navy bean soup with sausage & spinach

I think we're experiencing one of the last cold spells of the year here in Louisiana, so I wanted to make one last hearty, soul-warming soup. This soup was incredibly easy, but boasts huge flavor and major filling power. In short, it's AWESOME.

Lately I've been trying to ween myself off of my bouillon crutch. I usually use chicken bouillon (Better Than Bouillon brand) to add oomph to my soups and just make the whole process super easy and flavorful. What I've found recently, though, is that I really enjoy the subtly of broths made simply by the vegetables and herbs that I use in the soup. This soup is a perfect example. Plus, this way you can be in complete control over the sodium.

I used smoked sausage in this soup, but there are a couple of options if you don't want to use sausage. You can substitute the sausage with bacon (about 6 ounces should do), or you can use a smoked ham hock. The ham hock doesn't need to be sauteed, just add it in when with the beans, herbs, and water. If you want to do a vegetarian version, just add a little liquid smoke to give the broth that nice smokey depth. The vegetables and herbs should add all of the flavor that you need!

This recipe makes a huge batch, but it can be easily halved... which I totally should have done! Oh well, guess I'll have some stocked in my freezer for a while. No complaints here. It's delish!

Oh, P.S. Both my sausage and spinach were on sale. One hint for spinach... avoid the small, salad sized bags of spinach and look for the large bags of "cooking spinach". They're about three times the size of bagged salad spinach and contain the exact same thing. Mine was on sale for $2.50, which is less than the small bags of "salad" spinach!!

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creamy spinach & sausage pasta

I saw this recipe over at Kevin & Amanda the other day and immediately knew that I wanted to make it. Of course, I made some changes to fit the ingredients I had on hand and my personal preferences. The bones of the recipe, though, are perfect. It's a one skillet meal, it cooks in about 30 minutes, and it's got everything I want (pasta, meat, vegetables, and cheese). That's a winner in my book.

I nixed the heavy cream in the original recipe because I figured that between the cheese and sausage, there'd be plenty of fat/creaminess going on, and I was right. The end result was rich, but not so much so that you'll get a belly ache. I also added fresh spinach because I have a HUGE bag in my fridge just waiting to be used up. Plus, I felt that the recipe needed a little green.

Some other vegetable options for this recipe are bell peppers or broccoli. Both go great with smoked sausage. If you want to add bell peppers, cut them into thin strips and saute them with the onions in the beginning. If you want to add broccoli, cut it into very small florets and add it with the pasta so that it can simmer a little bit and soften. There are so many different ways you can take this recipe... I'm excited to hear what you come up with!

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sausage & kale cassoulet

I know I've done the whole sausage-bean-kale thing numerous times, but that's because it's so good.

This might not be a traditional cassoulet, but that's the closest word I could find to describe what's going on here. It's beans slowly cooked with meat so that the rendered fat has time to soak in and give everything the most amazing flavor. I added kale, which isn't traditional in cassoulet, just so I could get some greens in there and have everything I needed in one bowl. If you're not into kale, you can add a half bunch of parsley, which is much more traditional for cassoulet.

This dish surprised me with it's deep, rich flavor. It's just a few simple ingredients, but tastes like a million bucks. I guess that's why cassoulet has been one of those classic poor mans' meals that has survived for centuries. It just works.

Serve this with some fantastic french bread to sop up the wonderful liquid in the bottom of your bowl and you'll be one happy camper.

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baked spaghetti with sausage

I never really understood the point of baking spaghetti... it just seemed like an extra step that stood between me and eating it. But, there's something about a hot, cheesy casserole straight out of the oven that is extra comforting.

Now that I've baked my spaghetti, I totally get it. Baking it in the oven not only lets the cheese get all gooey, but it lets the spaghetti soak up some flavor from the sauce and get all deeeelicious. It's worth the extra 30 minutes.

I made a quick meat sauce using Italian sausage, which is heavily seasoned and provided all of the herbs and spices that were needed to flavor the sauce. If you want to make a vegetarian version of this (with say, mushrooms and green peppers) be sure to add a good tablespoon or so of Italian seasoning blend to make up for the missing spices in the sausage.

This recipe is perfect for freezing, so pack up half of it and save it for a rainy day when you want something warm and comforting!

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kale & chorizo frittata

Inspired by this recipe that showed up in my mail box last week, I decided to pair two of my favorites, kale and chorizo, into one easy breakfast strata!

I also bought my first cast iron skillet this week, which is awesome because I was able to saute and bake all of the ingredients in ONE DISH! If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you can still easily make this strata by transferring the sauteed kale and chorizo to a casserole dish before adding the egg mixture (as I did in this recipe).

The other reason that this recipe is so easy is that the chorizo brings all of the flavor and seasoning to the table. There is so much flavor in the chorizo, in fact, that it is completely unnecessary to add any additional spices or herbs. Just six simple ingredients and you've got yourself a hearty, delicious dish. Add some toast and a piece of fruit and you've got a restaurant quality breakfast.


