One Pot Roasted Red Pepper and Sausage Alfredo

One Pot Roasted Red Pepper and Sausage Alfredo

Serves 4.

Delicious.  Easy.  Impressive.  Perfect for when friends come over!
Source: Host the Toast

¾ lb Italian sausage

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1½ cups milk, plus ¼ cup for the sauce

1½ cups chicken broth, plus ¼ cup for the sauce

1 (16 oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained and pureed (you can do this in a food processor or blender)

8 oz goat cheese

½ cup grated parmesan

Salt and pepper, to taste

3 handfuls fresh spinach

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

12 oz pasta of your choice

Remove the casing from the sausage and discard the casing. To do this, simply cut along the side of the sausage with a sharp knife and peel off the pierced casing with your fingers.

 

In a large pot or high-walled pan, saute the sausage meat with the garlic and olive oil over medium heat, until browned.

 

Stir in chicken broth, pureed roasted red pepper, milk and pasta. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 12 minutes. If the liquid has all been absorbed, add the additional milk and chicken broth.

 

Stir in spinach, 1 handful at a time, and cook until wilted and hot.

Stir in the goat cheese and parmesan. Continue to stir until melted. Remove from heat and serve.

Gnocchi, Sausage, and Spinach Soup

Gnocchi, Sausage, and Spinach Soup

Serves 4-5.

Delicious.  I will make this again and again!
Source: Cinnamon-Spice and Everything Nice

1 yellow onion, diced

1 roasted red pepper, diced

olive oil, for sauteing

sea or Kosher salt and fresh black pepper

1 pound Italian sausage, ground or removed from casings, hot or sweet

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed between fingers

32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth

1 pound potato gnocchi

2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, rough chopped

3/4 cup half & half or heavy cream (light is ok)

1 heaping tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

fresh grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

In a large sauce pan or soup pot saute onion and red pepper in a couple of tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat until tender. Season well with salt and pepper. In a separate, large skillet brown the sausage, breaking it apart as it cooks. Add garlic to onion mixture and saute until fragrant.

 

Drain sausage and add to onion mixture along with the basil and chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper, simmer for 20 minutes.

 

Add gnocchi and spinach, bring to a simmer and cook until gnocchi puff up and start to float (check package for cooking time). Add half & half and fresh basil, bring to a simmer for three or four minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Creamy Lumaconi with Italian Sausage and Spinach

Creamy Lumaconi with Italian Sausage and Spinach

Serves 2.

Satisfyingly rich cream sauce with the healthy crunch of fresh spinach.  Very good!
Slightly adapted from: Bev Cooks

1 head garlic, end sliced off
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups lumaconi (or any small pasta)
2 Italian sausage links, casings removed
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. flour
1 cup milk
1 thyme sprig, leaves removed
1 oregano sprig, leaves removed
2 cups chopped spinach
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Place the garlic head in a small piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with oil, seal and roast for 35 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.  When cool, squeeze whole garlic cloves out of shell.

Heat a medium sauce pot over medium high. Add the sausage and break up with a wooden spoon, cooking until browned all over, 6 minutes.  Remove sausage, leaving the grease (about 1 tablespoon).  Add butter, and melt.  When the foaming subsides, add the flour. Whisk constantly for 1 minute, and then slowly add the milk, continuing to whisk another 5 minutes or so until the sauce gets thick and creamy. Add in the herbs, a pinch of salt and pepper and whisk a little more. Transfer a small amount (about 1/3 cup) of cream sauce to a small food processor, add the roasted garlic cloves and pulse until very smooth. Return to the sauce pot, mix to combine, and keep warm.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and boil until al dente. Just taste it to test it. Drain and return to the pot.

Pour the cream sauce over the pasta, along with the spinach and sausage. Toss to coat and combine everything.

Pierogi and Kielbasa Bake

Pierogi and Kielbasa Bake

Serves 4-6.

This definitely falls in the "comfort food" category. It's rich and satisfying and delicious... and pretty heavy in your stomach too!

Source: Lemons and Love

2 lbs. pierogies (homemade or store-bought)

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz. cream cheese

1 lb. kielbasa, cut into small pieces

1 c. chicken broth

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Arrange the pierogies in a 13x9 baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Scatter kielbasa evenly overtop.

Warm cream cheese, garlic, and pepper in a saucepan, and cook for one minute, or until cream cheese begins to melt, stirring frequently. Gradually add chicken broth to pan, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Stir in tomatoes. Pour the cream cheese mixture overtop pierogies and kielbasa. Top with shredded cheddar. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

Classic Meat Sauce

Classic Meat Sauce

Makes about 6 cups.

This was a hit! A good stick-to-your-bones autumn meal.

Source: Betty Crocker's Italian Cooking cookbook

2 T. olive oil

2 T. butter

2 medium carrots, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage

1/2 lb. lean ground beef

3 cans (28 oz. each) Italian-style pear-shaped (plum) tomatoes, drained and chopped

1/2 c. dry red wine or beef broth

1 t. salt

1 t. dried oregano leaves

1/2 t. pepper

Heat oil and butter in 4-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until butter is melted. Cook carrots and onion in oil mixture about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until carrots and onion are tender.

