Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms, by Cheryl

Well hello 2026! To welcome the new year, Jon and I are doing Whole 30 for our 7th year in row! Wow! I wanted to add some different Whole 30 recipes to the list so in comes these sausage stuffed mushrooms from Paleo Running Momma. These were just okay. I wouldn't make them again. My daughter didn't like the sausage mix so she only had the mushrooms. And to be honest I wasn't a huge fan either. Jon ate them up though! Yum?

Ingredients:

18 large white mushrooms

4 tbs olive oil, divided

sea salt and ground pepper

cooking spray

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 lb Italian sausage 

1/4 cup almond flour

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/3 cup almond milk cream cheese

1 tbps plain unsweetened almond milk

3 tbsp fresh parsley, minced

Directions: 

1) Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 9x13 baking dish.

2) Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 2 tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle with a bit of salt.

3) Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in pan on medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it with a spoon. Cook unti lits completely browned, about 5-8 minutes. 

4) Stir in the onions and garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the almond flour, seasoning, stirring to combine. Finally, stir in the cream cheese and almond milk. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

5) Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer on the pan. Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mix. Bake until stuffing is browned, about 30-35 minutes.  

Fall Sausage, White Beans, and Kale, by Diane

 

I whipped this up for dinners this week and it was really easy quick and delicious! I had some leftover white wine from a party this weekend and thought to use it here, and this is good alone or with a crusty bread!

Ingredients:

Pre-cooked chicken apple sausage (I got one with bourbon in it too!), sliced into coins

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 large bunch kale, leaves removed and chopped (discard stems)

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup white wine

1 cup chicken broth

Seasonings: salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, powdered rosemary

Directions:

1. In a large pan, brown sausage over medium heat. 

2. Add in shallots and garlic and a little broth to deglaze the pan and cook until browned. 

3. Add beans and a little more broth, cook for about 2 minutes and add seasonings and stir.

4. Deglaze the pan with wine and remaining broth, bring heat up to a low simmer.

5. Add kale and cook until kale is wilted and liquid is mostly cooked out. 

Slovakian Lečo, by Diane

I had the most amazing brunch while I was in Bratislava, and I decided to try and recreate it at home. It reminded me of shakshuka but tasted way better for me. As usual, it was much better in Slovakia because the veggies were smaller and more blended and there was more of a sauce to it, but I think I have a way to make it even better at home now! Overall this is a really good and easy dish to make, and I'll post the recipe along with some adjustments for next time (add tomato sauce and smaller dice of veggies). Classically this is served with good crusty bread.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp oil

1/2 cup diced white onion

1 cup diced peppers (I used one yellow, red, and orange)

1 cup tomatoes (I used a 15oz can diced tomatoes)

1 Polish kielbasa, sliced (I charred these for more flavor)

Hungarian paprika, salt and pepper to taste

8 eggs (recipe calls for 6 but I wanted more protein), beaten

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high, add in veggies and cook until translucent. 

2. Add in seasonings and sausage, cook for one minute and mix in eggs stirring constantly until cooked in. (I would add in tomato sauce before the eggs, cooking until flavors combine, and then mix in eggs.)

Sausage Egg Bake, by Diane

I created this recipe four times now, because I lost it before I could post it three times in a row. :/ At any rate, that should convince you of how good it is! These are high protein packed lunches for me, but could easily be any dinner or a snack. I actually like them both cold and hot leftover! Super easy to throw together and really satisfying. I sneak a whole bag of spinach in here too for nutrients too! I omit the cheese bc I don't eat a ton of dairy but it would be killer here!

Ingredients:

12 eggs

Seasoning (I like Tony Chachere's creole seasoning with chili powder and paprika and garlic here, but salt/pepper and any other blend you like is ok!)

1 jar mild salsa (I love Chi Chi's restaurant style!)

12 links uncooked turkey breakfast sausage, casing removed and cut into small pieces

1 medium bag raw spinach

1/2 red onion, diced

cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400. 

2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together with the seasoning. Add in the jar of salsa and whisk again. Set aside.

3. In another large bowl, wilt the spinach in the microwave for about 30 seconds. This makes it easier to mix into the eggs I have found from trial and error!

