Breakfast roll recipe

This really special breakfast roll recipe makes use of leftovers to dazzling effect, stuffing a lovely crusty roll with cooked sausages and bacon, spinach, tomatoes and pine nuts before cracking in an egg and baking.

Your kitchen will smell incredible as this gorgeous all-in-one breakfast treat bakes. And when it's finally on your plate and you cut into the crisp crust on these beauties, the yolk will ooze luxuriously into the meat and vegetables. DREAMY

This recipe is also endlessly adaptable, so tweak to suit what you have leftover or to introduce your own breakfast favourites. The most important thing as that you enjoy your breakfast roll of dreams.

Here's what to do.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F), 180C fan, Gas Mark 6.

Cut off the top off each of the rolls. Place on a baking tray.

Scoop out most of the bready centre (you can blitz this in a food processor and freeze the breadcrumbs for another recipe).

Warm the oil in a nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sausages and bacon.

Fry for 2–3 minutes, just to reheat.

Add the tomatoes.

Add the pine nuts.

Add the spinach.

Fry for a further 2 minutes or until everything is fully heated through.

Season with salt and pepper and spoon evenly into the rolls, leaving any excess liquid in the pan.

Crack an egg into each roll.

Place in the oven for 15 minutes, until cooked.

Sprinkle with pepper and serve.

Irresistible, right?!

Pointers, tricks and troubleshooting tips for the perfect breakfast rolls

Are breakfast rolls easy to make?

These delicious baked egg breakfast rolls are super simple to make, and a great way to use up leftovers.

In no time at all, you can create a hearty breakfast feast with a perfectly cooked egg, greens, sausage and tomato, all brought together in a yummy, crusty roll.

Will I need any special equipment to make breakfast rolls?

You should be able to easily find everything you need to make these breakfast rolls in the average kitchen: a chopping board and knife to cut up the sausage, bacon, and tomato; a large frying pan to heat the filling through; a baking sheet to cook the rolls on...and that's about it!

You can see a full list of recommended equipment in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.

Where can I buy crusty rolls?

You should be able to easily find crusty rolls in the bakery section of the supermarket or from your local bakery.

It's best to use a crusty roll, rather than a soft burger type bun because they are stable enough to hold all the fillings without collapsing. Any size will work, but larger ones are my favourite for this recipe, if you can get them.

How can I tell if my eggs have gone off?

In the UK, eggs are produced to a food safety standard called the British Lion Code of Practice and have a stamp on the shell of a red lion.

Eggs produced under the Red Lion code don't officially have to be stored in the fridge, but they do need to be kept somewhere cool that is consistently under 20C and since most kitchens are over 20C at least some of the time, it's ultimately best to put them in the refrigerator.

Since your eggs should be kept at a steady cool temp, it's also a good idea to only take what you need for the dish you're cooking and leave the rest of the box where it is to avoid temperature fluctuations.

In the UK, eggs also bear a "Best Before" date. Eggs past this date may be safe to use as long as they have been stored correctly and show no signs of spoilage. If they have a "Use By" Date, then they should not be eaten past that date even if they look fine.

If you are worried your eggs might have gone off, crack one into a small bowl. That way, you can check the egg without contaminating your other ingredients.

Look to see if your egg looks normal and discard if there's any discolouration. You can then smell the egg - gone off eggs have an unavoidably bad, sulphurous or rotten smell, so discard if they smell even unpleasant.

If you've ever cracked a fresh egg into a pan and then cracked an older egg, you'll know that the whites of very fresh eggs tend to hold together more, while the whites of older eggs seem more watery and spread more.

As long as there are no signs of spoilage as described above, either egg is fine for this recipe. However, I prefer to use fresh eggs as they sit on top of the other ingredients better.

If you have any concerns please speak to your health professional as this website does not offer medical advice.

Are breakfast rolls suitable for vegetarians?

In this recipe, I've used pork sausages and bacon so the recipe wouldn't be suitable for vegetarians.

