sausage Archives - The Midnight Baker

Air Fryer Sausage Rolls

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 20 Nov 2022 00:00:12 +0000

Sausage rolls are a wonderful snack and also a quick dinner,

Air Fryer Sausage Rolls: Conventional Oven Too

Air fryer sausage rolls have the advantage of being made in the conventional oven as well. They do come out fluffier and crisper in the air fryer.

I was reminded of these recently on an air fryer group I belong to. Most of the people on there are British and sausage rolls are extremely popular in the UK–always have been. And they’re popular in the US as well. This is a food the US has in common with Britain. They can be an appetizer, snack or even a main course so they’re very versatile.

Sausage Flavors

When it comes to the sausage, there’s a lot to choose from as far as flavor.

In Britain, there’s lots of variations now on old-fashioned “bangers.” In fact, some of their trendier sausages are quite gourmet. Any kind would work here although you can’t go wrong with the old standard.

In the US, you have great choices too. To keep the fat down, chicken or turkey sausage is a fine option. We also have fancy flavors as well. Try them all. For mine I used brats and mild Italian sausage. I also removed the casings. You don’t have to do that but I think it makes eating them easier. Plus many people eschew casings anyway.

Big or Small

When I made these, I used the entire sausage. They were pretty big, but I was using them as a main dish.

If you are making them as a snack or appetizer, you might want to cut the sausage in half or even thirds. Then they are great finger food.

Keep in mind this will work if you substitute little smokies as well. And of course, hot dogs work with this too.

The Recipe

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Air Fryer Sausage Rolls

Quick and easy!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Course: Appetizer, Main, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer sausage rolls, sausage in puff pastry, sausage rolls

Servings: 6

Calories: 623kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 pkg frozen puff pastry thawed
6 Italian sausage or brats
1 egg beaten

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Remove casing from sausage, if desired.
Roll out puff pastry and cut into 6 portions that will wrap around each sausage.
Wrap sausage and seal pastry. Cut slits in the top if desired and brush with beaten egg.
Air fry for 15-20 minutes at 400F/200C, Test with a meat thermometer to make sure sausage is fully cooked--it should be 165F/80C internally.
For conventional oven, bake a 425F/220C foe 18-20 minutes. Test foe doneness as above.

Nutrition

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Air Fryer Scotch Eggs

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 23:00:19 +0000

Scotch eggs are a breakfast or dinner treat. They’re easy to make in your air fryer.

Air Fryer Scotch Eggs–A Real Treat

What can be better than a grab-and-go breakfast? That’s exactly what these air fryer Scotch eggs are. They’re so good you can serve them for brunch or even dinner.

Traditionally, they are shallow fried. And they’re delicious that way. Since sausage is pretty fatty, you don’t want to add any more fat than you have to. Air frying is the perfect solution. I’m not saying that because they’re air fried that they automatically become totally healthy, they’re still a treat that should be eaten in moderation.

Air frying does not affect the taste. In fact, I prefer them air fried and I’m not very observant about what I eat. They just have a “cleaner” taste to me.

The Sausage

Here’s where you can make the flavor as interesting as you like.

There are many varieties of sausage ranging from plain to spicy. If your family is into heat, then try these Scotch eggs with a hot-flavored sausage. Like maple? There’s maple flavored sausage too. And of course, the traditional breakfast variety. I choose a mild flavor because I like the taste.

There’s also plenty of store-made specialty sausage so they’re worth a try too. You just need a pound of sausage and bulk is the one to use. However, if there’s a flavor you like that only comes in links, then by all means remove the meat from the casings.

Egg Size

I prefer to use medium eggs for this. That way you are assured you’ll have enough sausage to wrap around them. That’s just a personal preference, but I wouldn’t use anything bigger than USDA large.

Mostly these are made with hard-boiled eggs, but I’ve seen them done with “jammy” eggs too. If you want to have a go with jammy eggs, these will have to be served immediately. With hard-boiled anything left over can be stored in the fridge to be reheated as necessary.

