Spinach Pesto and Sausage Strata

I enjoy pesto but don't make or eat it very often.  I saw this recipe called for jarred pesto and knew jarred would be much easier than making my own.  I wasn't sure if the kids had ever tried pesto before.  Let's just say that they're not fans of the stuff!  Please note, there's a "Mommy & Daddy Rating" below, rather than a "Family Rating!" This dish was tasty.  The pesto added a nice flavor with the sausage, bread, and cheeses.  However, this dish does have a decent amount of prep work involved AND 45 minutes of cooking.  Definitely not a quick and easy meal.  Plus, when I have to use the food processor, mixing bowls, and fry pans....well....as much as a fan I am of cooking, I'm not really a fan of doing dishes.  My husband will tell me to "leave the dishes, I'll do them when I get home."  But really, after working all day I'm NOT going to have him wash all of the dishes.  Plus, I'm a clean as you cook type of person.  So while this dish was cooking, the pots and pans got washed.  Needless to say, if you like pesto AND you have some time, definitely give this recipe a try. It was tasty!  I'm sure homemade peso would taste even better!  However, I do not recommend this meal if you are short on time!

Spinach Pesto and Sausage Strata
recipe adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray, April 2013

Ingredients:
6 ounces fresh spinach (6 cups packed)
1/3cup jarred pesto
Salt and pepper
3 eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1/2cup grated parmesan
3/4cup sliced scallions
9 ounces italian sausage, casings removed
1 10 ounce loaf Italian bread, sliced 1/2-inch thick
2/3 cup ricotta
2 cups grated swiss cheese

Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . In a food processor, puree 2 cups spinach with the pesto; season with salt and pepper.

2.In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, parmesan cheese, and scallions. Season with salt and pepper.

3.In a nonstick skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat, breaking it up, until cooked, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl. Reduce heat to medium and cook the remaining spinach until wilted, about 1 minute; chop.

4.Using half of the ingredients: Arrange bread in a 7-by-11-inch baking dish, spread on pesto, then ricotta; pour in egg mixture and top with spinach, sausage and swiss. Repeat. Let stand for 10 minutes, pressing to soak.

5.Bake the strata until puffed and browned, about 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Mommy & Daddy Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Roasted Red Pepper and Italian Sausage Frittata

I had a bunch of eggs in the fridge and was looking for a recipe to use some of them up.  I recently rediscovered the blog Closet Cooking and was busy bookmarking tons of recipes.  This one was perfect since I  already had sausage in the freezer.  Of course, I roasted my own red pepper for this recipe.  You do NOT need to roast your own pepper.  Since the pepper is mixed in with the a lot of other ingredients I felt that the effort was unnecessary.  However, this dish is totally worth making!  It's really tasty and besides me roasting the pepper, was quick and easy too!  We all enjoyed this. 

Roasted Red Pepper and Italian Sausage Frittata
recipe from Closet Cooking

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 large eggs
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano, grated
1 large roasted red pepper, diced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup marinara sauce
1 cup mozzarella, grated
1 handful parsley, chopped, optional

Directions:
1.Heat the oil in an oven proof pan over medium heat.

2.Add the sausage and cook until it has just browned all over, breaking it apart as you go.

3.Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

4.Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.

5.Mix the eggs, parmigiano reggiano, roasted red pepper, sausage, onions, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

6.Pour the egg mixture into the pan and cook until the eggs are almost set, about 10-15 minutes.

7.Transfer the pan into a preheated 400F oven and let the eggs finish cooking, about 10 minutes.

8.Pour the marinara sauce over the frittata, sprinkle on the cheese and broil until the cheese has melted, about 2-4 minutes.

9.Serve immediately, garnished with chopped parsley.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Italian Sausage Alfredo

I know the weather is getting warmer and you're thinking lighter, healthier dishes.  I made this dish back in the beginning of April when the weather was still cool, and have been meaning to post it.  This dish is the perfect comfort food and it was super tasty!  So pin this, bookmark it, save it, for a day when you want something warm and comforting.  Now, I ended up making the sweet potato gnocchi from scratch.  However, for a quick and easy weeknight dinner I highly recommend buying the gnocchi (I've never seen frozen sweet potato gnocchi, so regular gnocchi would be just fine too!).  Then all you need to do is make the sauce.  This dish has lots of flavors and like I said, is really tasty!  The kids were able to pick out the tomatoes and mushrooms but did enjoy the gnocchi, sausage, and sauce.  I will definitely be making this again come the fall....but not the homemade gnocchi!