4. In a 9x13 glass baking dish, spray with cooking spray on bottom and sides and add in onion, spinach, and sausage and mix well.

5. Pour the egg mixture over top and mix well to combine. 

6. Bake for one hour or until a knife comes out clean.

Challah Stuffing, by Diane

I have made this stuffing for every major holiday for years, and only now thought to post it! It's famous in our family gatherings, and it couldn't be easier. 

Ingredients:

2 loaves challah

1 lb italian sausage (we have made it without sausage too, it just really amps up the savoriness!)

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced onion

2 tbsp butter

2 tsp poultry seasoning

2 large boxes (32 oz each) chicken broth

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Slice the challah thinly and leave overnight to dry without the slices touching. If in a pinch, you can place them under the broiler to dry out just watch them carefully!

2. Rip the challah into small chunks and set aside.

3. In a large pot, cook the sausage until browned and set aside, reserving some of the liquid in the pan.

4. Add the celery and onion to the sausage drippings, along with the butter. Cook until the veggies are softened.

5. Add in poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. For the seasoning, you want it to be extra salty as it bakes out a bit in the oven so oversalt here.

6. Remove from heat and add in the sausage, challah, and one box of broth to start. Mix well and adjust for seasonings and wetness. For the moisture, you want it to be pretty wet so it cooks out in the oven, but no extra liquid in the bottom of the pot. This may require another 1/2 of the second box- we have never used both boxes entirely. This is also a good time to do a final salt check.

7. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes uncovered until the stuffing is set and the liquid is cooked in. Serve warm- but it's also amazing cold or reheated the next few days if it makes it that long!

Red Lentil and Kale Stew, by Cheryl

I came across this recipe when I was reading my Eating Well magazine, which to be honest I don't know why they keep being sent to me since I canceled that a while ago. Anyway, this looked like a delicious, healthy, and comforting dish. I even added sausage to appease the hubby. Unfortunately, it was just okay. We ate it and it was fine, but it's not something I would make again. The leftovers are still sitting in the fridge and I made it 4 days ago. I felt like there was way too much broth for the lentils.. they got lost in there so I couldn't taste them at all. So this is one you can skip... I have plenty of other healthy stews and soups that are way more delicious. Yum? 

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks

1 tbsp EVOO

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper

3 cups veggie or chicken broth

1 (15 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes

3/4 cup red lentils

4 ounces baby kale

1/2 cup whole milk

2 tbsp butter

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: 

1) Steam potatoes for about 15 minutes or until tender. 

2) Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, tomatoes and lentils and bring to a simmer over high heat. Adjust heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook until the lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in kale. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

3) Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot; add milk, butter and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each pepper and salt. Mash to desired consistency. Stir in Parmesan.

4) Serve the stew over mashed potatoes. 

Fall Stuffed Delicata Squash, by Diane

Pretty much every fall flavor conceivable was in this dish! This was really easy to make and pretty tasty. It also looked really pretty. The original recipe called for quinoa, but I swapped it out for chicken apple sausage which went great with this dish. I kept out the goat cheese crumbles because of Whole30, but they would have gone very well with this dish!

Ingredients:

3 medium delicata squash

2 large shallots, peeled and left whole

EVOO

Salt and pepper

3 chicken apple sausage links, diced

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 pack sliced shiitake mushrooms

5-6 cups kale

2 sprigs sage leaves, rough chopped 

1/2 cup chestnuts, roasted and diced (I subbed in walnuts bc my store didn’t have them yet)

8 basil leaves

1/2 cup champagne vinegar (I subbed acv)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp honey (I subbed date syrup)

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

Optional: chicken bone broth, crumbled goat cheese 

Directions:

1. Set oven to 350. Slice the squash horizontally and scoop out the seeds and innards (save some of the seeds). Brush the squash with evoo, salt and pepper, and roast on baking sheets dome side up for 25 min or until golden. 

2. In the same oven, place the whole peeled shallots and squash seeds on another baking tray. Coat with evoo, and roast until golden brown (15-20 min).

