Breakfast Casserole

 

I don't make casseroles too often--my kids prefer a lighter breakfast--but breakfast casseroles are fun sometimes, even for dinner or potlucks. My kids loved it, but I made sure the onion and peppers were diced ridiculously small so they didn't notice. I got this beauty from Holly Nilsson. Enjoy! Serves 10+.

Breakfast Casserole

20 oz shredded hash browns, thawed

1 lb breakfast sausage

1/4 c onion, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced 

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

2 c cheddar cheese

8 eggs

1 12-oz can evaporated milk, or 1 1/3 c milk

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.* Spray 9x13 or 3 qt baking dish with cooking spray. 

2. Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Brown sausage, breaking it up as it cooks, until no pink remains. Drain grease from skillet. 

3. In sprayed dish, add hashbrowns, cooked sausage, onions, bell peppers, and 1 1/2 c of the cheese; gently mix together and spread evenly in pan. 

4. In large bowl, add eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning; whisk until combined. Pour over hashbrown mixture in pan and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Cover dish with foil.

5. Bake in preheated oven 55-65 minutes or until cooked through. 

* Can prepare ahead through step 4 and refrigerate. May need to add about 10 minutes to cook time.

Slow Cooker OR Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana

I've heard about this soup for years, people ranting and raving about how good it is. It's a soup! How good can it be?
SO good! Serve with bread for dipping. Yum, yum, yum. I got the slow cooker version from Heather Stalzer and, since I hadn't started it soon enough, I varied it for the Instant Pot (my new...glorious...wonderful...love-of-my-kitchen Instant Pot). Serves 6.

Slow Cooker OR Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana

1 lb pork sausage
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbsp minced garlic, about 4 cloves
4 large potatoes, washed and chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes, according to taste
32-oz chicken broth, or 4 c water with 4 tsp chicken boullion
1 c heavy whipping cream*
1 bunch kale, washed, stems removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces**, or fresh spinach***
1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Slow Cooker:
1. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and break apart sausage until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion and garlic; saute until onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off burner. Drain any remaining grease.
2. Place potatoes in slow cooker. Add cooked sausage mixture, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Pour chicken broth on top and add up to 2 cups water just to completely cover potatoes. Stir soup gently. 

3. Cover and cook on low until potatoes are fork-tender, 5 to 6 hours. Stir in heavy cream and chopped kale** or spinach***. Cook on High until flavors are incorporated, about 30 minutes. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Instant Pot:
1. Press 'Saute’  and add sausage; stir and break apart until browned and crumbled, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion and garlic; saute until onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain any remaining grease. Press 'Cancel'.
2. Place in potatoes, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Pour chicken broth on top and add up to 2 cups water, just until potatoes are covered. Stir soup gently. Lock on the lid and press 'Pressure Cook' for 10 minutes. Once it's finished, quick release the pressure (see manual).
3. Stir in heavy cream and chopped kale*. Lock on the lid and press saute until 'More' is lit. Let cook 5 minutes and quick release. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

* If I forget heavy cream, while the soup is cooking in step 2, I make a roux: melt 3 Tbsp butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in 3 Tbsp flour. Slowly pour 3/4 c milk, whisking as you pour, so lumps won't form. Keep whisking until it begins to thicken. Turn burner off and wait for step 2 to be complete. Use in place of whipping cream in step 3.

**If using curly leaf kale, add 30-60 minutes, until soft, before serving as it tends to be chewier and needs longer to cook.
***If using spinach leaves, wait to add just before serving.

Quiche

I love quiche every so often and this recipe is so tasty! My six your old called it "epic" and my husband had thirds. Can be made for breakfast, lunch or dinner and can be frozen for later (just bake it longer, until center is warm). The cream does make it heavy so it makes you fuller than you think. Tweaked a recipe from allrecipes.com. Makes  1-9" quiche.