The Recipe

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Air Fryer Scotch Eggs

Great for breakfast, lunch or dinner

Prep Time10

Cook Time12

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: scotch eggs in the air fryer, scotch eggs with jammy eggs

Servings: 6

Calories: 372kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

6 hard-cooked eggs shells removed and patted dry
1 lb bulk sausage meat
1/4 cup flour
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Divide sausage meat into 6 equal portions. Flatten the sausage in a circle about 1/4-inch thick.
Wrap each piece of sausage around each egg, making sure the egg is completely sealed in the sausage meat.
Roll each egg in the flour, then dip in the beaten egg and roll in the breadcrumbs
Place the eggs in the air fryer and air fry at 390F/200C for 12 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time.

Nutrition

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Air Fryer Sausage Balls

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 00:03:09 +0000

Air fryer sausage balls are perfect for your New Years or Super Bowl party.

Easy Sausage Balls

With New Year’s parties coming up, there’s definitely a need for great appetizer recipes. Let’s not forget that the Super Bowl is on the horizon too so delicious party food is needed. And if it’s easy, then all the better.

Now these air fryer sausage balls fill the bill on both fronts; delicious and easy. They have only three ingredients and I am willing to bet you might have all the ingredients you need on hand.

Since I make so many things with refrigerated crescent roll dough, I always have at least two tubes in the fridge. I usually have a roll of bulk sausage in the freezer to. And shredded cheese? Uh huh, got that too.

Air Fryer Is Perfect For Appetizers

I’m the first to admit I love my air fryer (affiliate link). Mine isn’t one of the newer and fancier ones. I have a 5 Q basket style. This is one of the most versatile appliances you’ll ever have. While I love–and have come to prefer–air fryer fried chicken–it’s also my go-to appliance for appetizers and snacks like these garbanzos. These sausage balls are not exception.

When making this recipe, I am advising the use of the parchment rounds (affiliate link) sold specifically for air fryers. They will make clean up much easier due to the amount of cheese in these sausage balls. They won’t eliminate cleaning, just makes it easier. I don’t use them often but this is one time I do use them.

Sausage And Cheese

Here, the choice is totally up to you. I use mild-flavored sausage and mild cheddar in mine. That’s a pretty safe choice if you’re feeding people whose tastes are not familiar to you.

However, there are many varieties of sausage–hot, very herby and even maple flavors. If you’re serving people who like hot and spicy then the hot variety is a no-brainer. Chicken or turkey sausage would be great (and less fatty) too.

When it comes to cheese, frankly anything you like is fine here.

The Recipe

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Air Fryer Sausage Balls

Great party appetizer that's easy

Prep Time10

Cook Time8

Course: Appetizers, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer appetizers, easy new years party food, quick air fryer snacks, super bowl snacks with sausage

Servings: 10

Calories: 290kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

16 oz bulk sausage meat
2 cups shredded cheese
8 oz refrigerated crescent roll dough 1 tube
2 tbs flour
3 Parchment rounds

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place sausage and cheese in a large bowl.
Unroll crescent dough. Dust one side with 1 tablespoon on the flour; flip and dish the other side with the remaining flour. Cut into small squares--about 1/4-inch. Add these to the sausage mixture and incorporate into the mixture. It will be sticky but try to mix as thoroughly as possible.
Line air fryer basket with a parchment round. Form mixture into balls about 1-inch/2.5-cm in diameter. Place 1/3 of the balls into the fryer.
Fry at 390 F/198 C for 6 minutes. Turn balls with tongs and fry an additional 2-3 minutes.
Repeat 3 times, using a fresh parchment round each time.

Notes

Make sure to check the sausage balls during the cooking. The times are approximate based on my fryer which is 1800W. Your time could vary.

I got 30 meatballs from this and figured 3 balls per person serving.

Nutrition

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Sausage Bake

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 04 Sep 2021 23:00:21 +0000

Sausage bake is the original one-pan meal. So easy and tasty.