3. While the squash roasts, add evoo to a large skillet at medium high heat. Cook the sausage and onions until the onions are translucent. Add in mushrooms and sage.

4. Add kale to the pan and stir until it wilts. If needed, add some broth to the pan to deglaze. 

5. Combine basil, vinegar, mustard, honey, and 1/2 cup evoo in a blender with the cooled shallots until smooth and creamy. 

6. Assemble the squash boats by adding the sausage filling, then sprinkling chestnuts, pomegranate seeds, squash seeds, and goat cheese. Drizzle with the shallot dressing.

Whole 30 Shrimp, Sausage, and Cauliflower Grits, by Diane

Holy cow this is one of the best dishes to come out of my kitchen, and it just so happens to ALSO be Whole 30!! This took me way back to NOLA and my cousin's creole cooking in Houston, TX. The fact that it was Whole 30 but tasted amazing is so awesome, because a lot of people find Whole 30 boring. To them I say TRY THIS!!! Also, this tasted like it cooked for hours but in reality it came together in under 20 min.

Three side notes- first, I thought this came out too spicy (my cousins and the population of NOLA may disagree), so I would taste the final product before adding the cayenne since the recipe already has sausage and red chili flakes. Second, as much as I LOVED this dish the night I made it, I unfortunately didn't care for the leftovers. So, I would adjust this to make it for just the night of. Third, I loved the sauce so much I added in double the chicken broth and made 2 batches of slurry.

Ingredients:

1 package sugar-free smoked sausage or kielbasa (I used Nature's Promise Chicken Chorizo)

1 lb raw shrimp, thawed (I used cooked shrimp to speed this up)

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

1/4 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp onion powder 

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 tbsp water

1 tsp arrowroot powder

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1.5 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp ghee (I omitted this and added a bit of EVOO, not sure this is necessary)

Directions:

1. Place cauliflower in a large pot of water and boil for 10-15 min until fork tender.

2. While the cauliflower cooks, heat a large saucepan on medium high heat. Add in the olive oil, shrimp, and sausage and cook for 5 min until the sausage browns a bit. 

3. Add the spices (garlic powder through red pepper flakes) and cook another 2 min.

4. Add the chicken broth and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the chicken broth reduces by half.

5. When the broth is reduced by half, combine the arrowroot powder and water in a small bowl and make a slurry. Add to the pan and stir, mixture should thicken quickly. Set pan aside.

6. Meanwhile, drain the cauliflower and add it back to the pot along with the remaining ingredients. Using an immersion blender, blend until creamy. 

Stuffed Acorn Squash, by Cheryl

First post of 2020! Woohoo! This meal was like having a spoonful of Thanksgiving in each bite! It was soooo delicious and sooo comforting! And obviously healthy and hearty! The recipe is from Paleo Running Momma who has many scrumptious Paleo and Whole 30 meals. The recipe is whole 30 compliant and absolutely a favorite. I'll definitely be making it again. Yum!

Ingredients:

2 acorn squash
1 tsp coconut oil or ghee
1 lb pork sausage (I used compliant chicken apple sausage)
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small apple, diced
1 tbsp fresh sage, minced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup raw pecans, chopped
sea salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley for garnish if desired

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and strings. Brush each half with some coconut oil or melted ghee. Roast top down (I do top up) for 25 minutes.

2) While the squash roasts, prepare the stuffing. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat with ghee. Add the sausage, breaking up the lumps so it all cooks evenly. Once browned, remove from heat. Leave the fat in the skillet.

3) Add the onions and celery and soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

4) Add the diced apples, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

5) Add the dried cranberries, pecans, and browned sausage to the pan. Lower heat to medium low and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

6) Preheat the broiler. Scoop the sausage mix into each of the acorn squash halves. Broil until the tops of the stuffing are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh minced parsley.

Breakfast Casserole, by Diane

This recipe is from @realsimplegood on Instagram, and it was SO easy to make and lasted all week. I would eat this for breakfast, lunch or dinner! I love how you can customize the veggies and meats easily too. One note, I put the recommended salt amount in here but it was WAY too salty because the sausage was so flavorful, so next time I'd put less (reflected below). The original recipe used bacon as well, but I didn't use it.

