Little Smoked Sausages In Grape Jelly And Chili Sauce

This is a festive, vintage dish that never goes out of style. Just plunk down a pot of these in the middle of a party, and watch them disappear. The sausages, not the people. They'll be hovering close by with toothpicks in hand.

This three-ingredient appetizer recipe sits on the quick-and-easy corner of store-bought and slightly homemade. Busy cooks can stock up on ingredients for several batches and stand ready to break out a skillet at any minute, including the last minute.

The star of this recipe is the bite-size, capsule-shaped smoked sausages. Size matters. So much so that the product name often includes Lil'l, Lil, or Lit'l. Apparently the more contractions and apostrophes in the name, the more assured we can rest in their littleness.

Most grocery stores carry bags of these ready-to-eat cocktail weenies near the bacon and hot dogs. Warehouse stores carry huge, party-worthy bags. Stores probably sell these sausages year-round, but many of us confine our conspicuous consumption of this beloved dish (and most treats we joust with toothpicks) to the holidays—from Halloween all the way to the Big Game.

This recipe is so forgiving that you can change any of the components to suit what you have on hand. No chili sauce? Barbecue sauce or ketchup will be fine. No grape jelly? Well, what kind of jam or jelly do you have? No mini sausages? Use meatballs, or cut up links of regular smoked sausage. No stove? Heat them in a slow cooker for a couple of hours.