Sausage Hash Brown Breakfast Bake

 (adapted from Allrecipes)

Servings: about 6

This made me smile!  The combination of Simply Potatoes Southwest hashbrowns and hot sausage is perfect.  It has a bit of spice but not too much.  The great thing is that you can make it less spicy by using regular sausage and hashbrowns, as well as whatever cheese blend makes you smile.  Lots of possibilities here!  This came together quickly and does not have to sit overnight in the refrigerator.  Serve it with cheese grits and cranberry English muffins (topped with cinnamon butter of course) and you're all set for Sunday brunch!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 pound hot sausage

1 small onion, diced

½ package Simply Potatoes Southwest Hashbrowns

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or your favorite)

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

3 large eggs, beaten

DIRECTIONS:

·         Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a square casserole baking dish or deep dish pie plate.*

·         Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add olive oil, sausage, and onions.  Cook and stir until sausage is browned and crumbly (about 7 minutes).  Drain and discard grease.

·         In large bowl, stir together hash browns, cooked sausage  ixture, cheese, ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper together.  Whisk milk, eggs, and remaining salt together in another bowl. Pour hash brown mixture into prepared baking dish; pour egg mixture evenly over hash brown mixture.

·         Bake in preheated oven until bubbling and golden, about 45 minutes.

*I used a 10-inch cast iron skillet for both browning the sausage and baking the casserole. 

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats

   (slightly adapted from Food Network, Nancy Fuller)

These were really delicious!  You can make them using the combination of sweet and hot Italian sausage (or just one type), ground beef, or ground turkey.  I have enjoyed these so far with ground beef and with sweet Italian sausage.  I also added a bit more tomato to my mixture, as I had a basket of fresh tomatoes from the farmer's market. These are delicious alone; or you can spoon a bit of your favorite pasta sauce on top.

Ingredients

·         4 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise

·         1 tablespoon olive oil 

·         8 ounces sweet loose Italian sausage 

·         8 ounces hot loose Italian sausage 

·         1 clove garlic, minced 

·         1 small onion, chopped 

·         2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped 

·         Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

·         1/2 cup Parmesan, finely grated 

·         1/2 cup mozzarella, shaved 

·         1/4 cup breadcrumbs 

·         2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions  

·         Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

·         With a teaspoon, scoop out the flesh from the interior of the zucchini, so they resemble boats. Place the zucchini boats in a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Chop the zucchini flesh and set aside.

·         Note: I microwaved the zucchini boats for 2 minutes so that they were a bit more tender, and then placed them in the casserole dish.

·         In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and let heat through. Add the sweet and the hot Italian sausage, and cook until crumbled and browned, about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic, onion, chopped zucchini flesh, tomatoes and some salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 4 minutes.

·         In a medium bowl, add the Parmesan, mozzarella, breadcrumbs and parsley; mix to combine.

·         Spoon in and mound the sausage mixture into the zucchini boats. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over top. Place in oven and bake until golden on top, 20 minutes.

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken

  (adapted from Allrecipes)

 Serves: 8-10

I have another pulled chicken recipe with peach bbq sauce, but I was in a pinch without the ingredients for that one.  This turned out GREAT!  I like using just enough sauce to keep the chicken moist and infuse it with flavor.  That way, when serving the pulled chicken, you can offer a variety of sauces so that each person can choose from Eastern bbq sauce, Memphis sauce, and such.  I know the Italian dressing may sound a bit strange, but it really added a tanginess to the sweetness of the bbq sauce and was just perfect (in my opinion).  Note:  You can also use rotisserie chicken (about 2 chickens) and reduce the cooking time a bit.  

Ingredients

·         8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

·         1 small onion, chopped

·         1 (12 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce, divided into half

·         1/2 cup Italian salad dressing (I used Olive Garden Italian dressing)  

·         2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1.     Place onions in slow cooker. Place chicken over the onions. In a bowl, mix half of the barbecue sauce, ½ cup Italian salad dressing, and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken.

2.    Cover, and cook 3 to 4 hours on High or 6 to 8 hours on Low.

3.    Shred with two forks and serve, using remaining bbq sauce for topping if desired.

Delicious served on buns or without, with a side of cole slaw!