Chicken Breakfast Sausage

In the mood to change up your breakfast routine? Give this savory chicken sausage a shot. Using ground chicken breast helps the flavors of whatever seasoning you are using to shine, however the lack of fat can make the sausage dry. Fat free half and half keeps everything moist and makes sure that the seasoning is well distributed. Use this seasoning blend as a start and fry off a little patty to taste. Then, adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Ingredients (makes about a dozen):

1 pound ground chicken breast meat (or ground turkey breast)

2 Tablespoons fat free half and half

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons rubbed sage

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

½ teaspoon dried thyme

Pinch of grated nutmeg

Pinch of red chile flakes

Directions: Combine all ingredients. Dampen your hands with water and form the sausage into patties. Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray over medium heat and cook about 4 minutes per side until done.

Bavarian Cheese Toast

At the grocery store this morning, I came across a beer called “Schnicklefritz” from Urban Chestnut Brewing Company here in St. Louis, MO. I remember my parents and grandmother calling me that so many times when I was growing up, that I had to buy the beer. Apparently, “Schnicklefritz” is a term of endearment for mischievous or talkative children so, yeah, that was me! Seeing this beer also brought back memories of one of my parent’s favorite snacks—Limburger on rye or pumpernickel bread with shaved red onion. Limburger is not really all that stinky when combined with a milder cheese (I promise) and the flavor is deep and rich. It is also great with beer. Please keep this in mind for Oktoberfest!

Ingredients:

4 slices rye or pumpernickel bread, toasted

Limburger Cheese Spread (recipe follows)

Bavarian Toasted Caraway and Dill Salt (recipe follows)

Red onion, shaved into thin rings

Serve with any combination of:

Dill pickles

Cherry tomatoes

Sliced apples

Grapes

German sausages, cooked and sliced

Directions: Cut each piece of toast into 4 squares. Spread with Limburger Cheese Spread, sprinkle with Bavarian Toasted Caraway and Dill Salt. Place a few shavings of red onion on top.

Limburger Cheese Spread

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package Limburger cheese, room temperature

1 (8 ounce) package Neufchâtel or cream cheese, room temperature

Directions:

Place both cheeses in a mixing bowl and combine well with an electric mixer or whisk. That’s it.

Bavarian Toasted Caraway and Dill Salt

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon caraway seed

1 teaspoon dill seeds

1 teaspoon celery seeds

1 teaspoon dried parsley

½ teaspoon onion powder

6 Tablespoons kosher salt

Directions:

Add the caraway, dill and celery seeds to a dry skillet and heat to medium low. Cook until just fragrant (about 6 minutes), stirring frequently. Remove from heat, cool and place in a small sealable bag. Crush the seeds lightly with a rolling pin and place in a small container. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. This salt is best if it has a few hours to hang out before use.

Apple and Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

At first I was worried about combining bananas, pumpkin and apples, but I didn’t need to be concerned. All the flavors in this baked oatmeal blend together beautifully. This is a warm, comforting and hearty casserole for breakfast or dessert that will give you all the cozy feelings you could ever get from food. Plus, the scent in the house right now is amazing—pumpkin, apples, warm spices….yum!

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon flax seed

3 Tablespoons water

1 very ripe banana

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 cups almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon butter flavoring (optional, but it really is good)

1 can (20 ounces) apple pie filling

3 cups rolled oats

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)

¼ cup toasted wheat germ (optional)

¼ to ½ cup raw sugar, depending on your desired level of sweetness (remember, there is sweetener in the pie filling)

1 cup chopped walnuts

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon cloves

1/3 cup apple jelly, melted

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Mix the flax with the water in a small bowl and set aside.

Using an electric mixer in a large mixing bowl, mix together the banana, pumpkin, almond milk, flax mixture, vanilla and butter flavoring until well combined.

Stir in the apple pie filling, oats, baking powder and baking soda, protein powder if using, wheat germ if using, sugar, walnuts, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes or until the top is lightly golden.

Remove from the oven and brush the melted apple jelly over the top.

Let cool slightly and serve warm.