Maple Bacon Wrapped Andouille Bites

Ingredients

1 lb Andouille Sausage (find in the lunch meat/hot dog section of the grocery cooler)

1 lb thin sliced maple flavored bacon

1 ½ cups Dark Brown sugar, packed

3 Tbs Stone Ground Mustard

3 Tbs Sherry Vinegar – or any type of wine vinegar

¼ C REAL Maple Syrup

2 tsp rice wine vinegar

2 tsp black pepper

Garnish – black cracked pepper, parsley or chives

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and top with baking rack that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray (the Aluminum foil and spray are a MUST – this is a messy recipe).

Cut the Andouille sausage down the middle lengthwise. Then cut each half into 1 inch pieces. Cut the 1 lb of bacon into 3rds. Wrap one bacon around each piece of sausage and secure with a toothpick. Set these aside while you make the glaze.

In a small saucepan, combine all the other ingredients (except the garnish). Heat over low heat and stir constantly until sugar is dissolved. Keep sauced warmed on stove top. Set aside ¼ cup of the glaze for the final glaze application.

Brush each bacon wrapped sausage with the glaze and set on the baking sheet/rack. Bake for a total of 40 minutes, remove the pan from the oven every 15 minutes and baste with the glaze. On removing from the oven, use a spoon and drizzle a small amount of the glaze that you set aside onto each bacon wrapped sausage bite. (don’t use the basting brush you had already been using as it has probably touched the raw bacon you started out with and this application will not be going back in the oven). Serve immediately.