Whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner, sausage is the meat that goes with every meal. In fact Americans love sausage so much, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council estimates people will consume 14 billion servings of it this year or more than 38 million servings per day — and that doesn’t even include the 20 billion hot dogs consumed yearly by Americans that also fall into the larger sausage category. 

With fall in the air and tailgating season in full swing, the sausage love peaks in October as Americans celebrate National Sausage Month. As part of this year’s celebration, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council is highlighting great sausage recipes and inviting sausage fans to submit their own for a chance to win a sausage shopping spree and a new sausage cooking pan.

“Whether people enjoy their sausage linked, loose or pattied or made with beef, pork, lamb, chicken or turkey, sausages are so versatile that they can be used in a wide variety of dishes,” says NHDSC President and “Queen of Wien” Janet Riley. “Beyond our own recipes, we love sharing the creative ideas of sausage fans to increase sausage enjoyment for all.”

Sausage fans can submit their favorite, most creative recipe that can be made in under 20 minutes to [email protected] by Oct. 16 for a chance to win. The best recipe as judged by NHDSC staff will win a $100 gift card for their favorite sausages plus a Sausage Pan, designed with deep curves specifically to cook sausages. The first runner up will receive a $50 gift card for their favorite sausages plus a Sausage Pan. The top three choices all receive official National Hot Dog and Sausage Council t-shirts and bumper stickers and have their recipes featured on the NHDSC All-Recipes page.

In addition to more than 100 recipes, the NHDSC has extensive resources on sausage at www.hot-dog.org including a Sausage Glossary, Cooking Tips, A Beer and Sausage Pairing Guide, A Guide to Charcuterie and Hot Dog and Sausage Trivia. The Council also posts regular sausage and hot dog news, facts and folklore on its Facebook page.