Easy Stuffed Italian Sausage

 

  

Have you ever thought you were taking one thing out of the freezer only to discover when it thaws out that it is something else entirely? It happens to me a fair bit. Especially if I am in a hurry or tired.

I thought I was taking chicken out yesterday, but what I ended up taking out was mild Italian Sausage, and not whole links, but cocktail links.  Just one of those days!!

 

I like Italian Sausage though, so all was not lost. I was just going to take it out of the skins and make a pasta sauce, but then I stumbled upon this recipe on 12 Tomatoes  for a stuffed Italian Sausage. 

It was a recipe they had adapted from Cook At Home Mom.   And it used only three ingredients. 

 

Three ingredients and one dish!! Low carb, keto friendly, and gluten free friendly if your sausages and sauce are also gluten free!!  Quick, easy and delicious?  Count me in!!

I am all for taking the easy route so long as it is also the delicious route!  I was intrigued and I had to try it.  I could not resist.

 

They did use full sized sausages, but I thought that it would also work very well with the cocktail sized ones.  

Not only would they be the perfect size for an appetizer, but they would also work well in slider buns for Stuffed Italian Sausage Sliders! 

I did make a few changes though. In the main being that I used a four cheese Italian blend rather than string mozzarella cheese. That's just not something I have in my house. I used to keep it on hand when I had Mitzie as it was one of her favorite things, but  . . . my KitKats are not into string cheese. 

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE EASY STUFFED ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Could this list be any shorter? I think not! 

• 6 uncooked Italian sausages (or 12 cocktail sized Italian sausages)
• 1 cup (130g)of grated Italian blend cheese (I used a mix of mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, Parmesan Reggiano, and provolone, but you can just use mozzarella)
• 1 cup (245g) prepared marinara sauce

 

Make sure you use a good quality sausage for this. I like the PC Free From Sausages here in Canada. I have found them to be incredibly juicy and flavor filled.

Not only that but they are meaty and not full of fillers and other nasty bits. They are also made from grain fed Canadian pork which has been raised without the use of antibiotics.  This is important to me.

  

In the original recipe they did use the string cheese, but I felt a four cheese blend would work nicely and taste even better. I was right. 

I used a mix that contained mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, Parmesan Reggiano, and provolone. If you can't find a cheese blend, then you could mix up your own blend using the cheeses you have on hand, or you could use just mozzarella.

I thought the cheese blend would make for some nice flavors and it really did.

 

You also want to use a marinara sauce with a nice flavor. I used one with garlic and basil.  You can use whatever sauce you happen to enjoy.

There is no end to the variety that is available in the shops these days. When I was a child there was Catelli basically and it came in a tin. At least that is what my mother always bought.  We didn't mind. We didn't know any better! 

 

HOW TO MAKE EASY STUFFED ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Nothing could really be easier.  I promise!! 

Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Have ready a shallow casserole dish large enough to hold the sausages in a single layer. 

 

Pour the marinara sauce into the casserole dish and spread it out evenly.

 

Using a sharp knife, or a pair of kitchen scissors, cut each sausage in half down the center lengthwise, taking care not to cut all the way through.  You want to be able to open them up like a book without them falling apart.

 

Open out each sausage and stuff 1/6 (1/12th) of the grated cheese into the center of the sausage and gently press the sausage back into shape. 

Place the stuffed sausages into the baking dish on top of the marinara sauce. 

 

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes, until the sausages are completely cooked through, and starting to brown. 

If desired, pop briefly beneath a hot broiler/grill for five minutes. 

And that's it!  Easy peasy and ready to serve with your favorite pasta, or rice, or even potatoes.  Popped between a couple slices of garlic bread these would make for a great Italian Sandwich! 

Gooey,  cheesy, saucy, and lightly spiced, you just can't go wrong. I predict this is going to become a family favorite, both for the ease of preparation and for the taste!   

Easy Stuffed Italian Sausage

Yield: 6

Author: Marie Rayner

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 50 MinTotal time: 55 Min

Quick and easy to make. Low carb and gluten free if you choose a gluten free sausage and sauce. Only three basic ingredients and delicious. What more could you want?

