Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli

When my Grampy turned 90 in 2016, we threw a big party to celebrate, complete with more Italian food than anyone could possibly eat in one day. The event took place at Sal's in Yonkers, my grandfather's favorite restaurant.

One dish blew me away with its simplicity. Orecchiette (little ears) pasta with sausage and broccolini. It was delicious and I've been trying to recreate it ever since.

Thanks to a recipe in the September issue of Family Circle magazine, I finally struck gold.

This meal comes together fast enough for a weeknight and I think it is perfect comfort food for a cool fall weekend, too.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli

1 pound rigatoni or orecchiette pasta, cooked al dente
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
4 cups broccoli florets or chopped broccolini
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Additional Parmesan cheese for garnish

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While water boils and pasta cooks, heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add sausage and cook until brown, breaking meat up into small pieces -- about 8 minutes.

Add broccoli and chicken broth and cover pan. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 4 minutes. Uncover, add red pepper flakes and cook 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

Add drained pasta and grated Parmesan and stir to combine. If dish is too dry, drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil.

Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Stew with Sausage and Cannellini Beans

We all have those meals we love to make for family and friends.

Mine include Baked Ziti, Cajun Turkey Jambalaya and Turkey, Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili.

And this favorite, straight from the pages of the Slow Cooker Revolution cookbook. The first time I made this -- way back in 2012, I was hooked. It was my first time cooking with fennel and the amazing flavor it imparts to the dish is addicting.

I've since served this up to many of our house guests, but hadn't made it recently. So glad I did. This stew does require some prep work, which makes it great for a weekend, not to mention cold, cloudy days.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Chicken Stew with Sausage and Cannellini Beans

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound mild or sweet sausage links, sliced
2 onions, minced
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced (remove the stops and the core and cut in half first)
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups low sodium chicken broth, plus extra as needed
2 bay leaves
2, 15 ounce cans cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
6 ounces baby spinach
Shredded Parmesan cheese for topping

Cut off extra fat from chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides.

Over medium-high flame, heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet. In batches, brown chicken on both sides, about 5 to 8 minutes per side. Add more oil if needed. Place cooked chicken in bowl until next steps.

Heat remaining oil in the pan. Add sausage and brown well. Transfer to bowl with chicken. Reserve 1 tablespoon of fat in pan and pour off the rest.

Add onions, fennel, garlic, tomato paste, thyme and red pepper to pan and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes.

Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly stir in wine, scraping up browned bits. Add 1 cup broth and stir to smooth out any lumps.

Transfer to slow cooker. Add 3 cups of broth and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Add chicken, sausage and any juices in the bowl. Cover and cook 4 to 6 hours on low.

Remove chicken to large plate or cutting board and shred into small pieces with two forks.

Skim off any fat on top of stew and remove bay leaves.

Stir in beans and spinach. Cover and cook on high for 10 minutes to wilt spinach. Add chicken, stir and allow to heat through.

If stew is too thick, add hot broth.

Ladle into bowls and season with salt and pepper. Top with Parmesan.

Butternut Squash Soup with Sausage and Kale

My friend Kristi is a fellow busy, hard-working mama who strives to always get a hot dinner on the table. And — like me — when there's no time or energy to cook, take-out, short-cuts and leftovers work, too. But we always try and we love to share recipes and compare cooking notes. Kristi recently texted me a recipe for a butternut squash soup from a blog called The Lemon Bowl.

I made Kristi's new fave soup with a few tweaks. She suggested a dash of sage and I decided to use a little more squash. I also couldn't find Italian turkey sausage, so I used regular. Anyhow, it tasted souper (see what I did there?!) good, especially on a cold winter day.

XOXO,
Amy

Butternut Squash Soup with Sausage and Kale
3 links of uncooked Italian sausage — spicy or sweet, turkey or regular — removed from casings
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
4 cups butternut squash peeled and cut into half-inch cubes
4 cups kale, roughly chopped
14 ounce can of cannelini beans, drained and rised
Dash of ground or fresh sage
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese to garnish — optional

Spray inside of large pot with non-stick spray and heat pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage to pot. Brown sausage for 7-8 minutes, using spoon to break meat into bite-sized pieces. Don't be afraid of the sausage getting brown, because the more it carmelizes the tastier your soup.

Add garlic, onion and red pepper to pot and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until onions and peppers are tender, about 5-6 minutes.

When sausage is nicely browned and veggies are tender, add broth to the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Raise heat to high and bring soup to a boil. Add in the squash and cook until softened, about 20 minutes.

