Veggie Stuffed Mushrooms

Veggie Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1 medium zucchini, quartered
• 2 bell peppers, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 C cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage
• 1 T minced onion
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
• 4 portabella mushroom caps

Directions

Begin by washing the mushroom caps.  To do so, remove the stems, scrape out the gills and clean with a damp paper towel.  Place the mushroom caps facing upwards on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Season with garlic, salt and pepper.  Then, bake at 400 for 5-10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and carefully scoop out the liquid pooling in the mushrooms. 

Meanwhile, brown the ground Italian sausage (we used turkey sausage) until cooked.  Add the diced zucchini, bell peppers and cook for 5-7 minutes until veggies are crisp tender.  Add the diced tomatoes in the last 2 minutes of cooking.  Season with basil and oregano. 

Fill each mushroom cap with the veggie filling. 

Top each with a slice of cheese and return to the oven, cooking for 10-12 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and the cheese is melted. 

Serve warm. 

Enjoy!

Crockpot Stuffed Bell Peppers

Crockpot meals are a favorite of ours around here.  As a working wife, it is a treat to be able to come home and not have to start cooking dinner!  The house smells amazing and dinner is just about ready.  I love that. 

We are always looking for new crockpot ideas, and this stuffed bell pepper recipe uses some of our fall favorites (wild rice!) in a new way. 

The result was a meal we’ll definitely make again and again. 

Crockpot Stuffed Bell Peppers – Adapted from Family Fresh Meals

Ingredients

• 5-6 medium bell peppers
• 1 C cooked wild rice
• 1/2 lb. ground Italian turkey sausage, browned
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. minced onion
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• salt and pepper
• 1 C shredded Colby Jack or Monterrey Jack Cheese
• 1 C chicken broth

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together 1 C cooked wild rice, browned Italian sausage, 3/4 of the can of rinsed and drained diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt and pepper.  Mix in 1 egg and 3/4 C of cheese. 

Stir well. 

Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds from the inside. 

Using a cookie scoop, fill the bell peppers with the rice mixture.  Top with remaining tomatoes.

Place the peppers into a lightly greased crockpot, arranged in a single layer over the bottom of the crockpot.  Pour over 1 C chicken broth. 

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  Roughly 15 minutes before serving, top with the remaining 1/4 C cheese.  Or, if you forget, just top with cheese before serving. 

Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Skillet Lasagna

With school back in session, quick weeknight dinners are a must.  This one is quick, and requires just one pan and the leftovers (if there are any) are a huge win too.

 

Skillet Lasagna – Adapted from The Apple of My Eye

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage (or turkey sausage)
• 4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. minced onion
• 1/2 C shredded carrots
• 2 cans (14oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (14 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. oregano
• pinch of cinnamon
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 lasagna noodles, broken into quarters
• 1/3 C water
• 1/2 C shredded Mozzarella cheese and/or 1/4 C Parmesan cheese
• 6 T ricotta cheese
• Parsley for garnish

Directions

Brown the ground Italian sausage in the bottom of a large skillet until cooked through.  Drain the grease and set aside for a moment.  Add the mushrooms, onions, garlic and salt and pepper, sautéing until the mushrooms are soft and the excess liquid has evaporated. 

Add in the shredded carrots and the sausage.  Stir well.

Place the broken apart lasagna noodles over the meat mixture.  Then pour in both cans of diced tomatoes (undrained), and the can of tomato sauce. 

Top with 1 tsp. basil and 1 tsp. oregano along with a pinch of cinnamon.

Pour over 1/3 C water. 

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring 1-2 times during the cooking process. 

Meanwhile, shred the mozzarella cheese, or slice it if you are using fresh.  Set aside. 

When noodles are al dente, remove the cover and dollop on the 6 T of ricotta cheese as well as the mozzarella and/or Parmesan. 

Garnish with parsley, if desired. 

Serve warm. 

Hearty Crockpot Sweet Potato Chili

This chili is a breeze to put together, especially with pre-cooked ground turkey.  I love this kitchen cheat – browning meat when I buy it and keeping it pre-cooked in the freezer.  It makes all the difference in meal prep on a busy morning or night. 

In addition to the ease of prep, I love all the veggies in this chili and how the creamy goodness of the sweet potato puree cuts the acidity of the tomatoes.  It’s a delightful combination and we really enjoyed it. 

Hearty Crockpot Sweet Potato Chili – Adapted from Tator Tots & Jello

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. ground turkey Italian sausage (we made our own), browned
• 2 medium red bell peppers, diced into 1-inch cubes
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced into 1-inch cubes
• 2 cans (14 oz) diced tomatoes
• 2 cans (14 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 T dried minced onion
• 1/4 tsp. dried minced garlic
• 1 can great white northern beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
• 1/2 C sweet potato puree
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 T chili powder (more or less to taste)
• Extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded for garnish
• Dried parsley, shredded for garnish
• Plain Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream

Directions

Add the browned ground turkey sausage, diced bell peppers, 2 cans each of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, 1 T minced onion, 1/4 tsp. minced garlic and 1/2 C sweet potato puree to a large (6 qt) crockpot.  Stir well. 