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cajun pasta salad

I love pasta salads in the summer because they're filling, have bold flavors and textures, and (most importantly) they're COLD!

I made this pasta salad with a cajun flare by adding smoked pork sausage, classic cajun vegetables like bell pepper, onion, and celery (the "holy trinity" in cajun cooking), and then coating it all with a garlic and cayenne vinaigrette. Don't worry, the cayenne isn't extremely spicy and you can adjust it to your preference!

This salad is sturdy enough to stand on its own as a main dish or you can downsize the portions and make it a side. It's perfect for a hot summer night! Plus, it just gets tastier and tastier every day as the flavors mingle in the fridge!

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skillet lasagna

Those of you who follow Budget Bytes on Facebook may recall a few weeks back when I tried to make Alton Brown's slow cooker lasagna and it turned out... less than fabulous.

Well, everyone seemed so excited about making lasagna in a slow cooker that I've been researching the idea ever since. After looking at about a million recipes, I have come to the conclusion that there isn't much of an advantage to making lasagna in the slow cooker. The recipes all looked like just as much work and required either a) cooking ingredients prior to putting them in the slow cooker, b) laborious layering just like regular lasagna, or c) an awkward cooking time (4 hours? Can't do that while you're at work or while asleep so what's the point? Just make regular lasagna in half the time...).

Anyway, I've decided that the easiest way to achieve lasagna goodness is to make it in a skillet. Yes, like hamburger helper... but a hundred times better. It isn't pretty and layered like regular lasagna but in exchange you don't have to spend time building it and you don't have to subsequently bake the thing for 45 minutes. AND IT'S EVERY BIT AS DELICIOUS!

So, here is how it's done:


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cuban chorizo stew

I came across this post on the Parsley Thief a couple of weeks ago and was very inspired by the combination of coconut milk and black beans (two of my favorite ingredients!). So, I had to give it a try. I had some extra chorizo in my freezer from when I made the chorizo and sweet potato enchiladas so I decided to use that along with a couple other things to turn the recipe into a stew. It turned out FANTASTIC! I also cooked some jasmine rice to serve along with it. Basmati would also be great.

The flavor combination of the stew is perfect. Hot spices mellowed out by the creamy coconut milk and a little acidity from the tomatoes to cut through the coconut cream. A little fresh cilantro to liven it up and everything is in perfect balance!

If you're a vegetarian or are not crazy about all of the fat in chorizo, this stew would still be stunningly delicious without the chorizo. Or, you can try some vegetarian chorizo (sold with other refrigerated meat substitutes, usually in the produce section) which is much lower in fat and calories.

The night before I made this recipe, I whipped up a batch of black beans in my slow cooker. If you haven't tried this method for cooking beans yet, YOU MUST. It's so easy and saves so much money. All you have to do is put in the dry beans and water, turn it on high and let it do it's thing for four hours. Then, I ladle the beans and liquid into three containers (2 cups each, roughly equal to one can each) and refrigerate or freeze them until use. It only takes ten minutes of total effort. Seriously, try it. Here is my post with more detailed directions.


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lentil & sausage stew

Okay, you're really going to have to try not to judge a book by it's cover here. I know this stew isn't the prettiest thing to look at but, OMG, it will knock the socks right off your taste buds! No joke. We're talking insanely delicious here... like "at the end of the week I'll be sad that there isn't any left" delicious.

The recipe posted below is adapted from this Lentil Sausage Soup over on dlynz.com. I still have half of a huge bag of lentils to use up and I'm trying to fiber pack my diet so this soup/stew really fit the bill. And, as always, I made some changes to the recipe to accommodate what was available to me at good price.

The recipe makes a ton but luckily it freezes well. If you want to make a half batch just cut everything in half. Sausage usually doesn't come in a smaller pack than 1 lb. but luckily, sausage also freezes well. I went for a reduced fat turkey "Italian Sausage" because of the cholesterol issue and I was pleasantly surprised! I fully expected it to gag me but it turned out insanely delicious and I couldn't even tell that it was turkey instead of pork. SCORE!

Okay, on to the recipe...


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jambalaya

Once I got over the excitement of roasting a chicken, I quickly realized that roasted chicken is not the type of thing that I really enjoy eating (smart, eh?). So, I set to work turning the chicken into something that I would actually look forward to eating, like... Jambalaya!


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sausage po boys

Sometimes I just want a good, hearty sandwich but whenever I'm at the grocery store, I'm always deterred by the price of sandwich meat. Sandwich meat isn't that fantastic to begin with then they want to charge $3 or more for a small 9 oz. tub. So, I've begun to expand my sandwich meat horizons.

This week I explored sausage. In a moment of weakness, I picked up the really good (and more expensive) sausage. Even though this smoked hot sausage was $4.59 per pound, it's still less expensive (per pound) than one of those tubs of sandwich meat. Plus, it freezes really well so I can just use one link at a time, if I want to. Which I do. Had I purchased the sausage that was on special for $2.99 per pound, these po boys would have been REALLY inexpensive.