Five minutes before serving, add kale and beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan if you like, which I did.

Stuffed Bread

This time of year it's nice to get cooking with the kids in the kitchen. My brother Greg visited last weekend and we made stuffed bread (aka, pizza rolls).

I used to make these in my pre-kid days, when the husband and I spent our weekends watching various sporting events with friends.

The rolls are easy to prepare and they make for a quick dinner that goes nicely with a salad. These also make great appetizers, snacks and party or lunch-box fare.

Our favorite part? You can dress them up or down, make them sweet or savory and really use any kind of filling you want. We made three stuffed breads: pepperoni, sausage supreme and taco. Other ideas: brie, cranberry and nut; peanut butter and jelly, etc.

Just remember not to overstuff the bread, or you'll end up with the filling exploding out of the bread and onto the pan (which might even happen anyway.)

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

P.S. If you like this recipe, check out more of my brother's creations by searching #gregssundaydinner on Instagram and Facebook.

Pepperoni Stuffed Bread

1 package refrigerated pizza dough (not thin crust)
1/2 to 3/4 cup tomato sauce, plus more for dotting on top
6 slices provolone cheese
Pepperoni slices (about 1/2 a package)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unroll pizza dough onto parchment and gently spread it out to a rectangle shape.

Spread tomato sauce in a thin layer on the dough. Top with the provolone slices. Add the pepperoni slices.

My son Sam and my brother Greg working on the pepperoni roll.

Top with shredded mozzarella. Dot with small dabs of additional tomato sauce.

Starting with a short side of the dough, gently roll the dough up. Smooth out and seal the opposite end of the dough. Pinch the ends together and tuck them under the roll.

Reduce oven heat to 375. Bake stuffed bread for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown on top.

As you can see, some of the filling escaped from one of our stuffed breads.

Let stuffed bread cool a bit before cutting.

Sausage Supreme Stuffed Bread

1 package refrigerated pizza dough (not thin crust)
1/2 to 3/4 cup tomato sauce, plus more for dotting on top
6 slices provolone cheese
3/4 cup scant cooked sausage crumbles
1/2 cup thinly sliced bell pepper
1/2 of a small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unroll pizza dough onto parchment and gently spread it out to a rectangle shape.

Spread tomato sauce in a thin layer on the dough. Top with the provolone slices. Add the sausage crumbles, pepper and onion slices. Top with shredded mozzarella. Dot with small dabs of additional tomato sauce.

Starting with a short side of the dough, gently roll the dough up. Smooth out and seal the opposite end of the dough. Pinch the ends together and tuck them under the roll.

Reduce oven heat to 375. Bake stuffed bread for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown on top. Let cool a bit before cutting.

Taco Stuffed Bread

1 package refrigerated pizza dough (not thin crust)
1/2 to 3/4 cup salsa or taco sauce, plus more for dotting on top
6 slices cheddar cheese
3/4 cup scant cooked taco meat (use your favorite)
1/2 cup thinly sliced bell pepper
1/2 of a small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unroll pizza dough onto parchment and gently spread it out to a rectangle shape.

Spread taco sauce or salsa in a thin layer on the dough. Top with the cheddar slices. Add the taco meat. Top with shredded cheddar. Dot with small dabs of additional taco sauce or salsa.

Starting with a short side of the dough, gently roll the dough up. Smooth out and seal the opposite end of the dough. Pinch the ends together and tuck them under the roll.

Reduce oven heat to 375. Bake stuffed bread for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown on top. Let cool a bit before cutting.

Not to be left out, our dog Trixie also tried to get in on the action of making stuffed bread!

Cheesy Grits Casserole with Sausage

A few weeks back, the Seattle Seahawks played the Carolina Panthers in a playoff game. Since I'm a Seattle resident and Amy hails from the land of the Panthers, we had a friendly little wager that we posted to the HDHH Facebook page. If the Hawks won the game, Amy would need to prep a meal featuring salmon. If the Panthers won, I owed her grits.

Since the Panthers are playing in the Super Bowl on Sunday, I think you all know who's been in the kitchen this week.

When the husband and I were living in Charlotte, we enjoyed many tasty meals. Southerners can cook, y'all. And they bring out their A-game for a church potluck. One woman from my ladies' Bible study brought to one such gathering a cheesy grits casserole studded with sausage, and it totally blew my mind. Losing the bet to Amy seemed like the perfect opportunity to re-create this delicious dish.