Sausage Bake–Easy And Delicious

This is one of the easiest dinners you’ll ever make!

Very few dishes are dirtied if you use the large plastic zipper bag recommended in the recipe card. That’s a big plus for me. And that it cooks all in one pan is another bonus. It’s much like those sheet pan meals except you are using a roasting pan or other large baking pan.

My mother used to make something very similar to this with Italian sausages on a bed of home fries (if you will) that cooked along with the sausages. I used to think this was her own invention until I recently discovered that its roots were British–and my mother being British, well there you go. Mary Berry made a very similar recipe that this one is based upon.

Sausages To Use

Since this was based off a recipe from Mary Berry, the sausages she used were a fancy rendition of the old British “bangers.” For my UK readers, getting bangers is no problem at all. However in the States, they are not readily available.

The closest substitute, even though it’s not exactly like British sausage, is bratwurst. That’s available all over so I suggest you use those. Of course it will taste great with Italian sausage too, but I’m trying to be as “authentic” as I possibly can.

Another good choice is steak house sausage. I get these from the place I order most of my meat from and it you click on the link, it will bring you to their site. I might add I’m not an affiliate of this company, I simply buy a lot of my meat there.

The Potatoes

The best potatoes to use are either red-skin or Yukon gold because you need a potato that will hold it’s shape and is slightly waxy. I chose to use those small gourmet potatoes that are about 2-inches/5 cm in diameter and sliced them in half.. If you have larger potatoes then cut them in bigger chunks

The Recipe

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Sausage Bake

One of the original sheet-pan meals

Prep Time10

Cook Time55

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: British

Keyword: bratwurst recipes, casseroles with sausage, sausage and potato dinners

Servings: 4

Calories: 671kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 tbs olive oil
2 large onions cut into wedges
2 red bell peppers seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1 tbs fresh thyme leaves chopped
1 lb small red skin or Yukon gold potatoes cut in half
8 bratwurst or steak-house sausages pricked with a fork
3/4 cup white wine
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425F/220C.
Place all ingredients (except the wine) in an extra-large plastic bag (2 gallon size) or in a very large bowl. Seal bag and toss to coat the ingredients with the oil. Likewise if you are using a bowl, toss to coat all the ingredients.
Empty the contents of the bowl/bag into a large roasting pan.
Roast for about 30-35 minute until sausages are brown on top.
Remove from oven and turn the sausage over and stir the vegetables. Pour in the wine and return to the oven for an additional 20 minutes or until the sausages are cooked and the potatoes are tender.

Notes

Italian sausage or British bangers may be substituted.

1/4 tsp of dried thyme can be substituted for the fresh.

Nutrition

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Zucchini Sausage Soup

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 10 Oct 2020 23:00:15 +0000

Use up some of that summer zucchini in this delicious and hearty soup.

Use That Summer Zucchini

Still have some of that zucchini left from the summer garden? Or maybe it was a neighbor who unloaded some excess on you?

I’ve heard lots of jokes about zucchini’s abundance. To be honest, my late husband and I never had any success with growing it. One year’s yield was one. The next year we grew a round zucchini variety since it claimed to be a “prolific grower.” The year we grew that, we got two. For us it was prolific.

Since we loved zucchini, we relied on the kindness of others to give us what they couldn’t use. Besides the usual minestrone, I wanted to incorporate it into a nice creamy style soup. Cream soups are my passion.

Sausage Makes It A Meal

I might add at this point that zucchini freezes well after it’s been blanched and dried. When it’s been frozen, it’s perfect for soups.

My husband and I were fond of making soups a meal along with a crusty roll and a salad.

The types of soup I regard as a complete meal are hearty and stick to your ribs. Mind you, this quality isn’t dependent on meat. Adding beans, rice and potatoes are excellent options if you’re vegetarian. I’ll get to the vegans later in the post.

This soup uses meat. Bulk Italian sausage to be exact. Sausage also flavors the soup since it’s full of herbs and spices. That way there’s no complicated seasonings besides the basic salt and pepper.

