Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage

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.

Stuffed Tator

This isn’t just any old meat and potatoes recipe. This is an Italian twist on the American version of a chili and cheese topped baked potato. I also love this meal because its a one pot, easy, fast, and filling week night dinner. I was inspired from a food network recipe that this originates from and just cant get enough of it.

  • 1/2 pound hot Italian sausage out of the casing (you can also use sweet Italian sausage if making for kids)
  • 4 baked potatoes
  • Arugula
  • Chopped medium yellow onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • Jar of marinara
  • 1/2 cup of marscapone
  • Grated parmesano reggiano

Sweat the onions and garlic in some olive oil. Once they are translucent add the ground sausage to brown. Cook down the arugula when adding the marinara sauce. Then stir in the marscapone cheese, to make the sauce a pinky blush color. In the mean time bake the potatoes in the oven and split in half when slightly cooled.

 

Happy Eating, XO.

SXSW

Guys, we need to stop having #fomo just because we aren’t in Austin. I re-created the feel of being down there by coming up with these sumptuous lil appetizers. You know because us grown ups have people over for drinks and apps on the weekends. Anyway, I went real southwestern with my home-made corn cakes, topped with spicy andouille chicken sausage & a dollop of my avocado sauce. It was sweet, spicy, creamy, crunchy, and filling. Everything you’d want to coat your stomach with before a night of cocktails. Plus, if you drink enough it will be way easier to pretend like your actually at SXSW.

  • 1 can of creamed corn (400 grams)
  • 2 cups of de frosted frozen corn
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar (I suggest sharp since its more flavorful, but go with whatever you have aka I may have just used leftover Mexican blend from fajita night, don’t judge)
  • 1/2 of a red bell pepper chopped small (should be around the same size of the corn kernels).
  • 1 tsp of baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flower
  • 1/2 cup of milk
  • 2 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
  • 2 tsp. onion powder (I would even say thinly sliced green onion would be fab for this recipe, but I had to improvise with what was in my pantry. I am trying it with that next time though because this is a definite repeat dish).
  • salt & pepper to taste

Mix the creamed corn, eggs, chopped red pepper, corn, baking soda, flour, and milk. Then fold in the spices & cheese. Then in a sauté pan heat vegetable oil at medium to high heat (you don’t want to scorch the corn cakes, but if the oil isn’t hot enough you wont get a nice crisp on the cakes). Use a large tablespoon to measure out the corn cake mixture evenly in the pan. Meanwhile, I sliced the store bought sausage and threw it in the oven at 350 degrees to roast & crisp up as I made the corn cakes. I’d say about 10-15 minutes (but mine were fully cooked, in case yours are raw increase the cooking time to 20-25 minutes or when browned). Fry spoonfuls of the batter until bubbles appear at the top & flip (like you would do with pancakes).  Allow to cook on the other side and then in a paper towel lined platter, cool the corncakes so the excess oil is absorbed. No one wants to be able to taste the grease, but they do want crispy & yummy corncakes. The batter should make about 15 corn cakes (varies based on size). Layer with a slice of the warm sausage and a cold dollop of the avocado sauce. Nosh your face off.

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Happy Eating, XO.

4 ingredient fix

Let’s get back to the basics here. Summer is just 90 days away, we need to start eating right. I don’t know what this Paleo stuff is, I mean I have a vague idea…Its a throwback meal plan in which you eat twigs & berries? FALSE. Its actually a legit lifestyle change and although I may have bought a box of green tea and convinced myself I will make it to the gym at least 2x this week. Let’s be real. Unless it tastes good, I am not going to be sticking to it. Oh and it can’t waste a ton of my precious time either so ya, there’s those stipulations as well 🙂 Anyway, I found the best fit. Quick enough for my whiney tired self to use no excuse not to make (double negative folks, stay with me), as well as, the fact it uses trendy stuff like kale and is gluten free (Shout out to a miss Caitlin Matt, lovely GF blog follower). Tell me you don’t love the fact its 4 ingredients and takes 20 minutes to make. Stop with the excuses & try this puppy out…

  • 1 pound sausage (I did Turkey vs. Pork and I also made sure it was hot Italian so the fennel seeds & other spices were already in there).
  • 1 bunch organic kale (1/2 the bag)
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
  • (I added a lil bit of minced garlic. Technically not needed since the sausage was mixed with spices, but I like to jazz stuff up).

Remove sausage from its casing and brown in a large pan. Add the diced onion and continue cooking on medium until the onions are soft. Remove the spine from the kale and chop into bite size pieces. (In order to avoid this work, because god forbid I don’t take short cuts, I bought the pre chopped & washed stuff from Trader Joe’s, its in the salad section). Then, add the kale to the pan with the sausage and onions and stir and cook until it turns bright green and softens to your taste. (Between 5-10 minutes) Remove sausage and kale mixture from the heat, stir in the chopped red bell pepper. Serve warm & feel proud of the fact you are so chic that you are eating kale, are gluten free, and partaking in a Paleo diet. Every single food buzz word for 2014, way to be a grade A trendsetter for the day.

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Happy Eating, XO.