1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage
1 jar pimento-stuffed green olives
1/2 cup of Italian style bread crumbs
I've tried this with both sweet and hot sausage, and the hot is delicious, but it comes out a bit greasier. Next time I think I'll make both at once! If you are baking these immediately, preheat the oven to 450 degrees, and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Drain some olives (I count out as many as I would like to serve) and dry them well on paper towels. Place the crumbs in a small bowl, and remove the casings from some or all of the sausage, depending on how many olives you plan on making. Wash your hands. Grab a small palmful of sausage, and roll it around each olive, forming a meatball. In the book, Ms.Casey uses a tablespoon full of sausage, but I use a bit less, as I find it's easier to wrap the olives that way. Roll each sausage-wrapped olive in the bread crumbs, and lay them out an inch apart on the baking sheet. If you are preparing them ahead, cover them tightly and refrigerate until needed. 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees, just to make sure the oven comes up to temp. Bake the olives for 12-14 mintues, until the sausage is cooked and lightly brown. Serve with toothpicks, and enjoy!