Homemade sausage recipe in 10 minutes

Hot Italian sausage

Ingredients:

450 g ground pork
2 tsp ground fennel
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp hot-red-chili flakes (optional)

Directions:

1. Stir together all ingredients in a bowl. Divide into 2 portions. Roll each portion into a log about 7 in. long.

2. Wrap tightly with wax or parchment paper. Twist ends. Freeze at least 2 hours or up to 3 months.

3. To use, remove from freezer and let stand for 20 min. Use a serrated knife to cut into 1/4-in. rounds. Pan-fry in 1 tsp olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium, about 2 min per side.

Serves 4.

Per serving: 205 calories, 22 g protein, 3 g carbs, 12 g fat, 641 mg sodium. Excellent source of vitamin B6.

Three ways to switch it up:

1. Honey-garlic sausage
Omit fennel and chili flakes. Add 1 tbsp honey.

2. Farmer's breakfast sausage
Omit fennel and chili flakes. Add 1 1/2 tsp crumbled sage leaves and 1/4 tsp nutmeg.

3. Cuban-spice sausage
Omit fennel and chili flakes. Add 1 tsp each sweet paprika and cumin and 2 tbsp chopped cilantro.

Four ways to use it

Vietnamese sandwiches
Cook 1 roll honey-garlic sausage (recipe on previous page), thawed for 20 min, over medium, turning often, until cooked through, about 12 min. Cut into thin rounds and serve on baguette with pickled shredded carrots. For carrots, stir 2 cups shredded carrots with 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp each vegetable and sesame oils, 1 tsp sugar, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/8 tsp salt and 1 tbsp chopped cilantro. Let stand at least 10 min before using.

Speedy pasta sauce
Cook 1 roll hot Italian sausage (recipe on previous page), completely thawed and crumbled, in 1 tsp olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high, stirring often until no pink remains, about 3 min. Add a 796-mL can of diced tomatoes and continue cooking until saucy, about 12 min. Serve over pasta.

Sweet and spicy snack bites
Cook 1 roll Cuban-spice sausage (recipe on previous page), thawed 20 min, then sliced into 1/2-in. rounds, in 1 tsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium. Serve on crostini topped with grated aged cheddar and grated apple.

Kale and sausage stuffing
Cook 1 roll farmer's breakfast sausage (recipe on previous page), completely thawed and crumbled, in 1 tsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high, stirring often until no pink remains, about 3 min. Remove to a bowl. Add 2 cups coarsely chopped kale, 1/4 cup golden raisins and 1/4 cup water to pan. Cook until kale is wilted and almost cooked. Stir into sausage along with 3 cups toasted bread cubes and 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds. Use to stuff chicken or turkey.