Easy Homemade Summer Sausage

Author Notes

This is my grandma's recipe for summer sausage....an easy recipe to use up extra ground beef or venison. —Jen S

Test Kitchen Notes

Making sausage at home as opposed to going to the grocery store may seem daunting at first, but this recipe proves that it's a lot easer than you might think. No casings or grinding meat on your own necessary here. It does require curing salt and liquid smoke flavoring, but otherwise calls for ground beef, garlic powder, and mustard seeds—that's it. Liquid smoke flavoring gives you that wonderful wood smoke taste without having to turn on your grill. You can use it for mostly any meat or vegetable, so if you haven't cooked with it before, this recipe is the perfect excuse to give it a try.

All you have to do is mix the ingredients with your hands to combine, just as you would making meatloaf. Let the meat chill in the fridge for a day, then bake in the oven for an hour. Return the meat back to the fridge after cooking so it's cold, then slice and enjoy. You can use this technique for almost any kind of ground meat, and you'll discover how rewarding it is to make in your own kitchen. Have some with eggs for breakfast, sliced on a sandwich, or on its own for a hearty entrée. You can also grill the sausages instead of baking if it's warm enough outside. Try mixing up the ratios for the seasonings to find that perfect balance for you. Use any kinds of herbs and spices you have on hand; just be sure to let us know how making your own sausage goes in the comments. —The Editors