I used sweet Italian sausage meat in this, but you could use the hot variety or any other specialty variety that your store stocks. If you do use the hot sausage, then omit the red pepper flakes unless you want to make it more zippy. I only used a pinch since my husband was not into “zippy.” A pinch will impart a nice flavor and won’t be hot at all.

For The Vegans

You can use the suggestion in the above paragraph when you don’t use meat at all. And for the cream, nut milks–any variety–would be a great substitute. Vegan butter or olive oil can stand in for the regular butter and a high-quality vegetable stock is a good sub for the chicken stock.

The Recipe

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Zucchini Sausage Soup

Hearty and comforting soup

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: soups that are a meal, using excess zucchini, zucchini soup

Servings: 4

Calories: 432kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 medium onions chopped
8 oz sweet Italian sausage meat
2 tbs butter
6 medium zucchini sliced (1 1/2 lbs)
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup half and half cream or light cream. See NOTES
1/8 tsp salt
1 pinch red pepper flakes

Thickening:

1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat butter in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and the onion and cook until the sausage is no longer pink, breaking up into smaller bits as it cooks.
Add the zucchini, chicken stock, salt and pepper flakes. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook until the zucchini is crisp-tender.
Add the cream and heat through.
If you wish to thicken the soup, mix the flour and water and gradually stir into the soup. Heat until the soup gently bubbles then cook, stirring frequently, until the flour is cooked--about 5 minutes.

Notes

For UK and EU--"half and half" is equal parts of whole (full fat) milk and single (light) cream.

Nutrition

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Rigatoni with Sausage and Escarole

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 12 May 2020 23:00:56 +0000

Here’s another money-saving pasta meal using escarole with a gourmet hint.

A Meal That’s Budget Friendly

In these trying times, who isn’t looking for a meal that’s easy on the wallet?

Under normal circumstances, I think we’re all pretty much food-budget savvy but now it’s become an issue that’s of tantamount importance. Most of us realize that beans, rice and pasta fit nicely into this budget niche. However the type of meals made from these ingredients don’t provoke much enthusiasm. Of course there are some–one of my favorites being Jamaican Coconut Rice–but usually this isn’t the case.

This recipe actually will get your taste buds going. It’s main source of protein is the beans and the pasta, but it contains just enough sausage to jazz up the flavor.

Versatile Escarole

OK, this might be one item that isn’t in your usual repertoire. Let me tell you–it should be!

Don’t bypass it when you’re in the produce section of your store. It’s one of those greens that wears many hats so there’s lots of ways you could be using escarole in your meal planning.

If you’ve ever had Italian wedding soup, it’s one of the main ingredients. After you’ve eaten it cooked, you’ll be using escarole often.

It’s also good as is. Instead of buying your usual lettuce, use it as a salad green. Let it replace lettuce in your salads and sandwiches. It’s got body and a great flavor.

Don’t Toss The Water

When you cook the rigatoni, don’t throw the water away! Pasta water is a part of this dish that makes the sauce what it is.

When you cook the pasta, cook it for a few minutes less than the package states. That’s because it is cooked again in the skillet. You also want a bit of bite too it as well.

So when the pasta is done as the recipe states, remove it to the skillet using a slotted spoon so you preserve the cooking water.

The Recipe

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Rigatoni with Sausage and Escarole

One of those money-saving pasta meals with a hint of gourmet

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Course: Main, Main Course, pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: budget pasta meals, italian sausage recipes, using escarole

Servings: 6

Calories: 573kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp rosemary
8 ounces Italian sausage casings removed
15 oz can chickpeas rinsed, patted dry
¼ cup dry white wine
12 oz rigatoni cooked about 2 minutes less than per package directions, reserve pasta water
Kosher salt
8 cups lightly packed torn escarole
¾ cup finely grated Parmesan divided
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs unsalted butter

