If you’re feeling creative, try one of my favorite recipes… Beer Blasted Pierogies and Sausage. They’re the best pierogies and sausage I’ve ever had and make a great appetizer while your guests are waiting for the main course… the hot dogs, hamburgers and steak.

Stella Artois or Newcastle Brown Ale are great choices for the beer. Cover a little more than half the sausage with the beer. Cook the sausage in the beer over medium heat for about 10 minutes and make sure you poke the sausage with a fork to let the beer simmer into the sausage. After the sausages are cooked, drain the beer into another large skillet for the pierogies. Finish cooking the sausage until desired doneness. Be careful not to burn them. You may even want to throw them on the grill. While finishing the sausages, cook the pierogies in the beer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, flipping once or twice to cook evenly.

Serve them together while they’re still hot. ~Steve Thibault