Wild Game Sausage & Cheese Breakfast Scones

Winter brings with it a dialed-back pace, one that is more conducive to slow mornings and hearty breakfasts. Baked in a cast iron skillet, these wild game sausage and cheese breakfast scones will be a hit! The savoury flavours of wild game sausage meld together with the rich sweetness of a maple syrup glaze, no matter what type of sausage you choose. With a little bit of prep work beforehand, this would make the perfect Christmas morning breakfast!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, finely diced or grated
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cane sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 lb. wild game sausage, chopped into small pieces (I used bear country sausage)
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup

Method

Finely dice the butter and place in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes before using in this recipe. At this time, fry up the wild game sausage, chop it into small pieces and set in the fridge to chill.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cane sugar, baking powder and baking soda, and stir. Toss in the chilled butter until thoroughly coated.

In another bowl, combine Greek yogurt, milk and grated cheese. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the dairy, stirring until just combined. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and sprinkle the chopped sausage on top. Lightly knead the dough to incorporate the sausage. Press out into a 10-inch circle (this should fit perfectly into a 10-inch cast iron pan). Transfer onto a plate and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the cast iron pan into the oven with a couple tablespoons of butter and remove once the butter is melted. Transfer the chilled dough into the preheated and buttered pan, and brush maple syrup over the top. Bake in the oven for 23 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Note: There is no salt added in this recipe – the cheese and sausage lend enough saltiness to this dish without the need for extra.

Tip: Do some prep work the day before to make this an even quicker breakfast ­– perfect for Christmas morning! Put the stick of butter into the freezer and then grate the frozen butter, which is much quicker than dicing and waiting for it to chill back down again. Cook and chill the sausage the day before as well. This will allow you to get right to all the mixing and reduce the time spent waiting for the ingredients to cool down.