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Italian Sausage Alfredo
recipe from Lauren's Latest

Ingredients:
for the Sweet Potato Gnocchi:
1 cup cooked pureed sweet potato
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter

for the Italian Sausage Alfredo:
1 lb. Italian Sausage
1 cup diced onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 cups chopped mushrooms
2 cups lightly packed spinach, chopped
1-15 oz. jar alfredo or four cheese rosa sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
salt & pepper, to taste
fresh diced tomatoes
parmesan cheese
fresh basil

Directions:
For the sweet potato gnocchi- In a large bowl, stir pureed sweet potato, egg and salt together until combined. Slowly incorporate flour by hand (do not use a stand mixer) until just combined. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Flour each piece liberally as well as a clean work surface. Roll each piece into a long rope about 12 inches for fatter gnocchi or 16 inches for thinner gnocchi. Cut rope of dough into gnocchi pieces about 1/2 inch per piece. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and place gnocchi onto prepared pan. Dust with more flour to prevent sticking. Repeat with remaining dough.

To cook, bring large pot of very salty water to rolling boil. Drop gnocchi into hot water working in small batches. Stir pasta around to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot or each other. Cook about 3 minutes or until gnocchi floats to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon into a large bowl and stir in 1/2 tablespoon butter to coat hot gnocchi. Repeat until all is cooked. Set aside.

To make the Italian Sausage Alfredo, heat a large heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat. Break italian sausage into hot pan and stir continuously to break apart and cook thoroughly. Remove sausage from pan into a paper towel lined bowl. Set aside. Pan should still have some sausage drippings left in the bottom. Saute onion in pan until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, mushrooms and spinach. Cook another 3 minutes to wilt spinach and allow garlic to get fragrant. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in jar of pasta sauce. Pour heavy cream into empty jar of pasta sauce, replace lid and shake to ‘clean it out’. Pour cream into pan. Stir in remaining seasonings and cooked sausage. Cook 10 minutes. Serve sauce hot over top sweet potato gnocchi or plain pasta and top with fresh tomatoes, fresh basil and parmesan cheese.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up.

This post is shared at:
Mix it Up Monday @ Flour Me with Love
Manic Monday Party @ Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
Melt in Your Mouth Monday @ Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms
Recipe Sharing Monday @ Jam Hands

Ravioli and Sausage Skillet

Ravioli makes for a quick and easy weeknight meal. Especially, the store-bought frozen, already made kind!  This dish is a perfect winter meal.  It takes basic ravioli and steps it up a little into a hearty and filling dish.  This meal was super easy to make and something that the whole family enjoyed.  While not gourmet it's a step up from ravioli and a jar of pasta sauce!  This made enough that allowed us to have plenty of leftovers.

Ravioli and Sausage Skillet
recipe adapted from Dashrecipes.com

Yield:  8 servings

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
1 (14.5-oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 ½ cups water
8-oz shredded Italian cheese blend, divided
25-oz frozen mini round cheese ravioli
4-oz Parmesan cheese, grated
6 basil leaves, chopped

Directions:
1. In a large skillet over medium high heat; add olive oil. Remove sausage from casings and crumble into skillet. Stir occasionally until cooked through.

2. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, garlic and onion powders, salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Add water, stir well. Add ravioli and cover. Cook 10 minutes or until ravioli is tender, stirring occasionally.

3. Preheat oven to broil.

4. Add 4 ounces of Italian cheese blend to skillet and gently fold in to combine. Sprinkle the remaining 4 ounces over the top of the skillet.

5. Place skillet in oven for 2-4 minutes until the top is bubbly and golden brown.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Sausage Broccoli Rabe Risotto

My husband and I enjoy risotto but it's a time-consuming dish (and not in the takes a while in the oven....I mean active, stirring, cooking time).  I had torn this recipe out of Food Network magazine back when I still had a subscription and have been meaning to make it for awhile.  I recently bought some sausage and with the cold weather, risotto sounded really good.  The grocery store didn't have broccolini, which was what the original recipe called for, so I substituted broccoli rabe.  I was a little skeptical of this recipe because it cooks in a Dutch Oven with little stirring involved.  I have previously tried making risotto in a slow cooker with little luck.  I figured the constant stirring was key.  However, we were pleasantly surprised at how good this turned out!  The flavors were really good.  Even leftover this was super tasty.  I'm not a huge fan of leftovers, but ended up eating this for lunch two days in a row.  This is definitely worth repeating!

