Since breakfast is my favorite meal of the day it was only fitting that before March Meatball Madness came to a conclusion that we come up with a Breakfast Meatball.

I stumbled on this idea quite by accident.

When ALDI delivered my sister’s groceries, they inadvertently substituted frozen breakfast meatballs for frozen breakfast sandwiches.

Who knew such a thing even existed?!!

I mean we’ve all heard of sausage balls, but to incorporate French toast to the mix….brilliant!

Minimal ingredients and a very simple process make these French Toast Breakfast Meatballs a wonderful school or work day breakfast.

Of course no one would turn them down on the weekend either!

If you cook up a batch of Buttermilk French Toast over the weekend, save a couple slices to incorporate into your meatballs during the week or pop them into the freezer to pull out when needed.

The Meatball Ingredients

• For the meatballs I combined a pound of all-natural ground sausage
• An egg
• 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon of ground sage
• 1/2 of teaspoon of salt & pepper
• 2 cups of small cubed (1/4-inch) prepared French toast

The Process

• Roll the mixture into balls about 1 1/2″ in diameter. I made 32 meatballs.
• Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 400 degrees F. for 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and serve with warm pure maple syrup.

Growing up in New Hampshire made me a bit of a maple syrup snob.

Once you’ve had ‘real’ maple syrup there’s no turning back. Every year, just before spring, I buy my maple syrup from Ben’s Sugar Shack, located just a few miles from my hometown.

Their prices are reasonable, they ship quickly, their bottles are gorgeous, and their syrup is delicious!

Speaking of delicious :)

French Toast Breakfast Meatballs were definitely a hit! You totally get the French toast taste and feel, which makes them nice and soft with hints of cinnamon, but the combination with the sausage makes them savory and very juicy.

It’s a wonderful flavor fusion!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Libby with Lemony Thyme

French Toast Breakfast Meatballs have the French toast taste and feel, which makes them nice and soft with hints of cinnamon, but the combination with the sausage makes them savory and very juicy. It's a wonderful flavor fusion!

Course Breakfast

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

For the Buttermilk French Toast

• 6-8 slices french bread, sliced 1-inch thick you'll want 2 cups once cooked and cubed
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon butter for pan frying French toast

For the French Toast Breakfast Meatballs

• 1 pound all-natural ground sausage
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon ground sage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt optional
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper optional
• 2 cups 1/4-inch cubed prepared French toast see above

To Serve

• 1/2 cup warm maple syrup for serving

Instructions

For the Buttermilk French Toast

• In a shallow bowl, beat eggs with buttermilk and cinnamon. Dip bread slices in egg mixture, turning several times so they absorb some of the liquid. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Pan fry the dipped bread slices until golden brown on both sides. Cool slightly then chop into 1/4-inch cubes.

For the French Toast Breakfast Meatballs

• Preheat oven to 400° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine ground sausage with egg, maple syrup, sage, salt & pepper. Then mix in the chopped French toast until thoroughly incorporated. Make 1 1/2-inch diameter meatballs and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve with warm maple syrup.

The post French Toast Breakfast Meatballs appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

This dish is incredibly satisfying.

The mild Italian ground sausage is slow cooked with mushrooms, red wine and aromatics until the flavors melt together like your favorite comfort food.

It was that exact flavor profile that inspired this recipe, except it wasn’t a hearty rich Ragù I dreamed of, it was a pizza.

For as long as I can remember my favorite pizza toppings have been sausage and mushroom (very light on the tomato sauce please). The flavor combination is everything!

Our neighborhood gathering spot happens to be an Italian restaurant with a rich personal history.

But it’s the no-fuss comfortable feel we get sitting at the bar that makes this a favorite.

Pre-covid, almost every week Nick and I would choose a night to forgo cooking and belly up to the bar instead. We’d catch up with our favorite bartenders and other folks like us (the “regulars”), have a cocktail, and then we’d order dinner.

Flash forward to a couple weeks ago. After taking nearly a year off from dining-in we went for it. It was a Tuesday, the day had gotten away from us, and we just wanted to sit at the bar. And so we did. I ordered a martini, Nick a G&T and we sipped to our hearts content. For dinner I ordered a sausage & mushroom pizza (on gluten free crust…which is thin & crispy and I positively adore). I’m not sure if it was the nostalgic feeling I got from seeing some old familiar faces or the comfort of my cocktail and pizza toppings but I left Ipp’s inspired that night.

