By Week 404. Year 8. Tommy is 41. Holiday season. The cottage or the memory of the cottage. The family gathering or planning to gather. Luc (17) at LSU studying engineering. Colette (15) in high school, painting. The food is the constant — the roux and the rice and the cayenne that doesn't change even when everything else does.
Made red beans and rice this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. Come eat, cher.
The red beans were already doing their thing — low and slow, filling the whole house — and I needed something for the table to hold everyone over while we waited. These sausage cheese puffs have become the thing I reach for in those moments, because they’re simple enough that making them doesn’t pull me away from the stove for long, but they land with enough warmth and sausage-and-cayenne bite that they feel like a real part of the meal. When Luc is home from Baton Rouge and Colette drifts in from her room, something has to be there to greet them before the big pot is ready — this is that something.
Sausage Cheese Puffs
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 24 puffs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork sausage (or andouille, finely chopped)
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 cups baking mix (such as Bisquick)
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
- Mix the dough. In a large bowl, combine the uncooked sausage, shredded cheddar, baking mix, milk, cayenne, garlic powder, and black pepper. Mix with your hands or a sturdy spoon until a cohesive dough forms — it will be slightly sticky.
- Form the puffs. Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls (about a rounded tablespoon each) and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake for 18—22 minutes, until the puffs are golden brown on the outside and cooked through. The bottoms should be lightly crisp.
- Rest and serve. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm alongside a dipping sauce of your choice — a Creole mustard or remoulade works perfectly.
Nutrition (per serving, 2 puffs)
Calories: 210 | Protein: 9g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 12g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 420mg