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Fry rosemary, until fragrant. Discard.
Add sausage to same pot and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon and stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 8–10 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate.
Add chickpeas to pot and cook, tossing occasionally and mashing some chickpeas with spoon, until browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer about half of chickpeas to plate with sausage. Add wine to pot, bring to a boil, and cook until liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 2 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the rigatoni (don't discard the water). Add pasta to pot with chickpeas and add escarole and 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook, tossing often, until escarole is wilted, pasta is al dente, and sauce is thickened, about 4 minutes. Add another ¼ cup pasta cooking liquid, then gradually add ½ cup cheese, tossing until melted and dissolved into a luxurious, glossy sauce. Thin with more pasta cooking liquid if needed. Season with pepper, and more salt if needed. Add butter and toss to combine, then mix in reserved sausage and chickpeas.
Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup cheese.

Nutrition

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Rustic Ragu One-Pan Pasta Meal

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 00:00:33 +0000

If you are looking for a great one-pan pasta meal, look no further. This rustic ragu is easy to make too.

Quick And Easy

One thing I love is something quick and easy. This one-pan pasta meal surely fills the bill.

It’s got tons of taste too. All those flavors blend together to make this rustic sausage and pasta dish a family favorite.

Sweet Italian sausage is the basis of it along with subtle herbs. And i bet you have everything you need it your pantry. This is just one of those dinners that you can throw together after work with minimal effort that tastes like you cooked it all day!

Use What You Have

This is just one of those recipes where you can substitute things safely.

If you don’t have any bulk Italian sausage on hand but have links, just remove the meat from the casing and you’re set to go. You can even cut up the links into pieces and it still works.

No sausage of any kind on hand? Use ground beef and a bit more Italian seasoning and if you have some fennel seed on hand, add a pinch of that. It will taste fine.

As to the pasta, well anything will work although I think that most of us have the straight spaghetti on hand. If you don’t, use what you have. It’ll work fine. In fact, the substitutions make this into a different meal so keep them all in mind.

Yes, Fresh

The only thing here you will probably have to buy is some fresh basil. If you have a windowsill garden as I do, it’s always on hand. Hint–it’s super easy to grow.

The fresh basil adds not only flavor but a pop of color. To me, that’s an essential to eating pleasure. And this is one place where I can’t see the dried stuff in the jar to be an adequate substitution, but if you must, a tablespoon will probably do the trick.

The Recipe

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Rustic Ragu

A one-pot pasta dinner that’s loaded with flavor

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: one pan meals with pasta, one pot spaghetti dinner, sausage and pasta meals

Servings: 4

Calories: 812kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tbs olive oil
1 lb sweet Italian bulk sausage
28 oz petite diced tomatoes large can
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 tbs Italian seasoning
8 oz spaghetti
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh basil chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and the vegetables. Cook until the sausage is browned. Drain off most excess fat.
Add the tomatoes, stock and the spaghetti, make sure the spaghetti is submerged.
Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium-low and the spaghetti is cooked and sauce is slightly thickened.
Add any salt and pepper if needed, then stir in the fresh basil.

Nutrition

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Creamy Corn And Kielbasa Casserole

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 00:00:51 +0000

Leave out the kielbasa and this creamy corn casserole is a perfect side dish.

Budget Busting Meal

I’ve been on a corn craze lately. That happens from time to time. Because of this “rip” I had a huge bag of frozen corn on hand and wanted to use up a goodly portion of it–I lack freezer space even though I have 3 freezers between 2 houses and of course the refrigerator freezer.

A while ago, I saw a side dish corn casserole for a creamy corn. It basically consisted of whole-kernel corn, white sauce and some embellishments (which I don’t recall).

Anyway, I had the corn on hand and a package of kielbasa, hence this casserole. Not only is this delicious, it definitely won’t break the bank as far as a food budget. Heck, I’ll say it; it’s cheap and cheerful.

A Casserole That’s A Workhorse

This corn and kielbasa casserole is so versatile that it can be what you want it to be when you want it.

