Recipes » Breakfast » Millet “Sausage” Patties

By Chef Del Sroufe

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These flavorful and nutritious patties pack a variety of aromatic herbs and spices—a delightful alternative to traditional meat-based sausages! And because they’re made with millet, they are also the perfect choice for anyone on a gluten-free diet.

Yield: 14–16 patties

Gluten Free Low Sugar Nut Free

Author’s notes: This sausage is perfect for several dishes that I like to make. I use it in Johnny Marzetti, as a breakfast sandwich on homemade biscuits, or any time that sausage is called for in a recipe.

Adapted from The China Study Family Cookbook (BenBella Books, 2017).

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups water
1 cup millet
¼ cup minced yellow onion
4 garlic cloves, minced (about 4 tsp)
2 sun-dried tomatoes, minced
2 Tbsp tamari, or to taste
½ tsp dried sage
1 tsp crushed fennel seeds or to taste
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
3 Tbsp flax seed meal soaked in ¼ cup water
¼ cup nutritional yeast
Sea salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine the water and millet in a 2-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook until the millet is tender, about 20 minutes (see note).
3. While the millet cooks, sauté the onion in a small skillet over medium-high heat until it turns translucent and starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed, to keep the onion from sticking to the pan.
4. Add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, tamari, sage, fennel, and red pepper flakes, and sauté for another minute to toast the seasonings.
5. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the flax seed meal soaked in water, nutritional yeast and cooked millet, season with sea salt, and mix well.
6. Using a ¼-cup measure or small ice cream scoop, shape the millet mixture into patties and place them on a nonstick or parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten the patties slightly.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, turn over the patties, and continue to bake until the patties are firm to the touch and lightly browned, another 10 minutes or so.
8. Serve warm.

Cooking Tips

1. For the millet to work as a binder you almost need to overcook it; if it seems crumbly when you first make it, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and let it cook with the lid on for another 2 to 3 minutes until it holds together when pinched between two fingers.
2. You can make extra and freeze the patties to use later in your favorite recipe.