Italian Sausage Stuffed Bell Peppers

You'd think I'd be prepared.

We're having guests tomorrow.  Well, technically, it's my family, which can hardly constitute as guests, but we're having people coming to stay with us in our home, sleep in our beds, eat our food, use our toilet.  I'm not complaining.  It's what guests do.  And I'm thrilled to share our space and our toilet paper with the ones I love.

Linens have been laundered, activities have been planned, a belated birthday gift has been wrapped. 

But I'm in a bit of a pickle.  They arrive tomorrow night and I'm stumped on dinner.  I've been thinking and overthinking about it all darn day.  You see, I've been making these stuffed bell peppers a lot for Nathan and me, and they're mighty delicious, but they're just not something I would serve to my family on the night of their Texas arrival.  They're more of a meat and potatoes kind of family (no, we're not farm people, but I actually had someone at work the other day tell me he could see me growing up on a farm.  Um no.  If you know me at all this is as far from my personality as you can get.  I don't do farms.  I don't do camping.  I don't do dirty, sweaty things.  I'm very much a girl).  But my parents like meals with a piece of meat (and a side of wine)- like a filet of steak or a breast of chicken.  That sort of thing.  And for some reason it's tearing me up inside.

Nathan wasn't much help when I phoned him in Austin this evening (yes, I'm greeting the trick-or-treaters solo tonight), and the fact that he is expected to mow the yard and clean up the unfinished bathroom upon his arrival tomorrow morning is really all I can ask of him.  Dinner is up to me.  And dinner I shall serve.

oh, and the best part of this little visit?  i'm gonna get to see this guy and this girl.

Italian Sausage Stuffed Bell Peppers

Serves 2

1/2 cup uncooked instant brown rice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 cup ground italian sausage crumbles (I use Jimmy Dean Fully Cooked Sausage Crumbles)
1/8 cup grated parmesan
2 green bell peppers

Cook rice according to package directions.  Set aside.

Cut top off peppers 1/2 inch from the stem end and remove seeds (reserve and chop up the top of the pepper around the stem to add to the filling mixture).  Place standing up in baking dish (for two peppers I used a 9x5-inch loaf pan).  Set aside.

In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and chopped bell pepper; sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Stir often, until soft and translucent.  Add garlic, and cook for one minute.  Add oregano, fennel seeds, sausage, and rice.  Toss and cook until warmed through.  Divide mixture between each bell pepper, pressing down with the back of a spoon until full.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with parmesan and cook for 10 minutes more, until cheese is melted.



  

Supreme Pizza Skillet Lasagna

You read that right.



Pizza and lasagna, match made in heaven.

We love love love supreme pizza in this house.  It's always a front-runner when we're in the mood for a pizza night (we usually opt for pepperoni pineapple when dining out. do it).  I dreamed up this idea one day (either at the bakery or in the shower- my two key places where inspiration tends to strike) while I was thinking of a way to use up half an onion and a red bell pepper that had been sitting in the fridge a tad too long, and were quickly reaching the end of their prime.  As a result, my brain got to churning, and this was the end result. 

As I prepared to make this meal, I made sure to include all of the essential characteristics necessary to building a supreme pizza- I sauteed up some yellow onion and red bell pepper, tossed in a handful of crumbled italian sausage, sliced up a few fresh mushrooms and black olives, and topped it all off with pepperoni and provolone.  It literally tastes like supreme pizza was dumped in a bowl with some noodles.  And it's nothing short of amazing.

Skillet Lasagna

Serves 4

4 ounces lasagna noodles, broken into thirds (I used 4 noodles)
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup pre-cooked italian sausage crumbles (I used Jimmy Dean Fully Cooked Sausage Crumbles)
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
3 large mushrooms, sliced thin
14 pepperoni slices
4 large slices of provolone cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In large pot, cook broken pasta noodles according to package directions.

Heat a large (mine was 10.25 inch) oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add in olive oil and butter, then toss in onions and bell peppers with salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 6 minutes, until soft. Add in garlic and cook for another minute, then add in sausage crumbles, cook until warmed through.

When noodles have softened, remove with a slotted spoon or drain and set aside for a few minutes.  Once sausage is warmed, add in tomatoes and basil, tossing well to coat. Add in olives and mushrooms, gently folding mushrooms into the sauce mixture.  Cover with lid for about five minutes to allow the mushrooms to cook through.  Add in the broken noodles, using the spatula or spoon to fold the sauce over the noodles. Once noodles are evenly distributed and mostly under the sauce, top with pepperoni slices and provolone. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese begins to bubble.

Adapted from my Skillet Lasagna which was adapted from here!

Grandma Audrey's Spaghetti Sauce

Let's talk about love.

Did someone make you feel extra special on Thursday?  I was greeted with a bouquet of flowers, a heart-shaped box of chocolates, and a big smile when I got home from work that day.  I don't need no over-the-top jewelry or mass-load of helium-induced mylar or a big-as-a-person stuffed bear.  Ten bucks is all it takes and I'm a happy girl.  (ps I was also informed that Friday was something along the lines of National Lonely Singles Eat-Your-Heart-Out on Discounted Candy Day.  Oh but I browsed those clearance candy racks too, as always!).

Our meal that night consisted of this sauce, made with love from my Grandma Audrey's little kitchen and now made with love from mine. 

Growing up she was sure to visit us frequently, making the 12-hour trek from Minnesota to Oklahoma with a big batch of marinara in tow.  She'd unload the big black suitcase from her trunk and two things were sure to follow:  a variety pack of mini cereal boxes (oh my grandmahowiloveyou...despite the time I angrily threw your bra over the stairs and the sneaky tickling I did atop your curly hair while your lounged in the family room in the evening.  No there wasn't a draft in there.  It was me.) and a large white bucket of sweet Italian sausage-filled red sauce.  I then eagerly awaited the night that sauce was to be warmed on the stove and sure to fill our tummies during her week-long stay. 

So now it was my turn to make it...and spread a little of my (and Grandma's) love.

Grandma Audrey's Spaghetti Sauce

Makes a large batch (10 servings?)- just make a whole batch and freeze the leftovers.  Trust me.

1 pound sweet Italian sausage links*

1 pound country-style ribs (or pork neck bones, if you prefer)*

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 sweet yellow onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (12-ounce) can tomato paste

6 ounces water

6 ounces dry red wine

2 tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley

1 tablespoon dried basil

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Cut the sausages and ribs in 2-3 inch lengths.  Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy pan or Dutch oven and brown the sausages on all sides over medium heat.  Remove to a bowl and brown the ribs or neck bones.  Transfer to bowl with the sausages.  This will take about 10 minutes.

After removing the sausages and ribs, add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan (don't drain the juices from the meat!).  Saute the onion and garlic until lightly browned, stirring constantly.  Add the whole tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon.  Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste.  Stir well.  Fill the tomato paste can halfway up with water (6 ounces), stirring to release any paste left on the bottom and sides.  Add to the sauce, and add half a can or more (6 ounces) of dry red wine. 

Add parsley, basil, oregano, salt, sugar, pepper and red pepper.  Mix well and return the browned meat and any juices to the pan.

Bring the sauce to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer, covered, for 4 hours, stirring occasionally, being careful the sauce does not burn on the bottom of the pan.  The long cooking time not only develops the flavor but also breaks up the ribs.  Toward the end of cooking time, taste and adjust the seasonings and add a bit more wine or water if the sauce is too thick.  Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles.

*The meat is a MUST.  It's what makes this sauce so amazing.  Do it.

Adapted from Grandma Audrey (and Uncle Frank!)