John “Johnny Sausage” Barbato, 72, of Staten Island, will spend two to six years in prison under his plea. He had faced up to 25 years had he been convicted at trial.

Rather than use a Dutch oven, this can be cooked in a pressure cooker for 12 minutes once high pressure is achieved. Oftentimes, Hoppin' John is made with the leftover Christmas ham and/or ham bone.

The next day, cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Use the back of a spoon to break up the sausage into bite-sized pieces. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, 3-4 minutes.