Sausage & Bean Bake

1 cup chopped medium onion

1 16 oz. package of favorite chicken sausage (or the like) cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (We love Aidell’s sausages)

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

16 oz. low sodium chicken broth

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

3 16-oz. cans of beans, rinsed and drained – I used one kidney bean, one black bean and one pinto bean (it’s what I had in the cupboard!) The original recipe* called for cannellini or another white beans.

1 bay leaf

1/8 tsp ground red pepper (optional)

3 1-oz. slices of bread (We used wheat bread because that’s what we have.)

1 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Heat an ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and sausage and saute for 5 minutes or until browned. Add garlic and saute 2 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen brown bits. Stir in brown sugar and next 5 ingredients. Add red pepper, if desired. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and discard bay leaf.

3. While simmering, chop the bread into tiny cubes about 1 centimeter big.

4. Sprinkle bread chunks evenly over sausage mixture. Bake for 15 minutes or until browned. Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning.

*Original recipe is called Sausage & Bean Casserole from 2009 Cooking Light The Essential Dinner Tonight Cookbook, but I riffed off the recipe based on what I had on hand and that I didn’t want to haul out the food processor for three slices of bread. What can I say? I’m quick and easy.

Cheers & enjoy!

Not Just Another Jen’s Super Chili

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2-15 oz cans diced tomatoes

1 package McCormick Chili Seasoning Mix

2-15 oz cans of kidney beans, drained

1-15 oz can pinto beans, not drained

1-12 oz package of Yves Meatless Ground Round (or the Taco Stuffers do well too)

1. In a dutch oven, heat olive oil and add onions and bell pepper.  With heat on medium, stir until starting to limp, about 2 minutes.

2. Stir in 2 cans of diced tomatoes.  Add chili seasoning and stir well.  Add three cans of beans (kidney & pinto).  Stir well.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add the Meatless Ground Round and stir well, breaking up the big chunks.  Simmer for 10 more minutes.

4. Spoon into bowls and serve with shredded cheese, onions or sour cream.  However you like it works for me.  In our house, we go California style with chopped avocado on top.

P.S. In case you cringe at the idea of using a soy-based, meatless meat, by all means, feel free to add ground beef or turkey.  Just brown the meat first (omitting the oil, of course), then add the onion and peppers and proceed from there.  I love to trick my guests for the fun of it, but yes, sometimes I do make my Super Chili with the real deal.

P.S. again…oh and what’s chili without the cornbread!  I have to have Jiffy corn bread muffins. In fact, I LOVE to crumble some on top of my chili. Mmmm….

Enjoy!

Anyways, I’ve tried to dress this up with carrots and green beans, but it takes on a dark brownish yucky color, which is even more unappealing.  I’ve also tried this meat dish over spinach noodles, but that didn’t help either.  Here’s what’s great about this meal; first, you prepare it with red wine, which always is a bonus in my book. Secondly, it’s hearty and delicious.  Third, there is not a lot to chop, unlike other one-dish wonder meals.  And finally, the prep takes 20 minutes and the slow cooker does the rest!

Despite the poor sales job on this meal, you’re manly man will totally go for it and you’ll keep coming back to it too.  Cheers!

Beef Burgandy

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 lbs boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 Tbsp olive oil

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1 onion, sliced

1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced

2 Tbsp minced garlic

2 bay leaves

1+ cup red wine

1 cup beef broth

1 package of egg noodles

Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl.  Dredge the beef cubes in the flour mixture and brown in the olive oil in a medium skillet.  Place the beef and remaining ingredients in the crock pot and mix thoroughly. Cover and cook on Low 4-6 hours or on High 2-3 hours.  Prepare egg noodles as directed.  Serve stew on egg noodles & drink more red wine.  Enjoy!

The original recipe comes from The Best of Sunset Recipes (2002) and was only available for a short amount of time.  You’ll love this one because it is way easy and you’ll be surprised how good it tastes.  I’ve made a few changes to the original to simplify it.  It’s great for weeknights because it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare from start to finish.  And my kids eat it because they like “shrimp fish” and noodles.  If your kid is a picky eater, then just give them the noodles with butter and shredded Parmesan cheese.  See, good for everyone.

Shrimp Stroganoff

2 Tbsp butter

1 1/4 lbs frozen shelled & deveined shrimp

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 Tbsp minced onion

1 Tbsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

3/4 cup chicken broth

3/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp ketchup

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

Salt & pepper

8 oz dried fettuccine

1.  Defrost the frozen shrimp as directed on the package, typically in a colander with cool water.  Cook the fettuccine according to the package directions.

2.  Melt butter in pan.  Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the onion and garlic until the onion is limp, but not brown, about 2 minutes.  Blend in flour and stir.  Remove from heat and gradually whisk in broth, breaking up clumps.

3.  Return to heat and stir constantly until sauce boils and thickens.  Stir in sour cream, ketchup, and chopped dill.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in shrimp and let sit until heated through.  Do not allow the sauce to boil.  Typically, once everything is mixed together well, I’ll turn the heat on the lowest setting (or even off) and put a lid on it to keep warm for a few minutes while I set the table and prep the dish for the table.  Do what works for you.

