Cheddar Sweet Italian Sausage Kit

This Cheddar Sweet Italian Sausage Kit is everything but the meat. Our fennel-forward sweet Italian seasoning, a home pack of natural hog casings, and a pound of high temp cheddar that holds its shape on the grill — portioned for one 10 lb. batch.

Sweet Italian means no heat at all: cracked fennel and salt carry the blend, sugar rounds the edges, pepper sits underneath rather than on top. These are fresh sausages, so no cure is needed.

Cheddar is not the traditional pairing for Italian sausage, which is exactly why it's worth trying. The fennel cuts through the cheese instead of competing with it, and a cheddar Italian link on a roll with peppers and onions is a better sandwich than the plain version.

What's in the Kit

Sweet Italian Sausage Seasoning, 5 oz. — a proprietary blend of salt, fennel, pepper, and sugar, blended in small batches in Buffalo, New York without silicon dioxide or any anti-caking agent. If it clumps, it hasn't spoiled — break it apart in your hands. Seasons 10 lbs., and no additional salt is needed. Beyond sausage, customers use it as a dry rub and to season red sauces.

High Temp Cheddar Cheese, 1 lb. — diced 1/4" and made to hold its shape at 400°F, which matters more on a grill than in a smokehouse. Ordinary cheddar melts out through the casing; this stays in pockets. One pound suits 10 lbs. of meat at our recommended 5–10% ratio.

Natural Hog Casings, Home Pack — edible natural casing in a small, manageable pack sized for home batches. Makes up to 25 lbs., so there's casing left for your next run. Sizes vary within the pack, which is what keeps a home pack affordable.

Features

• Makes 10 lbs. of fresh cheddar Italian sausage
• Fennel-forward and lightly sweet, with no added heat
• No cure needed — these are fresh sausages, not smoked
• No silicon dioxide or anti-caking ingredients in the seasoning
• High temp cheddar holds its shape to 400°F
• Edible natural hog casing — no peeling
• Enough casing left over for your next batch
• Seasoning is a proprietary recipe, made in Buffalo, New York

10 lb. Cheddar Sweet Italian Sausage Recipe

• 10 lbs. boneless pork butt, or 7 lbs. venison with 3 lbs. fatty pork butt
• 4 1/2 oz. Sweet Italian Sausage Seasoning
• 1 pint ice water
• 1 lb. High Temp Cheddar Cheese

Instructions

1. Rinse the casings of their salt under cool running water, flush the insides, and soak in cool water in the refrigerator for about 2 hours before use.
2. Grind all meat through a 3/8" plate. Grind venison through a 1/4" or 3/8" plate.
3. Combine the seasoning with the ice water, then mix thoroughly into the meat until evenly distributed.
4. Fold in the cheese last, working gently so the dice stay whole.
5. Stuff into the hog casings and link, or form into patties instead.
6. Grill or pan-fry, or refrigerate and cook within a day or two. Freeze whatever won't be eaten soon.

Ingredients

Seasoning: salt, fennel, pepper, sugar, and other spices.

Allergens

Milk, from the cheese. Less than 2% soybean oil used as a mixing aid in the seasoning.

Storage

• Keep the cheese refrigerated. Freezing is not recommended.
• Store the seasoning in a cool, dry place.
• Keep natural casings refrigerated until use, and never freeze them.

Shipping

This kit contains cheese. During the warmer months of the year, we ship cheese on Mondays and Tuesdays only. Orders placed later in the week go out the following Monday or Tuesday. Natural casings cannot be shipped outside the United States.

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