Ingredients

• 6 uncooked Italian sausages (or 12 cocktail sized Italian sausages)
• 1 cup (130g)of grated Italian blend cheese (I used a mix of mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, Parmesan Reggiano, and provolone, but you can just use mozzarella)
• 1 cup (245g) prepared marinara sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Have ready a shallow casserole dish large enough to hold the sausages in a single layer.
2. Pour the marinara sauce into the casserole dish and spread it out evenly.
3. Using a sharp knife, or a pair of kitchen scissors, cut each sausage in half down the center lengthwise, taking care not to cut all the way through.
4. Open out each sausage and stuff 1/6 (1/12th) of the grated cheese into the center of the sausage and gently press the sausage back into shape.
5. Place the stuffed sausages into the baking dish on top of the marinara sauce.
6. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes, until the sausages are completely cooked through, and starting to brown.
7. If desired, pop briefly beneath a hot broiler/grill for five minutes.

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Cinnamon Swirl Sour Cream Loaf Cake

 

 

We are having a miserable snowy cold day out there today. Its snowing bucket loads and blowing like crazy. Its so wild out there I can hardly see across the street.  White out! 

This is the kind of day that makes you really happy to be tucked up safe inside and out of the elements. Its also the kind of day that makes you want to bake, or is that just me??? 

 

I was craving something cinnamony. There are two flavors I really love. One is lemon and the other is cinnamon. If I had to choose between lemon, cinnamon, or chocolate the first two would win every time.

I do like chocolate, but next to cinnamon or lemon, it is no contest. The other two are my favorites over chocolate.

 

 

I do have a favorite cinnamon swirl loaf that I have been making for many years. It is a recipe I got from my friend Leona about 40 odd years ago. You can find that recipe here.   Its delicious. 

Today I was wanting something a tiny bit different however.  In Leona's recipe you sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the batter in layers and then swirl it throughout.  I wanted one that was  more like a marble cake.

 

I had saved this recipe from Seasons and Suppers on my Pinterest a while back. It had a cinnamon batter swirled with a vanilla batter, and looked very nice. I did make a few adaptations. For one I added some cocoa powder to the cinnamon batter for color. Its not enough to add much in the way of flavor.

I also wanted a streusel topping however rather than just sprinkling cinnamon sugar on top and so I created a cinnamon streusel to scatter over the top.  Very moreish, even if I don't say so myself! 

 

There is just something very warm and comforting about the smell and the taste of cinnamon. To me it has to be one of the nicest smells and I do adore the taste.

When I was a child I used to love those cinnamon hearts that you got on Halloween, or for Valentines day. Do they still make them???  I wonder  . . . 

 

I have a story about Cinnamon Hearts.  I had some that I was going to be using to make some gingerbread men with many, many moons ago. I liked to use them for buttons down the chest of the gingerbread men when I was decorating them.

I had them on the counter but when I went to use them they were gone. I could not find them anywhere. My children were home from school eating lunch.  I said to them had anyone seen the cinnamon hearts. Of course nobody had. 

  

It was a huge mystery to me until the children went to get up to go back to school and all these cinnamon hearts fell out of the pocket of  my youngest daughter's jumper.  Mystery solved.

It was quite surprising actually because it was so out of character for her to do something like that. I would have suspected the boys before I suspected her.

Of course she grew up to be an extremely athletic, very  health-conscious woman. Into sports, etc.  She is a Nurse Practitioner. I doubt her children have ever seen a cinnamon heart.  I would be very surprised if they had.

Now back to the cake!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CINNAMON SWIRL LOAF

I am betting you have everything in your larder and refrigerator right now!

For the vanilla cake batter:

• 1/2 cup (125g) salted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup )200g) white sugar
• 3 large free range eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (210g) all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup (81.7g)full-fat sour cream, at room temperature

 

For the cinnamon swirl batter:

• 3 TBS brown sugar
• 1/2 TBS cocoa powder
• 1 TBS cinnamon
• 1 TBS milk 

For the streusel topping:

• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 TBS (8g) all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp butter, melted

 

So as you can see, nothing really out of the ordinary. I do like to use room temperature butter, eggs, etc. when I am baking. When everything is the same temperature you get a much better result in baking.

It only makes sense. 

I also only use pure vanilla extract and free range eggs, whole milk and full fat sour cream.

