Recipe: Paleo/Whole 30 Breakfast Sausage Patties

My husband and I recently completed a Whole 30.  If you're not sure what that means, basically for 30 days we ate only meats, fruits and vegetables.  During that time frame we excluded all grains, dairy, legumes, sugars and alcohol from our diets.  There is a ton more information at the official Whole 30 website here if you are interested in finding out more.  We undertook the Whole 30 challenge as a way to reset the amount of added sugar we were consuming and to focus back in on eating whole, unprocessed foods.

Anyways, one of the biggest aspects of the Whole 30 for us was the need to eat a nutrient dense breakfast.  You can't get by on just a bagel (no grains) or banana (not enough food) and hope to make it until lunchtime.  That's where these protein packed "sausage" patties saved the morning.  They are tasty, filling and relatively easy to make.

Paleo/Whole 30 Breakfast Sausage Patties

Ingredients
- Lean ground beef (I buy the bulk packs at Sam's Club and use 5lbs at a time)
per 1 pound of ground beef use
- 1/4 tsp sage, rubbed or ground
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds (this helps impart the quintessential sausage flavor)
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (if you don't have smoked paprika increase the amount of regular, however smoked really adds so much to the flavor)
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp salt

Directions
1. Using a spice grinder, grind up the fennel seeds so that you have a powder.  I like to add in some of the other spices to ensure a uniform mixture.
2. Combine all the spices together in a small bowl and mix thoroughly.
3. Using your hands, thoroughly incorporate the spice mixture into the ground beef.
4. Form the meat mixture into patties of your desired size.
5. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375*F for 12-15 minutes, depending on size/thickness.
6. Allow to cool, flash freeze on a clean baking sheet and store in freezer bags.  Use as needed.

Notes
My biggest tip for making sausage patties is to make a tester patty so you can see if spice level is to your liking or if it needs adjusting before you cook up the whole batch.  To do this, after incorporating all the spice mixture, simply make a sample patty the size of a quarter or so.  Microwave it for 10-20 seconds until cooked through.  Taste and adjust your seasonings as desired.