Steps

• 1

  For the sausage: In a medium bowl, combine the ground pork, egg white, maple syrup, salt, thyme leaves, ground fennel, onion powder, and pepper, and combine with a rubber spatula, or use your hands. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 day.

• 2

  Remove the sausage from the fridge, and divide into 4 equal rounds, then form into 4 evenly sized balls.

• 3

  NOTE: This recipe has you cooking the sausage, pancakes, and eggs all around the same time. You could also cook the sausage first and keep it warm while you cook the pancakes and eggs. Preheat all 3 zones of the cooktop to medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Have handy a large, metal spatula and a 5- to 6-inch inch square of parchment paper (to keep the patties from sticking to the spatula).

• 4

  Drizzle or squirt the oil over the hot surface and use a spatula to spread it evenly.

• 5

  Put the 4 balls of sausage in 1 zone. Top with the parchment square, then press down firmly with the spatula to smash the balls until about 1/4-inch thick. Cook until nicely browned on one side, about 3 minutes, then flip and cook until sausage is cooked through, another 3 to 4 minutes. If desired, top all of some of the sausage patties with cheese. Cover with the steam dome to melt the cheese, about 1 minute. (This may be done 2 at a time if they do not all fit under the dome.)

• 6

  Meanwhile, cook the pancakes and eggs in the other 2 zones. Use a ladle or measuring cup to make 8 pancakes about 4 inches across. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook the pancakes until bubbles appear in the batter, then flip and continue cooking until cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Crack the eggs onto the third zone and fry, flipping if you like, to desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

• 7

  Assemble the breakfast sandwiches: Place a pancake on a serving dish as the bottom bun, top with a sausage patty and an egg, followed by another pancake as the top bun, and serve warm. Enjoy!