Lasagna Bean Skillet

 

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound mild ground Italian sausage (optional, but highly recommended)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup) 
6 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. Italian seasoning blend
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (16-ounce) cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp. kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese (or blend equivalent amount of cottage cheese)
1 1/2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Fresh basil leaves for garnish, optional

Crusty bread for serving, optional

Directions

1. In a large broiler-safe skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add sausage, if using, and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon to break into small chunks, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl or plate using a slotted spoon; leave drippings in skillet. (If not using sausage, proceed directly to Step 2.)

2. Add onion to skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring often, until garlic is fragrant and tomato paste has darkened in color, about 2 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, beans, salt, and reserved sausage, if using. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly reduced and flavors have melded, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Meanwhile, set oven rack to upper-middle position, about 6 inches from top, and preheat broiler on high. Dollop the top of sauced beans with ricotta, then sprinkle evenly with mozzarella and Parmesan. Broil until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Garnish with basil and serve with bread, if desired.

Notes: Easy, quick, hearty, healthy, tasty! Everyone in the family enjoyed this one, and I anticipate we will eat it many times more. I had pre-cooked great northern beans, but the original recipe calls for butterbeans. I personally prefer great northern or navy beans to butterbeans. The Italian sausage is a must in my opinion. It lends a lot of flavor, but of course it can be omitted. I didn't have ricotta on hand so I blended up some cottage cheese to dollop on top. It was the perfect substitute!  

Source: Serious Eats

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

 

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 c. uncooked rice

3 c. chicken broth

14-16 oz. smoked sausage, sliced

1/2 lb. chicken breast, diced

1-2 Tbsp. oil

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. creole seasoning

14 oz. can diced tomatoes (undrained)

 

Directions

1.Bring 3 cups chicken broth to boil in a medium sauce pan. Add rice. Reduce heat to low, place lid on pan, and gently simmer for about 20 minutes, until rice is done. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes before removing lid and fluffing rice with a fork.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil. Add sausage and chicken and cook until sausage is browned and chicken is no longer pink. Remove from skillet and set aside.

3. If needed, add more oil to the skillet. Put onion, garlic, red and green bell peppers, celery, and seasonings. Saute until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomatoes and their liquid. Simmer for a couple minutes to heat through.

4. Once rice is finished cooking, add to skillet and stir until mixed in thoroughly with chicken, sausage, and vegetables. Ready to serve!

Notes: I was in the mood to try some jambalaya, so I went on the hunt for a good-looking recipe. We are not huge shrimp fans, so I opted for a combination of chicken and sausage. When looking for a recipe that called for both, what I found seemed a bit plain. So, I gathered ideas from several other recipes and made this up on the spot. It turned out really tasty! You could certainly make this with the traditional shrimp if you want. As I am posting this 5 months later, I think it's time to make it again.

Breakfast Burrito Fried Rice

Ingredients

8 oz. ground chorizo

2 eggs, beaten

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 tsp. cumin

1 cup frozen corn kernels

3 cups cooked rice

1 cup salsa

Salt

Grated cheddar cheese

Shredded lettuce

Directions

1. Brown chorizo in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon. Drain all but 1 tablespoon grease.
2. Add eggs to hot grease in skillet and push around with wooden spoon until barely set. Remove from pan; set aside.
3. Return chorizo to skillet. Add onion and bell pepper; cook until onion is translucent, 5 minutes. Add cumin and corn; cook 1 minute. Add rice and salsa; cook, stirring constantly, until rice breaks up and is heated through, and chorizo reaches a safe internal temperature of 160°F. Stir in reserved scrambled eggs. Season to taste with salt. Top with cheese and lettuce. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Notes: I knew I would enjoy this recipe based on the ingredients. It was also a hit with the rest of the family. We will be having this one again.

Source: clipped from a Kroger magazine we received in the mail. 

