Sausage is not only a breakfast favorite but is delicious on a pizza or made into balls to add to spaghetti or whatever suits your tastebuds.
Most commercial sausage is high in fat with many additives in order to give it a longer shelf life. Do your body a favor and avoid these chemicals, which only benefit the manufacturer, not you.
Think healthy eating.
This recipe is easy to make your own sausage with no chemical nitrites or nitrates, and it’s low in fat.
Use either ground white meat or ground thigh meat, or a combination of both. Thigh meat will be just a bit higher in fat, but it will have more flavor.
The freshness of herbs and spices is essential to the finished taste, so be sure to check yours.
Herbs contain volatile oils that lose their flavor with time and need to be replaced at least every six months.
Fred Meyer carries bulk spices and herbs in its natural foods section.
For first-time use of this recipe, it’s best to sauté a few patties, then adjust any seasoning to suit your personal taste and make notes for next time.
Wrap all uncooked patties — separate them with wax paper — in plastic wrap, then place them an airtight bag. Refrigerate for no more than three days before you cook or freeze them.
Place wrapped patties in a Ziploc bag and freeze them until they’re needed. If you triple-wrap them before you freeze them, it will help to avoid ice crystals.
Thaw them completely before you cook them. In order to keep your hands clean while you mix them, use a disposable plastic glove.
2 pounds ground turkey or ground chicken
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon Wright’s liquid smoke (most stores carry this product)
1 tablespoon rubbed sage
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon onion granules
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 teaspoon Spike, salt-free, or 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Dash cayenne
1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth or water
Spray a 12-inch skillet with vegetable oil and set aside. Into a 6-quart mixing bowl, put the ground turkey and/or chicken, and add all the ingredients.
Crush the leafy herbs by rubbing them between your fingers, in order to release the flavor.
Mix very thoroughly in order to blend in all the seasonings. Shape the mixture into patties each about 3 inches in diameter, then put them on a large plate.
Heat the skillet to medium and add the sausage patties. Make sure you don’t crowd them. Cook for three to four minutes on each side.
Remove the patties and put them on a heated plate, and keep them warm until they’re served. The lean patties don’t splatter while you cook them.
Wrap the leftover patties in an airtight container. Once they’re reheated, they’ll make a great sandwich.
Yield — about 24 patties
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