A Sunday morning mash-up: a Ranchero Bene

Who doesn't love a good Bene?

It's a beautiful central Wisconsin Sunday morning...perfect for a late brunch for my husband and I. I have had Jones Dairy Farm's Chorizo sausage patties in my freezer, with a new mash-up on my mind, and today was the day!

When I owned the café, one of our customer favorites was our Farmer's Benedict, a twist on the traditional Eggs Benedict (English muffin, Canadian bacon, poached egg, and hollandaise sauce). Our Farmer's Bene was a fresh-baked buttermilk biscuit, topped with Jones' sausage patties, eggs, and our scratch-made sausage gravy...yep. It was amazing.

So on our last trip to Jones Dairy Farm in Fort Atkinson, we found Chorizo patties, and I knew instantly we had a mash-up coming! I have been promising my husband Huevos Rancheros for awhile, and this was the perfect opportunity to create something new and fun - a Ranchero Bene!

Benedicts, versions of them, are not at all an intimidating breakfast, but this one is easiest of all. The toughest part of a Bene is the sauce - hollandaise, sausage gravy, etc. But on my Ranchero Bene, I used jarred salsa. YES. Check it out. Such a fun, easy, and new twist on breakfast!

Ranchero Benedict

English Muffin (I used homemade sourdough, but store-bought is fine!)
2 Chorizo sausage patties
2 eggs
Salsa - your favorite jarred variety

In a saucepan on medium heat, start browning your chorizo sausage patties. With pre-cooked sausages (like those I used), I use some water in the pan while they cook - just enough to keep  them from burning. While the sausage is browning, butter each cut-half of the English muffin, and in another pan, grill/brown the buttered side of the muffin over medium-high heat. You want a nice grilled texture. (Toasting is another option, but once you grill them, you will never toast again!) Remove the grilled muffin halves and set aside, and lower pan heat to low. With a little butter in the pan, fry the eggs to your liking. (Anything goes - it's your preference!). While the eggs and sausages are finishing, warm some salsa in the microwave. You won't want to put cold salsa on your eggs, as it will cool the dish very rapidly.

Then it's time to assemble! Place the two halves of English muffin grilled side up, top with the Chorizo patties, then eggs on top, and drizzle the salsa over all. It is THAT easy. I only made a half for myself (pictured), so this recipe can serve one large breakfast, or two smaller.

I am sure this is not the last mash-up I will share. I get bored easily! And my husband never complains.