It’s tailgating season, and with fall in the air what’s not to love about sausages cooking on the grill.   In fact, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) says Americans love sausage so much they’ll eat 14 billion servings of it this year with peak consumption being autumn.  Thus October has been declared National Sausage Month.

As part of the celebration the NHDSC wants to highlight great recipes featuring sausage.  They invite fans to submit their recipes in hopes of winning 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, said NHDSCPresident 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 tocontest@hot-dog.org by October 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.

Hot-dog.org contains more than 100 recipes and extensive resources on sausage, like a glossary, cooking tips, and a beer and sausage pairing guide.  You can also get fun information from their Facebook page.