I have always loved Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage. However, when I became more aware of the detrimental effects of MSG, I promptly shunned Jimmy Dean.
Then, I found this recipe to make your own breakfast sausage from scratch! Perhaps it is not a perfect substitute for store-bought breakfast sausage, but I much prefer to know exactlywhat goes into my sausage.
I have found it handy to double or triple the spice recipe and store the leftovers in a spice jar. Just add 1 tablespoon + 3/4 teaspoon to every pound of pork. Also, if you do not wish to use ground pork, you could substitute ground beef. Just remember that the taste and texture will not be the same!
Breakfast Sausage Spice Blend
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1/2 teaspoon rubbed summer savory
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoon marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Directions:
Stir all ingredients together thoroughly. Store in an airtight container.
To make sausage: Mix the spice blend thoroughly with 1 lb of ground pork.
Makes about 1 tablespoon + 3/4 teaspoon, or enough for 1 lb of sausage.
16 Responses to “Breakfast Sausage Spice Blend”
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Lauren says:
What a great idea! MSG is definitely a no-no for me, as well as many other (gluten) fillers so this looks like a fabulous solution! Not to mention, you get to control the flavours so it comes out just right =D.
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chocolate shavings says:
That blend of spices would brighten up any bland sausage!
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Ron Jones says:
You are forgetting to mention two major ingredients that make Breakfast Sausage to be Breakfast Sausage, and without which it won’t taste anything like Breakfast Sausage!:
SUGAR (can be Brown Sugar, Maple Syrup, or Honey)
SMOKE (Liquid Smoke) -
Megan says:
I’ve used this blend several times to make “homemade breakfast sausage” and I think it’s perfect the way it is. My husband loves it, along with knowing what is in our sausage. I’m sure sugar and smoke would be great, too. But it’s definitely not necessary. And I know I don’t need any more sugar in my diet. : )
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[…] in a consistency I like for breakfast sausage. For spices, I relied on the excellent advice of Erica Lea, with one addition — […]
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Mycal Anderson says:
Basic Breakfast Sausage>>>
1 lbs Gound Pork shoulder, 1/2 tsp Ground Red Pepper, 1/2 tsp ground sage, and 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp brown sugar.
Italian Sausage>>>>>>>
1 lbs Ground Pork shoulder w/ fat… 1/2 tsp Ground Anise Seed, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder,
1/2 tsp sugar.you can streech the meat by add 1 cup cooked TVP ( Textured Vegetable Protein)
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Lori says:
I was wondering…..if I were to use ground turkey with these spices, would it taste like sausage? Has anyone tried this? I was thinking it would be less fatty? Thoughts??
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Erica Lea says:
Lori: I have never tried ground turkey or chicken, but I would assume that it wouldn’t affect the flavor too much, mostly the texture. I have used ground beef instead of pork and it tastes like sausage but it’s drier than pork. I say give the ground turkey a try!
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monica says:
I love this sugar free recipe. I don’t use sugar in anything and I really appreciate recipes without it. Your photo’s are amazing. I love your site.
I am going to use turkey, because we don’t eat pork. -
David says:
Great recipe. Made it this AM for the family. Everyone was satisfied.
Not sure about the MSG bashing, though. Every time I read a comment about MSG being harmful, I go out and do another literature search to see if some new study has yielded evidence of negative reactions to MSG. I did that again this morning and found that there is still no scientific evidence showing a causal relationship between MSG consumption and the symptoms that many people claim to experience after eating foods containing MSG. In test after test, self-identified MSG-sensitive subjects, when participating in double-blind experiments, show no repeatable reaction to MSG.
Also, regardless or your stance on the existence of “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” you should look into the difference between gluten intolerance and MSG sensitivity. Though they have similar sounding names, glutamate and gluten are not related. People who can not tolerate gluten are no more like than anyone else to react to MSG.
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Cindy says:
My boyfriend’s uncle used to work for a butcher and suggests a mixture of pork and beef to offset the fat in the pork. We are making our first batch this week and I will be using your seasoning recipe – – will let you know how it turns out.
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Grampy Diddly says:
Ground turkey works great. Just use one that is about 70 percent lean. Leaner turkey works but is dryer. Even though I use leaner meats, this is one that I prefer with the less lean mix. Still is healthier than store bought sausage!
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Bill says:
I agree with Grampa Diddly except, I’ve never seen 70% lean turkey in our stores. I’ve used 94% lean and yes, it’s a little dry, but the flavor is all there. I’ve experimented with different spice mixes but imo, sage and marjoram are key. I like a little heat so I usually add a pinch of cayenne. I’m actually making some this morning. I think I’ll add a little blood orange flavored olive oil. That just might add the hint of sweetness without the sugar.
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JoAnna S. Cate says:
As I can’t eat any thing with pork in it as I get sick from eating pork.I make my sausage mix with ground chicken & ground turkey it gives it a pork_like taste .it tastes great.
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JoAnna S. Cate says:
May this will help others it says in the Bible in the book of Deuteronomy 14:3-19 you shoudn’t eat of the pig or pork . Now some will fuss that God Blessed all things . Some will use the New testament description in the book of Acts in chapter 10:9-20 but read it as it has to do with Men not Animals.Because in that time it was a No-No for any Jewish person to associate with Gentiles.God Bless you:-)
Cooking for Seven 