Recommendations for Li'l Smokies That Actually Taste Like Smoked Sausage

[fzxdoc]

Any recommendations for a brand of Li'l Smokies mini smoked sausages that actually have the look, mouthfeel and taste of smoked sausage?

I made Kenji's Whiskey Wieners recipe for an app yesterday and used Hillshire Farms. Yuck--after 4 hours in the crock pot, they tasted like flabby hot dogs. I've read online that Ekrich brand also tastes just like hot dogs.

Looking for a save, I immediately added sliced kielbasa to the crock pot yesterday to cook for 4 hours before taking to the get-together. Worked out fine. The Hillshire Farms mini "sausages" had good flavor after their 8 hour Crock Pot stay, but the texture and sausage flavor were missing.

In NC, I always get the same brand--which look and taste more like smoked sausage. I can't for the life of me remember the brand. I just used to grab a package of it by sight. Where we are now, in Ohio, all I see is Hillshire Farms and Ekrich, but I have yet to do a deep dive into this weighty matter.

Tips for locating something tastier are greatly appreciated.

Kathryn

[dpearce]

Neighbors of mine, like to wrap the little buggers in bacon and finish them on the smoker. I think they glaze with the same sauce they cooked them in near the end of the cook.

Not sure which brand they use, probably Hillshire farms.

I do agree, everything tastes better with bacon, but it does seem like a labor of love!

Forgot to add: They pin the bacon to the smokies with toothpicks!

[fzxdoc]

Nice snack for sure. I put Li'l Smokies in my Jalapeno Poppers along with the cheese, before wrapping in bacon. Your neighbor's recipe goes to the heart of it all. I may try this when I'm reunited with my smokers again.

K.

[JoeSousa]

Well, I love the Hillshire Farms lil smokies, especially the cheddar ones. I usually just fry them up in a pan and eat them with a toothpick. Sometimes I will throw a bit of bbq sauce into the pan at the end to glaze them a bit.

Would love to taste some higher quality ones at some point but until then I am fine with regular lil smokies from the grocery store.

[Carolyn]

Me too. I love those. Heat them in the microwave and eat them with eggs for breakfast.

[Panhead John]

Kathryn, I’m not sure how widely these are available but a few people online mentioned Harvest Farmer Sausages and Mitchell’s Flavored hot dogs or smokies. They said they got them at Safeway. Another garnering praise was Fat Franks Jalapeño & Cheddar smokies.

[fzxdoc]

Thanks, John. I'll look online for those brands.

K.

[jfmorris]

I don’t think I see anything around here other than the brands you’ve mentioned, and the ones I usually get are a 3 pound pack of Hillshire Farms ones at Sam’s Club. We just buy them for holiday parties where we wrap them in bacon, bake in the oven, and then cover with brown sugar for the finish.

[jfmorris]

Haha yes Jerod Broussard - actually my wife likes to set these out at Christmas parties, usually in a crock pot set on warm. The kids always liked them. Funny that the first recipe I find is from “The Chunky Chef”… kinda appropriate for this kind of food! I don’t think ours are spicy though…

https://www.thechunkychef.com/spicy-brown-sugar-bacon-wrapped-little-smokies/

[fzxdoc]

Thanks for the recipe link, Jim.

K.

[jfmorris]

fzxdoc Kathryn its a little different than what we've done over the years. We usually cut the bacon into thirds - making a good piece to wrap the smoke with a toothpick. Then bake, then sprinkle with the brown sugar during the last part of the cook, after the bacon starts to crisp, so that it carmelizes. This one looks easier in a way, plus you can mix in your spices to the brown sugar mix, which is something I never thought of.

[Jfrosty27]

Sorry. All I see around here are the Hillshire Farm brand. My wife always makes them for her annual family Christmas gathering. She throws them in a slow cooker and dumps a bottle of whatever bbq sauce I like the least over them. They are terrible but they always disappear at the party. 🤷♂️

[jfmorris]

Yeah - I've seen that a few times. And we may have done that over the years too. I like the bacon wrapped ones with a little crunch better than the ones swimming in BBQ sauce...

Right now the thought of all that is clogging my arteries....

[fzxdoc]

Thanks all, for the tips for recipes and brand suggestions. I've crossed Hillshire Farms and Ekrich off my list.

I finally remembered that the brand I liked back in NC was Carolina Pride. I imagine that its distribution is limited.

There is a Montana brand that is mentioned on the interwebs that is a blip on my radar too, called M&S Montana Smokies. The M&S Meat Company has a lot of nice offerings that may beef up the online order of some of their Little Smokies to free shipping status.

Kathryn

[Hulagn1971]

I saw M&S when I was looking for you. They look mighty tasty. Once I saw shipping costs it took the wind out of my my sail. We have Carolina Pride in most stores where I live. I see the brand here in the Triad and in Eastern NC. When I was in college, we'd have a bonfire in the backyard of the fraternity house on weekend night's. There were always a few packs of Carolina Pride red hots busted open and we'd thread them on long sticks to cook over the fire. That + ice cold Natty Lights. Whew!

[Skip]

I'm late to the party but I've make these and served them sliced into 3 or 4 pieces with success. My Family seemed to like them and you can make them ahead to minimize the mess at party time.

https://www.meatchurch.com/blogs/recipes/smoked-shotgun-shells

[fzxdoc]

Thanks for the link, Skip!

K.

[HawkerXP]

Here in DC the "half smoke" rules.

Original Half Smokes Friends and Family Pack (16 Half Smokes & 2 pints – Ben's Chili Bowl

Everything You Need to Know About the Half-Smoke | Washington DC

[fzxdoc]

Now that's a tempting combo. Sausage links and chili. Yum.

[negolien]

Sorry little smokie's the only brand I use here lol. In love to cut them into quarter sized slices then sear them before dumping em in the crock pot with a couple cans of pintos, bacon and some bbq sauce and onions for home made pork and beans :<)

[fzxdoc]

Beenie Weenies--a staple in our house when we were growing up.

K.

[negolien]

literally exactly what I was goin for when I Frankensteined that recipe lol

[jfmorris]

You know, I am SHOCKED that no one has told Kathryn fzxdoc how to make her OWN "Little Smokies". It just involves a custom sausage grind, and a tiny little sausage stuffer into tiny little casings. Then a smoke on her smoker once she is back home, or maybe a NEW smoker where she hangs all these little sausages for smoking. It will be the best Little Smokie *EVER*! And virtually NO effort.

[fzxdoc]

K.