Loaded Breakfast Biscuits

Ingredients
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter, melted (divided - 2 Tbsp to oil cast iron pan and 2 Tbsp for brushing biscuits after baking)
1 pound ground breakfast sausage
4 eggs scrambled
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2/3 cup milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425° F.
2. In a large 12-inch cast iron skillet, crumble the sausage and saute until browned through.
3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. When the sausage is browned, drain well and then add to the flour mixture. Stir to combine until sausage is fully coated.
5. Drain any abundance of oil from the pan and then add the beaten eggs into the pan and cook to a soft scramble. Add the scrambled eggs to the flour mixture and stir to combine.
6. Next, add the cheese and milk. Stir the mixture until all the flour is incorporated and a slightly sticky dough forms. With a spoon, floured hands, or an ice cream scoop, drop biscuits into the buttered skillet or sheet pan.
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until biscuits are lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Brush the tops of the hot biscuits with melted butter. Serve warm.

Notes: These tasted good, but they came out more "loaded" than "biscuit" for us. The biscuit part was pretty dense. We might have taken them out before the biscuits were all the way cooked.

Source: Kitchen Dreaming

Biscuit Egg Casserole

Ingredients
1 can Grand Biscuits
1 package Jimmy Dean pre-cooked Sausage Crumbles
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 eggs beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Line bottom of greased 9x13 inch baking dish with biscuit dough, firmly pressing to seal.
3. Sprinkle with sausage and cheese.
4. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until blended; pour over sausage and cheese.
5. Bake 25-30 minutes or until set. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into squares; serve warm.

Notes: Conveniently we happened to have a can of Grand Biscuits that someone gave us! This was easy to make and we enjoyed it. For step 2 I had to press quite a bit on the biscuits to flatten them all out enough to get them to line the bottom. They also didn't want to seal together very well. I noticed when cutting into the casserole some of the biscuit had floated to the top, so I may not have done it correctly. (Oh, well.)

Source: Lil' Luna

Breakfast Crescent Ring

Ingredients
16 frozen potato tots
1/2 cup heavy cream
12 large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 strips bacon, cut into 1/2-inch wide pieces
6 ounces pork breakfast sausage, removed from casings and chopped
Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the pan
2 ounces American cheese, grated
1/2 cup grated white Cheddar (about 2 ounces)
Maple syrup, ketchup, hot sauce or white gravy, for dipping, optional
2 cans 8-count crescent rolls

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spread the tater tots on a baking sheet and bake until just golden brown and crispy, about 25 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the heavy cream, eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. 
3. Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crispy, 7 to 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off the bacon drippings and reserve 2 tablespoons. Add 1 tablespoon of the drippings and the sausage to the skillet and heat over medium-high. Cook, breaking up any large chunks with a wooden spoon, until cooked through and brown in some spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.  
4. Return the skillet over medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of bacon drippings. Once hot and shimmering, add the egg mixture and cook, stirring frequently, with a rubber spatula, until soft and fluffy and almost completely cooked through but still a bit runny, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a clean large bowl.  
5. Coat the back of a baking sheet with cooking spray. Unroll both cans of crescent dough and separate unto 16 triangles. Put a 5-inch ramekin in the center of the prepared baking sheet. Arrange the triangles in a ring around the ramekin so the short sides of the dough are touching the ramekin, overlapping slightly, and the pointed ends are facing outward (it should look like a giant sun).  
6. Spoon the egg mixture over the short ends of the triangles closest to the ramekin. Sprinkle the sausage on top of the eggs then sprinkle the bacon over the sausage. Cover the bacon with the American and Cheddar cheese. Top with the potato tots and remove the ramekin. Take hold of the pointed end of one of the triangles and fold it up and over the filling, tucking the tip under the bottom edge of dough to secure (the dough will not cover the filling completely but should cover the tater tots). Repeat with the remaining triangles (there will be some gaps where you can see the filling).  
7. Bake until the dough is golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Use a spatula to slide the ring off the baking sheet onto a platter. Serve with maple syrup, ketchup, hot sauce or white gravy if desired.

