Sausage Macaroni and Cheese

Creamy and cheesy macaroni and cheese gets an upgrade with some sausage. I used regular Italian sausage for this macaroni and cheese and it was delicious. However, I think spicy sausage would be even more delicious. I may be partial since I like things spicy, but I think it would add some good flavor.

Sausage Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces elbow macaroni
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1 medium yellow onion,diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 4 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon gorund black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 4 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions and drain well.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium heat, cook the sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. One completely cooked remove the sausage to a bowl and set aside.
3. Add the butter to the pot and allow to melt. Add in the diced onion and cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook stirring constantly for 1 minute. Stir in the flour and allow to cook stirring constantly for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the milk while stirring constantly. Stir in all of the seasonings.
4. Cook stirring constantly until the mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the shredded cheeses and continue to stir until completely melted.
5. Add the sausage back into the pot and stir to combine.

Enjoy!!!

Notes:

You can use any combination of shredded cheese, you just need 20 ounces or about 5 cups of shredded cheese. 

The more fat your milk has, the creamier the mac and cheese will be. I used low fat milk to keep the calories lower.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 778
Total Fat		44.5g
Saturated Fat		22.4g
Trans Fat		0g
Polyunsaturated Fat		0g
Monounsaturated Fat		0g
Cholesterol		130.4mg
Sodium		1044.4mg
Total Carbohydrates		55.6g
Dietary Fiber		2.5g
Sugars		9.7g
Protein		40.6g
Calcium		65.8%
Iron		11.1%
Potassium		241.7mg
Vitamin A		5.5%
Vitamin C		2.8%
*Nutritional information will vary depending on the brands you use.

*Adapted from Crazy For Crust.

Read more ...

Mexican Tater Tot Casserole

 

Tater tots are slowly becoming a staple in my household. They are good for breakfast, they make a yummy dinner and are delicious as a snack. With so many ways to use tater tots I find them good to have on hand.

This tater tot casserole use some Mexican flavors to make a delicious dinner. It even has a vegetable included to make it an all in one dinner. But if you are like me and trying to get more veggies in your diet this would be delicious with a side salad.

Mexican Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 4 ounces diced green chilies
• 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup sliced balck olives
• 10 ounce can enchilada sauce, divided
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 5 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 28 ounces frozen tater tots
• 1 cup salsa

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 415 F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add in the onion and cook until softened and translucent.
3. Add in the ground turkey and cook, crumbling until completely cooked. Stir in the taco seasoning.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the green chilies, black beans, corn, black olives and half of the enchilada sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in the sour cream and half of the cheddar cheese and Monterey  jack cheese. Turn off the heat and stir until the cheeses have melted.
6. Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Place the tater tots on top in an even layer.
7. In a small bowl stir together the remaining enchilada sauce and salsa. Pour over the tater tots.
8. Bake for 30 minutes or until the tater tots are starting to get crispy.
9. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top and bake for an additional 10 unites or until the cheese has melted and the tater tots are crispy.

Enjoy!!!

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 793
Total Fat		48.2g
Saturated Fat		18.5g
Trans Fat		0g
Polyunsaturated Fat		3.1g
Monounsaturated Fat		6.9g
Cholesterol		117.6mg
Sodium		1402.7mg
Total Carbohydrates		55.8g
Dietary Fiber		6.4g
Sugars		7.9g
Protein		32.5g
Calcium		22.1%
Iron		17.7%
Potassium		975.9mg
Vitamin A		0%
Vitamin C		1.7%
*Nutritional information will vary depending on the brands you use.

*Adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff.

Read more ...

Make Again Monday: Homemade Hamburger Buns

I like these hamburger buns better than the store bought variety because they hold up better to the burger and toppings. The buns are firmer which allow them to hold up better, they are not soft and mushy like the store bought ones. 

To see the recipe and original post click here.

Enjoy!!!

Read more ...

Chicken Costoletta

 

I am one of those people that refuses to give up summer. When all the fall stuff starts coming out in August it makes me mad. Can't they wait until September or even October. I am still enjoying this warm weather and sunny days. 

I am also one of those people that have not eaten at the Cheesecake Factory. This chicken happens to be a copycat version of one of their recipes. The chicken is coated in a lemon, panko and cheese coating and then topped with a lemon cream sauce. With all of the sauce this recipe made it made sense to pair it with some sort of starch to soak up the yummy creamy sauce. Since I had some potatoes to use up, I made mashed potatoes. 

This recipe calls for thin chicken breasts, if yours are thick you can cut then in half lengthwise or you can pound them down until thin.

Chicken Costoletta

Ingredients:

Chicken

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 thin chicken breasts, about 1 pound

Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Chicken

1. In a shallow bowl, add in the flour. In another shallow bowl, add in the eggs and lightly beat them with a fork. In a third shallow bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and cheese. 
2. Place a piece of chicken into the flour coating both sides and pressing down lightly to help the flour stick. Remove the chicken from the flour and lightly shake off excess flour. Place the chicken into the egg and coat both sides. Allow the excess egg to drip off the chicken. Place the chicken into the panko mixture and coat both sides pressing down lightly to help it stick. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, add in the oil and butter. Heat over medium heat until hot and butter has melted. Add in the chicken and cook until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Carefully flip the chicken over and cook on the other side until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Remove the chicken and place on a plate lined with paper towels.