Ingredients:

1 lb. sausage (I used sweet Italian)
1 large yellow onion
1 medium zucchini
2 large carrots
3 cloves garlic
12 eggs
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
2 tbsp ground sage (I subbed poultry seasoning bc I didn't have this alone)
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

Directions:

1. In a large pan, brown the sausage and crumble.

2. While the sausage cooks, place onion through garlic in a food processor until rough chopped.

3. Add the veggies to the pan with sausage and cook 4 minutes until the veggies soften.

4. Preheat oven to 375 and spray a large 9x13 baking dish.

5. Drain the sausage mixture and add to the bottom of the baking dish.

6. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and seasoning together and pour over sausage mixture. Mix well.

7. Bake for 30 min or until eggs are set in the center.

Chicken Sausage Bolognese, by Diane

This recipe comes from @kitchfix and it was a really interesting take on Bolognese sauce with a DIY chicken sausage! It also happened to be paleo, which I was a fan of, although you could easily swap in real cream and parmesan cheese at the end.

This sauce turned out like a rose sauce, slightly creamier than a traditional Bolognese. I found that as instructed the sauce wasn't nearly as flavorful as I was expecting, but I amped the flavors with spices and next time would cook the sausage longer (all listed below). It also came out way to acidic, so I would omit the vinegar next time (I used sugar to balance it out this time). The finished product was really good- I had it with zoodles, and also over sweet potato wedges. Making it again this week!


Ingredients:

For the Chicken Sausage:
1 lb. ground chicken
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp ground fennel seed
1/4 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp each dry oregano and fresh thyme (chopped)

For the Sauce:
1/4 c EVOO
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
64 oz canned crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp red wine vinegar (I would omit this next time as the sauce was so acidic I had to balance out with 1 tbsp. sugar)
1/4 c raw unsalted cashews
1/5 c water
2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil

Directions:

1. Combine all chicken sausage ingredients and set aside.

2. In a large soup pot, heat EVOO over medium high heat and add in onions and garlic. Cook until they start to brown, then add in the chicken sausage, salt, pepper, and seasoning. Cook the sausage until browned as well (this is important for the flavor, and was missing in the recipe!)

3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and vinegar and simmer for 30 min.

4. While the sauce simmers, combine cashews, water, and nutritional yeast until completely smooth. It will be liquidy.

5. After 30 min, stir in cashew mixture and basil. Simmer another 5 min and ready to serve.

Pizza Spaghetti Squash, by Diane

Unfortunately my large mixing bowl is also orange!!!

This is week 3's installment of Whole30 dinners. It is easy to throw together for a quick weeknight meal, and tasty too! Recipe from @thewholesmiths

Ingredients:

1 large spaghetti squash, halved and de-seeded

EVOO

Salt and Pepper

1 lb. Italian sausage, cooked and sliced or crumbled

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1/2 cup roasted mushrooms

Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and nutritional yeast to taste

15 oz. can pizza sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425, roast the squash on a baking sheet skin side down until fork tender after brushing with EVOO and sprinkling with salt and pepper.

2. Shred the squash into a large bowl and mix in the remaining ingredients.

Sweet Potato, Sausage, Egg Casserole, by Cheryl

Holy moly this is good! I first made this during Passover last year since it has no yeast or bread in it and I forgot how good it was. We were having friends over the other day for brunch and I decided to make this since one of them is gluten free. I am definitely going to make this again and keep it in the fridge for the week. It's easy and healthy! Yum!

Ingredients (recipe from here):

1 red pepper, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 lb sausage (I used Italian sweet sausage)
2 sweet potatoes, cubed
8 eggs
1/3 cup milk, or almond milk
salt
pepper
olive oil

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375. Cook the red pepper and onion in a little bit of oil over medium heat for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

2) Add sausage to the skillet and cook until browned, crumbling the sausage with the spoon as it cooks. Transfer to the large mixing bowl.

3) Add sweet potatoes, drizzle with olive oil, and cover with lid. Let it cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until potatoes are tender. Transfer to the large mixing bowl.

4) In a separate bowl beat the eggs, milk, and some salt and pepper. Pour over the veggie and sausage mix and mix together.

