Sage Maple Egg McMuffins (freezer-friendly)

& I'm stabilizing!!

Hi! Welcome to “good mood food” from Kale Me Maybe’s Carina Wolff. If you’ve made it here and aren’t yet a subscriber, come join! You can expect recipes, musings, and faves in your inbox every Wednesday! Paid subscribers get even more on Fridays — right now I’m doing a 30-minute budget meal series! Learn more about the paid tier of my newsletter here. You can also try a week for free!

CATCH UP!

It’s crazy what a difference a week or two can make — I am feeling night and day from when I did the first week postpartum. I feel so much more grounded and stabilized, and I’m getting used to our new routine with Sagan. It’s crazy the power of the brain, your hormones, etc. I remember sitting in labor thinking, “I never want to do this again,” and I felt the same afterwards for days. Now, I’m sitting here thinking, “Yeah, I could definitely have another child, that wasn’t that bad.” WHAT!

My time to myself is, of course, still limited, and every day changes in terms of what we have to navigate. We’re still waking up a lot at night, I’m breastfeeding on demand, and we get into bed very early to maximize our sleep time. But at the same time, we’ve managed to sneak in a few breakfast outings, both sets of grandparents have come to visit, and I’ve found little moments in time to work on this newsletter and edit some videos. Every day is not without its challenges, but dare I say I am enjoying myself now?! Which makes me feel relieved and happy!!

Cooking at home has been limited, but I’m itching to get back into that soon. I feel hungry a lot from breastfeeding, and I’ve been craving to make big hearty bowls so I can fill up on lots of nutrients. One thing I have been doing is also making my own cream top matchas and coffees at home, and I’m hoping to film a quick video on how I do it, soon!

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THINGS I’M LOVING

I never, EVER thought I would be a Kindle girl. I loooove the feel of a fresh book in my hands, the smell of the paper, and my ability to flip through the pages. But motherhood has changed me. I’ve been breastfeeding a ton, and I just wasn’t feeling any of the TV shows I was watching, and I can only scroll so much on social media. So, I put my pride aside, pulled the trigger, and purchased a Kindle. I’ve accepted my fate, now I’m flying through books, and I am happy about my purchase. Worth it.

I’m spending a lot more time at home now, but I also like to feel somewhat put together during the day for my mental well-being. I’ve been buying some matching shorts and tee sets to feel a little more dressed without getting fully dressed. This set from Amazon is comfy and comes in a few different colors. It does say it’s 100% cotton, and it’s very affordable!

My pregnancy sweet tooth unfortunately did not subside after giving birth, but I’m giving in to the cravings, especially with this Pistachio Crunch Ice Cream from Graza and Alec’s Ice Cream. It has candied pistachios and dark chocolate flakes along with olive oil, and oh my lord, it is divine. It looks like they’re sold out on Alec’s website, but I’m told you can find it at Whole Foods!

RECIPE!

I meal prepped these sandwiches at the end of my pregnancy and stuck them in my freezer, and I am SO glad I did. We ripped through them so fast — they were so delicious and convenient to have on hand. Definitely going to make a second batch ASAP!

These sammies are my elevated take on an Egg McMuffin — the eggs are “fried” using a hack, which is baking them on a sheet pan, which makes things so easy. The meat is made with ground turkey, maple, and sage, and you won’t even believe you’re eating turkey because it’s so flavorful. And then everything gets sandwiched between two English muffins and a slice of cheddar cheese.

Reheating frozen food is always a little tricky, but I’ve included instructions at the bottom of the recipe!

Sage Maple Egg McMuffins

Makes 10 sandwiches

• 10 large eggs

• 10 English muffins

• Butter

• 2 lbs ground turkey

• 1/3 cup maple syrup

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage

• 1/2 tsp ground sage

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp salt

• Black pepper

• Olive Oil

• 10 cheddar cheese slices

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil. Crack the eggs directly onto the baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and carefully transfer to the oven. Bake for 12 minutes or until the whites of the eggs are fully cooked. When eggs are ready, use the bottom of a cup to cut the eggs into circles for your sandwiches.

2. While eggs are cooking, prepare your English muffins by slicing them in half. Add them to a separate large baking sheet, and spread a little bit of butter on each half. Transfer to the oven, and bake for 6-8 minutes until just toasted starting to turn golden, making sure not to overbake since they will be reheated again later.

3. Next, prep your turkey patties. In a large bowl, add ground turkey, maple syrup, fresh and ground sage, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and a pinch or two of black pepper. Mix together until everything is combined, taking care not to overmix.

4. In a large skillet, heat up 1-2 tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Using your hands, form the turkey mixture into patties that are about 1-inch thick and the width of your English muffin (they will shrink down as they cook). Add to the pan, and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until fully cooked.

5. Assemble your sandwiches by adding a slice of cheddar onto one half of an English muffin and topping with the turkey sausage, egg, and remaining half of English muffin.

To Eat Immediately

To eat your sandwiches immediately, preheat oven to 350 F. Heat up for 5 minutes until everything is warm and cheese is melted.

To Store

To store your sandwiches, wrap in parchment paper and place in freezer-safe bags.

Reheating Instructions

The best way to reheat these is to let them thaw in the fridge the night before and then bake at 400 F for about 10 minutes. I find it’s best to remove the parchment paper wrap and place them directly on a baking sheet (or place the parchment paper on the bottom).

We have also reheated them from frozen, but you’ll have to go a little longer, closer to 20-25 minutes. A sprinkle of water on top can help, also.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Last week, paid subscribers received a recipe for a super crisp and fresh chopped taco salad! This feels equally summery and evergreen — you could really make it all year long!

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