Holiday Sausage Food

HOLIDAY SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Cut sausage links into quarters (1 1/2-inch pieces) and brown lightly in a skillet.
• Mix brown sugar, salt and cornstarch in a chafing dish.
• Stir in vinegar, pineapple juice and water.
• Boil for five minutes.
• Add remaining ingredients.
• Serve hot from chafing dish.
• Have guests spear chunks with toothpicks.

MY MOM'S HOLIDAY SAUSAGE HOLIDAY BALLS

Steps:

• For the applesauce: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Peel the apples, then thinly slice around the core. Place in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave until the apples are tender, about 5 minutes. Place in a blender with the butter and puree. Set aside.
• For the sausage balls: Grease a rimmed baking sheet with the oil. Combine the sausage, cheese, pancake mix, chives, a big pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper in a large bowl and mix well. Roll into 1 1/2-inch balls (about the size of a Ping-Pong ball). Place on the prepared baking sheet in an even layer, leaving 1 inch between balls. Bake until cooked through and browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with the applesauce.

HOLIDAY SAUSAGE STRATA

Steps:

• In a skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat, crumbling it with a spoon, until mostly brown but still a little pink, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel; reserve the sausage fat separately.
• Butter both sides of the bread with the butter. Arrange half of the bread in 1 layer in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with half the sausage, followed by half the Gruyere. Repeat with another layer of the remaining bread, sausage and cheese.
• In a bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, 2 teaspoons of the salt and some pepper. Pour the mixture over the layers of bread, sausage and cheese. Cover in plastic wrap and weigh down the strata with a couple sacks of rice/beans in a zipper top bag to compress it. Refrigerate overnight.
• The morning of baking, remove the plastic wrap and weights. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Toss the broccoli with the reserved sausage fat, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Dot the top of the strata with the broccoli florets so the broccoli tops are still visible (to look like trees) but the stalks are submerged in the custard. Bake until the edges pull away from the dish and the center is puffed, about 45 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes. Right before serving, sprinkle with the Parmesan to mimic snow on trees.

HOLIDAY BREAKFAST STRATA WITH SAUSAGE (OR NOT)

Steps:

• In a medium saute pan, heat the olive oil and saute the onion, green pepper, and mushrooms until soft, about 7-8 minutes. Set aside.
• If using sausage, brown it in a medium saute pan and drain.
• If using veggie sausage, heat it in the microwave for a minute or so and crumble.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, half and half, salt, and pepper.
• Spray two approximately 4" x 8'' baking pans/casserole dishes with non-stick cooking spray.
• Layer two slices of the bread in the bottom of each pan.
• Sprinkle 1/4 of the veggies over the bread in each pan.
• Spread half the crumbled sausage over the sausage version.
• Sprinkle on 1/4 of the cheese over each.
• Pour about 1/2 cup of the egg mixture over the top.
• Add a layer of the remaining bread, two more slices each, then veggies, then sausage over the sausage side, then cheese.
• Pour the rest of the egg mixture evenly over the top of each.
• Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, or for at least three hours.
• In the morning, uncover and bake at 325 degrees for about 40 - 50 minutes, until set.

TRADITIONAL HOLIDAY STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large nonstick skillet cook, sausage, celery and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, breaking up sausage into crumbles; drain. Remove from heat; stir in mayonnaise, mustard, sage and poultry seasoning., Place bread cubes in a large bowl; add sausage mixture and toss. In a small bowl, whisk eggs and broth; pour over bread cubes and stir gently to combine. Transfer to two 3-qt. baking dishes coated with cooking spray., Bake, covered, 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until lightly browned and a thermometer reads 165°, 12-18 minutes longer. If desired, top with chopped parsley.

HOLIDAY SAUSAGE AND SWEET POTATO BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Combine sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper on a large baking sheet in a single, even layer; toss to coat well.
• Bake in the preheated oven until slightly browned, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and red pepper; cook and stir until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 1 more minute. Transfer mixture to a medium mixing bowl.
• Heat the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook and break apart with a spatula until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain sausage and add to the bowl with the veggie mixture. Add spinach, mozzarella cheese, and rosemary to the mixture.
• Gently whisk eggs, milk, and remaining kosher salt and black pepper together in a bowl until well combined. Pour over the sausage and veggie mixture and gently toss to combine.
• Place roasted potatoes in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Pour the veggie and sausage mixture evenly over top.
• Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until eggs are set in the center, about 50 minutes. If the egg mixture starts to brown, put a loose sheet of aluminum foil over the baking dish to cover it.