CHEESY SAUSAGE WONTON BITES

INGREDIENTS

•  24 wonton wrappers
•  12 to 16 ounces pork or chicken sausage
•  1/2 cup small diced green bell pepper (about half of a large bell pepper)
•  1 cup shredded medium or sharp cheddar cheese
•  1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
•  1 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Press a wonton wrapper into each cup of a mini muffin tin, pressing gently to the bottom and sides. Spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray (optional, but it helps the wrappers brown more in the oven vs staying pale-colored). Bake for 6-7 minutes.
3. While the wrappers parbake, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the sausage and green pepper. Cook, crumbling the sausage into small pieces until the sausage is no longer pink and cooked through. Drain the grease very well (so the bottom of the wonton bites aren't greasy after baking). Stir in the shredded cheese and ranch (or blue cheese) dressing.
4. Fill the wonton cups evenly with the sausage mixture, pressing to compact the meat mixture just a little into each cup. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the filling is sizzling. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTES

Cheese: I think it helps to shred the cheese finely (or use finely grated cheese) - it will fill the wonton cups a little more easily than large-grated cheese.

Sausage: I use the full 16 ounces of sausage and really pack it into the wonton wrappers. If you don't want them quite as full, use 12 ounces.

Dressing: the flavor of these little bites depends a lot on the kind of dressing you use, so choose a brand that you already love the taste of!