Pasta with Grilled Sausage

Griffin · January 30

I'll start off by saying, not one of my most stellar meals and I blame that on Johnsonville's Chicken Sausage, but I'll get to that later. The culprit:

This was one of those new products that you get a coupon for so you figure you'll try it out once. Well, I wouldn't take it again if they paid me. Set up the Mini at around 450 to grill the sausage.

While all that was happening, I made up a simple pasta that Mrs. G usually makes as a side dish. Just some sketti, butter, freshly grated parm and some parsley chopped up. Looking around the kitchen, I found some cherry tomatoes that needed using up, so they went in as well and some black olives and a few capers.

Got that all fixed up and threw a few slices of bread on the Mini to toast up since it was already warm.

Whoop, overdid those a bit, but still edible.

Got it all plated up and I was excited to chow down.

The sausage totally killed the meal. In fact, after a few bites, it got pushed to the edge of the plate to be ignored. The meat was totally emulsified, giving it a hot dog like texture. Not what I look for in a sausage. The flavors were just weird, I can't even describe them and to be honest, I think my mind has blocekd them out so that I won't. This stuff is just as bad as their line of fully cooked dinner sausage. I think they should just stick to brats, breakfast sausage and maybe Italian sausage (although I do think mine is better). The pasta was good, though, so it wasn't a total loss and Mrs. G wasn't there to taste the disaster. Oh well...can't win 'em all.

BTW...our rent house has those stupid long flourescent tubes that are recessed in the kitchen. A few went out, so I just replaced them all. The light went from a yellowish color to a "true daylight" color. I'm still trying to adjust, so if my pictures seem a bit off color, that's why. I'll get it figured out.

Doc_Eggerton · January 30

This appears to be the night for dissapointment. Oh, well yours looks good just like mine did.

500 · January 30

I have to say that I've tried their pork and chicken sausage and enjoyed it. Now I haven't tried it on it's own, but I took it out of the casing and fried it up to use as a pizza topping, and then I used the leftovers for nachos. But it had a sausage look and texture to it. Might want to try that instead.

Eggcelsior · January 30

If you do chicken sausage again, try Bruce Aidell's line. I actually really enjoy it. I grab the larger packs at Costco.

SmokinDAWG82 · January 30

I've not been happy with any of their fully cooked products, I like their brats and Italian sausage. I bet the uncooked type that 500 showed are better than the precooked variety.

Solson005 · January 30

Sorry to hear the meal didn't turn out so well, it does look great though!

I have the coupon but haven't seen it in stores the past couple of grocery trips. I have used the Aidell's chicken sausage that @Eggcelsior mentioned and you can find small packs at Target and I get chicken sausage from the deli at Sprouts, which I don't know if they have stores in Texas but I imagine they would if OKC has two. We have a friend that can't eat pork that we do dinner a couple times a week with, so I am always on the hunt for good chicken sausage. I'll cross this one off the list.

Griffin · January 30

I bet the uncooked one is probably better, but I think I'll be trying my hand at making some chicken sausage of my own instead.

@Solson005 - we do have Sprouts in Dallas, there might even be one near me. I would occasionally go to the one by our old house, haven't tried the one near us now, though.

Dyal_SC · January 30

I've had the pork and chicken uncooked bratwursts before, and they tasted good to us. Although I'm no sausage connoisseur. :)

Dyal_SC · January 30

By the way, your plate looks delicious! Especially the pasta.

Mickey · January 30

You might not live as long, but you will enjoy it so much more. Jalapeno & Cheddar Sausage with pork and beef....

Chubbs · January 30

Griffin said:

I bet the uncooked one is probably better, but I think I'll be trying my hand at making some chicken sausage of my own instead.

@Solson005 - we do have Sprouts in Dallas, there might even be one near me. I would occasionally go to the one by our old house, haven't tried the one near us now, though.

There is a chicken sausage I buy from Old Timey Meat Market in Columbia--- good stuff. Butcher calls me when he makes a batch. He adds whatever spices and then adds chopped basil and feta in the mix to help keep it from drying out when cooked. It is so goo and flavorful.

Griffin · January 30

@Mickey - that's my kinda sausage! With a little bit of Bambi in it...YUMMY!

@Dyal_SC - thanks.

@Chubbs - bet that feta would go well with chicken.

caliking · January 30

Eggcelsior said:

If you do chicken sausage again, try Bruce Aidell's line. I actually really enjoy it. I grab the larger packs at Costco.

I was just about to make this recommendation as well. Aidell's line of sausage is pretty good, with a variety of different flavors. I'm just not that big a fan of chicken sausage, so we don't eat it often. When we do, Aidell's is what we get.

Speaking of poultry proxying for pork, tried Boar's Head turkey pepperoni on some pizzas (pizzae?) this past weekend and actually liked it better than regular pepperoni. It had that pepperoni flavor without all the grease, and much healthier than regular pepperoni.

Your plate looks darn tasty though!

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