Tasty Homemade Breakfast Pastries

This handheld breakfast treat turns traditional sausage gravy and eggs into an easy-to-carry meal that hits the spot every morning. The homemade buttery crust wraps around velvety country gravy packed with breakfast sausage and fluffy scrambled eggs for an awesome way to kick off your day.

I whipped these up while hosting a big family reunion with everyone coming and going at different times. They were such a success that my college-aged nephew now begs for them whenever he comes to visit.

Ingredients

• Breakfast sausage: Gives that mouthwatering savory kick and creates the fat needed for your gravy
• All purpose flour: Makes the gravy thick enough to stay put without dripping out
• Milk: Forms the smooth, velvety base for your country gravy
• Seasoned salt: Packs multiple flavors into one simple ingredient
• Black pepper: Adds that must-have spicy bite that works so well with sausage
• Rosemary and sage (optional): Kick the breakfast sausage flavor up several notches
• Eggs: Add the protein punch and classic breakfast feel
• Shredded cheese: Gets all gooey on top for extra yumminess
• Everyday seasoning from Trader Joe's: Ties all flavors together without any fuss
• All purpose flour: Makes up the base of this tough but flaky outer shell
• Salt: Perks up all the tastes in your dough
• Vegetable shortening: Makes those flaky bits while keeping everything together
• Butter: Adds yummy flavor and helps create those flaky layers
• Egg: Holds the dough together and makes it richer
• White vinegar: Makes the crust more tender by stopping gluten from forming too much
• Cold water: Pulls the dough together without melting the fats

Simple Cooking Steps

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Cook the breakfast meat:

Get your sausage nice and brown in a big pan over medium high heat for 5 to 7 minutes until you notice crispy pieces forming. Break it up with your wooden spoon as it cooks so you get even browning and tasty bits all through your gravy.

Mix in the flour:

Keep all that tasty fat in the pan and toss the flour right on top of 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 just right with no clumps.

Pour in the liquid:

Add the milk little by little while stirring with a flat-bottomed whisk to avoid lumps. Turn the heat down to medium low and keep stirring as it gets thicker for about 4 to 5 minutes until it's spreadable and stays where you put it.

Add your spices:

Take it off the heat and mix in your seasoned salt, black pepper, and herbs if you're using them. The gravy should be thicker than normal since it'll be stuffed inside pastry.

Cook your eggs:

In another pan, scramble your eggs how you like them, but keep them a bit soft since they'll cook more inside the pastry while baking.

Mix up your dough:

In a big bowl, stir together flour and salt, then work in shortening and butter until you see what looks like small gravel with some pea-sized chunks throughout.

Finish the pastry mix:

In a separate bowl, mix one egg, vinegar and cold water, then pour it all at once into your flour mixture. Stir just enough to form dough, being careful not to mix too much which can make it tough.

Shape your dough:

On a floured countertop, roll out half the dough until it's 1/8 inch thick. Cut it into 3x4 inch rectangles, making equal numbers for tops and bottoms.

Put together your treats:

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

Top and close them up:

Gently pull the top crust a bit and place it over your filling. Press down the edges with a fork to seal them completely. Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with seasoning or cheese before they go in the oven.

Bake until pretty:

Bake in a 375°F oven for 25 minutes until the outside is golden brown and everything inside is hot.

Let them rest:

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

I got the idea for these from my grandma who always made sausage gravy every Sunday. She felt breakfast should be filling and special, and these pastries are my new take on her old-fashioned country cooking.

Prep In Advance

You can put these breakfast treats together and freeze them before baking. Just arrange them on a baking sheet, freeze until hard, then put them in freezer bags. When you want to bake them, add about 5 extra minutes to the cooking time without thawing first.

Tasty Twists

Try a spicy version by adding chopped green chiles and pepper jack cheese to the mixture. The bit of heat goes really well with the rich gravy and eggs.

What To Eat With It

These savory breakfast pockets taste amazing with some fresh fruit or a basic green salad for a full brunch spread. The fruit's sweetness balances out the rich flavors nicely.

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These pastries take some time to make but they're totally worth the effort. Dig in!

Frequently Asked Questions

→ Can I make these breakfast hand pies ahead of time?

Absolutely! You can put them together and pop them in the freezer uncooked. Just lay them on a tray until they're hard, then stick them in freezer bags. When you're ready, bake them a bit longer than usual. Or you can fully cook them first, keep them in the fridge 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 crumbles with some sage, thyme, and a tiny bit of maple syrup to mimic that breakfast sausage taste. If you don't eat meat, try some cooked mushrooms and onions instead - they make a really tasty filling base.

→ How should I store leftover breakfast hand pies?

Let them cool down, then 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. For keeping them longer, freeze them with some parchment paper between each layer.

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

Sure you can! Grab some refrigerated pie crust if you're in a hurry. Just know that homemade dough tends to hold the filling better without leaking. If you go with store-bought, watch your baking time since those crusts usually brown up faster than homemade.

→ What other fillings work well in these breakfast pastries?

These handy pies work with tons of breakfast stuff. Try ham and cheese with some spinach, bacon with scrambled eggs and cheddar, or go meatless with roasted veggies and goat cheese. Just make sure any meat is cooked before it goes in, and don't use really wet ingredients or they'll make your pastry all soggy.

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

The vinegar does two key things for your pastry. First, it keeps the dough from getting tough by stopping too much gluten from forming. Second, it works with the other stuff to create tiny air bubbles that puff up when baking, giving you those flaky layers everyone loves. Don't worry - you won't taste the vinegar at all once it's baked!