Pumpkin Sausage Pasta

It's pumpkin time! We have been enjoying fall like weather the past few weeks here in Georgia and we are LOVING it.  I came across this recipe and tried it a few weeks ago. Max normally loves noodles, but they have to be plain. Well Max and Kinsley both DEVOURED this meal, as is. So I made it again this week. This recipe comes from Mix and Match Mama. 

Ingredients

1 pound pasta (I used whole wheat penne)

1 pound sausage (I used mild chicken sausage)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, chopped (I left out since mom doesn't like onions, but they would be wonderful in this meal)
1 can chicken broth
1 can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, just good old Libby's canned pumpkin)
freshly grated Parmesan cheese...as much or as little as your family likes
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper...of course!

Bring one large pot of water up to a boil for your pasta. Drop pasta in and cook 5-7 minutes depending on how done you like your pasta.

In another large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown and crumble the sausage. After sausage has browned, add in onion and garlic and saute 4 to 5 minutes.  Once sausage and onion mixture is sauteed, pour in chicken broth to de-glaze your pan. Lower heat to low and let chicken broth simmer 2-3 minutes.  Stir in your pumpkin and heat through about 3 minutes.

Drain your pasta and add to sausage pan.  Stir in your cheese and that's it!  You're done!

Friday Letters & Baked Ziti with Sausage & Spinach

Dear weekend, It's going to be a busy, but fun one.  I have a get together tonight, Max has a birthday party tomorrow, we're going out to celebrate our anniversary Saturday night and it's our volunteer night at church Sunday.  Dear House, I think you got the point by our busy schedule that you should just clean yourself.  Thanks, much appreciated.  Dear 4th of July, yay for Family coming into town Wednesday night.  We are excited to see Chris, Marla, James, Shell, Maddie and Hadley!  We are also excited Michelle and Hadley are staying for almost 2 weeks! Dear Max, I am glad you are finally feeling like your self this week. You are just such a doll.  You really are understanding everything we say to you. You've even been plugging your nose when you are about to go poo poo in your diaper.  Gigi always says "pooopy stinky" when she changes your dirty diaper, so now you associate it with your poopy and you tell us right before (sometimes after) that you've gone.

I wanted to post this recipe for Baked Ziti with Sausage and Spinach because it is SO YUMMY.  I love most everything that has pasta in it, especially when you mix a little red (tomatoes) and green (spinach/kale). It feels healthy and just tastes so good! This recipe comes from Recipe Shoebox.

The ingredients:
3 cups uncooked ziti or penne pasta (about 10-oz) We used whole grain.
2 Tbs. olive oil
3/4 lb. spicy Italian sausage, sliced (we used chicken sausage)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14.5-oz each) diced tomatos
1/4 cup pesto   
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
8 cups fresh spinach, chopped (about 8-oz)
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions:
Cook pasta as directed on package.  Drain and set aside.  Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Saute onion and garlic just until soft  (about 5 minutes).  Add sausage slices and cook until browned (about 5 minutes).  Add tomatoes with juices to pan. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.  Stir in pesto.  Add salt and pepper.  Lightly oil 9x13-inch baking dish.  Combine cooked pasta, chopped spinach, mozzarella cheese, and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Pour into baking dish.

 Pour pasta sauce over top and stir together.  Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese over the top.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.
 

One of the Best Homemade Lasagna Recipes Ever!

It's friday and time for another installment of fabulous food friday! When I see a recipe that says best recipe ever I am willing to give it a try. I recently made a homemade lasagna that I found from Family Ever After via Oopsey Daisy. It lived up to the hype, I really loved it.

Ingredients:

Ragu Sauce-

Olive Oil

Butter

1 onion

2 carrots

2 celery stalks

2 garlic cloves

1 lb. ground sausage

1 14oz can tomato sauce, or a handful of fresh tomatoes

1 can vegetable broth

s&p

Bechamel Sauce-

2 TB butter

1/3 cup flour

2 cups milk

1 cup cream

salt and pepper

 pinch of nutmeg

Other- 

pasta sheets (I recommend Barilla no boil)

mozzarella cheese

parmesan cheese

butter

Directions:

 To make the Ragu-

1.Wash and chop onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.

