So, we all know that Italian sausage is delicious, but we also know that it’s super fattening and high in sodium. Well, I’ve found a quick fix for that at my house. Here’s how I make lean ground beef (cheap and low-fat) taste like Italian Sausage.
What you’ll need:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb of lean ground beef (I like the 85/15 or 90/10.)
1-2 tsp of fennel seeds
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (If you like your sausage hot, add more cayenne. I’m a big, old wimp when it comes to spiciness, so I keep the cayenne to a minimum.)
1/2 tsp paprika
To do:
Add olive oil to a pan and heat to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add your ground beef. Stir to break it up as it cooks but leave it pretty chunky. This helps to create the illusion that it’s actually sausage. Once the meat is mostly cooked, add all of your spices. Continue to cook until the meat is no longer pink at all. Then, add it to whatever recipe calls for Italian sausage.
This works great is soups, casseroles, and pasta dishes that call for Italian sausage.
Enjoy!
hez
