State Fair Noodle Bowls

I went to a very special event last weekend.  The GRAND OPENING and open house for an airbnb called "The Smith House" in Ord, NE.  The reason it was so special is because it was my forever home.  My sister, #3, bought the house after my dad passed away 1.5 years ago and has spent all this time renovating it.  It is cozy perfection, fit for a king and my parents would be so proud.

What does this have to do with this recipe you ask?  While I was there, my sister gave me an old ramen noodle cookbook that she found in the house.  She knows my secret, or not so secret love for ramen.  In it, there is a section of noodle bowls.  Hubby and I got on a roll of different kinds of noodle bowls we could do.  He said, "remember the smell of the sausage, onion and peppers at the fair"?  How could I forget?!  He asked if I could make THAT into a ramen bowl.  I agreed we could do it on pork flavored ramen and wa-laa.  Here. We. Are.

This recipe I am just making for 2! It's easy to double or triple. I am going heavy on the protein.

          ~~~~~~~~~~~

3 pkgs Pork Ramen (chicken or beef would work as well)

1 Red Bell Pepper sliced into narrow strips 

1/2 of a small Yellow Onion also sliced thin.

5 links of Sweet or Hot Italian Sausage (cut into thick chunks)

1 TBSP oil (olive or veg)

1 TBSP butter

Salt to taste

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

In a deep skillet add in your oil and butter until butter is melted.  Add in peppers and onions along with Italian seasoning and salt. Stir often for 5 to 7 minutes until they are very soft.  If you cut them thicker they may take up to 10 minutes.  Add in sausage and continue to fry until cooked all the way through.  When this is done, cover and remove from heat.  Prepare your ramen however you prefer, stovetop or microwave.  Drain off almost all of the water when done and add in seasoning packets.  You can choose to leave water for broth as well, we just prefer no broth on this one.  To serve, place noodles in the bottom of your bowl and top with a generous spoonful of your sausage, peppers and onions mixture.  

ENJOY!

PS.  Got leftover sausage and peppers?  Toss those bad boys on a toasted roll, maybe with some provolone for lunch!

Stuffed Italian Sausages

Hello, Hello friends!

Is it February already?  This freaks me out, the last 2 months have been 2 of the worst I have had in years, and now, to top it off I am going to be 46 at the end of the month! HOW can this be?!  I thought I was still 25.  I am just going to roll with it, you are only as old as you think you are ,right?

This recipe is not mine.  A friend of mine on YouTube posted this video and I knew I HAD to share it.  Follow the link on the video and you can find her.  She eats a keto diet and makes great food!

The night I tested this video things went a little upside down.  I was serving this with salad and pasta and I accidentally dumped an entire pot with 2 lbs of pasta (so I could freezer bank some) and boiling water down my side and on my feet.  My husband rushed me to the ER and I spent the next 5 hours getting iv pain meds, nausea meds and the drs and nurses trying to decide if I should be transferred to a burn center.  I obviously know burns are no joke but I learned when they are on your extremities, they are REALLY no joke.   You know being burned has always been one of my biggest fears.  You can't imagine unless it has happened to you the level of pain involved.  I will say, I am a stronger person, mentally and physically.  I choose to take something good from it.    I ended up coming home, thankfully but guess what had been in the oven for 5 hours at that point?!

Sad, right?  Well, that was a month ago, and my burns are finally healing, and so I was able to remake this recipe and enjoy it with my family!  So few ingredients, so easy to make and I can easily see this served alone with a salad, served on a crusty hoagie roll, or with pasta.  The recipe I am going to give you is not set in stone and easily interchangeable to your taste.  I made a double batch the second time but will give you the recipe for a single recipe!

You will need:
6 Italian Sausages (Sweet or Hot)
6 string cheeses
1 cups marinara
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Slice your sausage down one side not quite to the top or bottom.  Push your string cheese in and remold the sausage around it until the cheese is enveloped inside.  Lay in a casserole dish and proceed with the rest.  Pour over the marinara sauce and then top with cheese.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until sausage is completely cooked.

