Sausage and Egg Muffins with Spicy Tomato Ketchup

Sure, eggs and sausage sound like breakfast, but these hearty, messy, deliciously decadent sandwiches eat more like dinner—and that’s when I served them.

The real flavor key here? Homemade ketchup. Fresh tomatoes, a fresh hot chile, thick, rich tomato paste, a few spices and a little tangy vinegar add up to one scrumptious spread for the muffins. And it couldn’t be easier to make. Place everything in a pan, let the tomatoes cook down, then give it all a whirl in a food processor. (You’ll love the warm, cinnamon flavor.)

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 red Thai chile, finely chopped
• 1/2 lb compari or cherry tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp white sugar
• 2 tsp cider vinegar
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp cayenne powder
• sea salt
• 1/2 lb sweet Italian pork sausage
• freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil, for brushing
• 4 very thin slices pepper jack cheese
• 2 tsp unsalted butter
• 4 medium eggs
• 2 English muffins, split and toasted
• flat-leaf parsley leaves with tender stems, for serving

Ketchup Ingredients

Preparation

1. Place the chile and next 7 ingredients (through salt) in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a light simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook slowly until the tomatoes break down and the mixture is fairly thick, 20-25 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
2. Place the mixture in a food processor and process until pureed. Taste for salt, and stir in more if needed. Place the ketchup in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour (may be refrigerated 2-3 days).

Tomato Mixture Beginning to Cook 

Cooked Ketchup

Pureed Ketchup

1. Divide the sausage and form into 2 1/4-inch-thick patties. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the sausage patties until golden brown on the bottom, 4 minutes. 
3. Turn the patties over and top each with 2 slices of cheese. Cook until the cheese has melted and the sausage is just cooked through, 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and lay a piece of aluminum foil over the skillet to keep the patties warm while the eggs cook.

Sausage Patties 

Patties Beginning to Cook 

After Turning

Cheese Added

Cooked Sausage with Cheese

1. In another skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Crack the eggs into the skillet and lightly scramble until the whites and yellows are blended. 
2. When the eggs are almost set, divide them in half and fold over the ends of each to make pieces small enough to fit the muffins.

Crack Eggs into the Skillet

Eggs Almost Set

Folded Egg

Spread all 4 cut sides of the toasted muffins generously with the spicy tomato ketchup. Lay a sausage patty on each bottom half and top with eggs and parsley. 

Ready to Close

Close the sandwiches and serve right away.

Sausage and Egg Muffins with Spicy Tomato Ketchup