Sausage Broccoli Rabe Risotto
recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com, courtesy of Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bunch broccoli rabe, roughly chopped (about 8 ounces)
12 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a Dutch oven or ovenproof pot over high heat. Add the broccoli rabe and stir-fry until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon. Add the sausage, onion and carrot to the pot and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, about 5 more minutes. Add the rice and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 more minute.

Add the wine to the pot and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and 1 cup water; cover and bring to a boil. Transfer the pot to the oven and bake until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove the pot from the oven. (Don't worry if the risotto seems wet; it will thicken when you add the cheese.) Vigorously stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the cheese until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the broccoli rabe and divide among bowls.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

This post is shared at:
Tasty Tuesdays @ 33 Shades of Green
Show Me What You Got Tuesdays @ Our Delightful Home
Totally Tasty Tuesdays @ Mandy's Recipe Box

Biscuit-Crusted Sausage-Egg Pie

My kids love eggs and breakfast for dinner is always a hit in our house.  Unfortunately, this was one of those recipes that sounded quick and easy, but that I should have read through to plan out my timing.  When I went to make this at 5:30 after taking the kids to tae kwon do, I discovered that there was quite a bit of prep work AND almost a half hour of cooking time involved.  So, by the time this was on the table it was about 6:45 that we were eating.  Fortunately, we all enjoyed this alot!  Even my daughter, who hates pretty much all cheese, ate all of her piece and even asked for some for lunch the next day.  I guess she didn't taste the feta! Because this recipe only called for 4 pieces of biscuit dough and 2 ounces of feta and the biscuits came in 8 pieces and the feta came in 4 ounces, I just doubled everything and made two.  Then we had leftovers for breakfast for a couple of days.

Biscuit-Crusted Sausage-Egg Pie
recipe very slightly adapted from EveryDay with Rachael Ray, May 2009

Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound bulk pork breakfast sausage
1 teaspoon oregano
4 pieces refrigerated biscuit dough, such as Pillsbury
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
4 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees . In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and oregano and cook, breaking up the sausage, until just browned, about 5 minutes. Drain and let cool.

2.Grease a 9-inch pie pan with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Place 1 piece biscuit dough into a large resealable plastic bag and, using a rolling pin, roll into a 1/8-inch-thick disk. Remove the dough from the bag and transfer to the prepared pie pan. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces, pinching the pieces together in the pan to form a crust.

3.In a large bowl, combine the cooked sausage, onion and feta; spread evenly over the crust. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the sausage mixture and bake until set, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Family rating: 2 thumbs up!

Free-Form Lasagna

I enjoy eating lasagna but it can take some time to make.  Without some prep work, it's usually not a weeknight meal.  This recipe takes the ingredients of a  lasagna without a lot of the work. However, I definitely prefer the taste of a traditional lasagna.....hard work and all!  While this was easier to make, it definitely wasn't a favorite.

Free-Form Lasagna
recipe from all*you, July 2012

Ingredients:
Salt
8 ounces sweet or hot Italian sausage, removed from casing
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups ricotta (not nonfat)
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
12 lasagna noodles, each broken in half

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

2. Cook sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up large pieces, until it loses its pink color, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, oregano and 1/2 tsp. salt, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thick, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

3. Combine ricotta, Parmesan and basil in a medium microwave-safe bowl.

4. Add noodles to boiling water; cook until just tender, 10 minutes or as package label directs. Just before noodles are done, microwave ricotta mixture on high for 30 seconds, stirring once. Drain noodles well.

5. Spread 1 1/2 Tbsp. sauce on each of 4 dinner plates. Place a noodle on top and spread with 1 1/2 Tbsp. cheese mixture. Top with 1 1/2 Tbsp. sauce. Repeat with noodles, cheese mixture and sauce, ending with a layer of sauce. Sprinkle Parmesan on top. Serve, passing additional Parmesan.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.  

