Hot Italian Sausage Puff Pastry Bites

This recipe and photos were provided by Sally Roeckell of Table and Dish and were originally published at 365Barrington.com as a part of the Heinen’s 4 P.M. Panic Series.

It’s finally time for our living space to expand to the beautiful outdoors. Whether it’s a picnic at Ravinia or cocktails on the porch, summertime gatherings are all about the food and drinks. For this week’s post, I’m sharing a quick and easy appetizer that pairs beautifully with Heinen’s featured red wines from Sonoma & Monterey.

These little gems are good hot or room temperature and always leave my gang or guests hoping I have a second batch on its way to the table.  They can be made ahead of time and frozen raw so they’re ready to bake and serve and they are easy to transport so they make a great choice for any picnic basket.

This Savory and slightly spicy appetizer pairs perfectly with Cabernet Sauvignons, Pinot Noirs and red blends from Sonoma & Monterey wineries like Rocklin Ranch, Mauritson and Long Valley Ranch. Whether you prefer flavors like blueberry, plum, vanilla and cassis or the aroma of blackberries, black currants and plums with hints of toasted oak and hazelnut, Heinen’s has plenty of featured wines to please your palate. Want a little help choosing the right bottle? Heinen’s associates will help you make the perfect selection.

Hot Italian Sausage Puff Pastry Bites

Ingredients:

1 package of frozen puff pastry thawed

1 pound hot Italian sausage

1/4 cup stone-ground mustard

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1 egg + water for egg wash

Method:

Pre heat your oven to 400°F

Lay your puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface.

The next direction will depend on the size of your sausage link. Roll out the dough and cut in widths the same size as your length of sausage.

Spread a thin layer of the stone ground mustard onto the pastry.

Roll the pastry around the sausage link overlapping a bit at the seam.

Cut the roll (with a very serrated knife)in 1″ pieces.

You can use a well-sprayed muffin pan or a cookie sheet with parchment. Place the pieces on your pan cut side up.

Dab the pastry with the egg wash.

At this point, you can top them with a bit of apricot preserves and bake them for 20 minutes or until golden brown or you can freeze them on the sheet. Once frozen place all pieces into a ziplock bag. When ready to serve top with preserves and follow cooking instructions.

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