Quiche

1-9" frozen pie crust
12 oz chub breakfast sausage of your choice
1 Tbsp bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
4 oz mushrooms, diced
3 eggs
3/4 c heavy cream, or whole milk
1/4 tsp vinegar
1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/8 tsp tarragon
1/8 tsp garlic powder
pinch nutmeg
1 c shredded cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake frozen crust 10 minutes; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in large skillet cook sausage over medium heat, crumbling as it cooks, until no longer pink. Drain most of the fat from pan. Add bell pepper, onion and mushrooms to skillet; cook 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. In medium bowl, mix eggs and cream. Add vinegar, parsley, tarragon, garlic powder, nutmeg and cheese. Stir in sausage and vegetables.
4. Pour into pie crust and bake in preheated oven 50 to 60 minutes, or until edges of crust are golden brown.

Sausage Gnocchi Marinara

This recipe kind of happened by accident. This is how I do all my jars of marinara (I cook onion and garlic and veggies and meat in with it). The gnocchi is just a great way to eat this sausage sauce. My kids and husband LOVE it (as do I of course!). Serve with a green salad or steamed veggie. Serves 4.

Sausage Gnocchi Marinara 

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 package shelf stable gnocchi
1/2 c onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
vegetables of your choice, such as 1/2 c diced zucchini, 4 oz quartered mushrooms, etc
1 package sweet Italian sausage
1 jar marinara sauce of your choice

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and stir 4 minutes. Add garlic, stir for 30 seconds. Add any other vegetables and cook another 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sausage, squeezing out of casing in pieces. Cook until meat is no longer pink; about 7 to 10 minutes.
2. Add marinara sauce. Once sauce starts to boil, turn heat to low and cover. Let simmer 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain. Serve meat sauce over gnocchi, or stir the gnocchi directly into the sauce. Enjoy!

Minestrone with Italian Sausage

I like minestrone. Add Italian sausage and I LOVE minestrone! :) This was hearty and delicious. I added extra sausage (because it's awesome) and and extra zucchini since I had one from my garden I needed to use up. Obviously you could make this without the sausage to make it vegetarian, which is a little different than my slow cooker version. I got this out of Betty Crocker Annual Recipes 2005 recipe book. Serve with warm bread. Serves 6.

Minestrone with Italian Sausage

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
1/2 c onion, chopped
1 c carrot, peeled and chopped (about 2 medium)
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp garlic, minced
3 14-oz cans beef or chicken broth
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 15-oz can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 c uncooked small elbow macaroni
1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and cut into 1/4" slices
1 c frozen cut green beans or 1 14-oz can, rinsed and drained

1. Heat oil in large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook sausage, onion, carrots, basil and garlic in oil 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until sausage is no longer pink.
2. Stir broth, tomatoes and great northern beans into sausage mixture. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in macaron, zucchini and green beans; heat to boiling. Cook over medium-high heat 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are hot and noodles are cooked.

Sweet Italian Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

I don't know about you but I've had an abundance of zucchinis coming from my garden. This was a yummy and fun way to use them up! Tweaked a recipe I found online. This is a light, delicious meal. You could use any type of sausage you wanted, really, and use 1 large or 2 small-medium tomatoes instead of the can if you'd like. Just dice them and add them in with the onion. Serve with garlic bread, rolls, breadsticks, cheesy rolls or corn bread. Serves 4.

Sweet Italian Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

2 medium zucchinis
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 links sweet Italian sausage
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and black pepper, to taste
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 c dry bread crumbs
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 9x13 baking dish; set aside.
2. Lengthwise, cut a 3/4"-thick slice from each zucchini. Chop the long slices of zucchini; set aside for cooking. Use spoon to scrape away flesh from inside of zucchini, leaving 1/2" thick on all sides. Discard extra flesh or save for another use.
3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add to heated oil and cook, breaking up as it cooks, until sausage has begun to brown; about 8 minutes. Sprinkle in red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Add chopped zucchini, onion and garlic; cook until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.
4. Scrape sausage mixture into a large bowl. Stir in tomatoes, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and basil until thoroughly combined.
5. Stuff mixture into zucchinis. Add to baking dish and place in heated oven for 30 minutes or until heated through and begins to brown on top. Slice into portions and serve.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo with Rice

My husband L-O-V-E-D this. So did the kid and I. It is tender chicken and yummy sausage in a delicious gravy you pour over rice. What's not to love? Serves 8 to 10.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo with Rice

GUMBO:
1 Tbsp butter
1 whole chicken, cut up and skinned*
1 - 1 1/2 lb sausage of your choice, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 c butter
3/4 c flour
1 large onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
8 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp + cajun or creole seasoning
1 tsp salt
8 c chicken broth**
2 bay leaves, optional
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped

1. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with flour; set aside. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in large, heavy bottomed pot over med-high heat. Add sausage until browned; remove with slotted spoon and set on paper towel to drain. Add chicken and cook until browned on both sides; about 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
2. Turn heat down to medium. In the same pot, add 3/4 c butter and melt; stir in 3/4 c flour. Stir constantly, about 25 minutes, until roux turns dark brown like chocolate. Immediately stir in diced onion, bell pepper, and celery (this is known as the Holy Trinity, almost every cajun/creole dish begins with this). Stir until vegetables begin to wilt, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, cajun or creole seasoning, and salt.
3. Slowly, bit by bit, stir in chicken broth until well mixed; return chicken and sausage to pot and bring to a boil. Add bay leaves, if using. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, for one and a half hours, or until meat falls off the bones. Skim off any fat that rises to the top.
4. Remove meat from bones. I do it while it's on the pot, but you can remove the chicken and do it that way. Return meat to pot and stir in chopped parsley. Add more cajun or creole seasoning if desired.

* You can also use 4 lb chicken parts, any combination.
** You can also use 8 c water with 8 tsp chicken bouillon.

RICE:
2 c long-grain white rice
4 c chicken broth or water
1 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 bay leaf

Add ingredients to rice cooker, stir, and cook.
-OR-
Combine ingredients in 2-qt saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cover; simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and let sit 5 minutes, covered. Discard bay leaf and serve, pouring gumbo and sauce over top.

Sweet Italian Sausage in Tomatoes and Cream Sauce

This rich pasta dish was filling and a hit with the husband and kids. Tweaked a recipe from allrecipes.com. The red pepper flakes give it a little kick my spicy-sensitive kids even ate. You can substitute heavy cream with half and half and add 1 Tbsp corn starch or flour to lower fat content. And you could really use any kind of sausage you want. mmmmm.... Serves 4.

Sweet Italian Sausage in Tomatoes and Cream Sauce

1 12-oz package of noodles
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and chopped into pieces
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 c diced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz fresh mushrooms
2 14-oz cans Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 c fresh basil, chopped
grated Parmesan cheese, optional

1. Boil noodles in salted water, according to package directions until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and red pepper flakes; cook until sausage is browned and no longer pink. Stir in onion, garlic and mushrooms and cook 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, cream, Parmesan cheese and salt; simmer 10 minutes.
3. Drain noodles and add to sauce. Stir in parsley and basil; cook 1 minute more until noodles are heated through. Garnish with whole parsley leaves. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Italian Sausage Ragout with Linguine

My husband L-O-V-E-D this pasta dish. But that's understandable since he loves sweet Italian sausage and bell peppers! I tweaked a recipe I found on allrecipes.com. The red pepper flakes give it a fun kick, though be mindful if serving children: most don't like the spicy kick. My kids don't like noodles but they love the sausage! Serves 6.

Italian Sausage Ragout with Linguine

1 - 13.25 oz package linguine pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb sweet Italian pork sausage (2 large links), cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 -14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 c marinara sauce
1/2 c red wine or beef broth
1/2 c fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, if desired
 salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat oil in large skillet or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage pieces and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in red and green bell peppers and cook 8 minutes more.
2. Add tomatoes, marinara sauce, red wine or broth, and parsley and red pepper flakes, if using; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well and set aside.
4. When sauce is done simmering, turn off heat and taste (making sure it's cooled off!). Season with salt and pepper and stir well until reaches desired flavor, being careful not to over-salt. Serve over cooked linguine noodles.

Sausage Gravy

I was craving biscuits and gravy the other day (thanks to odd pregnancy cravings) and this recipe hit the spot. It is super tasty, filling, and easy to make. I love that you can make the gravy in the pan with the sausage. I didn't have ground sausage so I chopped up sausage links. It was okay, but ground sausage is so much better. :) Serves 4.

