Homemade Breakfast Sausage Patties

I have been trying to make really great homemade breakfast sausage for years now, but without success.  Now that I write that sentence, I realize that doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in my culinary abilities…

Let me explain.

My parents made it all the time when I was a kid, but they can’t seem to remember the recipe, so, no help there.  Once, when I was in the hospital having a baby, my Mom went through my freezer and found some ground pork and whipped up some sausage for breakfast.  When I returned home and warmed up the leftovers, I went bonkers (because it was so incredibly good) and begged her to tell me what she had put in it.  Of course, she didn’t remember and had just grabbed random spices from the cabinet.  She wrote down what she thought it was and I meticulously followed the notes she had scrawled on the back of the envelope from the electric bill, but it wasn’t even close.  Grrr.  I have made just about EVERY recipe I have found on the internet and all of them are either too complicated for what I am after, bland, off, ridiculously sweet or salty, tough, dry, or they taste like Italian sausage instead of the traditional breakfast version I want.  I tried creating my own and starting from scratch, but kept missing the mark.  All of my previous attempts were good, but not very great.

Until this one.  I don’t know exactly what I did all that differently, but after making sure that I wrote the ingredients down exactly, I went on to make several batches, just to ensure that it really was the winner I was looking for.  And Oh My Lanta-it really is.  Turns out I had a great sausage recipe rolling around in my head after all!

This recipe has just enough spice to make it interesting, but not so much that it doesn’t taste like meat.  We can’t stop eating this stuff and it is now happily stored in my freezer in bulk to be browned and used in breakfast casserole, and also shaped in patties, ready to defrost and fry up for breakfast.  *sigh* My work here is done!
Homemade Breakfast Sausage
I have discovered that buying 80/20 ground pork gives me the flavor that I want in the sausage, without being super greasy.  Anything leaner and I have to add something for moisture and results don’t end up consistent.  Rub the thyme and fennel seed a bit in your hands to crush it up just a touch before you add it to the recipe.  It makes all the difference in the world!

1 lb ground pork (80/20 fat ratio)
1 T pure maple syrup
1 tsp ground sage
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp fennel seed

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl using a fork to toss and gently mash the ingredients until well mixed.  Be gentle, as too much handling can make the sausage tough.  Scoop of whatever portions you desire, flatten, and fry in a pan over medium heat until firm in the middle and brown on both sides.  Alternatively, store the whole pound of sausage in a well sealed container in the freezer, cooked or uncooked!  Both freeze great!