Sausage Dip Anyone??
OK, this is relatively simple, doubles easily and can be made a few days in advance. This is adapted from the "Hot Sausage Dip" recipe in the book "My Mother's Southern Entertaining" by James Villas and Martha Pearl Villas:
Ingredients:
1 one pound roll bulk breakfast sausage (I use Jimmy Dean Brand - you can use regular, hot or sage)
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles (I use Ro-Tel brand but you can use whatever brand you can get)
1 8 ounce block Cream Cheese (do not use "light" versions or the softened cream cheese in a tub) at soft room temperature
1 medium onion, diced
Shredded cheddar or jack cheese (or combine half and half) for topping (approx 1 cup or to taste)
Fritos Scoops for serving
Process:
In a large bowl, combine the soft cream cheese with the tomatoes and their juice. Preheat a heavy skillet over med/med high heat and add just enough vegetable oil to coat lightly (spraying is fine also). Cook sausage, breaking it up into little pieces, until well browned and completely cooked. Remove with slotted spoon to drain grease and add to the cream cheese bowl. Saute the onion in the sausage drippings until softened and just beginning to brown. Drain with slotted spoon and add to the other ingredients. Mix well and transfer to a 9 inch round pie plate or 8"x8" square baking dish. Top with shredded cheese and bake in a 350 oven (middle rack) until everything is bubbling, cheese is melted and beginning to brown. Serve with Fritos Scoops since this is a rich, heavy dip and nothing else will hold up. People love this and usually eat more of this than they should...
If making in advance, don't add shredded cheese for topping until sausage mixture has cooled and then wrap securely and refrigerate until the day you want to use it. I have made this as far as four days in advance and notice no difference. Let come to room temp before baking. If doubling, you can use a 13"x9"x2 inch baking dish or just two separate smaller dishes.
You can also tart this up however you like, add some hot sauce, saute some chopped peppers, etc... but that is entirely a matter of choice.
This is very versatile - one of my friends uses it to stuff mushroom caps, and I have on occasion, loosened up the mixture with more diced tomatoes/or tomato sauce and used it as an emergency pasta sauce.