ENJOY this SO many ways!

Italian Style Meatloaf

Good Saturday evening my friends!

Oh what a beautiful day it has been!  I have 3 of my grandchildren today and overnight and the sun is shining and they took a long nap and ahhh......

My husband has been asking me to make him Italian meatloaf and I have been poopoo'ing him off a bit.  THEN, I was asked by one of my dear YouTuber friends if I was interested in doing a meatloaf collaboration video.  She had gotten 4 of us together and we each would share a version of meatloaf we enjoy!  It was the perfect opporutniy to share my Italian Meatloaf AND make my husband happy!  Win! Win!

This meatloaf might seem a little out in left field for you but if you aren't ready to try it with the eggs, do it without.  I encourage you though, to try it.  While I shouldn't give such secrets away, this mixture will make meatballs that your family and friends will beg you to make again and again!

2lbs ground beef
1lb Italian sausage
1cup breadcrumbs (plain or seasoned)
1/2 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese2 eggs
2 tsp salt
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup marinara sauce
4-6 hard boiled eggs

Topping:
1/2 cup mozzarella
1/2 cup marinara

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl combine all ingredients, for the meatloaf.  Mix with a hand mixer or let mix for 3-4 minutes (see video).

Place meat mixture into a backing pan and form into a loaf.  Make an indention in the middle and place eggs in a row.  Cover with meat mixture well to try and avoid it cracking.  If it does crack, no big deal!

Now to top the meatloaf, pour over 1/2 cup marinara, and bake for 66 minutes.  Remove meatloaf, add shredded mozzarella cheese and back another 10 minutes. 

Let rest for 5 minutes and enjoy!

Sweet Heat Chili

WARNING!  WARNING!  WARNING!

NO BEANS WERE CONSUMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS CHILI!

How long have I been blogging now and I have never shared my recipe for chili?  Everyone it seems has their "famous" chili recipe or "makes the best chili".  Well, yeah.....that has never been an issue for me.  It has taken me years to perfect how we like our chili.  Even then, it was sometimes not the same as the last time.   No consistency, always a crap shoot.  I finally nailed it down, wrote it down, and got it right, for GOOD!

This is a sweat chili with a good amount of heat.  Heat, as always, can be adjusted to your preference.  The sweet isn't overwhelming but definitely there.  I worked my sweetness so many ways sugar, honey, agave, and you know, nothing does it like the corn syrup.  So there you go.  If you happen to go a little over the amount on the recipe, no worries, just makes it better!  My husband will add in a couple of Thai chilies to his, but, that is how he rolls.

Let me get you started, to me, in this recipe, the order of the ingredients seems important.  I don't know why, please don't ask, because I have no sane explanation, it just seems that way!

2 lbs ground beef
1 lb ground Italian sausage (hot or mild)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to your taste)
1 can tomato soup
i can petite diced tomatoes1
1 tsp onion powder
3 tsp cumin
1 T chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 T light corn syrup

Brown your ground meats.  If it renders a lot of fat, drain it, if not, no worries.  And in your red pepper flakes.  Let cook for a minute while stirring.  Wake those babies up!  Add in soup, diced tomatoes, onion powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper.   Stir to combine and let simmer for abut 15 minutes.  Add in light corn syrup, and make those tablespoons heaping!  Adjust to your taste adding more if you want.  Stir and simmer on low for another 30 minutes.

If you are using a slow cooker, just put your browned meet and peppers in the slow cooker, add all other ingredients except corn syrup.  Cook on low for 4 hours, and add corn syrup in about 30 minutes before serving.

Obviously you can adjust the sweet or heat to your taste, this is how we do it, and sometimes end up adding more heat to individual bowls.  Don't forget the cheddar cheese on top!

