Tag Archives: turkey sausage

Sausage-and-Feta Cheese-Stuffed Peppers

Do you ever come across a recipe and think If only I liked (fill in the blank), I’d love this! Well when I came across this recipe for Chorizo-and-Goat Cheese-Stuffed Peppers I thought, if only I liked goat cheese and if only I ate chorizo and if only this used basil instead, this would be right up my alley! Well, when in doubt, substitute!  I recreated these appetizers using what I wanted instead to come up with something similar yet my own.  Introducing Sausage-and-Feta Cheese-Stuffed Peppers!

Turkey sausage and peppers are cooked together before adding in creamy cream cheese and tangy feta cheese.  The whole mixture is scooped into mini-sweet peppers and baked creating a perfectly small, appetizer-sized stuffed pepper.  The flavor of the turkey sausage, mixed with the difference cheeses and sweet peppers make for an overall perfect appetizer in my opinion.  Yes, removing the seeds of the peppers and making them into cute little boats may be a bit time consuming but the rest of the dish is easy as pie and quick to come together.  The hardest part is waiting the fifteen minutes for these suckers to be done.  The best part of the hardest part? Eating the left over sausage mixture out of the pan with a spoon while you wait.

Sausage-and-Feta Cheese-Stuffed Peppers (makes 24 appetizers)

Adapted from Coastal Living Magazine‘s Chorizo-and-Goat Cheese-Stuffed Peppers

  • 24 baby peppers or mini-peppers
  • 1 lb turkey sausage or pork sausage (hot or sweet, up to you!)
  • 2 ounces reduced-fat feta cheese
  • 4 ounces 1/3-less fat cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut about 1/4 inch from top of peppers to form a “boat” (see picture below). Seed peppers, if desired, and finely chop pepper tops. Combine chopped peppers and sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes or until sausage is browned. Drain well, if necessary. Add feta and cream cheeses, stirring until well blended. Spoon or pipe sausage mixture into pepper boats. Place on prepared baking sheet, and bake 15 minutes or until cheese melts and peppers are tender. Garnish with basil, if desired.

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The ingredients:

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Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut about 1/4 inch from top of peppers to form a “boat.” Seed peppers, if desired, and finely chop pepper tops.

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Combine chopped peppers and sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes or until sausage is browned. Drain well, if necessary.

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Add feta and cream cheeses, stirring until well blended.

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Spoon or pipe sausage mixture into pepper boats. Place on prepared baking sheet, and bake 15 minutes or until cheese melts and peppers are tender.

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Garnish with basil, if desired.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions (from adapted recipe):

  • Turkey sausage
  • Reduced-fat feta cheese
  • 1/3-less fat cream cheese
  • Basil

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Adapted from Coastal Living magazine

Beer-Glazed Sausage and Apples

Sometimes I come across a recipe that has me lingering a few seconds longer than the others but yet for whatever reason, I pass it by.  This recipe for Beer-Glazed Sausage and Apples is a perfect example of that.  Each and every time I come across it, I pause and think Wow, that looks good.  Finally, I caved.  It won me over and I couldn’t go another day, another minute, without making it.

Smoked sausage (I used turkey) is mixed with apples and green beans and simmered in a flavorful broth of wheat beer, brown sugar, cider vinegar and orange peel before being topped with bits of fresh sage.  The alcohol in the beer cooks off and the remaining flavor adds a layer of depth which blends so well with the sausage.  The apples and green beans are perfectly crisp while the orange peel provides a fresh, subtle citrus flavor which pleasantly permeates the whole dish.  I had high expectations for this dish and the result was as good, no, better than I expected.  My only complaint: don’t boil the sausage with the green beans as the recipe states in step one (I think this is an error).  Only boil the green beans in step one and brown the sausage in step three.  And when you eat it, try to get a little bit of everything in one forkful.  It’s worth a full mouth.

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The ingredients:

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In a large saucepan combine 1/2 of the beer and the crushed red pepper; bring to boiling.  Add green beans (not the sausage). Return to a simmer, cover and cook 5 to 8 minutes or until beans are tender. Drain and set aside.

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Meanwhile, in a large skillet melt 1 tablespoon butter; add apples. Cook, turning occasionally, until apples are just tender.  Transfer to a platter.

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Add sausage to skillet. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides. Add to platter; cover. Drain fat from skillet.

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Carefully add remaining beer to skillet (mixture may foam); stir to scrape up browned bits. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter, brown sugar, cider vinegar, and orange peel. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, 5 to 6 minutes or until slightly thickened.

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Return sausage and green beans to skillet to coat in glaze. Fold in apples. Return to serving platter.

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Sprinkle with sage.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Turkey kielbasa

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Better Homes & Gardens magazine

Chicken Sausage Puffs with Creamy Mustard Dipping Sauce

Have you ever used puff pastry? I haven’t and I’m left wondering how I can call myself a cook now. Not that puff pastry is something I made from scratch or anything. I simply pulled it out of the box and thawed it out. But why was I intimidated? It’s not like I have to puff it up by blowing into it or anything. These Chicken Sausage Puffs with Creamy Mustard Dipping Sauce were so, so simple. I’m now obsessed. I want to make everything with puff pastry. I may never eat regular bread again.

Frozen puff pastry is thawed until pliable and cut into squares before being cutely topped with a little button of chicken sausage. As the pastry cooks in the oven, it puffs up around the sausage and becomes light and buttery. What a perfect appetizer for the holidays or just as a tasty snack. Make this with pork sausage, turkey sausage or vegetarian sausage and I swear you won’t be disappointed.

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The ingredients:

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Preheat oven to 400°F. Place 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface; roll into 1 (8- x 12-inch) rectangle. Cut pastry into 24 (2-inch) squares.

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Place 1 sausage slice in center of each square, pressing down. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet and sausage.

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Arrange puffs on aluminum foil-lined baking sheets, and brush with egg. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden.

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Meanwhile, stir together mustard and sour cream in a small bowl.

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Serve pastries warm, with dipping sauce.

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Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

  • light sour cream

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Coastal Living Magazine

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