Sausage Egg & Spinach Casserole

Sausage Egg & Spinach Casserole

2 lb breakfast sausage

18 eggs

1/2 c heavy whipping cream

1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1/2 t red pepper flakes (opt)

1 t garlic powder

2 1/2 c cheddar cheese, divided

2 heaping handfuls (or 4 c) spinach, roughly chopped 

1. Preheat oven to 400* & grease a 9x13 pan.

2. In a big pan or pot over medium-high heat, brown sausage.

3. While sausage is cooking, mix together eggs, cream, spices, and 1 cup cheese.

4. When the sausage is just done, throw in spinach and let wilt. Temper the egg mixture by adding the sausage/spinach one spoonful at a time, stirring after each, until both mixtures are combined.

5. Pour into prepared pan & cook, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until egg is set up and cheese has browned. Allow casserole to rest for about 10 minutes before serving. 

Italian Sausage Soup

Italian Sausage Soup

1 T butter

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic

1 lb Italian sausage

2 zucchinis, diced

4 c chicken broth, separated

1 t basil

1 t oregano

1 bay leaf

1/4 t cayenne pepper

14 oz can Italian diced tomatoes

8 oz cream cheese

2 c fresh spinach, roughly chopped

Parmesan cheese

 

1. In a large pot, melt butter; coat onion and garlic in butter, then add sausage and zucchini.

2. Cook for about 5 minutes, until vegetables are soft and sausage is browned.

3. Stir in 3 cups broth and herbs, followed by tomatoes; bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.

4. Whisk remaining broth with cream cheese until smooth & add to soup.

5. Toss in spinach and allow to wilt before serving, topped with Parmesan cheese.

Sausage Pesto Pasta

Sausage Pesto Pasta
3-4 c uncooked rotini
1 lb Italian sausage
1- 8 oz jar pesto
1/4 c water
1/4 c Parmesan cheese

1. Cook and drain rotini and set aside.
2. Place the same pot over medium heat and cook sausage, stirring occasionally, until browned; drain.
3. Stir pesto, water, and pasta into sausage; cover and cook until heated through.
4. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

GF Crustless Pizza

GF Crustless Pizza
Crust:
1- 8 oz pkg full fat cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/4 t black pepper
1 t garlic powder
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
Toppings:
1/2 c pizza sauce
1 1/2 c mozzarella cheese
pizza toppings - pepperoni, sausage, bacon, ham, peppers, pineapple, olives, etc
garlic powder
 
1. Preheat oven to 350* and lightly grease a 9x13 pan. 
2. Mix all crust ingredients together and spread on pan.
3. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before adding toppings.
4. Spread pizza sauce on crust and top with cheese and toppings; sprinkle with garlic powder and bake for another 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

French Bread Pizza

French Bread Pizza
2 loaves French bread
1 or 2- 14 oz jar(s) of pizza sauce (depending on how saucy you like it)
pizza toppings (pepperoni, Canadian bacon, bell peppers, onions, pineapple, mushrooms, olives, etc)
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 500* and line two cookie sheets with foil.
2. Cut each loaf of bread in half lengthwise, lay two halves on each cookie sheet cut-side up, and spread 1/4 of your sauce on each half.
3. Top each half with 1/2 c cheese and sprinkle with your favorite toppings.
4. Bake one cookie sheet at a time for 5-7 minutes each.

Spicy Sausage Pasta

Spicy Sausage Pasta
1 T olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 c chicken broth
1- 10 oz can Rotel*
1/2 c heavy whipping cream [or 1/2 & 1/2]
2 c penne pasta
salt and pepper, to taste
1 c shredded Cheddar cheese
2-3 green onions, sliced

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and toss in sausage and onions; cook until onions are soft. Add garlic and heat until just warmed.
2. Stir in broth, Rotel, cream, pasta, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in cheese; top with green onions and serve.

*This determines the heat level - original is plenty spicy, hot is almost unbearable; mild would also work well.

Slow Cooker Sausage Tortellini Soup

Slow Cooker Sausage Tortellini Soup
1 lb ground sausage, cooked
1- 8 oz block cream cheese, cubed
1- 28 oz can Italian diced tomatoes, drained
4 c chicken broth
about 2-3 cups fresh spinach
1- 19 oz bag frozen cheese tortellini

1. Throw everything except the tortellini in the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Add tortellini for the last half hour. Stir it all once or twice while it cooks.

Man Dip

Man Dip
1 lb breakfast sausage or ground beef
1 block [light] cream cheese
1- 10 oz can Rotel

1. Brown the meat in a large pan; drain.
2. Melt cream cheese in to meat and stir in Rotel.
Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Calzone

Calzone
Dough-
2 1/2 t (1 pkg) yeast
1 1/3 c warm water
1/4 c olive oil, plus more
1/2 t salt
4-5 c flour
Filling-
marinara sauce
meats (pepperoni, sausage, ham, chicken, etc)
veggies (olives, mushrooms, peppers, onions, jalapenos, etc)
herbs (basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, etc)
cheese (Mozzarella, Cheddar, Parmesan, etc)


1. Using stand mixer with dough hook, dissolve yeast in water; add oil, salt, and 2 cups of flour; beat until smooth.
2. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until it forms a soft dough; knead on low for about 10 minutes until dough becomes smooth and elastic.
3. Place dough in a greased glass bowl and turn once so dough gets greased as well; cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 400*.
5.Punch down the dough and halve it; lightly grease, or line with foil, one (refrigerate/freeze half of the dough for later use) or two cookie sheets (halve the dough and perform steps 6-10 for each calzone).
6. Roll out into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface; transfer to cookie sheet and turn lengthwise.
7. Spread enough marinara sauce to just cover the middle third of the dough with about 1/4" or less of sauce; layer meats, veggies, herbs, and cheese.
8. Rotate sheet 90* and cut slits in the dough from the outer edge in to the sauce, stopping about 1/4" from the sauce; rotate sheet and repeat for the other side of the dough [slits|filling|slits].
9. Rotate sheet 90* so that it's lengthwise again and braid dough slits like you're lacing up a shoe (one side across filling and then the other, repeat, repeat, repeat); pinch the ends to seal them.
10. Brush calzone with olive oil and sprinkle on some more herbs, if desired.
11. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown; place on cooling rack to cool.

Lasagna Timpano

This recipe changes every time I make it, so the recipe is just a guideline.

Lasagna Timpano
1 1/2 boxes lasagna noodles
1 c alfredo sauce
1 c pesto
2 c marinara sauce
3-4 c cheese (Parmesan, Mozzarella, Ricotta, Provolone)
pepperoni, sausage, salami, ground beef, etc (opt)

1. Preheat oven to 350*; lightly grease a large, heavy oven-safe bowl.
2. Cook noodles to al dente; to make the crust, line the bowl with noodles, meeting at the center of the base of the bowl, hanging over the edge of the bowl, and overlapping a bit (this is the hardest part).
3. Now you layer. Sauce, noodles, cheese, noodles, meat, noodles, etc (or however you want to mix it up - make it your own). I recommend keeping things on the drier side (1/2 c sauce per layer) to keep it from falling apart when you flip it. End by folding the crust noodles in and covering the top of the lasagna.
4. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes; let rest for at least 20-30 minutes before attempting to flip it.
5. Place plate over bowl and quickly flip lasagna out on to plate; cut like a cake and serve with extra marinara sauce.