Notes: I've been looking for savory breakfast recipes to balance out all the sweet ones that I gravitate towards. This was really good and worth making again. It takes a lot of time, however. For various reasons I ended up cooking all of my filling ingredients the night before and just assembling and baking the ring in the morning. It worked fine doing it that way. I didn't want to use American cheese after my experience with the Egg McMuffin sandwich so I substituted regular cheddar. Also, I don't know why the recipe calls for sausage links when you just remove the casings. Ground sausage would have been quicker.

Source: Food Network

Cheesy Sausage, Broccoli, and Quinoa Casserole

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups water
2 cups uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
4 (4-oz.) links sweet chicken Italian sausage, casings removed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups whole milk
2 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
6 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Cooking spray
1/2 cup whole-wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Bring 2 1/2 cups water and quinoa to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 12 to 14 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove pan from heat; let stand 5 minutes.
3. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, carrot, and sausage; cook 7 minutes, stirring to crumble sausage. Remove sausage mixture to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
4. Add flour, butter, and garlic to drippings in pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add milk and stock; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat to medium; stir in broccoli, 2 teaspoons thyme, 3/8 teaspoon salt, 3/8 teaspoon black pepper, and red pepper. Cover and cook 2 minutes. Stir in quinoa and sausage mixture.
5. Coat 2 (8-inch) square microwave-safe glass or ceramic baking dishes with cooking spray. Divide quinoa mixture between dishes. Combine remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and panko in a bowl; add remaining 1 teaspoon thyme, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and cheddar. Sprinkle cheese mixture evenly over casseroles. Bake at 400°F for 18 minutes or until browned, or follow freezing instructions.

Notes: I changed this recipe a bit, and the next time I make it I will make a few more changes. I had leftover quinoa that I used. I only had about 1 1/2 or 2 cups cooked, but it was plenty. 2 cups of dry quinoa would be way too much. I used Kielbasa instead of Italian sausage because it was on sale. However, if I used Italian sausage, I would choose a mild Italian instead of sweet. I steamed my broccoli before adding it to the casserole, because I was worried it would not cook well in the oven. I shredded the carrots and sauted them at the end of sauteing the onions. Lastly, I found that 2 cups of milk and 2 cups of chicken stock as at least twice as much as what was needed (probably because I reduced the quinoa). I had to thicken the sauce even further, so I would keep the proportions for the roux as is written, and just do half the liquid and see how that worked out. All those changes being made, it turned out for a nice dish. Basically a healthier version of rice and broccoli casserole.

Source: My Recipes

One Pan Healthy Sausage and Veggies

Ingredients

2 cups (~1 small) red potato
3/4 pound green beans
1 large head of broccoli (~ 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups chopped bell peppers 2 large or 6-7 mini sweet bell peppers
9 oz. smoked sausage (we used Kielbasa)
6 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, optional
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Serve with: fresh parsley, quinoa/rice, lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line a large sheet pan with foil or parchment paper.
3. Prep the veggies: chop the red potatoes (dice into small pieces so they will be tender in time), trim the green beans and halve, chop the broccoli, chop the peppers into thick squares, and coin the sausage in thick slices.
4. Place all the veggies and sausage on a sheet pan. Pour the olive oil and all the spices on top. Toss to evenly coat all the veggies and meat.
5. Bake 15 minutes, remove from the oven and flip/stir all the veggies around. Return to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender and sausage is browned.
6. If desired, sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the veggies and sausage as soon as they come out of the oven.
7. Enjoy with rice or quinoa and fresh parsley if desired.

 Notes: Simple and tasty. Made this in May of 2019 and am just now posting it...