Add in the white and black beans, along with 1 T chili powder and salt and pepper.  Stir well. 

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. 

Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese, plain Greek yogurt (for sour cream) and dried parsley. 

Enjoy!

Italian Sausage Vegetable Chili Cheese Bread

This dinner is out of this world amazing. 

And, the crockpot does virtually all the work.  It’s perfect for a chilly winter night. 

Don’t let the cheese bread part of this recipe title fool you, it’s a hearty chili, that is perfectly tasty on its own.  But, if you want a real treat, serve it on that French bread.  Oh. My! 

Frog Prince and I ate every crumb. 

Italian Sausage Vegetable Chili Cheese Bread 

Ingredients

• 1 loaf French Bread
• Monterrey Jack Cheese, slices (1-2 per piece of bread)
• 1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage
• 4 medium bell peppers (green, red, yellow and orange)
• 1 onion
• 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 medium zucchini, quartered
• 4 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. dried minced garlic
• 1 tsp. basil*
• 1 tsp. oregano*
• *Or, 2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Directions

Begin by browning the Italian sausage until cooked through.  Drain. 

Place the ground Italian sausage in the bottom of your crockpot. 

Slice the bell peppers into thin strips, and then cut them in half so you have 1/4 of an inch x 2 inch strips.  Quarter the onion and add that along with the bell peppers to the crockpot. 

Add in the quartered zucchini and sliced mushrooms. 

If you don’t like mushrooms, leave them out… but don’t let that keep you from making this delicious dinner. 

Add in 2 tsp. Italian seasoning, or 1 tsp. each – basil and oregano, and 1/2 tsp. dried minced garlic (about 3 cloves). 

Then, stir in the tomatoes. 

Cover and cook on low for 4-4.5 hours, until veggies are tender.   

30 minutes before dinner, add in the 2 tsp. tomato paste and cover. 

Slice up the French bread and spritz lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with garlic powder, if desired.  Toast the bread under the broiler for 1 minute, just so that the bread gets warmed and a little crunchy on the top. 

When the chili is ready, use a slotted spoon to scoop 1-2 spoonfuls of chili onto each piece of bread. 

Top with cheese slices. 

Return to the broiler for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully to be sure the cheese and bread does not burn. 

Serve warm.

Leftovers are great just as a standard chili or re-assembled into cheese bread.  It’s best to make up just what you plan to eat to keep the leftovers delicious. 

Sweet Potato Pockets with Kale, Sausage & Lentils

A perfect fall twist on the beloved hot pocket. 

I first saw this recipe on Natalie’s blog and really like the idea of putting sweet potatoes and lentils with kale in a calzone.  But, Frog Prince and I aren’t a big fan of some of the spices in the original recipe. 

So, I set to work and decided to put one of our favorite fillings inside the pockets – the filling from our sweet potato risotto.  Oh. My. Goodness.

These were a huge hit!

Sweet Potato Pockets with Kale, Sausage & Lentils – Inspired by The Sweets Life

Ingredients

• 1 recipe whole wheat pizza crust
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4-6oz baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 T minced onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 C frozen chopped kale
• 1/2 C lentils, soaked
• 1/2 lb. Italian sausage
• Parmesan cheese

Directions

Begin by making the pizza crust dough, and when finished, set aside, covered. 

Next, boil your lentils.  To do so, first drain the water they have been soaking in.  Then, place the lentils in a saucepan, cover them with water and season with salt.  Turn the burner on to high and heat to boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Drain. 

Meanwhile, brown the ground Italian sausage.  Drain excess grease when the meat is cooked, and remove the sausage from the pan into a large bowl.

In the same skillet, add the cubed sweet potato, sliced mushrooms, garlic, onion and salt and pepper.  Sauté about 10 minutes until the sweet potatoes are slightly soft and the mushrooms have released all their liquids. 

Add in 1 C frozen chopped kale and heat until wilted.

Then, mix in the cooked and drained lentils. 

Remove the mixture and add it to the large bowl with the Italian sausage.  Stir until the mixture is combined. 

Divide the bread dough into 6-8 pieces, and roll each out into a small (4-6 inches across) circle. 

Place a scoop (about 1 C) of the sausage lentil filling onto one half of the dough.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top. 

Grab a small cup and put an inch or so of water in it.  Dip your fingers in the water and then dab them along the edge of the dough.  Bring the top half over to cover the filling.  Press tightly along the wet edges to seal.  Crimp with a fork, if desired.  Note – it works best to do this right on the greased/lined cookie sheet you are planning to bake these pockets on. 

Repeat until all pockets are filled. 

Using a knife, slice a little slit in the top of each pocket.  

Place into a pre-heated oven set to 425 degrees.  Bake for 15 minutes until lightly browned and puffy. 

Enjoy!