5) Pour the mixture in a baking dish (9x13) and bake covered for 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes.

Old Bay Shrimp Boil, by Cheryl

We have a great farmer's market on Saturday mornings about a mile away from us. I'm really going to miss it when we leave because one stand has the BEST peaches every summer! They got me to love peaches when I was never really a fan. Anyway, there's a sausage guy there that has maybe 15 different kinds of flavored sausages. He had an old bay flavored kind that I ended up buying and per his recommendation I decided to make a sausage and shrimp boil. So this was good, not great. I found it to be very one dimensional and although I do love old bay, it just didn't do much for me as it being the only spice in the recipe. The recipe itself has great reviews, and it wasn't bad at all, but it's just not something I would make again. That being said, it was tasty and tender and reminded me of Maryland. Yum!

Ingredients (makes 4 servings) Recipe from here:

1/4 cup old bay seasoning
2 quarts water
6 ounces beer
4 medium red potatoes, quartered
1 large vidalia onion, cut in wedges
4 ears frozen corn on the cob (I used 3 large ones and cut them in half)
2 lbs shrimp (I used only 1 lb)
I added some cauliflower as well and it soaked up a lot of flavor!

Directions:

1) Bring Old Bay, water, and beer to a boil.

2) Add potatoes and onions, cook for 8 minutes.

3) Add sausage, cook for 5 minutes.

4) Add corn, cook for 7 minutes.

5) Add shrimp, cook for 4 more minutes.

6) Drain cooking liquid. Pour contents of pot into several large bowls or pails. Sprinkle with a litle Old Bay.

Paellalaya, by Diane

I was trying to come up with a mixture of rice and protein for this week's lunches and remembered how much I love paella. So I asked a friend who had learned to make it in Spain and attempted to create the recipe this weekend. Even though I followed all of the instructions, this dish came out tasting less like authentic Spanish paella and more like a fusion of paella and jambalaya- hence the title, paellalaya (it rhymes!). It was good, but I really wished it had more flavor. On the upside, it was quick and easy to make and the recipe made a TON! 

**Update** The leftovers were WAY more flavorful than the night I made this, so good I'm repeating it this week for round 2!!

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts, cubed

2 tbsp sweet or Spanish paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt and pepper

EVOO

Sausage (any kind, I used smoked turkey sausage)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Spanish onion, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

3/4 cup chopped parsley

1 pinch saffron

1 bay leaf

2 cups short grain rice

1 cup white wine

24 oz. chicken broth

1-2 cups frozen peas, thawed

Shrimp, deveined 

Directions:

1. Mix together chicken, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl. Let marinate for 1 hour.

2. In a large sauce pan (or paella pan if you have it!) heat EVOO over medium high heat. Cook sausage for 2 min, browning on each side, and set aside. 

3. Add the chicken to the pan, cook through and remove. 

4. Add in garlic and onion, brown for a few minutes. 

5. Add in tomatoes, parsley, saffron, and bay leaf and stir to combine.

6. Add in rice, stirring to coat. Add in wine to deglaze the pan, then add chicken broth. Let simmer without stirring over medium low heat for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is fluffy.

7. Add in peas and shrimp, stir to combine. Season to your liking.

Sausage and Winter Vegetable Supper, by Diane

First post of 2015!!! Here's to another year of fun, new recipes amongst friends :)

This dish was inspired by a Racheal Ray recipe, but I added in more winter root veggies and greens (of course). The original recipe called for cooking the sausage in EVOO, which I am usually opposed to because there is already grease in the sausage that cooks out and coats the pan. I tried it her way and wish I had stuck to just the sausage because it was really oily. The other complaint I have on this recipe is that it calls for 1/2 cup chicken broth at the end, and then cooking it covered. By the time the dish was finished cooking, it had about 2 cups of liquid in the bottom from the broth, as well as from the steam and water from the veggies that cooked out from it being covered. It resembled more of a soup, and I couldn't dump the liquid out because it had all the flavor (I made a pan sauce instead which is why it's so shiny in the photo!). I changed this for the recipe below to just a splash of broth and cooking the last few minutes with the lid off.

