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No-Salt Breakfast Sausage

The seasonings in this recipe give you the flavor of breakfast sausage without the added salt.
Course: Breakfast
Keyword: Dairy-Free Option, Easy--now you're cooking, Gluten-Free Option, Make-Ahead Option, No Salt or Low Salt, Vegan Option, Vegetarian Option
Servings: 4

Note: If you are cooking for a particular style of eating, please check all of your ingredients carefully.

Many of my recipes have alternatives, and you want to choose the alternatives that fit the style you are preparing. Also, packaged goods may have ingredients you wouldn't expect. Soy sauce may or may not have gluten. Chocolate may or may not have dairy. This means you want to check the ingredients labels on the products you will use. Also, it's important to be aware that if you are cooking for someone with allergies or other reasons to take special care, you should avoid cross-contamination. For example, don't use the same utensil that was used in food containing the allergen or use the same cutting board that was used for food containing the allergen.

Ingredients

Seasoning Mix

  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/16 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or garlic granules
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Protein (choose one)

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 pound plant-based ground meat alternative (will likely contain sodium)
  • 8 ounces tempeh
  • 1 pound thin boneless pork chops
  • 1 pound turkey cutlets

If Using Tempeh

  • 1 tablespoon oil

Instructions

Spice Mix

  • Grind spices together in a spice grinder.

If Using Tempeh

  • Chop tempeh into small pieces.
  • Mix tempeh with spice mix, one tablespoon of oil and 1/4 cup water.
  • Cook and stir tempeh in oiled non-stick pan over medium high heat until starting to brown.

If Using Ground Meat or Alternative

  • Mix spice mix into meat and form into eight patties.
  • Fry patties until cooked through.
    No salt breakfast sausage

If using porkchops or turkey cutlets

  • Rub the meat with the seasoning.
  • Fry in oiled pan until cooked through.
    No salt breakfast pork chops
  • If you would like, you can deglaze the pan to make a simple au jus after removing the porkchops or turkey. Put just enough water in the pan to cover the bottom of the pan. Simmer briefly while scraping the bits from the pan. Serve alongside your dish.

Notes

If you don't want a lot of spice, you could use 1/16 teaspoon cayenne instead of 1/8.
The sausage can be prepped for cooking the night before and refrigerated to be cooked at breakfast time.  It also works to cook the sausage ahead and reheat it at breakfast time.
The spice mix can be made well in advance of using it.  If you like this recipe, you can mix up a large batch of the spice mix and make the dish quickly when ready to do so.
A coffee grinder can be used to grind spices, but it's necessary to dedicate a coffee grinder for spices.  If the grinder has been used for coffee, it may add a coffee flavor to your dish.  You could also use a mortar and pestle.
If using a vegan ground meat alternative, there will likely be some salt in the mix.