Stir in sausage and beef. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink and beef is brown; drain.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Use sauce immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 48 hours or freeze up to 2 months.

Dracula's Revenge

Dracula's Revenge

Serves 4.

Hmm... that's a pretty awful picture. Yikes. Does it make a difference if I tell you we liked it?

Source: Cooking Light magazine

1 whole garlic head

1/2 lb. sweet Italian turkey sausage

1/2 t. chopped fresh sage (or 1/8 t. dried)

1/2 t. chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/8 t. dried)

1 T. butter

1/6 c. all-purpose flour

3 c. 1% milk

1/2 (2 oz.) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1/3 c. (about 1-1/4 oz.) shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

1/4 t. salt

1/8 t. black pepper

4 c. hot cooked penne (about 1/2 lb. uncooked), or rigatoni or macaroni

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove white papery skin from garlic head (do not peel or separate cloves). Wrap in foil and bake for 1 hour; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins. Set garlic aside.

Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Place sausage in a large bowl; stir in sage and rosemary.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add the flour to the melted butter, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add the milk; cook until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk (10 minutes). Stir in roasted garlic, cheeses, salt, and pepper.

Remove mixture from heat. Add 2-1/2 cups cheese sauce and cooked pasta to sausage, stirring to coat. Spoon pasta mixture in a 8x8 baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Top with remaining sauce. Bake for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

If freezing, thaw in refrigerator before baking and increase baking time to 45-60 minutes.

Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa Toscana

Serves 6.

This was fantastic! A great recipe, especially for a chilly fall day. Serves well with a simple salad and crusty bread.
Source: AllRecipes.com

1 lb. bulk mild Italian sausage
1-1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 large onion, diced
1 T. minced garlic
5 (13.75 oz.) cans chicken broth
6 potatoes, thinly sliced
1 c. heavy cream
1/4 bunch fresh spinach, stems removed (see note)

Cook the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until browned, crumbly, and no longer pink, 10-15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Cook the bacon in the same Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain, leaving a few tablespoons of drippings with the bacon in thebottom of the Dutch oven. Stir in onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Pour the chicken broth into the Dutch oven with the bacon and onion mixture; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream and cooked sausage; heat through. Mix the spinach into the soup just before serving, allowing it to wilt/cook slightly.

A Note From The Little Lady: I have no idea what the original recipe-poster meant when he/she wrote "1/4 bunch fresh spinach," as I have never bought spinach in bunches. I would recommend using about 3 c. fresh spinach. If you are familiar with what 1/4 bunch would translate to, please let me know!

McGriddle-Made-Healthy

McGriddle-Made-Healthy

Serves 1.

This was such a fun little thing to make. Obviously you can use regular syrup, sausage patties, cheese, and eggs if it's what you have on hand. It won't be as healthy, but I would imagine it will still be better than McDonald's offerings.

Source: Hungry Girl

1 t. light whipped butter (or light buttery spread), melted

2-1/2 T. sugar-free pancake syrup

1-1/2 T. whole wheat flour

1/4 t. baking powder

1 veggie sausage patty (such as Morningstar Farms)

1 slice fat-free American cheese

1/4 c. liquid egg subsitute, such as Egg Beaters

To make pancake batter, combine melted butter, pancake syrup, whole wheat flour, and baking powder. Mix thoroughly.

Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat. Add batter to form 2 small pancakes. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, flipping carefully, until golden brown. Transfer to a plate.

Respray the skillet and return to medium heat. Pour in egg substitute and allow to spread out evenly. Do not scramble. Once mostly cooked through, flip carefully and allow the other side to finish cooking. Gently fold in half once, and then fold again. Place cheese slice on top and allow to melt.

Meanwhile, cook sausage patty according to package instructions.

Build sandwich by placing sausage patty on one pancake, and topping with cheesy eggs and other pancake.

Egg & Sausage Breakfast Sandwich

Egg & Sausage Breakfast Sandwich

Serves 1.

I love a good breakfast sandwich. I'm not always wild about the traditional breakfast feast of these things separate, but put them together as a sandwich and I'm one happy girl.

1 sandwich bun

1/4-1/2 c. Egg substitute (or 1-2 eggs)

1 green onion, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

1 slice American cheese

1 sausage patty

Scramble eggs over medium heat, adding in minced green onion and seasoning with salt and pepper. Heat sausage patty until cooked through. Make sandwich by layering egg, cheese, and sausage patty.

Egg & Sausage Strata

Egg & Sausage Strata

A great breakfast recipe that has contributed to many Christmas memories, get-a-ways with friends, and lazy mornings at home. And since all the prep work is done ahead of time, the only thing you need to do in the morning is throw it in the oven!

1 lb. sausage

6 slices white bread, cubed

6 eggs, well beaten

2 c. milk

1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 t. salt

1 t. dry mustard

Brown and crumble sausage and drain fat.

In a medium bowl, mix sausage, bread, and cheese. Pour into a greased 13x9 baking pan. Beat eggs and milk together; pour over bread mixture.

Sprinkle with salt and mustard. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

A Note From The Little Lady: You can also add 1 c. mushrooms, green onions, or chives.