Recipe: Festive Sausage Cups (appetizers)

FESTIVE SAUSAGE CUPS

pastry for 9 inch double pie crust
1 pound bulk hot pork sausage
6 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup canned mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup stuffed olives, thinly sliced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
chopped stuffed olives (garnish)

TO MAKE THE PASTRY CUPS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease mini muffin cups.

On a lightly floured surface roll pastry to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with a 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of prepared muffin cups.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove the pastry cups from pans and cool on wire racks.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
In a skillet, brown sausage; drain well and set aside.

In the same skillet, saute onions in butter until tender.

Add mushrooms, sliced olives, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with flour. Add cream; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in sausage. Reduce heat; simmer until thickened, about 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly.

Spoon into pastry cups; sprinkle with cheese. Place on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Garnish with chopped olives. Serve hot.

Makes 4 dozen
Source: Taste of Home, October/November 1997