Why does frozen food have preservatives in it? It’s frozen. Isn’t that enough? Clearly it’s not enough if it’s a breakfast meat that my family begs me to buy – in gigantic quantities while we’re at Costco. My answer is always the same: read the ingredients.
They turn over the package and without me having to say, “No, we are not buying those chemicals and preservatives.” Back into the gigantic pile of industrialized food the pork patties go.
Because we don’t usually eat at fast food restaurants – or most any restaurant – too expensive + too much not knowing what we’re eating – my family still wants the coveted billboard ad breakfast sandwich. (Here’s our favorite egg sandwich – which these patties are awesome piled on top of – just sayin’!)
What’s our solution? We made our own pork sausage (don’t worry – no meat grinder necessary!) patties and froze them. They are easy, tasty and a quick breakfast – or lunch or dinner. I saw one go down as an after-school snack, too. Oh, to have the metabolism of a teenage boy!
I use natural pork for this recipe – find out why I like to cook with pork – already ground and natural. Humane treatment of the animals and sustainable practices are important to me – and what I feed my family. I like Niman Ranch All-Natural Pork and Carlton Farms Natural Pork.
- 2 pounds natural ground pork
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons sage, fresh and chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme, fresh and chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- optional:
- 1 teaspoon Cajun spice
- couple shakes of Tabasco
- In a large bowl, place ground pork and break apart with hands.
- Add all remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly using hands to mix.
- Form into balls and shape into patties, making the middle thinner because they shrink when they cook.
- If freezing pork sausages, place patties individually on lined baking sheet and freeze overnight – or several hours.
- Or cook them immediately –
- Heat a [url href=”https://gogingham.com/2013/07/cooking-with-cast-iron/” target=”_blank”]cast iron skillet[/url] and add 1 Tablespoon oil.
- Place pork patties on pan and cook about 5 minutes on each side.
- Serve and enjoy!
Make these the day before you want to cook them because it’s easier to freeze them overnight – rather than waiting for them to freeze. Once you’ve made the patties and frozen them, they can be placed in an air-tight container and stored in the freezer for several months. They’d never last that long at our house!
What’s your favorite make at home breakfast sandwich? Do you covet billboard sign sandwiches like me?
Go Gingham related links:
Lentils and pork – lentils are similar to beans but there’s no soaking
Mexican pulled pork recipe is here – make it in the slow-cooker!
Got backyard chickens? You need to make these: Best ever egg salad sandwiches
Chick pea, edamame and red pepper salad – easy for a main dish meal
Go Gingham 
So Sara, here’s a silly question. Do you ever cook and then freeze the patties so that they can come straight out of the freezer into an early morning grab-n-go breakfast sandwich?
LikeLike
No, but that is a brilliant idea! Road trips may never be the same – or early morning flights! The airport is a tough place for my family (teens!) to resist fast food sandwiches but your idea may be the ticket. So glad you suggested that and not a silly question – I hadn’t thought of that at all. Love getting ideas from readers!! Thank you!! 🙂
LikeLike
Sarah, when my boys were in school, we had a 45 minute commute. I always made breakfast sandwiches with either English muffins or bagels so they could eat in the car – a one egg omelet folded over a piece of cheese plus a slice of deli ham or Canadian bacon – having frozen sausage patties cooked and ready to go would have been a nice treat. I’m definitely going to try making and pre-cooking since they both still live at home but are working.
LikeLike
I love the idea to cook first then freeze. My husband likes the brown and serve sausage patties, which, as you know, are so filled with unknown ingredients that it is just plain scary. Thank you for this recipe I will be making a batch this weekend to replace those little hockey pucks my husband likes.
LikeLike
Nina, we just laughed out loud at your ‘hockey pucks’ term! My husband thought it was very funny!
Can’t wait to hear how they turn out. Please report back! 🙂
Enjoy the weekend!!
LikeLike
Perfect timing for this recipe. We are having a bunch of friends over for a waffle party this weekend. I will really knock their socks off with homemade sausages!
LikeLike
Jamie! So glad – can’t wait to hear how the sock knocking off goes!!
Have a great weekend and enjoy your party. 🙂
Thanks for writing in!
LikeLike
I’m so glad you shared this!
I make everything at home that I can, but I haven’t tried sausage yet. I told my husband just last week that sausage would be the next thing I try.
We use a lot of turkey in our cooking. Do you think the recipe would work with ground turkey? Or maybe half pork and half turkey mixed?
LikeLike
Just made these and threw them in the freezer- can’t wait to try them!
LikeLike
Yay for you, Bev! How did they turn out?? Thanks for letting me know.
LikeLike