Appetizer Challenge

Toasted Ravioli with Spicy Marinara
&
Italian Sausage Balls with Spicy Mustard Sauce

Over the course of the next month, Go Blue Dad and I plan to improve our appetizer repertoire. This weekend, we experimented and made hot appetizers. Our goal is to find several appetizers to serve either hot or cold.

Toasted Ravioli

• 1 package meat or cheese ravioli (or you can make your own fresh - yum!!)
• Italian breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Parmesan Reggiano cheese, grated
• Marinara Sauce (if using store bought, we recommend adding some crushed red pepper flakes, oregano and basil to give it more flavor)

Bring pasta water to a boil and cook the ravioli until al dente. Drain and cool before breading. Heat oil in fryer or deep sauce pan to 375 degrees F (please be careful with hot oil!!). Place a cup or two of Italian bread crumbs in to a shallow bowl and beat two eggs in a separate bowl. When ravioli is room temperature, dip the ravioli in the egg wash, drop in the bread crumb bowl and coat ravioli with bread crumbs on both sides. Lay ravioli on parchment lined baking sheet. When all ravioli are coated, fry them until golden brown - approximately 1 minute per side. Set on wire rack to drain and sprinkle with grated Parmesan reggiano cheese.


For the dipping sauce: heat marinara sauce on range and if necessary add herbs to 'spice it up.' Pour into dipping bowl and serve with ravioli.

Italian Sausage Balls with Spicy Mustard Sauce

• 1 lb Italian sausage (mild or hot)
• 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  
• 2 cups Bisquick
  

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix raw sausage, cheddar and Bisquick in bowl. When ingredients are combined, scoop mixture into 1 - 2 inch balls and place on parchment or tin foil lined jelly roll pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until sausage appears done. Remove from oven and place on paper towel to absorb grease. Serve with mustard sauce.

Mustard Sauce (made without measuring): mix spicy brown mustard with horseradish mustard (almost 1:1 ratio), add a bit of Worcestershire sauce and a tablespoon or two of brown sugar. Taste and adjust as necessary. The sauce should have a sweet kick to it.

If we had to pick between the two appetizers, our choice would be the toasted ravioli. The Italian sausage balls were good mainly because of the dipping sauce. Stay tuned for more appetizer adventures...