Overall, I really liked this dish and it was really hearty and filling yet healthy at the same time. I loved the combo of spices that I never would have thought to use! By making it with the following changes, I think it would be a total hit!

Ingredients:

2 pounds good-quality fresh Italian sweet sausage, casings removed
A fat handful sage--2 tbsp. finely chopped, 2 tbsp. coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or ground allspice
Coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds butternut, cheese or red kuri squash--peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 large turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

3 cups brussels sprouts
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 small fresh Fresno or red jalapeno chile pepper, finely chopped, or 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt

1/2 large bunch swiss chard, chopped coarsely
3 tbsp chicken stock

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix the sausage, finely chopped sage, fennel seed, cloves and lots of coarsely ground black pepper.
2. Heat a large skillet with a lid over medium-high. Add the sausage mixture and cook, breaking into large pieces with the back of a spoon, until browned, about 6 minutes.
3. Add the remaining ingredients through stock. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and cover. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender, 18 to 20 minutes. For the last 5 minutes of cooking remove the lid until the liquid has evaporated.

Crispy Chard and Sausage Quiche with a Sweet Potato Crust, by Diane

This week I came across a recipe that I could use as a variation with my delicious new find, sweet potato crust (for original recipe, see here). This quiche was so good that I literally cursed when it hit my tongue, and the rest of it was devoured soon after. It is filling, warming, and did I mention SO GOOD??? The truffle oil in the crust absolutely knocked it out of the park, the spiciness of the sausage combined with the greens and sweet potato perfectly, and the amount of eggs was perfect (I initally got scared because it didn't cover the top of the ingredients). This dish is definitely a winner!!

I tweaked a couple things, but the recipe was inspired by: http://bydawnnicole.com/2014/07/crispy-kale-sausage-quiche-with-sweet-potato-crust-paleo-whole30-compliant.html

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded (I used a cuisinart to chop them finely)
2 tbsp truffle oil
5 links hot italian sausage, casings removed
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 bunch chard, leaves trimmed from stems and cut into bite-size pieces
10 eggs
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Grease a 9x13" glass pan with 1 tbsp of EVOO or cooking spray. Toss shredded sweet potatoes with 2 tbsp truffle oil. Press evenly into pan bottom and sides to form a crust. Bake for 20-30 minutes until cooked through and somewhat dried. Remove from oven. Reduce heat to 350.
3. While crusts cooks, brown the sausage in a large pan over medium high heat and remove with a slotted spoon. In the leftover liquid, brown the onions and garlic until translucent. Add in the chicken broth if necessary. Add in the chard until wilted and mix through.
4. Place a layer of sausage over the sweet potato crust. Top with chard mixture.
5. Combine eggs, salt, and pepper to taste and pour over chard.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees or until quiche is cooked through and top of chard is crispy. Check quiche around 25-30 minutes and cover loosely with foil if it's already beginning to brown.
7. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Smoky Chorizo, Kale, and Sweet Potato Pumpkin Shepherd's Pie, by Diane

Yes, I have been on a shepherd's pie kick. It's been getting cold, and the simplicity of lightly cooking something and shoving it in the oven and having it feed me nutritiously and with the seasons all week long is just too good to resist. Here's my latest creation- a hearty wintery version.

Allow me to describe this dish in two words: DEAR GOD. This is one of my best creations to date. Words cannot express how well the spicy chorizo, smoky paprika, kale sauteed with onions and garlic, and cinnamon-y sweet pumpkin and sweet potato mash go together. And the gravy kicks it into umami territory- savory and damn good. This was so good that I made the fatal mistake of tasting it before packing it into containers for lunches and now I only have 2 days worth of lunches for the week... So...yeah, you should go ahead and make this recipe STAT. I'm already going to have to make another one :)


Ingredients:
Water
4 yams, peeled and cubed
1 lb. chorizo, casings removed
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 16 oz large bag of pre-chopped kale (the entire bag will fit in here I promise!)
1.5 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp red chili flakes
Salt/pepper (I used Goya with pepper for extra flavor!)
2 tbsp flour
1 can pumpkin puree (not the pie mix!)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 large tbsp honey

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add yams and cook until fork tender.

