Breakfast pork sausage patties

A nice long holiday weekend in the books and boy, oh boy, do I have some killer recipes to share with you this week! :)

It was one of those fou- ...wait, three day weekends that uh, seemed to go on foreverrrrrrr much to this girl's delight.  Baking, tailgating (read: melting onto the pavement of the parking lots outside Heinz Field) and cheering on Pitt football in its first victory of the season -- go Panthers!

The next night, we continued the fun by entertaining an out of town visitor of Matt's by taking him out for gourmet burgers.  And on Labor Day?  Because it rained buckets, I decided to treat the guys to a breakfast fit for kings right in the comfort of my apartment.

Get ready for this: fluffy buttermilk pancakes with sour cherry topping, and homemade pork sausage patties!

(Did you know you can make breakfast sausage at home in a cool 5 minutes?  Neither did I... until yesterday!)

No fancy equipment or ingredients necessary.  Just a bowl and a clean pair of hands to form the most delicious breakfast sausage you'll ever have!  So full of flavor with the spices and that hint of maple syrup!

After seeing how easily this comes together, I'm thankful that I never succumbed to the pre-packaged "food" (because it shouldn't even be considered such) in the freezer section at the market.  The homemade version isn't loaded with preservatives, fat, and mystery ingredients, either.  You must try this for yourself!

Comfort food for brunch with the victory!


Breakfast Sausage Patties
(adapted from Everyday Food)
-makes 4

A few notes: My only suggestion for you is to double this recipe because you'll be practically kicking yourself when they disappear.  Make a few extras and use them for breakfast sandwiches throughout the week!

1/2 pound ground pork
3/4 teaspoon dried sage, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1 1/2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
Ground nutmeg
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
Directions

In a small bowl, mix together pork, sage, thyme, maple syrup, pinch of nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Divide mixture into 4 patties (about 3 tablespoons each).

In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add patties and cook until browned, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium and flip patties. Cover and cook until cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes.