I call these little tasty treats “sausages,” because I use traditional sausage spices to liven up ground chicken or turkey. Believe it or not, you have cut the fat in half by using ground turkey instead of pork, not to mention that turkey has even less fat and calories than ground chicken.

The ingredients can also be formed into links to mimic the shape, too.

New England Turkey ”˜Sausages’

1 apple, peeled, cored and minced

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon celery or fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 pound ground turkey or chicken

1/4 cup minced green bell pepper

1/4 cup minced onion

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl, cover and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Remove, uncover and form into desired patty sizes or form into links (described below). Cook over medium heat to prevent splattering until well browned and completely cooked in the center. Serve however you like, but keep an eye out for my next column for the perfect breakfast accompaniment.

To make links, place two tablespoons of the turkey mixture into a large piece of film wrap and roll it up, forming a sausage shape. Twist the ends tightly and refrigerate for 30 minutes, then remove from the wrap and grill as directed above. Surprisingly, they keep their shape very well.

If you’re not planning these for breakfast ”“ or even if you are ”“ these sausages are great with a side of cucumber yogurt sauce. To make the sauce, mix 1 cup of plain yogurt with 1/2 cup of minced cucumber, and 1 teaspoon dried dill, 1/2 teaspoon celery seed, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

— Chef Jim Bailey is The Yankee Chef and an authority on New England food and its history. He is a respected food columnist from Maine and is married with four children. You can email questions or comments to theyankeechef@aol.com and visit theyankeechef.blogspot.com.I call these little tasty treats “sausages,” because I use traditional sausage spices to liven up ground chicken or turkey. Believe it or not, you have cut the fat in half by using ground turkey instead of pork, not to mention that turkey has even less fat and calories than ground chicken.

The ingredients can also be formed into links to mimic the shape, too.

New England Turkey ”˜Sausages’

1 apple, peeled, cored and minced

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon celery or fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 pound ground turkey or chicken

1/4 cup minced green bell pepper

1/4 cup minced onion

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl, cover and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Remove, uncover and form into desired patty sizes or form into links (described below). Cook over medium heat to prevent splattering until well browned and completely cooked in the center. Serve however you like, but keep an eye out for my next column for the perfect breakfast accompaniment.

To make links, place two tablespoons of the turkey mixture into a large piece of film wrap and roll it up, forming a sausage shape. Twist the ends tightly and refrigerate for 30 minutes, then remove from the wrap and grill as directed above. Surprisingly, they keep their shape very well.

If you’re not planning these for breakfast ”“ or even if you are ”“ these sausages are great with a side of cucumber yogurt sauce. To make the sauce, mix 1 cup of plain yogurt with 1/2 cup of minced cucumber, and 1 teaspoon dried dill, 1/2 teaspoon celery seed, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

— Chef Jim Bailey is The Yankee Chef and an authority on New England food and its history. He is a respected food columnist from Maine and is married with four children. You can email questions or comments to theyankeechef@aol.com and visit theyankeechef.blogspot.com.