4.  Place fettuccine in a large serving bowl and top with stoganoff.  Serve and enjoy!

Cheers!

I’ve created my variation of Tuscan Chickpea Stew that I originally found in Super Fast Suppers (Oxmoor House, 2003). I hope that you will enjoy this as much as my family and friends have.  Typically I serve this stew with a big bottle of red wine and crusty olive bread with a dish of olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip.  What I’m about to say sounds like such a Sunset Magazine tip, but sprinkle the dip with dried Italian herbs (from the seasoning section), a teaspoon of minced garlic, and/or a grind of sea salt.  Don’t try these all at once, but learn how to mingle the flavors to what suits your tastes best.

Not Just Another Jen’s Tuscan Chickpea Stew

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium size red onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed, or 1 Tbsp of minced garlic

1-12oz package of sausage links (4 large links.  I gauge 1 link per person). Slice ‘em into ‘coins.’  I love Aidell’s Chicken & Apple.  Another well-suited choice would be sausage with chicken, basil and sun-dried tomato.  Find what you like.

1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (I typically make that a heaping tablespoon of rosemary because it’s so good, especially when fresh)

2-14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes (best if you can find the Italian variety of tomatoes with green pepper, celery, and onions), undrained

2-14.5 oz cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained

1-14.5 oz can of navy beans (white beans), not drained

1-6 oz bag of baby spinach (or 5 good grabfuls of fresh baby spinach)

¼ cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

1.  Chop red onion, garlic (if necessary) and rosemary; set aside.  Chop sausages.  Heat olive oil in large sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Add sausage, onion, garlic, and rosemary to pan.  Sauté 4 minutes or until sausage is browned, stirring frequently.

2.  Add tomatoes, chickpeas and beans, scraping pan to loosen brown bits.

3.  Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 7 minutes.  Uncover and gently stir in spinach; cook 3 minutes or until spinach wilts.

4.  Spoon into large bowls.  Sprinkle a pinch (or more) of Parmesan cheese over each serving.

You’re gonna love it. Pour a big glass of wine and have a bowl for me.  Cheers!

Citrus Beef Stew

Adapted from The New Creative Crock Pot Cookbook by Robin Taylor Swatt (2001)

1 cup onion, finely chopped

1+ cup of carrots (use whatever you have – the baby carrots work well too.)

1 cup of celery, chopped

2+ tbsp tomato paste

1 cup nonfat beef stock

¼+ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

½ cup red wine (it’s a great excuse to open up a bottle and have a glass while you’re cooking!)

3 strips orange zest* (use the fat part of the zester tool and create 3-4” strips.  If you don’t have this favorite utensils, zest in your usual manner and make about 3+ tsp of zest.  Whatever works people, I’m eyeballing it here)

½ cup orange juice (duh moment:  use the juice from the orange you just zested)

1½ lbs beef chuck, cut into 1½ -inch cubes (often on sale! Get over it and cut it yourself to save $)

1 cup butternut squash, cut into 1 1/2 –inch cubes (spend your $ here and buy this pre-packaged so you don’t lose your thumb trying to cut a butternut squash…it’s not worth the time or hassle!)

1+ cup new potatoes, quartered (or red potatoes have worked too though cut them larger because they dissolve a bit more around the edges)

1+ cup fresh green beans, trimmed (who am I kidding, of course I’ve thrown in some of the frozen green beans from my freezer!)

1 tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

In a large skillet, sauté the onion, carrot and celery until tender.  Place in the crock pot slow cooker.  In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients to the stoneware.  Cover.  Cook on Low 8-10 hours or High for 4-5 hours.  Makes 6 servings.

+ There are some things that I don’t measure and assume that a little bit more of this ingredient is not such a bad thing.

* I use a lot of fruit zests in recipes for flavoring, so for me this utensil is a must-have.  The fat part of the zester is essential because it makes those pretty twists for your drinks too.

And if that weren’t enough crock pot love, my other lover, Sunset Magazine, just published online their 10 Easy Slow-Cooker Dinners.  I’m going to try the Braised Pork with Lemon and Sage.  It sounds divine, doesn’t it?  Cheers friends!

So here’s what we have planned.

Appetizer: Caramelized Onion-Apple Bites, but since I couldn’t find puff pastry dough at the 3 grocery stores I went to, I’m going to use refrigerated pie crust dough as a substitute and hope it turns out.

Salad: Spinach salad with pears, pomegranate seeds and goat cheese with a choice of balsamic vinaigrette or poppy seed dressing.  I freaking love the goat.

Main: Cranberry Pork Loin (ok, so it’s not the tenderloin, but the regular loin was on sale), Roasted Fall Veggies, and Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Dessert: Apple and Dried-Fruit Spice Pie with vanilla ice cream

Can you tell that I’m a Sunset recipe fan?  With their recipes I feel like a competent cook.  Things always turn out so flavorful and wonderfully.  Cooking with their recipes make me look good.  I’m so thankful for what I’ve learned because it wasn’t long ago that I could only fix spaghetti and meatballs.

