Scared of Sausage? It CAN be Paleo!

No, I'm not giving license to head out to the local diner and pile up on the Farmer John's…BUT you can actually eat sausage AND keep Paleo, if you make it yourself.

AND, you don't HAVE to have a sausage stuffer; in fact, you don't even have to use pork casings if you choose not to.

If you think in terms of a 'sausage patty', you can easily get creative and make some at home with no special equipment (although, I will remind you that if you grind your own meat, you REALLY know exactly what you're getting), any meat you choice and whichever your favorite mixtures of spices might be.

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Combine ground meat (I used chicken most recently) with spices (I opted for minced garlic, onion, a dash of red chili pepper flakes and some turmeric- why not?) and press into a flat shape, less than an inch thick on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.    
• Douse with olive oil and pepper and bake for about 20 minutes- you'll see it's done when it looks nicely browned, and the internal temp has reached 160F.
• Remove from oven, let cool on a rack for about five minutes, then, when cool enough to handle, use an inverted cup or glass to 'cut' out circle shapes.  (Use the remaining crumbly bits to mix in with a salad or spinkle on top of some veggies).  Serve for breakfast with soft boiled eggs and sauteed spinach, or lunch on top some cress, sliced pear and pecan, or dinner with avocado, homemade salsa, shredded zuchini and lime!