Simple Smoked Sausage, Spuds and Sprout Skillet

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We had hoped for a relaxing day, but the spirits who govern such things had other plans in store for us. Mid-afternoon, we decided dinner out would be our best meal option, but when the time came to make ourselves look like reputable human beings, we were too tired to go through the motions. With some help from the Silver Fox, I raided the refrigerator and pantry and came up with this very simple supper that we had on the table within 30 minutes. This is not company fare, but it is an easy and rib-sticking way to solve the "what's for dinner" problem on a busy day. You might want to bookmark the recipe, so you'll have it handy the next time you have more chores than time. Here is how this simple skillet supper is made.

Smoked Sausage Casserole

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This recipe was originally featured on One Perfect Bite in October of 2008. Then, as now, this smoked sausage casserole was a favorite go-to meal on busy days. We will be on the road today and plan to have our main meal while we are in Portland. Dinner will be late and I wanted something that could be quickly made and on the table in a reasonable amount of time. This casserole, which is almost effortless, came to mind and I decided to make it for our dinner tonight. The casserole is made in the microwave and if you have developed reasonable speed with a knife, you can have this meal on the table in 30 minutes. It is great game day food and makes a perfect meal for the first cool days of autumn. I found this recipe, years ago, in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and it's perfect for the needs of the day. It's so simple and delicious that it should, also, be shared with others. This is Eastern European fare come to Oregon via Pennsylvania. My husband loves smoked sausage so this dish was a natural for us. If your family loves hearty, well-flavored food you'll want to give this cold weather casserole a try. The baked apples, topped with caramel sauce, were just a tempting afterthought. They, too, were prepared in the microwave. "Nuff said"!

Crock-Pot Southwestern Sausage and Hominy Stew

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The third recipe in this month's crock-pot series would be given a pass, if pass/fail were the only grading options available. Were I to continue with the baseball analogy used with the other recipes we've featured so far, I'd call this a double play. Let me immediately add that there is nothing wrong with this dish. As a matter of fact, if there are teens in your house it might become a family favorite. My problem is that I think the recipe used to make this very basic dish is contrived. You don't really need a slow cooker to prepare it. This earthy casserole can be simmered stovetop or cooked in a microwave at the same time the rice that accompanies it is made. This is not a dish that needs to simmer for hours at a low temperature. You may want to prepare it that way, but it is not necessary and will add very little flavor to the finished dish. Most of the ingredients used in this stew come from cans and, like all dishes of this type, it is super simple to make. Texture in the dish is provided by the add-ons found at the end of the recipe. Don't forget them. The mango is used to brighten the flavor of the stew. If you don't have one, you can substitute a sweet apple or pear and get nearly the same affect. I think that those of you who are looking for crock-pot or slow cooker recipes will like this a lot. It's easy to do and very affordable. Here's the recipe.

Crock-Pot Southwestern Sausage and Hominy Stew...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann as featured in their book Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups prepared salsa, medium or hot (I recommend hot)
1 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper (1-inch pieces)
1 cup coarsely Chopped yellow pepper (1-inch pieces)
1 (10-oz.) bag frozen corn, thawed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 (15.5-oz.) can white or golden hominy, rinsed and drained
1 (12-oz.) package smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
2 tablespoons tequila
For Serving:
3 cups hot cooked long-grain white or brown rice
1/2 cup crushed tortilla Chips
1 medium-large ripe mango (10 to 14-oz.) peeled and sliced off the pit
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped green onion (white and tender green)
3/4 cup sour cream

Directions:
1) Combine salsa, bell peppers, corn, chili powder, hominy, sliced sausage and tequila in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 7 hours.
2) To serve, divide rice among 4 bowls; top each serving with stew, crushed chips, mango slices (I diced my mangoes), cilantro, green onions and a big dollop of sour cream. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

Your might also enjoy these recipes:
Taco Pie - Home Cooking Rocks
Chicken Chilaquiles - Baked Cupcakes
Stacked Green Chile Enchiladas - My Baking Heart
Shortcut Chili Colorado - Shamrocks and Shenanigans
Mexican Lasagna - And Then I Do the Dishes
Posole - Around My Family Table

Microwave: Smoked Sausage Casserole

We're expecting frost this weekend so I'm tasked with a final gleaning of bounty for storage or putting by. Until that's done, suppers will be simple and designed to free the stove for canning kettles and associated paraphernalia. I found this recipe, years ago, in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and it's perfect for the needs of the day. It's so simple and delicious that it should, also, be shared with others. This is Eastern European fare come to Oregon via Pennsylvania. My husband loves smoked sausage so this dish was a natural for us. If your family loves hearty, well-flavored food you'll want to give this cold weather casserole a try. The baked apples, topped with caramel sauce, were just a tempting afterthought. They, too, were prepared in the microwave. "Nuff said"!

SMOKED SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

Ingredients:
1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch dice
1 yellow pepper, cut into 1-inch dice
1 green pepper, cut into 1-inch dice
1 large onion, halved and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 pound smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup heavy cream, half-and-half or whole milk
Garnish: chopped fresh parsley or basil

Directions:
1) Combine peppers, onion, garlic, potatoes, sausage, oil and spices in a large microwavable casserole with a lid. Mix well.
2) Cover. Cook on high power for 20 minutes, stirring ingredients every 5 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. Stir in cream. Cover and cook another 2 minutes. Spoon into 4 soup bowls. Garnish with parsley and serve. Yield: 4 servings.