My family likes to make a big breakfast for holidays or other special occasions where we’re all up late at night talking with friends and want to extend the social experience into the next day. It’s often more of a brunch by the time we all get out of bed and get the meal together, but recipes like this one can let us get started faster if we plan ahead.

I often make a double batch while I’m at it and freeze half for the next time we want a nice breakfast. (Or to send them home with a friend who loves them). I clipped the recipe out of a magazine years ago and fortunately saved it on my computer, because last time I looked the original had disappeared, despite the fact Mom photocopied about 20 copies of it at one point to give it to everyone she knew.

As a northerner with family who live all over, I was amused to find that my cousin and aunt worked at a restaurant that primarily sold biscuits and gravy in North Carolina. This is not that kind of sausage.  Traditionally, american breakfast sausage is usually made with ground pork and is not terribly healthy – the fact that you can make gravy from the grease tells you something about that.

This recipe uses ground turkey and a few other ingredients to bind it together, since the meat is softer. The apples and onions also add a nice light sweet/sharp flavor to the sausages, since turkey isn’t as flavorful a meat on it’s own. You do need to grease the pan, because there’s very little fat in these on their own.

If you like spicier breakfast sausage, feel free to add a teaspoon or so of chili powder. I think that might have been in the original recipe, but we like it fine without and often serve it this way.

Turkey Breakfast Sausage

• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup finely chopped peeled apple
• 1/2 cup dry oatmeal
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sage
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 lb ground turkey

I find it easier to chop the onion, apple, and herbs in a food processor – but I always do them separately so I can control how finely chopped they are. It’s nice to have some small chunks (1/4″) in the sausages for texture, but you don’t want them so big they’ll fall apart.

Combine all ingredients well and shape into 16 2″ round patties.If you’re making these ahead, line a large flat pan with plastic wrap and put the patties in the freezer. Once they’re frozen through, pull them off the plastic wrap and drop them in a freezer bag, being sure to get out as much extra air as possible so you don’t get freezer burn.

Cook for 10-12 minutes over medium heat in a large, lightly greased skillet or griddle until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear (turn once). You could also try broiling them if your griddle is busy with pancakes or eggs, but don’t do it too close to the heat – you want the meat cooked through, not just crisped on the outside.

Servings: 4-6
Yield: 16 patties

If the images below don’t work for you, find the photos on my flickr stream here.

Ingredients (for a double batch)	Prep work with Food Processor
You may need a big bowl	Shaping them ahead of time saves time
Want to make them ahead?	Wrap them up before freezing
Stovetop (unfrozen)	Baking frozen sausages