VGP #25 Country Sausage and Cheese Muffins

I don't know what you're having for Christmas breakfast but we're having these! And grog, and hard-boiled eggs, and Aunt Janet's coffee cake, and Jenny's Christmas bread if Ed follows through and makes it like he says he's going to.

These muffins are amazing - a true meal-in-a-muffin! You got your cheese, your sausage, your onion & peppers, your egg and your buttermilk. And the other stuff (necessary details.) I got this from the muffin contest in Cook's Country magazine last year. There is a lot of prep involved, but I do it in stages the day before making them so I can throw it together easily at once. Then I usually freeze the muffins and microwave them for quick or on-the-go breakfast, but today we are having them hot and fresh from the oven. Yum-oh.

Happy Present-Opening-in-Your-Pajamas
and Merry Christmas!!!

8 oz. bulk sausage meat
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 T sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
6 T cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 oz. cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine
1/2 red onion, chopped fine
1 large egg
3/4 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease and flour 12-cup muffin tin. Cook sausage in nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking up meat until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towel lined plate and cool.

2. Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter, cheese, bell pepper, onion and cooled sausage in food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal; transfer to bowl. Whisk egg and buttermilk in measuring cup; stir into flour mixture until combined.

3. Spoon into prepared muffin tin and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in tin for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to rack. Cool 10 minutes longer; serve. Or cool completely and freeze for later.

Makes 12 muffins