With all of that in mind, it is my intent with this recipe to make it as comfortable as a great slice of pizza (or dirty martini). These gorgeous on-the-vine cherry tomatoes called to me at the market. I knew it would be the perfect way to incorporate the tomato element to this dish without overpowering the Ragù. And since pizza was the inspiration, fresh mozzarella found its way into this giant bowl of love!!

/ comfort food /

noun

“a food that provides consolation or a feeling of well-being”

Because my intention with this dish was to deliver comfort, I served it two ways. Over Herby Polenta {with Smoked Gouda} and over tagliatelle pasta. Both family-style presentations were inviting and delicious and enjoyed by all.

Cheers to the weekend (or weeknight) when dinner is ready in under an hour and delivers familiar comfortable flavors. This Sausage & Mushroom Ragù will do just that. These cocktails will help.

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Sausage & Mushroom Ragù

Cheers to the weekend (or weeknight) when dinner is ready in under an hour and delivers familiar comfortable flavors. This Sausage & Mushroom Ragù will do just that.

Course Main Course

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For Ragu

• 3-4 Tablespoons olive oil divided
• 3 Tablespoons butter divided
• 1 pound mushrooms sliced
• 1/2 sweet onion about 1 cup fine diced
• 1 shallot fine diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 pound ground mild Italian sausage
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken broth divided
• salt & pepper to taste

To serve

• 2-3 bunches cherry tomatoes on the vine
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 4 servings Herbed Polenta or Favorite Pasta Polenta Recipe Link in Post
• fresh mozzarella or parmesan cheese
• fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

For Ragu

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespooon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Saute mushrooms in batches until golden brown. Adding additional butter and oil as needed. Remove mushrooms from pan and reserve.
• Saute diced onion and shallot until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add ground sausage to pan, using wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Cook until well browned and cooked through. Return mushrooms to pan and stir to heat through.
• Add red wine and cook until almost evaporated. Stir in tomato paste and 1/2 cup broth, mix well. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Add additional broth if needed to desired consistency.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400° F. Place tomatoes on baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes, just until tomatoes begin to burst.
• Prepare Herby Polenta or favorite pasta.

To serve

• Spoon ragu over a bed of creamy polenta or cooked pasta, topped with roasted tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella pieces or parmesan shavings. Garnish with fresh parsley.

The post Sausage & Mushroom Ragù appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I’ve just spent 30 minutes debating about what to call this latest Chili Masterpiece.  Something in me strongly protests anytime I want to use the words ‘Greatest’ or ‘The Best’ in a recipe title.  It’s very literal.

“How do we know it’s the best chili if we haven’t tried all chilis?”  Okay, fine.  Can we compromise and say that this is Our Best Chili Yet?  Agreed!  We’ve never experienced Chili even close to this unctuous vat of love.

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Our Best Chili Yet

Servings 8

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 lb. ground hot sausage we used Jimmy Dean Hot
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 1/2 red onion diced
• 3 jalapenos diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 soft beef bullion cubes
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups favorite tomato sauce we used Rao’s
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbl. cumin
• 1 Tbl. dark chili powder
• 1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. ground oregano

Instructions

• Brown ground beef and ground sausage in a Dutch oven until cooked through. Drain and reserve.
• Add onions, jalapenos and garlic to pan and sauté until tender. Season with beef bullion, water and remaining ingredients, including browned beef and sausage. Bring to a simmer and slow cook for 2-3 hours on stovetop or in slow-cooker.

The post Our Best Chili Yet appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

We found the nicest bag of jalapeños at our wholesale club on Saturday and decided to try our hand at making Jalapeño Poppers.  As we worked our way through the store we talked about how me might change them up.  We could stuff them with sausage, kind of like Stuffed Poblano Peppers.  I threw out a bacon wrap, but somehow doubling up on the pork….seemed wrong.

As we turned the corner we found ourselves staring at a giant display of Doritos.  Not something that finds it’s way into our buggy ever often.  But there they were.  What if we coated our poppers in Cool Ranch Doritos.  We must have been hungry.  It sounded brilliant.