 

HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON SWIRL LOAF CAKE

Preheat the oven to 325*F/160*C/gas mark 3. Butter an 8 by 4 inch loaf tin and line across the bottom and up the two long sides with some baking paper for ease of removal. (Optional) Set aside.

To make the streusel mix all of the streusel ingredients together until crumbly in a small bowl. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, soda, salt and baking powder for the cake batter. Set aside. 

 

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. 

Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, alternating with the sour cream, making one wet and two dry additions, beginning and ending with dry. 

Remove one cup of the batter to a bowl and stir in the swirl ingredients (brown sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon and milk) to combine. 

 

Spoon 1/3 of the plain batter into the loaf tin. Add another third of the batter in alternate dollops with the cinnamon batter. Spoon the remaining plain batter over top, smoothing it over to cover.

Using a long skewer, swirl the batters together. Try not to over mix them. You want swirls. I usually just do a couple of turns down the length and one from side to side.

Sprinkle the streusel evenly over top. 

 

Bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then lift out to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

Cut into slices to serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container. 

 

And that is it. You could of course add a simple vanilla glaze if you wanted to.  Just whisk about 1/4 cup (35g) of icing sugar together with a few drops vanilla and about 1/2 tsp of water or enough water to give you a thin smooth drizzle.

Flick this drizzle over top of the cooled loaf and then leave it to set completely before cutting into slices to serve.

This was beautiful. Nice and moist and cinnamony. It made the perfect treat for a snowy mid-afternoon.  But then again, I think it would make the perfect treat for any time!  I highly recommend! 

Cinnamon Swirl Sour Cream Loaf Cake

Yield: one 8 by 4 inch loaf

Author: Marie Rayner

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 15 M

Moist and delicious with a scrumptious cinnamon swirl throughout and a sweet streusel topping.

Ingredients

For the loaf:

• 1/2 cup (125g) salted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup )200g) white sugar
• 3 large free range eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (210g) all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup (81.7g)full-fat sour cream, at room temperature

For the cinnamon batter swirl:

• 3 TBS brown sugar
• 1/2 TBS cocoa powder
• 1 TBS cinnamon
• 1 TBS milk

For the streusel topping:

• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 TBS (8g) all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325*F/160*C/gas mark 3. Butter an 8 by 4 inch loaf tin and line across the bottom and up the two long sides with some baking paper for ease of removal. (Optional) Set aside.
2. To make the streusel mix all of the streusel ingredients together until crumbly in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Sift together the flour, soda, salt and baking powder for the cake batter. Set aside.
4. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
5. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, alternating with the sour cream, making one wet and two dry additions, beginning and ending with dry.
6. Remove one cup of the batter to a bowl and stir in the swirl ingredients (brown sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon and milk) to combine.
7. Spoon 1/3 of the plain batter into the loaf tin. Add another third of the batter in alternate dollops with the cinnamon batter. Spoon the remaining plain batter over top, smoothing it over to cover.
8. Using a long skewer, swirl the batters together. Try not to over mix them. You want swirls. I usually just do a couple of turns down the length and one from side to side.
9. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over top.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then lift out to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Cut into slices to serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

Did you make this recipe?

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This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and as such can be reported to myself at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com 

 Thank you!!

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Jam Filled Drop Cookies

 

I am sitting here in my cosy home this afternoon enjoying a hot drink and one of these delicious jam filled drop sugar cookies that I baked this afternoon.  As I am writing this I am reminded of a song that was very popular when I was a teen, called Our House, by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

Our house is a very, very, very fine house, with two cats in the yard, life used to be so hard, now everything is easy coz of you . . . it was a pretty little song and I can remember thinking to myself one day I will have a very, very, very fine house.

 

Just looking at Cinnamon sitting in the window while I took these photographs, my house smelling of sugar and vanilla, and cosy, cosy, cosy, I was reminded of that song.

Oh how very blessed I am to have my four walls and the comfort which lies within. I may not have anyone at the moment to share it with, but my two cats. I may never have anyone to share it with, but life has a funny way of turning out completely different than we think it will, and we must take our blessings where we find them.
 

 

I think being safe and warm in a very cosy house with two very lovely cats on a snowy, blustery day, with warm cookies, fresh from the oven to enjoy is a very, very, very fine thing.

