For the first three weeks of my Whole30, I made blueberry breakfast sausage (without the maple syrup) to ensure I had grab and go meat options. During the fourth week, when I went to make it, I realized I didn't have any blueberries in the freezer. I did have a few squash laying around, however. And I had recently seen a few recipes for pumpkin meatballs, so, pumpkin sausages it is! As always, I added liver. Not because I like it, but because I know it's so dang healthy. The spices in the recipe do a great job of complimenting the liver, actually. And liver is easy to hide in any sausage recipe.
Also, I recently discovered this thing called "crackling." I've rendered my own lard many times, but I never realized the left over crackling could actually be used and is delicious! I now use it to cook my sausages. It leaves a lovely, crispy coating. If you do not have access to it, that's okay! Simply cook the sausages in whatever oil you prefer (I would suggest lard or coconut oil) or bake them in the oven.
Ingredients
1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground chicken
1/2 grass fed liver
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/3 c onions, chopped
3 eggs
3/4 c squash or pumpkin, cooked
2 T coconut flour (optional, but it helps absorb some of the excess moisture)
1 T cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
How to bake a squash: cut it in half and place face down in a large baking dish with 1/2 inch of water. Bake at 375-400 F for 35-45 minutes, depending on the size of the squash. Remove the seeds with a spoon and voila!
Saute the onions and garlic in a pan with oil. Add the liver and lightly sear all sides. Remove all ingredients from the pan, putting the onions and garlic in a blender or food processor. Slice the liver and add it to the blender or food processor. Briefly run the blender or food processor until everything is mixed, but not mushy. Add it, along with the rest of the ingredients into a bowl and mix with your hands. It's messy, but it will be delicious. Heat oil or butter up in a pan, form a few sausage patties and cook your sausages on medium heat so they cook evenly throughout. Alternatively, you could bake the sausages in the oven.