Waring pro meat grinder

Big Papa was never the chef in our household. He’d tackle grilling and I taught him how to make an omelet, which he’s done with great success when we’ve gone camping or stay some place with a kitchen, but for the most part, I do the cooking, food shopping, and menu planning.

At least that’s how it was up to the point when we became parents. Once Baby Bird was underfoot, someone had to watch her. Watching her and cooking is a challenge–to say the least–so I lobbied for Big Papa to help out two nights of the week and learn to cook a few things.

A few months in, I can report that Big Papa is finding his way around the kitchen (and also comes ups with his own dinner ideas as well as shops for the meal he prepares). Chef “Sheffere” is what I call him, a French nickname I came up with because that is how our last name was pronounced whenever we traveled in France.

I want to encourage his continued enjoyment of cooking, which is why I bought him a Waring Pro sausage grinder for his birthday. Big Papa likes sausage.

On his first attempt, he knocked it out of the park: Chicken, Feta and Spinach Sausage. I am so proud of him! Bon Appetit.

Chicken, Feta and Spinach Sausage

Note: you can cook the sausage as patties and skip the stuff into casings.

Also, you don’t need a special sausage grinder. If you have a food processor, there are attachments which work well. And, there are also inexpensive meat grinders that attach to a counter top (though they don’t come with the attachments that allow you to stuff the sausage into casings).

Makes 5 pounds of sausage (we cut the recipe in half)

3 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
8 ounces crumbled feta cheese
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon oregano
2 tablespoons basil
1 teaspoon chopped lemon zest
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes.
4 ounces fresh spinach, shredded and chopped

How to: Remove any gristle or large amounts of excess fat from the chicken and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place chicken in a large bowl. Add feta cheese, garlic, oregano, basil, lemon zest, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. Mixture can be ground immediately or covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours for a more intense flavor. Just before grinding, stir shredded spinach into cooking mixture.

Waring pro Meat Grinder

If using a meat grinder assemble with the medium cutting plate and grind chicken mixture. Meat may be stuffed into prepared casings (or shaped into patties for cooking). Fresh sausage should be cooked within 24 hours or else double-wrapped and frozen. Cook thoroughly before serving.

What to stuff yourself with more deliciousness? Check out Wanderfood Wednesday!