Father and son enjoying smokies from the BBQ

Beyond Breakfast: 6 Ways To Enjoy Smokies

Smokies are a kind of smoked sausage made of beef or pork and are well-loved around the world for their distinct smoked aroma and depth of flavour. 

It’s also easy to prepare and serve. If you want to eat them on their own, you can boil them or heat them in the microwave for two to four minutes. You can also bake them in the oven for up to 15 minutes, just enough to release the fat and juices inside the sausage.  

Apart from having them for breakfast with eggs and a bagel, many other recipes use smokies in various ways. Here are some of them: 

1. Barbeque 

Aside from their delicious taste, adding smokies to your grill on your next barbecue would make your backyard smell divine and would be a great treat for your guests. 

Typically, you can place them on the grill on medium heat and cook each side for four to six minutes. Then, they can be served plain or on a bun with your favourite toppings. However, you can also ask your favourite deli shop for specific cooking instructions, if any.  

You can also try this quick and easy appetizer from https://gotzinger.com, made by cooking smokies in barbecue sauce. To do this, you can place the sausages in a disposable foil pan and combine them with the barbecue sauce and other seasonings. Then, you can place the pan on the grill and cook it on low heat for about 30 minutes.

Smokies on a barbecue

2. Tacos 

Flavour-wise, smokies are versatile and would go with any sauce or condiment, which makes them easy to use in many types of cuisines. 

Adding smokies to your tacos will certainly give them a new twist. To do this, you need to pre-cook the sausages either by boiling, baking, or frying, and then slice them according to your preference. Once they’re ready, you’re all set to combine them with your other taco favourites and enjoy them as per usual.  

3. Charcuterie Board 

If you want to serve a beautiful charcuterie board, smokies would make a great addition to it. Because of its flexible flavours, you can easily match it with other common sausage platter items like cheeses, crackers, fruits, and many kinds of sweet and savoury condiments. 

When it comes to wine pairing, many sommeliers find it easy to match sausage platters with either red or white wine. If you’re serving your smokies with red wine, the most popular choices are Pinot Noir or Zinfandel. 

On the other hand, the most common suggestions are Chablis or Riesling if you want to serve a white wine that would best complement your smokies. 

4. Sausage Pasta 

Many home cooks opt to remove the casings of sausages to add the meat filling to the pasta sauce. However, smokies usually have an intact filling, so you’ll need to chop your smokies into small chunks. You can also slice them into thin, diagonal pieces for a more appealing presentation as you serve your pasta. 

As for the sauce, smokies can go with either red or white pasta sauce and any type of cheese.  

5. Hearty Soups 

Adding smokies to a warm bowl of soup gives it an inviting aroma that anyone would surely enjoy, especially during cold weather. 

These sausages can go well with any soup that contains meat, and they can be perfect for crockpot recipes as well. Some examples of popular slow-cooker soup recipes where you can add smokies are: 

  • Sausage And White Bean Soup 
  • Chili Soup
  • Beef Stew 
  • Creamy Potato Soup 
  • Corn Chowder 

If you’re going to add smokies to your soup, there’s no need to pre-cook them unless you want to make them crispy first through pan-frying. Either way, making soups using your smokies is a good way to extend the last few pieces of sausage in the pack before your next grocery run. 

6. Pizza 

Adding sliced smokies to your favourite pizza toppings is another great way to enjoy the flavour of these smoked sausages. You can use them either on their own or combined with other meat and vegetable toppings sliced accordingly. 

Since all the toppings will be cooked at the same time as the pizza itself, you won’t have to pre-cook your smokies, and you can add the slices as they are.  

Conclusion 

Smokies have a flexible texture and flavour, which makes them easy to incorporate into many dishes. This is why, if you and your family are smokies’ fans, it’ll be easy for you to add them to your meals in different ways.

They’re also ideal if you love entertaining guests, as they’re sure to be crowd favourites that everyone will enjoy. As such, you can consider having it as a regular item in your pantry.