Sausage Pizza Joes

I saw this recipe and knew it would be a hit.  Pizza and sausage?  My kids love both.  And an added plus was that this recipe was super easy.  The original recipe called for mushrooms and any other veggies of your choice.  I chose not to add any and just served some veggies on the side.  I thought that this was super tasty.  My daughter really enjoyed it but my son wasn't really digging it.  I will totally admit that I'm really not into messy eating....and this is super messy to pick up and eat.  So I ended up eating it with a fork and knife.  If you want a superquick and tasty weeknight dinner, this is it!

Sausage Pizza Joes
recipe slightly adapted from Edesia's Notebook

Ingredients:
Olive oil
½ large onion, chopped
1 lb. ground Italian sausage
14 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Hamburger buns

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat olive oil and sauté onions. When soft, add sausage and break up with a spoon. Cook until sausage is completely cooked through. Drain off grease. Pour in pizza sauce and stir to combine.

Place sausage mixture on buns and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Serve warm.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up. 

Rustic Pasta Alfredo with Three-Cheese Italian Sausage

I bought a package of Johnsonville Three-Cheese Italian Style Sausage.  I wasn't sure how I was going to prepare and serve them.  When I was putting them in the freezer I happened to notice the recipe printed on the back of the package.  It actually looked tasty and interesting, so I decided to go with it. Unfortunately, I found the sausage to have a funny texture.  Besides that though this dish couldn't be beat for convenience.  If you're in a rush and want a quick, home-cooked dinner, this is it.  I think any type of cooked sausage would work well in this dish.  I don't normally buy jarred alfredo sauce, but it was a nice change from the regular jarred sauce we usually have. Besides picking out the veggies that they didn't like, the kids ate the pasta and sausage. Like I mentioned, I wasn't a big fan of the sausage (and lucky me, I have another package in the freezer!.  But this was so convenient to make and the kids ate it, so I'm happy.

Rustic Pasta Alfredo with Three-Cheese Italian Sausage
recipe slightly adapted from back of package and at the johnsonville website

Ingredients:
1 package (12 ounce) penne pasta, uncooked
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 small yellow squash, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1tablespoon olive oil
1package (13.5 ounce) JOHNSONVILLE® Three-Cheese Italian smoked sausage, sliced
1 jar (15 ounce) Alfredo sauce
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a large skillet, sauté the zucchini, squash, onion, and garlic in oil until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the sausage, Alfredo sauce, pepper, basil, oregano and thyme; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes longer or until heated through.

Drain pasta; stir into sausage mixture. 

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

The Weekend Chef: Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomato Quiche

I know it's not the weekend but with my internet down for a couple of days I'm really behind on posts.  Plus, I wanted to share with you this delicious recipe that my husband, a.k.a. "The Weekend Chef" made for our California themed supper club dinner last month.  I think he was stretching it a bit with the sun-dried tomatoes from California bit, but I'm glad he made this because it was delicious!  The salty sausage with the sweet tomatoes....yum! Since refrigerated pie crusts come with two crusts, he ended up doubling the recipe and saving half of the filling mixture and we had this for dinner another night.  It was really that good!  And we discovered that our son likes sun-dried tomatoes! Unfortunately, this does take a bit of time to bake in the oven, but if you premade the filling the night before and just had to bake it this could possibly be a weeknight dinner.  

Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomato Quiche
Recipe from allrecipes.com by Stephanie

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
1 (9 inch) frozen pie crust, thawed
1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
2 shallots, chopped
1 clove clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
4 eggs
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1.Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line pie pan with pie crust, and prick several places with a fork. Place a double layer of aluminum foil over the crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes, and then remove foil. Continue baking until crust begins to set, about 5 minutes; remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.In a large skillet, cook sausage until well browned, stirring frequently. Mix in shallots and garlic, and continue cooking for 1 minute. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and 1 tablespoon parsley. Spread mixture into the bottom of the warm pie crust.

3.In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with cream. Stir in cheese. Pour mixture over sausage in pie crust. Sprinkle remaining parsley over the top.

