30-Minute English Muffin Breakfast Pizza Recipe You’ll Crave Daily

Oh my gosh, you have to try this English Muffin Breakfast Pizza – it’s my go-to lazy Sunday morning miracle! I stumbled upon this recipe when my hungry nieces slept over and I needed something fast, filling, and fun. In 30 minutes flat, you get golden toasted muffins topped with creamy sawmill gravy, fluffy scrambled eggs, sizzling sausage, and ooey-gooey melted cheddar. The best part? It’s completely foolproof. My teenage nephew even makes it himself now (though he always “forgets” to clean the gravy pan). Whether you’re feeding a crowd or just treating yourself, this breakfast pizza hits all the right notes – crispy, creamy, savory, and downright delicious.

Why You’ll Love This English Muffin Breakfast Pizza

Listen, I know breakfast can be a hassle—but this recipe? It’s a total game-changer. Here’s why you’ll be obsessed:

• Crazy fast: From fridge to table in 30 minutes flat. Even on sleepy mornings!
• No fancy skills needed: If you can scramble eggs, you’ve got this.
• That SAWMILL GRAVY: Creamy, peppery magic that makes everything better.
• Kid-approved: My picky eaters gobble it up like it’s actual pizza.
• Change it up: Swap sausage for bacon, add hot sauce—make it yours!

Trust me, once you try that crispy muffin base with melty cheese? You’ll wonder how you ever settled for boring toast.

Ingredients for English Muffin Breakfast Pizza

Here’s the beautiful part – you probably have most of this stuff in your kitchen right now! Let’s gather everything before we start. (Pro tip: I always measure my gravy ingredients first – that roux waits for no one!)

• 1 package English muffins – I use plain, but whole wheat works great too
• 8 eggs – room temp eggs scramble better, but cold works in a pinch
• 1 lb breakfast sausage – I prefer mild, but spicy gives a nice kick
• 8 oz mild cheddar cheese, thinly sliced – shreds work, but slices melt so beautifully

For the sawmill gravy: (this is where the magic happens!)

• 2 cups milk – whole milk makes the creamiest gravy
• ¼ cup sausage drippings – if your sausage didn’t render enough, just add butter to make up the difference
• ¼ cup flour – all-purpose works perfectly
• ½ teaspoon salt – start here, then adjust to your taste
• ¼ teaspoon pepper – freshly cracked black pepper is my favorite

See? Nothing fancy! Just good, honest ingredients that come together like breakfast magic. Now let’s get cooking!

Equipment You’ll Need

Okay, let’s talk tools! The beauty of this recipe is it doesn’t need anything fancy—just the basics that most home cooks already have. Here’s what you’ll want to grab:

• A trusty cast iron skillet – This baby makes perfect sausage and builds that flavorful gravy base with all those delicious drippings. (If you don’t have cast iron, any heavy skillet works—but the gravy just tastes better this way!)
• A non-stick skillet – For those perfect, fluffy scrambled eggs. Trust me, you don’t want to be scraping egg bits off your pan while everything else is getting cold.
• A baking sheet – Nothing special here, just something sturdy to hold those loaded English muffins under the broiler.
• An oven broiler – That magical top-heat setting that turns ordinary cheese into bubbling, golden perfection in minutes.

That’s seriously it! A wooden spoon, maybe a whisk for the gravy, and you’re set. No stand mixers, no fancy gadgets—just simple, hearty cooking the way Grandma would’ve done it (if Grandma liked breakfast pizza).

How to Make English Muffin Breakfast Pizza

Alright, let’s make some breakfast magic happen! I’ll walk you through each step like I’m right there in your kitchen with you (complete with messy apron and coffee in hand). Follow these steps and you’ll have golden, cheesy perfection ready before the coffee’s done brewing!

Step 1: Cook the Sausage

First things first – let’s get that sausage going! Grab your cast iron skillet (or any heavy pan) and crumble the sausage in there over medium heat. The key here is patience – let it get nice and browned, stirring occasionally. Those crispy bits add so much flavor!

