Italian Sausage Penne

My kids actually really loved this dish. This literally takes minutes to throw together a healthy weeknight dinner. I have all of these items on hand all of the time so it can be throw together whenever!

Italian Sausage Penne

Ingredients:

1 box gluten free penne pasta
2 lbs Italian sausage
1 onion, diced
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 can chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 package of frozen, chopped spinach
Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions:

-Cook pasta according to directions and set aside.
-Meanwhile heat a large skillet and cook sausage and onion.
-When sausage is almost done, add in minced garlic.
-Add in chicken broth and tomatoes to skillet and simmer about 5 minutes.
-Add in frozen spinach and simmer until spinach is soft.
-Mix in with your pasta and top with Parmesan cheese! 

Enjoy!

Stuffed Green Peppers

I had bought a bunch of HUGE fresh green peppers at the Farmer's Market the other morning and my husband wanted me to stuff them. There is really no way of screwing these up, they seem to always taste good!

Stuffed Green Peppers

Ingredients:

4 large green peppers, cut in half lengthwise
2 lbs Italian Sausage
1 onion, diced
1 can tomato sauce
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
3 cups rice, cooked
2 cups shredded cheese, plus more for tops
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

-Brown Italian sausage in a large skillet with onion.
-Meanwhile, cook rice according to directions (I used Minute Rice Brown Rice)
-Prepare your peppers by cutting them in half lengthwise.
-When sausage is done cooking, add in cooked rice with half of the tomato sauce.
-Stir in Italian seasoning and cheese until well blended.
-Stuff each pepper half with sausage/rice mix.
-Add the rest of the tomato sauce on each pepper half.
-Bake for about 40 minutes, covered with aluminum foil.
-Remove aluminum foil and top with a little more cheese.
-Bake about 10 more minutes, uncovered, until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Fried Plantains

I love plantains. If you have never had them before, they look like large, ripe bananas and should be at your local grocery store. They are incredibly versatile and can be used to make a sweet treat or a savory meal. This is the simplest way possible of making these! 

Fried Plantains

Ingredients:
2 plantains
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp coconut oil

Directions:
-Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt butter and oil.
-Place pieces of plantains evenly throughout the skillet.
-Fry 2-3 minutes on each side until golden.
-When finished, place on paper towels to soak up excess oil.
-Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and drizzle with sweetened condensed milk for a really tasty treat!

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Zuppa Toscano Soup

We had my step-daughters birthday party this weekend and one of her favorite meals I make is my Zuppa Toscano Soup. I made that along with an Olive Garden type salad. The soup and salad went over really well with everyone who came! My mother and I had went to the Farmer's Market that morning to pick up some of the salad items and kale. Delicious and fresh!

Crock Pot Zuppa Toscano Soup

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground Italian Sausage
1 onion, minced
8 potatoes, diced
2- 32 oz cartons of chicken broth
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 bunches kale, torn into pieces
4 tbsp corn starch (mixed with a little cold water first)
salt and pepper

Directions:
-In a large skillet, brown sausage.
-Add in onion and cook until sausage is cooked through.
-Meanwhile, wash and cut up potatoes in bite-size pieces and throw into your crock pot.
-Add the cooked sausage and broth into the crock pot. (salt and pepper to taste)
-Cook on low about 6 hours.
-About 30 minutes before serving, stir in corn starch, kale, and heavy whipping cream.

Enjoy!

Bacon Jalapeño Creamed Corn Chicken

Here is a quick and easy meal you can make with very few ingredients! I have a
bunch of bags of creamed corn that we made this summer so having that on
hand for meals is quite nice! 

Bacon Jalapeño Creamed Corn Chicken

Ingredients:

1-2 pounds cooked chicken, shredded

16 oz frozen creamed sweet corn

8 slices thick cut bacon

1 jalapeño pepper, diced

salt and pepper

Directions:

-Cook bacon according to directions.
-In a saucepan, add  chicken, creamed corn and diced jalapeño pepper. 
-Heat to slight boil.
-When heated thoroughly, top with crumbled bacon.

-Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Beef and Potatoes O'Brien

This is something quick and easy to throw together with ingredients I pretty much always have in the house. Everything seemed to enjoy it as everyone had seconds of this and there really isn't much to it. I wasn't even going to be posting it as a recipe until I saw how much everyone ate!
 

Beef and Potatoes O'Brien

Ingredients:

3 lbs ground beef

1 onion, diced

1 can cream of celery soup

1/2 can full of water

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tbsp Worcestershire

2 tsp garlic salt

3 tsp onion powder

3 cups frozen Ore-Ida Potatoes O'Brien

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

 

Directions:

-Cook ground beef with onion in large skillet.

-Add in soup, water, ketchup, Worcestershire, and seasonings and bring to boil.

-Add in Potatoes O'Brien and cook about 15 minutes on medium-low or until potatoes are done.

-Add in cheese and let melt.

Enjoy!

 

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Sloppy Joe's

Here is an easy and paleo friendly recipe for sloppy joes without the bun! This was something you can throw together quickly in the slow cooker until later or you could let the mix simmer about 20 minutes until done. This recipe is adapted from http://www.paleonewbie.com/paleo-sweet-potato-sloppy-joes-recipe/.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

5 baked sweet potatoes
3 lbs of cooked ground beef
2 cans stewed tomatoes, chopped
1 14 oz can of tomato paste
1 onion, diced
1 cup diced peppers (green, red, or any color)
2 cups of celery, chopped small
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tbsp of chili powder
3 tsp of cumin
salt and pepper
2 tbsp of honey or agave nectar

Directions:

-Saute onions, celery, and minced garlic until onions are translucent.

-Add in ground beef and spices.

-Throw in peppers at the end of cooking the beef.

-Put mixture into slow cooker.

-Add in tomatoes, tomato paste, and honey.

-Cook on low about 6 hours.

-Cook sweet potatoes for 40 minutes at 400 degrees, make sure to poke holes in potatoes!

-Scoop a small portion of sweet potatoes out and fill with sloppy joe mix.

Enjoy!