From conception I envisioned baking these.  I stuffed them with a spicy browned sausage, scallion, and cheese mixture then did a flour, egg, Dorito encrustation.  As I got ready to put them in the oven a voice in my head said….you’re not going to fry them (with a mischievous tone)?  I pulled two off the baking sheet so we could have a comparison.

It seems the delicate Cool Ranch Dorito coating ;) was no match for a hot sizzling swim in oil.  Most of it ended up in the bottom of the pan.  We’ll share this creation as a Baked Cool Ranch Jalapeño Popper recipe, inspired by Emeril Lagasse. I’d like to say the Cool Ranch Doritos were the star, and while they added a nice crunch….they offered little ‘cooling’ effect to these spicy poppers.  I recommend an icy cold beer for that. What a fun twist on a great appetizer.

Recipe note:  Instead of cutting the jalapeño in half and seeding them, I cut 3 fourths the way around the stem, then make a cut down the full length of the pepper.  I then remove the membrane and seeds before filling.  ** Wearing gloves is recommended for this step.

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Cool Ranch Jalapeno Poppers

Course Appetizer

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 12 Jalapeños seeds removed
• 6 oz. ground sausage browned & drained
• 4 oz. cream cheese softened
• 4 oz. pepper jack cheese shredded
• 1 scallion thin sliced
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 bag Cool Ranch Doritos

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl combine browned sausage, cheeses, scallion, and spices. Mix until well blended. Fill each of the prepared jalapeños with 2-3 Tbl. of the sausage cheese mixture.
• Set up three small bowls. One for flour with chili powder. One for beaten egg. One for Doritos (begin with 2 cups crushed). Dip each of the filled jalapeños in flour, then egg, then dredge in Doritos; pressing to coat.
• Place coated poppers on prepared baking sheet, cut side up.
• Bake for 30 minutes until filling is bubbly and coating is golden brown.

The post Cool Ranch Jalapeño Poppers {just for fun} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers.

A picture is worth a thousand words….or at least the twenty or so it would take to describe each step of this dish.  I’m going to stick to the bare minimum and encourage you to finish the story with your own words (ingredients).

Brown 1/2 lb. ground sausage or ground beef and set aside.  Or sub black beans for a vegetarian version.  Add about two cups diced veggies to same pan and sauté until tender.

Add seasoning, we used cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, salt & pepper.

Also added scallions & cilantro.

Steam, then roast two ears of corn.  Cut off cob. (just 10 words for this one)

Add corn and browned sausage back to the veggie pan.  Then add 4 oz. cream cheese and 4 oz. shredded pepper-jack cheese.

Stir to combine all stuffing ingredients and adjust seasoning to taste.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Roast poblanos under broiler for about 10 minutes on one side, until skin has bubbled and begins to blacken.  Turn over and roast for another 8 – 10 minutes. Or flame roast over gas stove until charred on all sides.

Remove from oven and place in covered bowl for 10 minutes.  Skins will soften so you can peel them away gently.

Cut slits the length of the face of each poblano.  Gently remove seeds, then fill with stuffing.  Top with shredded pepper-jack cheese and bake for 20 minutes or so.

A picture is worth every moment it captures! These Stuffed Poblano Peppers are 1000 times better than I can describe.  Comfortable food…

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Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Course Main Course

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 4 Poblano Peppers
• 1/2 lb. ground sausage or sub 1 can black beans for a vegetarian version
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 carrot diced
• 1 jalapeno fine dice
• 2 ears corn roasted and kernels removed from cob
• 2 scallions thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves rough chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 6 oz. shredded pepper-jack divided

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Roast poblanos for about 10 minutes on one side, until skin has bubbled and begins to blacken. Turn over and roast for another 8 – 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place in covered bowl for 5d minutes. Skins will soften so you can peel them away gently.
• Brown ground sausage and set aside. Steam, then fire roast corn. Cut off cob and reserve.
• Add diced veggies to same pan and saute until tender. Add spices, scallions & cilantro.
• Add corn and browned sausage back to the veggie pan. Then add cream cheese and shredded pepper-jack cheese. Stir to combine all stuffing ingredients and adjust seasoning to taste. Set aside.
• Cut slits the length of the face of each poblano. Gently remove seeds. Fill with stuffing. Top with shredded pepper-jack cheese.
• Bake for 20 minutes, until browned and bubbly.

The post Stuffed Poblano Peppers appeared first on Lemony Thyme.