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Did you know that making the best breakfast sausage involves virtually no skill, little effort, and it tastes so much better than Jimmy Dean’s?

Honestly, I say this, but I don’t know it as fact, because I’ve never had Jimmy’s! LOL!

In fact, I’ve never been a lover of breakfast sausage, though I do love my homemade chorizo sausage which works just fine on any of my breakfast menu’s!

It’s Manservant that is always ordering breakfast sausage when we visit the Original Pancake House, right around the corner from our house.

He loves their turkey sausage.

He also grew up with a mom who always served sausage for breakfast.

My mom never served sausage for breakfast because she never served breakfast!

Dad sometimes made us pancakes or eggs, but I never recall Mom making breakfast.

And being Jewish, pork was not often in our home.

The only pork I recall was in the form of Italian sausage, which my dad loved cooking on the grill.

I didn’t like the looks of it so I never ate it, and the only sausage I ever recall eating in my childhood years, was liver sausage.

Liver sausage and I had a great relationship. I ate it every morning on toast!

So where did I discover my love of sausage?

Honestly, I don’t know.

And though I love sausage now, perhaps because I love highly seasoned food, it took me a long time to get to breakfast sausage, because I’m a bacon girl!

My dad made us bacon as kids, but I never liked that either, because it was never crisp enough for me!

Many years later, when I discovered there was such a thing as crisp bacon, there was no going back.

Which probably explains why it wasn’t until recently that I decided to make a recipe for breakfast sausage.

I love simple recipes like this that add so much to a meal, and since Manservant does love sausage for breakfast, I figured why not?

And why not, shouldn’t you?

With family hanging out I have always advocated for a great breakfast casserole and still do, but there is something simple about a fried egg, or a scrambled egg with your favorite breakfast sausage.

The sausage elevates everything and is a great change from bacon.

It’s fun to make a breakfast sandwich with sausage and sausage can also be crumbled and scrambled into eggs, or used for sausage gravy.

I don’t like doing that with bacon, because it makes the bacon soggy.

Yes, I always clung to my bacon, but after freezing these cute mini patties, now I can pull one out of the freezer and heat it quickly in the microwave and no fuss or muss necessary.

Plus this sausage can be tailored to your taste using maple flavor, dried herbs or fresh, which makes it so much better than the other FAMOUS sausage.

I don’t know about you, but breakfast is often my favorite meal of the day and sausage makes it even better.

And if you are eating it for a weekday breakfast, so much the better for starting the day right!

As you stroll down the grocery store aisles choosing breakfast sausage links, with each brand claiming to offer the best, remember the best way is to make your own!

A homemade breakfast sausage recipe is the ultimate morning delight.

So, who makes the best breakfast sausage?

In my quest for the perfect breakfast sausage I discovered one great recipe is way better than store bought.

1. Jimmy Dean Premium Maple Sausage:

Jimmy Dean’s offering is ground pork, with a little maple flavoring, some vinegar, MSG, and some things I can’t pronounce.

2. Johnsonville Original Breakfast Sausage:

Johnsonville aims for perfection with a spice mixture that I can’t see listed, along with corn syrup and preservatives.

3. Boulder Breafast Sausage

If you can find this in you area, it is my favorite store bought sausage. I have always loved their Italian sausage and the chorizo. This is not a sponsored post! Boulder Sausage products contain only natural ingredients and list pork, salt and spices along with rosemary extractives, which are used as a natural preservative.

As you can see different brands contain different things so for best results, try them all and find your favorite.

But looking at the above list, I heartily recommend making your own!

Homemade Breakfast Sausage: Crafting The Best Breakfast Sausage

While store-bought sausages offer convenience, there’s something special about crafting your own.

I used a simple recipe with lots of seasoning and a bit of maple syrup for sweetness.

The pork was an 80/20 mixture and seemed to have the right amount of fat to create a good sizzle.

Taste test your mixture by taking a small spoonful and placing it in a small ramekin and cooking it for 20 seconds in the microwave.

Though sausage “mellows” as it cures, the flavors can still be tested.

Want a more spicy sausage,or perhaps less spicy, sweeter, saltier, more herbs?

Adjust before you are done to make your own great sausages.

Ingredients I used:

Ground Pork Or Turkey
Black pepper
Garlic powder
Dried and fresh sage
Nutmeg
Smoked Paprika
Fresh Thyme
Cayenne pepper or Red Pepper flakes
Maple syrup or brown sugar
Salt (adjust to taste)

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the ground meat of your choice with all the herbs, spices and maple syrup.
Using your hands, fold the ingredients thoroughly together, ensuring an even distribution of spices throughout the ground meat.
Form the sausage mixture into golf ball sized balls. Chill overnight to allow the spices to mellow and permeate the meat.
Use a nonstick skillet or a cast iron frying pan, flatten the sausage golf balls into thin patties before placing in the skillet. If you need a touch of olive oil to keep them from sticking, drizzle it in the skillet now.
Cook slowly on medium heat . Once cooked, place the patties on paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
Serve these breakfast sausage patties on English muffins for a classic breakfast sandwich or alongside your favorite breakfast staples.

Choosing the Best Breakfast Sausage: Considerations and Tips

Flavor Preferences:
- Consider your flavor preferences. Whether you like a hint of sweetness, a spicy kick, or a traditional savory taste, there’s a kind of sausage to suit every palate.
Meat Choice:
- Experiment with different cuts of pork, ground turkey, or even a mix of meats to find your go-to recipe.
Spice Levels:
- Pay attention to spice levels. If you like a spicy kick add more pepper.
Homemade vs. Store-Bought:
- Homemade sausages offer customization, allowing you to tailor the spice blend to your liking. However, store-bought options provide convenience for those busy mornings.

How to Reheat Cooked Frozen Sausage Patties:

I made 2 pounds of sausages which left me enough cooked breakfast sausge patties to freeze for other special occasions.

I wrapped them in plastic wrap in a single layer and then placed them in an airtight container before placing them in the freezer.

To reheat place sausage on a microwave-safe plate and cook on high setting for 60 seconds.

I heartily recommend making your own breakfast sausage. It’s not hard and allows you to create something a little different from what you might find at the grocery.

It also might be a little healthier!

So, the next time you savor that perfect bite of the best breakfast sausage alongside your morning eggs or as part of a hearty breakfast sandwich, know that the best breakfast sausage is the one you create!

Well, at least I think it is!

This post contains affiliate links from which I may or may not be paid a small commission at no cost to you.

My favorite breakfast cookbook

I haven’t tried this, but it sounds good. In case you don’t want to make your own!

Need Some More:

Breakfast Biscuits