Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Two rimmed baking sheets
• •Parchment paper
• •Pastry brush
• •Sharp knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat and prepare

   Set your oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. This is a fast recipe once you start rolling, so get everything ready before you touch that dough. The parchment makes cleanup easy and prevents sticking without greasing.

2. 2

   Make the Cajun cream cheese

   In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese with the diced onion, bell pepper, and celery. Add one teaspoon of Cajun seasoning and the garlic powder. Mix until everything is evenly distributed. Taste it. The cream cheese should have a definite kick and you should catch little pops of the trinity vegetables. If it needs more heat, add that cayenne now.

   The holy trinity needs to be diced very fine here, almost minced. Big chunks will tear your dough and make the bites lumpy.
3. 3

   Prepare the sausage

   Cut each andouille link in half lengthwise, then slice each half into pieces about one inch long. You want pieces that fit comfortably in the crescent triangles with room for the dough to wrap around. Sprinkle the remaining teaspoon of Cajun seasoning over the sausage pieces and toss to coat. Yes, the andouille is already seasoned. We're building layers here.

4. 4

   Prepare the dough

   Unroll one can of crescent dough and separate it into the eight triangles along the perforated lines. Take each triangle and cut it in half lengthwise, giving you sixteen smaller triangles. Repeat with the second can. You should have thirty-two triangles total, each one the perfect size for a single sausage bite.

5. 5

   Assemble the bites

   Spread about half a teaspoon of the Cajun cream cheese mixture onto each dough triangle, leaving a small border at the edges. Place one piece of seasoned andouille at the wide end of the triangle. Roll the dough around the sausage, tucking the point underneath so it stays sealed. The cream cheese acts as glue, so press gently to make sure everything sticks.

   Work quickly with crescent dough. The warmer it gets, the stickier and harder to handle. If it starts fighting you, pop it in the fridge for five minutes.
6. 6

   Arrange and brush

   Place the wrapped bites seam-side down on your prepared baking sheets, leaving about an inch between each one. They will puff as they bake. Brush the tops with melted butter. This gives you that beautiful golden color and adds one more layer of richness.

7. 7

   Bake until golden

   Bake for twelve to fifteen minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the dough is deep golden brown and puffed. The bottoms should be golden too, not pale. Pale bottoms mean soggy bites, and nobody wants that. Let them cool on the pan for just two or three minutes. You want them warm but not so hot they burn mouths.

8. 8

   Serve immediately

   Transfer to a platter, scatter with fresh parsley, and set them out while they're still warm. The crescent layers should shatter when you bite through, the cream cheese should be soft and slightly melted, and that andouille should hit you with smoke and spice. Watch them disappear.

Chef Tips

• •Use real andouille from Louisiana if you can get it. The stuff from the supermarket works fine, but the real thing from a Cajun butcher has deeper smoke and better texture. At Lagniappe, we get ours from LaPlace.
• •These can be assembled up to four hours ahead and refrigerated on the baking sheet, covered with plastic wrap. Add two to three minutes to the baking time if they go in cold.
• •If you want to make a quick dipping sauce, mix equal parts mayonnaise and Creole mustard with a squeeze of lemon. That's the bayou way.
• •For folks who can't handle heat, you can use a milder smoked sausage instead of andouille. The technique stays the same, and they'll still be delicious.

Advance Preparation

• •The Cajun cream cheese mixture can be made up to two days ahead and refrigerated. Let it soften slightly before spreading.
• •Assembled bites can be refrigerated for up to four hours before baking. Add two to three minutes to baking time.
• •Baked bites are best fresh but can be reheated in a 350 degree oven for five to seven minutes. They won't be quite as flaky, but the flavor holds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 35g)