Source: Chelsea's Messy Apron

French Toast Roll-Ups

Ingredients

Roll-Ups:
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
12 slices soft white sandwich bread
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Confectioners' sugar, for serving
Maple syrup, for serving

Banana-Strawberry:
2 bananas, halved and thinly sliced
12 medium strawberries, roughly chopped

Blueberry and Cream Cheese:
1/4 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups blueberries

Apple-Peanut Butter:
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 apple, thinly sliced and cut into matchsticks

Sausage and Cheese:
6 thin slices Cheddar, halved
12 pre-cooked breakfast sausage links

Directions

1. For the roll-ups: Whisk together the eggs, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl until completely combined. Set aside until ready to use.
2. Using a rolling pin, roll each slice of bread to flatten and make more pliable. Trim the crust off each slice.
3. For the banana-strawberry: Arrange a few slices of banana along the bottom edge of a slice of bread making a 1-inch strip of banana all the way across. Top with a line of chopped strawberries (about 1 tablespoon), being careful not to put too many down or you might not be able to roll it up. Starting with the side of the bread with the fruit, carefully roll into a tight log so that the fruit is snugly wrapped in bread. Continue with remaining bread and fruit.
4. For the blueberry and cream cheese: Spread 1 teaspoon cream cheese in a 3/4-inch strip along the bottom of a slice of bread. Top with 2 rows of blueberries (about 2 to 3 tablespoons) being careful not to put too many down or you might not be able to roll it up. Starting with the side of the bread with the fruit, carefully roll into a tight log so that the fruit is snugly wrapped in bread. Continue with the remaining bread and fillings.
5. For the apple-peanut butter: Spread 1 teaspoon peanut butter in a 3/4-inch strip along the bottom of a slice of bread. Top with some apple, being careful not to put too much down or you might not be able to roll it up. Starting with the side of the bread with the fruit, carefully roll into a tight log so that the fruit is snugly wrapped in bread. Continue with the remaining bread and fillings.
6. For the sausage and cheese: Lay half a slice of Cheddar along the bottom of a slice of bread. Top with a cooked sausage link. Starting with the side of the bread with the sausage, carefully roll into a tight log so that the sausage is snugly wrapped in bread. Continue with the remaining bread, cheese and sausages.
7. For cooking: Dip each roll-up in the reserved egg mixture and turn to coat all sides, making sure that the egg seals up the exposed edge so that the roll-up doesn't unravel. Repeat with the remaining roll-ups.
8. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook half of the roll-ups, gently pressing down on each roll-up to make a flat edge against the pan, until all 4 sides are golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining tablespoon butter and remaining 6 roll-ups.
9. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with maple syrup on the side.

Notes: These were really tasty. Obviously you can fill them with whatever you want, not just the suggestions from the recipe. I did some peanut butter and banana as well as some with nutella and strawberry.

Source: Food Network

Chickpea & Chorizo Fideos

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 package whole-wheat angel hair pasta , (7-8 oz), broken into 2-inch pieces
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped Spanish chorizo , or pepperoni (about 2 oz)
• 1 14-oz can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed
• 3 scallions , (1/2 bunch), sliced

Directions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pasta pieces and cook, stirring, until toasted and browned in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and chorizo (or pepperoni) and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, water, wine and the toasted pasta; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 8 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and scallions and cook 1 minute more.

Notes: Brittany used whole wheat pasta and substituted water for the dry white wine, which we did not have. Brittany and I both thought this recipe was good, but not necessarily great. Nice for variety but probably won't become a regular at our house.

Source: Zipongo

Sausages with Caramelized Onions and Parmesan Mash

Ingredients
4 red onions, quartered (or cut into eighths if large)
2 1/2 Tbsp soft brown sugar
1/2 tsp chili flakes
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
8 good-quality sausages
Parmesan mash (see below)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Put the onions in a baking dish and sprinkle with the sugar, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar and bake for 35 minutes.
2. Cook the sausages in a frying pan over a medium-high heat for about 15 minutes until well browned. Serve with the caramelized onions and Parmesan mash.

Parmesan Mash

Ingredients

1 lb 12 oz waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 cup milk

1 oz butter

1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender, then drain and mash. Heat the milk and butter in a saucepan until the butter has melted and then beat into the mash until smooth. Add the Parmesan and beat well. Season with salt and pepper.

Notes: We realized after cooking this that we were supposed to use the smaller breakfast sausages. The photo in the cook book was a bit misleading and we used large sausages instead. Still, a tasty meal.

