Super Bowl 2.0 - Sausage Balls

Courtesy of my family <3

OK, so this probably isn't only made by my family, but it's something that I always grew up having around the holidays. It's a great finger food and it's just delicious. This recipe only calls for three ingredients - can't complain about that! YUM.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground Italian sausage (I used mild, but you can definitely use hot if desired)
3 cups Bisquick mix
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or whichever cheese you prefer)

DIRECTIONS

Mix together all ingredients. TIP: It's easier to mix if you incorporate the ingredients slowly to the ground sausage. Roll into balls (approximately 1 tb each) and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 10 minutes. Take out once a little golden brown on top.

New Year's Eve Hosting

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

I apologize to all, I have been totally absent from blogging lately! The stomach flu had me out for the count for quite some time and then before I knew it, it was time for the holidays! Instead of spending them in the kitchen, I spent them traveling to see family and doing lots of holiday dinners and parties! Can't complain, but I am ready to get back in the kitchen .. and so is my waistline and bank account :) This post is from our New Year's Eve pre-game. Most food I provided has already been posted previously, but here are two new items! Nick and I had a few friends over before heading out to the Newseum for their New Year's Eve Ball!

JM's Pasta Salad
- 1 pound small shaped (I used half elbow macaroni and half ditalini)
- 3/4 bottle Fat Free Italian Caesar Dressing (this is just my favorite for this)
- handful of feta cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (whichever color you prefer)
- 1/2 cup chopped carrot
- 1/4 cup chopped seedless cucumber
- 1 to 2 tb Salad Supreme Seasoning (to your liking...I usually eyeball it)

Bring salted water to a boil. Pour in the pasta and cook until done. Drain the pasta and pour into a serving bowl. Combine half of the dressing and let cool. Mix together the remaining ingredients, including the other half of the dressing. This recipe is all very adaptable to your liking. Feel free to get creative!

Snack Plate
OK, so I didn't exactly "cook" this, but I did put it together and boy was it delicious! Super fast, easy, and addicting! Pick your favorite serving dish and pile on crackers or bread, your selection of meats, cheeses, and condiments. I did a basic tray of sourdough, hard salami, summer sausage, prosciutto, and extra sharp Vermont cheddar, served with a side of whole grain mustard.

Poulet au Vinaigre de Romarin

Adapted from One Perfect Bite Blog

This dish was really delicious, it had so many flavors. I halved the below recipe and was really happy with it. I think this would also be good just as a chicken dish, although the sausage did add a nice zing.
 
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound sweet turkey Italian sausage, cut in 1/2-inch rounds
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1-1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I threw in a bit more)
1/2 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth (I threw in a bit more)
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoon water
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped fresh

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a large heavy skillet pan set over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add sausage and cook, stirring often, until sausage is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
2) While sausage browns, season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and shake off excess.
3) Remove sausage from pan and set aside. Add garlic and saute until light golden brown. Remove garlic from pan and set aside. Add chicken and cook over medium-high heat, turning once, until chicken is brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Pour off fat. Return sausage and garlic to pan and scatter rosemary over all.
4) Pour in vinegar and bring to a boil. Boil until the vinegar is almost entirely evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer for 15 minutes longer. Add cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened, turning chicken pieces to glaze. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.

Loaded Frittata

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

I've been wanting to try another frittata and decided this past weekend was a good time! I hit up the farmer's market a block from my house for some of the fresh ingredients. We had a guest crash in our spare bedroom and he definitely approved - considering he woke up to a home cooked brunch :) This was delicious. One piece is pretty filling, but it's just as tasty leftover. Feel free to get creative with the ingredients..that's the fun part!