And I'll not knock that!  I won't knock it at all!  Cinnamon and Nutmeg are mighty fine company for me. I am a lucky woman.

 

Its a drink and cookie kind of a day. Be it hot cocoa, or tea, coffee, or even cold milk for that matter. You cannot beat one of these delicious cookies served alongside a nice bevvie.

They are soft inside, chewy in the middles where the jam soaks into that sweet dough, and crisp  and buttery around the edges.  They are a very fine cookie indeed. 

 

When I lived here many years ago, there was a Ben's Bakery discount store almost right next to my mom's where you could buy discounted baked goods. They often had these soft white sugar cookies there, with jammy middles.

Oh but I didn't half dream about those cookies when I was in the UK.  This is a version of  those that I developed when I was over there, a little taste of home away from home.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE JAM FILLED DROP COOKIES

Pure and simple ingredients. I am sure that the original cookies were made with white sugar and shortening, but I prefer them made with butter and brown sugar.

1/2 cup (120g) butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) soft light brown sugar, packed
1 large free range egg
4 TBS warm water
1 tsp vanilla
2 cup (280g) plain all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
strawberry jam to fill (or your own favorite kind)

 

Usually when I am baking I try to make sure all of my ingredients are at room temperature unless otherwise specified.  If your eggs are cold from the fridge, it is very easy to bring them to room temperature. 

You can do this using warm running tap water. It is a bit of a waste of water,  but it’s the quickest means of bringing your eggs to room temperature. Carefully place the desired amount of eggs in a bowl or other container and let the warm water run over the eggs.

Another thing you can do (this is what I do),  if you know you are going to be baking on any particular day, you can take the butter and eggs out of the refrigerator when you get up in the morning.  By the time you get around to baking they will be at the right temperature.

 

I have specified strawberry jam here, but in reality you can use whatever kind of jam you enjoy.  Apricot is nice, so is blueberry, or even peach. Raspberry.  Bake up a rainbow!

The jam I used today was a seedless strawberry jam that needed using up.

 

HOW TO MAKE JAM FILLED DROP COOKIES

Nothing could be easier. Start by preheating the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Line a large baking sheet with some baking paper and set aside.

1. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, using an electric hand mixer. Beat in the water, egg, and vanilla. Whisk together the flour, salt and soda. Beat this into the creamed mixture until thoroughly combined. 

 

1. Scoop the mixture into 18 equal portions on the baking sheet, leaving at least two inches in between each.
2. 
   
3. Using the back of a wet teaspoon, make a small hollow in the center of each cookie. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the jam into each hollow. 

 

1. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before eating. 

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time you will know that we really love baked goods with jam in my family. Its quite simply one of our favorite things to eat. 

A few of my other jammy favorites are:  

Raspberry Jam Bars 

Easy Jam Tarts

Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Jam

Jam Oysters

Steamed Jam Sponge Pudding

And that is just the tip of the iceberg. I am no stranger to jam, that's for sure!

 

Anyways, if you are looking for a nice wholesome, homey, old fashioned kind of a cookie to bake for the family this weekend, look no further.

  

Jam Filled Drop Cookies will fit the bill perfectly. I promise! 

Jam Filled Drop Cookies

Yield: 18 - 24 large cookies

Author: Marie Rayner

Prep time: 7 MinCook time: 12 MinTotal time: 19 Min

These soft brown sugar drop cookies are topped with a lovely sweet dab if strawberry jam prior to baking. Everyone loves these! They are a wonderful taste of home sweet home, especially with a glass of cold milk.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (120g) butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup (200g) soft light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large free range egg
• 4 TBS warm water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cup (280g) plain all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• pinch salt
• strawberry jam (or your own favorite kind)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Line a large baking sheet with some baking paper and set aside.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, using an electric hand mixer. Beat in the water, egg, and vanilla. Whisk together the flour, salt and soda. Beat this into the creamed mixture until thoroughly combined.
3. Scoop the mixture into 18 equal portions on the baking sheet, leaving at least two inches in between each.
4. Using the back of a wet teaspoon, make a small hollow in the center of each cookie. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the jam into each hollow.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before eating.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #marierayner5530

This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and as such can be reported to myself at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com 

 Thank you!! 

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