Sausage Sandwiches with Pesto

This post is sponsored by Smithfield. All thoughts and opinions 100% mine.

The kids are finally back in school and things are pretty different this year. My son started 5th grade and my daughter just started preschool for 2 days a week. Since my daughter only does half days, they have different schedules and are also on different campuses, so it can make things a little hectic.

Even though my daughter is just doing 2 days a week, there’s so many other things that we have to do during the week between balancing my work, errands and other obligations. Weekdays, no matter the day, always seem to be pretty hectic. But it’s so important to me to serve the kids a yummy, protein packed breakfast that will help to start off their days right!

I love to make the family protein-packed breakfast sandwiches on school mornings with Smithfield Fresh Breakfast Sausage. And the best thing about sandwiches is the kids can help make them too! They are also perfect to wrap in a napkin and eat in the car on the go if we’re running late too.

Wholesome breakfasts are so important to kids. It’s actually an essential tool to learning, as important as pen or paper! Not only does it give them the nutrition and energy to start off the day right, studies have actually proven that it even helps them do better on standardized tests. An incredible 76% of teachers see poor academic performance when kids don’t get a wholesome breakfast and 80% of teachers see the students lose the ability to concentrate. (source: No Kid Hungry)

Unfortunately, not all kids are lucky enough to get a hot meal before school. It’s hard for most of us to imagine, myself included. I grew up on what is called now mostly referred to as a subsistence farm and meals were always provided for me. I was truly one lucky kid.

A growing number of kids (1 in 6) struggle with childhood hunger. But thankfully No Kid Hungry aims to eliminate childhood hunger by connecting kids in need with nutritious foods, and teaching families how to cook sensible, healthy and affordable meals.

One of the most effective ways No Kid Hungry helps children struggling with hunger is through their in-school breakfast programs. And this year Smithfield is partnering with No Kid Hungry for a second year in a row! They are doubling their donation from last year to two million meals! This will help to support the organization’s important in-school breakfast programs.

Want to get involved and help No Kid Hungry too?!? Just make a Smithfield breakfast and share an image of it on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag #BreakfastPower. For every breakfast shared with the hashtag #BreakfastPower Smithfield will donate enough for ten meals to No Kid Hungry. Find out more at here.

Be sure to also encourage your friends and family to post their Smithfield breakfast with the hashtag #BreakfastPower to help Smithfield provide 2 million meals to kids in need.

For this recipe I used Smithfield Fresh Breakfast Sausage. I start with just browning up the sausage in a skillet. I also like to add a fried egg too!

Then I take an English muffin and spread it with jarred pesto. The pesto adds so much flavor to this sandwich.

For additional toppings, we add spinach, red onion and sliced tomato. Depending on what you like though, you can add any type of toppings you like.

Smithfield Fresh Breakfast Sausage comes in patties like I have used here and links and rolls too! Just toss them in the skillet and you’ll have a sizzling sausage in no time. Smithfield Breakfast Sausage makes a great addition to so many breakfast recipes.

Smithfield Breakfast Sausage comes in Hometown Original, Bacon and Maple. This sausage is made with premium quality pork, and they’re gluten free and contain no MSG, so I feel good about serving it to my family.

Smithfield Fresh Breakfast Sausage is available at your local grocery store.

This post is sponsored by Smithfield. All thoughts and opinions 100% mine.