The Secret Recipe Club:
American Diner style
Homemade Breakfast Sausage
Many years ago I remember driving from Pennsylvania right down to Florida, in an old “fast-back” 1972 yellow Ford Mustang; the brakes were more than dodgy, the gear box was “imaginative” and the journey was pretty arduous when made with just two drivers, who slept in the back of the car to save on limited holiday funds, and yes one of them was me! We made it in one piece, and whereas we may have saved on accommodation on our three-day journey down to the sunshine state, we certainly did not save on meals, with many a fabulous meal taken in a classic American Diner. Just when the road seemed to come right into the car and fatigue started to take its toll, there would appear that most wondrous of sights, a shiny silver “bullet-shaped” trailer, with promises of “all-you-can-drink coffee”, “stacks of pancakes”, French toast and jam, scrambled eggs and bacon, and, one of my favourite diner delicacies, Sausage Patties.
So, when I was perusing all the recipes over on Natural Noshing, my assigned Secret Recipe Club blog for May, as soon as I saw her recipe for Homemade Breakfast Sausage, I knew that for the purposes of taste and nostalgia, I had to make them as my chosen recipe. I adore sausage in all its forms, from juicy British bangers to meaty French Toulouse sausages with a few spicy Chorizo thrown in for good measure; but, home-made sausages are just so superior to their commercial cousins – plus, you get to adjust the fat and meat content, as well as that all important seasoning ratio too. Natural Noshing has some wonderful recipes, of which the homemade breakfast sausage was just one; other recipes that took my fancy were: Cajun Egg and Bean Scramble, Italian-Style Baked Egg Cups, Apple and Cheese Breakfast Quesadillas, Homemade Tortillas/Wraps, Beef and Sweet Potato Stir-Fry and Better-for-You Butter Chicken.
The beauty about Natural Noshing’s Homemade Breakfast Sausage, is that they are made with very lean and low minced chicken meat; turkey meat and a mixture of poultry and pork can be used, but I decided to use some ground chicken thigh meat in my breakfast sausage patties, and to very good effect. I served mine two ways, in a toasted muffin with melted cheese (and salad) as part of a weekend brunch, as well as shaped in to proper British sausage links with a tin of beans. Once made, these patties can be frozen, and only take about 30 minutes to defrost before cooking. I have shared Nora from Natural Noshing’s recipe below, with my amendments and in metric, for the benefit of all metric users, but, do pop over to Natural Noshing to see all of the other tasty recipes here: Natural Noshing Recipes.
About Nora and Natural Noshing:
Nora is an active, twenty-something “foodie” with a passion for nutrition and eating natural, real food — nothing too fussy, over-processed or complicated. Growing up, she was the girl who didn’t read novels or magazines – she read cookbooks and recipes.
Nora always eats gluten-free and (mostly) refined sugar-free as well, minus a few holiday sweets or special occasions (something’s gotta give occasionally!). Nora has found that avoiding gluten and limiting her sugar intake resolved her ongoing struggle with digestive issues and improved her overall health and energy. She’s an avid runner and loves being active, whether it be walking her dog, hiking or attending weekly boot camp (Shout out to FitSoldiers!)
Homemade Breakfast Sausage
(Natural Noshing)
Makes: 8 Patties or 10 sausage links
Ingredients:
3 teaspoons fresh chopped or 2 teaspoons dried sage
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground cinnamon
450g minced chicken thigh meat (or a mixture of minced pork and minced turkey meat)
Method:
1. In a roomy bowl, combine the sage, sea salt, ground black pepper, marjoram, crushed red pepper, cloves and cinnamon and mix well.
2. Place the ground chicken in a large bowl and spread the meat up the sides of the bowl. Sprinkle the spice mixture in and blend well to combine. Let mixture rest for several hours or overnight to allow flavours to blend.
3. Form into 8 patties or 10 sausage links, or a mixture of both. (I used a little flour to coat them before frying) In a large frying-pan over medium-high heat, sauté the sausage patties or links for 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.
Susan says
Oh that looks SO good! I’ve been trying to come up with different breakfast ideas for my boys and I think this would go down a treat. Great pick!!
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Susan! These were easy to make and they freeze well too, so you can always have savoury breakfast sausage on tap for the boys! 😉 Karen
SallyBR says
Never made my own breakfast sausage, your post is beautiful, as usual….
that is something I know my hubby would love, to be surprised with a batch of these after a round of golf, for instance… more like a brunch or light lunch thing. Delicious!
