Weekend Pumpkin Pancakes

I grabbed this at a gift shop while Johnny and I were in Sleepy Hollow, NY last weekend. It was all decorated for fall and Halloween, so really I couldn't resist. Plus, you could smell the spices through the bag, tempting you to take it home and make them. I love how it says "best weekend pancakes" because weekend pancakes always seem to taste better than weekday pancakes. (I think so at least.)

It was nothing crazy. I probably could have found a recipe to make at home. But hey, it's convenient and cute. I made it for dinner because I love breakfast for dinner!

The mix was really thick. Usually when I make Bisquick pancakes they're runny and pour easily. This was super thick like a cake batter.

I ran over to my parents' house and stole borrowed their griddle. We don't have much in the pots and pans department so it just seemed easiest. I cooked a package of little sausages and about a dozen of these fluffy, cakey, pumpkin spice pancakes. The scent was ahhhmazing. I told Johnny that our upstairs neighbor probably wanted to kill us from the smells wafting up into his apartment.

I ate 3 pancakes and 4 5 of the little sausages. I've been trying to behave myself for the wedding. I'm tracking my exercise on Daily Mile and have swapped out a meal a day for SlimFast shakes. The two month mark is coming up quick!!

Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Hopefully all this time around my dad will eventually rub off on Johnny and he'll learn that real men can cook. (Fingers crossed.)

The other night my dad whipped up a meat sauce using his Italian sausage, leftover roast beef, and leftover pork. It was really hearty and thick. In fact, we ate it two nights and I froze about a quart of it too!



And the one part of the meal I was in charge of, boiling the spaghetti, ended up like this. (Yes, I threw it out b/c our floors are currently filthy.)

Video Demonstration: Sausage Stuffed Peppers

I was surprised to find a huge box on my door step Friday! Inside were three bottles of Newman's Own salad dressings, three jars of Newman's Own sauce, a flip HD camera, two coupons for Newman's Own frozen pizza, and instructions to make a short video.


The video instructions were simple enough:

• demonstrate a meal that could be cooked in 30 minutes or less
• showcase at least one Newman's Own product

I could do that! And I already had just the recipe in mind:




Sausage Stuffed Peppers

4 bell peppers
1 onion
1 lb. sausage
1 handful mozzarella cheese
1 jar Newman's Own sauce

Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Wash and cut the peppers in half lengthwise, removing the seeds and membrane. Chop the onion. Carefully put the 8 pepper halves in the boiling water, return to a boil. Place the onion and the sausage in a high sided skillet and cook over medium heat until the sausage is no longer pink. Turn off both burners. Stir in a big handful of cheese with the sausage and onions. Turn the oven on to 350°. Drain the peppers and place in a large baking dish. Spoon equal amounts of the sausage mixture into each pepper. Top with about 1/4 cup of Newman's Own sauce. Cover baking dish with foil and place in the oven for about 10 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!

The Newman's Own products and flip HD camera were received complimentary as part of a video demo promotion through Newman's Own and FoodBuzz. The recipe and opinions are my own.

Sausage and Beans

I still haven't gone grocery shopping yet. I know. It's been a really long time. My list is made and my coupons are sorted, it's just hard to get the final nudge to tackle errands when it's freezing and snowy out.

So these beans came from the pantry and the sausage came from the freezer. Always nice to make up meals with things you have on hand.

To be honest, I wasn't sure how it'd turn out because I haven't worked with dried beans a lot, and never in the slow cooker (unless you count split peas).


3 small onions, roughly chopped
2 cups dried Northern white beans
1 package Johnsonville beer brats (sooo good)
4 cups stock (*see note below)

Begin by chopping the onions and placing them in the bottom of your slow cooker. Place the beans in a colander and pick out any odd looking ones. Rinse really well, using your hands to move them around so they all get a good rinse. Add to the slow cooker. Lay the sausages on top of the beans and add the stock. Cook on high for 4 hours.

Easy peasy. It smelled delicious and was really good. One note - it was a tad on the salty side for my tastes. In the future I would probably do half stock, half water.

