A Mouthwatering Memorial Day: Kick-up the Texas Attitude

Memorial Day is all about gratitude. It’s about being thankful for having family and loved ones in your life. It’s about acknowledging the loss of life that makes this possible. The soldiers who gave their lives in service of this nation are forever honored on this day. We believe the best way to recognize their sacrifice is by celebrating the American dream they died defending. And we can’t think of a better way to do that than by getting together with friends and family for a day of food, fun, and fat cat naps.

If you’re the type who just wants to throw some hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill and call it a day, we encourage you to read on and discover the error of your ways. Heat and meat can produce some incredibly delicious combinations that’ll have your tongue-wagging in no time. So, whether you’re a charcoal crackerjack, a smoking savant, a gas guru, or a burn-it-all-beginner we’ve got some Memorial Day recipes that’ll kick-up the Texas attitude on any table!

Sausage-Stuffed Jalapeños

Ingredients

• 1 pound Meyer’s Tejano Texas Sausage
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 pound large fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and halved lengthwise
• 1 bottle ranch dressing (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425° F
2. Place sausage in a skillet over medium heat and cook until evenly brown. Drain grease.
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir the sausage, cream cheese, and parmesan cheese. Spoon in 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon sausage mixture into each jalapeño half. Arrange stuffed jalapeño halves in baking dishes.
4. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly browned. Serve with ranch dressing.

Beer-Poached Grilled Sausages

Ingredients

• 6 Meyer’s Original Texas Sausage
• 3 cups beer (dark lager or your preference)
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

Directions

1. Prick each sausage about six times with a fork. Arrange sausages in a baking dish and cover with beer and garlic. Cover and refrigerate to marinate for about 1 hour.
2. Arrange onion slices in a skillet just large enough to hold all sausages. Place sausages on top and add leftover marinade to cover. Place the skillet over medium heat and gradually bring liquid to a simmer. Poach sausages about 4 to 5 minutes, until partially-cooked. Transfer sausages to a plate and pat dry. Discard the onions.
3. Prepare a grill at a medium-high heat temperature. Lightly brush sausages with oil on all sides and arrange on the grill. Grill until crispy and nicely browned so the sausages are cooked through, about four to six minutes. Transfer cooked sausages to a platter and set aside to rest for three minutes. Serve as-is or on toasted buns with your favorite choice of condiments.

Hot Sausage Cranberry Cheddar Bites

Ingredients

• 1 pound Meyer’s Hot Texas Sausage
• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup shredded cranberry cheddar cheese
• 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (or crushed red pepper flakes for a Texas-style kick)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• Cranberry sauce for dipping (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.
3. Shape mixture into 24 1+1/2″ balls and arrange on prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
4. Bake until cooked through and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
5. Drain on paper towels.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature, with cranberry sauce for dipping, if desired.

Shrimp & Sausage Zucchini Skewers 

Ingredients

• ½ pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• ½ pound Meyer’s Garlic Texas Sausage, cut into 1″ pieces
• 2 zucchinis and/or squash cut in 1/2″ cubes
• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes or longer

Creole Seasoning Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons paprika
• ½ Tablespoon garlic powder
• ½ Tablespoon onion powder
• ½ Tablespoon cayenne or chili powder
• ¼ Tablespoon dried oregano
• ¼ Tablespoon dried thyme

Directions

1. Preheat your BBQ or grill to medium-high heat.
2. In bowl, combine all the ingredients for the creole seasoning.
3. In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, zucchini (or squash) pieces, and sausage pieces, and cover them with the olive oil.
4. Pour the creole seasoning into the bowl and mix well until all the ingredients are covered.
5. Add the alternating pieces of sausage, shrimp, and zucchini to the skewers until they’re full.
6. Grill the skewers until the shrimp are well-cooked (6 to 8 minutes) and serve.

BBQ Apple Sauce Ribs

Ingredients

• 5 to 6 pounds Meyer’s St. Louis-Style Pork Ribs (membrane removed)
• 3-4 ounces Meyer’s Texas BBQ Rub

BBQ Apple Sauce Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups ketchup (spicy ketchup optional)
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tablespoons clarified butter
• 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons chili powder
• 1 Tablespoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Evenly coat both sides of the ribs with the BBQ rub and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 250°F.
3. Put the ribs on a baking sheet and cook for 1 ½ hours.
4. While the ribs are cooking, prepare the apple BBQ sauce.
5. Over medium heat, warm the clarified butter in a saucepan and cook the onion and garlic until soft.
6. Add the apple cider vinegar, spicy ketchup, applesauce, chili powder, cinnamon, paprika and salt and pepper to taste.
7. Let simmer for 30 minutes.
8. Baste the ribs with the sauce and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, basting with the sauce on each side, every 10 minutes.
9. When the ribs are fully cooked, remove from the oven.
10. Preheat broiler or grill.
11. Broil or grill the ribs five minutes on each side and serve. If you prefer more sauce on your ribs, baste with the sauce before you broil or grill.