Spinach

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!

Dinners

Recipe—Chicken & Cheesy White Sauce Lasagna

October 10, 2018September 28, 2018 Diva di Cucina

Chicken & Cheesy White Sauce Lasagna

Ooey, gooey, cheesy white sauce goodness. What more do I need to say about this lasagna. It is layer upon layer of creamy mozzarella sauce, noodles, ricotta, chicken, spinach, and cheese. My mouth is literally watering.

This dinner is the ultimate comfort food. So rich, creamy, and filling. A perfect family dinner as the weather starts to cool down. Seriously though, what is better on a cold night then a big filling serving of pasta? Nothing, the answer is nothing.

This is one of those recipes that is great to make ahead on the weekend when you have some extra time and then during the week all you have to is pop it in the oven and bake. Boom! Dinner is done!

Chicken & Cheesy White Sauce Lasagna

INGREDIENTS
16 oz lasagna noodles
salt
1/2 c butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 c flour
2 c chicken broth
1 1/2 c milk
5 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 1/2 c parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
2 c ricotta
2 c cooked chicken breast, chopped
10 oz package frozen cooked spinach, thawed and drained
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

STEPS

Preheat oven to 350º.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt.
Cook the noodles per the package instructions, drain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside until ready to assemble the lasagna.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Cook the onion and garlic in the butter until cooked through.
Stir in the flour until it begins to brown.
Gradually add the broth and milk to the saucepan and whisk together.
Allow the sauce to come to a boil and simmer for 2–3 minutes.
Mix in 2 cups of the mozzarella, 3/4 cup of the parmesan, basil, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Stir until all the cheese is melted and well integrated.
Remove the sauce from the stove and set aside.
Spray a 9” x 13” baking dish with cooking spray.
Ladle a quarter of the sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.
Layer a quarter of the cooked noodles in the bottom of the baking dish and top with half of the ricotta, half of the chicken, and half of the spinach. Sprinkle with some of the mozzarella and parmesan and ladle another quarter of the sauce over the top.
Repeat the previous step. Noodles, ricotta, chicken, spinach, cheese sauce.
Add the final layer of noodles and top with all the remaining sauce and cheeses.
Bake for 40–45 minutes or until the cheese is all melted and just starts to brown on top.
Remove the lasagna from the oven and allow it to rest for 5–10 minutes.
Sprinkle the parsley over the top.
Cut and serve.

Dinners, Sandwiches

Recipe—Italian Sausage Burgers with Garlicky Greens

August 3, 2013January 26, 2018 Diva di Cucina

I love a big thick juicy homemade beef burger just as much as any one else, but I also love coming up with tasty alternatives to the all American meal. When I saw a recipe for an Italian sausage burger on Huffington Post I knew I had to try it. I love the flavor of Italian sausage and like Popeye I love my greens. So I made my own little tweaks and made these fantastic Italian sausage burgers. They were awesome! They are definitely rich, but oh so tasty.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb bulk Italian sausage, formed into 4 thin patties
4 slices of provolone cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 bunch chard, kale, or spinach, inner stalks stripped out and greens chopped
salt
1/4 c pesto
1/4 c mayonnaise
4 ciabatta rolls, cut in half

STEPS

Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat.
Add the sausage patties and cook until browned on the bottom, about 5–7 minutes.
Flip the patties and cook on the other side for an additional 5–7 minutes or until cooked all the way through. (Top each patty with a slice of provolone during the last couple of minutes.)
While the sausage patties are cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the garlic and chopped greens.
Cook until the greens are wilted and tender and season with salt.
Place the ciabatta rolls in the oven to lightly toast and heat through.
In a small bowl mix together the pesto and mayonnaise.
Spread the cut side of each roll with the pesto mayonnaise.
Place the cooked patty on the bottom bun and top with cooked greens and top bun.

Recipe adapted from Huffington Post.