2. Preheat the oven to 350.

3. While the yams cook, heat a large saucepan to medium high and add chorizo, crumbling with the back of a spatula until it breaks down into small pieces. Add the onion and garlic and cook until onions become translucent and chorizo is browned.

4. Add in the kale in bunches, covering in between for 2 minutes, until it all cooks down and is wilted. Uncover and add seasonings to taste. You're going to want to oversalt this mixture as it tends to become more bland when mixed with the sweet potato-pumpkin mixture.

5. Turn heat to low, and spoon pan liquid into a small bowl. In another small bowl, add the flour. Whisk the pan liquid into the flour slowly until a gravy forms. Add gravy back into the pan, mix through, and layer evenly into the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish.

6. Drain the yams and add them back into the pot along with the pumpkin, cinnamon, and honey. Use an immersion blender (or a masher) to make the mixture fairly smooth. Layer over the top of the chorizo mixture.

7. Place the baking dish onto a cookie sheet to avoid spills and bake for 40 minutes or until the top has browned slightly and the chorizo mixture is bubbling. Let cool if you can stand it! :)

Slow Cooker Shrimp & Chicken Sausage Gumbo, by Cheryl

Forgot to take a picture! Taken from here

This is my first post since the new addition to our family came into our lives! It's been 7 weeks since Julia was born and while I'm trudging through the day on limited sleep, I am surprised that I have found some time and energy to try some new recipes. I've been on the lookout for easy recipes that don't require too many ingredients or time. Slow cooker recipes are my friend! And since it's been so cold lately, they are also perfect to warm us up. I got this recipe from my sister-in-law's friend's website. Mine seemed to be very peppery when it was done so I had to add another cup of chicken broth, another can of diced tomatoes, and then some tomato paste to thicken it up a bit. It was ranked number 2 on her site for the top recipes of 2013, but I didn't fall in love with it. Maybe you will?

Ingredients:

8 ounces shrimp, tails removed
12 ounces (4 links) chicken sausage, sliced into 1/4 inch coins
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with chills
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups frozen okra
1 1/12 cups chopped celery
1 green pepper, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (or 1/8 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes)

Directions:

1) Combine all ingredients except shrimp in a slow cooker.

2) Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Add shrimp about 30 minutes before serving, stirring to combine.

Sausage, Pepper, and Cornbread Upsidedown Skillet, by Diane

This recipe is another Diane creation. It was really simple to make, came together pretty quickly, and was really good. I used turkey sausage and low fat cheese to make it healthier, but regular sausage could be substituted or even hot sausage to make it spicy. The recipe for the cornbread came from the back of the package of cornmeal and was also simple to whip together. Finally- I used a camera!!! The pictures look a lot better than normal, and I think for once my creation looks as appealing as it tastes! :)

Ingredients:

Cornbread batter (mix together according to back of package of cornmeal)
1 1/2 tbsp. oil
Turkey sausage, 2 long links, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 of each green, yellow, orange, and red peppers, cut into thin strips
2 medium onions, cut into thin strips
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup each shredded white cheddar and monterey jack cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450, and heat large cast iron skillet on medium high.

2. Add oil into hot skillet, then add peppers and onions. Stir frequently (there will be a lot in the skillet) as to evenly cook veggies. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper in and stir.

3. While the veggies are cooking, mix cornbread batter and set aside. You can shred the cheese now too if you are using blocks instead of pre-packaged cheese.

4. When veggies start to brown slightly, remove and set in a bowl. Add the sausage to the skillet and brown, then add back in veggies and mix. Remove from heat.

5. Sprinkle cheese evenly over ingredients in the skillet, then pour cornbread batter over top and spread to cover evenly. This should reach nearly the top of the skillet.

6. Place the skillet into the oven and cook for approximately 20 minutes or until cornbread is golden brown. (If the batter is spilling over the sides, place the skillet onto a baking sheet before putting into the oven).

7. Remove from oven, place a large circular platter (about 2 inches larger in diameter than the skillet) over top of skillet and flip. Remove skillet and voila!