Award-Winning Maple Sausage Brunch Bites

If you have been to a potluck in the last 20 years, you have probably had the pleasure of trying Potatoes Romanoff, also known as Funeral Potatoes or Hashbrown Casserole. It's a tasty hashbrown casserole-type dish with hash browns, sour cream, cheese, and onions and that dish was the inspiration behind these Maple Sausage Brunch Bites.

And if you are a little bored with the typical breakfast food or looking for brunch potluck ideas, you'll love these! They won the Grand Prize in the Johnsonville Sausage Recipe Contest using Maple Breakfast Sausages. They are not only contest-winning, they are easy, quick, and freeze well. They are also ideal for any special occasion breakfast like Mother's Day or Christmas morning and are the perfect portable, on-the-go breakfast food.

🥘 Ingredient Notes

These are the EXACT same ingredients I use in my Potatoes Romanoff with Hash browns, with the addition of eggs and breakfast sausage. For this brunch bites recipe, you'll need the following: 

• Eggs - Eggs are the binder in this recipe and hold these bites together.
• Cream of mushroom soup. (concentrated canned mushroom soup). Mushroom soup adds additional creaminess and a welcome subtle mushroom flavor.
• Breakfast sausages - Maple breakfast sausages are the best tasting! They add a hint of maple flavor and texture to these brunch bites! Alternatively, you can use air fryer turkey sausages to lighten them up!
• Frozen hash browns. Frozen hashbrowns are quick, convenient, and economical. I use the shredded hashbrowns for this recipe. You can use the shredded or cubed hashbrowns (though the shredded tend to hold together much better). I recommend you thaw the hash browns before cooking. Cooking them frozen will cause the heat to spread unevenly and your hash browns might cook from the outside, while the inside remains frozen. Cooking them frozen might also result in them becoming too mushy and/or watery.
• Sour cream. *I use light/low-fat. Sour cream adds a rich and creamy texture and tangy flavor.
• Cheese *I use low-fat sharp/old cheddar cheese. It's best to shred it yourself, as the pre-shredded bags do not melt as well.
• Onions. I use white or yellow onion - whatever I have on hand. Onions add texture and a subtle sweetness. Make sure you finely chop them.
• Unsalted butter. Butter adds a richness that melds perfectly with the onions and other ingredients. * You can use salted butter in a pinch

🔪How to make Brunch Bites

Just follow these easy instructions!

Prep: cook sausages according to package instructions. Once browned, set aside. Chop cooked sausage links into ¼ inch circles.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 12 muffin cups thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray.

Cook onion in butter together for 3 minutes on high in the microwave.

In a separate bowl, combine the defrosted hashbrowns, onion cooked in butter, mushroom soup, sour cream, eggs, grated cheddar cheese, and sausages.

Mix until fully combined

Scoop mixture into muffin tins to the top and pack down tightly with spatula (ensure they are packed to the top to make for easier removal).

Bake for 20-30 minutes in preheated oven.

Remove from oven, let cool for about 3-5 minutes, then run a butter knife around the edge of each muffin cup to loosen the Maple Sausage Brunch Bites.

Gently lift brunch bites out of the pan.

Serve with ketchup or salsa.

🍹🥗Drinks and Side Dishes to go with Brunch Bites

I highly recommend serving them with fruit salad and mimosas, of course! You can also serve them with fresh fruit, such as the kiwi fruit flowers in the photos. See how to make them here:  Video:  (TikTok) How to Make a Kiwi Garnish

Try them with my Raspberry Mimosa Mocktail (it can also be spiked) and you have yourself a perfect, easy, make-ahead meal for your Mother's Day brunch or any special brunch.

🌡️Storing

You can also make them in advance and refrigerate them for a day or two or freeze them, making them ideal for the busy person. These brunch bites can be frozen for up to 6 months in an airtight container (affiliate link).

These brunch bites can also be reheated for a quick workday breakfast. And you can cook them in aluminum lined muffin cups for easy clean up (just be sure not to microwave them if you use aluminum lined cups.)

🔢WW Points

This recipe can be made Weight Watchers friendlier by using low-fat mushroom soup, fat-free sour cream, low-fat cheese, air fryer turkey sausage, and a light butter substitute. They are 4 ww points each made this way.

Make ahead and portable

If you are looking for a maple breakfast sausage recipe or breakfast potluck ideas, this Potatoes Romanoff-inspired Brunch Bites, is the perfect solution! It's make-ahead, portable, finger food that's easy to reheat.

Looking for other breakfast ideas or brunch potluck ideas? Check out my other breakfast and brunch ideas!