on the toastcup. 

I love french toast it has to be one of my favorite breakfast items.  If I am given the choice between french toast and pancakes, french toast wins every time hands down.   A traditional French Toast is made with stale french bread.  In France, French Bread is Pain Perdu which means “Lost Bread”, referring to stale bread.  Instead of waisting the bread and throwing it away, they would dredge it in an egg mixture to soften and fry it in butter.    

Then of course to go with the Fall season I though that apples and sausage would be a great compliment to French Toast.  I will be honest and tell you that I have never had apples and pork.  I think it is a very American dish and it wasn’t something that was prepared in my home when I was a kid.  However it seems to be a very popular combination so I thought I would give it a try.  I figured that if the entire blogosphere is raving about pork and apples, I should give it a try.

Everyone was right, savory sausage does go well with sweet buttery apples, and stuff them in a French Toast Cup and you are good to go.   I sat in front of the TV watching my Saturday morning cartoons, bobbing my head and humming with happiness over my delicious breakfast treat.    This is what I do when I am excited and enjoying my food, bob my head and hum a happy tune.  Don’t you?…..No?  Don’t judge me.  

I think next time I will toss some chopped toasted pecans in with the mix and give it a bit of crunch. The great thing about these is you can make a dozen at a time and feed a small army of people.  They are great option for brunch or if you have to serve breakfast to some overnight guest.  Be careful though because they may not leave after you feed them these, they may just stay forever. BUAH..ha..ha..ha..ha!

Now if you don’t mind I think I must go dust off my elliptical machine and put it to some use.

Print Recipe

French Toast Cups with Sausage and Apples (6 servings)

FRENCH TOAST CUPS

• 6 slices of whole wheat bread
• 3 eggs
• 1 Tbs brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg

APPLES & SAUSAGE

• 1 cup diced apples
• 1 cup (8 oz) breakfast sausage
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 Tbs brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and butter a muffin pan. 

Using a cookie cutter, cut circles out of bread slices about 3 inches in diameter. (I do not have a cookie cutter so I use the lid to my tub of orzo pasta and just cut around the edges ;D)  Whisk eggs and spices together.  Dredge bread circles in egg mixture and remove any excess egg.

Press bread circles into the muffin pan, bake in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes, until brown.

While bread is in the oven prepare breakfast sausage.  In another hot skillet melt butter, stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.  Add apples to brown sugar mixture and cook until apples begin to soften and sugar mixture caramelizes.   Combine sausage and dripping with apples, stir.

When french toast cups are done, allow to cool for a few mintues, remove from pan using a knife to separate from the pan.  Fill french toast cups with apple and sausage mixture, drizzle with maple syrup and serve.

Knife and fork optional