Ray’s Own Brand Sausage Puffs

Ingredients:

¾ cup flour
¾ tsp baking powder
¾ cup whole milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded (about 1 cup)
6 ounces Rays Own Brand Hot Italian Sausage (if sausage is in casing, remove from casing)
½ cup store-bought pizza sauce
2 tbl finely chopped fresh basil
1 red bell pepper sliced (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan (can use non-stick cooking spray).
Cook sausage and break into small crumbles. Drain sausage and let it cool
Once sausage is cool, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella and sausage; let stand for 10 minutes.
Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden – 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through, then stir in 1 tbl basil. Sprinkle the puffs with the remaining 1 tbl basil. Serve the puffs and red pepper slices with the pizza sauce for dipping.

VARIATIONS: You can substitute Rays Own Brand Italian for the Hot Italian. Also, you can substitute cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese for the mozzarella. You can also serve with BBQ sauce in place of the pizza sauce. Don’t be afraid to try different flavors. Make multiple batches with the different combinations to see which ones you and your guests like best.

FREEZER TIP: You can make the puffs ahead to time and freeze them.

Freeze the baked puffs in a single layer then transfer to a freezer bag. Freezing first will prevent them sticking together. To reheat, place the frozen puffs on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for approximately 8 to 10 minutes.