2. Heat butter and oil in pot. Saute vegetables briefly (I forgot celery so I left it out).

3. Add sausage. Saute.

4. Add tomato sauce, stock, salt and pepper.

5. Simmer on low for 1 hour.

To make the Bechamel (a white sauce)-

1. Melt butter. Add flour, stirring with a whisk, appx 1 minute.

2. Slowly add milk, then cream, stirring constantly.

3. Simmer on low until thickened, 5-10 minutes.

4. Season with s&p and nutmeg.

Assemble-

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. In a 9x13 baking dish, spread a teeny tiny layer of the bechamel, preventing the pasta from sticking to the bottom.

3. The layers will be in this order- pasta, ragu, bechamel, mozzarella. Repeat 3 times.

4. Top with parmesan and a few pats of butter. (you don't have to do the butter, but its amazing)!

5. Bake for 40 minutes.

It really was as amazing as it looked. I am really bad at taking pictures of it nice and plated because I eat it so fast. It was fantastic. Have a great weekend!

Food Friday- Stuffed Zucchini

I decided to have some fridays as food recipe day as they aren't the most fun to read, but I still like to reference the blog for recipes.  This recipe is one of my favorites for the summer grilling season. It takes a little prep work inside before heading to the grill though. 

Grilled Stuffed Zucchini by Our Best Bites

Ingredients-

2 medium zucchini (about 10″)

4 oz Italian turkey sausage (1 link, I use 2 though)

1/4 C diced red onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium tomato (about 1/2 C diced)

1 1/2 T chopped fresh basil (or abt a teaspoon of dried)

2/3 C Italian cheese blend 

1 T Italian style bread crumbs

Directions-

Slice zucchini in half length wise, leaving the tops on. Scoop out the centers, saving them in a bowl. Leave at least 1/4 inch around the edges and bottoms. Take the good parts of the zucchini guts you just scooped out and dice up 1/2 C. This will go in your filling. Head over to OBB for a great tutorial on what this should look like, I failed to take a picture of this part. 

Drizzle the zucchini shells with a little olive oil and use your hands to rub it on all sides. Sprinkle with some kosher salt and black pepper and set aside.

Preheat your grill outside and then start your filling in a skillet on the stovetop. Start by browning the sausage. When you no longer see pink, add the onions, garlic, and diced zucchini. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is tender. Add tomato and basil, 1/4 t kosher salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

 Take your zucchini to the grill and put them hollow-side down (don't mind the sausage in the background, I used the others in the package to serve on the side with dinner).  Grill for about 5 minutes on medium heat. They should have nice charred marks and look tender on the inside.

Take them back inside. Add cheese and bread crumbs to filling mixture. Stir to combine and then divide the filling between the zucchini. Top each zucchini with about 1T cheese and sprinkle with 1/4-1/2 t bread crumbs. Lastly, give them a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Place them back on the grill (filling side up- please!) Close grill lid, and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Larger/thicker zucchini will obviously take longer to cook.

They really are very filling and delicious! 

Sasuage and Spinach Stuffed Shells

I am slowly trying to bank up some meals for the freezer for when baby Max is born. Right now I am just doubling recipes that I am having for dinner. This recipe I found off of pinterest and it's from Inspired Taste. Keep in mind that I doubled the recipe and I don't like ricotta cheese so I just used Parmesan instead. I also used sweet sausage and turkey sausage to be a little more healthy.

Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells-

Ingredients-

• 16-18 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 pound fresh sausage links, casing removed
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 onion
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeeze dry
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 can crushed tomatoes 

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta shells and cook according to package directions. Drain well then add to ice water until ready to stuff. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a little oil and onion and cook for a few minutes. Add sausage then use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage, cook 5-6 minutes until browned. 

Add garlic and cook 30 seconds then add tomatoes and spinach; cook 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and stir in ricotta cheese.

Using a spoon, fill pasta shells with pork filling and arrange in a baking dish (9-inch x 9-inch baking dish works well). The smaller pan is for the freezer and the bigger one was dinner and lunches for the next day.

I just mixed the crushed tomatoes with some Italian seasonings and poured on top. Sprinkle tops with shredded cheese then bake in the oven 25-30 minutes until cheese has melted and tips of shells begin to crisp and brown. If you are freezing, just your shells get to room temperature and put in the freezer with a foil lid.

Yummy Shells.

They are time consuming to stuff, but definitely worth it.

We got these aluminum containers at Sams club in the bulk pack and got the lids to go with it to make easy stacking in the freezer. I also wrote directions on the front. David asked that I put the expiration date instead of the date I made it so there would be no confusion. I've read that freezer meals last about 3 months in the freezer so that's what I put on the date.

All set to go. I want to make a bunch more as time permits, just need to clear some space out of the freezer.

