Chicken and apple breakfast sausage: a morning protein you can actually eat

Breakfast is one of the hardest meals on AIP, especially in the first weeks. Eggs are out. Oatmeal is out. The default of most Western mornings is out. What you are left with is real food, which, once you get used to it, turns out to be a considerably better deal.

These sausage patties are the kind of solution that travels well. Make a batch on Sunday and you have breakfast for four or five days. They reheat quickly in a skillet and can be eaten with roasted sweet potato, sauteed greens, or just as they are. They are AIP elimination-compliant from start to finish: no eggs, no nightshades, no seed spices.

Chicken is a lean source of protein and a good source of B6 and niacin, both of which are involved in energy metabolism - useful when fatigue is part of what you are managing. The dried apple brings a subtle sweetness that balances the sage and ginger without making these taste like dessert. A word on sourcing: read the label on your dried apples before you buy them. Most conventional brands add sulfur dioxide as a preservative, and many add sugar. You want apples only. The same goes for your ground chicken - some commercial packages add rosemary extract or natural flavors that can be problematic for sensitive individuals. Plain ground chicken from a butcher or one with a clean ingredient list is the safest choice here.

Ingredients

• 1 oz dried apples (about 1/4 cup once finely chopped; apples only, no sweeteners or preservatives)
• 1 lb ground chicken (plain, no additives)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp dried ginger
• 1/2 tsp dried sage
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp coconut oil

Method

Finely chop the dried apple pieces until they are very small - roughly the size of a lentil or smaller. You want them distributed evenly throughout the meat, not in large chunks.

In a medium bowl, combine the ground chicken, chopped dried apple, onion powder, ginger, sage, and sea salt. Mix until the seasonings are evenly distributed. Do not overwork the mixture or the patties will be dense.

Divide the mixture into 6 to 8 equal portions and press each into a patty about half an inch thick.

Heat the coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the patties in a single layer, leaving space between them. Cook undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes until browned on the bottom, then flip carefully and cook another 4 to 5 minutes until cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 165 F. Work in batches if your skillet is small.

Transfer to a plate and serve warm. Cool completely before refrigerating. These keep for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator and freeze well for up to 3 months.

*Adapted from gutsybynature.com*

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*Provenance: method rebuilt in ARM's own words from source file aip-source-archives/gutsybynature/chicken-and-apple-breakfast-sausage.md (gutsybynature.com). Ingredient list used as factual reference. No third-party text reproduced. Health claims flagged in verify_flags.*