{Recipe} Spicy Sausage Pasta

I am always looking for fast and easy weeknight meals.  This super tasty dish fits all the requirements and then some.  Not only is it fast and easy, but it is a one pot meal.  Perfect for weeknights!  

I found this recipe at the blog of  Kevin and Amanda.  I have tried several of the recipes on their blog, like Bacon Cheeseburger Chicken.  I adapted this recipe a bit to make a bit more to feed my family of five.  

Enjoy!

Spicy Sausage Pasta 

by Wende Rickett

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Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 lb smoked sausage, sliced into coins
• 1.5 cups diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 24 oz low-sodium chicken broth
• 1-10 oz can mild diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
• 1 -10 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 12 oz penne pasta
• 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
• 1 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1/3 cup scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions

Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking.

Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir.

Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low.

Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese.

Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions.

Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.

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Linked To:
* I Heart Naptime: Sundae Scoop Link Party
*Boogieboard Cottage: Masterpiece Monday
*Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms: Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Recipe: Sloppy Joes

We are a sloppy joe lovin' family!  We love it any time of the year, but especially during the spring and summer months...it just says summer to us.  I used to buy the mix in the can until I came across Misty's recipe on her blog, Bake Me Away.  The first time I made it, I was skeptical because of the lemon juice but it adds to the flavor and makes it so much better than any canned sauce.  We love to eat our joes on toasted buttery buns along with cheese slices (I like two) and lots of pickles.  


Enjoy!

Sloppy Joes

{adapted from the original recipe by Misty/Bake Me Away}

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Ingredients

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp mustard
• hamburger buns
• optional: cheese slices, pickles

Instructions

1. In a large pot, brown meat and onion.
2. While meat is browning, stir together the ketchup, water, lemon juice, vinegar, brown sugar and mustard.
3. When meat is cooked, add sauce and stir until combined.
4. Simmer on medium-low for about 30 minutes until the sauce thickens.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve on buns with a slice of cheese if desired.

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*The Sweet Detail: Savory Sunday

*I Heart Naptime: Sundae Scoop

*Nifty Thrifty Things: Nifty Thrifty Sunday

*Simply Klassic Home: Simply Klassic Sunday

*Addicted to Recipes: Scrumptious Sunday
*Flamingo Toes: Think Pink Sunday
*Everyday Mom's Meals: Church Supper
*Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms: Melt in Your Mouth Monday
*Mrs. Happy Homemaker: Makin' You Crave
*The Sweet Spot: Recipe Party
*Flour Me with Love: Mix It Up Monday
*A Southern Fairytale: Mouthwatering Monday
*Beyer Beware: Hunk of Meat Monday
*Blessed with Grace: Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
*It's A Blog Party: Delicious Dishes
*Mandy's Recipe Box: Totally Tasty Tuesday
*Permanent Posies: Tuesday Tasty Tidbits
*Reasons to Skip the Housework: Tuesday Time Out
*Chef in Training: Tuesday Talent Show
*From Mess Hall to Bistro: Made from Scratch Tuesday
*Lady Behind the Curtain: Cast Party Wednesday
*Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
*Mom on Timeout: Taking a Timeout Thursday
*Simply Sweet Home: Friday Favorites
*Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hippo: Anything Goes
*Country Momma Cooks: Link and Greet

Recipe: Lasagna Soup

Last week here in Texas, we actually had three days of cold rainy weather....three days!  I must say this has been a very wet winter and we needed this rain.  The ponds, lakes and rivers are overflowing.  Spring is already here and this week we are back in the 80's.  

So with all that cold weather, I knew some soup days were here.  I made this soup a couple of months ago and it was so good.  My family loved it and ate every last drop of it.  It was just as good this time around!  I love how quick this soup comes together, way faster than making a traditional lasagna, but you still get the awesome taste of a big pan of yummy good lasagna.

I made just a few changes based on what I had on hand but it didn't change the yummy goodness of this soup at all.  On your next cold day, you must make this soup.  Your family will thank you for it!

Enjoy!

This is the cheesy goodness that goes in the bottom 
of the bowl....don't skip this step...

it totally makes the soup!

