The corners of these spicy sausage squares get a little crisp where the cheddar melts against the pan. Inside, there’s a tender biscuit crumb with browned sausage in every bite. Hot breakfast sausage brings the peppery heat, and sharp cheddar gives the squares enough flavor to eat warm, straight from the baking dish.

The dough comes together with biscuit baking mix and four eggs. It looks thick when you stir it, about the consistency of a soft drop biscuit dough. Spoon it into a 9-by-13-inch pan, scatter some of the cheddar on top, and let the oven brown it while you set out the rest of brunch. The slab makes 24 small squares and takes about an hour from start to finish, including the rest before slicing.

Ingredients for Sausage and Cheddar Squares

1 pound hot bulk pork breakfast sausage. Look for uncooked country-style or breakfast sausage labeled hot. Bulk sausage is ready to crumble. If yours comes in links, split the casings and squeeze the meat into the skillet. A sausage with a little sage gives the squares a familiar breakfast flavor alongside the pepper.

2 cups all-purpose biscuit and pancake baking mix. Use an original-style mix such as Bisquick Original. Stir the mix in its container, spoon it into a dry measuring cup, and sweep a straight edge across the top. Scooping from the bag packs more into the cup and can make the dough hard to spread.
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided. An 8-ounce block gives you about 2 cups of medium shreds. Set aside ½ cup for the top and use the other 1½ cups in the dough. A box grater makes short shreds that distribute easily through the biscuit mix.

4 large eggs. The eggs moisten the baking mix and hold the sausage and cheese together. The yolks help keep the crumb tender. Whisk the eggs first so the dry mix absorbs the liquid evenly.

How to Make Sausage Squares with Biscuit Mix

1. Heat the oven and line the pan

Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat it to 350°F. Line a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with parchment, leaving a little overhang on two opposite sides. Those ends give you a way to lift the baked slab onto a cutting board. If you’re planning to slice and serve from the dish, a thin coating of nonstick spray also works. A 12-inch skillet and a large mixing bowl are handy for the next two steps.

2. Brown and drain the sausage

Cook the sausage over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking it up with a sturdy spoon as it cooks. Aim for pieces about the size of a pea, with a few larger bits for texture. Let the meat sit against the skillet between stirs to develop some browned edges. Cook the pork sausage to 160°F. Lift it onto a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the skillet, and let it cool for about 5 minutes while you measure the baking mix and grate the cheese.

3. Mix the dough

Whisk the eggs in the mixing bowl until they run off the whisk in a smooth stream. Add the baking mix in two additions, stirring with a flexible spatula. When you see just a few dry streaks, fold in the sausage and 1½ cups of the cheddar. Scrape along the bottom of the bowl and turn the dough over until the last pockets of dry mix disappear. The dough should sit in a soft mound on the spatula.

4. Spread it evenly and add the cheddar

Drop spoonfuls of dough across the pan, including near the corners. Nudge the mounds together with the back of the spatula, keeping the layer about the same thickness from edge to edge. Give each corner a quick look. A thin patch there can dry out while the center finishes. Scatter the remaining ½ cup of cheddar in a thin layer across the top, with some shreds close enough to the sides to brown against the dish.

5. Bake until the middle is set

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The cheddar will melt first, then turn golden in spots. Look for a center that feels firm under the back of a spoon and a few moist crumbs on a toothpick. Check the middle with an instant-read thermometer. It should reach at least 165°F. If you see wet batter on the toothpick, give the dish a few more minutes, then check it again.

6. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing

Set the pan on a wire rack or dry trivet. Let it stand for 10 minutes so the soft crumb and hot cheese have time to firm up. Run a thin spatula along any edges that touch the pan directly. Lift the slab by the parchment onto a cutting board, or slice it in the dish with a utensil suitable for the pan. Divide the long side into six and the short side into four for 24 squares.

A Few Details That Help the Squares Bake Evenly

Keep the sausage in small crumbles. A big chunk of meat can pull away from the biscuit when you cut through it, taking part of the square with it. Break up the largest pieces in the skillet, where you can see them easily. If you’re checking the temperature of small crumbles, gather some into a mound and insert the thermometer into the meat, clear of the skillet surface.

Give a dry-looking dough a minute. Biscuit mix takes a little time to absorb the eggs. If the dough still looks shaggy after you fold in the sausage, let it sit for a minute, then scrape along the bottom of the bowl once more. A rough surface is fine. If there’s a stubborn patch of dry mix, press it against the side of the bowl with the spatula to work it in.

Check the center even if the cheddar looks ready. Oven hot spots can darken one side of the topping a few minutes early. If the top is as brown as you want it and the middle still needs time, lay a loose piece of foil over the pan and finish baking. A light-colored metal pan also works for this recipe. Start checking a couple of minutes early if you use a dark metal pan, which can brown the edges faster.

Look at what clings to the toothpick. A slick of melted cheddar can look shiny even when the biscuit underneath is cooked. Wet dough comes up as a sticky, pale streak. If the first test lands in a pocket of cheese, try a second spot near the center. Between the crumb, the feel of the middle, and the thermometer reading, you’ll have a better idea of when to pull the pan.

How to Adjust the Heat

The heat comes from the sausage, and a package marked hot can range from a gentle red-pepper finish to a bite you feel right away. If you’re using a brand for the first time, taste a small crumble after cooking it. The biscuit and cheese spread the seasoning through the pan, so that bite gives you a sense of the hottest flavor you’ll get in the finished squares.