Once it’s cooked through (about 5-7 minutes), scoop the sausage onto a paper-towel lined plate. Now here’s the important part – pour off all but ¼ cup of those glorious drippings. If your sausage didn’t render enough fat (sometimes the lean stuff is stingy), just melt some butter to make up the difference. Don’t toss those drippings – they’re liquid gold for our gravy!

Step 2: Make the Sawmill Gravy

This is where things get seriously delicious! Keep that skillet with the drippings over medium heat and sprinkle in the flour. Now comes the slightly meditative part – stir constantly for about 5 minutes until it turns a beautiful golden brown. This is your roux, and it’s the backbone of amazing gravy.

Here’s my trick: slowly drizzle in the milk while whisking constantly. I mean SLOWLY – like, pretend you’re pouring expensive champagne! This prevents lumps and makes silky smooth gravy. Once all the milk is incorporated, keep stirring as it bubbles and thickens (about 3-5 minutes). You’ll know it’s ready when it coats the back of your spoon. Oh, and taste it – add more salt and pepper if needed!

Step 3: Toast the English Muffins

While your gravy is doing its thing, pop those English muffins in the toaster or under the broiler just until lightly golden. We’re not making croutons here – just enough to give them some structure so they don’t get soggy under all that goodness. Split them first (obviously!), but don’t wander off – they’ll burn faster than you think!

Step 4: Scramble the Eggs

Time for the eggs! Heat your non-stick skillet over medium-low (trust me, low and slow makes the fluffiest eggs). Beat those eggs with a splash of milk if you like them extra fluffy (I do!). Pour them in and let them set slightly before gently pushing them around the pan with a spatula. The moment they’re softly set but still slightly moist (about 2 minutes), take them off the heat – they’ll keep cooking from residual heat.

Step 5: Assemble and Broil

Here comes the fun part! Turn your broiler on high and grab that baking sheet. Spread a generous spoonful of sawmill gravy on each toasted muffin half, then pile on the scrambled eggs. Add a slice of that cheddar cheese (it should drape over the sides beautifully), then sprinkle with sausage crumbles.

Slide them under the broiler for 2-3 minutes – watch closely! You want bubbling, slightly browned cheese, not charcoal. The moment that cheese starts to get those golden spots, pull them out. The smell will have everyone running to the kitchen!

Serve immediately while everything’s hot and melty. Warning: you might need to make a double batch – these disappear FAST!

Tips for Perfect English Muffin Breakfast Pizza

After making this recipe more times than I can count (hello, hungry family!), I’ve picked up some foolproof tricks to make your breakfast pizza absolutely perfect every single time:

• Taste your gravy! Before assembling, give it a quick taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Sawmill gravy should be nice and peppery – don’t be shy!
• Stick with non-stick for scrambling those eggs. No one wants to fight with egg residue when you’re hungry.
• Broiler babysitting: Stay close once those pizzas go under the broiler. They go from golden to burnt in seconds!
• Room temp eggs scramble up fluffier than cold ones straight from the fridge.
• Assembly line: Make all your components first, then assemble – it keeps everything hot and delicious.

Remember, even if something isn’t picture-perfect, it’ll still taste amazing. That’s the beauty of breakfast pizza!

Variations and Substitutions

Listen, rules were made to be broken – especially in the kitchen! Here’s how I’ve mixed up this recipe over the years when I’m feeling creative or just cleaning out the fridge:

• Meat swaps: Turkey sausage works great if you’re going lighter. For a Southern twist, crumbled bacon or even diced ham steals the show.
• Cheese adventures: That mild cheddar is classic, but pepper jack adds a nice kick. My Wisconsin cousins swear by Colby, and honestly? A mix is even better.
• Veggie power: Toss some sautéed mushrooms or bell peppers in with the eggs. Spinach wilts beautifully into the gravy too.
• Gravy hacks: Out of milk? Half-and-half makes it extra rich. No sausage drippings? Butter works just fine (though you’ll miss that meaty depth).
• Bread options: English muffins are perfect, but split biscuits or even thick toast slices work in a pinch.

