Hidden Valley Ranch Sausage Stars

Hidden Valley Ranch Sausage Stars were the main attraction at our New Year's Eve Party. 

Ranch Sausage Stars

Ranch Sausage Stars are simple to make and sure to be a hit with a crowd. The best part is you can prepare the sausage filling a day in advance, fill the wonton wrappers, and bake just before serving.

I have seen these in many magazines over the years and even cut out the recipe, but I never made them.

Well, I found out just how amazingly quick and easy these are to make!  You can count on these to be on our table for our Super Bowl Party.

To serve a few guests, you can make them in a regular size muffin pan, or to serve them as an appetizer like I did, you can make them in mini muffin pans.  

They hold up well to take somewhere, as well as being easy to heat up just before you serve them.

WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE?  TAKE ME TO THE RECIPE FOR RANCH SAUSAGE STARS

Below, under the next heading, I provide a list of preferred ingredients, tips, and cooking instructions for Ranch Sausage Stars, as well as similar recipe ideas you can try.

Alternatively, you can scroll down to the bottom, where you will find a full printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and complete instructions, including helpful notes.

TIPS AND TIDBITS FOR THE BEST SAUSAGE STARS

Prepare wonton wrappers.  To avoid a greasy crust, very lightly spray the muffin tins with a cooking spray.  Watch carefully not to get the wrappers too brown during the first baking, as they will cook again with the filling.  While you can use a regular muffin tin, a mini muffin tin creates the ideal bite-sized star shape.

Drain the sausage thoroughly.  Use a paper towel to blot out as much grease as possible after cooking and crumbling the sausage.  Excess grease will make the wonton shells soggy.  A variety of ground pork sausage works well, including breakfast sausage, Italian sausage, but many have reported good results with venison sausage. 

Don't overfill the shells.  A 1-inch cookie scoop is ideal for portioning out the filling.  Fill each cup about three-quarters full to prevent overflow.

Make ahead for events.  You can prepare the component in advance to save time.  Cook and drain the sausage and prebake the wonton sheets up to a day before.  Store the wonton shells in an airtight container and refrigerate the sausage.  Mix the sausage and the other ingredients called for in the recipe, and fill the prepared wonton shells just before the final bake.

Serve and leftovers.  These appetizers are best served warm, slightly cooled from the oven.  Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container, but they will soften the longer they are in the refrigerator.  The best way to reheat them is in an air fryer.  They can be reheated in a 350°F oven for a few minutes, until the filling is heated through.

WHAT YOU NEED TO PREPARE RANCH SAUSAGE STARS

Bulk sausage

Sharp cheddar cheese

Monterey Jack cheese

Hidden Valley Ranch Original Salad Dressing Mix

Sliced ripe olives

Red bell pepper

Wonton wrappers

WHAT YOU NEED TO PREPARE RANCH SAUSAGE STARS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  

Blot sausage dry with paper towels and combine with cheese, salad dressing, olives, and red pepper.

Very lightly grease or spray a mini (or regular) muffin tin and press one wrapper in each cup.  

Bake for 5 minutes until golden.  

Remove from tins and place on a baking sheet.  

Fill with sausage mixture.  

Bake for 5-7 minutes until bubbly.  

Makes 4 to 5 dozen.

WHERE YOU MAY SEE THIS RECIPE

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