Tag Archives: sage

Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage

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Two posts in one week?! Well it is the week of eating so, we wanted to bring you as many tasty recipes as possible to get ready for the big day.

So technically this is dressing and not stuffing because my future father in law will probably be stuffing the bird with aromatics but let’s be real, whatever you call this dish is just semantics. IT’S FREAKING TASTY, is all that matters. This dish reminds me of my mom (& uncle). Mom and I both adore when there is sausage in stuffing or dressing. We are also big fans of cornbread, so this is a family favorite. My uncle typically made his stuffing with white bread but one year to mix it up he did cornbread and it was epic. So in reverence to my late uncle and his impeccable cooking skills I am going to attempt to replicate his yummy side for my future in laws.

  • 1 lb. sausage (I did it with chorizo to give it a spicy flair)
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 tbsp. of fresh sage
  • 1 tbsp. of fresh rosemary
  • ½ tbsp. of fresh thyme
  • 2 cloves smashed/minced garlic
  • 2 cups or 3-4 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 stick butter
  • 2 cups of chicken or turkey broth
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • S&P to taste
  • 1 family size pan of cornbread (So think like 2 jiffy boxes worth, made in advance & don’t use the sweet/honey cornbread)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Crumble the cornbread into a large bowl and set aside while you brown the meat. Drain the fat before adding sausage to cornbread bowl. Sauté the onions, celery, garlic, and butter until semi-translucent. In another bowl whisk together the broth, cream of chicken soup, herbs, and s&p. Pour into cornbread, sausage, and veggie mixture and stir together gently.

Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray or grease with butter and spoon mixture into pan. Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes or until browned & heated through.

Happy Eating, XO.

Weeknight Wonder

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Ok kids, the holidays are over. Back to reality, back to the grind. We need a quick weeknight dinner because cereal 3x a week just isn’t cutting it. If you want something filling & tasty in a hurry, this is your dish. Bust out that sage you bought for the Winter Warmth recipe and get crackin’ on this delight. Oh and for all you meat lovers…feel free to add a grilled chicken breast to the top when serving, but honestly if time is of the essence, the mushrooms will act as a great faux meat for one night.
  • 1 lb. penne pasta or fusilli (spaghetti just wont cut it since the pasta needs to be the same size as the mushrooms).
  • 1/2 cup of chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup of red wine (don’t act like you HAVE to open a bottle just for the recipe & weren’t pulling a Thirsty Thursday anyway).
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 shallot diced
  • 1 cup of mushrooms, sliced
  • sage, chopped
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, grated
  • (reserved pasta water)
While the pasta is boiling per packet instructions, reduce the broth & wine down to a sauce (will turn into 1/2 cup of liquid). Sautee the garlic, shallot, sage, & mushrooms (s&p to taste) in pan while stirring in the cooked pasta, wine reduction sauce, butter, and cheese. Thicken sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, will depend on desired consistency of sauce.
* The idea for this recipe came from a coworker that is doing http://www.thefresh20.com with her husband. Check it out, it seems like a cool & easy program. Equipped with grocery lists, recipes, and everything you need for healthy & fresh dinners for 5 nights of the week. *
Happy Eating, XO.

Winter Warmth

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I know what you are thinking. We just love our alliterations so much we will title a post anything. FALSE! Although this one IS a fun title, it actually represents the feeling you get when you eat this dish. This dish is stick-to-your-bones-good & will warm your insides up…that’s the heartiness of the squash and let’s face it any pasta dish reads comfort food as well.

  • 11 oz. (4 links) spicy chicken Italian sausage (sounds easy, except I had a blonde moment-yes brunettes can have them too! And I accidentally bought cooked spicy sausage. Wasn’t an epic fail but doesn’t come out of the casing or crumble like this recipe entails. Plus I was stressed out I was going to burn it since it’s already cooked. So ya don’t rush at the store and make sure you actually buy the spicy, chicken or turkey, uncooked sausage. Also don’t be freaked at the thought of spicy. The dish is not spicy at all. I believe from my very important palate (haha) that it’s because of the spices that are in Italian/spicy sausage-fennel seeds, etc. so that’s why the recipe calls for sausage that would already have those flavors in it and makes you have to think even less when making this dish! Score!)
  • 1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and diced (trader Joes plug again, I wonder if they read this slash we could strike a deal with them? But anyway, they carry cheap, already diced & peeled butternut squash to save your fingers from cuts!)
  • 1 tbsp. light butter
  • 10 oz. casarecce, or pasta of your choice (I don’t even know what that kind is, I know I used fusilli, but legit penne works too).
  • 1/4 cup shallots, minced (I made mine a half a cup vs. the ¼ because I heart shallots but to each his own).
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (Again I used the jarred minced stuff, so sue me).
  • 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped (not gunna lie, I am lazy and didn’t chop…why should you have to? Spinach wilts down to nothing-ness anyway, why waste the time…don’t chop, whatevs).
  • 2 tbsp. fresh shaved parmesan cheese (I grated my finger doing this, because not only was I feeling lazy and stupid when making this I apparently was dying to eat it that I may have gotten over zealous with my grater. Anyway I lived to tell about it all thanks to my Cinderella band-aid).
  • 4 sage leaves, sliced thin (lay the 4 leaves on top of ea other, roll ‘em up and chop…it’s called something fancy like chefinade but bottom line is, its takes ½ the time than doing them individually, you’re welcome).
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (umm so I forgot this part, and I definitely noticed. Pretty bummed because I loved this dish. I would suggest doing this part when you sauté the shallots & garlic in the pan. I know it tells you that too but I didn’t have this out like a play book at the time, nerds!)

Bring a large pot of salted water (I substituted with chicken broth because I love the stuff & thinks it sneaks in flavor when you don’t even know it) to a boil. Add butternut squash and cook until soft. Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender, blend until smooth. Add pasta to that same boiling water (or broth) and cook according to package directions for al dente, reserving at least 1 cup of the pasta water before draining. (you will need this to thin out the sauce to your liking).

Meanwhile, in a large deep non-stick skillet, sauté sausage over medium heat until browned, breaking up with a spoon as it cooks. When cooked through, set aside on a plate. Reduce heat to medium-low and melt the butter, sauté the shallots and garlic until soft and golden, about 5 – 6 minutes. Add puree butternut squash, season with salt and fresh cracked pepper and add a little of the reserved pasta water to get the thickness you desire.  Add baby spinach and stir in parmesan cheese & sage.

Happy Eating, XO

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