This is a simple, low cost recipe that has nearly endless variations you could try. In spite of its simplicity, however, people rave about the taste!
Ingredients: 4 tubes of Refrigerator biscuits 1 lb bulk sausage cheese (small amount -- a few slices or chunk) 2 stalks of celery finely chopped 1/2 medium onion or 1 whole small, finely chopped 1/2 to 1 can mushrooms, finely chopped small amount of butter or margerine for saute. quality oil for frying Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs (I use Progresso)
Here's what you do...
Cook up the bulk sausage. Set aside to cool.
I put the vegetables through my mini processor and then add them to the pan to be sauteed all at one time. You can use some of the reserved mushroom juice from the can if you used canned mushrooms to reduce the amount of butter for the saute.
While the vegetables are in the saute pan, I run the cooled, cooked sausage through the processor to give it a uniform, smaller size with no big chunks.
Break up the cheese chunk into bits or tear the slices into smaller pieces.
Because these MINI pies are so small it is good to not have any large chunks of any particular ingredient; that's why I process almost everything.
Pour a nice quantity of breadcrumbs on a tray.
Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside in a handy spot.
When the vegetables are finished, set up your "assembly line".
Take a biscuit, pat it into shape until it is nearly twice it's size. Add a dab of sausage from the sausage bowl, about a teaspoon of veggies from the veggie pot, a bit of cheese.
Then fold over into a half circle. Place on the bread crumbs, and using the back of a fork, crimp the edges all along the curve otherwise they won't stay together.
Flip over to coat the other side with breadcrumbs and set the finished product on the baking sheet lined with papertowels.
One "batch" as described above with 1 lb. sausage makes 40 mini pies, or 4 10-biscuit tubes.
Carry the tray of pies over to the stove, putting them within easy reach. During the frying process you do NOT want to have to step away from the stove.
Add about 1/2 inch or less of quality oil to your frying pan and set burner on Med-High... you do not want the oil to get too hot!
Fry the pies for several minutes until golden brown, turn over, and fry the other side. I can get 8 pies in my pan at one time so it doesn't take that long.
Sometimes a few of the pies do not fry well along the wider, uncrimped edge. When that happens, I simply stand them up on that edge and give it a minute.
But you MUST WATCH THEM CAREFULLY WHILE THEY ARE FRYING as they do burn quick if you aren't careful!
And, of all the tools I've tried using to manage the pies for the frying step, I have found that an ordinary fork works best for turning them over and lifting them out.
As they finish frying, take them out of the pan and replace them on the baking sheet with paper towels to drain extra grease off.
Remember that since all the ingredients are cooked before assembly, you are only frying briefly to cook the dough and melt the cheese.
For such an easy recipe, they are delicious!
They can be eaten immediately. They can be stored in a ziplock bag and reheated in the micro wrapped in paper toweling. They can even be frozen and then thawed out later.
I also substitute hamburger for the sausage because that's what Maxi likes best. But truly, shredded bits of leftover beef, turkey, pork or lamb would be equally good.
Merme
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"In the midst of winter, I learned there lives in me an invincible summer" Camus (maybe a paraphrase) Posts: 9229 | From: Maine | Registered: Oct 2004
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gardenmom32210
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Thanks,Merme
I'm gonna make these for New Years Eve
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quote:I also substitute hamburger for the sausage because that's what Maxi likes best. But truly, shredded bits of leftover beef, turkey, pork or lamb would be equally good.
This recipe sounds soooo yummy, Merme! Thanks for sharing it!
And, I'm so glad you added that last bit, as we don't eat sausage here - so it will work!
bbbbbbbbb Lynne's knitting journal "I'm spayed, declawed, and housebound - how's YOUR day going???" Posts: 17066 | From: Rockland County, NY | Registered: Nov 2003
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posted
Barley, you better plan on multiple pies per person because they are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and once people start to eat them, well...
Merme
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"In the midst of winter, I learned there lives in me an invincible summer" Camus (maybe a paraphrase) Posts: 9229 | From: Maine | Registered: Oct 2004
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