What a nice surprise! The kind folks at Johnsonville notified me awhile back and again included me in their “Sneak Taste Tester” program! When I read about their new product line coming out, I couldn’t hardly wait I was so excited!

Butcher Shop-Style Sausages with coarser ground meat in natural casings…..OMG!! Right? I was thrilled!!! I was so thankful for the product to try and my little wheels already started turning weeks before it came! I can’t even tell you how many ideas I came up with, because their new flavor combinations are that versatile. Limitless possibilities, really!

They have now come out with, and already available in stores such as Walmart, “Cheddar Cheese and Bacon Sausages”, “Smoked Brats”, “Swisswurts”, and “Andouille”! When I read the email I was like a kid in candy store! Which to try first?? They ALL sounded fantastic!

So, I decided to let the hubs choose first! And he picked, just as I predicted, the Bacon Cheddar ones! That just has “guy food” written ALL over it, doesn’t it?! 😉 😀

Since I had made my first grilled pizza ever while he was on a business trip, (hey, I did save him some to try 😉 ), I decided to design a new one specifically for these incredibly delicious looking sausages! And this one was even better than the first one!

I started out with a nice blend of vegetables and roasted them in the oven with EVOO and a healthy dose of oregano and spices:

Sounds like a good pizza blend, doesn’t it? 😀 Trust me. It truly was! 😉

And next was a nice Alfredo sauce kicked up quite a few notches with spicy brown mustard, extra-sharp cheddar and asiago cheeses, fresh basil from my garden, minced garlic, and a creamy, mild goat cheese to thicken it a bit!

It’s ok, my mouth watered, too, and I’ve already eaten!

Next up was the STAR of the whole show! I decided to slow-grill these extra-large cheese filled and bacon-flavored sausages over low heat, turning them as the beautiful grill marks appeared and babied them on the grill ever so carefully! I wanted to crisp up the natural casing without over-heating them and cracking the skins.

The aroma wafting through the entire neighborhood had to be driving everyone half-crazy!

The essence of the smokey bacon and cheddar cheese sausages toasting and lightly crackling over low flames was INSANELY intoxicating to the senses!!

I mean, seriously!! Scroll back up and just LOOK at those babies!!! I swear I can still smell them just seeing the photo again!

And if you drooled just now….don’t be embarrassed….I did, too!! I know!!!

Next up was the pizza crust! I went with a whole wheat one this time and it was a nice, light wheat flavor that didn’t overpower any of the other flavors. It just added even more to the mix!

Didn’t it come out pretty? 😀 So much fun to do, too!!! I highly suggest you try this over the summer!

Now that everything was ready to go, all that was left to do was just to assemble away! The creamy, cheesy sauce was first of course, followed by most of the veggies saving aside the kale for later to sprinkle on top!

I then did an INCREDIBLE layer of sliced grilled sausages and crisp-cooked bacon…..oooooh myyyyyyy. Don’t get mad at me, this is pure torture right now for me, too, because our pizza is all gone now.

Yep. Pure torture I tell you!

And here it is all assembled and back on the grill for just a few to heat it through and melt all those yummy cheeses! Close the lid so you can do this quickly….before those hungry human vultures impatiently waiting form a lynch mob claiming to have gone insane smelling it cooking, bubbling and sizzling….!

Trust me on this. Seriously. Do this quickly.

Hot off the grill!!! Come in close and catch a whiff or two! 😉

Ok, I’m sorry. That was just mean.

If I could hand you a slice, I swear I would! I always share! But here’s the best part….you can simply make this yourself. Yep. You really can. It’s VERY easy, and I do believe one of the best, most fun pizzas I’ve ever made or had the pleasure of eating!

That new sausage that Johnsonville has come out with is honestly, VERY good! And I would not say that if it weren’t true. I’m so stubborn and honest, that I would not say it if someone tried to PAY me to say it if I didn’t really like it. And nope, they don’t pay me. This is just my honest opinion of a darn good product that I had the luxury of trying! You will just have to try it yourself and see! 😀

But I’m sure you’ll agree that these folks really did an outstanding job! The natural casing lends a nice crunch, the meat is chin-dripping juicy, the texture is better than ANY I’ve ever had, and they don’t cheat you on flavor, amount, or skimp on the cheese, either! They were honestly that good!

I’m so very thankful for the super kind folks at Johnsonville for including me in trying these killer-good Cheddar Cheese and Bacon Sausages and will be buying them in the future for sure! No doubt about it!

