Sausage Eggs Benedict over Garlic & Onion Flatbread Rounds

One of my favorite meals is brunch and this year, I started my own little brunch group with girlfriends. It's a great opportunity for us gals to get together without any kids, significant others, family members, and any of the "stuff" that usually keeps us so busy. We've had our first brunch last month and now we're planning on getting together every other month to catch up with familiar faces, meet new faces and in the end, really connect with other women. Given my love of brunch, I've also am on a personal quest for interesting and unique eggs benedict dishes. Eggs Benedict is my ultimate favorite brunch dish and I usually order it whenever I get the chance! So with eggs benedict on the brain, I was inspired to make a version at home. This Sausage Eggs Benedict over Garlic & Onion Flatbread Rounds is a mash up of a couple egg benedict variations using a unique base - flatbread! Savory garlic and onion flatbreads are topped with a sausage patty, spinach, gently poached egg and a spicy hollandaise sauce...

This recipe is essentially a combination of the country version of an eggs benedict (which uses a sausage patty instead of the traditional Canadian bacon) and the florentine version (which incorporates spinach). In my opinion, any combination is delicious when drenched with a hollandaise sauce... and this one has a bit of spice from some Old Bay seasoning mixed in. The key to this dish is the base. Instead of an english muffin, I was inspired to make flatbread rounds with the help of my friends at Krusteaz. Their easy to make flatbread mixes are a great way to incorporate a tasty baking mix for any meal during the day. You can also find this recipe on the Krusteaz website HERE!

Speaking of which, when's the last time you had breakfast for dinner, aka 'brinner'?   February happens to be National Hot Breakfast Month so join in the delicious fun by having "brinner" - breakfast for dinner! This recipe would be a perfect meal to serve up...

Sausage Eggs Benedict over Garlic and Onion Flatbread Rounds

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Effort: Medium

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

Flatbread:

1 package Krusteaz Garlic and Onion Flatbread Mix

1 cup very warm water (115 - 125 °F)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Poached Eggs:

1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 large eggs
1/2 pound bulk fresh breakfast sausage
1/2 pound fresh spinach
1 recipe for Spiced Hollandaise Sauce (recipe follows)

Ground paprika for garnish

Spiced Hollandaise Sauce:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)

4 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt 

3/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

Directions:

·         Heat oven to 475°F.

·         Prepare Krusteaz Garlic and Onion Flatbread Mix according to the package directions and let dough rise.

·         Divide the flatbread dough into approximately 6 small balls roughly larger than the size of a golf ball. Place the balls onto a prepared baking sheet and flatten them out until 1/2 inch thick.

·         Bake for approximately 7-10 minutes. 

·         Remove from oven and place on serving plate.

·         Meanwhile, prepare the poached eggs and hollandaise sauce below to assemble.

·         For the poached eggs: Fill a large 12 inch skillet nearly to the rim with water. Add the vinegar and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, remove off heat. 

·         Crack an egg into a small bowl and one at a time, carefully pour the egg into the skillet. Repeat with the remaining eggs, being careful not to crowd the pan. 

·         Once your eggs are in the skillet, cover the pan and poach the eggs until whites are set but yolks are slightly runny, about 5-7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to a paper towel-lined plate. 

·         Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium high heat, form the pork sausage into 6 round patties. Cook your sausage slices until seared on both sides. Remove from skillet and set aside.

·         In the same skillet, now empty, add 1 tablespoon oil. When hot, add spinach and cook down until wilted, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

·         Arrange sausage slices over each baked onion & garlic flatbread round; top with a mound of sautéed spinach and 1 poached egg. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of hollandaise sauce over each egg. Garnish with a sprinkling of paprika and serve.

·         For the Spiced Hollandaise Sauce: Melt the butter in a small sauce pan.  Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, pepper and Old Bay in the jar of a blender. Blend for 15 seconds.  With the blender running, slowly pour the hot melted butter into the blender and blend for 30 seconds, until the sauce is thick.