Copycat Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sausage

This breakfast sausage, with multiple variations, will be your new favorite breakfast sausage that tastes better than the store-bought kind!

• Ready In: 3 hrs 8 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• Base

• 1  lb ground pork
• 2  tablespoons brown sugar
• 1  tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1  tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2  teaspoons  finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1  teaspoon  finely chopped rosemary
• 1  teaspoon  finely crushed fennel seed
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  finely crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  smoked paprika
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground coriander

• Sage

• 2  teaspoons  finely chopped fresh sage

• Hot

• 1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1  small  finely chopped fresno chili pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• Maple

• 3  tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  maple extract (optional)

Directions

1. To make the sausage base, in a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients until well-combined and as smooth as possible. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours in the fridge, or overnight.
2. Portion out the sausage into rounds and pat out into thick patties. Set a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage in batches, until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.
3. To make sage sausage, add in the chopped sage to the sausage base from above and cook as directed.
4. To make hot sausage, add in the cayenne pepper, chili pepper, and red pepper flakes to the sausage base from above and cook as directed.
5. To make maple sausage, add in the maple syrup and maple extract (if using) to the sausage base from above and cook as directed.