Italian Sausage Penne Alfredo with Spinach and Mushrooms

It's been awhile since I have made this dish, but it is a favorite of my husband's.  You can substitute any vegetables you want.  I've made it with zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and bell peppers.  Turkey sausage is also great! 

This makes A LOT of food.  Feel free to cut the recipe in half.  For a half recipe, I  still use the whole pound of sausage, but cut the pasta and sauce in half. 

Start by preheating the oven to 375 and starting a pot of water to boil the penne.

Prep the vegetables next.  All I had to do was dice half an onion and open the bag of spinach and container of mushrooms.  Easy peasy.

In a skillet, brown the sausages on all sides over medium heat in a touch of olive oil.  When brown, put the lid on and turn the heat to low.  Cook for 12 minutes, turning once.  They will be nicely browned and cooked through.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the mushrooms and onions to the same skillet.  Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, until the onion is just soft.  Remove from pan and pour into a bowl big enough to mix everything up.

The water should be boiling now for the pasta.  Add a couple pinches of salt and pour in the pasta.  Cook 9 minutes, or until al dente.

Next slice the Italian sausages and add to the bowl of mushrooms and onions.  Add half a bag of spinach on top. 

When the pasta is done, drain and add it to the bowl.  This is where I realized my bowl was not going to be big enough.  Oops!

Voila!  Chicken roaster to the rescue.  A 9x13 is a little too small for everything. 

Now add in the two jars of Alfredo sauce.  I really like the Bertolli kind, but use whatever you like best.  Or get fancy and make your own alfredo sauce!  Fill one of the jars to the top with beef stock and shake it up.  Add this to the pan as well as the garlic powder and basil.  Mix everything together.

Then top it with cheese...

And bake!  Pop it in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.  I like to turn it on broil for the last minute or so to brown it a bit. 

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Italian Sausage Penne Alfredo with Spinach and Mushrooms

• 1 lb Italian Sausage links (I like the sweet kind)
• 1 lb box whole wheat penne (regular will work fine as well)
• 2 15 oz jars Bertolli Alfredo Sauce
• 15 oz beef stock (enough to fill one of the empty Alfredo sauce jars)
• 4 oz fresh spinach
• 4 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• olive oil for browning sausage
• S&P to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium skillet, brown sausages on each side over medium heat.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  Allow them to finish cooking for 12 minutes, turning once.  Remove from heat and slice. 

In the same skillet, add diced onions and mushrooms.  Cook 4-5 minutes or until just soft.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large pot, boil penne until al dente, about 9 minutes.  Drain

In a large casserole dish, combine the sliced sausage, sautéed vegetables, pasta, alfredo sauce, beef stock, spinach, basil and garlic powder.  Top with cheese and bake 375 for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Enjoy!!!

Chicken Spaghetti

This stuff is delicious!  Perhaps not the healthiest meal, but it is well worth it for a cheat meal!  Pasta covered in cream of mushroom soup and melted cheese, who can say no to that??

While a bit time consuming for prep work, if you plan it just right, this whole meal can be made with minimal dirty dishes.  Easy enough!

Here is what you'll need:

Start by assembling everything you need and preheating the oven to 375.  This will help everything go quickly and smoothly. 

First start by boiling the chicken in a quart of chicken stock.  Use a pot big enough to boil your noodles to cut down on pans to wash.  Two medium sized breasts take about 25 minutes to cook, turning occasionally if they aren't fully submerged. 

When done, remove from the stock and set aside to cool.  Add enough water to the pot with the chicken stock to boil the noodles.  I just eye ball the amount, probably about 4-5 cups or so.  Bring it to a boil then add the noodles.  Cook according to package directions.  I like to use whole wheat spaghetti, but the regular kind will work just as well.

In the meantime, chop the onion and bell pepper and shred the chicken,

For the topping, mix together 1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs, 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan, 1/2 tsp seasoned salt, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, and 1 tsp of dried parsley.  Set aside.  

When the noodles are cooked, reserve 1 1/2 cups of the stock/water. Drain the pasta and set it aside.

