Southern Protocol

I realize that posting a crowd pleasing appetizer as Taste of the Week the day after the Superbowl is not the most time effective choice, but now you can be ready for your next big party! These delicious wonton-filled hors d’ouerves look much more complicated and chic than they are, and I promise regardless how many you make there will be no leftovers!

Sausage Stars (makes roughly 30 depending on how much of the mixture you place in each wonton. Super easy to increase the size of the recipe!)
1 pound Italian sausage (ground makes it much easier)
1 package wonton wrappers
1.5 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 mini can sliced black olives
1 red bell pepper, diced
Ranch dressing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In greased mini muffin/cupcake pans, press one wonton wrapper into each spot. Bake for five minutes, or until slightly browned and crispy. (Note: this can be done a few days in advance, as long as you make sure to store them in an air tight bag or bowl!)

Brown sausage and pat dry to remove excess grease. Place in a large bowl, and add both cheeses, olives and red bell pepper. Squeeze in a decent amount of the Ranch dressing, mixing all the ingredients together; use enough Ranch to hold the mixture together, slowly adding a little bit at a time until fairly well coated.

Using a small spoon, fill each baked wonton with the sausage mixture. When all are filled, place back in the oven for five minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove and serve – but don’t worry, they’re still just as addicting when not warm (if bringing to a tailgate or party and you don’t have access to an oven to warm them, no worries! They’re still good to go without that final five minutes in the oven).

Enjoy!

(Note: the picture above is a variation of our recipe that also uses green onions. Feel free to add those if you want some more color!)

Tags: appetizer, sausage stars, taste of the week