Family On A Budget

I have been experimenting with Italian Sausage for pizza and pasta and have settled on the following version. It is adapted from my Kitchen Aid grinder recipes. You can grind your own turkey or chicken for this but I have been lazy and just buy ground turkey when it is on sale. For now I just cook it loose, but in the summer I will use the Kitchen aid and make my own links.

My family didn’t even notice that I used turkey and made a “healthy” version. It is so good on homemade pizza. I don’t even miss the pepperoni.

1 pound ground pork, chicken or turkey
3/4 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne or chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder or dried minced onion
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp marjoram or savory
1/8 tsp crushed rosemary
1/8 tsp thyme
2 tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar.

Sprinkle the seasonings and vinegar onto the ground meat and mix together by hand.

Make a small patty and cook it thoroughly. Taste it and adjust the seasonings as your prefer. Cover, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.