Po Boys are the south's answer to the submarine sandwich. They're supposed to be made on special po boy bread but if you can't get it you can use one of those big french loaves that most grocers sell for $0.99-$1.49. That's what I used because, even though I live in Po Boy central, there was only one type at the grocery store and it was just too pricey. Po Boy bread is pretty close to a french loaf although the crust may be a little more crispy and chewy. It's pretty good if you can get a hold of some.

I made a special "spread" to go on the po boys but regular mustard and mayo can be substituted if you prefer. Any type of mustard can be used but I chose to use coarse ground because I love the spicy bite... which again was more expensive than regular mustard. Man, I'm starting to splurge a little too much!


Pictured with cajun sweet potato "fries." Recipe to come later this weekend.
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louisiana red beans & rice

I've lived in southern Louisiana for nine years now so it's about time I try to make some Red Beans and Rice from scratch. Honestly, until now, I've been content with buying the Bluerunner canned "Creole Cream Style Red Beans", heating them up and tossing in some cooked sausage. But, I figure, at some point I need to learn to make them or else they'll throw me out of Louisiana. So, I did some recipe research and finally came up with a plan. I based my recipe on the one found in The Joy of Cooking but with a few tweaks to meet my needs. The biggest debate was whether or not to buy a smoked ham hock. In the end, I didn't get one because I wanted to simplify the ingredient list. Plus, they were sold in a pack of three and I didn't know what I'd do with the other two. Instead, I sauteed the sausage first and used the grease from that to flavor the vegetables and broth. Truth be told, I will buy a smoked ham hock next time because I believe it will add A LOT to the final flavor profile. The beans were still amazing and I can't wait to make it again and hone my red-bean making skills! (See notes below for directions for using a ham hock).

One more thing. This is definitely a Sunday afternoon recipe. It takes a few hours to cook but most of it is passive time so you can go do chores or something else and just check in with the beans once in a while.


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meatball stroganoff

Okay, I saved the best for last! This Meatball Stroganoff is my favorite of all of the recipes that I made with my homemade meatballs. Yes, it is a little bit more expensive per serving than most of my other recipes but it is worth every penny and still a bargain compared to a $8-$12 dish at a restaurant. I love the creamy, beefy sauce with the Italian Meatballs and when they are piled high on top of wide egg noodles, it is truly something special! If you've made meatballs and have some in your freezer, please take them out and make this Stroganoff right away!



Total Recipe cost: $7.99
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Cost per serving: $2.00
Prep time: 5 min. Cook time: 35 min. Total: 40 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
16	homemade italian meatballs	$3.52
12 oz.	wide egg noodles	$1.04
8 oz.	white button mushrooms	$1.88
2 cups (1 can)	beef broth	$0.97
1 cup	milk	$0.33
3 Tbsp	butter	$0.15
3 Tbsp	flour	$0.05
to taste	salt and pepper	$0.05
TOTAL		$7.99

STEP 1: Rinse the mushrooms and slice 1/4 inch thick. In a large skillet, cook the mushrooms in the 3 Tbsp of butter. This may seem like a lot of butter for the mushrooms but you need that quantity of butter for the roux/thickening power for the sauce.



STEP 2: Once the mushrooms have fully cooked and all of the liquid they released has evaporated, add the 3 Tbsp of flour. Stir and cook the flour covered mushrooms until the flour is golden brown (about 2-3 minutes)



STEP 3: Next, whisk in the milk and beef broth until all of the flour is dissolved. Continue to cook and simmer the sauce over medium heat until it has thickened (about 5-10 minutes).



STEP 4: While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the egg noodles according to the package directions (boil for 5-10 minutes).

STEP 5: Drain the noodles and divide into four servings. Top each serving of noodles with four meatballs and about 3/4 cup of sauce. Enjoy!


It was so good that I COULDN'T help myself while taking the pictures...

NOTE: It wasn't until well after I finished making this that I remembered Stroganoff is traditionally made with a sour cream sauce. Woops. Either way, this is delicious! The sour cream would add a nice little tang and I bet you wouldn't have to go through the trouble of making a roux so perhaps next time I'll try it with sour cream instead. Because there DEFINITELY will be a next time!

mom's mostaccioli

Spicy Italian sausage, peppers, onions, pasta, red sauce and cheese... you can't go wrong. This is one of my all-time favorite dishes from when I was growing up. I'm calling this one "Mom's Mostaccioli" as a tribute to my mother who taught me the value of a nutritious meal. My mother cooked delicious meals for our family of seven almost every night of the week and watching her was an invaluable experience. If it wasn't for what I learned watching my mother, this blog wouldn't exist. I love you mom!


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spinach and sausage pasta

This recipe was inspired by my fabulous hair stylist, Amy. While her recipe was different, it got my wheels spinning and this is what came out! If you're not a fan of sausage, this recipe would also be great with some well seasoned grilled chicken breast (cut into chunks).

Spinach and Sausage Pasta


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