Goetta is a delicious breakfast sausage and oats patty. The recipe actually comes from Germany but these days the dish is most commonly enjoyed in Cincinnati and the surrounding area. It’s important to give yourself plenty of time to make goetta as you will need to prepare the meat and oatmeal patty in advance, usually the night before as the oatmeal must be cooked for two hours, then the entire mixture fully chilled. You can enjoy goetta on its own or add hot maple syrup to the patty for a sweet and savory taste.

Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan.

Stir in the oatmeal, salt and pepper once the water is boiling. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook for two hours. Stir the mixture often to insure that it fully cooks through.

Add the meat, bay leaves and the onion and mix together.

Remove the saucepan from the stove and let the mixture cool for one hour. Once the mixture is cool, put it into bread pans and place in the refrigerator. Separating the mixture will help it chill faster.

Take the mixture out once it is fully chilled.

Slice the goetta into thick slices, about ½ an inch thick.

Heat the bacon fat in the skillet on medium-high heat.

Place the goetta slices into the skillet and fry on each side until the patty turns brown. Serve hot.