• 1 pound ground Italian sausage (I used Mild)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped (small size)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped (small size)
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 8 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• Salt
• 1 cup high quality, sharp cheddar (I used extra sharp)
• 1 cup cooked maple bacon, chopped (good quality)

In an ovenproof skillet, cook the sausage and crushed red pepper, breaking up the meat, until browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels (to drain some of the grease). In the same skillet, add the peppers and shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked sausage. Preheat the broiler. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pour into the skillet. Cook, scrambling the mixture, until almost set; top with the cheddar cheese. Broil until set in the center, about 5 minutes. Top with crumbled bacon.

Penne with Sausage and Tomato Sauce

Courtesy of Plated Perfection, adapted from Giada de Laurentiis
Shocking, another recipe from Giada. I <3 her. I made a few changes in terms of the the meat that is used (she uses tuna) and I've also just made a few minor changes. I've had the original tuna recipe, which is good, but you have to buy high quality tuna to use. This is great for a group, or else you'll have leftovers for a few days!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound penne
• 1 (26-ounce) jar homemade sauce or other purchased marinara sauce (I used Barilla this go around)
• 3 Mild Italian Sausages (probably about 12 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon drained capers
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• freshly shredded or grated parmesan cheese
• Texas Toast, this was just something I had to throw in :)

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Cook the sausage in a skillet with approximately 1 tb olive oil. I prefer to take them out of the casings and cut into chunks. Cook for about 3 minutes per side or until cooked through. Combine the tomato sauce, sausage, capers, and lemon peel in a heavy large skillet. Simmer to blend the flavors, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Toss the pasta with enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Stir in the parsley and serve. Top with parmesan cheese and some extra parsley. Serve with Texas Toast.

The Perfect Winter Soup

So for anyone that knows Nick, knows he likes to cook new things and loves incorporating sausage whenever possible! He came across this recipe for Italian Sausage Soup (courtesy of allrecipes.com). I must say, it turned out extremely tasty (not that I am surprised). It tasted even better the next day! This works best with a dutch oven if you have one. I was nice and let him use mine...after all, he was sharing his delicious soup with me.

Italian Sausage Soup:

• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can great Northern beans, undrained
• 2 small zucchini, cubed
• 2 cups spinach - packed, rinsed and torn
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In a stockpot or Dutch oven, brown sausage with garlic. Stir in broth, tomatoes and carrots, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
2. Stir in beans with liquid and zucchini. Cover, and simmer another 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.
3. Remove from heat, and add spinach. Replace lid allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves. Soup is ready to serve after 5 minutes.

Roasted Garlic Pesto Linguine with Sausage

I saw this made on the Food Network (since I am obsessed with that channel, as anyone that's been at my place can tell you) and have been really wanting to make it. After Nick and I got our rears kicked at CrossFit, I decided that tonight was the night! This recipe was adapted from Sonny Anderson, I just replaced the shrimp with sausage this go around.

Ingredients:

• 15 garlic cloves, peeled (about 1 head)
• 1 cup olive oil, plus extra for tomatoes
• 1 pound cherry tomatoes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 cup packed basil leaves
• 1 pound linguine
• 2 Italian sausages
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place garlic cloves in a single layer in a small baking dish. Add 1/2 cup olive oil to cover cloves, cover with foil, and bake 30-45 minutes, until golden brown and fork-tender. Meanwhile, in another baking dish, toss tomatoes with enough oil to coat. Lightly season with salt and pepper and roast at same temperature until tomatoes blister, about 25 minutes. This is what they should look like :)

Strain garlic cloves and set aside in a small bowl, reserving infused oil separately (to use later if desired). In a blender, add the roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic, Parmesan, and basil. Pulse until combined. While machine is running, drizzle in 1/2 cup olive oil until pesto comes together. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Remove to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and reserve. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the linguine and cook until al dente. Drain. Meanwhile, heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil (or olive oil if desired). Saute the Italian sausage until it is cooked through. In a large bowl add the linguine and some of the pesto. Toss to coat and top with the sausage and parmesan cheese if desired. Garnish with toasted pine nuts and serve. I did not end up using the toasted pine nuts this go around, but may try them next time (OK, I actually toasted them a bit too much and was too hungry to try again).