Savory Breakfast Muffins
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Our hearty Savory Breakfast Muffins, also known as “Bisquick Sausage Muffins” to some, are the perfect grab-and-go morning meal for a wholesome start to your day. They are a cornbread-type muffin with meat, eggs, cheese, and vegetables in them.
“Great flavor and perfect to fill the freezer so your kiddo can grab and go with a hearty option to catch the early bus! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️” -KViall
Why We Love This Recipe
- They are a great make-ahead breakfast recipe.
- Savory muffins aren’t sweet. The recipe is a fantastic option for those trying to minimize sugar in the morning.
- They are freezer-friendly. I make a big batch and freeze these in freezer bags.
- Savory muffins pair perfectly with a smoothie. A few mornings a week, I blend our Green Machine Smoothie, reheat a few of these muffins in the microwave (only takes 90 seconds), and pass them off as he’s heading out the door.
Ingredient Notes
- Cooking spray – Whether I’m making these Savory Muffins, our Pumpkin Spice Muffins, or our Breakfast Egg Muffins, I prefer to use avocado oil as my spray. It’s healthier than Pam.
- Medium-sized green or red pepper – The color really won’t affect the flavor much. Just use what you have!
- All-purpose baking mix – Really any all-purpose baking mix will work. We have homemade and gluten-free options in the cooking notes at the bottom of the recipe.
- Buttermilk – If you don’t have any on hand, you can make your own! Put 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup, then add enough milk to equal 1 cup. Stir well and let sit until it curdles, about 5 minutes. I use this for our Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits all the time.
- Butter – Did you know you can freeze butter? I always stock up in bulk and do this so I have butter on hand.
- Breakfast sausage – You can substitute this with chopped ham. I often swap out the meat in recipes like this or our Baked Omelette.
Variations and Substitutions
- Substitute the cooked sausage with diced ham.
- Use any color of bell pepper.
- Make them gluten-free (instructions for this in the recipe card).
How to Make Sausage Muffins
Prep
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray two over-sized muffin tins or one regular muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
Cook Sausage, Onion, and Pepper
Heat the oil in a medium-sized saute pan over medium-high heat until shimmery. Saute the onion and peppers for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Set aside.
Prepare Dry Ingredients
Whisk together the baking mix, cornmeal, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl.
Prepare Wet Ingredients
In another bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and butter. Stir in the sausage or ham, bell pepper, onion, and cheese to this wet mixture until combined.
Mix Wet & Dry Ingredients
Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir just until combined (do not over-mix).
Fill Muffin Tin
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling three-fourths of the way up.
Bake
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Muffins are done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans for a couple minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack.
Freezing Instructions
Freeze For Later: Bake and let the muffins cool completely. Then place in a single layer in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Squeeze out excess air and seal. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Prepare From Frozen: Wrap an individual frozen muffin in a moist paper towel. Microwave on high for 30-second increments until warmed through (usually about 1 1/2 minutes total).
FAQs
Crumbled and browned breakfast sausage (pork or turkey), cooked and crumbled bacon, or chopped deli ham would all work.
To avoid sugar, trans fats, and additives in a store-bought baking mix like Bisquick, try making your own with pantry ingredients.
To a food processor, add 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons cold butter. Pulse until combined and course crumbs form.
More Breakfast Recipes You Might Like
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Savory Breakfast Muffins
Our hearty Savory Breakfast Muffins, also known as “Bisquick Sausage Muffins” to some, are the perfect grab-and-go morning meal for a wholesome start to your day.
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil, divided
- 1/2 lb cooked, drained, and crumbled breakfast sausage (sub: 1 cup diced ham)
- 1 medium-sized green or red pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups all-purpose baking mix like Biscuit (see homemade and gluten-free options in Cooking Notes)
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk (see Cooking Notes)
- 5 tablespoons melted salted butter
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Prep Pan: Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
- Brown Sausage: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat until shimmery. Saute the sausage until browned, about 5-7 minutes, breaking it up into tiny pieces while it cooks. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
- Saute Veggies: Wipe out the pan. Add 1 tablespoon oil and heat until shimmery. Saute the onion and peppers for 4-5 minutes, until softened, seasoning with salt and pepper while they cook. Set aside.
- Dry Mix: In a large bowl, whisk together the baking mix, cornmeal, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Wet Mix: In another bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and butter. Stir in the sausage or ham, pepper/onion mixture, and cheese to this wet mixture until combined.
- Combine: Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir just until combined (do not over mix). Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling almost to the top.
- Bake: Bake for 15-18 minutes. Muffins are done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans for a couple of minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack.
Freeze For Later: Bake and let the muffins cool completely. Then place in a single layer in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Squeeze out excess air and seal. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Prepare From Frozen: Wrap an individual frozen muffin in a moist paper towel. Microwave on high for 30-second increments until warmed through (usually about 1 1/2 minutes total).