Add three tablespoons of butter to the pan.  Toss in the diced bell peppers and onions.  Sauté for a few minutes until just soft.  Add in the seasoned salt, garlic, cream of mushroom soup, cubed velvetta cheese, rotel tomatoes, and reserved stock/water.  Simmer until the cheese is melted.

In a large bowl, mix together cooked noodles, cheese sauce, and shredded chicken.  Pour into a 9x13 baking pan. Top with the panko/parmesan mixture and bake it for 25 minutes, or until bubbly and slightly browned on top.

I like to serve this with a side salad and garlic bread.  It is complete comfort food in my book.  Hope you will try it!

Chicken Spaghetti

• 2 boneless chicken breasts, about 1lb
• 1 32oz box chicken stock
• 1 13.25 of box whole wheat spaghetti (or regular)
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can rotel tomatoes (mild or original, we prefer mild for the little guy)
• 1 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed
• 1 tsp plus 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 tsp plus 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tbs butter
• Water for boiling pasta

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large pot, boil chicken breasts in chicken stock for 25 minutes, turning occasionally.  Remove to cool and shred.

Add enough water to the pot with the stock to boil the noodles, about 4-5 cups.  Bring to a boil and cook noodles according to package.  Reserve 1 1/2 cups of cooking liquid.  Drain noodles and set aside.

Add butter to the same pan.  Sauté the bell peppers and onions for 3-4 minutes, until just soft.  Add in 1 tsp seasoned salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, cubed Velveeta, cream of mushroom soup, rotel, and reserved cooking liquid.  Cook over medium heat until cheese is melted, stirring frequently.  

In a large boil, combine noodles, shredded chicken, and cheese sauce.  Pour into a 9X13 baking pan.

In a small bowl, combine panko, grated Parmesan, remaining 1/2 tsp seasoned salt, garlic, and parsley.  

Sprinkle panko mix evenly over the too.  Bake 375 for 25 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

     

Smoked Sausage and Vegetable Bake

This is one of those dishes I make when I want something quick and easy and don't want to wash a bunch of pots and pans.  Everything bakes together in one pan for easy cleanup.

You can substitute whatever vegetables you have on hand.  I've made this with asparagus, zucchini, corn on the cob cut into sections, cherry tomatoes, etc.  Whatever your heart desires, toss it in.

Hint:  Make sure you slice the potatoes thinly so they will get tender, or steam them before hand.  The quick cooking time prevents the other vegetables from over cooking and turning to mush.  I like my peppers to still have some crunch!

Here's what you'll need:

Preheat your oven to 375.  Then get to slicing!  Cut the peppers and onions into strips, thinly slice the potatoes, cut the squash into 1/2 coins, and cut the sausage into 2-3 inch sections.  I leave the green beans whole, but feel free to cut them in half if you want. 

Throw everyone in a baking dish.  I like to use this chicken roasting pan so I have room to get it mixed up without using another bowl.  Less mess is best. 

In a small bowl, mix together a tablespoon of onion soup mix (the Lipton variety), a tablespoon ranch dressing mix, and a tablespoon of paprika.

Drizzle 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil over the veggies.  Sprinkle on the seasoning and toss to coat. 

Cover with foil, leaving one corner folded back like so.  Bake at 375 for 35 mins.

I like to serve this with a side of carbs.  Ha!  Pasta salad goes well with this and makes for a colorful, semi healthy meal.  :)

Hope you'll give it a try!

Smoked Sausage and Vegetable Bake

• 1 lb smoked sausage, cut into 2-3 inch pieces
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1/2 sweet onion, cut into strips
• 3 small squash, cut into 1/2 inch coins
• 3 small potatoes, cut into thin slices
• 1/2 package of sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 bag green beans
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon onion soup mix
• 1 tablespoon ranch dressing mix
• 1 tablespoon paprika

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Slice all the vegetables and sausage.  Place in a large baking dish.  Drizzle olive oil over the top. 

In a small bowl, mix together the onion soup mix, ranch dressing mix, and paprika.

Sprinkle seasoning over the vegetables and sausage.  Toss to coat.

Cover with foil, leaving one corner turned back.  Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.

Enjoy!!!