Breakfast Sausage Patties

These breakfast sausage patties are, hands down, the best EVER - a huge family favourite, especially during holidays. They are loaded with a ton of spices—meaning big flavour— and have a perfectly caramelized outside. They make a great addition to any breakfast or brunch. The best part? Not only are they great fresh or prepped the night before for a quick and easy breakfast side in the morning, but they can also be made way ahead of time and frozen until needed.

The breadth of flavours in these patties is unreal! Orange rind, crushed fennel seeds, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried sage, thyme, chili pepper flakes (for some heat) and finally some maple syrup (for a bit of sweetness) creates a flavour adventure on your tongue. Always use REAL maple syrup—the magical liquid concentrated down from maple tree sap—the fake stuff just does not compare flavourwise.

These patties are not only jam-packed with flavour, but also mouthwateringly juicy. The juiciness comes from the addition of an onion and bacon purée. Use either a blender or food processor to make the fat and onion puree. If you try to purée the onion and bacon on their own, there won’t be enough content to purée well and you’ll be left with chunks of onion and bacon. With the addition of anywhere from ½ to 1 cup of ground pork, the mixture will have enough content to fill out the bottom of your food processor, allowing the ingredients to purée until smooth. The end result is an almost white or grey-tinged, super-smooth mixture with a paté consistency. This is apparently called forcemeat, a fancy term for puréeing meat with additions; and it’s a great way to mix in some extra fat with the lean ground pork in this recipe!

Next, add the pork, forcemeat mixture, seasonings, orange rind and maple syrup to a bowl. Knead it as you go until all the spice and seasonings are mixed in. Don’t be afraid to really dig in, using your hands to mix the pork mixture together.

After mixing up the sausage mixture, cover the bowl with some cling wrap or a lid. The flavours will meld and deepen the longer you leave the mixture in the fridge (within reason!). If possible, try to mix it all up and store it in the fridge the night before. Not only will this save time in the morning. but it will also make the patties taste even better. If you are strapped for time though, and want to eat the patties right away, even half an hour in the fridge will help the flavours come together. To portion out the patties, use either a ¼ cup measuring cup or a large muffin/scone scoop, then flatten and form the pork into a hamburger patty shape, about ¼” thick. Rest the patties in an even layer on a plate or baking dish. Use parchment paper in between the layers if necessary. You can either cook the patties right away or freeze them for future meals.

A cast iron skillet is fantastic for browning meat. It is one piece of equipment I highly suggest everyone stock their kitchen with. If you have one, use it to cook these sausages to browned perfection! If not, a normal skillet will still do a pretty good job. Preheat the cast iron skillet on the stove top over medium heat. Depending on the type of stove, this could take anywhere from 3-10 minutes. Make sure to let the skillet preheat or the first batch of patties will take longer to cook and won't brown as nicely. The thickness of the patties will determine how long they need to cook. A thicker, more round patty will take at least 4 minutes on each side. A thin and wide patty (my preference!) can take as little as 2 minutes per side. If the patties are cooking too quickly, don’t be afraid to turn the heat down a bit. The internal temperature of the patties should be at least 160 F. Serve them straight from the skillet or leave them on a plate in the oven on very low temperature to keep them warm.

Interested in a maple breakfast sausage patty? Try brushing each side of the raw patties with maple syrup before cooking! Not only will it give the patties a nice additional sweetness, it will also add extra caramelization. If multiple batches of patties are cooked with maple syrup, the excess maple syrup will start to burn and smoke on the cast iron skillet. Wipe the skillet in between batches with a damp, clean towel/paper towel to avoid this.

As mentioned earlier, these are the perfect prep-in-advance side for a large breakfast or brunch. The mixing of the sausage and forming of the patties can be done ahead of time. The patties can even be frozen after they have been shaped. First, line a baking tray with wax paper, spray with cooking spray and then add a bunch of patties to the tray. Then, pop them in the freezer for an hour or so. Pre-freezing them in this fashion will make it easier to stack the frozen patties and ensures they won’t stick together when stored- making it easy to pull out the right amount instead of one big blob. When the hour is complete, load a freezer-proof bag with the patties. Feel free to make parchment paper liners for each patty if you are still worried that they will stick together. Remove as much air as possible from the bag before sealing and storing for up to 3 months in the freezer. Cooking the patties from frozen does not take much longer. Usually, an extra 30 seconds to 1 minute per side is all that is needed for the thinner patties. Just make sure they have reached an internal temperature of 160°F and you will be golden.

All in all, this recipe makes approximately 16 patties. It’s also really easy to double the recipe and freeze the extras. These patties are the perfect weekend brunch side; pair them with some hash browns, scrambled eggs and toast for a full and delicious meal. Plus, the leftovers make for a great breakfast sandwich. Load up an english muffin or tea biscuit with the sausage, cheese, a fried egg and bacon.

Every year for our Christmas brunch these have been a family staple. We typically pair them with sticky buns and a mimosa to complete the family tradition. Whether it’s for a special holiday breakfast meal, or just a simple weekend brunch, these sausage patties are sure to be a hit.