This soft and tender sausage and cheese beer bread has a buttery, crispy crust and is filled with plenty of sausage and cheddar cheese. It's a mini beer bread that's filled with flavor and ready in minutes!
Beer bread is one of the easiest kinds of breads to make. There's no waiting for the dough to rise, no yeast to dissolve, and beer bread takes very little time to mix together and bake.
The beer bread recipe I'm sharing with you today is a scaled-down version of the sausage and cheese beer bread I've made for years. The addition of cooked sausage and plenty of cheese takes traditional beer bread to a whole new level.
If you're looking for a more traditional beer bread recipe, feel free to leave out the sausage and cheese. You can see other recipe variations below.
What Is Beer Bread?
Beer bread is a form of quick bread that doesn't use yeast and uses baking powder, along with beer to allow it to rise. It's warm and buttery and even those who don't care for beer will love this bread.
Because of the addition of tangy, yeasty beer this savory bread provides a dense canvas for various savory ingredients.
Why This Recipe Works
- Few ingredients are needed: A few pantry staples along with sausage and cheese are used in this mini beer bread recipe.
- No yeast!: Except for the yeast in beer, beer bread requires no yeast. There's also no kneading and no rising time. When beer is added to the bread mix, the beer's yeast content reacts with the starches in the baking powder and flour which causes the dough to rise and start to leaven.
- Quick and easy: Beer bread batter comes together in one bowl and takes minutes to stir together. Serve this savory bread with soups and chilis, and it's also wonderful warmed or toasted with butter.
- The recipe doubles well: The ingredients in this single serving beer bread can be doubled to make a larger loaf if preferred.
RELATED: Single Serving Comfort Food Recipes
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
To make a small loaf of sausage and cheese beer bread, you will need:
- Flour: This recipe uses all-purpose flour. To make beer bread with self-rising flour instead, omit the baking powder and salt.
- Sugar: Use granulated sugar or honey.
- Baking powder: Baking powder works with the beer to help the bread rise and get fluffy.
- Salt: This ingredient adds flavor.
- Garlic powder: This ingredient is optional but a truly delicious addition.
- Beer: Beer is the star of this recipe! Beer adds to the leavening and the flavor profile of the bread. I recommend using a beer you enjoy drinking. See the "Frequently Asked Questions" section below for more tips.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: Feel free to use a different kind of cheese instead. I love using shredded Monterey jack, pepper jack, or gouda too.
- Cooked sausage: I recommend using simple breakfast sausage like Jimmy Dean, Johnsonville, or Owens.
- Butter: A small amount of melted butter is added to the batter which contributes to the richness of the bread. We also drizzle melted butter over the top of the bread batter before baking which results in a crispy crust and gives the bread a beautiful color.
See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.
How To Make This Recipe
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat (put a few drops of water in the pan, when they evaporate, you know the pan is ready). Crumble the sausage into the pan, breaking up chunks with a spatula. Cook until the meat is crumbled and completely browned through. Transfer the cooked sausage to a paper towel-lined plate and set it aside.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly butter a 10-ounce ramekin and set it aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder.
- Stir in the beer, melted butter, shredded cheese, and cooked sausage.
- Spoon the batter into the ramekin.
- Pour melted butter over the top of the beer bread batter.
- Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden. Remove from the oven and let the bread cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy immediately.
RELATED: Recipes For Empty Nesters
Expert Tips
- Beer substitutes: If you don't have beer on hand, replace the beer with seltzer water or ginger ale.
- Look for single bottles: If you aren't a beer drinker, some stores carry single bottles available for purchase or use a substitute as mentioned above.
- Alcohol in beer bread: Most, if not all of the alcohol cooks out, leaving behind the savory flavors.
- Don't overmix the dough: Too much mixing can make the bread dough too dense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beer bread tastes a little bit like beer. The stronger the beer you use, the more intense the bread will be.
I recommend using a beer you enjoy drinking. I usually make sausage and cheese beer bread with whatever beer is in my refrigerator.
* For a mild beer bread, use a plain, light beer like Miller Light, Michelob Ultra, or a light craft beer.
* Try using a seasonal beer like a pumpkin ale or a winter ale.
* For a nice all-around great-tasting beer bread try an Amber.
* For a delicious Irish beer bread, go for a Guinness.
Cover the bread with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. It will keep well for up to 5 days.
To freeze beer bread: Store in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let the bread thaw overnight in the refrigerator before eating.
Use a 10-ounce ramekin in this mini beer bread recipe.
