YumSugar

Not Your Regular Nachos: Spicy Sausage Nachos

partysugar — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:00:44 -0800

When I was selecting my 10 favorite nacho recipes, I suddenly had an intense craving for nachos. So much so that I decided to make some! Not just any recipe though - one that I had seen in Everyday Food for Emeril's amazing-looking spicy sausage nachos. They're loaded with jalapeños, black beans, pepper Jack cheese, and hot sausage.

The only problem with these nachos is that it's hard to stop eating them. I devoured my entire plate and then went back for seconds. If you have the time, I highly recommend serving them with homemade salsa. I used the Pioneer Woman's chunky variation and it took these nachos to a whole new level. To serve them at your Super Bowl bash, get the recipe and read more.

Spicy Sausage Nachos
From Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

1 pound fresh hot sausage (such as chorizo), removed from the casings and crumbled
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion bottoms (reserve tops separately)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Two 15-ounce cans pinto or black beans, drained
3/4 cup chicken stock or canned, low-sodium chicken broth or water
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 ounces large (restaurant-style) tortilla chips
3 cups grated pepper Jack or sharp cheddar cheese, or a combination
1/4 cup pickled jalapeno slices, or to taste
Your favorite salsa, for serving
Sour cream, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the sausage, and cook until it is nicely browned and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Add the green onion bottoms and the garlic to the fat remaining in the skillet, and cook until fragrant and soft, about 20 seconds. Add the beans, mix well, and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Mash the beans with the back of a heavy wooden spoon or a potato masher until chunky-smooth.
Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until completely warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Spread half of the tortilla chips in one even layer on a large oval ovenproof platter or in a large baking dish. Top with half of the beans, half of the sausage, half of the cheese, and half of the jalapenos. Repeat with another layer of chips, beans, sausage, cheese, and jalapenos. Bake until the cheese is melted and the mixture is hot, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from the oven, and serve garnished with chopped green onion tops, salsa, and sour cream.

Serves 4-6.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 5 Photos ›

Soup's On: Sausage, Cannellini, and Kale Soup

partysugar — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:50:24 -0800

Three humble ingredients - Italian sausage, white beans, and crinkly kale - come together to make one superbly comforting bowl of soup. I love this recipe because it's very basic, but the resulting dish is earthy, filling, and wonderful. It's the rustic kind of soup that you enjoy in a cabin after a long day on the slopes. Or for a casual and relaxed dinner party, it can be served alongside a grilled cheese sandwich and green salad. It's definitely a crowd-pleaser, so get the recipe after the jump.

Sunday Slow Cooker: Split Pea Soup With Chorizo

YumSugar — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 06:30:39 -0800

My absolute favorite slow cooker recipe is actually a soup. A rich, full-bodied split pea soup. Although pea soup can also be made meatless, it's classically prepared with diced ham or a ham hock. Tonight, I can't wait to experiment with a contemporary take on split pea, which uses a different pig product, chorizo. Since the recipe calls for a dice, buy Spanish chorizo.

It's cured and smoked, making it easier to slice, as opposed to the often-uncooked Mexican version. Try something new when you read more.

Come Party With Me: Christmas Brunch - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 06:50:18 -0800

This Friday, after you've opened presents with the family, why not sit down to a leisurely and luxurious brunch? It's a great way to start the day and enjoy each other's company. Serve an easy menu of dishes that can be prepared the night before and baked first thing in the morning. A sausage, fontina, and bell pepper strata is colorful and hearty. It contains chunks of bread, so you don't have to worry about making toast.

Offer crispy oven-roasted home fries with onions on the side. Brew a pot of coffee and give the kids mugs of hot chocolate. For these simple but scrumptious breakfast recipes, read more.

Sausage, Fontina, and Bell Pepper Strata
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

6 large eggs
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups sliced green onions
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup finely grated Romano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound hot Italian sausages, casings removed
1 large red bell pepper, halved, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch wide-strips
1 1-pound loaf rustic French bread, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 cups (loosely packed) coarsely grated Fontina cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch ceramic or glass baking dish.
Whisk first 7 ingredients in large bowl; sprinkle generously with pepper. Set aside.
Place sausage in large nonstick skillet; push to 1 side. Add bell pepper to other side of skillet. Saute; over high heat, breaking up sausage with fork, until sausage is cooked through and bell peppers are brown in spots, about 7 minutes.
Arrange half of bread slices in prepared dish. Pour half of egg mixture over. Sprinkle with half of cheese, then half of sausage pepper mixture. Repeat layering.
Let stand 20 minutes, occasionally pressing on bread to submerge. Bake strata until puffed and brown, about 1 hour. Cool slightly.

Serves 8-10.

Print recipe with images | without images

Oven Home Fries With Peppers and Onions
From Rachael Ray

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds red skinned potatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (recommended: McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning)
2 teaspoons sweet paprika

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Coarsely chop potatoes and transfer to a nonstick cookie sheet. Toss with oil, peppers, onions and seasonings and place in the oven 25 minutes, turning twice with spatula. Serve hot.

Serves 4.

Print recipe with images | without images

Bacon vs. Sausage

FitSugar — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:00:15 -0800

As a big fan of breakfast, I usually make at least one large morning meal on the weekends. With the holidays coming up, I am sure to cook up many brunches too. My daydreaming about these meals in my near future got me thinking about bacon and sausage.

Are they as bad as they seem? Is one the lesser of two evils? Find out if both should be avoided at the next brunch you attend when you read more.

There are many brands of sausage to choose from and for this comparison I chose Oscar Mayer pork sausage link. The bacon in the chart is pan fried.

