Beef Italian Sausage

Classes start back tomorrow. Yikes! Still so much to do. It seems like I never get everything on my list crossed off even if I work ahead. Hard to imagine where I'd be if I didn't at least try to plan.

This is a yummy treat and the thing is--these patties are versatile beyond your wildest dreams. Well, maybe not your wildest--unless you are a foodie who dreams about food. My family loves Italian sausage on pizza. This is really similar but it also works great as a breakfast sausage. I will get to all the other uses later. But think about what a timesaver you have when you have pre-cooked sausage patties waiting in the freezer. They reheat really quickly. They pack in lunchboxes super easy. Don't even have to thaw. They work for any meal of the day. Cool. These are made with beef, but pork is fine too. I happen to have run into a great sale of grass fed beef for less than 4 bucks a pound. I made 16 small breakfast patties from one pound. Not that hard, and they are fast to make.

So fast, these are in the upcoming Diner News. This edition will center around timesavers in the low carb kitchen. These are definitely that! You will want some in your freezer.

Italian Sausage Patties

1 lb lean ground beef (or your preference)

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp sage

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp marjoram

Combine meat with all ingredients. Form into 16 small patties. Pan fry until browned. Eat one serving and flash freeze the remaining patties. Pack into a freezer bag.

1 patty is 60 calories no carbs

If you don't like the fennel seeds which make these Italian, by all means leave them out--they will be more like a traditional breakfast sausage. So sure, these are super quick to heat up and serve with eggs for breakfast. I love the browned bits I get to scramble into the eggs after frying up the whole batch of sausage. Yum. Other mornings, they will be even quicker, though the eggs will be purely yellow. (But still delish)

Then think about all the other cool things you can do with an Italian Sausage Patty. From the upcoming Diner News, here are some of my ideas. What might you do?

Serve them so many ways!

As a breakfast slider. The small size patty pairs perfectly with a small muffin as the bread.

As an omelet filler. Warm them, dice them, and add them in the filling.

As a flavorful lunch box treat—finger food that is  wonderful even without a sauce.

As a pizza topping. Dice a bit and add to pizza for that great Italian flavor.

As mini “Meatza” pizzas. Melt a sprinkle of mozzarella and a  dab of tomato sauce on top. A few fresh, finely chopped veggies as you like.

As a protein for a super quick Italian soup. Combine some broth, tomatoes, zucchini and whatever veggies you like..

As a salad—add warm or cold to salad greens dressed with Italian dressing, tomatoes and cheese.

As a substitute for meatballs. Serve with zoodles and sauce for a nice Italian dinner.

The Diner News comes out every month for just $6 a year. There are ideas and recipes you never see here on the blog, so order your own! http://www.247lowcarbdiner.com/html/newsletter.html

I've got my prep work done--well almost. At least I won't have to worry about my lunches at school this week. The first week of classes is always a little stressful, but fun too. Here we go...

Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page:               https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends

 Order any of our great cookbooks at  http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php