You know what a lifesaver ground beef can be when you're rushing to make dinner. Sausages deliver the same fast and easy recipe preparation, with the added convenience of robust flavor.

However, if you're cooking for two, you're getting more meat or poultry in a package than you're going to serve in a meal, and the leftovers are highly perishable.

Raw sausage can be frozen for up to two months, giving you the base for meals weeks from now.

Purchase sausage as links, which are more versatile than bulk sausage and easier to portion out into meals. Set aside two links for dinner. Wrap the remainder, two to a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Label with the name and date and tuck the sausage into the freezer.

Thaw the sausage in the refrigerator overnight.

Remove sausage meat from its casings and use in place of ground beef in chili, meatballs or meat sauce for spaghetti. Or leave the links intact for this mouth-watering concoction. It calls for chicken- or turkey-based sausage, which deliver the taste and texture you enjoy in sausage, but less fat and fewer calories than their red-meat counterparts.