Breakfast Sausage

[GFreeMO]

This is pretty quick and easy and really good!

Breakfast Sausage

1 small onion, diced

1 medium sweet apple, such as Gala or Honeycrisp, peeled and diced

1 pound ground pork

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon fennel fennel seed, chopped

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 TBSP olive oil

Directions:

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add apples and cook, stirring, 2 more minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Wipe out the pan.

Add Pork, sage, sugar, fennel, salt and pepper to the bowl with the apples and onions. Gently mix to combine. Make into patties like you would a hamburger and cook until done.

[Skylark]

I never thought of making breakfast sausage. That looks really good, minus the sugar to suit my taste. Does it freeze well if I make the patties and freeze them raw?

[GFreeMO]

I never thought of making breakfast sausage. That looks really good, minus the sugar to suit my taste. Does it freeze well if I make the patties and freeze them raw?

I have never frozen them raw. I cook them all first then freeze them. I warm them up in the pan when I make my eggs. You could microwave them too. They are really good and nice to have on hand.

[Skylark]

Thanks! That sounds convenient. There is stuff in commercial sausages that I don't care to eat so making my own is very appealing.

[Adalaide]

I can't have most sausage anymore because of what's in it. (I still get the urge to strangle my neurologist when I think about it.) This is a great way for me to get my fix! You have perfect timing to save me from breakfast drudgery, I've been on the verge of caving and eating the stuff in my freezer. I'm a huge fan of having stuff that's super quick and easy, so having precooked patties ready to just heat up and enjoy with my eggs is perfect.

[GF Lover]

Wow, never thought I would eat breakfast sausage again. It just doesn't sit well. I hope it's okay if I take the fennel seeds out, they freak me out just looking at them.

Thanks again for the recipe.

[GFreeMO]

You can leave the fennel seeds out..no problem. I have made it both with and without. I also have used McCormick rubbed sage in place of fresh. Sometimes it's hard to find.

[Skylark]

How much rubbed sage? Maybe a teaspoon? The store didn't have fresh when I got the rest of the ingredients. Can't wait to try this tomorrow!

[genieb]

I make my own sausages too, only I use ground turkey and substitute basil for the sage. They are good and really easy to warm up later.

[squirmingitch]

Yay! Thanks GFreeMO! Just put the recipe in my files. Yum!

[GFreeMO]

How much rubbed sage? Maybe a teaspoon? The store didn't have fresh when I got the rest of the ingredients. Can't wait to try this tomorrow!

If you bought McCormick, it says on the bottle how much dry to use in place of fresh. I don't have it near but it's on the back.

I hope you like it!!

[GFreeMO]

I make my own sausages too, only I use ground turkey and substitute basil for the sage. They are good and really easy to warm up later.

I have to avoid corn like I do gluten...Same reaction. Ground turkey has corn in the "natural flavors" Basil sounds good too.

[Skylark]

If you bought McCormick, it says on the bottle how much dry to use in place of fresh. I don't have it near but it's on the back.

I hope you like it!!

Sage and fennel? Sauteed onions? I already know I'll like it. I'm just going to leave the sugar out and only use the apple because I like sausage that's more savory than sweet. My sage is Spice Island and there's nothing on the bottle. I think the rule of thumb for herbs is 1/3 the amount of fresh when you use dried.

[eatmeat4good]

Ooohh this sounds so good.

I'm making it with ground beef instead of pork.

And no sugar.

but OMG yum!

Thank you!

[IrishHeart]

Wow, never thought I would eat breakfast sausage again. It just doesn't sit well. I hope it's okay if I take the fennel seeds out, they freak me out just looking at them.

Thanks again for the recipe.

Colleen,

You are so cute and you continue to amuse me. Fennel seeds freak you out?

Look at it this way, they are a lot smaller than the horned tomato worms you love so much.

Crack just one fennel seed open and see if you like the aroma.

AWESOME flavor, but a little goes a long way.

Glad to see you are experimenting in the kitchen! yaaay!

IH

[IrishHeart]

Great recipe MO!!!

[freeatlast]

This is pretty quick and easy and really good!

Breakfast Sausage

1 small onion, diced

1 medium sweet apple, such as Gala or Honeycrisp, peeled and diced

1 pound ground pork

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon fennel fennel seed, chopped

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 TBSP olive oil

Directions:

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add apples and cook, stirring, 2 more minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Wipe out the pan.

Add Pork, sage, sugar, fennel, salt and pepper to the bowl with the apples and onions. Gently mix to combine. Make into patties like you would a hamburger and cook until done.

I LOVE this idea--recipe and freezing it. Also, thanks Skylark for the 1/3 dried herbs per fresh herbs advice.

[Skylark]

Yes, this is very good. Thanks! 1 tsp. dried sage works, and for me they were perfect with just the apple and no sugar.

For non-pork people, this would probably work with ground turkey.

[GF Lover]

Colleen,

You are so cute and you continue to amuse me. Fennel seeds freak you out?

Look at it this way, they are a lot smaller than the horned tomato worms you love so much.

Crack just one fennel seed open and see if you like the aroma.

AWESOME flavor, but a little goes a long way.

Glad to see you are experimenting in the kitchen! yaaay!

IH

IH, I first saw fennel seeds in Italian sausage, they looked like these worm things I found in an old box of rice years ago. I saw them in sausage on a pizza once and lost it. Do you think I have a bad relationship with worms?

But, I will Crack one open and sniff. Maybe I can just grind up some and use it that way. That would be easier than 10 years of therapy about pseudo worms.

[Skylark]

Just buy your fennel pre-ground. It won't have quite as strong a flavor but it beats feeling ill from looking at them!

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[GF Lover]

Just buy your fennel pre-ground. It won't have quite as strong a flavor but it beats feeling ill from looking at them!

Open Original Shared Link

Oh Skylark, that is perfect. Thank you!

[IrishHeart]

Well, Sky beat me to it....thanks, SKY!!!

but, really honey, we need to get you over the "ICK" thing you have about SOOOOO many things.

Sky? Colleen is afraid of bugs..... and apparently, thinks other things look like bugs too, including harmless fennel seeds.

But we're being extra nice and understanding of her because she is quitting smoking right now.

And that is a HUGE thing and we are sooooo proud of her!!

Go, Colleen, Go Colleen, Go Colleen.

(insert cheerleader emoticon here)

[genieb]

I'm sure the recipe is good as is, I make substitution because we don't eat pork for religious reasons and Bob is allergic to sage. We all do what we have to do.

[IrishHeart]

I'm sure the recipe is good as is, I make substitution because we don't eat pork for religious reasons and Bob is allergic to sage. We all do what we have to do.

That's the truth!

I prefer the ground turkey, too (in most things I sub in for the red meat ) and so, may I ask you, when you use it recipes, do you notice it is much drier (from lack of fat) and therefore, seems to stick to the pan? I make a chili with ground turkey and boy, I have a hard time keeping it from getting TOO brown and stuck to the bottom. I end up using EVOO to keep it moist.

Any tips most appreciated!!

[Skylark]

I've had the same sticking problem with ground turkey, IH. I usually use ghee rather than EVOO because I don't like heating vegetable oils. Besides, butter flavor improves everything!