Notes/Tips
- To make this Gluten-Free, make the following alterations to the recipe:
- Replace all the Bisquick with King Arthur’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Mix (1:1 ratio).
- Reduce cornmeal from 1 cup to only a 1/2 cup
- Add an extra 1/4 cup buttermilk
- Add an extra 1 tablespoon butter
- Add 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- My tests showed that this gluten-free version bakes at the same rate as the normal recipe.
- Homemade Baking Mix: To avoid sugar, trans fats, and additives in a store-bought baking mix like Bisquick, try making your own from pantry ingredients. To a food processor, add 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons cold butter. Pulse until combined and course crumbs form.
Make 6 Grab-and-Go Breakfasts in 1 Hour!
- Shopping & equipment lists
- Step-by-Step instructions & video tutorial
- Serving suggestions & dietary substitutions & more
I just made these for the first time and really like them-but I felt the cornmeal came through really strong (not a huge fan of cornmeal). Has anyone adjusted with more bisquick and less cornmeal? Just wondering if it still gives proper consistency. Thanks!
Hi Megan. Thanks for the review. If you’re not a big cornmeal fan, you could try replacing some of it with whole wheat or all purpose flour perhaps. I would not add more Bisquick, since it has leavening agents in it and will mess up the ratios. Hope that helps!
Love these, and all your freezer meals! In fact, I’ve been making so many of your freezer meals that I’m running out of room in the freezer, which leads me to wonder…
How long would these last if stored in the refrigerator instead of the freezer?
HI Kelsey! They are best in the refrigerator for just 2-3 days… you could probably make it 4-5 days, but they might not taste as good. So fun to hear that you’ve filled your freezer up!
Absolutely LOVE this recipe and add so many veggies and spices. Perfect for drive-by eating of something healthy and delicious. I make this at least once a week for my husband and I. Thanks for sharing this excellent recipe.
So glad you enjoy this recipe regularly Patricia! Thank you for leaving a review.
We didn’t love this one. It has too much bread flavor and not enough “mix in stuff” flavor. It is a good a grab and go item. But when we have a sit down breakfast I add an over easy egg and more shredded cheese. If i make it again i will add more sausage and veggies.
Hi Michal. Thank you for your honest feedback. I do love that many of our grab-and-go recipes are customizable in what veggies/meat/cheese you choose and how much you use. Everyone’s preferences are so different.
Great flavor and perfect to fill the freezer so your kiddo can grab and go with a hearty option to catch the early bus!
Glad to hear these are helping your family with those busy mornings!
I’ve been spending way too much time, money and calories picking up fast food breakfast on my way to work. Taste great and love the texture. Glad I came across this recipe; it’s a keeper.
Thanks for leaving a review. So glad you found a keeper to help with cost, time, and quality of food! 🙂
I just made these for tomorrow morning, but realize I don’t know how to store them overnight! Can I refrigerate them or do I still need to freeze them? I hope you see this!
Hi Mel. Sorry we didn’t see this until now. Yes! You can absolutely refrigerate instead of freezing them.
Really good and a quick and healthier snack than a regular sweet muffin. I added deli ham extra sharp cheddar, a bit of red and green bell pepper with a seeded and deveined jalapeño and topped them with sliced scallions and a bit more cheese. Recipe made 16 regular size muffins- plenty to keep on hand for hot days this week and to stow a few in the freezer.
Thanks for sharing your additions, Gayle. I love the idea of adding in some veggies.
I made some substitutions based on what I had and what our family likes. Turned out really good. Here’s what I did:
-used turkey bacon bits
-added a cup of spinach to the sautéed onions
-substituted thawed hash browns for the cornmeal
Such great ideas! Thanks for sharing, Rebecca.
Easy to make and so good. My family has requested that I make these again soon.
Thanks for sharing your review, Kathy. Love to hear that these were a success.
Love these!!
Oh great!
I would like to try this recipe, however, I have to have gluten free. Do you think King Arthur All-Purpose Baking Mix would work? It is gluten free. If not, could I use gluten free Bisquick?
I haven’t tried it with a GF mix, but it sounds like it should work. Please let me know if you do, because I’ve got gluten-free myself and love these muffins!
Doesn’t say how many this makes?
I just updated the recipe. It makes a lot!
Love these!!! Have made them several times. So quick and easy and so delicious. Love that these can be made ahead and frozen. Pop them in microwave on busy mornings and they taste just the same as if I made them that morning.
Awesome, Melissa. Thanks for the review. You’ve motivated me to make these again for my family.
What is in the baking mix. Didn’t guite understand the directions. Sorry.
They look delicious and I can’t wait to make them.
Look for a generic baking mix like Bisquick, in the baking aisle. There are often all-natural versions of this in the health food section of a store.