Wheat-Free Maple Sausage and Cheese Oatmeal Sandwiches

I love those (totally processes, fat-filled, sugary, fake, and all around unhealthy) Sausage McGriddles with cheese from McD's. For some reason the sweet from the maple syrup and the salty from the cheese mixes so well. However, I am trying to be healthier and thrifty. So, I came up with these (still fattening, but oh so yummy) Wheat-Free Maple Sausage and Cheese Oatmeal Sandwiches.

I made oatmeal for breakfast a few days ago and stuck the leftovers (there seems to always be leftover oatmeal) in the fridge. Found a blog post  about using leftover oatmeal to make pancake like fritters. I changes up the recipe and the little cakes turned out wonderfully. They are really good just on their own, but add the sausage and cheese patties and you have a breakfast fit for cool fall weather. Almost enough to make me want to live in a tiny cabin in the woods where I could sit outside, wrapped in a blanket, and watch the leaves change while drinking hot coffee and munching on these beauties.

Wheat-Free Maple Sausage and Cheese Oatmeal Sandwiches

Oatmeal Cakes

• About 3 cups leftover oatmeal (I used Irish steel cut oats) 
• Two eggs
• 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour (divided)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Raisins (optional. I had cooked my oatmeal with the raisins, so they were already in with the leftovers)
• Butter for cooking

Mix everything (except the butter) together in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Scoop the batter into the skillet and cook until crispy and golden brown on each side. 

NOTE: Because this recipe uses leftover oatmeal, 3 cups is not an exact measurement. I am estimating that is about how much I used. To make sure you get the proportions right, add one egg at a time and 1/2 cup of flour at a time. Your mix should resemble a very lumpy (because of the oatmeal) thick pancake batter. If the egg-flour ratio isn't right the cakes will fall apart when you try to flip them. No worries though, just adjust the ratios before cooking the next cake.

Maple Sausage and Cheese Patties

• 1 lb. sausage (the kind that comes in a tube, like Jimmy Deans)
• 1 and 3/4 cup shredded sharp yellow cheddar cheese (or one brick Cracker Barrel cheese)
• 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup 

Preheat oven to 350F and spray a cookie sheet with cooking oil. Mix everything together in a large bowl, I used my hands to make sure everything came together completely. Spray a skillet with cooking oil or use a non-stick pan. Form patties with your hands and cook them over medium heat until each side is golden brown and crispy. Transfer the patties to the cookie sheet and finish cooking them in the oven for about 7-10 minutes, or just until they are cooked (no pink) all the way through.

Assemble the sandwiches by stacking a oatmeal cake and then a sausage patty and then another oatmeal cake. Serve with maple syrup hot. These are also great at room temp or cold!

If you don't care about being wheat-free then just use regular all-purpose flour.

One more thing. I hate eggs (like they turn my stomach in the worst way kind of hate), but I am sure if you like eggs these sandwiches would be great with an egg (over easy/over hard) in the middle. The sausage patties would also be awesome on an English Muffin!