Roasted Potatoes, Chicken Sausage and Peppers

I haven't tried many new recipes lately so I thought I'd post another one. This recipe comes from Skinny Taste.

Roasted Potatoes, Chicken Sausage and Peppers

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb (about 3 large) potatoes, russet or new
• 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered, layers separated
• 2 red bell peppers, seeds removed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 1 tsp chopped rosemary (fresh or dry)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 lb Italian chicken sausage cut into 8 or so pieces each

Directions:

Cut the potatoes into small 1" x 1/2 inch pieces. These take the longest to cook so cutting them small ensures everything cooks evenly.

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray one large non-stick baking sheet, or two small ones with olive oil spray to prevent the potatoes from sticking.

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, onions, peppers, olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary and garlic powder. Mix well to be sure everything is coated with oil and seasoned evenly.

Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and place in the center of the oven; bake for 15 minutes.

I used 2 baking sheets just to make sure everyone had enough space. Use a spoon to toss so nothing sticks or burns.

Add the sausage to the baking sheet with the potatoes and vegetables and bake, tossing once or twice for 25-35 minutes, or until your potatoes are cooked through.

Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your potatoes and sausage, keep an eye so they don't burn.

Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Since the weather has been cooler at night, it's been perfect for soup. I am not a huge canned soup fan, but love homemade soups. I made this last year and loved it! It it a little more expensive to make than I would have liked, but its worth it! The recipe comes from Our Best Bites. By the way, they are coming out with a cookbook in February if anyone is interested. 

Tortellini Sausage Soup
3 links Italian sausage (I got mild)
4 cloves pressed garlic
1 onion, diced
½ c. water
2 cans chicken broth
½ c. apple cider (don't leave this out!)
1 16-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. sliced carrots
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 medium zucchini, grated (great way to use your food processor if you have one)
8-10 oz. package cheese tortellini (check the freezer section of your grocery store; if you can find it there, it will almost always be way cheaper than fresh tortellini. Also, Barilla makes a great dry cheese tortellini)
2 Tbsp. dried parsley (yes, that's two tablespoons)

If you're using link sausage, remove the casings and crumble into a large soup pot. By the way, I put everything directly into my huge soup pot, so that's really the only big dish you have to wash. To remove the casings, you can use a sharp knife to cut a slit down one side of the sausage and then peel back the casing.
Begin cooking sausage over medium heat, stirring frequently. If your sausage is pretty fatty, you'll want to drain it when it's about halfway cooked. Meanwhile, chop onions and garlic and add to the sausage. Continue cooking until onions are translucent and your sausage is cooked. Your house will smell heavenly.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, juice, water, chicken broth, carrots, oregano, and basil. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour.

I love using our grater, not that I use it that often but it does come in handy.

Look how cute the zucchini looks.

Add parsley and zucchini and simmer for another 15 minutes or so.

Add the tortellini and cook until tender, and then serve with bread and freshly-grated Parmesan.

I love how all the spices mix with all the ingredients. 

It is the perfect soup for fall/winter. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Fun With My Apron

I've been wanting to share this photo of my favorite apron for a while not. I am not sure if I have posted this or not so if I have, I'm really sorry. Lacey went to Europe last year and brought this back for me. It is perfect for cooking and I seriously use it at least 2-3 times per week. LOVE IT. Thanks Lacey. Yes, this photo was from the summer as I am wearing one of my sisters summery outfits.

I also wanted to share another recipe for freezer cooking. I went to the store and got a couple aluminum pans with lids on them. Since I was making my baked ziti for my neighbor, who just had a baby, a disposable container works the best.

Baked Ziti Ingredients-
(Keep in mind this recipe makes two 9x13 pans of pasta)
1 lb Mild/sweet sausage removed from casing
1 lb Lean ground beef
2 lbs Rigatoni or ziti
1 bag of mozzarella cheese
Ricotta cheese (optional)
2 jars of pasta sauce

-Combine meats in a frying pan and cook until brown. Drain the juices so its not too oily. While you are cooking your meat start boiling your water. Add sauce to the cooked meat and simmer until your pasta is ready. Mix together pasta and sauce mixture in your pans. Add a hand full of mozzarella cheese while mixing. Top with the rest of the cheese. If you are giving away you can deliver as is or freeze. De-thaw in the refrigerator and cook for 20-25mins at 350 degrees.  

I made ours that night and served with garlic bread and salad. Mmm mmm good. The neighbors loved it, too!