Foodie Friday -- Phyllo Triangles with Sausage and Mustard

This recipe is from a Bon Appetit magazine. I know because I hand wrote the recipe, which means I found it in a Bon Appetit magazine in the 1980’s and I copied it when I had some down time while working the night shift at the hospital!

For years, this recipe was a staple Thanksgiving appetizer recipe--and it might well be one again!--until family wanted a little variety in their apps. It’s been many, many years since I’ve made this recipe, but there are a few things you should know.

·         Make these ahead. They freeze really well for up to 3 months
·         Phyllo dough is a pain in the hoo-hah to use, but well worth the effort
·         Most phyllo dough recommends using a damp towel to keep dough sheet moist enough to work with. I DON’T. Damp towels tend to make the dough gummy and then the edges become glued together.
·         The dough dries out amazingly quickly, so cover with plastic wrap BEFORE placing a damp towel over it.
·         Have everything ready to go AND WORK QUICKLY
·         Instead of melting the butter and painting the individual layers of dough--use butter flavored cooking spray. If you want a more intense butteryness, then drizzle some melted butter over the dough prior to making triangles.
·         There will be buttery grease EVERYWHERE, find slave labor to help clean up mess. Jus’ sayin’.

Phyllo Triangles with Sausage and Mustard

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

1 c. heavy cream (whipping cream)
¼ c. Dijon mustard
½ tsp. nutmeg

10 Phyllo pastry sheets (thawed according to directions on package)

1 c. butter, melted (Butter flavored cooking spray)

Cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink and fat is rendered, breaking up clumps, for about 15 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing to extract as much moisture as possible. Drain on paper towels. Wipe out skillet. Return sausage to skillet. Stir in cream, mustard and nutmeg. Simmer, stirring frequently, until sausage absorbs cream and the mixture mounds on spoon, about 15 minutes. Cool.

Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface, (keeping remaining dough covered in plastic wrap). Spray with butter cooking spray. Place another sheet on top of the first and spray. Cut five strips across the short side of the dough. Place a heaping teaspoon of sausage mixture at the bottom of one strip. Fold corner of phyllo over sausage and spray lightly with butter spray. Continue folding down length of strip, creating triangle. Seal end with butter. Repeat with remaining strips. Continue making triangles with remaining phyllo and sausage mixture.

--The triangles can be frozen at this point. Place on baking sheet and freeze them prior to placing in freezer bags for storage.

For FRESHLY prepared triangles: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two baking sheets, arrange triangles spacing 1-inch apart. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 20-25 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot or warm.

For FROZEN triangles: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Arrange unthawed triangles on buttered baking sheets and bake until golden and crisp, 40-50 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot or warm.

Enjoy! Later, Peeps!