You could certainly make this recipe vegetarian, though, simply by using veggie sausage and veggie bacon instead.

Are breakfast rolls suitable for vegans?

This recipe contains pork sausages, bacon and egg so wouldn't be suitable for vegans.

To make it vegan-friendly, you'd need use plant-based sausages and bacon and leave out the egg. You could top the rolls with scrambled tofu, or add different vegetables like mushrooms, chopped courgettes, or half a tin of beans instead.

Are breakfast rolls gluten-free?

These breakfast rolls are made with wheat-based crusty rolls.

I haven't tried with gluten-free rolls yet but you should be able to easily switch out the wheat rolls for a gluten-free alternative. You might have to get a little creative and use gluten-free ciabatta if you can't get hold of gluten-free crusty rolls.

When cooking for someone who needs to avoid gluten in their diet remember to check the labels all ingredients. Some sausages contain wheat, and vegan or vegetarian meat alternatives often contain wheat too.

Since you're using leftovers, you'll also need to consider what the ingredients have been cooked with as cross-contamination could have occurred.

Are breakfast rolls keto-friendly?

With the crusty roll as the container used to cook these breakfast rolls, they are not keto-friendly. That said, you could use a ramekin instead of a roll to hold all the ingredients and bake the eggs in, getting somewhere closer to a keto meal.

Are breakfast rolls healthy?

These breakfast rolls are high in protein, fairly low in carbohydrate, but pretty high in fat so should be enjoyed once in a while as part of a balanced diet.

Using veggie sausages and bacon will probably bring down the fat content quite a bit, depending on the brands used.

Are breakfast rolls safe to eat while pregnant?

As this recipe uses leftovers, you'll need to be sure the bacon and sausage were thoroughly cooked in the first place, and that all leftovers were cooled quickly and put in the fridge soon after.

Properly stored leftovers should be used within 2 days of the original cooking date, and only reheated once. This is important for everyone, but particular care should be taken when cooking for pregnant people.

There is nothing further in this recipe that should pose a risk to pregnant people if the ingredients are in good condition and the breakfast rolls are prepared and cooked hygienically.

Advice regarding egg safety varies from country to country so please check local information to you. In the UK the NHS has a wonderful resource on foods to avoid whilst pregnant.

Note: A Mummy Too does not offer medical advice. Please speak to your health professional if you have any concerns.

What goes well with breakfast rolls?

These breakfast rolls are a perfect breakfast meal in one, so can be enjoyed on their own or with glass of orange juice, water, or a mug of coffee or tea. Delightful!

Can I make breakfast rolls without spinach?

If you don't have any spinach you can leave it out, although I love the greens contrasting with the meat and tomatoes so it's well worth including, if you can. You could use a few basil leaves instead, if you prefer, or some wilted kale.

You can also use frozen spinach in this recipe instead of fresh if you have a bag in the freezer. Pop a couple of blocks of frozen spinach into a small pan with a splash of water to thaw out for a few minutes, or blast in the microwave before adding to the other ingredients in the frying pan.

I haven’t got pine nuts can I use different nuts or seeds?

If you don't have pine nuts you can leave them out or replace them with a few walnut pieces broken up small, or some pumpkin or sunflower seeds, if you like.

Can I add more veg to my breakfast rolls?

These breakfast rolls work really well with leftover roasted veg instead of or as well as leftover breakfast items, so you could give that a try if you like.

Bear in mind that there is only so much space in the rolls, so to add more veggies you would need to take some of the other ingredients away.

How should I store breakfast rolls?

These breakfast rolls need to be eaten up once they're read or discarded if there is any left after breakfast.

This is because this recipe involved reheating leftovers, and so can't be reheated a third time once cooled as there is an increased risk of bacterial growth when food is heated up and cooled multiple times.

How long do breakfast rolls keep?

These breakfast rolls are made using leftovers so will need to be eaten straight after cooking and can not be kept after this.