4.Bake in preheated oven until crust browns and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

Italian Meatball Sliders

This recipe got moved up on my "to make pile" sooner after I saw a reader's rave review in my most recent issue of Cooking Light.  It worked out perfectly also that I had 8 ounces of leftover pork from another recipe and 2 sausage links in the freezer!  I was able to use our own basil that was grown on our deck.  These were really easy to make and tasted soooo good!  The kids enjoyed them too, another plus.  I would definitely make these again!

Italian Meatball Sliders
recipe slightly adapted from cooking light, March 2012


Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 shallots, finely diced
1/3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 ounces lean ground pork
2 (4-ounce) links turkey Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups lower-sodium marinara sauce
12 slider buns, toasted
12 basil leaves

Preparation:
1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat; swirl to coat. Add garlic and shallots to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until shallots are softened, stirring frequently. Combine shallot mixture, ricotta, and next 6 ingredients (through egg) in a medium bowl. Shape mixture into 12 (1-inch) meatballs; flatten each meatball slightly.

2. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan. Add meatballs to pan; cook 6 minutes, turning once. Add marinara sauce; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until meatballs are done. Top bottom half of each bun with 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce, 1 meatball, 1 basil leaf, and top half of bun.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up.

Italian Sausage and Artichoke Stuffed Shells

Before today's recipe, I had never made stuffed shells.  Yes, this week we had a lot of pasta....and artichokes! Yesterday's Spaghetti used marinated artichokes, this recipe uses canned artichoke hearts.  We had two leftover sausage that I wanted to use up, and this recipe only needed two sausage....perfect! I knew the kids wouldn't eat the artichokes so I made them some ravioli but again, gave them the each 1/2 of a stuffed shell to try.  I ended up using jarred spaghetti sauce (something that I rarely use).  Overall, this dish was tasty, but a bit time consuming.  Definitely not a quick week night meal!

Italian Sausage and Artichoke Stuffed Shells
recipe slightly adapted from The Captivating Life

Ingredients:
1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce, divided
1/2 a box of Jumbo pasta shells
2 spicy Italian sausages, finely chopped
2 canned artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, diced
Penzys Pasta Sprinkle
Olive oil
1 1/2 cups of ricotta cheese
1 egg
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a large baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta shells until they are al dente. Drain and set aside. Put the tomato sauce in a saucepan and heat through.

Fry the garlic, Italian sausage and artichoke hearts in olive oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle Penzys Pasta Sprinkle, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook until the sausage is browned and then drain the fat.

Mix the ricotta and egg together until it is smooth. Add some salt and pepper and a ladleful of tomato sauce and mix well. Add the sausage mixture to the ricotta and combine everything together well.

Put a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the greased baking dish. Stuff the shells with a couple of tablespoons of the filling and set them on the tomato sauce in the baking dish.

Cover the shells with the remaining tomato sauce and then sprinkle them with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is nicely browned.


Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up!

Velveeta Italian Sausage Bake

Awhile back I bought a block of velveeta cheese, planning to make something, which of course I never did.  Luckily, I was searching through my cabinets for something and found it and happened to notice that the use by date was coming up in about two weeks.  So, off I went on a search for velveeta recipes!  I found this one at one my favorite sites Moms Crazy Cooking.  I have to say that I'm not a big fan of the block of cheese.  The kids ate this up and even had it for lunch the next day.  But it was cheesy and had salty meat (sausage!), so of course they loved it!  If only I loved it as much as they did would it earn a 2 thumbs up.  This is one of those dishes that requires a little prep and then cook time, but during the cook time I can get the kids showered!

Velveeta Italian Sausage Bake
recipe slightly adapted from Moms Crazy Cooking

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups Penne pasta
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 small zucchini, halved and sliced
1 can (6 oz.) tomato sauce
1 Tablespoon Penzys Pasta Sprinkle
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preparation:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta as directed on package. Brown sausage in large skillet on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to break up sausage. Drain; return sausage to skillet. Stir in zucchini, tomato sauce and pasta sprinkle; cook 5 to 6 min. or until zucchini is crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta; Add to sausage mixture with velveeta cheese; mix lightly. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with Parmesan. Bake 15 to 20 min. or until heated through.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Sausage, Peppers, and Onion Hash Hoagies

My kids love sausage and I'm always up for a sausage and pepper roll.  I thought this sounded interesting with the addition of potatoes.  Who doesn't love extra carbs?!!  I ended up omitting the cayenne pepper to make it kid friendly.  Most of the time in making this recipe was peeling and boiling the potatoes.  It's a step that you can probaby do the night/day before to make this a quick weeknight dinner.  Although it was tasty, it really doesn't need the potatoes.  I of course don't mind the extra carbs, but it really seemed a bit much with the roll! 

