Pizza Pasta

My family tends to love it when I take two recipes and make one. Here you go:

1 lb Jimmy Dean sausage (Italian, Sage, or whatever suites your mood)

8 oz pasta

1 Jar spaghetti sauce (any flavor)

2 C mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to package. Brown sausage in a deep sided frying pan. Add sauce. Mix well and let simmer a few minutes to heat through. Drain pasta and let cool till steam stops rising from pasta (this helps sauce stick to pasta better). Add pasta and cheese to meat mixture. Serve!

Turkey and Sausage Chili

We had this inside Publix one afternoon, Scott and I. He ate the whole thing and asked the sweet lady for more!

2 C cooked turkey breast, coarsely chopped

12 oz (3 links) Italian chicken sausage

2 small onions, coarsely chopped

2 poblano peppers, coarsely chopped (it's not spicy, but you can use 1 if you like)

1 C shredded cheddar cheese

2 cans nacy beans, drained

2 C chicken broth

1 t cumin

1 C whole milk

1 t canola oil

1 t chili powder

1/2 t dried oregano

1/4 t pepper

Prep: Chop turney, onions, pepper (toss seeds)

Preheat large pot on medium-high with oil. Add peppers and onions. Cook 2-3 minutes until tender.

Reduce heat to medium. Remove casing from sausage and add to pan. Cook 5-6 minutes or until meat is browned, stirring frequently crumbling meat.

Stir in cumin, chili powder, oregano, pepper, beans and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes. Stir in turkey and milk, cook 2-3 minutes.

Serve in bowls, top with cheese.

Stuffed Apples - Two Ways!!

When looking for apples for this one, look for apples that can take the heat: Braeburn, Gala, Empire. Savory is one way to bake, Sweet is the other.

Savory Ingredients:

4 Large Apples

6 oz. sweet pork or turkey sausage

1/3 C chopped onion

1/2 C cooked brown rice

1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1 T Olive oil

Dash ground black pepper

3/4 C Apple Juice

Sweet Ingredients:

4 Medium Apples

1/2 C chopped walnuts

1/4 C Raisins

1 T packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground cardamom (look it up - substitute if needed)

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

4 tsp unsalted butter (yes, salted is okay)

1/2 C apple cider

1 T honey or maple syrup

1) Preheat oven to 375 F. Slice the tops off each apple and a thin slice from the bottom - allowing them to stand flat.Core the apples, starting from the stem end, using a melon baller or a small spoon, going to - but not through the bottom. Save the apple flesh.

2) Prepare the filling:

For the savory version, cook sausage and onion until sausage is browned, stirring meat to break it up. Drain fat. In a bowl combine sausage mixture, rice, rosemary, thyme, oil, pepper, and 1/2 C chopped apple flesh.

For the sweet version, mix walnuts, raisins, brown sugar, cardamom, and nutmeg. Set aside.

3) Place apples in a 2 qt square baking dish. Fill with sweet or savor mixture. Top sweet mixture with 1 tsp butter. Pour apple juice into baking dish of savory mixture; use cider and honey for sweet mixture.

4) Bake savory apples uncovered for 30-40 minutes.

Bake sweet ones, covered, for 25 minutes. Then remove foil and return to oven for another 20 minutes. Drizzle both with cooking liquid.