If you made this recipe from scratch in one go, so everything is being cooked for the first time together you can quickly cool them and keep breakfast rolls in the fridge for up to 2 days. The bread will go a bit stiff and soggy, though, so it's best to store the filling on its own, if you can.

Can I leave breakfast rolls out on the counter?

No, this dish needs to be served immediately and shouldn't be left out on the counter for any length of time.

Can I keep breakfast rolls in the refrigerator or freezer?

No, these breakfast rolls need to be eaten up once they are cooked because they contain sausage and bacon that has already been cooked and it isn't advisable to repeatedly cool and reheat foods too many times.

Can I make breakfast rolls in a different quantity?

It's really easy to make more or fewer of these yummy breakfast rolls.

All you need to do is to set the servings to the number you want on the recipe card below. Click or hover over the number and a slider will pop up that you can move to get the amount you want to make. All the ingredients will update automatically.

Can I make breakfast rolls in a whole loaf instead?

If you want to make a centerpiece for breakfast it could be really fun to use a medium bloomer loaf instead. Cut the top off, and scoop out the middle of the loaf, as you would for the rolls, and pile in the filling.

Carefully crack a large egg into each corner and bake for 15 minutes. Cut into quarters and serve, with an egg in each piece.

Can I make breakfast rolls under the grill/broiler?

It's best to cook these breakfast rolls in the oven so that they heat all the way through. The direct downward heat of the grill will likely burn the eggs and tops of the rolls without properly heating the rest of the meal.

Can I eat breakfast rolls cold?

If you made these breakfast rolls from leftovers, it's only advisable to eat them hot and fresh from the oven.

However, if you have made these breakfast rolls from scratch in one go rather than using leftovers, they can be enjoyed cold later on. Cool them on a wire rack and pop them in the fridge as soon as you can. They will keep for up to 2 days in the fridge.

How can I make sure my breakfast rolls are perfectly cooked?

Because you heat the fillings in a frying pan first, the filling is already warmed before the breakfast rolls go into the oven, so the oven time is really to warm the rolls and cook the eggs.

If you like a really runny yolk take them out after 12 minutes. I find 15 minutes is the perfect amount of time to cook the egg and still have a slightly runny yolk.

Why did my breakfast rolls burn?

If your rolls burned, your oven may have been too hot, your rolls may have been left in too long or they may have been placed too close to the top of the oven.

Aim to use the middle shelf and make sure to set a timer when you put your rolls in the oven. You can keep an eye on them through the oven door.

Why did my breakfast rolls turn out wet and soggy in the middle?

Some tomatoes can be particularly juicy, if yours are, remove the seeds when you're chopping them up.

Spinach can release a lot of moisture, which is why we fry off the filling first to allow that moisture to be cooked out.

When spooning the filling into the rolls, be mindful to leave any extra liquid in the frying pan rather than adding it to the rolls, this will make sure your breakfast rolls don't turn out too wet in the middle.

A soggy filling may also suggest that the rolls have been taken out of the oven too quickly. Oven cooking will help cook out some of the moisture.

Why did breakfast rolls taste bland?

These breakfast rolls are jam-packed with loads of different complementary breakfast flavours. Sausages and bacon tend to be pre-salted, but grownups can add a little salt to theirs once served.

If you feel a cooked breakfast is not complete without brown sauce, then you could experiment with adding a teaspoon or two to the filling mix before pilling into the rolls. Yum.

How can I add or change the flavours in breakfast rolls?

Think of these breakfast rolls as crusty bread boats ready to be filled with any number of breakfast delights.

You can easily play around with the fillings, depending on what you have left over and what's in the fridge.

Add different flavours with a teaspoon of barbecue sauce, ketchup, mustard or harissa paste. Here's some inspiration for you:

• leftover black pudding, bacon, and beans with spinach and egg
• leftover roast courgette, peppers, and chickpeas with tomato and vegan cheese
• leftover roast butternut squash with tomato, kale, feta cubes, and egg
• leftover new potatoes with smoked salmon, spinach, tomato, and egg

Have a play around and you could probably make a different combo every weekend!

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