Funeral Food

So I just returned from North Carolina after a death in Hubs' family.  There were many stories told, tears shed, and of course, food consumed.  I wanted to share two recipes with y'all that were just too good.

First of all, Mrs. Beall's beef tenderloin, which was the best beef tenderloin I have ever had (I'm sorry Mama).  She told me to simply rub the tenderloin with salt, then roast it for 15 minutes at 500 degrees.  Then turn your oven down to 375 degrees, and bake it five minutes per pound.  It was perfect!

Now, on my way out of town, I rooted around my fridge, and came up with sausage, cheddar, and crescent rolls, which are all the makings of a tasty comfort food bite.  For Sausage Twirls, preheat the oven to 375.  Take a pound of bulk sausage (I'm partial to Wampler's special blend, myself), and mix it with a heaping cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese.  I'm even amenable to using pre-shredded in the bag for this recipe, since the preservatives aren't an taste or consistency issue here, and you might be running late for Sunday school, with wet hair and an unpacked bag, an oversleeping husband, and a furry dog demanding your attention.  Ahem. 

Take two cans of crescent rolls, and unroll them.  Divide each into four rectangles (each will consist of 2 triangles). Pinch the perforations together.  Take about an eighth of the sausage mixture and spread it onto the crescent roll rectangle evenly. Roll up the dough, longways, so that you have a tube.  Repeat with your other triangles, and stick the whole shebang into the fridge to chill for about 30-45 minutes.

Slice the tubes in about 1/2 inch pieces, and lay them on an ungreased cookie sheet (I like to lay down a piece of parchment paper for ease of cleaning, but I really hate to clean a cookie sheet.  Seriously, I dread that job).  Bake for about 20 minutes, till they are golden and the sausage is all cooked.

Now, I would use the reduced fat crescent rolls, and sausage (and cheese if you want).  These boogers are greasy and delicious, and withstand the reduction of fat quite well.  As you can imagine, they are really tasty.  I ate practically my own weight in sausage twirls and ham biscuits.  Now my fingers resemble little sausages themselves, due to all that country ham.  It was worth it though!

Sorry for the lack of photos, but circumstances disallowed blogging tendencies.  Hubs and his family are doing well, and we appreciate all the thoughts and prayers.