Breakfast for Dinner ~ Apple-Maple-Herb Turkey Sausage

Wednesday is "breakfast for dinner night" in my nest. It's much anticipated, as there is often bacon and syrup involved... a nice mid-week treat. With fresh herbs flourishing in the garden, I recently made a big batch of turkey sausage patties, seasoned with homegrown sage and thyme, to accompany a pancake dinner. These little bites were delish, filled with diced apples and onions, and kissed with maple syrup. And, the leftovers froze beautifully for quick reheating on busy mornings. {Recipe Below}

I also made a big batch of homemade butter using a half gallon of heavy cream from a local dairy farm. The extra butter went into the freezer, and I then had fresh buttermilk for the pancakes (simply Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake Mix). To top it all off, I made blueberry-lavender syrup, based on this recipe (I used lavender-infused sugar procured at a recent food swap). It was an ambitious meal for breakfast-for-dinner night, typically a much simpler ordeal, but oh, so worth it!

Here's the sausage recipe... and I'd love to know, do you do breakfast for dinner at your house? Share your family's faves in the comments below!

Apple-Maple-Herb Turkey Sausage

1 lb. ground turkey breast
1/4 cup finely diced Gala apple
2 T minced red onion
2 T minced fresh sage
1/2 t minced fresh thyme
1/4 t Chinese 5-spice (or allspice)
1 T pure maple syrup
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t fresh ground black pepper

In a large bowl, mix together the ground turkey, apple, onion, herbs, spices, syrup, 1 tablespoon of  oil, salt, and pepper. Using a cookie dough scoop (or spoon), scoop mixture into approx. 2" balls.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add meat balls, flattening to about 1/2" thick. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Yield  approx. 24 patties.