BREAKFAST FATAYAR | breakfast hand pies

WineCheeseScallops
Sep 30
6 min read

There’s something magical about handheld breakfasts—they’re comforting, portable, and always satisfying. These Breakfast Fatayar are a fun twist on the traditional Middle Eastern hand pies, filled with a hearty American-style breakfast mix of sausage, hash browns, eggs, and cheese. Perfect for busy mornings, brunch spreads, or make-ahead meal prep, they’re a warm, buttery, golden bite of happiness in every hand.

Two halves of a savory pastry filled with meat and cheese on a wooden surface, surrounded by flour and cheese shreds. Rustic, appetizing scene.

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What makes these breakfast hand pies special is how approachable they are. Using biscuit dough keeps the process easy while the savory filling delivers that made-from-scratch flavor. Whether you’re hosting brunch, meal prepping for the week, or looking for a dish that wows at potlucks, these little triangles of goodness will be gone before you know it.

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Ingredients on a wooden counter: ground meat, eggs, onion, cheese, butter, spices, and three cans of dough. Measuring cups visible.

Breakfast Sausage

Breakfast sausage is the star protein of this recipe, offering a rich, savory flavor that pairs beautifully with cheese and potatoes. Traditional breakfast sausage is seasoned with sage, black pepper, and other spices, giving it that signature taste we all know and love. It adds heartiness to the fatayar and ensures every bite feels like a full breakfast wrapped into one.

Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Cheddar cheese brings a bold, tangy richness that balances the savory sausage and crispy potatoes. Sharp Cheddar in particular has a more pronounced flavor, which means it stands out instead of blending into the background. When baked, it melts into creamy pockets inside the fatayar, creating that irresistible gooey factor that makes these hand pies crave-worthy.

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Recipe Origin / Inspiration

Fatayar is a traditional Middle Eastern pastry, often stuffed with meats, spinach, or cheeses and shaped into triangles. The concept inspired this fun fusion recipe, which leans into breakfast flavors that American families know and love. By swapping in biscuit dough and classic breakfast ingredients, these hand pies become a playful cross-cultural dish—rooted in tradition but customized for modern, everyday cooking.

Hands are stirring raw egg into cooked ground meat in a metal pan on a stovetop. A wooden spoon is visible.

The idea was to create something quick, hearty, and versatile. They work just as well for a family breakfast as they do for tailgating or road trips. The inspiration also comes from that nostalgic feeling of grabbing a warm biscuit or breakfast sandwich, except here, everything is tucked into a portable pastry pocket that can be eaten with one hand.

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Person stirs a skillet of shredded cheese and ground meat with a wooden spoon. Nail polish is visible. Set on a kitchen stovetop.

Tips, Serving Suggestions, and Storage Advice

Use a cookie scoop for even filling portions—it keeps the pies uniform.
Don’t overfill the dough; it makes sealing harder and can cause bursting.
Make-ahead friendly: prepare the filling the night before, refrigerate, then assemble in the morning.
Freeze unbaked fatayar on a baking sheet, then transfer to a bag—bake straight from frozen.
For extra golden tops, brush with an egg wash instead of butter.
Try swapping in turkey sausage for a lighter version.
Add diced bell peppers or jalapeños to the filling for a flavor kick.
Serve with dipping sauces like ketchup, hot sauce, or salsa for fun variety.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days—reheat in the oven for crispiness.
Great for brunch platters—pair with fruit salad or mimosas for a festive spread.

Hands folding dough with filling on wood board, "TOMODACHI" text visible. Rolling pin and flour scattered. Calm, focused mood.

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Hand brushing egg wash on uncooked dough pastries filled with meat on a tray. Warm kitchen setting with wooden accents.

Unique Recipe Qualities

A fusion of Middle Eastern inspiration with American breakfast flavors.
Uses easy store-bought biscuit dough to save time.
Hearty enough to serve as a full meal.
Perfectly portable for on-the-go breakfasts.
Freezer-friendly for make-ahead meal prep.
Customizable with different meats, veggies, or cheeses.
Golden, buttery crust with a savory, cheesy filling.
Kid-friendly while still being crowd-pleasing for adults.
Works as breakfast, brunch, or even game-day food.
Comfort food that feels homemade but doesn’t take hours to make.

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Breakfast Fatayar (Breakfast Hand Pies)

Cut calzone with a golden crust on floured wooden surface. Filled with cheese and sausage, set against a blurred green outdoor background.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced white onion
2 pounds ground breakfast sausage
2 cups frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 eggs, beaten
Three 16.3-ounce cans refrigerated Pillsbury Grands! Southern Homestyle Original biscuits
All-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter, melted
Fleur de sel or kosher salt, for sprinkling

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Position racks in the top third and middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Drain off most of the excess fat.
Stir in the eggs, followed by the hash browns, kosher salt, garlic salt, and black pepper. Mix until combined, then remove from heat. Stir in the cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Open the cans of biscuits and separate them into 24 rounds. On a floured surface, roll out each biscuit into a roughly 5 1/2-inch circle.
Place 2–3 tablespoons of filling in the center of each dough round (a 2-tablespoon scoop works perfectly). Bring the edges up in three or four sections, pinching the seams from the base to the top to form a triangle or square. Some filling may peek through.
Arrange the pies closely on the prepared baking sheets. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel or kosher salt.
Bake for about 30 minutes, switching the pans between racks halfway through, until golden brown.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Golden-brown pastries sprinkled with flour on a wooden cutting board. Strips of dough scattered, creating a cozy baking scene.

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Golden pastries with folded edges on a wooden board, dusted with flour and surrounded by cheese shreds, create a rustic, homemade feel.

FAQ Section

Q: Can I make these ahead of time?

Yes! You can prepare the filling a day in advance, refrigerate, and assemble when ready to bake.

Q: Can I freeze these?

Absolutely. Assemble and freeze unbaked fatayar on a sheet pan, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes.

Q: What other fillings work?

Try spinach and feta for a Mediterranean twist, bacon and eggs for classic breakfast flavors, or even taco-seasoned beef and cheese for a Tex-Mex version.

Q: How do I reheat leftovers?

The oven works best (350°F for 10–12 minutes) to keep the crust crisp. The microwave works in a pinch but may soften the dough.

Q: Do I need to use Pillsbury biscuits?

Not necessarily! Any refrigerated biscuit dough works, or you can use homemade dough if you prefer.

Q: Can these be served cold?

They’re best warm, but they can be enjoyed cold or at room temperature if you’re taking them on the go.

Q: What sauces pair well with them?

Ketchup, hot sauce, salsa, or even ranch are great dipping options.

Q: Can I make them vegetarian?

Yes—swap out the sausage for sautéed mushrooms, spinach, or plant-based sausage crumbles.