If you're looking for the perfect brunch dish or pre-Super Bowl breakfast, Cheesy Grits Casserole with Sausage is just the ticket. Savory, rich and creamy, it's full of southern flavors. Plus it's hearty enough to stick to your ribs and keep you full for the big game.

Hope you enjoy this tribute to the south, the Carolina Panthers, and my time in the beautiful city of Charlotte. Keep pounding!

Let's get cooking!
Erin

P.S. Have you liked us on Facebook yet? If not, please do!

Cheesy Grits Casserole with Sausage
Adapted from allrecipes.com
Serves: 6

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 pound ground sausage
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup grits
Salt and pepper
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8" square baking dish and set aside.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until sausage is cooked through and some pieces are nice and crisp, about 8 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon onion powder and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Drain sausage and set aside.

Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in grits. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes, until broth is absorbed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, milk, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir into grits and cook over low heat for a couple minutes. Stir in 1 cup cheese and cooked sausage. Pour into prepared baking dish and top with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until set in the middle.

Amy's Mom's Egg Strata

Growing up, instead of a traditional Christmas dinner we had a standard breakfast -- my mom's egg strata, which she assembled overnight and put in the oven while we unwrapped our gifts. Now I make strata for my family on Christmas and on other special occasions when we have company.

I tweak my mom's version ever so slightly by cooking the onions with the sausage, because my family doesn't like raw onion and Mom layers uncooked onion into her strata. Also, I think Mom uses butter spread, whereas I use softened butter.

Whether the strata is made by Mom or me, it's a crowd pleaser.

XOXO,
Amy

Amy's  Mom's Egg Strata

1 (16 ounce) tube of breakfast sausage
1 medium onion, diced finely
10-12 slices white bread, lightly buttered on each side
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (or Colby Jack or Mexican blend)
5 eggs, beaten
1 2/3 cups milk

Fry sausage -- with diced onion if you don't want to add in raw onion. Cook sausage until no longer pink. Drain sausage and set aside.

Mix together milk and beaten eggs and set aside.

Make a layer of bread in the bottom of a 9"x 13" baking pan. If your pan is curved, you will likely have to cut the last two slices a bit so they fit in the pan.

Sprinkle sausage, onions and cheese over the bread slices. Top with another layer of bread slices. Pour egg and milk mixture over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, bake the strata uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Place foil on top when the bread starts to get brown.

Serve immediately. Leftovers, should you have any, are tasty, too.

Hearty Egg Casserole

If you've never tasted a farm fresh egg, you haven't lived.

I didn't know this until my former co-worker Kevin started raising chickens. He often shared extra eggs with those of us on staff who wanted them. The flavor is so good that there is no need to add  anything — the eggs can easily stand on their own.

It's like the difference between a tomato from the garden and one you buy in the grocery store. No comparison. Fresh eggs from chickens that eat a varied diet and roam free pack a richer punch to the palette.

So I didn't think it was possible to get farm-fresh taste from grocery store eggs. Not so! The folks at Blue Sky Family Farms asked us to give their free range, organic, humanely raised eggs a try.

These beauties are the real thing. The shells are harder, the yolks are a deep orange color and the flavor tastes like eggs should.

We tried these brown eggs by themselves in scrambled and fried versions. The eggs are light and fluffy and simply delicious. They'd also be perfect for Soft Boiled Eggs or Spring on Toast.

My brother Greg happened to be visiting when the Blue Sky Family Farms eggs arrived, so we decided to use a dozen in a casserole, We wanted to see how the eggs hold up when baked with cheese, potatoes, sausage and tomatoes. Greg is always experimenting in the kitchen and gets the credit for this recipe. You can serve this egg bake at breakfast, lunch or dinner, with toast, fruit or even a green salad.

Finally, if you're not raising your own chickens or don't have access to farm fresh eggs, you can find Blue Sky Family Farms eggs at many grocery stores in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio and Kentucky.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Hearty Egg Casserole

1 15 ounce can sliced white potatoes
1 dozen eggs
2/3 cup half and half
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 to 1 cup cooked sausage crumbles
1 brick of Gruyere cheese, sliced (between 1/2 pound and 1 pound)
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13 inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray.

Place sliced potatoes in a singe layer in bottom of pan. Sprinkle sausage on top of potatoes.

Crack eggs into a medium bowl, add half and half and salt and pepper. Whisk together until yolks are broken and incorporated into mixture. Pour eggs into pan over sausage and potatoes.

Lay slices of Gruyere evenly in pan.

Top with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Place in oven on middle rack and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until casserole is puffed and light browned on top.

Let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Blue Sky Family Farms free range eggs are packaged in the pretty carton above.