Sausage, Peppers, and Onion Hash Hoagies
EveryDay With Rachael Ray, October 2011

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 pound bulk sweet italian sausage
1 onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound yukon gold potatoes, boiled and sliced
Salt and pepper
4 hoagie rolls, split

Directions:
Heat EVOO in large skillet and cook sausage over medium heat until browned, about 8 minutes; transfer to paper towel. Cook onion, bell pepper, garlic and cayenne in sausage drippings until soft, about 5 minutes. Add sausage and potatoes to pan and cook for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Pile onto rolls.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Recipe Repeat: Chicken Sausage and Provolone Penne Bake

Prior to starting this blog, after I made a recipe, I'd highlight it in the cookbook (or tear out) but not really give much detail as to whether it was any good or not (which = not very helpful). As I clean out my recipe binder and folders I'm trying recipes that I've already made (though they were probably made years ago!) to see if they really are worth of repeating or saving.  I've made this recipe before and I know when I first made it, I thought it was pretty good.  Making it recently for the second time, I wasn't really wowed. Don't get me wrong.  It's not a bad dish.  I used apple chicken sausage which gave the dish a sweet taste.  It's a change from regular pasta and sauce.  Maybe I just knew what to expect since I'd make it before.  The kids ate it up, minus the tomatoes, because they love pasta and sausage.  And while there is some prep time and 15 minutes of simmering, there is also 25 minutes of cook time which allows time to take care of other things while dinner is finishing cooking.

Chicken Sausage and Provolone Penne Bake
Cooking Light, January 2005

Yield:  8 servings (1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients:
1 pound uncooked penne (tube-shaped pasta)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 (12-ounce) package sweet basil and pine nut chicken sausage (such as Gerhard's), halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation:
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, sausage, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until sausage is browned. Add tomato paste and next 5 ingredients (through diced tomatoes); cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

Combine pasta and tomato mixture; spoon into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Sausage, Mushroom, Potato Gratin

My kids are big sausage eaters.  Although they are not mushroom eaters I saw this recipe and wanted to try it.  The original recipe called for turkey sausage, which I didn't have.  So I subsituted regular Italian sausage. I actually made this dish a couple of weeks ago, when the weather was still a bit chilly out. This was such a great warm, comfort food type of dish. I loved the  combination of the earthy mushrooms mixed with the sweetness of the onions, and the saltiness of the swiss cheese.  There was a little bit of prep work.  And though the dish, once prepared has to cook for 30 minutes, it gave me enough time to put it in the oven and give the kids their showers. My daughter ate everything but the mushrooms, though she did try one.  My son just ate the sausage...go figure!

Sausage, Mushroom, Potato Gratin
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, November 2011

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 (4-ounce) sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups chopped onion
4 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
Cooking spray
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage to pan, and sauté for 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove sausage from pan; drain. Wipe pan with paper towels. Melt butter in pan. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms; sauté 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes and salt; sauté 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.

3. Stir in sausage and broth. Remove from heat. Spoon potato mixture into an 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with cheese. Cover and bake at 400° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until golden.

Family Rating:  1 1/2 thumbs up.

I shared this recipe at:
Our Delightful Home
Mandy's Recipe Box
Tuesday at the Table

Apple-Sausage Mac and Cheese

What child doesn't love mac and cheese?!  I have to admit, I always have the boxed stuff in the house, so if we have a lunch emergency there's always something to feed the kids!  However, it's always nice and really easy to make homemade mac and cheese.  Of course I'm always looking for new mac and cheese recipes to try.  I liked this one because it incorporated the apple sausage. My kids are big sausage eaters, so I thought by incorporating the two they'd be fans.  Well, I was right about one of them!  My son decided to take one bite of pasta and decided that he didn't like it.  My daughter on the other hand ate all of hers and took some for lunch the next day. This did require a bit of preparation and then had to bake for 25-30 minutes.  If you have the extra time it can be a weeknight meal.  Otherwise, depending on the size of your family, if you make this on a weekend you may have enough for leftovers for another night (or in our case, for lunches!).

