Sunday Supper: Easter Style

Happy Easter Weekend, friends!  I hope you and your family take some time to remember the meaning of the weekend.  Craig and I will be spending the weekend relaxing and enjoying times with friends.  This Saturday we’re heading to Liepers Fork.  I can’t wait to share more about this little jewel next week.  Of course we’ll be watching the game on Saturday evening with the rest of Big Blue Nation.  GO CATS!!  On Easter Sunday, Craig and I attend the sunrise service in our church garden.  It’s awesome to hear the birds chirping and enjoying God’s creation while remembering his Son died for us on the Cross. Around 3:00p, Craig will fire up the grill and our friends will head over for a mid afternoon Sunday Supper.  We will start with a sausage cheese plate before heading to the main course of mashed potatoes, salad, and Craig’s ribs.  The meal will end with my easy ice cream sandwiches.  There is something nice about an easy, no fuss gathering on Easter Sunday.  If you are looking for something to make for Easter outside of the traditional brunch food, I’m here to help.  Below I’m sharing my recipe for the sausage cheese plate and I’ve asked Craig to share his recipe for ribs. 

Sausage Cheese Plate: 

Ingredients: 

·       Smoked sausage (I prefer Hillshire Farm Beef Polska Kielbasa)

·       Cheddar Cheese Cubes – I buy pre-cubed, it makes serving time much easier

·       Saltine Crackers

·       Dill Pickle Spears

·       Rendezvous Dry Rub

·       Rendezvous BBQ Sauce

·       Toothpicks

Directions:

Grill the sausage until brown. While grilling, slice the pickle spears into thirds.  Place the pickle spears, crackers, and cheese onto serving plate.  Once sausage is grilled, slice into ½ inch slices.  Place the sausage onto the plate with the rest of the ingredients.  Sprinkle with dry rub. Serve with toothpicks and BBQ sauce for dipping.  Enjoy! This is one of my favorite easy appetizers and always makes enough for a crowd!

Ribs:

Ingredients:

DRY RUB

·       1 cup light brown sugar

·       1 cup sugar

·       1 cup paprika

·       6 tbs essence*

·       9 tbs salt

·       6 tbs onion pwdr

·       3 tbs garlic salt

·       3 tbs black pepper

·       3 tbs chili powder

·       3 tbs mustard (ground)

·       1 1/2 tsp ginger

·       3/4 tsp allspice

·       3/4 tsp cayenne

ESSENCE* (If you're pinched for time Emeril makes an Essence that will work as a substitue) 

·       2 1/2 tbs paprika

·       2 tbs salt

·       2 tbs garlic powder

·       1 tbs pepper

·       1 tbs onion powder

·       1 tbs cayenne

·       1 tbs oregano

·       1 tbs thyme

SAUCE

·       1 cup ketchup

·       1 cup apple cider vinegar

·       3 tbs brown sugar

·       splash Worcestershire

·       1 tbs cane syrup

·       2 tsp minced garlic

·       2 tsp onion

·       1/2 tsp salt

·       1/4 tsp black pepper

·       1/4 tsp ginger

·       1/4 tsp allspice

·       1/4 tsp mustard (ground)

·       1/4 tsp cayenne

Directions:  
dry rub both sides all over.  Place ribs bones down (meat up) on cooling racks placed on cookie sheet.  Aluminum foil tent over all.  Place in 175 degree oven for 4 hours.  After 4 hours, remove from oven, let rest (covered) for 20-30 minutes.  Apply thin layer of sauce with brush (brush lightly as to not brush the dry rub off).  Light grill, let get super hot, then bring down to low to medium-low.  Finish ribs on the grill over medium low heat until sauce starts to caramelize.  Watch them closely.  The rib grease will drip and could cause a flame up.  After nearly 5 hours of work, you don’t want burned and blackened ribs.  Serve and enjoy!