📋 High-Protein Universal Studios Breakfast: Sheet Pan Eggs, Sausage & Potatoes for 4 (Ready in 30 Min)

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs baby yellow potatoes, halved
• 12 oz breakfast sausage links (pork or chicken)
• 2 medium bell peppers (1 red, 1 green), diced into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 8 large eggs
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives or flat-leaf parsley, chopped (for garnish)
• to taste hot sauce or salsa, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line an 18x13-inch rimmed sheet pan (half-sheet pan) with aluminum foil and place it in the oven while it preheats. A hot pan is the secret to crispy potatoes — don't skip this step.
2. Halve the baby potatoes. If any are larger than a golf ball, quarter them so everything is roughly the same size and cooks evenly. Pat the potatoes dry with paper towels — dry potatoes = crispy potatoes.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the halved potatoes, diced bell peppers, and diced onion. Drizzle with 2½ tablespoons of the olive oil and toss well to coat. Sprinkle over all the seasoning (garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning) and toss again until everything is evenly coated.
4. Carefully remove the hot sheet pan from the oven (use oven mitts!). Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of olive oil and swirl to coat. Spread the seasoned potato and vegetable mixture in a single, even layer across the pan — do not pile or crowd them or they'll steam instead of roast. Nestle the sausage links among the vegetables.
5. Roast on the center rack for 18–20 minutes, until the potatoes are golden and fork-tender and the sausages are lightly browned. Give everything a quick toss with a spatula at the halfway point (around the 9-minute mark) for even browning.
6. Remove the pan from the oven. Using the back of a large spoon, create 8 small wells spaced across the vegetable and potato mixture. Place a tiny dot of butter in each well — this prevents the eggs from sticking. Crack one egg into each well. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese over the entire pan.
7. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 5–7 minutes more, until the egg whites are fully set and opaque but the yolks are still slightly soft (if you prefer fully set yolks, bake for 8–9 minutes). Watch closely after the 5-minute mark — eggs on a sheet pan can go from perfect to overcooked quickly.
8. Remove from the oven and let rest for 1–2 minutes. Scatter fresh chives or parsley over the top. Serve straight from the pan with hot sauce or salsa on the side. Use a wide spatula to plate up 2 eggs per person along with a generous scoop of the sausage and potato hash.

Tips

• Cut all your potatoes to the same size (roughly 1-inch pieces) — this is the single most important step for even cooking. Uneven pieces mean some will be hard while others are mushy.
• Pre-heat that pan! Sliding the cold vegetables onto a screaming-hot sheet pan starts caramelization immediately and is what gives the potatoes those irresistible crispy edges. It makes a genuine difference.
• Use pre-sliced sausage rounds instead of links to cut 5 minutes off your prep time. Slice a 12 oz (340g) rope of kielbasa or smoked sausage into ½-inch coins — they caramelize beautifully and are easier for kids to eat.
• For the lightest, fluffiest baked eggs, make sure your wells are deep enough that the egg isn't sitting directly on the metal pan. The vegetable and potato base should cradle each egg like a little nest.
• Make it the night before (see Make-Ahead notes below), and the morning of your Universal trip becomes as simple as: preheat oven, add eggs, bake 7 minutes. You'll be out the door faster than the family in the next hotel room.

Storage

Store any leftover hash (potatoes, sausage, vegetables — without eggs) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes or in the microwave for 90 seconds. Cooked eggs do not store or reheat well; if you have leftover hash, simply crack fresh eggs over it when reheating.

Make Ahead

This recipe is a dream for vacation mornings. The night before your Universal Studios trip, complete Steps 1–5 fully (roast the potatoes, vegetables, and sausage), then let the pan cool completely, cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove the pan from the fridge while the oven preheats to 425°F (220°C). Add the eggs and cheese directly to the cold pan, then bake for 8–10 minutes (slightly longer since the base is cold). Total morning effort: under 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can dice and season all the vegetables the night before, store them in a zip-lock bag in the fridge, and skip straight to Step 4 in the morning.