Hickory Farms

Right now I'm at a blogger meet up with Beth, Mara, Jenn, and others! I'll have tons to recap later, but in the meantime here's a short video for your viewing pleasure! I filmed my recent Foodbuzz Tastemaker package, a box from Hickory Farms.



The package seen in the video was provided by Hickory Farms as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program.

Sausage and Rice Stuffed Peppers

One of my very first posts ever was stuffed green peppers. Johnny and I still love them, still enjoy them at least once a month, and I've never really strayed from that recipe.

Then, last month I saw sausage and rice stuffed peppers in my Cooking Club magazine. I tore it out in hopes that it would become another beloved stuffed pepper recipe. Of course I changed a few things, but I'm happy to report that it was great, and will definitely be entering our rotation!

4 bell peppers (I used green)
~1 lb. loose Italian sausage (I used my dad's)
1 small onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup leftover or prepared sauce
1/2 cup water
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I used skim)

Cook your brown rice ahead of time. It will need about 40-50 minutes depending on variety, so make sure you start early enough. Wash the peppers and lob off the top where the stem is to make "bowls." Reserve the top part, minus the stem. Place the pepper bowls in a microwave safe dish and microwave for a few minutes to give them a head start and reduce oven cooking time. (Mine took about 4 minutes on high.)

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large skillet, brown the sausage. Chop the reserved pepper tops and add them to the skillet with the onions and garlic, cooking a few minutes until softened. Add the brown rice, sauce, and water. Stir until everything is incorporated, then remove from the heat. Stir in about 3/4 cup of the cheese.

Spoon the mixture into the pepper bowls, topping with the remaining cheese. Bake 20 minutes, uncovered until the peppers are tender and the cheese is browned.

As I said - these were great! I really like the brown rice with the sausage - it makes them a lot heartier and filling. This is the first time I've made stuffed peppers this way, using the whole pepper. I usually cut them in half lengthwise, stuffing each half, which doesn't fit nearly as much stuffing! I think it also makes for a much more impressive presentation!

Have you made stuffed peppers before? If so, what is your favorite recipe? If not - what are you waiting for!?

Italian Cabbage Casserole & 2 Year Giveaway

Johnny's sister, Di and I have been crafting our little hearts out lately. We both love Halloween, and it's never too early to start celebrating!

It was both Di's and my first time jigsawing EVER. I think we did a fantastic job, if I don't say so myself! The templates are from Martha Stewart's web site.

In a special Taste of Home fall craft and recipe magazine Di got, this Italian Cabbage Casserole caught my eye. The original recipe can be found here, and my adaptation is below.

1 medium cabbage, shredded
1 pound loose Italian sausage
1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
29 oz. can of tomato puree
6 oz. can of tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp basil
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I used part-skim)

Place the shredded cabbage in a steamer basket over about 1 inch of boiling water. Cover and steam for 6-8 minutes, or until tender. Rinse with cool water, drain, and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, green pepper, and onion until the sausage is no longer pink. Stir in the tomato puree, paste, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Place half of the cabbage in a greased 11" x 17" baking dish. Top with the sausage mixture, then 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes at 350°. Finish under the broiler to brown the cheese. Serves 6-8 and reheats nicely.



This was absolutely delicious. Johnny and I both loved it. It hits all the same notes of a lasagna, but uses the cabbage instead of noodles, which would make it a nice substitute for a gluten-free lasagna. The next day we ate it reheated for lunch with Di and she loved it too. It will definitely become part of our rotation. Plus, I love that it makes a huge pan and we have leftovers for a few days.

And I TOTALLY forgot about my own giveaway! Sorry, guys.

My two year blogaversary was yesterday, Sunday, September 12th. Hard to believe it's been two years already.

Although at the same time it feels like I've been doing this forever. I can't remember back to a time it wasn't "normal" to take pictures of my food before digging in!

As I said, this will be a surprise giveaway! You (and I) don't know the prize yet, but a prize is a prize, so it's still worth fighting for - amiright?

To enter:

Leave a comment below letting me know how long you've been blogging! (If you're not a blogger, feel free to leave any ol' comment!)

For an extra entry, tweet about this giveaway and leave a 2nd comment with @yourhandle.

