Delicious Homemade Breakfast Pastries

This handheld breakfast treat flips traditional sausage gravy and eggs into an easy-to-carry meal that hits all your morning food cravings. The buttery scratch-made crust wraps around thick country gravy packed with breakfast sausage chunks and fluffy scrambled eggs for a filling kickstart to your morning.

I whipped these up while hosting a big family get-together where everyone woke up at different times. They turned out to be such a favorite that my college-age nephew begs for them whenever he comes to visit now.

Ingredients

• Breakfast sausage: Gives that bold meaty taste and makes the fat base needed for your gravy
• All purpose flour: Makes the gravy nice and thick so it stays put inside your pastry
• Milk: Forms the smooth, velvety foundation of your country-style gravy
• Seasoned salt: Packs multiple flavor notes into a single shake
• Black pepper: Adds that must-have spicy kick that goes so well with sausage
• Rosemary and sage (optional): Punch up that breakfast meat flavor if you want something extra
• Eggs: Add good protein and that breakfast feel we all love
• Shredded cheese: Gets all gooey on top for extra yumminess
• Everyday seasoning from Trader Joe's: Ties everything together without any fuss
• All purpose flour: Creates the base for your tough yet flaky outer shell
• Salt: Perks up every taste in your dough
• Vegetable shortening: Makes those flaky bits while keeping everything intact
• Butter: Adds that yummy taste while helping create those crispy layers
• Egg: Sticks everything together and makes the dough richer
• White vinegar: Makes your crust tender by stopping the gluten from getting too tough
• Cold water: Pulls the dough together without turning your fats to liquid

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prepare the sausage gravy:

Cook your sausage in a big skillet over medium high heat for 5 to 7 minutes until you notice some crusty bits forming. Smash it up with your wooden spoon while it cooks so you get even browning and tasty bits all through your gravy.

Create the roux:

Leave all that tasty fat in the pan and dump the flour right on your cooked meat. Keep stirring for 2 to 3 minutes to get rid of that raw flour taste and make a smooth mix that'll thicken up perfectly with no clumps.

Develop the gravy:

Slowly pour in your milk while using a flat bottomed whisk to mix it all up without clumps. Turn down to medium low and keep stirring as it gets thicker over about 4 to 5 minutes until it's a spreadable mix that doesn't run everywhere.

Season the gravy:

Take it off the heat and mix in your seasoned salt, black pepper, and herbs if you're using them. Your gravy should be a bit thicker than normal since it's going inside pastry.

Prepare the eggs:

In another pan, scramble your eggs but leave them a little soft since they'll keep cooking inside the pastry when you bake everything.

Make the pastry dough:

In a big bowl, mix flour and salt, then cut in your shortening and butter until everything looks like rough crumbs with little pea-sized chunks scattered around.

Bring the dough together:

Mix one egg, vinegar and cold water in a separate bowl, then pour it all into your flour mix at once. Stir just until it forms a dough, but don't work it too much or it'll get tough.

Roll and cut:

On a floured counter, roll half your dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut it into 3x4 inch pieces, making sure you have matching pairs for tops and bottoms.

Assemble the poptarts:

Put your bottom crusts on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush the edges with egg wash. Drop a big spoonful of scrambled eggs and sausage gravy in the middle, leaving some space around the edges.

Seal and finish:

Slightly stretch your top crust and place it over your filling. Press the edges down with a fork to seal everything inside. Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with seasoning or cheese before they go in the oven.

Bake to golden perfection:

Cook in a 375°F oven for 25 minutes until they're golden brown and hot all the way through.

Cool briefly:

Let them sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before eating so the filling can set up a bit and won't burn your mouth.

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I got the idea for these from my grandma who always cooked up sausage gravy on Sundays. She felt breakfast needed to be filling and special, and these pop tarts are my updated take on her down-home cooking style.

Make Ahead and Storage

You can put these breakfast pop tarts together and stick them in the freezer before baking. Just arrange the ready-to-bake pop tarts on a cookie sheet, freeze them solid, then pop them into freezer bags. When you're ready to cook them, just add about 5 extra minutes to the baking time, no need to thaw them first.

Flavor Variations

Try a southwest version by mixing in some chopped green chiles and pepper jack cheese with your filling. The mild heat works great with the thick gravy and eggs.

Serving Suggestions

These savory treats go really well with some fresh fruit or a small green salad for a complete brunch meal. The sweetness from the fruit balances out all those rich flavors nicely.

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These pop tarts take some time to make but they're totally worth the effort. Dig in and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

→ Can I make these breakfast pop-tarts ahead of time?

Absolutely! You can put these together and stick them in the freezer uncooked. Just arrange them on a tray until they're solid, then pop them into freezer bags. When you're ready to cook them, just add a bit more time in the oven. You can also bake them all the way, keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days, and warm them up in your toaster oven later.

→ What can I substitute for breakfast sausage?

You can swap in ground turkey, chicken, or veggie meat alternatives with some sage, thyme, and a touch of maple syrup to get that breakfast sausage taste. If you don't eat meat, sautéed mushrooms and onions work great as your filling base.

→ How should I store leftover breakfast pop-tarts?

Let them cool down and put them in a sealed container in your fridge for up to 3 days. When you want one, heat it in a toaster oven or regular oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes till it's hot all the way through. To keep them longer, freeze them with parchment paper between each layer.

→ Can I use store-bought pie crust instead of making the dough?

Sure thing, ready-made pie crust works in a pinch. But the dough made from scratch makes a stronger pocket that doesn't leak filling. If you go with store-bought, watch your baking time since it usually browns faster.

→ What other fillings work well in these breakfast pastries?

These pockets are super flexible. Try some ham and cheese with spinach, bacon with scrambled eggs and cheddar, or go meatless with roasted veggies and goat cheese. Just make sure any meat is cooked beforehand and stay away from really wet stuff that might make your pastry soggy.

→ Why does the recipe call for vinegar in the dough?

The vinegar does two big jobs in your dough. It stops too much gluten from forming, so your crust stays tender. It also bubbles with the other stuff to make tiny air holes that grow when baking, giving you those flaky layers everyone loves. Don't worry about the taste—the vinegar completely disappears when it bakes.