My golden rule? Whatever you use, make sure it’s something you love. That’s how the best kitchen accidents happen!

Serving and Storing English Muffin Breakfast Pizza

Okay, let’s be real – these little beauties are best devoured immediately while the cheese is still stretchy and the English muffins have that perfect crisp-tender bite. I always tell my family “come to the table NOW” when these come out of the broiler – that melty cheese won’t wait!

If you must store leftovers (who are you, superhuman?), here’s how to keep them decent:

• Fridge: Cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. The muffins will soften, but the flavors still rock.
• Reheating: Skip the microwave unless you like rubbery eggs! Instead, pop them under the broiler for 2 minutes or toast in a dry skillet until the cheese re-melts.
• Freezing? Honestly, I don’t recommend it. The eggs and gravy get weird textures when thawed. This is a “make it fresh” kind of magic.

Pro tip: If you’re meal prepping, make and freeze the sausage and gravy separately, then assemble fresh muffins with scrambled eggs in the morning. My sister does this for her crazy early shifts at the hospital!

Nutritional Information

Now, I’m no nutritionist, but let’s be real – we all want to know what we’re putting in our bodies (even if we’re going to eat it anyway because it’s just that good). Here’s the general picture for one loaded English muffin breakfast pizza:

• Packing protein: Between the eggs, sausage, and cheese, you’re looking at about 25g protein per serving – enough to keep you full till lunch!
• Good fats: That sawmill gravy and cheddar bring some healthy fats to the party (about 28g total per serving).
• Carbs that count: The English muffin gives you about 25g carbs – not crazy, but enough to fuel your morning.

Important note: These are rough estimates that can swing wildly based on your exact ingredients. That organic whole milk and fancy artisanal sausage? Different numbers than the store-brand stuff. The cheese thickness, egg size, even how much gravy you slather on – it all affects the final count.

My philosophy? This is hearty breakfast fuel meant to be enjoyed, not stressed over. Everything in moderation, including moderation itself! Now pass me that second pizza…

Common Questions About English Muffin Breakfast Pizza

I’ve gotten SO many questions about this recipe from friends and family over the years – let me answer the ones that pop up most often! (And hey, if you’ve got one I didn’t cover, just shout in the comments!)

Can I use store-bought gravy instead of making sawmill gravy?

Oh honey, I won’t lie – homemade sawmill gravy makes ALL the difference here! That said, in a real pinch? A good-quality refrigerated sausage gravy (not the canned stuff, please!) will work. Just warm it up first so it spreads easily. But trust me – once you taste the real deal with those sausage drippings? You’ll never go back.

What’s the best way to reheat leftovers?

If you miraculously have leftovers (doesn’t happen often in my house!), skip the microwave unless you like soggy muffins and rubbery eggs. Instead, pop them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or toast them in a dry skillet until the cheese gets melty again. The English muffin won’t be as crisp, but it’ll still taste darn good!

Can I prep any components ahead of time?

Absolutely! Here’s my make-ahead cheat sheet:

• Sausage: Cook and crumble it up to 3 days ahead.
• Gravy: Make it 2 days ahead – it thickens when cold, so thin with a splash of milk when reheating.
• English muffins: Toast them RIGHT before assembling – they get stale fast.

Just scramble the eggs fresh – they take 2 minutes anyway!

What if I don’t have an oven broiler?

No broiler? No problem! Just bake them at 400°F for 5-7 minutes until the cheese melts. They won’t get those beautiful golden spots, but they’ll still taste incredible. Or get fancy with a kitchen torch if you’ve got one!

Can I make these vegetarian?

You bet! Skip the sausage and use butter for the gravy (add extra black pepper for flavor). Load up with sautéed mushrooms, spinach, or even meatless sausage crumbles. My vegetarian sister swears by adding a sprinkle of smoked paprika to mimic that meaty depth.

There you have it – all the burning questions answered! Now stop reading and go make some breakfast pizza magic happen!

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