Tag: Sausage

Soups

Recipe—Zuppa Toscana 

Diva di Cucina

I have been sitting on this recipe for months now just waiting for the right time of year to share. After getting record amounts of rain in Sacramento this last weekend and it FINALLY feeling like fall, I think we are finally ready for one of the best soup recipes ever! Now I can’t even take credit for this soup recipe. My friend made this Olive Garden “copycat” soup for me back in July when I was recovering from a medical procedure, and I was absolutely smitten. I had to ask for the recipe and made it for my family less than a week later. It is now a family fave. I just absolutely love that spicy sausage with the rich creamy broth and the loads of kale. (Not gonna lie, the kale makes me feel like I am eating healthy.)

Note: If you are watching your carbs you can easily leave out the potatoes for a fantastic low carb soup. 

INGREDIENTS

12 oz pack of bacon, chopped
16 oz hot Italian sausage, ground
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 tbsp garlic, minced
64 oz chicken broth
5 medium potatoes, cubed into 1/2″ squares
2 bunches kale, stems removed and leave chopped
1 pint heavy cream
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
freshly grated parmesan

STEPS

  • Add the bacon to a large pot and cook over medium-high heat.
  • When the bacon is cooked to desired doneness, remove it from the pot and set aside.
  • Add the sausage to the pot breaking it up as it cooks.
  • Once the sausage is cooked through, drain off most of the grease leaving about 1–2 tablespoons.
  • Add the chopped onions and garlic to the pot with the sausage and cook stirring occasionally until the onion starts to brown, about 5–6 minutes.
  • Add the broth and potatoes to the pot and bring to a boil.
  • Simmer the soup for about 15–20 minutes or until the potatoes are just fork tender. 
  • Add the kale, cream, salt, and pepper to the pot and simmer for another 5–10 minutes. 
  • Ladle the soup into bowls and top with parmesan. 
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Soups

Recipe—20 Minute Sausage, Spinach, & White Bean Soup

Diva di Cucina

20 Minute Sausage, Spinach, & White Bean Soup

Hello cold weather! It is finally starting to feel like winter out here in California. Just this week we finally have some back to back days of rain and some serious wind going on and I freaking love it! It’s the kind of weather that just makes you want to wrap yourself in a heavy blanket and eat hearty bowls of soup all day long. This soup recipe is awesome because there is so much good flavor and it is really filling, and best of all, it is one of those meals that you can have on the table in 20 minutes. You do not have to be a well-versed chef to make this. You are basically just adding ingredients to a pot and letting your stove do the rest of the work. Sounds like the perfect lazy rainy-day meal to me!

Note: If you have a busy week ahead, chop the onion, carrots, and celery over the weekend and store in a container or a zip loc bag so they are ready to go!

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp olive oil
1 (12.8-ounce) package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
6 c chicken broth
2 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
3 c baby spinach

STEPS

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat.
  • Add the sausage to the pot and cook until lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes making sure to stir occasionally.
  • Add the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook for another 3–4 minutes making sure to stir occasionally.
  • Add the broth, beans, oregano, bay leaves, salt and pepper to the pot and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat to medium low and allow it to simmer for 8–10 minutes.
  • Add the baby spinach to the pot and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes or until the spinach has wilted.
  • Ladle into bowls and enjoy!
Brunch, Dinners

Recipe—Sausage & Cheddar Quiche

Diva di Cucina

Sausage & Cheddar Quiche

I love breakfast! Yes, I do! I love breakfast! How about you!? 

I will say however, that breakfast is a meal I don’t get to really prepare and enjoy often enough. Monday–Friday usually consists of something quick and on the go so sometimes I make breakfast for dinner just to get that breakfast fix. One thing I love about quiche is it is really perfect for any meal, breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Add some fruit and potatoes, you got breakfast. Add a green salad, now it’s lunch or dinner. 

This quiche is really as easy as they come, especially with a premade piecrust. I know quiche might seem intimidating to make but I promise there is no need to be scared! It really isn’t complicated and is well worth the effort it takes to make. Plus, sausage and cheddar are just a classic breakfast combo that you can’t beat.

