Sausage Hors de Oeuvre’s

I saw Trisha Yearwood make these Sausage bites on her Food Network show.  I followed her recipe, with one exception - I added only 2 cups of Bisquick.  As I was combining the mixture I felt adding an additional cup would make them too doughy.  Trisha’s recipe called for 3 cups of Bisquick; I wanted these to be a meatier consistency, so I stopped at 2 cups.  These were a HIT at the party I took them to.  I served them warm with two different dipping sauces.  (See my recommendations at the end of the recipe.)

 

Ingredients:

 

1 lb. Hot & Spicy bulk sausage

10 oz shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups Bisquick, added 1 cup at a time

Kosher Salt & Pepper

 

Directions:

 

Place sausage and cheese in mixing bowl.  Grind some fresh black topper into the bowl.  Begin mixing to combine.  Add 1 cup of baking mix at a time.  Mix until well blended.

 

Roll into bite sized meatballs.  Place on baking sheet.  375 for 20 – 25 minutes.  Test for doneness.

 

Remove to serving platter and sprinkle with kosher salt. 

 

Serve warm with the dipping sauce of your choice.  I used my bottled barbeque sauce and doctored it with a bit of dry mustard, brown sugar, Worchester sauce, and lemon juice.  I also made a combination of mayonnaise, stone ground mustard, ketchup, tabasco and Worchester.  I also added a tablespoon or two of milk to thin it so that it was more like a dipping sauce than a mayonnaise consistency.

 

Click here for printable recipe.

Ropa Vieja (Cuban Shredded Beef)

Ropa Vieja is a Cuban dish – quite literally translated, it means “Old Clothes”.  Made with beef, it is cooked with luscious vegetables and spices until the meat can be shredded easily with a fork.  It’s kind of like the Cuban version of “pulled pork” – only with beef and no barbeque sauce.  Ha!  Most recipes use Flank Steak.  I’ve made it this way three times – and I’m never happy with the results.  The meat is too stringy.  So, this time I used a Bottom Round Roast…. HEAVEN!  Try it… You’ll like it!

 

Ingredients:

 

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

4 -5 cloves garlic, chopped

15 oz. can diced tomatoes

8 oz. can tomato sauce

4 teaspoons red wine vinegar

½ cup dry red wine

¼ cup beef broth

2 ½ - 3 pound bottom round roast

1 heaping Tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

 

Directions:

 

In the bowl of a crock pot scatter in the onion, peppers, jalapeno and garlic; toss to combine.  Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.  Pour in the red wine vinegar, red wine and beef broth.

 

In a small bowl combine the cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika.  Cut the roast crosswise, in half.  Rub the spice mixture all over the roast.  Toss any excess spice mixture into the crock pot.

 

Place the two pieces of roast in the crock pot on top of the vegetables.

 

Cover and cook on high for 2 hours; turn down to low and continue cooking for 3 – 4 additional hours.  It’s done when the beef falls apart easily; shredded with two forks.

 

Serve over rice – or on tortillas.  Heaven!

Click here for printable recipe.