Source: Simple Honest Food, pg 250.

Chorizo, Potato, and Red Pepper Frittata

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 chorizo sausage, sliced
1 red-skinned potato, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
10 eggs
2 1/2 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2 1/2 Tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a 8 inch frying pan over medium-high heat and cook the chorizo, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes or until crisp. Drain on a paper towel.
2. Turn the heat to medium, add the remaining oil, the potato, and the onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the pepper and cook for 5 minutes before returning the chorizo to the pan. 
3. Preheat your broiler to hot.
4. Whisk the eggs and pour in the the pan. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook until the eggs have almost set. Sprinkle with parsley and parmesan cheese and then put the pan under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until the frittata is golden and puffed.

Notes: I really enjoyed the flavors in this recipe and prefer it to the other two frittata recipes we've tried in the past. We had a bit of a hard time getting the top to cook without the bottom burning.

Source: Simple Honest Food, pg 83.

Giovanni's Sausages with Potatoes and Rosemary

Ingredients
6 Italian-style sausages
1 lb 12 oz potatoes, scrubbed and sliced (source recommends kipfler/fingerling)
1 1/2 tsp paprika
2 rosemary stalks
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 loaf ciabatta, crust removed
1 3/4 oz extra virgin olive oil

To Serve
Handful fresh basil leaves
Arugula leaves

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Slice the sausages thickly and place in a large roasting pan. Add the potatoes, paprika, rosemary, salt and pepper. Tear the ciabatta into bite-sized pieces and add to the pan. Drizzle with the oil  and toss gently.

Roast, stirring occasionally, for 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the sausages and bread are golden brown. Sprinkle with the basil and serve with a salad of arugula leaves.

Notes: We had a hard time getting the potatoes to soften and probably had them sliced too thickly.  Despite that, I thought this was quite tasty and a nice change of pace for us.

Source: Simple Honest Food: The Best of Bill Granger cook book

Italian Orzo Spinach Soup

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion, peeled and diced
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) whole wheat orzo pasta, or other whole wheat pasta
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
4 cups loosely-packed spinach
salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for 4 minutes, until soft. Add carrots, celery and garlic and saute for an additional 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, orzo (pasta), thyme, oregano, rosemary and stir to combine. Bring soup to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.
2. Stir in the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes until it is bright green and wilted. Season with salt and black pepper to taste (if needed). Serve warm.

Notes: Another tasty soup. Brittany added 1/2 pound of Italian sausage.

Source: Gimme Some Oven

Sausage Pepper Fettuccini Skillet

Ingredients:
8-12 oz. fettuccine pasta
2 Cups sweet bell pepper (about 2 peppers), stem, seeds & membrane removed, chopped into 1 inch pcs
3/4 Cup onion, peeled, diced (about 1 medium onion)
2 Cups smoked sausage (12-16 oz), sliced to 1/3 inch pieces; about 4 links
1/3 cup chopped parsley
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup pasta water + 3-5 bullion cubes or 1 cup broth
1 Tbsp chopped/pressed garlic
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, split in half
Olive oil

Directions:

1. Cook pasta in salted water according to the package instructions.
2. Heat skillet over high heat with couple tablespoons of oil. Add the pepper & onion and on medium-high heat slightly brown it. If your sausage does not have any cheese in it, you can add it at the same time and brown everything together.
3. Otherwise add the sausate and continue stirring and cooking everything until the sausage is slightly browned.
4. Take 1 cup of pasta water and add about 3 chicken bullion cubes, crush the bullion cubes and stir everything until they’re dissolved. Alternatively just use 1 cup of hot broth.
5. Pour the chicken broth over the peppers and sausage. Add the cream.
6. Now add the drained pasta, parsley and garlic. Stir to combine and simmer on medium heat until the sauce is thickened and coats the pasta nicely. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
7. When the pasta is served in a bowl, sprinkle with a couple of halved cherry tomatoes.

Notes: Very tasty. Sweet bell peppers are one of my favorite foods, so I liked this.

