How to Make Whole Paycheck Turkey Sausage Taste Like Something

1.) Enter Whole Foods and bask in the great produce and smug sense of superiority that your shopping choice provides.

2.) See the Spinach and Feta turkey sausage in the meat case. Think “Hmm, that sounds tasty and reasonably healthy.”

3.) Remember the Italian turkey sausage you purchased from Whole Foods and how it tasted like anise-flavored chalk.

4.) Walk out of Whole Foods. Drive to nearest boring grocery store and pick up some ground turkey (to make some humble turkey meatballs) or some turkey or chicken Italian or Greek-flavored sausage.

5.) Make this recipe, with the poultry-based meatballs or sausage of your choice.

Confession: I bought the Whole Foods turkey spinach and feta sausage. And, yes, it was dry, chalky and flavorless. But I almost made it edible by putting it in my spin on an Italian Wedding Soup.

1. I started by sauteeing some onions, celery, garlic and carrots in olive oil. I stirred in some Italian seasoning (because I don’t have access to an abundance of fresh herbs) and a bit of flour (because I wanted to give the soup some body).
2. I added some chicken stock and water. (More chicken stock than water.)
3. I let the chalkballs cook through.
4. I added some defrosted and drained frozen spinach and a little grated Parmesan cheese.
5. After letting everything simmer together for a bit, I threw in some pasta. I continued cooking the soup until the pasta was cooked through.
6. I finished the soup with lemon juice and chopped fresh parsley.
7. I served the soup in bowls topped with crumbled Feta cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

I think this sounds pretty stinking awesome. Amazingly, it was just ok. Until the soup sat in the fridge for a day. Then it was pretty off the chain.

What are your favorite “better if it sits” dishes?