PS.  If you prefer a thinner chili, please feel free to add water or beef stock!If you groove on beans, (erp) add those too!

ENJOY!

Mini Ravioli Minestrone

Soup!  You know my joy IS soup, right?  I don't know how many soup recipes I have for sure but I know it is several, and there are several more I need to add.  I can't live without it and I could live ON it. 

I have always loved minestrone, AFTER I pick out the beans, and add some grated Parmesan on top.  OK, I pick out zucchini too.  The point is, I just wanted to make minestrone soup MY way.  So I put the cheese in the pasta, took out the veggies I didn't like, added what I did and waaa-laaaa, even my veggie hating husband ate two bowls.  "This is amazing Christine!  This has to be my favorite soup you have EVER made.  It has SO MUCH flavor and it smells unreal!"  Yes, those were his own words.  I was floored.  I had no idea he would enjoy it but my heart swells when he tells me things like this!  If you are unable to find mini ravioli you can certainly use cheese tortellini.  The pasta I used is dried. 

I had this in the fridge for 2 days, and it was better after 2 days than it was the first day.  I KNOW.  But as with a lot of things, the longer it sits and has, you know, "relations" with the other ingredients, beautiful things happen!

Mini Ravioli Minestrone
1 lb bulk sweet Italian sausage
1 small red pepper, diced
1 small/med onion, diced
2 med carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes
6 cups beef broth
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper
16 ozs. mini cheese ravioli (or tortellini)
salt if needed (depending on what you use for stock)

In a large pot, brown your sausage.  Mine rendered hardly any fat, if your renders a lot, drain some, if not, leave it as you will need some fat for cooking the veggies.  Add in, red pepper, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.  Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn't burn.  Add in tomatoes WITH juice, beef stock, and seasonings.  Put the lid on your pot and let simmer 5 minutes.  Add in ravioli and let boil with the lid partially cracked for the amount of time the pasta package suggests.  Mine recommended 15 minutes.  When the 15 was up, I closed the lid and turned it off. 
Best.  Soup.  Ever.

The ONLY thing you need with this soup is a crusty piece of buttered bread.  O. M. G.  I am so glad there is some left for lunch today.  All mine kids, ALL MINE!

Your "ssssssoup lovin'" Chefwannabe

Pizzaiolo Pasta Bake

Hello my friends!  I am so glad to be back.  I have been so busy, I apologize for no new post on Wednesday, it just wasn't going to happen.  I am happy you are still with me and hoping this recipe was worth the wait!

Most of you know I have a hard time with umm.....casseroles.  I won't say it again.  I refuse to use the word.  Casseroles to me imply a pot or pan of something that looks like a dogs dinner and I KNOW that is not always the case but when I was growing up, it seemed like it was!  I will go to every extreme to never name a dish using that "C" word.  I have a few friends who tease me about when I use the word "Bake" or something else.  I get this, "So basically it is a C word".  NO, it is a "bake". ROFL  This, my friends....is a BAKE.  Got it?

This recipe was born out of my sister telling me she wanted pizza mixed with pasta.  That you can always get one or the other at a restaurant but you can't get them together.  I decided to see what I could do to make her happy.  I am sure she could go to the Internet and look up 5 dozen different recipes but come on, you know she wanted me write a recipe for it.  After I was done I thought of the possibilities.  So where I added Italian sausage and pepperoni you can add any pizza meat topping you like or just add one or the other.  The are NO RULES kids!!  Make it how you love your pizza.  I dislike certain things so I made what I liked, but you can add whatever you want.  The more veggies the better, right? 

I call this "Pizzaiolo Pasta Bake" because I think a pizzaiolo would tend to make a dish like this with leftover pizza toppings.  Little of this and little of that.  Go for it, make it your own, and warm your families from the inside out with this wonderful meal!