Source: Let the Baking Begin!

Italian Style Meatballs

Ingredients
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound italian sausage
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1 tsp minced garlic
2 eggs
2 tsp finely chopped (fresh) flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350.
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, add each of the ingredients into the bowl and mix well after each addition.
3. Make slightly larger than golf ball sized meatballs and place them into a muffin tin that has been coated with non stick cooking spray. (Make sure not to overpack meatballs as you want them to cook evenly and all the way through.)
4. Place in the oven and cook for 40 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
5. Serve with noodles and sauce for meatballs and spaghetti, or on a hoagie for a meatball sub. 

Notes: Tasty. We obviously when with the meatball sub suggestion and had these on toasted buns.

Source: Pink When

Baked Cavatelli

Ingredients
7 oz dried cavatelli or wagon wheel macaroni (about 2 1/3 cups)
12 oz uncooked Italian sausage links, sliced 1/2 inch thick, or lean ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 26-oz jar pasta sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; set aside.
2. In a large skillet cook the sausage, onion, and garlic until sausage is brown; remove from skillet. Drain.
3. In a large bowl stir together pasta sauce, 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese, and the pepper. Add the cooked pasta and the sausage mixture. Stir gently to combine. Spoon the mixture into a 2-quart casserole.
4. Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until nearly heated through. Uncover; sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake about 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted.

Notes: We couldn't find cavatelli at our grocery store. We used home-made pasta sauce and a combination of ground beef and ground sausage that we needed to use up. This was still really good. It seems that you could have a lot of variety with this recipe by trying different kinds of pasta sauce.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens 12th Edition Cook Book

Farmer's Casserole

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
3 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers or shredded cheddar cheese (3 oz)
1 cup diced cooked ham or Canadian-style bacon
1/4 cup sliced green onions (2)
4 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups milk or one 12-oz can evaporated milk
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Coat a 2-quart square baking dish non-stick cooking spray. Arrange potatoes evenly in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with cheese, ham, and green onions.
2. In a bowl combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture.
3. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before servings.

Notes: Makes 6 servings. This is from several months ago and to be honest I'm not entirely sure if this is the right recipe for the photo. It looks like we used sausage instead of ham and didn't add any green onions.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens 12th Edition Cook Book 

One Pot Cheesy Smoked Sausage & Pasta Skillet

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb Hillshire Farm Smoked Turkey Sausage, sliced
1 cup diced onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic (about two fresh cloves)
2 cups Chicken Broth
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup milk or heavy cream
8 oz dry pasta (any small pasta will do)
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
1 cup shredded Cheddar-Jack cheese
1/3 cup chopped scallions, for garnish

Instructions

1. Add olive oil to a 4-5 quart saute pan over medium high heat. Add onions and sausage and cook until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
2. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, milk, pasta, and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
3. Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover for about five minutes to allow cheese to melt. Top with sliced scallions and serve.
4. Makes about 4 servings.

Notes: Another tasty sausage recipe.

Source: Yellow Bliss Road

Cajun Pasta Supper

Ingredients
8 oz. Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 (14 1/2 oz) can stewed or diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (4.6 oz) package PASTA RONI Garlic and Olive Oil with Vermicelli
8 oz uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp Cajun or Creole seasoning*
* Substitute: 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic salt, 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves, and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Cook and stir sausage and bell pepper in large skillet over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes or until sausage is browned. Drain fat. Remove from skillet; set aside.
2. Add 1 1/2 cups water and tomatoes to same skillet; bring to a boil. Stir in pasta, Special Seasonings packet, shrimp and Cajun season; return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Gently boil uncovered 8 to 10 minutes or until pasta is tender and shrimp turn pink, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in sausage mixture; cook 1 to 2 minutes longer or until heated through.

Notes: Serves 4. Like Homestyle Southwest Skillet that I posted last month, this is Pasta Roni with add-ins. We don't really like shrimp so we had it with just sausage, but I still liked it.

Source: I cut this off the side of a Pasta Roni box several years ago when I was in college.