I have to be honest, I have an obsession with breakfast meats. Bacon and sausage! I can not get enough. I could probably eat bacon egg and cheese sandwiches everyday if it was heathy enough to eat that often. And while other people look forward to pancakes and french toast at brunch, for me brunch will not be complete without some kind of breakfast meat, preferably in the thick cut form.
Johnny and I realized early on in our relationship that we share a love of BEC sandwiches and he sure can make a mean one! And sometimes any breakfast I don’t have to make is the best one. Even Timber loves BECs as he once stole half of my sandwich when no one was looking and another time he just ate the bacon off my open faced sandwich! (While that took talent, he can be quite a naughty dog sometimes) This is a true family love affair.
However, as much as I love breakfast meats, they are not the healthiest choice for an everyday situation so when we start to feel like we have been eating a lot of bacon, I try and find a way to satisfy my craving while still being good for me. So I started my search and found this recipe for turkey breakfast sausage by Monica at the Yummy Life and thought this was such a genius idea! When I first made it I realized that the coriander really helps to bring out that classic breakfast sausage flavor that you look for and the red pepper flakes really help give the flecks throughout the patties. I wasn’t sure about the applesauce but once I was cooking up the patties I realized that it helps to keep the meat moist and to caramelize the outside of the patties.
After making this recipe dozens of time I have adapted her recipe and made some changes and I think this it THE ONE. Personally I think that ground turkey can sometimes be very bland so adding a good amount of spices helps add more flavor to really make you think this is sausage and not turkey. I added the maple syrup to add just a tad of sweetness and really bring the idea of maple breakfast sausage and it really adds a flavorful note that wasn’t there before. Turkey is a much healthier option especially if you are using lean ground turkey and with all the spices it is so easy to forget that this isn’t the real thing!
I like to use a scoop to portion out the balls and then form into patties, obviously you can do this without the scoop but I did feel pretty official the day I first used a scoop rather than my hands. One of the tricks to this is to leave the patties until you feel like they have burned…I know it’s hard and you will want to flip them but resit the urge and you will be rewarded with a caramelized outside.
Johnny would like me to mention that if you are interested in an extra spicy version (that was too spicy for me) just double the red pepper and cayenne, he thought it was perfect!
You are going to love these patties for two main reasons. One, they are just a delicious and satisfying as regular sausage patties while being healthier for you! And because these can be used so many ways, while I have been enjoying them with simple scrambled eggs lately, they work well in Sausage Egg and cheese sandwiches, crumbled in breakfast burritos, with eggs over easy, and so much more. So if you also have a special love of breakfast meats but still like to eat healthy you have to try this recipe!
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon sage
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 pound ground lean turkey
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- Mix together all the dry spices in a medium sized bowl
- Add the applesauce and maple syrup to the spices and mix well
- Combine the mixture with the ground turkey, using a medium sized scoop portion out 12 balls and form into patties
- Place a non-stick pan on med to medium-high heat and add half a tablespoon of olive oil, once heated place 6 patties in the pan.
- Wait 3-5 minutes to flip them, you will feel like they are burning but they will be fine! this will help make the top brown up nicely.
- Cook another 2-3 mins on the second side, until cooked through.
- Serve with your choice of eggs!
Disclaimer: there are affiliate links in this post, but that scoop has made me feel pretty official while portioning off patties!
It sounds delicious especially when I went to work early and no breakfast!
Thanks! They reheat really well too, so I suggest making a batch and warming on busy mornings so you don’t go hungry!
I think I’ll try making this and after scooping out 1/2 for regular sausages I’ll then add some more cayenne pepper to the remainder to make the second half spicier. That should make make everyone in my family happy. Thanks for another great recipe.
Yes love this !! I could eat breakfast meats for lunch and dinner !! Thanks so much for sharing @ welcome home Wednesday ! Laci @ Sequinsinthesouth.com
Laci, glad you like it, breakfast meats is one of my favorite food groups!