For a milder tray with some of that peppery flavor, use ½ pound hot breakfast sausage and ½ pound mild. Crumble them together in the skillet so each portion gets a little of both. All mild sausage works for a breakfast tray where people can add their own hot sauce at the table. If you like hot Italian pork sausage, it works by weight too and gives the squares more garlic and fennel flavor.

For extra heat, swap ½ cup of the cheddar for ½ cup shredded pepper jack. Keep sharp cheddar on top for its tang. Toss the shredded cheeses for the dough together before folding them in to spread the pepper evenly.

How to Make Them Ahead

For a morning bake, brown the sausage the night before. Drain it and refrigerate it in a shallow, covered container within two hours. Shred the cheddar and chill it separately. Measure the baking mix into a covered bowl and leave it in the pantry. In the morning, break up any clumps in the cold sausage with your fingers or a fork before folding it in so it spreads throughout the dough.

Mix the eggs and baking mix close to baking time. The leavening in the mix starts working when it gets wet. If the sausage is still fridge-cold when you mix it in, the center may need a few extra minutes in the oven.

You can also bake the pan a day ahead if the oven will be busy. Let the slab rest, slice it, and refrigerate the pieces in a shallow container. Smaller portions cool faster and can go straight onto a baking sheet the next day. Warm just the number you plan to serve so any extras stay refrigerated until you need them.

How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat the Squares

Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Transfer the squares to a covered, shallow container and refrigerate at 40°F or colder within two hours of baking, or within one hour if they’re sitting somewhere hotter than 90°F. Put a piece of parchment between layers so the cheddar tops lift apart easily. For a potluck at home, keep the second batch refrigerated and reheat it when the first platter needs replenishing.

Freeze individual portions. Chill the cut squares, then freeze them in a single layer on a parchment-lined tray until firm. Move them to a freezer bag and press out the air before sealing. For the best texture, use them within two months. Label the bag with the date and store it flat. Thaw the number you need overnight in the refrigerator.

Reheat in a 350°F oven. Set thawed or refrigerated squares on a baking sheet with a little space between them. Start checking after about 8 minutes and heat the centers to 165°F. If the cheddar is already quite dark, loosely cover the squares with foil for most of the reheating time and uncover them for the last couple of minutes. For a single piece, a microwave works in short bursts, although the edges will soften.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use self-rising flour in place of biscuit baking mix?

Use a complete biscuit and pancake baking mix for this dough. Self-rising flour contains flour, salt, and leavening. A complete biscuit mix typically contains fat as well, which affects how the crumb feels and how the mixture comes together with the eggs. If you’re shopping for a store-brand option, check that the package gives directions for biscuits. A sweetened, just-add-water pancake mix can change both the flavor and the consistency.

How do I make a half batch?

Use ½ pound hot sausage, 1 cup baking mix, 1 cup shredded cheddar, and 2 large eggs. Reserve ¼ cup of the cheese for the top. An 8-inch square pan gives the half batch a similar depth to the full recipe. Bake at 350°F and start checking the middle around 23 minutes. Cut the rested slab into a three-by-four grid for 12 appetizer pieces, or make nine larger ones.

Can I double the recipe for a crowd?

Use two 9-by-13-inch dishes so the dough stays shallow enough to bake evenly. If both dishes fit on the middle rack, leave room between them for air to circulate. Check each pan for doneness on its own, since the sides of an oven can heat differently. If your oven fits one pan at a time, whisk the eggs for the second batch while the first one bakes and stir in the baking mix when the rack is free.

Can I use fully cooked sausage crumbles?

Yes. Start with about 12 ounces of fully cooked breakfast sausage crumbles to approximate what you get from a pound of raw sausage after browning and draining. If the pieces are large, chop them a little before adding them. Thaw frozen crumbles in the fridge first and blot any surface moisture. Check how the sausage is seasoned, since plain cooked crumbles may make a milder batch.

Will hot turkey breakfast sausage work?

Use 1 pound of uncooked bulk turkey breakfast sausage and cook it in the skillet to 165°F. Turkey sausage often releases less fat, so a nonstick skillet makes it easier to stir. Break it into little pieces while it cooks, then fold it into the dough as you would the pork. Choose hot turkey breakfast sausage to keep the peppery flavor.

What to Serve with Sausage Squares

For brunch, cut the pan into 12 larger squares. The soft middle holds up on a plate beside something fresh, such as orange wedges or a bowl of sliced apples. At a buffet, the smaller 24-piece cut makes sense if you’re serving other hearty dishes. A thin spatula can lift the corner pieces onto a platter without catching their crisp edges. Once a corner is out, there’s room to slide the spatula under the rest.

For a game-day plate, serve the squares warm with pickled okra or a bowl of bread-and-butter pickles. The vinegar gives you a brighter bite between the sausage and cheese. If you’re serving two heat levels, put the hot and mild batches on different plates with a small label on each. They look very much alike once the cheddar browns.

If you’re making a quick lunch from a couple of leftover squares, put a scoop of cabbage slaw alongside them. A vinegar dressing is a good fit here. The crunch from the cabbage and the sharpness of the dressing work especially well with one of the soft middle pieces.