Apple-Sausage Mac and Cheese
Recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine, September 2011

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
Kosher salt
1 pound pasta (I used wheel-shaped)
1/2 cup diced onion
6 ounces chicken-apple sausage, sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 tablespoons mustard 
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups apple juice
1 pound marbled cheddar & monterey jack cheese, shredded (4 cups)
1/2 cup sour cream
35 small butter crackers (1 sleeve Ritz), crushed

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2 1/2 -quart baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes (check package directions). Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage, mustard, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the sausage is golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the apple juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 8 more minutes.

Slowly stir about three-quarters each of the monterey jack and cheddar cheese into the sauce until smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the pasta and sour cream. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the crushed crackers and the remaining cheese. Bake until bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Sausage Crepesadillas

My children love sausage!  I know it's not the healthiest for them and I could substitute in turkey sausage recipes.  I also like looking for new ways to cook with it.  This recipe looked interesting.  This is probably the only time a crepe pan would come in handy!  It took me awhile to get the hang of it (the first couple of crepes just broke into pieces) but by the end I was getting nice round crepes.  Unfortunately, this is one of the few Rachel Ray recipes that I've been disappointed in.  I liked the play on the French/Mexican theme but I think I'd rather a real quesadilla.  The crepe was just too mushy. I think this would make a great dish using tortillas in place of the crepes and having a Sausage Quesadilla!

Sausage Crepesadillas
Every Day with Rachael Ray, February 2010
4 Servings
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 20 min

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings discarded
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
1/2 cup prepared tomato salsa

Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a blender, mix the milk, eggs, flour and salt for 1 minute.

2.In a large nonstick skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat; transfer to a bowl. Add 2 teaspoons butter and the onion to the skillet and cook until softened; transfer to the bowl. Wipe out the skillet.

3.In the skillet, heat 1/2 teaspoon butter over medium heat. Pour 1/3 cup batter into the pan, swirling, and cook until golden. Flip and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining butter and batter to make a total of 8 crêpes.

4.Divide the cheese, sausage-onion mixture, cilantro and salsa among 4 of the crêpes. Top with the remaining crêpes and bake until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. Cut into quarters.

Family Rating: So-so.

Matzo-Pizza Lasagna

I know, you're looking at the title of the recipe thinking matzo??!  I am embarrassed to say that I still had an unopened box of matzo from last Passover. But matzo doesn't go bad does it?!!!  So, I figured I'd try using some of it up before this Passover arrived.  I actually made this a couple of weekends ago and am only getting to post it now. Like most lasgana recipes, this is not a quick weeknight recipe.  However, if you make it over the weekend like I did, we were able to enjoy leftovers for lunch during the week.  This was surprisingly tasty and different.  It had all of the flavors of pizza layered like a lasagna.  My children are big sausage and pepperoni lovers so I thought this would go over well with them.  I don't think my son even took a bite but my daughter enjoyed it.

Matzo-Pizza Lasagna
Everyday With Rachael Ray, October 2011

Ingredients:
4 tbsp. EVOO
10 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
8 oz. italian sausage (sweet or hot), casings removed
4 cups jarred marinara sauce
5–6 square sheets matzo
1 container (15 oz.) ricotta cheese, preferably fresh
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup thinly sliced pepperoni
1 tsp. dried oregano

Directions:
1.In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp. EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until golden and tender, about 5 minutes; transfer to a plate.

2.In the same pan, heat the remaining 2 tbsp. EVOO over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the sausage, crumbling with a wooden spoon, and cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3.Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°. Lightly grease an 8-inch square glass baking dish and add 1 cup marinara to the bottom, tilting to coat. Top with 1 matzo. Break off a piece from another matzo to evenly cover the bottom. Layer on 1/2 cup marinara, the mushroom mixture, half the ricotta, 1/2 cup marinara and 1/2 cup mozzarella.

4.Add another layer of matzo, 1 cup marinara, the sausage mixture, the remaining ricotta, 1/2 cup marinara and a final layer of matzo. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup marinara and 1 cup mozzarella, then with the pepperoni and oregano.

5.Cover snugly with foil, set on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan and bake until golden and bubbling, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before cutting.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.