	Bacon 2 slices (16 g)	Sausage 48 g
Calories	82	165
Protein (g)	3	8
Total Fat (g)	3	15
Sodium (mg)	188	401
Cholesterol (mg)	9	37
Iron %	0	5

While bacon doesn't really offer much nutritionally, it sure does pack a lot of flavor into two strips. Sausage is certainly more filling - it actually contains some protein - but is also much higher in fat and calories. My suggestion is have a slice of bacon or a link of sausage since depriving yourself of tastes you love is no way to diet. Stick to eating egg dishes for high quality filling protein at your next brunch. Both bacon and sausage are considered processed meats, which the American Cancer Society strongly believes we should all avoid. Although it is unclear what about processed meats increases cancer risk, many health experts theorize that it is the nitrates used in the processing. Look for nitrate-free sausage and bacon.

I am curious to know if you are more about bacon or sausage; share your preference in the comments section below.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Sausage Arugula Pizza

partysugar — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:50:48 -0800

If you've got the mid-week blues, why not cheer yourself up by making a crisp and cheesy pizza for dinner? Taking some time out of the day to put together a meal is a great way to unwind, and this recipe is straightforward and effortless.

All you have to do is crumble and cook a couple of links of Italian sausage. Combine this with sautéed arugula, red onion, and red pepper, and throw the mixture on a pizza dough slathered with ricotta cheese and bake. In just eight short minutes you'll be enjoying a piping hot, comforting slice of pizza. Get the method when you read more.

Sausage Arugula Pizza
From Woman's Day

Ingredients

8 oz bulk sweet or hot Italian sausage
1⁄2 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 cups baby arugula (about 3 oz)
1⁄2 cup roasted red pepper strips
1 large prebaked thin pizza crust
3⁄4 cup part-skim ricotta
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan

Directions

Heat oven to 450ºF.
Brown sausage in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Drain off most of fat.
Add red onion and arugula, sauté 2 minutes or until arugula is wilted, then stir in roasted red pepper strips. Spread crust with 1⁄2 cup ricotta; top with sausage mixture.
Dollop with remaining ricotta; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake directly on oven rack 8 minutes.

Serves 4.

Print recipe with images | without images

Stuffing So Good It Should Be Made All Year Long

partysugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:15:58 -0800

Last year on Thanksgiving, my older brother, while shoveling stuffing down his throat asked, "How come we only have stuffing once a year? It's so good!" I have to agree with him, stuffing is one of the main reasons I look forward to turkey day. Although I change up the recipe I use, there's one ingredient (besides bread) my stuffing must have: Italian sausage. As the plump sausage renders fat, it imparts an incomparable depth of flavor and porky goodness to the bread and vegetables. This recipe combines the fragrant juicy pork with soft butternut squash, leafy kale, oozing parmesan cheese, and melt-in-your mouth focaccia. The elements may not be traditional, but the resulting stuffing is comforting, addictive, and most-importantly, delicious. To serve this stuffing to your family, get the recipe and read more.

Sausage and Kale Thanksgiving Stuffing
From Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
1 pound sweet Italian fennel sausage, casings removed, broken into small pieces
3 large leeks, white and light-green parts only, sliced
1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bunch kale, leaves trimmed and chopped
1 pound stale onion focaccia, cubed
1 large egg
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or turkey stock
1 cup diced parmesan cheese, plus 1/4 cup shredded

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish.
Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes.
Add the leeks and squash and season with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook until the leeks are soft, about 3 minutes.
Add the kale, toss and cover until the kale wilts, about 4 minutes.
Add the focaccia cubes and the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and toss until the butter melts.
Whisk the egg and chicken broth in a bowl until smooth; stir in the diced parmesan and 1 teaspoon salt.
Pour the broth mixture over the bread mixture; cook until the liquid is absorbed by the bread, about 1 minute.
Transfer the bread mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Scatter the shredded cheese evenly on top and bake until golden and cooked through, about 40 minutes.
Set aside for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 8.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 8 Photos ›

Definition: Bratwurst

YumSugar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:00:56 -0700

Bratwurst is a type of uncured, fresh sausage made typically from pork, and less commonly with beef and veal. It originated in Germany, and remains popular there and in areas of the American Midwest. While no standard recipe exists for brats, as they're affectionately called, the sausages are heavily spiced, and may include the likes of cardamom, celery seeds, caraway, and coriander.

The cased sausages, which are especially popular during tailgating season, are grilled or simmered in beer, then served with grainy mustard and other condiments on a hard roll.

Monday's Leftovers: Italian Sausage & Tomato Pasta

YumSugar — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 07:50:32 -0700

I got a little carried away at the grocery store this weekend, and as a result, I've got way too much Italian sausage left over in my fridge. So tonight, I'm going to assemble a quick pasta toss that makes the most of Italian sausage's fat and flavor without going overboard on the cased meats.

Since those links carry lots of zing, the key is to keep the rest of the ingredients sparse and simple. I'll add cooked tomatoes, red onion, and arugula to make it a balanced supper, and tie in all the elements with sprigs of basil and finely-grated Parmesan cheese. Presto: it's an alluring Monday night meal

Sunday BBQ: Italian Sausage Kebabs

YumSugar — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 06:00:09 -0700

This weekend might be a sunny one, and since I don't have any major plans, I'm thinking of inviting some high school friends over for an ultra-chill dinner. It's so casual that I'm not exactly positive what I'll be serving yet, but one thing's for sure: I'll definitely be grilling some of these skewers. They're goofproof to make, portable, and contain the perfect ratio of crunchy, charred bell pepper to spiced, succulent pork sausage and sautéed spinach. They take a mere 15 minutes to cook through, so get your hands on the recipe after the jump