Chicken-and-Sage Sausages

I am a big-breakfast fan, and always try to find some sort of variations to make my breakfast experience a little bit more exciting! Having a little bit of protein during breakfast also keeps my tummy happy a little longer! I  fell in love with this recipe simply because it’s easy to make, delicious and can be made ahead–or freeze some, and reheat for later. It definitely beats the prepackaged option. You can also substitute ground chicken with turkey, or use other favorite herbs you have in hand. I used ground chicken breast for mine, and I was surprised at how juicy they were. Apples are also good substitute for carrots. One word of caution, make sure that the chicken patties are cooked thoroughly in the inside. Red got a little bit excited when he shaped these, so a few of them came out thicker than the rest, so I had to split those during cooking to make sure that there wasn’t any pink in the middle. Happy eating.

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, February 2008

Ingredients

2 pounds ground chicken

1/4 cup finely chopped shallot

1 medium garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage

1/4 cup finely shredded carrot

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Chutney, for serving

Directions

Using 2 forks, gently combine chicken, shallot, garlic, sage, carrot, mustard, salt, and pepper. Loosely shape mixture into 2-inch patties (about 1/2 inch thick), being careful to not overwork. Place sausage patties on a baking sheet.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook sausage patties until cooked through and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Add more oil to skillet between batches as needed. Serve warm with chutney.

Yield: 20 patties