If you want a main dish, then the kielbasa is the meat that makes it a complete meal in one dish.

On the other hand, if you want a nice side dish for the holidays, or any other time, then leaving out the kielbasa turns it into a very non-boring side dish!

The sauce can be embellished. I used a little onion to pick up the flavor. You can leave that out if you want and just make a plain white sauce. A little Parmesan cheese would be a nice addition too–whether it’s with or without the kielbasa. Let your imagination and your family’s tastes go free here.

Got Leftovers?

If you have any leftover meat in the fridge, by all means use it here. It’s a great way to extend a smaller amount of meat to feed a family. Chicken would be a great choice. Pork would be good too.

And as always, any smoked sausage or even humble hot dogs can stand in for the kielbasa.

The Recipe

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Creamy Corn And Kielbasa Casserole

Leave out the kielbasa and this creamy corn casserole is a perfect side dish.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Main/Side

Cuisine: American

Keyword: casserole recipe, corn, kielbasa

Servings: 5

Calories: 664kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb fully-cooked kielbasa diced large
32 oz frozen corn thawed
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tbs butter

Cream Sauce

1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup hot milk
3 tbs butter
3 tbs flour
2 tbs finely chopped onion
1 pinch black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray or butter a 1.5-2 quart casserole; set aside.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; stir in the onion. Add the flour, whisking constantly so no lumps form, until it starts to bubble.
While whisking, slowly add the hot milk taking care that no lumps form. Whisk in the chicken stock. Stir constantly until thick and mixture begins to boil; remove from heat.
Place the thawed corn and kielbasa in a large bowl and mix in the cream sauce. Stir in the cream.
Melt the 1 tbs of butter and mix in the panko crumbs.
Turn mixture into prepared pan. Top with buttered crumbs.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until crumbs are beginning to turn golden and sauce is bubbling at the edge of the pan.

Nutrition

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Stuffed Chicken Thighs

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 25 Aug 2018 23:00:32 +0000

These easy peasy sausage stuffed chicken thighs are so delicious they’ll be on your regular rotation!

Stuffed Chicken Made Easy

I love me some stuffed chicken, but like many, I find breasts hard to stuff. Mainly, it’s difficult to get the stuffing to stay in the chicken.

This recipe uses boneless, skinless thighs. Turns out that thighs are pretty easy to stuff because the removal on the bone make the perfect “pocket” for any filling! In fact, this may be my new go-to piece for stuffing since it’s so easy to do. I prefer that part anyway so it’s a perfect solution.

Choose A Mild Sausage

Just recently I was watching a lot of food history documentaries on YouTube and of course, YouTube comes up with suggestions of what to watch next. A lot of those suggestions were shows with Mary Berry.

For those who have never heard of her, she’s a British icon as far as cooking is concerned–and has even superseded the great Fannie Craddock (another British cooking icon) in my opinion. Anyway, Mary Berry’s approach to cooking has always been making good food in as little time as possible. This recipe comes from her, and it’s just wonderful.

Britain basically has all the same products we use here in the USA, but sometimes call them by different names. For instance, “icing sugar” is confectioner’s sugar and “aubergines” are eggplants. However one thing that’s very different there than it is here is sausage.

British sausage is more like bratwurst than it is our breakfast sausage or Italian sausage, so I had to adapt the recipe a bit. Mary Berry’s filling used quite a bit of herbs and spices which added flavors to the very mild British kind. So I cut out all that and just used the parsley and onion.

Great Tips

One little tip I picked up from watching this video was using honey to make sure things brown well–especially with short cook times.

You don’t use a lot, just a few drops will do. In fact, I doubt you’d even taste it.

I’ve noticed that things wrapped in bacon are generally overcooked by the time the bacon browns and brushing with a drop or two of honey (which the Brits call “runny honey”) does the trick. It also works for cooking chicken strips for stir fries that cook too quickly to brown. Just add about a teaspoon of honey and voila–lovely and golden.

