This post is sponsored by Breakstone’s. Find their creamy cottage cheese and smooth sour cream at a retailer near you.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These sweet and savory muffins are packed with breakfast goodness, with 15 grams protein per muffin. They’re a great grab-and-go option for busy mornings!
It’s back to school season and if you’ve got hungry teenagers to feed and get out the door in the morning, these Sausage & Cheddar Cornbread Muffins are a great option to make ahead and take the guesswork out of breakfast. Each muffin is packed with 15 grams of protein to keep them fueled until lunch (without any protein powder). In this recipe, Breakstone’s cottage cheese is blended with the other wet ingredients and acts a bit like buttermilk, helping create super tender and moist muffins.
Cottage Cheese FTW
Cottage cheese may be having a multi-year moment right now, but I’ve loved it for many more years as an easy and versatile way to hit my protein goals. Breakstone’s is made with high quality dairy and is the perfect choice for all your cottage cheese creations. As for the protein content, their 2% milk fat version boasts 13 grams of protein per 1/2 cup serving.
serve it with:
Hot Honey Butter
These muffins are great on their own, but are even better served with hot honey butter! Soften a stick of butter to room temperature, then using a fork or whisk, whip it together with 2-3 tablespoons of hot honey.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here are the important ingredients you’ll need to make these Sausage & Cheddar Cornbread Muffins:
- Breakstone’s Cottage Cheese – I went with their 2% version, but 4% would be great too. Cottage cheese acts a bit like buttermilk in this recipe, making the muffins tender and moist. It also helps replace the ton of butter you’d usually see in cornbread recipes.
- Cornmeal – I don’t recommend subbing out the cornmeal with another type of flour since it may throw off the liquid to flour ratio. These are cornbread muffins after all 😉
- Flour – Use all purpose for that really beautiful rise and classic muffin tops.
- Breakfast sausage – I went with a turkey breakfast sausage (the kind that comes in a log/roll) to keep things a bit healthier. Use whatever kind you prefer. If using links or patties that are pre-cooked, chop them up into 1/4-1/2″ pieces.
- Cheddar cheese – Be sure to get the extra sharp cheddar! You need the funkiness to help the flavor stand out in these muffins. Even better if you shred it yourself.
- Jalapeño – If you’re worried about spice levels, feel free to skip the jalapeño. You could use chopped green onions or bell peppers instead.
- Honey – While you could use maple syrup instead, I tested this recipe with both options and preferred it with honey.
- Eggs – The glue that helps hold these muffins together! I don’t recommend any substitutes for eggs in this recipe.
- Butter – A little butter for flavor and fat is important for these muffins, I don’t recommend skipping it altogether or subbing it out.
Why Bake at 2 Different Temperatures?
This is a common method when baking muffins or cupcakes. The idea is that you start the oven hot (in this case, 425°F) and then go low (350°F) after about 5 minutes. The initial higher heat helps create steam and activate the leavening agents in the muffins, making them rise quickly and creating those beautiful round muffin tops. The lower heat then allows the muffins to cook all the way through, leaving behind tender, moist centers.
Tips to
Meal Prep These Muffins
These muffins are best when served warm, so be sure to microwave them for 20-30 seconds before taking them on the go! They can be a complete breakfast on their own, or you can pair them up with any or all of these sidekicks:
- Fresh fruit
- Greek yogurt
- Hard boiled or scrambled eggs
Shop for This Recipe
Sausage & Cheddar Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour, 125 grams
- 1 cup cornmeal, 120 grams
- 1 lb turkey breakfast sausage
- 1 1/2 cups extra sharp cheddar, shredded, 168 grams
- 1 cup Breakstone's 2% Cottage Cheese
- 6 tbsp honey
- 1 large jalapeño, chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp each: salt, baking soda, onion powder
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425°F.
- In a large skillet, cook the 1 lb turkey breakfast sausage until browned and cooked through, breaking apart as it cooks. Set aside to cool.
- Add 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup cornmeal, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp each: salt, baking soda, onion powder to a large mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
- Add 1 cup Breakstone's 2% Cottage Cheese, 6 tbsp honey, 2 large eggs, and 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted to a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Add cooled sausage, 1 1/2 cups extra sharp cheddar, shredded, and 1 large jalapeño, chopped to the flour mixture and mix until they are evenly distributed. Add cottage cheese mixture and mix just until the flour is incorporated. Scoop the muffin mixture into 12 silicone muffin cavities.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then lower heat to 350°F (keeping muffins in the oven as the temperature adjusts) and continue baking for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean and the tops begin to brown.
Tips & Tricks
Nutrition Information