Sausage Gravy

1/2 to 1 lb ground pork sausage
1/2 c flour
3 Tbsp butter, if necessary
2 c milk
salt and pepper to taste

8 biscuits prepared

1. Cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat until browned and no longer pink.
2. Stir in flour until dissolved. If sausage is low fat and doesn't make enough juice to dissolve flour, add 3 Tbsp butter, melt, and stir until flour is dissolved.
3. Gradually stir in milk. Cook until sauce is thick and bubbly. Season with salt and pepper according to individual preference. Serve hot over prepared biscuits.

Italian Baked Penne

My sister sent me this message months ago. I tried it a few days ago..and I'm SO glad!! It's the BEST baked pasta dish I've had HANDS DOWN! So full of veggies and so tasty! Give it a try. This feeds about 2,000 people. :) Or 8-10.

Italian Baked Penne

1 13.25 oz package penne noodles
1 lb ground turkey or ground turkey sausage
1 c onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 can Italian style diced tomatoes
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
3 c raw spinach, chopped
8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 c Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease 9x13 baking dish; set aside.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
3. In a extra large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground turkey, onion, and garlic until turkey is no longer pink. Add pepper, Italian seasoning, fresh basil, mushrooms, and tomatoes; simmer 6-8 minutes. Add salt and simmer 2 minutes more.
4. Add cooked pasta to sauce and mix well. Add spinach, cheese, and 1/3 c of the Parmesan cheese; blend well. Add mixture to 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 2/3 c Parm cheese on top.
5. Bake 15 minutes, or until Parm cheese is melted. Serve warm.

Genuine Italian Lasagna

I got this recipe from Our Best Bites recipe blog. SO GOOD!  Labor intensive (took 3 hours), but soooo worth it. My husband says it's the best lasagna he's ever had (he had it for breakfast this morning, people), and our friend said it was "heavenly". HA! Most poetic thing I've heard him say.
I like this website, though I haven't loved everything I've tried from it. Funny people. She says, "Some...may balk at the idea of vegetables in their Man Food. If you're not a fan of chunky vegetables in your lasagna, you could try grating them or tossing them in your food processor and letting Ms. Cuisinart do all the hard work. That way, you'll still get the hearty flavor and nutrients of the vegetables, but no one really has to know." She also says, "This serves 12. And wanna know what's awesome? If you use super lean ground beef, it has around 250 calories and 5 Weight Watcher points! Seriously, the TASTIEST, most filling 5 points you'll ever have in your life."

Genuine Italian Lasagna 

Pasta/Lasagna Sauce

1/2 lb. ground beef or Italian sausage

2 15-oz. cans Italian-style diced tomatoes

1 15-oz. can tomato sauce

4-5 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

1 onion, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped or grated

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into small pieces

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 tsp. sugar

About 1/4 tsp. baking soda (this neutralizes the acid)

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan or skillet with a lid, brown ground beef (or sausage), onions, and garlic until meat is cooked and onions are tender. Add the remaining ingredients to the cooked meat, stir, and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. After an hour, remove from heat. Taste to see if it needs more salt and/or pepper.

Béchamel (BAY-sha-mel) Sauce
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) real butter, NO SUBSTITUTES
1/4. c. white flour
2 1/2 c. milk

Preheat oven to 350.
To prepare Béchamel sauce, melt butter over over medium to medium-low heat (closer to medium) in a medium saucepan. When melted, whisk in flour until combined. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Heat until bubbly and thickened to a medium consistency (I don't know if it's my pots, but I always have to turn temp. to medium to get sauce to thicken and bubble). Mix with pasta/lasagna sauce.

FINALLY for the lasagna

12 no-boil lasagna noodles
8 oz. shredded mozzarella, divided
4 oz. fresh shredded Parmesan
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 16-oz. tub Ricotta

1. Combine 6 oz. mozzarella (about 1 3/4 c.), ricotta, Parmesan, and the beaten egg.

2. Using a ladle that measures 1/2 c. (or a 1/2 c. measuring cup), spread 1 c. of sauce onto the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Add 3 noodles. Spread a layer of the cheese mixture. Spread 1 1/2 c. sauce and repeat so you have 4 layers of noodles. You should end with a layer of sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella (and some extra Parmesan if you have some left over)

Cover tightly with foil and bake about 50 minutes.

Remove from oven and remove foil. It will probably look a little runny. Don't be scared--you still need to let it stand about 15-20 minutes. During that time, it will thicken up nicely.