This next tip comes from me–do yourself a favor and buy yourself an inexpensive kitchen scale. They’re small and come in handy for many things besides cooking. It’s absolutely necessary if you plan to cook some European baking recipes because they weigh everything. You’ll get more accurate results weighing than measuring in cups–which is especially true for flour.

Flour has a range of weights when measured by the cup because of differences in how the cup is filled, but 50 grams of flour is always 50 grams. Rose Levy Beranbaum advocated this years ago for the most foolproof way to bake. You won’t be sorry.

Watch The Video

The Recipe

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Stuffed Chicken Thighs

These easy sausage stuffed chicken thighs are so delicious they’ll be on your regular rotation. Bacon wrapped chicken has never tasted so good!

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Total Time55

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bacon, chicken breast recipe, sausage, stuffed chicken

Servings: 8

Calories: 412kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

16 oz mild bulk breakfast sausage
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbs minced onion
8 slices bacon
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tbs honey

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or foil.
In a large bowl, mix the sausage, parsley and minced onion. Divide into 8 equal portions and shape each into a log no longer than the length of the chicken where the bone was.
Place chicken skinned side down and open them out. Place a log in the center of each thigh where the bone was and fold the chicken around it.
Wrap each thigh in one strip of bacon, seam side under the chicken.
Place the chicken on the prepared pan and brush each thigh with the honey.
Bake for 35 minutes or until cooked through and the bacon is golden brown and crispy. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

*Post contains affiliate links
*Adapted from Mary Berry

The post Stuffed Chicken Thighs appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Bowties And Sausage

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 23:00:14 +0000

This one-pan bow ties and sausage dinner isn’t just pretty, it’s delicious too!

Dinner In A Dish

That’s right–this is another one-pot wonder that tastes fantastic!

I adapted this from a slow cooker recipe I found at The Spruce. I converted this to stovetop cooking because it seemed pretty ridiculous to have to cook most of the ingredients only to finish them off in the crock pot.

It was easier and more straight forward to just cook it all with a surface method. I did use some suggestions that were given for substitutions which I felt would yield better flavor.

Sausage Or Ground Beef

That’s pretty much the choice with this dish, however, I strongly advise the use of Italian sweet sausage. It will add a great deal of flavor.

But if you are serving the kiddos, you might want to consider using ground beef so the end product is a bit milder. It will still taste very good, but if you’re feeding adults or older children then sausage is the way to go.

The original recipe cautions not to use chicken sausage as that would be horribly overcooked–if you use the slow cooker method given in the link to the original recipe. I heartily agree, but if you’re going the stovetop route, then by all means use chicken sausage.

Leftover Pasta?

If you have any leftover pasta, this is a great way to use it.

Bowties are what’s stated in the original recipe and I had some on hand. Therefore, that’s what I used, but you can use any smallish shaped pasta. Mini ziti, wagon wheels and plain old elbows will do.

If you don’t have anything left over, then you’ll have to cook the pasta before adding it to the recipe. Are you lucky enough to have some “no-boil” pasta? Then you can add it right to the pan dry, but do add the necessary additional water that it calls for on the box directions.

The Recipe

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Bowties And Sausage

This one-pan dinner of bow ties and sausage isn’t just pretty, it’s also delicious!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy pasta dinner, sausage

Servings: 6

Calories: 864kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage cut into 1/4-inch slices (see NOTES)
1 tbs olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
16 oz tomato sauce
14 oz canned diced tomatoes undrained
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
16 oz bow tie pasta (farfalle) cooked to package directions
10 oz fresh baby spinach
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Place the sausage in the pan and brown well on both sides. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently until both are translucent.
Now add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, oregano, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper; stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the cooked pasta and baby spinach; stir. Cook until the spinach wilts then add the mozzarella stirring until cheese just melts. Top with grated parmesan cheese.

Notes

An equal amount of ground beef may be substituted. Brown then drain well.
You may also substitute chicken sausage (stovetop method only)

Nutrition

*Adapted from The Spruce

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