Here is what you need:
16 ounces of short cut pasta of your choice (prepared according to pkg direction minus 1 minute of cook time)
1 lb Italian sausage
1 small onion minced (or approx 3/4 to 1 cup)
1 small bell pepper chopped (I used multiple colors since I freeze BP's for cooking)
8-10 ounces sliced pepperoni
1 tsp oregano
2-3 cups pizza sauce (I like tons of sauce because I don't like dry dishes, and the pasta soaks a lot up)
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (add more if you like)

Add 1/2 cup of any other topping you like, mushrooms, olives, anchovies, pineapple, etc.  I would recommend picking just a couple, or the mixture simply won't fit into your baking dish! HA!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.  Prepare pasta as directed above and drain.  In the same pot add in Italian sausage, bell peppers, onions, garlic powder, and oregano.  Cook until sausage is cooked through and peppers and onions are softened. 

When you are done, drain off any grease and  add back to your pot, adding in half of your pepperoni.  If you have large slices, cut them in quarters otherwise put them in whole.  Mix in pasta, sauce and tomatoes, and combine.  Add in 1/2 cup of mozz cheese to the pasta mixture.  Pour into prepared 9x13 pan, and smooth over the top.  Add remaining grated cheese and then lay the rest of the pepperoni on top.  I had large slices so it covered the top, yours may or may not.  It makes ZERO difference either way!

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake another 20-30 minutes.  The pepperoni on top will get a little crisp. 

There you have it.   I found that I needed ZERO salt and pepper, you have so much flavor from the sauce and sausage and veggies, there was no need for it. This can be made ahead, it can be divided into two dinners and one can be frozen.  It is a substantial.....(insert word I refuse to use) and add a salad and it is dinner!  Quick and easy, for all of you working parents/grandparents or anyone!

Your "pizza pleasin'" Chefwannabe

Spicy Skillet Supper!

Well, here I am, 9am on Saturday morning sitting in my sisters classroom while she is in a class for her Masters degree.  I have rearranged the stuff on her walls.  Being an unteacher most of my life, she knows I will theme, decorate, organize, and freshen up her room and be in heaven.  By "unteacher" I mean I have taught music for several years and regular classroom substitute almost fulltime for several years, but have no teaching degree.  I am the teacher that wasn't.  That is an entirely different blog.  So I am taking a break to get this recipe down for you.  Well that, AND I am tired and out of idea's for the moment!  Super hero's, fall tree's, butterflies, Huskers, and educational material.......how am I supposed to meld THAT into ONE classroom theme.  I know, a different one on each wall.  YES!  She totally owes me for this one! :)  I feel a bit of a cold relapse today.  Maybe I am just tired, but maybe it really IS doctor time.  I HATE doctor offices.  Doctors mean only one thing to me........NEEDLES and scary nurses.  Sorry, off topic a bit........

Anyway, I have had some requests for recipes to feed big families and families with big eaters.  Last night when I decided what I was making for dinner, I was reminded of how much my son loved this meal and that I had no made it for years.  It is easy to change up, so I am going to write it in a way you can choose your options.   You can make this spicy or not. 

 

 

You will need:
1 can tomato soup
1 can of ro-tel (mild, medium, or hot)
1 clove of minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter

Pick 2 proteins  (I use boneless chicken breasts or thighs, and Italian sausage)
Chicken (boneless or bone in remember bone IN will need a bit longer to cook)3-4 pieces
Boneless Pork Chops 2-3
Italian Sausages 3-4
Polish Sausages 3-4
Smoked Sausages 3-4

In a large skillet add oil and butter and minced garlic.  Saute for a minute without letting the garlic burn.  Add proteins, and brown on all sides on high heat.  Combine soup and ro-tel in a bowl.  When all meat is brown pour mixture over it and immediately lower heat to medium and cover.  Cook for 25-30 minutes.

I serve this with yellow rice or saffron rice.  Its delicous, you can satisfy everyone with 2 meats.   

Enjoy this delicious dish!

Your SPICY chefwannabe
Chris