Sausage and Rice

This recipe is definitely a long time favorite recipe, and a family favorite for sure.  I made it for my roommate for the first time and she was amazed at the taste she said she never had sausage or rice taste so good.

Ingredients

• One rope of Italian sausage
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 3 peppers (mix of green and red)
• 6 cups of instant rice
• 1 tablespoon of basil
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• Chicken broth (2 cans)
• water

Directions

1. Place sausage in pan and pierce the sausage with fork all over
2. Place water in pan to cover 3/4 of the sausage
3. Let the water boil and once water boils reduce the heat
4. Let sausage simmer for AT LEAST two and a half hours.
5. Take the sausage out and cut into bite size pieces (KEEP THE WATER from pan)
6. Cook peppers in olive oil for about 10 minuted, then add garlic and cook for one more minute.
7. Place the cut up sausage and pepper into a pot with lid to keep warm
8. Measure the water left from pan that sausage was cooked in (I had about a cup) Then use chicken broth to equal 6 cups for the rice.
9. Let the broth boil, once you add rice and garlic and basil and let the rice cook according to directions.
10. Once rice is done mix rice with sausage and peppers.

Final Product

Pizza Grilled Cheese

Pizza Grilled Cheese

Who doesn’t love grilled cheese and who doesn’t love pizza?! What better food then a pizza grilled cheese!  This recipe is for 2 sandwiches so if you are making more just adjust the ingredients for that.
Ingredients

• 4 slices of bread
• Butter
• 4 slices of mozzarella cheese
• 4 slices of pepperoni ( I used pepperoni from the deli)
• Parmesan cheese
• Italian Seasoning
• Pizza sauce for dipping

Directions

1. Warm a medium skillet over medium heat.
2. Butter each piece of bread on one side.
3. Place a piece of bread butter side down on the skillet then add one slice of cheese, dash of Italian seasoning  and a dash of Parmesan cheese
4. Top with a desired amount of pepperonis
5. Add another slice of mozzarella and top with slice bread butter side up.
6. When bottom slice is golden brown then flip over carefully.
7. Once both sides are brown remove from pan cut and serve with pizza sauce if desired.

Black Bean Lasagna

I love lasagna and black beans... My mom came up again to do some freezer cooking and we came across a black bean lasagna recipe.  We thought it was a great idea so we made it our own and it was delicious...I would say better then regular lasagna.
Ingredients

• 9 cooked lasagna noodles
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 teaspoon of canola oil
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 2 16 ounce cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes (DO NOT DRAIN)
• 2 6 ounce cans of tomato paste
• 1 cup of water
• 4 egg whites ( I used egg beaters)
• 1 15 ounce container of reduced fat ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup of parsley
• 16 oz of shredded reduce fat Mexican cheese

Directions

• Cook lasagna noodles
• In a skillet on medium heat, cook onion
• Add garlic and cook for another minute
• Add the beans, tomatoes, tomato paste and water.
• Bring the mixture to a boil
• Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes are until thick
• In a separate bowl combine egg whites, ricotta cheese, parmesean cheese and parsley
• Drain noodles
  
• Spread 1/2 cup of the bean mixture into a casserole dish (make sure dish is coated well)
• Layer bean mixture with 3 noodles, a third of the ricotta mixture, third of the bean mixture and then a third of the cheese
• Repeat those layers twice
• Cover the casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. 
  
• Uncover and then bake for 10-15 minutes
• Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving
  

Before                                              After
   

Cheeseburgers

You can never go wrong with cheeseburgers and nothing beats a homemade cheeseburger.  Here is the recipe that is my go to and its amazing with regular ground beef or ground turkey.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 envelope of lipton onion and mushroom mix
• 1 teaspoon of onion powder
• 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
• .5 teaspoons of crushed red pepper

Directions

• Mix all the ingredients with the ground beef.... make sure its well combined
• I used the foreman grill and it too about 5 minutes on each side
• Top with your choice of  cheese and condiments
• This recipe made four burgers. 

Final Product

Angel Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 
• 14 oz. mushrooms (whatever kind you prefer)
  
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 0.7-oz. pkg. Italian dry salad dressing mix
• 1 10-3/4-oz. can condensed golden mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 of an 8-oz. tub cream cheese spread with chives and onion
• Hot cooked rice or angel hair pasta

Directions

• Melt butter in saucepan
• Add Italian dressing mix
• Stir in soup , wine and cream cheese until it combines and melts
• Add mushrooms
• Put mushrooms on the bottom of crock-pot
  
• Place chicken on top of mushrooms and cover with sauce
• Cook on low for 5 hours.