For additional entries, link up to this week's Friday Firsts. Leave a separate comment for each linkback on this post.

Giveaway will end Saturday, September 18th at midnight. I will announce the winner soon thereafter.

Sausage for Sale!

(pauses dramatically as she clears her throat and starts her best Sham Wow guy impersonation)

You've seen me mention it and use it in the following recipes:

Roasted Cabbage with Sausage
Pasta a la Philly
Skillet Sausage
Grilled Sausage
Italian Skillet

as well as in my pasta sauce and on pizza, along with breakfast.

Biz, Mara, and Michelle have all had a chance to try the sausage after our blogger potluck.

Now you can finally try it too!

My whole family - mom, dad, Michael, and I - worked together for a few days making two batches of four kinds of sausage.

Left for purchase are:

10 2 pounds of breakfast sausage. This is a loose sausage seasoned with sage sold in 1 pound increments.

19 15 pounds of cajun sausage. This is link sausage seasoned with jalepeno and garlic sold in 2 pound increments. (There are limited 1 lb. batches available.)

14 4 pounds of hot Italian sausage. This is link sausage seasoned with red pepper and sold in 2 pound increments.

39 27 pounds of "sweet" Italian sausage. This is link sausage seasoned with black pepper and sold in 2 pound increments. (There are limited 1 lb. batches available.)

All sausage is $4.50 per pound and is frozen. I am returning home within the next few days and can bring it back for anybody within the Chicagoland area. All others can let me know their zip code so we can figure out a shipping price and my parents can ship with dry ice.

If interested please e-mail me at christina at dinneratchristinas dot com. Chicagoland orders please let me know as soon as possible so I can bring it back for you!

Roasted Cabbage Nests

I have not made these in a long, long time. They used to be a favorite of ours and then I just forgot about them, sadly! The cabbage looked great last grocery trip and I was reminded of delicious cabbage nests, so I grabbed a small head.

This is one of those dishes where just the base remains the same, but you can switch it up anyway you like. Every time I have made it has been a different adventure based on what was in the fridge at that particular moment. This latest version was absolutely delicious, so I think it's worth repeating.

Cabbage Nests:
1 small green cabbage
4 or 5 green onions (new addition this time!)
2 eggs
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
salt
pepper

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, cheese, salt, and pepper. Halve the cabbage, discard the outer leaves, cut out the core, and then slice into thin strips about 1/4" wide. Separate the cabbage into ribbons as you add to the bowl. Chop the green onions on a bias and add to the bowl. Toss for a few minutes, turning over to make sure the cabbage is covered in the egg mixture. Place in "nests" (or in this case, a "bed") onto a greased baking sheet. Pop into a 400° oven for 20-25 minutes until the cabbage is tender and the top and bottom are browned a bit. (Yes, my oven has burnt splatters on the bottom - I'm domestically lazy remember!?)

Topping:
~1 pound home made Italian sausage (courtesy of Dad)
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 leftover onion
1 leftover red potato
14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes (I used Red Gold basil, garlic, and oregano)


In a medium skillet brown the sausage, breaking up as it cooks. Add the chopped green pepper and any leftovers you have on hand. In this case I used half of an onion and red potato that had been previously grilled and was hanging out in my fridge. Once the sausage is cooked and the vegetables are tender, add the can of tomatoes, stirring to incorporate. The tomatoes I used were already perfectly seasoned and tasted great with the sausage. If you use plain tomatoes you may need to adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Scoop a "bed" of cabbage onto your plate and then top with a few spoonfuls of the sausage mixture and tomato sauce. Serves 4.

If you haven't made this yet, you really need to. The roasted cabbage on its own is such a delicious flavor burst, but then to top it with yummy combinations of things puts it over the top!

Like I said, this can be switched up so many ways! You could use tofu or just veggies for a vegetarian version. Add seafood if you're a pescatarian! It's a useful vehicle to use up leftovers in the fridge so you don't waste food or throw anything out. Also, for Celiac sufferers or low-carb eaters this is a great way to enjoy Italian flavors without the use of pasta. The bed of cabbage is so fulfilling, you won't even miss the noodles!