If you would like to double this recipe, use a 4x6-inch baking dish with a base area of 24 square inches or a 5x5-inch baking dish with a base area of 25 square inches. These baking dishes can be found on our Bakeware page.
Beer Bread Variations
Although I absolutely love the flavors in sausage and cheese beer bread, consider these variations:
- Classic Cheese Beer Bread: Leave out the sausage and use ¼ cup of shredded cheese. Try pepper jack, gouda, fontina, or sharp cheddar.
- Herb Beer Bread: Fold in ½ teaspoon of dried herbs or 1 tablespoon of fresh. Try basil, rosemary, or thyme. Add in 2 tablespoons of finely grated Parmesan cheese for a nice touch.
- Spicy Beer Bread: Fold in 1 teaspoon (or more) of chopped jalapenos and ¼ cup of shredded pepper jack cheese.
- Traditional Beer Bread: Make this recipe without sausage and cheese.
Serving Suggestions
Consider enjoying your small loaf of beer bread with any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Creamy Vegetable Soup
- Minestrone Soup For One
- French Onion Soup For One
- Curried Butternut Squash Soup For One
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup For One
- Beef Stew For One
- Chicken Chili For One
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this mini sausage and cheese beer bread recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Sausage: Tortellini Soup, Sausage Dressing, Biscuit With Sausage Gravy, Zuppa Toscana
- Cheddar cheese: Cheesy Baked Eggs, Cheese Grits, Stuffed Bell Peppers, Taco Soup
- Flour: Banana Bread, Mini Dutch Apple Pie, Tortillas, Mini Loaf Of French Bread
- Sugar: Lemon Meringue Pie, Blueberry Crumble, Mini French Silk Pie, Flan
- Baking powder: Carrot Cake, Biscuits, Waffle, Brownies
- Garlic powder: Baked Pork Chop, Hash Browns, Crustless Pizza Quiche, Baked Shrimp
- Beer: Guinness Float, Irish Stew
- Here are a few suggestions for using up the rest of the beer:
- Make another loaf of beer bread.
- Make a beef marinade by mixing together chopped onions and garlic, salt, pepper, brown sugar (optional), and beer.
- Make a Lemon Shandy - mix together lemonade and beer, adding more of whichever you prefer.
- Here are a few suggestions for using up the rest of the beer:
More Quick Breads
For more information on the baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
To see examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
If you’ve tried this easy beer bread recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Mini Sausage And Cheese Beer Bread
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 ounces cooked sausage
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ cup beer
- 1 tablespoon salted butter , divided
- ¼ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat (put a few drops of water in the pan, when they evaporate, you know the pan is ready). Crumble the sausage into the pan, breaking up chunks with a spatula. Cook until the meat is crumbled and completely browned through. Transfer the cooked sausage to a paper towel-lined plate and set it aside.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly butter a 10-ounce ramekin and set it aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder.
- Stir in the beer, half of the melted butter, shredded cheese, and cooked sausage.
- Spoon the batter into the ramekin.
- Pour the remaining melted butter over the top of the beer bread batter.
- Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden. Remove from the oven and let the bread cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Beer substitutes: If you don't have beer on hand, replace the beer with seltzer water or ginger ale.
- Look for single bottles: If you aren't a beer drinker, some stores carry single bottles available for purchase or use a substitute as mentioned above.
- Alcohol in beer bread: Most, if not all of the alcohol cooks out, leaving behind the savory flavors.
- Don't overmix the dough: Too much mixing can make the bread dough too dense.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
J.Hegyi says
Great recipe.
Claire Gourlie says
Joanie, as a recent widow I came across your one dish recipes on facebook. I wanted you to know I've gone through them all, picked the ones I was interest in, printed them out and have made myself a sectioned binder with page protectors. I thank you so much for taking recipes and reducing them to easy ones for us singles or seniors. The tips you give on freezing single bacon strips and others that I have come up with such as freezing ground beef in smaller portions, or other items that are packaged in larger quantities at the grocery store has helped me learn how to reduce waste and think outside the box. Thank you most sincerely. Claire from New Hamburg, Ont. Canada
Claire Gourlie says
i am not a fan of sausage, what can I substitute instead for the beer bread recipe?
Joanie Zisk says
You might try adding a few strips of cooked and crumbled bacon or leave them out altogether.
Esther says
Hello Joanie
I’m going to try to make this bread can i use gluten-free flour for this recipe and will I need to alter the ingredients
Joanie Zisk says
Esther, this recipe has not been tested with gluten-free flour. It has only been tested by us with the ingredients listed in the recipe.