Sometimes, a recipe calls for fewer sausage links or ground meat than came in the package. What can you do with the leftover sausages, aside from freezing them in a safe, airtight storage bag or container?
You have plenty of nifty, thrifty options when it comes to figuring out what to do with extra uncooked or cooked sausages. In fact, you might be surprised at how versatile sausages can be as unexpected add-ins.
Fast, Delicious Ways to Use Leftover Sausage
No matter what kind of sausage you have on hand — including varieties like andouille, chorizo, or bratwurst — know that you have options. Here are some of our favorite recipes and tips for making the most of your leftover sausage:
- Cook the sausage meat leftovers immediately. If you have more sausage than you need for a recipe, cook the extra in a pan. After it cools, store it in the refrigerator. You can use the sausage crumbles, slices or links as protein toppers for salad.
- Make a few breakfast burritos. Does it seem like the first meal of the day always passes you by? Do you have trouble getting your family to eat something healthy before going to work or school? Breakfast burritos starring sausage, eggs and veggies can be prepped ahead of time, frozen, and reheated in a flash.
- Mix up cooked sausage with your favorite dip. After removing any sausage casings and cooking your sausage meat, add it to a dip like hummus or a thick artichoke-yogurt dressing. Alternatively, make a sausage dip recipe from scratch while your dinner is cooking. You can eat the dip later with crackers, veggies, tortilla chips or toasted slices of baguette.
- Create sausage quesadillas. It’s fun to make sausage quesadillas because they’re so simple. All you need is cooked sausage, your favorite vegetables, shredded cheese and flour tortillas. After baking, toasting or grilling your quesadillas, you can eat them right away or store them in the refrigerator as finger-food treats.
- Pull together a stew. Have tons of leftovers on hand? It’s time to make a hearty sausage stew. For generations, stews have been tried and true methods to use up ingredients like sausage meat and potatoes. All you need is a basic tomato or gravy base as a starter liquid. Toss in your extra items and let them simmer to perfection. You can also start with a lighter broth and make soup.
- Sneak sausage into your accompanying dishes. For instance, if you’re making roasted vegetables to go along with your main recipe, throw in a bit of the sausage for flavor and texture.
Make the Most of All the Sausage in Your Kitchen
When you have a few ounces of sausage, you have the makings of your next meal or dish. Use your imagination and think about all the ways that sausage leftovers can inspire creative cooking.
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