Lasagna Soup

{adapted from the original recipe by Brenda/A Farmgirl's Dabble}

6019994

Ingredients

Soup

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 3 cups onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 28-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 8 oz pasta
• salt and pepper to taste

Cheesy Goodness

• 8 oz ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 tsp salt
• pinch black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add meat/sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces.
3. Brown for about 5 minutes.
4. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes.
5. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute.
6. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.
7. Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine.
8. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
9. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth.
10. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
11. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy goodness. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
12. To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy goodness in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

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Linked To:
*A Little Nosh: Tastetastic Thursday
*Mom on Timeout: Taking a Timeout Thursday
*The 36th Avenue: Party Time
*Simply Sweet Home: Friday Favorites
*Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hippo: Anything Goes
*It's a Hodgepodge Life: It's Hodgepodge Friday
*Stuff and Nonsense: Friday's Unfolded
*Happy Hour Projects: Freestyle Friday
*Raising Oranges: Handmade 52
*Rattlebridge Farms: Foodie Friday
*Country Momma Cooks: Link and Greet
*Around My Family Table: Feed Your Soul
*The Sweet Details: Savory Sunday
*Everyday Mom's Meals: Church Supper
*Flamingo Toes: Think Pink Sundays
*Addicted to Recipes: Scrumptious Sunday
*A Simple Klassic Home: Simply Klassic Sunday
*Beyer Beware: Hunk of Meat Monday
*Blessed with Grace: Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
*It's A Blog Party: Delicious Dishes
*Mandy's Recipe Box: Totally Tasty Tuesday

Recipe: Sausage Potato Soup

My family has an extreme love for smoked sausage.  If given the opportunity, my kids would want a sausage meal at least once a week.  One of their favorites is dirty rice that I make with smoked sausage.  I got to admit, I love it too.  I recently bought a couple of packages and then put them in the freezer and promptly forgot I had them.  So, when I was going through my freezer the other day, I came across those gems.  I thought about making our favorite dish, but I wanted to try something else and shake things up a bit.  I must say that this soup did the trick.  My family gobbled it up.  Even my non-loving potato eater enjoyed it.  I served it with my Pimento Cheese Corn Muffins (recipe to come) and it was the perfect meal for a cold winter's night.

Enjoy!

Sausage Potato Soup

{slightly adapted from Greene Acres Hobby Farm}

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Ingredients

• 1 package fully cooked beef smoked sausage, diced
• 6 - 8 medium red skinned potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 can corn (or use frozen)
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. In a large pot, brown sausage and drain.
2. Remove sausage from pot and set aside.
3. In the same pot, combine potatoes, corn, broth and seasonings.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes for until potatoes are fork tender.
5. Add milk, cheese and sausage.
6. Stir soup until cheese is thoroughly melted.
7. I wanted my soup to be a bit thicker, so I made a cornstarch slurry and added to the soup.

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Linked To:

*Blessed with Grace: Tempt My Tummy

*It's A Blog Party: Delicious Dishes

*33 Shades of Green: Tasty Tuesday

*Permanent Posies: Tuesday Tasty Tidbits

*Chef in Training: Tuesday Talent Show

*From Mess Hall to Bistro: Made from Scratch Tuesday

*My Sweet and Savory: Let's Do Brunch

*Sugar and Dots: What I Whipped Up Wednesday

*Turning the Clock Back: What's Cooking Wednesday

*Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday

*Fugal Follies: Frugal Food Thursday

*Mom on a Timeout: Taking a Timeout Thursday

*Simply Sweet Home: Friday Favorites

*Flamingo Toes: Think Pink Sundays

*Everyday Mom's Meals: Church Supper

*Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms: Melt in Your Mouth Monday

*Mom's Crazy Cooking: This Week's Cravings

 

 

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Countdown to 2012: Best Main Dishes

I am so excited to be joining Finding Joy in My Kitchen for her annual countdown.  I participated last year and it was interesting to look back on my blog to see the recipes that I made over the past year.

We definitely had some favorite main dishes this year.  Some were meatless, some were not.  As a family, we are trying to add more meatless dishes in our menu rotation next year.   

These were our favorite main dishes this year:

