Chris Allen's World Famous Sausage Balls, by Patti

   (adapted slightly by Patti)

Yield:  6-7 dozen sausage balls

Tis the season for joy, peace and hope!  Nativity scenes, Christmas trees and lights, Christmas cantatas, mistletoe and reindeer...  and the food:   sausage balls, cheese balls, pecan pies and fudge… I can go on and on!  I’m taking an appetizer to a holiday dinner and being in the mood for holiday sausage balls, I turned to the internet.  I found a reference to this sausage ball recipe and just had to try it!  The Red Lobster Cheddar Bay biscuit mix gives much more flavor than the traditional sausage ball recipes.  I’m not really a spicy food fan, but using hot sausage in this recipe yields a great taste that is not too hot!  I guess the cheese and biscuit mix calms the “heat” of the sausage!  By the way, I stocked up on the Red Lobster biscuit mix so that I can make these little delights anytime I want (you can freeze them in Ziplok bags)!  As for Chris Allen, the inspiration behind this recipe, he’s the weather director at WBKO in Bowling Green, Kentucky!  Thanks Chris!

INGREDIENTS:

16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (or 2 8-oz blocks of sharp cheddar cheese)

½ cup milk

2 1-pound packs of your favorite hot sausage (I used Jimmy Dean’s hot sausage)

2 cups Bisquick

1 package of Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix (available at Wal-Mart)

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Put the cheese in a microwave safe bowl, along with ½ cup milk.
• Microwave for 1 minute and stir; return to microwave for another 30 seconds (if using blocks of cheese it will take additional time to melt the cheese).
• Set out and let the cheese cool while you’re mixing up the sausage mixture.
• Pour the Bisquick and Red Lobster cheddar cheese biscuit mix. including the seasoning packet, into a large mixing bowl, along with the two 1-pound packages of sausage.
• Mix this together with your hands until well combined.
• Add the cheese to the sausage mixture and knead all together until blended well.
• Pinch off a small portion of the mixture and roll with your hands into a small ball, a little smaller than a ping pong ball.
• Place the balls on a greased cookie sheet (I like to use the Silpat liners to avoid sticking)
• Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 
• Let cool for 5-10 minutes and enjoy! 

Dipping Sauce
Here's a yummy recipe for a sweet and tangy dipping sauce:  Mix together 1/3 cup Dijon mustard and 1 cup apricot or peach preserves; stir until well combined.
They are also great served with sweet hot mustard or BBQ sauce!

Braised Red Cabbage with Apples

I wasn’t really familiar with red cabbage until my adult years.  Yes, I had enjoyed it raw in salads, but never this sweet and sour cooked version.  It’s really good and is a great accompaniment to beef or pork dishes.  The color is festive so it would be great for a Holiday dinner.  Unlike green cabbage, red cabbage takes a bit longer to cook to a tender consistency… but it’s well worth the effort and time!  I combined a few recipes that I found online, one of them being Jamie Oliver's. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 to 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 red cabbage, cored and shredded (remove outer leaves)

1 onion, chopped

4 slices bacon, finely sliced

2 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper (or to taste)

1 Tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oil in large skillet or saucepan.  Add onion and bacon and cook for a few minutes, until onion is tender.  Stir in cabbage, apple, vinegar, salt and pepper and stir well.  Cover with lid and cook on low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally.  Add more salt and pepper if necessary.  Add caraway seeds if desired. You can add butter before serving for a richer version!

Apple, Peanut Butter, Bacon and Honey Crostini

Sometimes, the simple things are the best!  This yummy appetizer (or it could even be lunch!) attests to that statement.  This is going to be one of my go-to appetizers!  For convenience, I purchased a package of pre-sliced apples, both red and green.  The slices were still too thick, so I cut them into half again so that my slices were thin.  I also saved some time by using real bacon bits from Costco; but you can cook your own and crumble it.  It only takes a few crumbles of bacon for each crostini.  This is really good… and healthy too!

Butter baguette slices and broil until toasted.

Top each slice with peanut butter and thinly sliced apples.

Drizzle each with honey and top with crumbled bacon.