The New Year was a Ball

Kandi Playford Sausage and Sauerkraut Stuffed Balls

Rich and I rang in the New Year with "The Kandi Playfords". Kandi and I...sister-in-laws through marriage...have married these Playford men and are now part of a big family that has so many different traditions. The Playfords are military, Air Force to be exact, so home is literally where the heart is.

The heart was in Memphis for the beginning of 2013 when Kandi and I were trying to come up with a menu that suited all traditions. I wanted black eyed peas, Kandi wanted pork and kraut. You know, I thought everyone ate black eyed peas on new years...shows you how clueless...and Southern I am.

I made Penny's Chicken Chili (substituted black eyed peas for a can of beans) and Kandi created something that was so delicious...Sausage and Sauerkraut Stuffed Balls/Rolls...out of this world. They are so good, that I can't wait to eat them every New Years and many more times in between.

Kandi's New Years Balls
1 lb ground sausage
1 lb ground hamburger
1-1/2 packages of Lipton Onion Mushroom Soup Mix
8-12 oz sauerkraut, drained
1 package frozen yeast rolls, unrisen
Red pepper flakes to taste

Get the yeast rolls out of the freezer and let them sit out to thaw and to rise (use directions on package).

Crumble sausage and hamburger meat in skillet and cook on medium-high until no longer pink, breaking up any large pieces of meat with a wooden spoon. Drain fat then stir in the spices (soup mix). Add sauerkraut and cook until soft.

After the dough has risen, take a ball of dough and pat it out into a flat circle. Add a generous tablespoon of filling to the middle of the dough and gather the edges up around the filling, pinching to seal and fully enclose the dough. Turn the stuffed ball of dough over and gently roll it under your palm to smooth it out. Transfer the stuffed dough to an oiled baking sheet (or pan lined with oiled parchment paper). Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Cover the tray with a towel and leave the stuffed dough to rest for another 15 to 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Bake rolls for about 20 minutes, or until medium golden brown. Remove from the oven, brush the tops of the rolls with butter and transfer to a rack. Cover loosely with a towel and allow to cool 5 minutes...if you can wait that long.

I want to try this with everything. Ham and Cheese. Cheeseburger rolls. Olive and cheese. The possibilities are endless. And there's nothing better than a yeast roll to hold all this goodness. Thank you Kandi for introducing me to another...more interesting...Playford tradition. Cheers to 2013!