The Best Baked Ziti

 ~~~~

Recipe Review: Sausage with Apples, Sauerkraut and Onions

As soon as I saw this on one of my favorite food shows, Mad Hungry, I knew that I was going to make it immediately.  We love sausage in this house.  I made this several months ago during the fall months and it was a perfect meal for the season.  But, I got to tell you this would be great year round because it is so tasty.  And, as I said before, my family loves sausage and could eat it everyday if possible.  I did make a few changes to the original recipe. I made it with smoked sausage and served with boiled potatoes.

Enjoy!

Sausage with Apples, Sauerkraut and Onions

(adapted from Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn)

{print}

1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
2 crisp red apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup apple cider
1 pound sauerkraut
3 large sour pickles, quartered, for serving
1 Kirby cucumber, peeled and sliced lengthwise into eighths, for serving

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, and add 1 tablespoon oil. Cook sausage until browned and heated through. Transfer to a plate, and cover to keep warm. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to skillet if necessary. Add onion, and cook for 3 minutes. Add apples, stir, and cook until softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in cider, and cook for 1 minute. Add sauerkraut, and heat until warmed through, about 2 minutes.  Transfer sauerkraut to a warm serving platter, and top with the sausages. Serve with pickles, cucumber, and mustard. (Sausages and sauerkraut can be kept warm, covered, in a 250-degree oven for up to an hour.)

Linked To:

  *LambAround:  Not "Baad" Sundays

  *11th Heaven's Homaking Haven:  Homemaker Monday

  *Blessed with Grace:  Tempy My Tummy Tuesday

  *It's A Blog Party:  Delicious Dishes

  *From Mess Hall to Bistro:  Made From Scratch Tuesday

  *A Southern Fairytale:  Mouthwatering Monday

  *Beyer Beware:  Hunk of Meat Monday

  *All the Small Stuff:  Tuesdays at the Table

  *Life as Mom:  Ultimate Recipe Swap

  *It's a Blog Party: Fall Fest 2011

Recipe: Taco Soup

This soup is so delicious on cold winter nights.  It has been downright cold and rainy here in Texas this past week.  While we didn't have all the snow that most in the South got, we did have cold winter days and nights.  I made this soup on one of those nights and it warmed us all up.  I don't make mine very spicy so this is a perfect soup to serve to kids as well. 

The great thing about this soup is it can really be a pantry meal.  If you don't have pinto beans, use ranch or black beans.  Or use all kidney beans.  Whatever hearty bean you have.  If you don't have stewed tomatoes, use all diced.  You can also throw it in the crock pot and let it simmer on low and have a great meal to come home to.  Just brown your meat first and then add it to the crock pot. 

It really is a great easy "throw together" soup.

Enjoy!

Taco Soup

2 lbs ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 pkg taco seasoning

1 pkg ranch dressing mix

1 can diced tomatoes (I use fire roasted)

2 cans stewed tomatoes

3 cans water

2 cans pinto beans

1 can light red kidney beans

1 can corn, drained

1 can green chilies, diced

Brown beef with onion and bell pepper.  Put all ingredients in a heavy pot or Dutch oven.  Simmer for 45 minutes.  Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and corn chips.

Linked To:
 * Mommy's Kitchen:  Potluck Sunday
 * I Heart Naptime:  Sunday Scoop
 * 11th Heaven's Homemaking Heaven:  Homemaker Monday
 * All the Small Stuff:  Tuesdays at the Table

Recipe: Cheesy Beef Enchilada Casserole

As you know, I love me some Mexican, or really Tex-Mex.  I also love a good casserole.  I have tried a couple of different recipes and they have all been good but I thought they could be better.  I have adapted this recipe from a couple and come up with what I think is some good eats.  My girls even cleaned their plates.  I think this one is a keeper.

Cheesy Beef Enchilada Casserole

1 lb ground beef

1 pkg taco seasoning

4 oz cream cheese

1 small can tomato sauce

1 cup Monterrey jack, shredded

6 flour tortillas, burrito size

2 cups cooked rice

1 can red enchilada sauce

1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 bag shredded Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish.  Brown ground beef.  Drain.  Add meat back to the pan, add tomato sauce, taco seasoning and cream cheese.  Cook on medium low heat until mixture is blended and cream cheese is melted.  Warm tortillas in microwave for 20 seconds.  Add cooked rice to casserole dish.  Spoon meat mixture down the center of each tortilla.  Add Monterrey jack cheese on top of meat mixture.  Wrap tortillas and place on top of rice.  Pour diced tomatoes and juice over the top of the enchiladas.  Pour enchilada sauce over the top of the tomatoes and enchiladas making sure that the sauce and juice of the tomatoes reaches down to the rice.  Add shredded cheese over the top making sure that the tortillas are completely covered.  Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Serve with a salad and some black beans and you have one awesome meal.

