Scrapple is (was) the traditional New Year’s Day breakfast. We’d have it other times throughout the year but it was "always" black-eyed peas and cornbread with mustard greens for dinner December 31st and Scrapple the next morning. It was a favorite of my mother as she was growing up too.

 

Stella Lincoln’s Scrapple

From about 1895

(Carl’s grandmother)

 

1 Lb. Well seasoned pork sausage (I use Jimmy Deans, now)

  2 & ½ Cup water

1 & ¼ Cup yellow corn meal

(you may vary water and corn meal as you try it in various consistencies)

Break up sausage and cook in boiling water for 20 minutes, or so (until you are sure it is fully cooked). (I use a hand electric mixer to make sure the sausage gets evenly separated.)

Add corn meal by sprinkling through fingers while stirring vigorously (so it will not lump) until it is the consistency in which a wooden spoon will stand up in the middle, alone (practice makes perfect).

(Grandma Lincoln used a wooden spoon to stir in the corn meal.  I use a hand mixer or any spoon.)

Have a loaf pan greased (I use Pam). Mold immediately in loaf pan and refrigerate covered. Press in firmly and make sure it is packed in well.

After 12-14 hours, slice into ½ inch slices, dust with flour and fry in butter (margarine doesn't work) until brown on both sides.

Serve with molasses, syrup, or jam or whatever you like.

I have tried to cut down on the fat content by refrigerating the sausage and water overnight and then taking off the hardened fat. Then, re-heating and mixing in the corn meal. BUT, it just didn’t taste the same.

It is called scrapple because originally it was made from scraps of whatever was around. Mostly scraps from pigs.