Sausage Two Ways

Don’t be like me and do both ways at the same time. You will dirty every pot and pan in your kitchen, and counter space could be an issue.

Just saying.

My father-in-law makes an awesome sausage. It's pretty much the only sausage my husband will eat. I have pretty good memories of it, we used it in the spaghetti dinner we had the night before our wedding.

We usually have a stockpile in our fridge.

You know, for Armageddon.

It gets rationed out in-between our visits to my in-laws. Usually.

I have a really small freezer. And I really needed some space in there.

So this is how we used a pound of sausage.

Baby Eggrolls

What you will need:

¾ lb sausage

1-package wonton wrappers

1 cabbage

Baby carrots

Chinese 5 spice powder

Salt

Onion powder

Cooking spray (I like the olive oil kind)

Brown the sausage (we did the whole pound at a time). While that is browning, chop your carrots and cabbage.

I have no idea how many carrots we used. My husband did that part. And it’s really hard to tell how many baby carrots are missing from a big bag of baby carrots. Use your judgment. Make it look pretty in the mix.

(If I had to guess, I would say about 7 or 8 baby carrots.)

I have a better idea of how much cabbage we used because I got a photo of the evidence.

Throw these in a food processor or chopper so they are minced nice and little.

Then add to your sausage (if you make it all at once, scoop about ¼ out to be used later). Don’t drain the sausage. The fatty juice (I realize it doesn’t sound appetizing when I say it like that) will soak into everything and flavor it great.

Mix until the cabbage and carrots are tender. Add a little onion powder (about 2 teaspoons). Sprinkle in some 5 spice (maybe a teaspoon). And salt to taste.

Filling done!

Now to wrap them in the wontons.

You will need a bowl of water, for sealing the edges.

We just guestimated- but I would say its about a teaspoon or so of filling for each wrapper.

Then fold the side corners in

Flip the bottom up

Wet the top corner so it seals

And roll!

Cute little eggroll mini.

We did a large cookie sheet full. Spray the bottom of the cookie sheet with cooking spray, load up your eggrolls, then spray the top of them as well, until they are shiny but not soaked.

Bake at 350 F for about 25 to 30 minutes.

The cooking spray will make them bubble and crack and turn toasty like they were fried, without the actual cleanup that comes with frying stuff. We didn’t end up using all of our filling, but the rest fit nicely into a sandwich Ziploc, to freeze and use later.

Yum!

Serve them with duck sauce to dip!

So NOW, to use that other ¼ lb. of the sausage.

We made Rotini Pasta Lasagna fake out.

You will need:

½ box Rotini pasta

12 oz of your favorite tomato sauce (my fav comes in an 8oz can, and I had 4oz in the fridge from something else. I love using leftovers not as leftovers)

½ teaspoon sugar

Ricotta cheese

Philadelphia cooking crème (my new favorite thing!)

Shredded mozzarella

1-cup baby spinach

1-tablespoon butter

Salt to season

Boil your pasta in salted water. Just to al dente, since it will cook a little more in the oven, and you don’t want it mushy.

Add the sausage (cooked) to your tomato sauce. If it is plain sauce, add some spices like garlic, onion, and Italian herbs. If you used an already flavored sauce, you are good to go!

Either way add the sugar to your sauce. You won’t regret it. Let that simmer until it is heated all the way through.

In a small pan melt your tablespoon of butter and toss in the spinach. Let it heat up until it starts to wilt and shrink in size. My husband was somewhat concerned with how much spinach I was using, until he saw how much it shrank.

Your sauce should be simmering now – use a bowl big enough for all your rotini and toss with the sausage sauce so they are all coated.

Grease an 8” x 8” baking dish. Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Mix half a cup of ricotta cheese, with about ¼ cup Philadelphia crème.

Layer half of the rigatoni mix in the dish.

Cover it with the cheese mixture.

Put the spinach on next.

Then cover with the rest of the rotini. Top it with some shredded mozzarella.

Bake until the cheese melts, about 15 – 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

- Mrs. A

p.s. thanks to my husband for being my hand model! he demonstrated the proper technique to roll an egg roll.