Sausage & Cheddar Quiche

INGREDIENTS
1 sheet of refrigerated piecrust at room temperature
8 oz mild or spicy breakfast sausage
5 green onions, thinly sliced
2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 c half and half
6 large eggs
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground mustard

STEPS

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
  • Unroll your piecrust and line a pie dish with a single sheet and set aside
  • In a non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the sausage until no pink remains. 
  • Add the green onion to the skillet and cook for another minute. 
  • Drain excess fat from pan.
  • Spread half of the sausage mixture in the pie crust and sprinkle with half of the cheese. 
  • Spread the remaining sausage mixture over the cheese.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together the half and half, eggs, salt, pepper, and ground mustard.  
  • Pour the egg mixture evenly over the sausage and sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese. 
  • Place the quiche into the oven and bake for 45–50 minutes or until the center is set when gently shaken. 
  • Remove the quiche from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before cutting into it and serving. 
Dinners

Recipe—One Pot Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya

Diva di Cucina

One Pot Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Every once in awhile you find a recipe that is perfect for entertaining, this is it! There is nothing fancy about it but it is delicious and it will feed an army. No joke, this recipe can feed anywhere from 6-8 people. Or in my case, made 2 dinners for 3 of us, which I have no complaints about. I would eat leftovers of this recipe every day. The flavors just get better and better while all those yummy flavors fuse together. This recipe is so filling and hearty which is great PLUS it all comes together easily in one large pot which means fewer dishes to wash. And who is going to complain about having fewer dishes? NO ONE!

Just serve this dish along with a big green salad and you will have some happy and lucky folks sitting at your table.

INGREDIENTS
olive oil
1 lb chicken, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
12 oz andouille sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
salt & pepper
large yellow onion, chopped
red bell pepper, chopped
yellow bell pepper, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
6 oz can tomato sauce
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 1/2 c long grain white rice
32 oz chicken broth
3 green onions, chopped

STEPS

  • Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot and add sausage.
  • Cook sausage for 3–4 minutes and then add chicken.
  • Continue cooking for 8–10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
  • Transfer the cooked sausage and chicken to a bowl or plate and set aside.
  • Add another 1 tbsp of olive oil to the pot and add in the onion, bell peppers, celery and garlic.
  • Cook the vegetables for 6–8 minutes or until they are tender.
  • Place the chicken and sausage back in the pot and add in 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, thyme, basil, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, rice, and chicken broth.
  • Stir the pot and bring to a boil.
  • Once the pot starts to boil, cover with a lid and reduce heat to low.
  • Allow the jambalaya to simmer for 30–40 minutes. (Check it after 25 minutes and add an additional 1/2 c of water or broth if all the fluid is already absorbed and give it a good stir to ensure it isn’t burning to the bottom of the pot.)
  • Remove the jambalaya from heat and allow it to sit for 3–5 minutes.
  • Transfer a heaping spoonful to a plate or bowl and topped with the chopped green onions.
Brunch

Recipe—Breakfast Pizza

Diva di Cucina

I love breakfast and I love pizza. (Everyone does, right?) Put them together and you get the best of both worlds. Breakfast truly is one of my favorite meals but I just don’t take the time to enjoy it nearly enough. So when I can find recipes that are quick and awesome (like breakfast pizza) they are an instant fave. Come on, a savory breakfast pizza built upon a fluffy and buttery crescent crust topped with sausage, eggs, and melted cheese. I could seriously start every morning with this recipe.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb loose meat breakfast sausage
1 tube crescent roll dough (like Pillsbury)
1 c cheddar, shredded
6 eggs
1/4 c milk
1 tsp rosemary
salt and pepper

STEPS

  • Preheat oven to 400º.
  • Cook the sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat making sure to break up any large chunks until it is cooked thoroughly.
  • Transfer the sausage to a plate covered in paper towels to soak up the oil.
  • Unroll the crescent dough and lay it out in the bottom of a 9” x 13” baking dish and press the seams together to make one large sheet of dough.
  • Sprinkle the sausage evenly over the crescent dough.
  • Distribute the cheese over the sausage.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
  • Pour the egg mixture over the top making sure the pizza is evenly covered.
  • Bake the pizza for 15–20 minutes or until the crust is golden and eggs are set.
  • Remove form oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Recipe adapted from Bran Apetit.