sausage and rice skillet

love this recipe for meal prep - easily doubled if you have a large Dutch oven. serves 4.

• 14 ounces precooked sausage (I like cheddar or Andouille)

• 1 tbs canola oil or other neutral cooking oil

• 1 bell pepper, diced

• 1/2 white or yellow onion, diced

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1/2 tsp each oregano, thyme

• 1/4 tsp each garlic powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper

• 1 15-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes

• 1 cup. long grain white rice

• 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

• sliced scallions and shredded cheddar cheese to serve

slice the sausages into 1/4” thick pieces. add the sausages and oil to a large skillet or Dutch oven and sauté over medium heat until browned. don’t worry if you have little brown bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet.

add the onion ad bell pepper and sauté for an additional minute. add the spices and mix well. add the tomatoes (don’t drain), rice, and chicken broth. scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.

cover the skillet, bring the heat to medium-high, and allow to boil. once boiled, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20 minutes. after the 20 minutes, remove from heat and rest an additional 5 minutes with the lid on.

mix well and top with scallions and cheddar to serve.

cajun pasta

it started off as a jambalaya-inspired pasta sauce but detoured, and I’m ok with that. the spices are what makes this so try not to skip those. serves 6.

• olive oil for cooking

• 1 onion, diced

• 2 red bell peppers, diced

• 2 sausage links (about 1 lb.) - I would use andouille or cheddar but anything goes; sliced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 chicken breasts (about 1 lb.), diced, or 1 lb. raw peeled shrimp

• 1 lb. small textured pasta - penne, rotini, shells, bow ties, etc.

• 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

• 1 tsp each: oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper, onion powder, salt, parsley

• 2 tsp paprika

• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1/2 cup heavy cream or 1/2 cup milk + 1 tbs cornstarch

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

• 3 cups water

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil. Saute onion and peppers until soft, then add sausage and cook until just browned. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Add diced chicken/shrimp and all spices. Cook, stirring often, until chicken/shrimp is mostly cooked through.

Add pasta and stir. Add diced tomatoes, broth, and water. Simmer until pasta is al dente and almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently - roughly 20 minutes.

If using milk + cornstarch, whisk the cornstarch into the milk until smooth. Add milk/heavy cream and cheddar cheese, and stir until combined.

sausage quinoa skillet

One pan. Great at using up leftovers. Serves 4.

• 1 tbs olive oil

• 4 cloves minced garlic

• 1/2 onion, minced

• 1 zucchini or squash, chopped

• 2 precooked skinless sausages, sliced

• 1 cup of fresh or frozen sweet corn, peas, or carrots

• 1/2 cup quinoa (1/2 cup before cooking)

• 2 handfuls baby spinach or kale

• black pepper to taste

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Heat up the olive oil in a large skillet. Saute the garlic and onion until fragrant and onion has softened.

Cook the quinoa according to package directions.

In the skillet, add the zucchini/squash and the sausage. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the sausage slices have just slightly browned.

Add the veggies and black pepper to taste. Stir until heated through. Add the spinach/kale and cook until just wilted. Add in the quinoa.

Serve with Parmesan cheese.

lazy day pasta bake

I totally made this recipe up and it didn’t suck, so here we go. Perfect for a snow day/sick day/comfort food day and very customizable. Makes 6-8 servings.

• 1 pound pasta of your choice (elbows, ziti, penne, etc. would work)

• 1 jar vodka sauce (or regular pasta sauce)

• 1 pound cooked/skinned sausage of your choice, cut into slices

• 2 handfuls baby spinach

• 1 cup ricotta cheese

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook the pasta according to the package. Drain. Preheat the oven to 400º.

In the original pasta pot, lightly brown the sausage pieces in olive oil. Stir in the spinach. Once wilted, add the sauce.

When the sauce is heated through, add the pasta and stir to combine.

In a large glass baking dish, add half the pasta. Spoon the ricotta cheese evenly over the pasta, and then add the rest of the pasta on top. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes in preheated oven or until the cheese has just melted.

turkey sausage bowls

Perfect for meal prep or work lunches. Smells strong in the office microwave so beware. Serves 4.

• 2 tbs olive oil

• 1 pound precooked, skinned sausage of your preference cut into slices (I like turkey)

• 1 small onion, diced

• 2 of the following options:

  • 1 cup fresh or frozen peas/carrots/corn

  • 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

  • 2 cups fresh or frozen broccoli florets

• 1 cup uncooked rice/quinoa

• 2 cloves minced garlic

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• shredded Mexican cheese to serve

In a medium pot, cook the rice or quinoa to package directions.

Heat a large skillet over medium and add the olive oil. Add the sausage, onion, and garlic and cook until the onions are soft and the sausage begins to brown.

If using frozen, steam the veggies in the microwave. Add the veggies and the beans to the pan, cover, and cook about 5 minutes.

Add the spices and cooked rice/quinoa. Cover and cook until everything is heated through.

Add shredded cheese to serve.