Spicy and full of Cajun flavors, this Chaurice Sausage and Egg Pie will ignite your taste buds. Pork, peppers, tomatoes, herbs, and spices turn this one-skillet breakfast dish into a cultural history lesson.
Spicy, peppery, and colorful–a classic Cajun recipe for a savory Sausage and Egg Pie. (All photos credit: George Graham)
Breakfast in South Louisiana is a celebration of farm-to-table goodness. The farming traditions of the region are rooted in a tough work ethic that is handed down through generations of French Acadian families that harvest the sugarcane, rice, sweet potatoes, soybeans, and other significant crops. Early to bed and early to rise is the routine of Cajun and Creole farmers, and a hearty breakfast like my Sausage and Egg Pie is always on the Acadiana kitchen table.
In the 1950s and 60s, my wife’s grandparents, Clodius and Eve Fontenot, were a farming family in northern Jeff Davis Parish between Jennings and Hathaway. As was prevalent at the time, he lived on and farmed a piece of land owned by another family in a mutually beneficial exchange. His typical day started an hour before daylight sipping a cup of deep, dark Louisiana coffee as he headed off to the fields. Long about 8am he returned to the house with his farm hands to sit down to a hearty Cajun breakfast prepared by loving hands. Mo Mo Eve mixed up her Cajun recipes for biscuits and sweet dough breakfast pies from scratch and fried up fresh sausages and farm-raised eggs to feed the crew. It was a major production, yet a daily ritual that the hungry men depended on.
Early life in Acadie was a matter of survival and making the most of what you had. Those culinary traditions live on, and over the years breakfast remains an important and culturally significant meal in Acadiana. French traditions at the hands of creative cooks have influenced a number of creative dishes that have become classics such as this Sausage and Egg Pie.
Sausage and Egg Pie – A unique one-skillet brunch using a time-tested Cajun recipe.
My Sausage and Egg Pie recipe focuses on a savory black iron breakfast dish that launches a spicy pepper punch on top of a smooth custardy foundation. Fresh eggs are plentiful on rural farms of Acadiana, as are preserved peppers and tomatoes that line the shelves of every canning room.
Poche’s near Breaux Bridge always has freshly made chaurice available.
Fresh chaurice sausage–a highly seasoned raw sausage–can be found more readily in the rural markets dotting the parishes surrounding Lafayette. I love its unique peppery pork flavor, and buy it whenever I see it. It is perfect for building an added layer of complexity for this spicy breakfast dish. Serve this Sausage and Egg Pie family-style as a centerpiece for your Acadiana table.
Simple, yet colorful ingredients used in my Sausage and Egg Pie recipe.
- 14 large eggs
- 1 cup half and half
- 4 (1-inch-thick) slices day-old French bread
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 cup bulk chaurice sausage or any spicy bulk sausage
- 1 cup diced yellow onions
- 2 tablespoon diced green onion tops
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 (10-ounce) can mild diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained, such as Rotel
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- Non-stick spray
- 1 cup (jarred or canned) red and yellow bell pepper slices, drained
- 2 small red tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon diced fresh jalapeno
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Sprigs of fresh rosemary, for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a large mixing bowl, crack all the eggs and add the milk. Whisk until fully combined. Add the bread slices and let soak for one hour, making sure they are all fully immersed.
- In a 10-inch black iron skillet over medium heat, add the bulk sausage. Render the fat out of the sausage by sautéing until browned and fully cooked, about 10 minutes. Remove the sausage pieces to a platter.
- In the same skillet, add the onions to the remaining fat and sauté the onions until they turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the green onions, garlic, and rosemary, and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the diced tomatoes and green chiles, as well as the hot sauce, and turn off the heat. Pour any excess grease from the skillet. Add the mixture to the platter with the sausage. Rinse the skillet and wipe dry.
- Spray the cast-iron skillet with non-stick spray, place the four slices of bread and pour over the egg mixture. Spoon the vegetables and sausage mixture in and among the egg mixture and bread portions. Lay the sliced peppers and tomatoes randomly throughout the mixture. Sprinkle the cilantro and diced jalapenos around the mixture. Season lightly with salt and black pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the egg is set and the blade of a knife comes out clean.
- For serving, slice the portions of seasoned egg-encrusted bread and place on a plate. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary and serve it like any good Cajun farm family would, with more hot sauce on the side
Sausage and Egg Pie – a slice of Cajun cooking at its best.
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Thanks, George.
Can chorizo be substituted for chaurice sausage if the latter is not available? I just noticed the words are similar (chorizo, chaurice) – same type of sausage?
Hey Lisette- Excellent question! No, the two sausages are very different and (other than being spicy) have little in common. Chorizo is a Spanish sausage seen in Spain, Portugal, Mexico, and other Latin cultures. Highly spiced (paprika, garlic, chiles, etc), there are different versions of chorizo (raw and cured) depending on the country of origin. Chaurice is a Cajun raw sausage (sometimes smoked) product that is an extra spicy version of a basic pork sausage. Instead of chaurice, you can substitute a spicy raw pork sausage such as green onion or jalapeno. Best to you.
Thanks; very helpful. Looks scrumptious.
Lisette, with all due respect to George, you can most certainly substitute chorizo or any sausage you like. Play around with the recipe. Cooking is fun. Be creative. I will say that Chaurice and Chorizo (if you’re talking about the Mexican variety) are nothing alike. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it. Maybe it will turn out great. Maybe it won’t work as well as you would have hoped. I might try a Spicy Italian sausage and see how that goes.
I’m gonna try this one as soon as I can get some spicy sausage. This will really blow the minds of my Texas neighbors, many of whom never ate boudin or cracklins. But here is a question. Garlic. Do you ever use pealed garlic packed in either oil or water? I have tried several and never get the same results as freshly pealed garlic. Please give me your thoughts. And, if there is a brand out there that works well for you please share.
Steve- I will confess that I have used the jarred minced garlic product as a timesaver. It is inferior to fresh garlic, and I do not recommend using it in rockstar dishes like this one. When you are making a showcase recipe for family or guests, I urge you to take the time to do it right. All the best.
Sounds great, my husband will love this. I will give you our final verdict once I make it…thx George!
George, in a few days I am going to spend a few days at the camp with 4 to 5 guy’s and I am assigned to breakfast one morning. What would your suggestion be how I should increase the present recipe for the tribe? Thanks
Hey Chris – Great to hear from you. I know your huntin’ buddies, and they are all big eaters. I recommend you make two of these recipes, and if there are any leftovers (which there won’t be any), you can snack on with a cold beer in the afternoon. Have a good trip!
PERFECT G, GREAT IDEA … Chris. Hope to see ya again!