Some of the best recipes I have every cooked are ones that I can dump in a crockpot and forget about it for a few hours. This is even more true when I can dump it into the crockpot, leave for a GNO (girls night out), and know that all my husband has to do is take it out when time is up, let it cool, and put it in the refrigerator.
I decided to experiment with making my own breakfast sausage since the store bought kind is either loaded down with extra chemicals or is super high in fat.
You can make this recipe either in the crockpot in the shape of a meatloaf, like I did, or you can mold it into individuals patties, cook them off, and freeze them. I will be doing that next time.
Breakfast Sausage
- 2 lbs ground turkey (or meat of choice)
- 2 cups diced onion
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp fennel seed
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp ground sage
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 T garlic powder
- 2 T maple syrup (optional)
Cook onion in olive oil for 3-5 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. Add eggs and syrup. Stir well to incorporate. Add in onion and meat. Using your hands, mix well to combine.
To cook in a crockpot: dump the mixture into the crock pot and form into the shape of a loaf, leaving about 1/2 inch around the edges. Cook on low heat for 3 hours or until fully cooked through. Be careful not to over cook if you are using a lean meat. Cool completely and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. To serve, slice it up and sear in a heated skillet until the outside is browned and warmed through.
To make individual patties: form into equal sized balls. Flatten out the balls. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once pan is hot, sear the outsides of the patties on each side to create a nice crispy crust, being careful not to burn. Approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Place the patties on a cookie sheet and finish cooking in the oven for 10 minutes (more or less depending on the size of your patties). Cool completely and store in a airtight container in the freezer. To reheat, either pop in the microwave for 1 minute, turning 1/2 way, or heat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
I will probably be making this as patties next time since it makes a lot of sausage. The loaf makes 8 huge servings.
One serving, without the syrup, has a macro count of:
- 8.8 grams fat
- 23.7 grams carbohydrates
- 34.4 grams protein
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