Leslie's Italian Stuffed Peppers

Threw this together as an experiment & it turned out pretty yummy!!  Hope you like!

Ingredients:

1# ground Italian sausage

2-3 bell peppers

1/2 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 C chopped cabbage

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

Small can tomato sauce

1 T Butter

Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Start sausage browing in a skillet over medium heat & crumble as it cooks.

2. Meanwhile, cut bell pepper in half lengthwise & remove seeds. Place in a baking dish.

3. When sausage is cooked, set aside in a collander to drain well.

4. In the skillet, melt 1 T butter & saute onion, garlic & cabbage.  Add tomatoes & sauce, simmer to break down tomato chunks.  Season with an Italian blend if desired.

5. Return sausage to skillet & mix everything together.  

6. Spoon some into bell pepper halves, layer with shredded mozzarella cheese.  Stuff as much as you can in there & top with cheese.

7. Bake for about 30 minutes, until cheese is bubbly & browned on top.  Enjoy!  :)

Note:  I made about half this much for 2 pepper halves & had a little filling leftover.

Leslie's Baked Ziti

This very versatile recipe has evolved so much that I can barely read the recipe card it started on - there are so many side notes!  My most recent and favored version combines Italian sausage, fresh mushrooms and spinach for an easy anytime dish.  This is also great as a "meals-on-wheels" dinner, as I call them.

Ingredients:
12 oz whole wheat penne pasta
16 oz mild Italian sausage, ground
About 1 C chopped yellow onion*
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Cremini, white or Baby Bella mushrooms (your choice) - about 2 C thickly sliced*
About 3 C fresh spinach, roughly chopped*
1 jar tomato & basil pasta sauce
8 oz can tomato sauce
8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
Couple handfuls of shredded Romano cheese

*These are estimates - I never really measure!  :-)

1. Start a large pot of water to boil then cook pasta until just al dente.  (It will finish up in the oven.)
2. While pasta is working, cook sausage, onions & garlic until sausage is no longer pink.
3. Add mushrooms to the skillet & cook another 5 minutes.
4. Add spinach to the skillet, stir in & let it wilt.
5. Drain pasta and return to the pot, stir in sausage mixture, pasta sauce, tomato sauce & half of the cheese.  Mix well, then pour into a large baking dish & cover with foil.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
6. Remove foil & top with remaining cheese.  Return to the oven, uncovered, for another 5 minutes or so, until the cheese is nice & bubbly.
7.  Remove from oven & allow to cool for 10-15 minutes... while you prepare garlic toast or other side!  ENJOY!

Kitchen note: As I mentioned, this is a great recipe for sharing. When I take this meal to someone, I dish it into 2 seperate baking dishes (foil baking pans are perfect) then deliver one unbaked with the extra cheese on the side and directions on a Post-it... and keep the other for me.  :-)  It could also be made ahead and refrigerated, etc.  You can even bake it in individual servings!

Variations: Try a vegetarian ziti with zucchini and yellow squash instead of sausage... or substitute chicken for something different!

Lasagna Fake-Out!

Love lasagna but hate the work??  You'll love this cheesy 30 minute fake-out!  Super easy and oh-so-yummy.

Ingredients:
1# spicy Italian ground sausage
1 small yellow onion, about 1 C chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C dry white wine
Fresh spinach
1 can tomato sauce
About 1 T Italian seasoning
About 10 oz. fresh cheese ravioli, such as Bertolli from the refrigerated section
Shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese

1. Crumble sausage while cooking over medium heat.  Remove to a collander to drain off grease.
2. In the same pan, heat about 1 T EVOO and cook onion and garlic until tender, then add wine. Simmer for a few minutes. **Start water to boil for pasta.
3. Meanwhile, roughly chop spinach.  (I didn't put an amount because you can use as much or little as you like. I use about 3 big handfuls.)  Add spinach to the pan to wilt.
4. Add tomato sauce and return sausage to the pan. Stir in Italian seasoning.  Bring to an easy simmer.
5. Cook ravioli according to package directions. Drain and add to sauce. Serve with your choice of cheese - and garlic toast, of course!  :)

Mexican Fritatta

Two words - EASY and YUM! :)

Ingredients:
5 oz pork chorizo
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, diced into small cubes
6 eggs, beaten
6 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
salt & pepper
EVOO

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a nonstick skillet, heat about 1 T EVOO over medium heat then brown chorizo, breaking up as it cooks, about 5 minutes.
3. Add onion & cook until just starting soften, 3-4 minutes.
4. Add bell pepper & cook until crisp tender, about 3 minutes.
5. Remove chorizo mixture to 8x8" baking dish & set aside.
6. Heat 1-2 T EVOO in same skillet then add potatoes, salt & pepper, cooking until golden brown & fork tender.
7. Return chorizo mixture to skillet & blend everything together, then place in baking dish.
8. Blend about 2/3 cheese with eggs, pour over potatoes & mix together. Top with remaining cheese & bake about 15 minutes, until eggs are set.

KITCHEN NOTE: Chorizo can be hard to find sometimes. Try substituting a spicy smoked sausage, halved & thinly sliced or diced.

Not Red Pasta Sauce

This is a very easy and yummy sauce to serve with any of your favorite pastas! The amounts listed are appoximate. I kind of followed a recipe but didn't really measure precisely, just threw stuff in!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground Italian sausage (use your favorite: mild, hot, sweet, whatever)
8 oz. baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 stick of butter (the real kind!)
3-4 green onions, chopped
About 1 lb. zucchini, sliced and halved
1/2 C white wine
2 cubes chicken bullion
About 1/4 C heavy cream or half 'n half (eyeball it)
Hot, cooked pasta

1. Cook sausage over medium heat, crumbling to bits as you go. Drain, return to pan and add mushrooms and butter. Stir in butter until its melted.
2. Add onions and zucchini. Continue to stir occasionally until zucchini is tender.
3. Add wine and bullion, bring to a simmer, stirring until bullion is dissolved and wine reduces some.
4. Stir in cream and bring to a bubble.

NOTE: Add cream then taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. If your initial taste is too salty, just add a little more cream.

5. Serve over hot pasta!