Polenta with Sausage, Mushrooms & Spinach
Hey!
Remember that Breakfast Polenta I made the other morning? Well I decided to make some for dinner a few nights ago!
Recipe Revisited !
Pulling one out from the vault! This time I have daylight pics and some tasty additions.
Last night called for something hearty, warm and comforting.....
I made Chicken Sausage & Bean Casserole with Sage!!
summer lovin’
last night's dinner:
I am very proud to say that I grew EVERY tomato in that lil bowl up there!
I made a little Greek inspired salad with:
-mint
-feta
-tomatoes
-cucumbers
-white corn
-salt & pepper
-olive oil
-red wine vinegar
Served that with some grilled chicken sausage & some grilled lavash bread. Now we're talkin'!!
Cooper joined us on the patio. I think he likes eating outside too. It's dinners like this that reassure me that I can be a mom AND make a really good dinner. Just don't look in my kitchen. It's a disaster.
I think he enjoys eating dinner with us...but he's always trying to get his hands on things he can't yet eat.
This sounds like someone familiar....
Sausage Chard Stuffing
Let me tell you that the Sausage Chard stuffing recipe in last month's issue of Sunset Magazine made me SALIVATE hardcore. Oh yeah baby...look at the picture (if you have the issue) and you'll see what I mean. I ripped it out immediately...and slept with it under my pillow so I could continuing dreaming of it late into the night.
I wanted something hearty for our Sunday late afternoon lunch (I didn't make a special breakfast this past week because we stayed in bed as LONG as we possibly could). I didn't have a turkey or a chicken to accompany this recipe, but I figured what the hell- It has meat, veggies & carbs. How can a girl go wrong?
And let me tell you...it was SCRUMPTIOUS! If only they could make a candle that smelled like that yummy stuffing- I would light it all day long.....
Anyways- here's the recipe!
Sausage Chard Stuffing (or do you call it dressing?)
(adapted from a Sunset Magazine recipe)
serves 6
-1 1lb. Italian Sausage (remove from casings)
-1 large bunch Swiss Chard (chopped, stems removed)
-1 clove garlic minced
-1 heaping tablespoon olive oil
-1 medium onion chopped
-3 stalks of celery finely chopped
-1 1/2 cup nonfat milk
-3/4 loaf of french bread
-1 cup chopped parsley
-3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-1 teaspoon dried basil
-1 teaspoon dried rosemary
-dash of red pepper
-salt & pepper to taste
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
1. Cut pieces of bread into 1 inch slices. Put slices in a large bowl and pour the milk all over it. Let sit in bowl for 30 minutes; stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, place a 6-8 quart pot over high heat. Add sausage (without the casings) stirring often to crumble. Cook until lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes; discard fat. Add parsley, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes and celery. Cook, stirring often, until veggies are lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Add chard and 1/2 cup of water and cook, stirring often until wilted, about 5 minutes.
3. With your hands, squeeze bread slices to break them into tiny pieces. Add cooked meat mixture, Parmesan, basil & rosemary. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
4. Spoon stuffing into a shallow 3 quart casserole dish. For moist stuff, cover with foil. For crusty stuffing, do not cover. Bake until hot or lightly brown (at least 30 minutes).
I got a request from Casey last night to make it again. He was reading my mind!
Who needs Thanksgiving as an excuse to make stuffing. Just do it!
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Sausage Soup with Spinach & Beans
Favorite Trader Joes Item #7: Sweet Italian Sausage (or any of their sausages for that matter)
Meat is usually what makes my grocery bills sooo high. This package of sausage was only $2.99 for six sausages. We got about 2 1/2 meals out of this soup between my husband and I. Not to shabby!
Here's one of my favorite sausage soups:
This recipe below was inspired by this recipe from Everyday Food
- 1 package (12 ounces) sausage
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 16oz. bag of frozen spinach from trader joe's (item not pictured-sorry!)
- 2 cans Trader Joe's cannellini beans
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic smashed
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 large pinch of red pepper
- 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
- 1 32oz. container of chicken stock
Place chopped onion & mashed garlic in soup pot & sautee in olive oil. Take sausage out of its casings and break off bite sized *meatballs* Add this to onion mixture. Cook sausages on medium heat for about 4 minutes. Your goal is to make sure there's no pink left on the outside of the meat. Now add chicken stock, beans & frozen spinach. Simmer on the stove for about 20 minutes. Make sure there's a very low boil going on. Before you serve, add the red-wine vinegar (it will give it that extra zing!). Season with salt & pepper. Enjoy.
I'm actually eating a bowl of this soup as I write this post. It's really good for a cold autumn afternoon. I recommend making it on a Sunday afternoon while your spouse is watching football. Not only will make your house smell wonderful, you will be sneaking a heaping portion of vegetables into someone else's diet. I like to pair it with crusty pieces of bread and butter...mmmmmmm........ My husband & I like to save the sausage til the end. It's the best part!
Sometimes I use the following Trader Joe's Sausages for this recipe:
Garlic Sausage
Wine & Cheese Sausage
Hot Italian Sausage
(All of them produce a great result)
See closeup if you don't have any meat aversion:
