Hearty Sausage and Rice Skillet

It seems as though any dish I make using the Jennie-O Hot Italian Turkey Sausage is one we're sure to love.  This hearty dish is one we decided we loved from the first bite.

I recently received my February/March 2013 issue of Simple and Delicious magazine and this was the first recipe I tried.  I've made it twice now, the second time I changed it slightly to make it even more healthy.  This recipe got all 9's on the Melnarik rating scale.

I began by removing the casings from the sausage and cooked it in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up as the meat browned.

Then, I added the oregano, chili powder and garlic salt.  My first cooking teacher in Jr. High taught me to add the dry seasonings directly to the meat, as it gets seared to the meat with the heat of the pan.

Once the seasonings were fully incorporated, I added the sliced mushrooms, yellow bell pepper and diced onion.

The seasonings will turn the mushrooms and onions a pretty orange color.

Next I added the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes with green chilies.

The rough chopped fresh spinach went into the pan next.  The original recipe called for 2 cups, but I doubled it the second time I made this dish to add more nutrients to it.  When the spinach cooks down, it seems to go into nothing, so an additional 2 cups was not too much.  In fact, I think it was just right!

It's hard to tell from the photo above, but it was taken just after I added the water.  I then let it come to a boil and cooked the dish for 2 minutes.

The last ingredient was the instant rice.  The first time I made this I used the normal Minute Rice, but when telling a friend about this amazing new dish I tried, she asked if I had used the brown rice made by Minute Rice.  I admitted I didn't know it even existed.  I figured their rice was so processed to make it cook faster that there was no way they would sell brown rice.  Alas, they do and I tried it the next time I made this dish, figuring the brown rice should be healthier.  The only difference was that it didn't seem to soak up the liquid as well as the traditional Minute Rice.

This is what it looks like when everything is mixed together.  It's pretty colorful and smells terrific at this point.

After adding the rice, I covered the pan for about 7 minutes to let the rice cook.

Once the rice was cooked, there was still a little liquid around the sides, but after stirring it in, the dish was ready to serve.

This healthy dish is quite hearty as well as delicious!  Enjoy!

Hearty Sausage and Rice Skillet

1 pound hot Italian turkey sausage links

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon garlic salt

½ pound sliced fresh mushrooms

1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

1 can (14 ½ oz.) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained

4 cups fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups water

2 cups uncooked instant brown rice

Remove casings from sausage and cook in a Dutch oven over medium heat until no longer pink.  Add the oregano, chili powder and salt; stir to combine.  Add mushrooms, yellow pepper and onion; cook until vegetables are tender.  Stir in the tomatoes and tomato sauce.  Add spinach and stir to combine.  Stir in water.  Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.  Add rice, making sure it is covered by the liquid; remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 5 – 7 minutes or until the rice is tender.  Stir before serving.

Tex-Mex Pasta

This dish is fairly easy to prepare, tastes great and can be on the table in under 45 minutes!  I found this recipe in one of those small pamphlets you see at the checkout stand while waiting to pay for your groceries.  Yes, the pamphlet was an impulse buy, but I got a couple of good recipes out of it and this was one of them.  Credit for the recipe was given to Karen Wetch of Santa Rosa, CA.  I thank you Karen for submitting this recipe for publication!

This colorful pasta dish is as appealing to the eye as it is to the taste buds!

After getting a pot of water on to boil, making sure I use a pot big enough to cook 1 pound of pasta, I begin preparing the rest of the dish.  This is another recipe where I like to use the Jenni-O Hot Italian Sausage.  The original recipe just called for Italian turkey sausage.  The Jenni-O sweet sausage is also good, I just prefer the hot sausage because it kicks up the flavor of any dish I use it in.  It comes in links, so I take the sausage out of the casings and put them in my large wok.  If you don't have a large wok or frying pan, a Dutch oven would be the best thing to use, because once you add the pasta, there is a lot of food in the pan!

I cook the sausage over medium-high heat, breaking it apart frequently while I prepare the rest of the ingredients.  I also keep watch on the water so I can add the pasta as soon as the water is at a full boil.

In the meantime, I chop the onion and red bell pepper.  The original recipe called for 1 zucchini, chopped, but my guys decided some time ago that they don't like zucchini, so now I use my cheese grater and grate it so it isn't recognizable as zucchini.  None of them have asked yet what that "green stuff" is in this dish.  I think I have them fooled!

I stir in the fresh veggies that I just prepared, then add the frozen corn, salsa, canned tomatoes, and oregano.  You can use the salsa your family likes best and the heat level you prefer.  We like the Cha Chi's Pico de Gallo Salsa medium heat.  

It's already looking as good as it smells!  All of this gets cooked another 5 minutes, stirring often.

By this time, the pasta is completely cooked (according to package directions) and drained.  The pasta is then added to the mixture in the pan.

I sprinkle on the cheese and let it sit a couple of minutes to melt.

Fresh cilantro gets added to the top just before serving.  My youngest son's friend joined us for dinner, so there were five of us and there still was plenty left over.  I'd say this serves 8 people, but it's also great reheated the next day.  Enjoy!

Tex-Mex Pasta

16 oz. uncooked penne pasta

1 pkg. Jenni-O Hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1 small zucchini, grated

2 cups frozen corn

1 cup salsa

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Cook penne pasta to desired doneness as directed on package.  Drain; cover to keep warm.  Meanwhile, spray nonstick wok or large skillet with nonstick cooking spray.  Heat over medium-high heat until hot.  Add sausage; cook 5 minutes or until no longer pink and thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently and breaking up meat as it cooks. Drain.  Add onion, bell pepper, zucchini, corn, salsa, tomatoes and oregano; mix well.  Bring to a boil; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add cooked penne pasta; toss to mix.  Top with cheese; let sit until cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Sausage Tortellini Soup

This soup is definitely a favorite in my house.  When I first tried this recipe, which I cut out of a magazine, it was an immediate hit, getting 9s all around on the Melnarik rating scale!  I have made this soup for several large functions and have found it to be one of the most requested recipes.  

After having temperatures in the 90s last week, today was a chilly, cloudy day that was perfect for making soup for dinner.  I chose this soup, not only because it's a favorite, but also a healthy one as I use Jennie-O  Hot Italian Turkey Sausage instead of the regular Italian sausage the recipe called for.  Jennie-O makes a Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage, but I find the hot one doesn't really add any heat, just more flavor.  I've never had anyone complain about the heat level on this soup.

I was pressed for time when cooking this evening as my oldest son, Jimmy, had to eat before the rest of us because he had a class to go to.  There wasn't enough time to take pictures of each step, so I opted to give you one picture like you would find in a recipe book.

The turkey sausage comes in links, so the first step is to remove them and break them up in a Dutch oven or soup pot.  As the sausage begins to cook, I prepare the vegetables, chopping the carrots, onion, and bell pepper and mincing the garlic.  As each vegetable is chopped, I add it to the sausage, stirring and breaking up the chunks each time.  My guys have decided that they don't like zucchini, and won't eat it, so I don't tell them that one of their favorite soups contains zucchini!  The way I slip it to them is by grating it before adding it.  I figure it's less recognizable that way.  If any of them have noticed it, they haven't mentioned it to me.

My cooking teacher, who was Italian by the way, told me in 7th grade that dried spices needed to be added to the meat while cooking.  This way it adheres better to the meat and as it hits the heat of the pan it becomes more aromatic.  I don't know if there is any scientific proof of that or if Alton Brown would agree, but I've always done it this way, even if a recipe called for the seasoning to be added later.  So, the rosemary gets added to the sausage and veggie mixture in the pot before adding the liquids.  Once the sausage is cooked and the vegetables are tender, I add the chicken broth and tomato sauce, turn down the heat and let everything simmer.  The last thing added is the tortellini, as it doesn't take long to cook.

This has got to be one of the most flavorful soups I make, and it's perfect for a cold day!  Enjoy!

Sausage Tortellini Soup 

1 pkg. Jenni-O Hot Turkey Sausage, casings removed

2 carrots, cleaned and diced

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 med. zucchini, shredded

2 (32 oz.) boxes chicken broth*

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon dried, crushed rosemary

1 (20 oz.) pkg. refrigerated 3-cheese tortellini

In a Dutch oven, combine the sausage, carrots, onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook over medium heat until sausage is browned and crumbles.  Add rosemary and zucchini; cook until tender.

Stir in chicken broth and tomato sauce; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes.  Add tortellini; simmer 5 minutes, or until tender.  Serve immediately.

Yield:  10 – 12 servings

* I use the organic chicken broth sold at Costco