Be sure to check out what I do with the OTHER flavors!! 😉 Yes, there will be more to come!!! 😀

Thanks again to the people at Johnsonville! You all ROCK! 😀

6 (12-16 pieces)

Grilled Whole Wheat Pizza with Johnsonville Butcher Shop Bacon Cheddar Sausage, Oven-Roasted Veggies, Bacon & Goat Cheese

Ingredients

For Oven-Roasted Vegetables:

1 (10 oz.) cont. grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise (or about 22 from the garden)
1 large bell pepper, cut into bite-sized chunks or sliced into rings
1 (8 oz.) cont. fresh sliced mushrooms
4 large shallots, peeled and cut into 8 wedges each
3 cups frilly-edged kale, torn into large bite-sized pieces (I like to just use the outer tender part)
1/3 cup EVOO
1 Tbl. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
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For the Cheesy Mustard-Basil Alfredo Sauce:

3 oz. mild creamy goat cheese (from an 8 oz. pkg.)
1/2 cup homemade or store-bought Alfredo sauce, I used Bertolli
2 large fresh basil leaves, rolled lengthwise and finely sliced
2 1/2 tsp. spicy brown mustard, I use French's
1/2 tsp. finely minced garlic
1/8 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra sharp grated cheddar cheese
1 Tbl. packed finely grated asiago cheese
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Rest of Ingredients:

1 (16 oz.) pkg. fresh whole wheat pizza dough or homemade (plus flour as needed)
2 Johnsoville Cheddar Cheese Butcher Shop-Style Sausages, grilled, (*see note)
4-5 thick-cut quality bacon strips, crisp cooked, snipped into 1/2" pieces
5 oz. creamy mild goat cheese, room temp. (the rest of the 8 oz. pkg.)

Instructions

For the Oven-Roasted Vegetables:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, place prepared vegetables (*except for kale) onto sprayed baking sheet. Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with oregano, pepper and salt. Toss to coat and mix. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, stir well, add kale, add more EVOO if needed, (or just spray the top with a little butter-flavored cooking spray to re-moisten), and bake again for 10 minutes longer. Remove, loosely cover, and set aside.

For the Alfredo Sauce:

While veggies are roasting, in small bowl, stir together all of the ingredients well until creamy. (*Warming goat cheese a bit in microwave first makes this easy.) Cover and set aside.

For Sausages:

Get grill hot, turn down to medium-low, oil grates and grill sausages until heated through and grill marks with lid open. I took my time and did them slowly and they were perfect! Set aside, loosely covered, until needed.

To Finish:

On a floured surface, stretch and roll dough for a thin-style pizza, adding and incorporating flour as needed, until dough is not sticky. *Do not tear, stretch too thin, or leave any holes. Place onto floured pizza paddle, large cutting board, or baking sheet. Re-oil grill grates, slide pizza dough onto still heated grill on medium-low, (fix any ends or edges that fall off of grates with tongs), lightly brush top with EVOO, close lid and grill for about 5 minutes or so. *Check several times. Turn with large spatula and tongs when there's nice grill marks and bottom is lightly crispy. Repeat with other side. Remove back to paddle.

Top with Alfredo sauce evenly, top with all toppings as desired, thinly slicing the 2 sausages on the bias, sprinkle with kale, top with small pinches of goat cheese. (*You can even do 2 layers of veggies with the meats in the middle.)

Return to grill, close lid, and just heat through for a few minutes.

Remove back to paddle, cut and serve!

Notes

This made a good-sized pizza and I only used half of a package of the sausages. I went ahead and grilled all four and just froze the other two for a quick, easy use later for another dish!

I like to cut this pizza in half lengthwise, then cut into 6-8 strips. Depending on the size of your pizza, you should get at least 12 slices, or even more if larger. Count on 2 pieces per person, more for heartier appetites, 1 piece for petite appetites.

*A VERY sharp large knife, sharp pizza wheel, (and kitchen scissors for edges), make this easy to cut and serve. Have everything you might need handy.

**I use Chou Vert Frise` Kale that is awesome, French in origin, and much more tender, and edible, than regular "decorative" kale. I still prefer to use the outer parts though, and pitch the very inner, thicker and tougher part close to the stem. *Don't worry, it's not that "fancy-schmancy", they sell it at most grocery stores including Walmart. Just make sure you are buying edible kale versus kale that is more intended to be decorative and not consumed.