One-Pot Spinach Artichoke Chicken Pasta

 

This recipe comes from TheKitchn and it's the next one in my one-pot meals series (if you will).  The only chicken sausage I could find at the store was a breakfast one.  In hindsight, I should have probably just gotten one of the usual summer sausages and not worried about it not being chicken.  The boyfriend didn't love it, but that may have been related to the sausage.  I liked it and loved that it was only one pot!  It also came together really quickly!  Also, I did not use the optional parmesan rind.

YIELDServes 4

PREP TIME5 minutes

COOK TIME8 minutes to 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 12 ounces cooked chicken sausage
• 1 (12-ounce) jar quartered, marinated artichoke hearts
• 4 1/2 cups water
• 12 ounces dried linguine pasta
• 1 Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch fresh spinach
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut 12 ounces chicken sausage into 1/2-inch thick rounds and drain 1 jar marinated artichokes hearts. Place both in a large, straight-sided skillet. Add 4 1/2 cups water, 12 ounces dried linguine, 1 Parmesan cheese rind if desired, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

2. Bring to a boil over high heat (this will take about 5 minutes). Boil, stirring and turning the pasta with tongs occasionally to prevent sticking, until the pasta is al dente and almost all the liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add 1 bunch spinach.

3. Remove from the heat. Remove the Parmesan rind, add 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, and toss to combine. Taste and season with more salt as needed.

Biscuits and Gravy Casserole

I love biscuits and gravy, so I decided to try this recipe for our New Year's brunch.  It was fabulous!  It makes a bit more than two people can eat, however, and it's not possible to cut it in half unless you waste half of the biscuits.

I served it with Cranberry Orange Bread and Caramelized Ham and Swiss Buns.  Perfect combination!

Click here for the original link to the blog Lemon Sugar.

Biscuits and Gravy Casserole

INGREDIENTS

1 can large, flaky biscuits (such as Grands)

½ pound ground breakfast sausage

3 Tablespoons flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 and ½ cups milk

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).

Prepare a small casserole dish (approximately 7x10) with cooking spray. Set aside.

Open biscuits, and cut biscuits into quarters.

Layer half of the quarters in prepared pan.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare gravy.

In a heavy skillet, brown the ground breakfast sausage over medium high heat until fully cooked.

Sprinkle the cooked sausage with 3 Tablespoons of flour.

Use a wooden spoon to stir flour into sausage until completely absorbed.

Lower heat to medium, and cook flour/sausage mixture for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add milk, and stir to combine.

Add salt and black pepper.

Stir frequently until mixture comes to a slight boil.

Taste, and adjust seasonings as desired. (I usually add more black pepper)

If the gravy is too thick, add a bit more milk. You want the gravy to be thickened but not too thick, not "globby," it should still be slightly runny.

Pour gravy over the cooked biscuits.

Layer the remaining uncooked, quartered biscuits over the gravy.

Place casserole dish on a baking sheet, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. If they start to over-brown, you can cover with foil for the last 10 minutes or so.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Kielbasa

This is another recipe that the boyfriend found.  We've made it a few times and it's always a hit.  It's also quite simple to throw together.  While I think I measured the sauerkraut the first time, now I just put some on until the kielbasa looks full enough.

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package kielbasa
1 (7.6 ounce) package roasted garlic flavored instant mashed potatoes
1 1/2 cups sauerkraut
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add kielbasa and boil for 8 to 10 minutes to reduce the amount of fat; drain. Prepare mashed potatoes according to package instructions.
Cut kielbasa into 4 equal portions, then split each lengthwise so that they lay flat but are still attached. Layer each sausage with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. Top with grated cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Super Sausage Gravy

The boyfriend requested biscuits and gravy, so I went looking on yummly.com (my new favorite way to search for recipes - meta search type of thing!) and found this version from Bob Evans on allrecipes.com. We both thought the gravy could be a bit thinner, but overall, very tasty and satisfying. And I feel all southern now. And I cheated and used Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits.

Ingredients:
1 pound Bob Evans® Original Recipe
Sausage Roll
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk
Salt and black pepper to taste
8 prepared biscuits
Directions:
1. Crumble and cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat until browned. Stir in flour until dissolved. Gradually stir in milk. Cook gravy until thick and bubbly. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot over biscuits. Refrigerate leftovers.

Sausage Rolls with Spinach Salad

Day 4 of your weeknight meal planner was another success. Of course, who doesn't like puff pastry?! I would note though that you don't need to preheat your oven until you put the pastry wrapped sausage in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes. And although the recipe doesn't note it, try to work quickly with the puff pastry once it's out of the fridge so it doesn't lose the chilled quality. Also, for this salad and the previous one Tuesday night, I used a tupperware bowl with a lid and shook my salad to evenly coat the spinach or the lettuce.

Ingredients:
3/4 lb italian sausage links, casings removed
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (use the rest Friday)
1 red bell pepper, 1/2 finely chopped and 1/2 cut into very thin strips
1 sheet (half of a 17.3 oz pkg) frozen puff pastry, thawed but chilled (finish it up!)
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp EVOO
1 tbsp grainy mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced (finish it up!)
salt and pepper
6 cups (half of an 11 oz pkg) baby spinach (finish it up!)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Crumble the sausage into a bowl. Stir in the breadcrumbs and chopped bell pepper. Divide the mixture in half and form each into an 11-inch log; refrigerate.
2. Line a work surface with a 16-inch length of parchment. Set the sheet of cold puff pastry on top and roll out into an 11-inch square. Cut the pastry in half. Lay a sausage log down the center of each strip. Brush the long sides with some of the egg. Wrap the sausage in the pastry; press the seam to seal, but do not seal the short ends. Transfer to the baking sheet seam side down.
3. Brush the tops with the remaining egg and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Bake until puffed and golden, 25-30 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes; quarter each roll crosswise for a total of 8 pieces.
4. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the EVOO, mustard, and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the bell pepper strips and spinach; toss well.

Alberta's Casserole

This recipe came from a family friend named Alberta. She's since passed away and I don't know where she found the recipe or if it's her own creation. I'll try to get a picture next time I make it. This is one of those recipes you can fiddle with, add more meat, add more rice, add another can of mushrooms... it'll still taste good.

3/4 lb. Sweet or Hot Sausage
3/4 lb. hamburg
2 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped pepper
1 c. chopped onion
1 can mushrooms & juice
1 package Lipton's Chicken Noodle Soup
1 c. rice
4 c. boiling water


Fry sausage & hamburg together, add vegetables, steam for a few minutes.
Add mushrooms & soup. Put rice in bottom of 13" x 9" pan, Add cooked mixture.
Pour boiling water over all and mix. Bake for 1 hour at 350.