Low sodium apple-maple breakfast sausage

Apples and maple syrup give this sausage a slightly sweet flavor that pairs perfectly with French toast or any breakfast sandwich.

Servings: eight 2-ounce sausage patties

Sodium: 34 mg sodium per pattie

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound ground pork (20% fat works best)

1/4 cup grated apple (about 1 medium apple) or 2 tablespoons apple sauce

1 teaspoon ground sage

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon mustard

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1) Peel and grate the apple using the small side of a box grater. Make sure you keep all the juice that comes out from grating, and combine the apple with all remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly. Divide the meat into 8 equal pieces and shape each into a flat pattie.

2) Preheat oven to 425°F. These patties will start on the stove but we'll finish them in the oven so line a roasting sheet with foil or parchment paper and set it aside.

3) Place 4 patties in a cold 12-inch skillet and cook on medium heat until just brown, then flip and brown the second side. This should take just 2-3 minutes total. Transfer the browned patties to your roasting sheet and brown the remaining 4 patties in the skillet.

4) Bake the patties in a 425°F oven for 6-8 minutes and serve immediately.

TIPS:

-I like to brown the sausage on the stove first and then finish in the oven, but you could skip the skillet and go straight to the oven. Just bake for about 10-12 minutes. It's harder to make these entirely in the skillet because the maple syrup will burn before the sausage is cooked if you're not careful. If you prefer to cook on the stove only, keep the heat low.