Great Christmas Eve Finger Food Recipes: Sausage Squares

Most families who have a Christmas Eve party have a buffet spread rather than a formal sit-down dinner. The buffet at my house on Christmas Eve offers a wide variety of foods from cheese and veggie trays to dips and sweets. Every year the spread would change just a little, but there were always though items that I just couldn't go without on Christmas Eve night. Many people gather recipes from work potlucks or use family recipes that generations before them have used. I want to offer a new source for those Christmas buffet recipes, me.

Here is one of my family's most popular finger food dishes:

Sausage Squares
These are great for anyone who likes sausage with a hint of cheese. They are also quite simple to make.

1 LB. Ground Beef
1 LB. Packaged Bob Evans Hot Sausage (If you don't like food really spicy then feel free to use a more mild Sausage.)
1 LB. Velveeta Cheese
1/2 Teaspoon Fennel
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Oregano
1 Loaf Small Rye Bread Squares (The small ones you usually find by the deli that are about 2"x2")

Brown the ground beef and sausage spererately-drain well.
Put meats and seasonings in a large frying pan and mix well.
Cut cheese into small pieces and add to meat.
Cook over low heat until cheese melts.
Put approximately 1 tablespoon of mixture on each rye bread square.
Place the squares on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
Serve warm.

The only tricky thing about this crowd pleasing food is the fact that you do have to warm them a patch at a time. The solution to this obstacle is simple though. if you prepare the squares ahead of time, allow the meaty topping to cool, and then place them by the dozen in freezer ziplock bags they can easily be taken out by batch, warmed quickly, and then served. I hope that you and your family will give these a try this Christmas Eve will soon be able to take credit for this tasty food.