Polenta Lasagna

As promised, I used the leftover grilled polenta to create a polenta lasagna. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but I would call it a success so I'm going to pass it onto you!

First I made a pot of my sauce, and also cooked up about a half of a pound of my dad's home made sausage.

Next I sliced the leftover polenta in half, carefully. They were 1/4" thick when I grilled them, so they were about 1/8" thick for the lasagna. I'm glad I ended up cutting them in half, too because the slices soaked up a lot of the sauce and juices and almost tripled in size!

Layering began with a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of an 8" x 8" casserole dish so the polenta wouldn't stick. Then polenta, sausage, and finally a sprinkle of mozzarella and Paremsan cheeses. This order was repeated twice until I ran out of polenta and finished with a thin layer of sauce.

I baked in a 350° oven for about 30 minutes, uncovered until the sauce was bubbling. I felt that mine had enough cheese inside, but feel free to top with another layer of cheese and brown it under the broiler.

Let rest 5-10 minutes and then cut into 4 squares and plate. Makes 4 servings. We served alongside a vegetable plate of raw celery and carrot sticks.

Make sure you check out my last post for a chance to win a $25 grocery gift card!

Mexican Shredded Pork in the Slow Cooker

Last year I made traditional pulled pork sandwiches from Make it Fast, Cook it Slow. The pork was some of the yummiest I ever made, so naturally when I took a 2 pound boneless pork loin from the freezer I thought of making it again.

Only, I didn't have anything to put pulled pork sandwiches on and there was some soon to expire chorizo in the fridge. So, I decided to get creative with my stash of Red Gold tomatoes and go Mexican! I sprayed the slow cooker insert and threw in the following ingredients in order, then crossed my fingers it'd work out! Thankfully, it did!!

1 onion, halved and sliced
1 tube (about 1 cup/8 oz.) of chorizo *see note below
2 lb. boneless pork loin (mine was still a little frozen)
14.5 oz. can of Red Gold diced tomatoes with green chiles

This cooked on high for around four and a half hours (you could also cook it on low for 8-10 hours) until I removed it to a big bowl and shredded with two forks. Return to the crockpot and mix with the sauce, sausage, and onion until everything is incorporated.

*Note on chorizo: I did not pre-cook and drain my chorizo this time, but will in the future. I was able to strain off a lot of the fat with a spoon, but felt it could have been healthier.

We served on warmed tortillas and it was shockingly delicious. Seriously, one of those meals where I'm sitting there, chewing in disbelief that my own two hands created it!

And, trust me on this, add a dollop of sour cream and it brings the flavor up a million notches. I can't explain it, but just that one, simple topping knocked this one out of the park. Both Johnny and I absolutely loved it as is, but were rolling our eyes back in foodie ecstasy once the sour cream was added!

You can win some Red Gold products of your own! Just enter my giveaway before Wednesday, February 17th!

Queso Fundido con Rajas y Chorizo

Translation: Melted cheese with roasted peppers and chorizo. Verdict: Yum.

If any of you have watched Top Chef or Top Chef: Masters you know who Rick Bayless is. He's been a favorite celebrity chef of Johnny's and mine because he's local so his restaurants and Frontera products are accessible and he's mastered one of our favorite cuisines: Mexican. The attention to detail and love that Rick pours into learning Mexican food is really impressive, as is his sharing of the craft. Rick and his wife lived in Mexico and studied every little in and out of local cuisine.

Since 2003 Rick has hosted Mexico: One Plate at a Time on PBS, which Johnny and I have a few seasons of on DVD and it's better than anything currently on Food Network. He's written five award-winning cookbooks, one of which we own a signed copy of. (No, we weren't lucky enough to witness the signing, Johnny's SIL won it in a gift basket and generously gave Authentic Mexican Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico to us!)

He's also really respectful and responsible in his ingredient usage. He was a founding member of Chefs Collaborative for environmentally friendly practices, and he uses only sustainable seafood. Him and his staff started the Frontera Farmer's Association, his charity of choice on Top Chef: Masters, which provides grants to local family farms.