NOTE:  You can use smaller tortillas and make more enchiladas.

Linked to:

* Mommy's Kitchen Potluck Sunday

* Everyday Sisters: Sharing Sundays

Recipe Review: Meatloaf Casserole

It is rare that I have any leftovers when we have meatloaf, but I made an extra large loaf so that I would have leftovers for this recipe from Christy Jordan's Southern Plate.  I must say it was very delicious and my family ate it up.  We love casseroles and I find it is a great way to stretch my grocery budget.  I used elbow noodles and more cheese.  I could not find meatloaf sauce so I just used a jarred pasta sauce. 

Meatloaf Casserole
recipe from Christy Jordan/Southern Plate

Leftover Meatloaf (2-4 cups, crumbled)
1 Can Meatloaf Sauce (Hunt’s comes in a can of about 16 ounce size – you can also use your
    own meatloaf sauce)
2 Cups uncooked small shell pasta
2 Cups Ricotta Cheese
2 Cups mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Place in bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. In medium sized bowl, stir together cheeses until well combined. Top pasta with half of cheese mixture. Spread half the meatloaf sauce over the top. Top with crumbled meatloaf. Add remaining cheese and top with remaining sauce, spreading to cover the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for thirty minutes, or until bubbly.

I served the casserole with a salad and some cheesy bread for a complete meal.

Recipe: BBQ Beef Sandwiches

When I was pregnant with my first daughter, I craved chopped BBQ beef sandwiches for the first 6 months.  I couldn't get enough and lucky for my husband there was a barbecue restaurant not far from our house.  And oddly enough, my daughter now loves them as much as I do. 

I make this recipe at least once a month and it is especially great in the summer because it cooks in the crockpot and doesn't heat up your kitchen.  Before I could snap a picture of the finished goodness, my family started eating it up!  Hopefully....next time!

BBQ Beef

1 roast, about 2 - 3 lbs  (I have used brisket, chuck roast, london broil...they all turn out great)
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp brown sugar
Hamburger buns and condiments of your choice (pickles, slaw, additional bbq sauce, etc.)

Place roast in slow cooker.  In a bowl, combine barbecue sauce, preserves and brown sugar.  Pour over roast.  Add red pepper and onion.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until meat is tender.
Remove roast and shred with two forks.  Drain pot leaving some liquid in the pot.  Chop the shredded meat into bite size and return to pot.  Add more bbq sauce if needed.  The meat should be moist but not juicy. Cook about 20 minutes longer.

This recipe makes about 8 to 12 sandwiches depending on how much meat you put on each sandwiches.

Yummy!

Recipe Review: Cheese Enchiladas and Chalupas/Tostadas

For supper last night, I made cheese enchiladas.  I have to say they were very tasty.  I had some corn tortillas that I wanted to use up from the king ranch casserole that I made a few weeks ago.  That is the beauty of corn tortillas....they last forever!  I thought the process of frying the tortillas would be a pain, but I was happy that it didn't take very long and I didn't have torn tortillas when I folded them like I have in the past when I have warmed them in the microwave.  I aslo fried some to make my version of chalupas/tostada.  I put some pintos on earlier in the day.  After having meat dishes for days, I was ready for no meat night.  For the chalupas/tostadas, I put the pinto beans on the hard corn tortilla shell, some very yummy tomatoes and shredded cheese...perfection!  The girls and I loved them!  As for the cheese enchiladas, I felt like I was eating at a mexican restaurant.  They were delish!  The recipe that I used was from Mommy's Kitchen, one of my favorite blogs. 

I will be adding this one to our family cookbook!

Recipe: Ground Beef Enchiladas

I LOVE Mexican food! If given the chance, I would eat it for every meal, snack and in between. I ate Mexican food through both my pregnancies. My mother and I (mostly my mom, but I assisted!) made a batch of beef enchiladas that were delicious goodness (to coin my girl's phrase). Here is the recipe we used:


Ground Beef Enchiladas

For the meat filling:
1 lb ground meat
1 chopped onion
1 pkg. grated longhorn cheese (we used colby jack mix)
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes, drained
1 - 2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:
1 can chopped green chillies
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pkg Monterrey Jack cheese
1-1lb velveeta cheese
1 small can evaporated milk
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes

Brown meat with onion. Add cheese; stir until melted. Add tomatoes and seasonings. Fill flour tortillas with meat mixture. Place seam side down in a 13"x9" pan. Pour sauce over tortillas. Cover. Bake at 450 degrees for about 15 min. Top with sour creem, sliced black olives, or jalapeno peppers.


The sauce is so good that we put some aside and used as a dip with chips. No more Velvetta and Rotel for me! I now know the BEST cheese dip!

Enjoy!