All I can say is oh my god, it’s good! I could easily have devoured the entire pot myself, it was so yummy. It got Ari’s seal of approval too – she gobbled up everything in her bowl. Definitely being added to the list of family favorites.

Sausage & Cabbage Soup

Serves 4

3 slices bacon — diced small
12 ounces polish sausage — sliced
1 cup sliced red onion
8 ounces shredded cabbage
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons spicy mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Put the bacon in a cold dutch oven and turn the heat on to medium to medium high. Stir occaisionally until the bacon is crispy.

Add the sausage and onion and cook, stirring once in a while, until the onion is starting to get tender.

Put the cabbage in the pot, stir it up well, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender.

Just before serving, stir in the mustard and red wine vinegar.

Source: “http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-index/dinner-recipes/Sausage–Potato-and-Cabbage-Stew”

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 388 Calories; 28g Fat (63.3% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 64mg Cholesterol; 1452mg Sodium.

Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 4 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Biscuit Crusted Sausage Pie

non-stick cooking spray
1/2 lb bulk pork sausage with sage
1/2 recipe of your favorite biscuit recipe
1/2 red onion, sliced very thin
2 oz diced farmer’s cheese
2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
1/2 c milk
salt & pepper

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. In a non-stick skillet, cook sausage, crumbling it as it cooks, until browned and cooked through. Drain and set aside to cool.

Grease a 9″ round pie place. Press the biscuit dough into the pie plate so it’s even all the way around, and comes up to the top of the pan. (If you’re using a rolled biscuit dough recipe, roll the dough out into a circle that will fit the pie plate.)

In a medium bowl, combine cooked sausage, red onion slices and diced cheese, then spread evenly over the crust. In the same bowl, beat eggs, egg yolks, milk, and salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the sausage mixture. Bake until the middle is set, about 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

If you’re making this ahead, reheat in a 350 degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes. If you’ve frozen the baked pie, thaw it in the fridge before reheating.

1 package smoked bratwurst
1 package frozen three bell pepper and onion mixture
red wine
1 – 28 oz can Italian tomato sauce (Meijer had it on sale)
8 oz. pasta (I’ve got penne and rotini in the cupboard, I’ll just grab whichever one I find first)

First thing, I get a large pot of water boiling to cook the pasta. I don’t add the salt until the water is boiling, then I cook the pasta until al dente. Typically, if a time range is listed for the pasta on the box – say, 8-10 minutes – I pick a time in the middle and it usually comes out perfect for my family’s tastes.

As soon as I turn on the water to cook the pasta, I start assembling the sauce.

The smoked brats are already cooked, so all you really need to do is heat them through. I slice them up, either into rounds or on the bias (depending on how fancy I’m feeling at the time), and fry them up (with a little bit of olive oil) in a pot large enough to hold everything when I’m finished cooking. When the sausage is nicely browned on either side, I take it out of the pot and set it aside. I throw the frozen peppers and onions into the pot, sprinkle them with a little bit of salt, then put the lid on the pot. Turn the heat down to medium, and let cook for about 10 minutes. Take the lid off the pot and, stirring occasionally, cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the onions get a bit of color.

At that point I throw the sausage back into the pot, stir it all up again, and let it cook for another minute or two. I now put in a couple of glugs (yes, a very scientific measurement – usually comes out to about 1/4 cup) of red wine in, and let it cook for a minute or so. Then I pour in the tomato sauce, give it all a really good stir, then set the stove to medium low and let it simmer until the pasta is done.

When the pasta is done, I drain it, put it into the pot with the sauce, mix it all up and then serve.

Pretty simple, really, and one of my kids’ favorite meals.

Sausage Potato Salad

Salad:

1 pound red potatoes
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces kielbasa, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Dressing:

1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes; boil about 25 minutes or until tender. Drain and let cool. Cut potatoes into quarters and place in a large bowl.

In a large skillet, heat the 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Brown the kielbasa. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Add kielbasa to the bowl with the potatoes along with celery and green onions.

For the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in oil. Add the dressing, celery and green onions to the potato mixture and toss to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yes, I know it’s not Christmas, but this is what I made for Christmas Eve dinner. The sauce makes enough for two pounds of pasta, way more than we can eat at a single sitting – especially when we’re trying to cut back. It’s a Rachael Ray recipe. What else is new, eh? The kids liked it enough that I’ll probably make it again next Christmas.

Christmas Pasta

 
Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
1/4 pound pancetta, thick-cut, chopped into small bits
1/2 pound bulk hot Italian sausage
1 pound combined ground beef, pork and veal
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup good quality dry red wine
1 cup prepared beef stock, packaged in a box container or canned
2 cans chunky style crushed tomatoes (32 ounces each)
A handful of flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon allspice or cinnamon (a couple of pinches)
Coarse salt and black pepper
2 pounds penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Grated Pecorino Romano cheese, as an accompaniment
Fresh, crusty bread, for mopping

Heat a deep pot over medium-high heat. Add oil, garlic, bay leaf and pancetta bits and brown for one minute. Add meats and brown and crumble them for five minutes.

Chop carrot, celery and onions near the stove and add to the pot as you work. Cook vegetables with meat for five minutes and add wine. Cook for one minute; add stock and tomatoes to the pot.

Stir in parsley, allspice or cinnamon and season sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 10-15 minutes minimum before serving. Reheated sauce only improves.

Toss pasta (cook only as much pasta as you need at the time: half a pound for every three people) with a couple of ladles of sauce to coat, then top bowl with extra sauce. Top pasta with lots of cheese and pass bread at the table.

This recipe is based on the “Sausage Meatloaf Cupcakes with Creamy Potato Frosting” from Every Day With Rachel Ray magazine.

Sausage Cupcakes with Mashed Potato Frosting

4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 1/4 lbs Italian sausage, casings removed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 c. heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with foil cupcake liners. Put potatoes and some salt into a medium pot and put in enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring potatoes to boil, then cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onion and yellow bell pepper for 5 minutes or until soft. Set aside and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Combine the sausage meat, onions, bell pepper, breadcrumbs and egg in a large bowl. Mix until blended, but not too much as you don’t want to make it tough. Portion out the meat mixture evenly into the cupcake liners and bake for 30 minutes.

While the cupcakes are baking, combine the cream, salt, pepper, garlic powder and butter with the potatoes and mash until they reach the texture your family likes. Put the lid on the pot and keep the potatoes warm until the cupcakes are done.

“Frost” the cooked cupcakes with the mashed potatoes and serve with a nice, big, green salad.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Cheesy Sausage Hash Browns

1 lb bulk breakfast sausage (hot or mild, your choice – wouldn’t recommend maple)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 large onion, chopped
5 cups shredded frozen potatoes
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup sharp cheddar crumbles

1. In a large non-stick frying pan, cook the sausage meat until all the pink is gone. As it cooks, break it into small pieces. Remove sausage from the pan and set aside, keeping it warm.
2. Add olive oil and butter to the pan. When melted, add the onion and cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes, or until you can easily cut a piece of onion with a wooden spoon.
3. Add shredded potato, season with salt and pepper and cook for 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown and crispy.
4. Add cheese and cooked sausage, turning everything for a minute or two to let the cheese melt and get a bit crispy.