As you can tell, I really like and respect Rick, so imagine my delight when I tweeted him for chorizo suggestions from our cookbook and he tweeted me back with two recipes and their page numbers! I love that I got a personal recommendation from the cookbook author and chef himself! He's such a cool guy, he tweets often and makes himself accessible to his fans, answering questions left and right.

This recipe made enough to fill 6 tortillas and was a little deceiving in the fact that so little can be so filling! Johnny had three, I had two, and it was plenty!

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1 fresh chile poblano, roasted, peeled, seeded, thinly sliced
4 oz (1/2 cup) chorizo sausage
8 oz (2 cups) melting cheese *see note

Roast the poblano over the open flame of a gas burner until the skin is blistered and black. If you do not have a gas stove you can cook these under the broiler of your oven.


Carefully rinse the skin off under water and remove the seeds and membrane. Slice into strips.

Turn the oven to 375° and set a pie pan or ramekin inside to heat while the oven comes up to temperature.

In a medium skillet heat half the oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook about 8 minutes until the onion is slightly browned. Add the pepper strips and cook until they're softened, then remove everything to a bowl.

In the meantime slice the cheese into small 1/2 inch cubes and place in an even layer in the warmed pan. Bake for about 10 minutes so the cheese can evenly melt. *Note: Rick has taken great consideration in identifying everything in the back of this book, down to which ingredients and sometimes specific brands, he recommends. I used an authentic Chihuahua cheese a local company makes, but otherwise he suggests Monteray Jack or mozzarella.

Add the second tablespoon of oil to the skillet and add the chorizo, frying until done, about 10 minutes. Drain off excess fat. This was the first time both Johnny and I tried chorizo and it was delicious!

Remove the hot cheese pan from the oven and drain excess fat if necessary. Spread the chile and onion mixture along with the chorizo over top. Place back in the oven for another couple minutes to heat everything.

Scoop onto warmed tortillas (again I bought from a local company that makes them fresh and delivers to stores) of your choice. Johnny opted for corn and I went for flour. The sausage is surprisingly subtle, with complexity and a hint of heat. The poblanos, once roasted and their seeds removed, are not hot, but full of chile flavor. Since being slowly sauteed the onions have a sweetness that lends itself to the other bolder ingredients.

Pasta a la Philly

Last week Laura of Hey What's for Dinner, Mom? posted a pasta recipe with a secret ingredient: Philadelphia cream cheese!

After reading her praises and the fact that her son had three platefuls, I decided to give it a go too! It's super quick for weeknight meals, cooking in the time it takes the pasta to boil! It also scores convenient points with just 5 easy ingredients most of us already have on hand!

The original recipe can be found here, but I made the same changes Laura did (proof that great minds think alike!). Both of us chose to forego ground beef and use homemade sausage. Laura used her homegrown/homemade turkey/duck/goose sausage and I used loose sweet Italian sausage. (My dad made us 15 more pounds while he was here for Christmas, so we're set for another few months!) We also both opted to use a shorter pasta choice instead of spaghetti.


16 oz. box of rigatoni
1 pound sausage (or ground meat of choice)
26 oz. jar of pasta sauce (or 3 cups homemade)
4 oz. (1/2 box) of Philly cream cheese, cut in cubes
Parmesan cheese to top, optional

While the pasta water is coming up to a boil brown the meat in a separate large skillet. Once the meat is cooked through, cook pasta according to directions on the package. Add the sauce and cream cheese (we used 1/3 less fat Philadelphia because their regular contains whey) to the skillet and stir to combine with the meat until the cheese is melted. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet, tossing everything to coat. Serve with Parmesan cheese on top, if desired. Serves 4-5.

Honestly, I was surprised at how good this was! Johnny wandered into the kitchen to help me brown the sausage and ended up staying while the sauce was created. When he saw I was going to be adding the cream cheese he said a quiet "cooool." After a few bites he agreed it's crazy how big of a difference just adding cream cheese makes.

If you like vodka sauce, you'll like this. It's still very "tomatoey," just with a creamy goodness. You won't be able to put a finger on it, it doesn't taste "cream cheesy," just smooth and more "special" than your normal sauce. I would serve this dish to company it's that good!