I’m just looking forward to cooking with my Mom and hanging out with my Dad.  We so rarely get to spend time together; just once a year, maybe twice.  It’s not too much time to wear me out, but just enough time to have me want more.  It’s great that my brother and family are here as well.  It’s always a bit crazy with all the kids, but I love it.  I’m just happy that I no longer have to sit at the kid table.  It’s their turn.  (agreed ladies and thanks for the pic!)

Christmas and the holidays are what make magical family memories.  I love that we’re making them right now.  Please enjoy your families.  They may not always be here.  I know that my parents will probably drive me crazy at some point, but I’ll have some champagne ready.  Cheers friends and Merry Christmas to you!

Taken from Rival’s The New Creative Crock Pot Cookbook (2001) by Robin Taylor Swatt.  My notes are in [brackets].

Tuscan Vegetable Torte

3 medium potatoes, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

2 medium carrots, sliced on the bias (I would not recommend baby carrots, but it can work, what you’re trying to achieve is a layering and the carrots aren’t the ‘correct’ shape)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into rings

1 medium zucchini, sliced on the bias

1 cup fresh or frozen kernel corn

1 cup [or more] mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 cups tomato sauce [Most cans of sauce are 15 oz so I add a bit of water and swirl in can.]]

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, minced

1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced

1 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Coat the Crock Pot slow cooker with a non-fat, non-stick cooking spray.  Layer the vegetables in the order given, sprinkling a little of the mozzarella cheese between each layer or so.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the tomato sauce, soy sauce, parsley, thyme, basil, salt, pepper, and cinnamon.  Pour the sauce over the layered vegetables.  Top with any remaining mozzarella cheese.  Cover; cook on Low 8-10 hours or on High for 4-5 hours.  Makes 6+ servings.

Generally I serve this with a big green salad topped with yummy veggies and bread on the side.

Enjoy!

From Cooking Light, Nov. 2003

I’m in a comfort food binge.  I think fall does it to me every time.  Here is a great recipe that I found for Green Chile-Chicken Casserole online.  It’s so good you’ll want to make it in a big casserole dish so you can have left overs.  This easily fed 3 adults and 4 kids (had a friend & her kids over) with a small take home for our guest.  Yes, even the kids loved it!

This is my favorite kind of recipe – throw in a bunch of ingredients into pan and mix.  Then throw in a bit more into casserole pan (or crock pot) then let bake for 30 minutes and viola!  Easy, breezy and Yum! Yum!

Green Chile-Chicken Casserole

From Cooking Light, November 2003

My notes are in [brackets]

1 1/3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 cup canned chopped green chilies, drained

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup fat-free sour cream

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 (10 ½-oz.) cans condensed 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 garlic clove [I end up using more than one clove, for sure]

Cooking spray

24 (6-inch) corn tortillas [I ended up not using that many, but whatever]

4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound) [I use the grilled chopped frozen variety that I defrost in the microwave before putting in casserole]

2 cups (8 oz.) finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese [I like the Mexican blend]

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the first 9 ingredients (though the garlic) in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly [well close enough].  Remove from heat.

Spread 1 cup soup mixture in a 13×9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Arrange 6 [whatever covers the pan] tortillas over the soup mixture, and top with 1 cup chicken and ½ cup [read: handful of] cheese.  Repeat layers, ending with the cheese.  Spread remaining soup mixture over cheese.  [Sprinkle a bit more cheese on top.]  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Cheers, friends!  I hope you enjoy!

P.S.  Mine always turns out a bit soupier than the picture.  I think the picture looks too dry.  Maybe that’s because they really do use 24 tortillas!

1) easy

2) tasty

3) kids like it too

4) so very little prep & clean up

Here’s a good recipe from The New Creative Crock Pot Cookbook (2001) by Robin Taylor Swatt (oh thank you Sharon, my MIL, for getting me hooked on slow cooking).  Prep took about 10 minutes.  Throw it in the pot and stir occasionally.  Oh, so easy.

1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts (in my case 2 breasts)

1-14 oz can of tomatoes, drained and diced

1-14 oz can of artichoke hearts in water, drained

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

1 cup nonfat chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine (drink another 2 glasses for yourself)

3 Tbs quick cooking tapioca

2 tsp curry powder

1 Tbs fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 tsp dried sweet basil

1 tsp dried thyme leaves

½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in the Crock Pot slow cooker. Mix thoroughly. Cover; cook on Low 6-8 hours or on High for 3½-4 hours.  Makes 6 servings; 4 grams of fat per serving.

I served this dish on brown rice with a side of green beans (which were frozen and I simply put in the microwave for 4 minutes).  Also I only cooked the meal in the crock pot for 3 hours and it was just fine and yummy, delicious.

Cheers, friends!

P.S. I’d like to thank The Sister Project for the image that I lifted.  LOVE your site!