Sausage Stars
Time: 45 minutes (+2 hours if making wontons from scratch)
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
1 lb ground Italian sausage
12 oz ranch dressing (about 3/4 of a 16oz bottle)
1 6oz can of diced green chilis
1/2 cup black olives, drained, pitted and chopped fine
2 medium bell peppers (red and yellow) chopped fine
16 oz shredded Mexican cheese blend (about 2 bags)
2 jalapeño peppers, chopped fine
48 wonton wrappers (if making from scratch, see below)
Optional: 2 cups AP flour
Optional: 1/2 tsp salt
Optional: 2 large eggs, room temperature
Optional: 2 tbsp warm water
Optional: corn starch, for dusting
If using store-bought wonton wrappers, skip to step 6
Mix the flour and salt on a clean work surface or in a large bowl using chopsticks or a fork. Mound the mixture, then form a well in the center. Break the eggs into the well and beat lightly until swirled yellow. Add the water and beat to incorporate, then gradually draw in the flour from the edges of the well while mixing gently.
Once all of the flour has been mixed with the wet ingredients, gather the shaggy dough and stray dry bits with your hands and knead together. Continue kneading until smooth, evenly yellow and slightly elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. The dough should hold together but not be sticky. Divide the dough evenly in half and pat each half into a rectangle.
Loosely wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap and let stand for 1 hour at room temperature. This will help the dough relax and make it easier to roll.
If you have a pasta roller, press one piece of dough flat, then pass it through each setting of the roller twice, from the widest to the narrowest setting to create a rectangle 5 to 6 inches wide and 39 to 40 inches long. If you don’t have a pasta roller, flatten a piece of dough and roll with a pin on a clean, un-floured surface. In both cases, the dough shouldn’t be at all sticky, but if it is, very lightly dust it with cornstarch. If the dough keeps springing back, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before rolling again and very gently stretch it with your hands as well. You want it to be as thin as possible without tearing.
Using a ruler and pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut the rectangle into 26 to 30 (3-inch) squares by cutting it in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 13 to 15 even pieces. Very lightly dust the wrappers with cornstarch, then stack and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Repeat with the other piece of dough. The wrappers are best if used right away to form wontons, but they can be stored wrapped in plastic wrap, then stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Preheat oven to 400F. Gently press wrappers into lightly oiled muffin/cupcake tins, making cup shapes. Bake in batches for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Remove from tin and set aside to cool.
Make the filling. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add ground sausage. Cook fully until well-browned, stirring occasionally. Transfer ground sausage to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain oil and allow to cool. Once cooled, place into a large bowl and add ranch dressing, cheese, olives, canned green chilis, jalapeños and bell peppers. Mix until well combined.
Spoon in 2 tablespoons of filling into each wonton. At this stage, you can freeze the sausage stars in a Tupperware lined with wax paper. If serving immediately, re-oil the muffin tins, place a sausage star in each, and lightly brush the tips of the wontons with oil. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is melted and the mixture is bubbling. Serve and enjoy.
Let me know how this recipe turned out for you in the comments below! And, as always, if you have any questions, comments, insults, or praise do let me know!
-MT
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