Tag Archives: turkey sausage

Baked Pumpkin and Sausage Penne

October is my favorite month by far. I love sitting outside on a cool night with a fire pit and have my clothes smell like woody smoke. I love freaking myself out by watching random horror movies which can always be found somewhere on cable all month. I love putting an extra blanket on my bed and crawling under the covers on a chilly Sunday to watch football. And I love the scent that comes wafting to my nose the first time I break open a can of pumpkin for the season. Since I’ve had pumpkin in pasta before and liked it, I figured this recipe for Baked Pumpkin and Sausage Penne would be right up my alley. Pasta, yum. Pumpkin, yum. Sausage, yum.

Fresh sage is added to browned spicy sausage and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, canned pumpkin is mixed with milk, egg yolks, cream cheese and spices to create a rich sauce. The pumpkin mixture is added to the sausage and pasta and poured into a baking dish where it’s topped with panko crumbs and more cheese. Fresh sage, which mixes so perfectly with pumpkin, adds an earthy, herby flavor boost and the panko topping creates a crispy topping. As much as I love pumpkin, this was a little bit too pumpkin for me. I think a little less pumpkin and maybe the addition of ricotta might make for a better dish. I used parmesan cheese instead of Asiago cheese and used less than half of what the recipe called for so maybe that would have made a difference. This makes 8 big portions so by the last bite, I’d had enough. Next time I’m craving pumpkin and pasta, I think I’ll make Pumpkin-Ricotta Stuffed Shells instead.

The ingredients:

In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat. Cook until browned, about 8 to 10 minutes, breaking apart with a wooden spoon. Stir in sage and cook 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon; set aside. Pour off and discard drippings.

In the same skillet, whisk pumpkin, milk, cream cheese, egg yolks, 1 cup of the Asiago, the nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Stir over medium heat until cheeses are melted.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water 1 minute less than package directions, about 9 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Return pasta to pot. Stir in sausage, pumpkin mixture and reserved pasta water. Mix well to combine.

Transfer to a 13 x 9 x 2-inch dish and top with panko and remaining 2 tbsp Asiago.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Turn broiler on HIGH and broil 1 to 2 minutes or until top is lightly browned.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Whole-wheat penne
Grated parmesan cheese

Overall Rating: So-So

Source: Family Circle Magazine

Poblano-Turkey Sausage Chili

The beautiful fall weather seemed to be a topic of conversation amongst everyone all weekend. Blue skies and cooler temperatures seemed to put a pep in my step and I’m quickly becoming obsessed with fall weather, fall clothes and fall food. I’ve already bought my second bag of apples that I’ve been eating everyday and I’m chomping at the bit to break out pumpkin recipes and scary movies. Yesterday, with the windows wide open and football on the television, I was excited to make a bit pot of chili. I typically make chili the first weekend of football season but it had been too warm so when I woke up yesterday to a chilly breeze, I knew it was time to make Poblano-Turkey Sausage Chili.

Turkey sausage is mixed with vibrant spices, diced tomatoes, poblano peppers and two different kinds of beans to make for a thick and spicy chili. Using sausage instead of regular turkey gives this chili another layer of flavor and if you use hot sausage instead of sweet sausage (like I did), it creates even more intense, firey burst. If you don’t like so much heat, you might want to stick to regular chili because the poblanos really do pack a punch but the older I get, the spicier the better. Adding a touch of sour cream or plain yogurt helps to tame the heat a bit and a topping of cilantro gives a fresh element. I’m obsessed with this chili. I plan on eating it all week and might just make it again next weekend.

If you like this, also check out Jerk Chicken Chili.

The ingredients:

Add oil to a Dutch oven pan heated over medium-high heat; swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 4 minutes or until browned.

Remove casings from sausage; add sausage to pan. Stir in chili powder, oregano, cumin, poblanos, and bay leaf; cook 4 minutes or until sausage is browned, stirring to crumble sausage.

Add 1 cup stock, tomatoes, and beans. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Combine flour and the remaining 2 tablespoons stock in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk to form a slurry. Add slurry to chili, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until thickened.

Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and black pepper. Discard bay leaf. Serve with sour cream or yogurt, if desired.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Hot sausage

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Sausage-Spinach Quinoa Bowl

I admit that I’m late to the quinoa party. Quinoa recipes are everywhere now and I’d been so curious about this superfood for a while but had never tried it. My grocery store doesn’t carry it so I finally went to another grocery store slightly farther away that always seems to carry whatever it is that my grocery store doesn’t. When the check-out girl saw my bag of quinoa, she asked me if it was good, saying her mom wanted to try it for weight loss. I came home and made a batch just to keep on hand to eat as a side in place of my usual brown rice. Even though brown rice is good for your diet, quinoa is better because it’s a complete protein (meaning it has all of the essential amino acids we need). People say it has a nutty taste but I think it tastes more like corn which isn’t at all what I expected.

I wanted to try a recipe using quinoa in place of rice and since the spinach in my produce drawer was close to going bad and I needed to cook the leftover turkey sausage from the gratin I made earlier this week, the perfect dish to make was Sausage-Spinach Quinoa Bowl. With hot turkey sausage, spinach, and quinoa, this dish came together very quickly since I’d already cooked the quinoa. (Rinse the quinoa thoroughly. Bring one part quinoa, two parts water to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.) The spiciness of the turkey sausage pairs terrifically with the bitter spinach and the red pepper flake gives it the slightest hint of kick. The quinoa made for a great substitute for the rice which is exactly what I was hoping it would do. I look forward to making this superfood more in the future!