For our nostalgia week, I’ve pulled a recipe from home to share – it’s quick and easy, so gear up and get ready for some tasty Wonton Stars! Here is the ingredients list, along with a few options depending on your preference: 

Ingredients:

1 lb ground sausage or beef, either one (can also substitute with impossible sausage or beef)
1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 ½ cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 cup Hidden Valley ranch (or any brand)
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
1 package of wonton wrappers (usually in stock at Jubilee on John St.)
Cooking oil
1 cupcake tray
*Personally, I always swap the meat for impossible sausage and remove the casing, but choose what sounds best to you!*

Steps:

1. First, preheat your oven to 350 – getting that started in the beginning is important.
2. Next up, you can prep some of the cold ingredients by cutting the bell peppers into nickel-sized pieces, mixing the cheeses and ranch, then mixing them together in a medium/large bowl.
3. Then, cook your meat in a pan until brown – don’t forget to add some seasonings. My favorites are salt, pepper, onion salt, and garlic pepper.
4. While your sausage is cooking, or right after it’s done if you don’t want to multitask, get some cooking oil and use a small amount to thinly coat the entire cupcake tray. This is to help the wonton wrappers avoid burning and sticking to the tray.
5. After finishing the oil process, go ahead and fill each of the divots with a wonton wrapper. Be careful to not tear the delicate wrappers; gently push the middle until it fills the divot. Then, you can put another small coat of oil on the wrappers before sticking them in the oven for 5 minutes.
6. While the wonton wrappers are firming in the oven, take the ranch, cheese, and bell pepper combination from earlier and add your cooked sausage. Mix well. Note: sometimes this mixture looks a little…not appetizing. Stick with it, it’s actually super good!
7. After the five minutes are up, take the wonton wrappers out of the oven and fill each wrap with the aforementioned mixture. Do not overfill, stay under the divot line so the points of the wrapper are sticking up unfilled.
8. Once you’ve finished the previous step, put the tray back in the oven for another 5 minutes, or until the wrapper points crisp up.

After all that, you should have this for the result!

This recipe is something my Mom always made for me, and it’s a really special part of my childhood. After a long day at school it was exciting to come home and smell the stars cooking in the kitchen. I hope these nostalgia-themed Herald articles help you delve back into some prized memories from simpler times. If you want, here’s a cool journaling exercise to help you stay in tune with your roots!

1. Get a piece of paper and something to write with, and find a place where you can relax. Start by putting your name and then choose a younger age to write about.
2. Then, look up some popular songs or movies from the time. What were your favorites, and why? Did you listen with friends, or run around in the backyard with your childhood pet trailing close behind?
3. What important things happened that year?
4. What are some emotions evoked when you think about that time in your life? Not all people like to reflect on the past, but it can be a valuable tool to help you overcome difficulties you face in the present.
5. What are some of your favorite childhood recipes or traditions?