I need suggestions to use up sausage

[GB]

I pulled 6 hot Italian sausages out of the freezer the other day, but never used them so now I need to cook them up today or they are trash. I was planning on just crumbling them up and cooking and then freezing again to use when I need, but I thought I would post here first and see what great ideas all of you can come up with. It is probably about a pound and a half or so. What should I make?

[Andy M.]

GB:

Give this sauce a try. I had an old recipe I came across while revising my cookbook. I made it for the first time in a long while with some modifications and we both liked it a lot.

Sausage & Porcini Sauce

14 Oz Chicken Broth
1 Oz Dry Porcini
1/2 Lb Hot Italian Sausage
2 Tb Olive oil
1 Onion, diced
2 Garlic, minced
28 Oz Canned Tomato
1 Tb Basil
1/2 Tb Oregano
1/4 C Dry Vermouth
TT Salt & Black Pepper
1/4 C Pine nuts, toasted OPTIONAL


Bring the broth to a boil and reconstitute the mushrooms in the broth for 30 minutes.


Remove the mushrooms from the broth and filter the broth through a paper towel. Reserve the liquid.

Pierce the sausage casings with the point of a knife to allow the fat to drain then brown the sausages, remove and cut into bite-size pieces.

Heat the oil in the pan and sauté the onion and garlic.

Dice the reconstituted mushrooms and add them to the pan. Add the filtered mushroom liquid and reduce to ⅓ volume.

Add the tomato, herbs, the vermouth and sausage pieces.

Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Add the pine nuts prior to serving.

[abjcooking]

Just off the top of my head

Any egg dishes (scrambled, fritatta, quiche, ect.)
Noodle dishes (baked ziti, A la vodka sauce, spaghetti, lasagna)
pizza
Put them into stuffed mushrooms
spicy gravy and biscuits

[Raine]

We like to serve them with spaghetti. We steam/fry them in water and then add to the plate like meatballs.

[amber]

To add to Rainee's reply, we sometimes add the sausage in with the spaghetti sauce along with the meatballs. Or, how about sausage, peppers, and onions on a sub roll? Or maybe stuffed peppers using the sausage along with some rice.

[luvs]

i was gonna say use them in an egg casserole but you don't like eggs. (you HAVE to be difficult and not like eggs, geebs, don't ya? )
other than that, like amber said, how about just having them w/ peppers and onions on a roll? unless you already made them like that....
the only other way i've had hot sausage is like rainee said, w/ spaghetti.
i have a recipe here for sausage ziti, too, if you want it.

[Robo410]

make a stuffing with the sausage as you might for peppers and stuff them or squash. rice, rough breadcrumbs, and small vegie bits make a great mixer. If those zucchini or acorn squash are coming in, cut them open and stuff them.


Or make a sweet pepper chili with the sausage as your meet.

[ironchef]

Paella or Jambalaya. Italian Sausage gives a different but tasty flavor to each, as opposed to using chorizo and andouille.

[jkath]

My ideas were all taken!
However, I'm like you - I'll take out meat, cook it, and then re-freeze for an easy mix in with sauces.

[kadesma]

GB,

we often use the sausages in pasta sauces, but one of my husbands favorites for the hot or the sweet are to just brown them in their casings, , then brown slices of potato, onion and red and yellow peppers, thus sausages and peppers Me I leave out the potato and just plop the sausage and some peppers on top of a buttered slice of thick french or italian bread and munch It's easy, one dish and a tossed salad and a glass of wine or even beer and your set.
kadesma l

[kleenex]

Sausages, peppers, and onions are a classic combo.

[Constance]

I think they'd be great cooked in with beans, lentils or greens!

Here's a suggestion..substitute your hot Italian sausage for Kielbasa, and go from there.

Kielbasa and White Bean Soup

Ingredients:
4 cups Chicken broth
2 cups Water
10 oz Kale or spinach -- frozen
4 oz Pasta, shells, or any other small type
8 ounces Kielbasa, sliced in rounds
16 oz canned Cannelini, white kidney beans, or your favorite bean

Directions:
Bring broth and water to a boil in a large saucepan.
Add frozen green vegetable and return to a boil.
Boil 3-4 minutes, breaking up with a wooden spoon.
Stir in pasta. Boil 5 minutes until almost tender.
Stir in kielbasa and beans. Reduce heat to medium and cook 3-5 minutes, more until kielbasa has plumped.

*Note: the beans, pasta and greens will absorb the seasoning, and you'll end up with some good depth of flavor without it burning your mouth up.

[GB]

Thank you everyone for all your great suggestions. As it turns out, I forgot that DW was not eating at home tonight so it is just me for dinner. Soooo instead of having the sausage, I am going to finish the leftover Chinese food since there is only enough for one more small meal. I will cook up the sausage and save for another day though and I am sure I will use one or more of your ideas

[kitchenelf]

Well I'm too late - but I like to either make or buy Hunts Traditional - mix up some shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, ricotta, and a bit of cottage cheese, eggs, all the Italian herbs/seasonings, s & P and make some orichiette pasta.

put some sauce in bottom, layer cheese mixture, pasta, sauce, sausages, cheese mixture, pasta, sauce, topped with some shredded mozzarella and bake.

Edited to say "I see where you didn't make it yet".

[middie]

make a potato soup and put the sausage in with it
okay do that another time lol

[Caine]

ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS

INGREDIENTS:



2 pounds of Italian sausage, cut into two-inch pieces

Olive Oil

1 green bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 large onion, any variety

6 ounces (approx) Portobello mushrooms

4 cloves of garlic

2 cups of chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned in juice

1 Tbs tomato paste

2 Tbs oregano

1 tsp thyme

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (if desired)

Salt and pepper to taste



Cut onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and celery into strips. Peel and chop garlic cloves. Brown sausage thoroughly in a sauté pan with olive oil. Remove the sausages and sauté the onions, and peppers in olive oil until soft. Add the garlic and mushrooms and continue to sauté until the garlic is just barely browned. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper and reduce heat to medium low. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning as desired. Add sausage and allow to simmer for at least one hour, stirring occasionally.

[Barbara L]

Originally Posted by jkath

My ideas were all taken!
However, I'm like you - I'll take out meat, cook it, and then re-freeze for an easy mix in with sauces.

Jkath, have you tried the Make-a-Mix cookbooks? They have some great meat mixes, as well as dry mixes. Get them, and you will wonder how you got along without them!

Barbara

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Brown and mix with brown and wild rice, cooked in chicken base. Add chopped bell peppers and onions, and even cheese if you like. Serve as a side. Try adding it to your favorite chile recipe.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

[Constance]

Caine, I'm saving your recipe to try with some venison brats that my husband and I made last fall. We added 30% pork butt to the mix, but should have added some fat-back, as they are pretty dry. We grilled some over the weekend with bacon wrapped around them, and they were good that way, but I think your recipe would be a great way to use them without adding fat.
Thanks!

[bevkile]

Originally Posted by amber

To add to Rainee's reply........ Or, how about sausage, peppers, and onions on a sub roll? .........

Yum... Haven't had one since I last visited the Ind State Fair, years ago.

Caine, your recipe is a keeper.