Pepperoni Pizza Pasta featuring Summer Sausage from Hickory Farms

Follow this tasty recipe that incorporates gourmet meats and cheese from one of our holiday gift baskets.

We always love discovering a new recipe and giving it a try, especially when it’s a dish that is easy to prepare and sure to be a hit with family and friends. We love it even more when we find a recipe or when someone shares one with us that include Hickory Farms’ gourmet meats and cheeses on the ingredient list.

Recently, Carrie, the writer behind the blog Making Lemonade, shared a dinner recipe with us called Pepperoni Pizza Pasta that’s quick to prepare and includes our summer sausage.

Carrie shared how to prepare the dish on her blog, stating, “I simply chopped up a few ounces of the sausage, stirred it into tomato sauce, and warmed it in the microwave for a few minutes. Then stirred it in with some cooked pasta and topped it with Parmesan cheese… My kids and husband devoured it. Not too shabby – a family friendly recipe with about five minutes of work on my part…”

Doesn’t that sound delicious?! We think Carrie’s Pepperoni Pizza Pasta would be perfect for families on the go or even for a quick after-school snack.

Our gourmet meats and cheeses can be used in a variety of other recipes, not to mention how invaluable they can be as a hearty snack for parties or when an unexpected guest drops by. Here are a few of our favorite easy-to-make meat and cheese dishes that might surprise you and your guests when you realize the variety of ways to use the ingredients found in our gourmet gift baskets.

Gourmet meat and cheeses from Hickory Farms.

Photo via What We’re Eating

Jambalaya with Summer Sausage - Cubed summer sausage in combination with chicken, rice, vegetables, chile powder, and other ingredients make for a tasty jambalaya everyone will enjoy.

Recipes made from Hickory Farms gift baskets.

Photo via Martha Stewart

Breakfast Quiche – Leftover slices of any variety of gourmet cheese make for a yummy breakfast quiche when combined with eggs, spinach, and gourmet meat.

Enjoy turkey summer sausage from Hickory Farms.

Photo via Land O’Lakes

Hearty Stews and Salads – The next time you make a pot of stew, try adding beef summer sausage or turkey summer sausage for an extra burst of flavor. Or, add it to a simple salad for a more filling lunch or dinner.

Do you have a favorite recipe that includes some of Hickory Farms gourmet meats and cheeses? If so, we would love to hear from you! Share it in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

Get Your Pantry Organized for the New Year

Tips for storing everything from canned goods to your sausage and cheese gifts.

The start of a new year is a perfect opportunity to do a little cleaning and organizing around your home. You’ve already taken down your holiday decorations and put them away, so why not tidy up a few other areas, such as your pantry or kitchen cabinets?

Pantry organization tips from Hickory Farms.

Photo via August Fields

While you may have good intentions to regularly clean out your pantry during the year, we all know that life happens and we tend to accumulate more than we need at hand. The clutter can make it hard to find what you need – or worse – can cause you to discover a pantry staple is out of date when you need it the most.

Photo via Good Life Eats

Regularly cleaning and organizing your pantry offers a number of benefits. For starters, it will save you time when you are preparing meals for your family, as you’ll be able to access the items you need with ease. Additionally, you’ll save money because you’ll have a better idea of what’s in stock so you don’t buy multiples of the same thing.

Below are a few pantry organization tips to help you get off to a good start in 2013:

What’s Cooking America suggests starting by completely cleaning your pantry out and tossing items that are out of date or stale. Empty packages. Any items that are still good that you don’t want to keep can be donated to a local food pantry.
Take inventory of the basics you need to keep in your pantry. Items you can use for a quick meal or snacks for unexpected guests are a must.
Once you’re ready to restock and reorganize, group similar items together, with the newest items at the back so you don’t run the risk of items going bad before you use them.
Organized Home recommends making use of any available space for even better organization.

Photo via Tailored Living

With an organized and well-stocked pantry, you’ll be well-prepared for any event, like a spur-of-the-moment party. Just be sure to keep a good stash of party snacks on hand! Items such as sausage snacks and Jalapeno cheddar cheese make for hearty appetizers that can be put together in a pinch. Also, consider having a few delectable condiments such as Sweet Hot Mustard or Cranberry Mustard on hand for added flavor. Add these to a plate containing our gourmet sausage and gourmet cheese and you’ll have a simple appetizer that is sure to please your guests. Having sausage and cheese gifts hidden away in the cupboard can also a great idea for a last minute host or hostess gift.

Do you have a few pantry organization tips to share? Or perhaps a few gift baskets and other items that you always have stocked in your pantry? Please leave a comment to share with us!

Gluten-Free Gourmet Food Gifts

The holidays can be hard when you have special dietary needs. While the season is full of fun times with family and friends, many holiday parties and traditions revolve around food, which can be very isolating for those who have dietary restrictions. Fortunately, it’s possible to create holiday memories that everyone will enjoy with our gluten-free gourmet food gifts!

Our holiday gift baskets with wine are a great gift for families, whether it’s the cousins who live across the country or neighbors across the street. If there is someone in the family who is gluten intolerant or suffers from celiac disease, they can still enjoy plenty of products in our holiday gift baskets!

Spread the Holiday Spirit with Gourmet Food Gifts

Treat someone special to one of our Christmas wine gift baskets, like this wine and cheese basket featuring juicy Crown Comice Pears and a Fuji Apple, Murphy Goode Sauvignon Blanc, two of our classic gourmet cheeses, and of course our Beef Summer Sausage. Our fruit baskets are also a good healthy and gluten-free gift idea.

Many of our individual gourmet cheese baskets and sausage products are gluten free, from the creamy Cheddar & Havarti Blend to Ham Summer Sausage. When it comes to Christmas dinner, a spiral ham is a welcome surprise and a gluten-free gift!

Gluten-Free Entertaining with Gourmet Sausage & More

Of course, the holidays are about more than just shopping. If you plan to host a holiday party, it’s polite to take the dietary restrictions of your guests into account when planning the menu. Our pantry staples will help you create fantastic gluten-free appetizers with gourmet sausage and more. Besides our gourmet cheese and sausage selections, items like Orchard Preserves and Honey, Pineapple and Sweet Hot Mustard, make a great addition to a cheese plate or antipasto platter.

Stocking Stuffers With Food Gifts They’ll Love

And don’t forget about stocking stuffers with help from gift baskets! Give your loved ones something wonderful to nosh on with Turkey Sausage Snacks or Mini Beef Summer Sausage Snacks. If you know someone with a sweet tooth, our gourmet chocolate and candy gift baskets will not disappoint. Let them indulge with gluten-free sweets like our Artisan Fudge Collection, Peanut Brittle and Mini Melt Away Mints. For wine lovers, try a wine and cheese gift basket filled with perfect pairings for any celebration

What are your tips for a happy, healthy, gluten-free holiday season? We’d love to hear from you, so leave us a comment or head over to see Hickory Farms on Facebook!