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks so much Sally…….I was just admiring the lamb meatballs you made, and thinking that we both chose minced meat recipes this month! Karen
Melissa says
What a delicious recipe you chose! There is nothing like a breakfast sandwich with homemade breakfast sausage! Excellent choice this month 🙂
Karen Burns-Booth says
I agree Melissa! And these breakfast sausage patties went down a storm here! Karen
La Torontoise says
Karen, loved it! I have some minced turkey left and would do this tonight.
Karen Burns-Booth says
These would be wonderful with minced turkey meat too La Torontoise! Karen
Amy @ Fearless Homemaker says
Oh, I LOVE breakfast sausage — it’s one of my favorite foods. I keep wanting to make it homemade, but forgetting to give it a try. I need to change that ASAP, because this looks awesome!
Karen Burns-Booth says
DO make these Amy, they are so easy and very tasty!
JJ - 84thand3rd says
What a great idea to use chicken thigh to add a bit of richness, I’ll have to try that (and your spice blend) next time I make something sausage-y for RJ! Great choice for SRC this month.
Smells Like Salad says
What, no hashbrowns? 😉
Karen Burns-Booth says
NOT this time Smells like salad! Next time eh?
Karen Burns-Booth says
The spice and herb blend makes these breakfast sausage patties so special!
Jeanette says
Looks really good & I would prefer to make my own sausage. Do you have a preference for the meat mix?
Karen Burns-Booth says
I used chicken thighs Jeanette!
Jeanette says
Looking back at the article it says you prefer ground chicken?
Karen Burns-Booth says
I used ground chicken, yes, but you can use a mixture of chicken, pork and turkey if you wish!
Karen @ Karen's Kitchen Stories says
How wonderful, and what great memories! I’ve never tried making my own sausage, but you make it sound totally doable. I love your photos too.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks so much Karen – these sausage patties went down a treat!
Nora says
Happy reveal day! Love your story at the beginning..I’ve taken many a road trip where diners were my go-to 🙂 im so glad you enjoyed these! Thanks for the kind words!
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks for the lovely recipe Nora and I had a wonderful time exploring your blog too! Karen
Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm says
Talk about kicking breakfast up a notch…this sausage recipe is amazing!
Karen Burns-Booth says
Hahahaha! Thanks Wendy! 🙂
Asiya @ Chocolate & Chillies says
Looks delicious! I’ve never made sausage before. Great SRC pick!
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Asiya, these worked on so many levels! Karen
Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere says
What a great pick. These sausages look fantastic!
Karen says
Thanks so much Sarah – any sausage is good for breakfast, but these were particularly tasty! Karen
Dom says
Such a lovely evocative post Karen. I’m right there with you on that road trip. Gorgeous sausage breakfast. Can I be there with you for that too please?
Karen says
You know that you and The Viking are welcome any time Dom – so just come on down! Karen
Emily @ Life on Food says
My husband and I have talked a lot about making our own sausage. This sounds delicious and pretty easy to put together. I will have to show him this recipe. Great pick!
Karen says
Thanks Emily, do make your own sausage – it’s well worth the effort. Karen
Becky Winkler (A Calculated Whisk) says
Yum! Those patties look perfectly browned and so delicious!
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Becky – yes, these were very tasty! Karen
Tara says
Beautiful photos! Makes me want to dig right in. Will definitely need to try this.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Tara – you should try them one day!
Lynsey @ Lynsey Lou's says
I love breakfast sandwiches, and yours with homemade breakfast sausage…wow! I’ve wanted to make my own breakfast sausage for a while now, and after reading your post I’m going to have to get with it and make it soon!
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Lynsey, this is a great recipe for homemade sausage – you’ll love them! Karen
nicole @ i am a honey bee says
I love homemade breakfast sausage. It really makes for a great breakfast sandwich. total yum!
Great pick this month
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Nicole, yes, when you make home-made, it is hard to go back to commercial sausages!
Sue Lau says
This sausage reminds me of the old days when I used to camp out with family. Nothing like the smells of sausage and beans in the early morning air to wake up to and whet the appetite! Great choice for reveal day.
Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook says
I love how food can spur memories. 🙂 Your sausages look perfect!
Linda, Kefalonia says
Could I use a Food Processor to ‘chop up’ the chicken thighs
Karen Burns-Booth says
Absolutely Linda, but make sure they aren’t over processed! Karen
Linda, Kefalonia says
Thanks, I’ll have a go soon