Italian Sausage Loaf

Give refrigerated French bread dough an easy but delicious makeover by rolling cooked Italian sausage and toasted fennel seeds into the dough. Substitute crushed red pepper for the fennel seeds to give the loaf a spicy twist.

oz. bulk Italian sausage 1 tablespoon fennel seeds 2 (11-oz.) cans refrigerated French bread dough 1. Heat medium skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook sausage 6 to 8 minutes or until browned and no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks. Add fennel seeds halfway through cooking. (Sausage can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.)

Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Gently unroll one loaf of dough; sprinkle with half of the sausage mixture. Roll up, starting at long edge; place, seam-side down, on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, placing several inches apart from first loaf. Spray tops with cooking spray. With sharp knife, slash tops of loaves every 1 to 1 1/2 inches.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

(2-slice) servings PER SERVING : 285 calories, 8.5 g total fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 11 g protein, 40 g carbohydrate, 10 mg cholesterol, 705 mg sodium, 2.5 g fiber