Sage Sausage and Mushroom Bruschetta Recipe

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to bring the entire family together, but some of us are so busy slaving away in the kitchen, that we don't get to spend any quality time with our family or friends. Chef Katherine De Orio is here with some fast and easy shortcuts.

Sage Sausage and Mushroom Bruschetta Recipe Audra Lowe: Thanksgiving is the perfect time to bring the entire family together but most of are so busy slaving away in the kitchen, it cuts down on the time visiting your family and friends. So, Chef Catherine De Orio is here. She’s got some fast and easy shortcuts to help us out in this department and I think a lot of people would be happy to see you and get your tips. Welcome back! Good to see you! Katherine De Orio: Thank you. Good to see you too! Audra Lowe: So, the first thing you said is we should choose the Thanksgiving menu well and advanced. Catherine De Orio: Yes, exactly. Well, the great thing about that is you plan it well in advanced, so you can actually make a schedule -- you’d be kind of Martha about this. And then you can go to the store and you can buy your things as you’re at the store, so you’re not making any separate trips at the last minute when everything’s sold out and the lines are around the aisles. So, that’s the first step. Audra Lowe: Okay. Catherine De Orio: Then plan ahead. So, make some of the recipes that you can make a few days in advanced. Put them in the fridge, put them in the freezer and then bring them out and just defrost them. Again, a lot less work on the day, you can spend time when the guests are there. Audra Lowe: Because a lot of people try to do everything the night before or the day of and that’s what drives you crazy too, right? Catherine De Orio: Exactly. Audra Lowe: So, what are we going to make here today? Catherine De Orio: This is a sage sausage and mushroom bruschetta. Audra Lowe: This smells so good. Catherine De Orio: Yes. And it’s so tasty and again, you can make this about two days in advanced. One of my other tips is get people involved. So, I am putting you to work. Audra Lowe: Hello! All right, I’m here to help. We’ll have active volunteers at the house too. Catherine De Orio: Yes. Exactly. Audra Lowe: Okay, so what’s the first thing we do? Catherine De Orio: Kids are actually great for this one. That’s why I like this. You’re going to toast up some. This is just a baguette. You’re going to toast it off. I’ve already don’t that part for you. Audra Lowe: Okay. Catherine De Orio: And then I have some goat cheese and some whipped cream cheese. Now, you can do whatever one you like for flavor. If you’re going to use whipped cream cheese, just add a little salt and peppers, so it has a little bit of flavor. So, I’ll let your choose which one you want. All you’re going to do is you’re going to take your little offset spatula. Audra Lowe: Okay. Catherine De Orio: And just put as much or as little as you want. You’re just going to make a few of those for me and that’s the first step of the recipe. That’s easy. Audra Lowe: Do you serve these as appetizers? In the beginning? Catherine De Orio: Exactly. Audra Lowe: Okay. Catherine De Orio: That’s how I would serve it. It’s just -- have it this way, you can just put them on the tray and let them grab. So, I have some olive oil that’s been heating up on the skillet over here and then another tip -- this is about a cup of onions chopped. You can buy onions chopped these days. So really, if you’re super short on time, go to the store and pick this. I love this sizzle. Audra Lowe: Do you use a lot of seasonal ingredients around Thanksgiving to kind of add the festivities? Catherine De Orio: Exactly. I love that. Just taking really basic things just like some sliced almonds and sprinkling that over asparagus, taking dried cranberries and adding that to your salad. Again, it is nice way to add a seasonal touch. Those are things you can keep in the pantry not taking up your refrigerator space. Audra Lowe: Right. Catherine De Orio: And you pick them up again as you found them on sale. Audra Lowe: Now, what are these? Is this garlic here? Catherine De Orio: This is a little bit of garlic. It is about tow tablespoon of garlic. I’m Italian, I feel like it has to go in everything. Audra Lowe: I know you have a couple of other ingredients that you need to add in here, so -- Catherine De Orio: Yes. So, this is some spinach and this was frozen. I usually buy in bulk, so buy this, put it in the freezer and then you can take it out. If you want to pass me over the mushrooms, this is some bacon and then -- so, it’s just mushrooms. Audra Lowe: You guys have no idea how good this smells. They really don’t. Catherine De Orio: There is a little bit of cream, heavy cream. We take that, add that. Audra Lowe: And how long does it take to prepare something like this? Catherine De Orio: About 15 minutes. Audra Lowe: That’s it? Catherine De Orio: And this is the sage sausage, the main ingredient here, we’re just going to add some of that seasonal flavor. We’ll add that in. This is just a Jimmy Dean sausage. You can buy this at the store, brown it ahead of time. Audra Lowe: Right. Catherine De Orio: And then that’s what it’s going to look like after it all cooks down and all you will do is you take a nice tablespoon of that. Audra Lowe: And put it right on here. Okay, so I’m going to do that for you, so you and I can enjoy this here. Thank you so much. Good tips too. Catherine De Orio: Thank you. Audra Lowe: And if you guys want to find out more of these delicious fast and easy Thanksgiving recipes, all you have to do -- see I’m multitasking right now -- all you have to do is go to BetterTV.com, click on the link to recipes and you can also submit your own favorite sausage recipe for the chance to win $25,000.00 price. Again, all you have to do is go the BetterTV.com, click on the link for all the information there.