Sausage and Goat Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms

I have always admired the beautiful squash blossoms I see in my backyard and at my local farmers' market. But after all this time, it wasn't until last week that I finally bought some and brought them home, determined to stuff and fry them. 

I was planning on serving these for lunch with a simple salad and wanted to do more than just stuff them with goat cheese. I had recently picked up some delicious sweet Italian sausage that I threw into the mix to get something more substantial. Get creative with this recipe. Goat cheese is such a great background for so many flavors!

Sausage and Goat Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms

12 squash blossoms

4 oz goat cheese

1 sweet Italian sausage

1/4 t celery salt, divided

1 - 2 cups vegetable oil for frying

1 egg

3/4 cup flour

Remove the sausage from its casing and cook, breaking apart into small pieces as you go. Allow the sausage to cool, mix together with the goat cheese and a pinch of celery salt. Set aside.  

Remove the internal stem and pollen from the blossoms and rinse the exterior to remove any dirt. Whisk egg in a bowl and place flour in a second bowl. Heat about a 1/2" of oil in a cast iron skillet for frying. Stuff each blossom with 1 T of cheese mixture. Dip each blossom in the egg and then dredge in the flour. Shallow fry a few blossoms at a time to keep from overcrowding the pan. Once golden brown, remove to paper towels to drain and sprinkle with a little more celery salt while still hot. Serve on their own as an appetizer or over a salad for a light lunch. Enjoy!