Lasagna Soup

For Soup:
Cooking spray
14oz sweet Italian chicken sausage
1/2 onion, chopped
2 crushed cloves garlic
4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
3 c. low sodium chicken broth
2 1/2 cup water
2 cup quick marinara sauce
2 bay leaves
fresh cracked black pepper
6 oz broken lasagna noodles (whole wheat)

For topping:
6 tbsp mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. skim ricotta cheese
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 c. fresh basil chiffonade

Heat a large pot over medium heat, spray with oil and add the sausage.  Cook until brown, breaking it up.  Add the chopped onion and crushed garlic, cook 2-3 minutes.  Add parsley, broth, water, marinara sauce, bay leaves and fresh black pepper.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat.  Simmer for 30 minutes.

In medium bowl combine ricotta, parmesan cheesen and 2 tbsp parsley. Mix.

Add the broken pasta and cook uncovered according to the package directions.  Top with cheese topping.  Serves 8.

Sausage Gravy

1/2 pound pork sausage
4 Tbsp flour
2 cups milk
ground sage
pepper
biscuits

Brown sausage in medium skillet. Stir flour into meat and blend well; add milk, and cook and stir until thick and blended.  Season to taste with sage and pepper.  Serve over biscuits.

Cheese Tortellini

(I couldn't find this on here, if it has already been posted we can delete this one.)

Ingredients:
1 (19oz) bag of frozen cheese tortellini 
1 small bag of fresh spinach (I used about half of a 5 oz package, but more is better!)
2 (14.5 oz) cans of Italian style diced tomatoes, drained
1 block (8 oz) of cream cheese** (softened in microwave)
1 lb. of ground sausage or chicken/turkey sausage
3-4 cups of chicken broth (start with 3, add 1 more if it looks like it needs it)

Brown the sausage and put all ingredients in crockpot,
chunking up the cream cheese.
Cook on low for 4-6 hrs.

Serves 4-6 

*Keep an eye on your tortellini, it may be done sooner.
*If still soupy, leave lid off for the last half hour or so of cooking. 
*For a vegetarian version, omit sausage and use vegetable broth instead.

Creamy Jambalaya Pasta

I am not a huge Jambalaya fan, but this was VERY good!  Zach and I both LOVED it.
http://www.plainchicken.com/2010/09/creamy-jambalaya-pasta.html

Creamy Jambalaya Pasta
adapted from Steamy Kitchen
(Printable Recipe)
1/2 pound Farfalle pasta
1/2 lb smoked sausage, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup heavy cream (or half & half or evaporated milk)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion or 2 Tbsp minced onion flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup white wine
4 tablespoon tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped parsley
Parmesan cheese


In a large pot, boil water for pasta. Salt water.  Boil pasta and cook until al dente.  Set aside.

Brown sausage in a small skillet over medium heat. Once browned, add onion and saute for two minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds or until fragrant.  Add white wine to skillet, making sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom.  Let wine reduce by half, about two minutes.
Stir in Cajun seasoning, paprika, salt, pepper and tomato sauce. Add cream and heat to almost bubbling, then reduce heat to low. Allow the cream mixture to reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta and add to skillet. Toss with parsley and freshly grated Parmesan.

Minestrone Soup

From Mom:

1lb Hamburger or sausage, browned
1 (28oz) can tomatoes, blended or 1qt tomato juice
16oz tomato sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tbsp italian seasoning
2 lg carrots, peeled and sliced
2 beef bullion cubes
Combine above ingredients in large pot.  Bring to boil.  Cover, simmer 20 minutes.

Add (drain):
1 (16oz) can green beans
1 (15oz) can kidney beans
1 (15oz) can garbonzo beans
Bring to a boil. Add:
1 1/4 c. mostaccioli macaroni, uncooked

Cook 15-20 minutes until macaroni is tender.
Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

*Recipe can be halved or can freeze half before adding mostaccioli*

Breakfast Casserole

**I am cleaning out and organizing my reicpes, so there might be a recipe overload...Sorry!

12-14 eggs
1lb sausage
8 hashbrown patties
1tsp salt
2 c. milk
8oz cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp dry mustard
pepper to taste

Brown sausage, drain fat.  Beat eggs in bowl until creamy, add milk, mustard, salt & pepper.
Layer:
Hashbrowns
Sausage
Cheese
Egg Mixture

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (I have made it without doing this.  It just allows the flavors to blend.)  Bake 350*F for 45 minutes and let set for 40 minutes (I have ate within 15mins). Top with sour cream and salsa.

Biscuits & Gravy

I do not usually like biscuits and gravy because I hate that country gravy in a packet. But I love this recipe for the gravy!

Biscuits Ingredients:
2 c. flour
1/4 c. cooking oil
1 c. milk

Preheat oven to 425*.  Mix all ingredients together with a fork.  This will be too sticky to roll out, so sprinkle a couple tablespoons of flour over the mixture and stir again.  Continue doing this until dough is thick and workable.  Sprinkle some flour on your countertop.  Scrape the dough onto the flour, sprinkle with more flour on the top of the dough.  Pat out with hand and roll until 3/4" thickness.  Cut out with a biscuit cutter or drinking glass.  Bake 10-12 minutes.

Gravy Ingredients:
1/2 c. sausage (I used the whole lb since all you need is the drippings)
1 1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 tbsp flour
salt and pepper to taste

Cook sausage until browned.  Pull sausage out, leaving drippings behind.  Set sausage aside.  (I left a small amount of sausage in the pan to have in the gravy.)  Stir in flour with the fat drippings.  If there is not enough fat drippings to create a paste (roux) with the flour add some butter.  Slowly add half the milk and whisk until all the lumps are gone.  Then add the rest of the milk.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Continue stirring gravy over medium heat until it comes to a boil.  Once it comes to a boil, turn off heat.  If gravy is not thick enough add a small amount of flour. If gravy is to thick add more milk.