Sauce

2. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add in the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Stir in the flour and allow to cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. 
4. Slowly stir in the milk, heavy cream, chicken broth and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Allow to cook, stirring constantly until the mixture has thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter. 
6. Pour sauce over each serving of chicken.

Enjoy!!!

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 716
Total Fat		54.5g
Saturated Fat		23.2g
Trans Fat		0g
Polyunsaturated Fat		0.4g
Monounsaturated Fat		3g
Cholesterol		189mg
Sodium		421.5mg
Total Carbohydrates		26.8g
Dietary Fiber		0.4g
Sugars		1.1g
Protein		30.8g
Calcium		8.8%
Iron		6.4%
Potassium		265.4mg
Vitamin A		6.5%
Vitamin C		5.1%
*Nutritional information will vary depending on the brands you use.

*Adapted from Carrie's Experimental Kitchen.

Read more ...

Tater Tot Sausage Breakfast Bowl with Gravy

I am over halfway through my marathon training cycle. In just over a month I will be running my first full marathon. As my long runs are getting longer and longer, I need a good filling meal when I am done. This meal hit the spot! Plenty of carbs and protein and completely delicious. 

Since all the components are made separately you can add as much or as little of each one to your bowl creating the prefect breakfast for you. I went back and forth on wether to make sausage gravy or just gravy and leave the sausage separate. I ultimately decided to leave the sausage separate to really be able to make the bowl customizable for each person.

Tater Tot Sausage Breakfast Bowl with Gravy

Ingredients:

• 32 ounce bag frozen tater tots
• 1 pound breakfast sausage roll
• 6 eggs
• 2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Cook the tater tots according to the package directions until golden and crispy.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over, medium heat, cook the sausage breaking it apart as it cooks. Cook until completely cooked and crumbled. Transfer the sausage to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any extra grease. 
3. To the sausage grease in the skillet add 1 tablespoons butter and allow to melt. Sprinkle the flour over top and stir and cook constantly for about 2 minutes.
4. Slowly stir in the milk and cook stirring constantly for about 1 minute.
5. Add in the onion powder, sage and black pepper. Bring the gravy just to a boil and then turn the heat down to low.
6. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often until the gravy has thickened.
7. In a nonstick skillet, over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Once the butter has melted pour in the beaten eggs and allow to cook without stirring until the edges start to set. Using a rubber spatula gently stir the eggs. Let the eggs cook for for about 1 minute and gently stir again. Continue this process until the eggs are completely cooked.
8. To assemble the bowl add desired amount of tater tots to a bowl, followed by the sausage, eggs and shredded cheddar cheese. Pour gravy over top.

Enjoy!!!

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 1011
Total Fat		64.9g
Saturated Fat		24.5g
Trans Fat		0g
Polyunsaturated Fat		5.3g
Monounsaturated Fat		10.7g
Cholesterol		115.2mg
Sodium		1589.2mg
Total Carbohydrates		69.3g
Dietary Fiber		5.5g
Sugars		9.7g
Protein		39.7g
Calcium		22.5%
Iron		10.8%
Potassium		1295.5mg
Vitamin A		5.1%
Vitamin C		1.1%
*Nutritional information will vary depending on the brands you use.

Read more ...

Make Again Monday: Piña Colada Overnight Oats

 

I had already made these overnight oats once this past month and took picture, but when I went to get them off of the camera, they were not there. Since I had some pineapple left I made them again. I made the recipe from memory and forgot to add the almonds. Of course still delicious, just missing the crunch from the almonds. 

To see the recipe and original post click here.

Enjoy!!!

Read more ...

Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs Alfredo

 

This dish takes the classic Swedish meatballs and replaces the brown gravy with a roasted garlic Alfredo sauce. Two classic and comforting dishes come together in one super easy crock pot meal. Dump everything in the crock pot except for the noodles and let it cook. Can't get any easier than that. 

I choose to make my own roasted garlic Alfredo sauce, which you can find here, since I do not like the jarred varieties. However, to keep the crock pot meal easy I made the Alfredo sauce the night before. 

Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs Alfredo

Ingredients:

• 30 ounces roasted garlic Alfredo sauce
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 cups sour cream
• 3/4 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 32 ounces frozen meatballs
• paprika
• 16 ounces wide egg noodles

Directions:

1. In a crock pot, add in the Alfredo sauce, heavy whipping cream, sour cream, hot sauce, garlic powder, dill weed and black pepper. Stir until well combined. Sir in the meatballs.
2. Cover the crock pot and cook on low until the meatballs are heated through, about 2-3 hours.
3. Cook the egg noddles according to the package directions and drain well. 
4. Add the noodles to the crock pot and sprinkle with paprika. Stir to combine.

Enjoy!!!

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 761
Total Fat		51g
Saturated Fat		23.8g
Trans Fat		0.9g
Polyunsaturated Fat		0g
Monounsaturated Fat		0g
Cholesterol		186.9mg
Sodium		680.6mg
Total Carbohydrates		42g
Dietary Fiber		2.6g
Sugars		5.7g
Protein		32.6g
Calcium		10.2%
Iron		18.1%
Potassium		180.9mg
Vitamin A		2.5%
Vitamin C		3.8%
*Nutritional information will vary depending on the brands you use.

*Adapted from Taste of Home.

Read more ...