I have to admit that I first dreamed up the idea for these little bundles of joy while I was on the toilet. I was at work, and it was the only moment I had to myself, so give me a break! This is going to be one of my super-secret tester recipes, as I consider this recipe to be one of my "babies," and well, children have been conceived in stranger places. I couldn't very well name them "Toilet Burgers." I guess I could have, but no one would make them. Or maybe they would. In any case, I'm going to call them Soytacular Sushi Burgers. They're bunless, so maybe they're really "patties?" I servec them with sauteed purple kale, and some roasted potatoes, glazed with tamari, garlic, agave, and toasted sesame oil.

Soytacular Sushi Burgers

Recently, I was remembering an appetizer of yore. It involved 3 simple ingredients, and only one of which was vegan. A pound of hot sausage, 2 cups of cheddar cheese, and Bisquick. Pretty foul, right? Well, it tasted good.

I knew I could veganize this, but I needed to make it taste like something other than balls of bready chalk. This could be hard with Follow Your Heart Cheddar, but somehow, the vegan stars aligned. Lucky for me (and you!), I did it. In my opinion, these taste infinitely better than their omni counterparts. They no longer have only 3 ingredients, but it will take you the same amount of time, and you may already have most of the extra ingredients in your house. Serve these as an appetizer with toothpicks, or for brunch along with some orange juice.

"Sausage" Balls
(1) 14-oz package Gimme Lean Sausage
2.5 Cups shredded Follow Your Heart Cheddar (about 3/4 to 1 package)
3 C Bisquick dry mix (original mix is vegan)
1 large pinch sage leaves (or 2, if you like it sage-y)
1 to 2 large pinches fennel seeds
2 large pinches crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 TB extra-virgin olive oil
2 small cloves grated or very finely minced fresh garlic (I use a Microplane zester)
1/2 to 1 C nutritional yeast flakes (optional, but EXTREMELY recommended)

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray.

Mix all ingredients together by hand, until everything is well-incorporated. Form into balls (my mix made about 3 dozen, but you can make more with smaller balls if you'd like) and place on sheets about a half to one inch apart. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until bottoms are browned, and tops are beginning to brown. Best served warm. These also reheat very well in a 375 degree oven for about 8 to 10 minutes.

I also made a little dipping sauce to go with it. I don't think it's necessary, but some people really like their dipping sauces. In a small bowl, I mixed :

1/3 C vegan mayo
2 TB dijon mustard
1/2 Tb paprika
1 tsp chili powder