Game Day appetizer: Cheesy baked sausage boats

One of chef Paula Stachyra's go-to tailgating recipes 

Image for Queen of the Grill’s sausage boats with chimichurri

Although the Toronto Blue Jays’ season came to a disappointingly abrupt end this past weekend, sports fans still have plenty to get excited about with basically every other Canadian sport either starting up soon or still going strong. 

While we at Eat North wouldn’t exactly consider ourselves the most devout of sports fans, one thing casual viewers and sports aficionados can agree on is that Game Day is best when accompanied by fun eats and drinks. 

This cheesy, baked sausage boat appy recipe was created by chef and cookbook author Paula Strachyra—also known as "Queen of the Grill"—with tailgating in mind, but it can also be easily repurposed for game day watch parties and other get-togethers where you need to feed a large group. 

Chimichurri

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¾ tsp dried oregano
3 cloves minced garlic
1 finely chopped shallot or 2 tsp finely chopped red onion
1-2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, parsley, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic, shallot, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Mix to combine. Set aside.

Salsa criolla

½ red bell pepper, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced
½ small white onion, diced
1 small tomato, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp oregano (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine red bell pepper, green bell pepper, white onion, tomato, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and oregano.

Mix to combine. Set aside.

Sausage boats and assembly

4 chorizo or Italian sausages, casings removed
2 large sausage buns, cut in half
4 Castello Gouda cheese slices, cut in half lengthwise

Preheat your grill or smoker to 350ºF (177ºC), indirect heat.

Slice each sausage bun in half and press down on the bread until a bread boat is formed. 

Slice each piece of Castello Gouda cheese in half, lengthwise. 

Remove the sausage from its casings using a sharp knife tip. Run it along the sausage lengthwise and remove the casing.

Place two pieces of cheese into each bun and one into the sausage itself.  Press down on the sausage and flatten it evenly. Place the buns on the grill with the sausage facing down and grill until a minimum internal temperature of 160ºF (71ºC).

Slice each sausage boat into bite-size pieces or leave them whole and top with chimichurri and salsa criolla.

Yield:
Serves