Breakfast Bowls

My Venture into Breakfast Bowls
I love breakfast foods. In fact, I could eat breakfast foods at any meal – seven days a week. In Wichita, there is a burger chain called Spangles that serves "Breakfast Bowls." Love 'em! The recipe below is my take on their wonderful Breakfast Bowls. Enjoy – and happy cooking!

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Breakfast Bowls
(Printable Version)

3 cups Crispy Crowns (Tator Tots shaped liked small medallions)

Sausage Mixture:
1 TBSP oil
1 small onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ red bell pepper, finely diced (I ate the other half while I was cooking…sorry)
1 jalapeño, finely diced (optional but not very spicy when it is added in)
1 pound breakfast sausage
Salt and black pepper to taste

Scrambled Eggs:
1 TBSP butter
5 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste

About 1½ c. of shredded cheese (freshly grated always works best)

Preheat the oven for the Crispy Crowns (per the package instructions).

While the oven is preheating, chop all of the vegetables in preparation for cooking. Start heating a large skillet over medium heat with 1 TBSP oil.

When the skillet is hot, add the onions to the skillet. While the onions are cooking, add the Crispy Crowns to a baking sheet and bake per the package instructions. After the onions have cooked for 2 – 3 minutes, add the garlic, red bell pepper, and jalapeño (if using). Cook 1 minute longer. Add the sausage, breaking it up into smaller pieces as it cooks. Brown and drain. Reduce the heat to low to keep the sausage warm while the other items are prepared.

About 5 minutes before the potatoes are done, heat another small skillet over medium heat. Add the butter. After the butter has melted, add the beaten eggs and some salt and pepper. Scramble the eggs until they are barely firm.

Assembly:
Add the scrambled eggs and hot Crispy Crowns to the cooked sausage mixture and gently stir to combine. Add to individual plates or serving bowls and top with shredded cheese. Serve with toast or warm tortillas.

Want to Lighten it Up?
1) Use reduced-fat sausage. I normally use Jimmy Dean Reduced-fat Sausage.
2) Instead of using 5 whole eggs, try separating 2 eggs with 3 whole eggs (or all egg whites).
3) Use reduced-fat cheese. I normally use 2% cheddar that I freshly grate before adding it to the breakfast bowl. Don't go overboard on the cheese if you want to keep the calories to a minimum.
4) Use only about 2 cups of the Crispy Crowns (instead of 3 cups) to cut down on the calories, fat, and carb content.