Turkey Sausage Peppers & Sweet Potato Hash

Clearly I'm obsessed with making stir-fry/skillets/stove-top meal since I've been out on summer break - 6 days now. :) I'm sure it's because typically these take a longer time to prep - all the veggie chopping and whatnot. But even so, I could always prep it on Sunday! Once it's prepped, it took less than 20 min to put together. So yummy.

The original recipe used kielbasa.. I used turkey sausage. I also added mushrooms, and instead of regular potatoes, I used sweet potatoes. I finally found a way Will will eat sweet potatoes - roasted, brown, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. So I roasted the sweet potatoes in the oven instead of cooking them in a separate skillet like the recipe called for.

Low carb and deliciousness all in one dish... mmmm!

1 (14 ounce) pkg turkey sausage, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, diced
6 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
3 small or 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
olive oil spray
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put foil on a baking sheet and spray with olive oil. Put the diced sweet potatoes in a bowl, and drizzle a little olive oil over them. Sprinkle some salt/pepper and toss. Spread the potatoes on the foil. Bake for about 15 minutes, toss, and then bake them about 10 more minutes. Remove from oven & set aside.

In a cast iron skillet sprayed with olive oil, brown the sliced turkey sausage for around 5 minutes over medium high heat. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside. Spray pan, and add the peppers and onions to the skillet and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 4 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add sliced mushrooms and stir for another minute or so. Last, add the cooked sweet potatoes and turkey sausage to the skillet with the onions/peppers/mushrooms and mix everything together. Serve nice and hot!

Original recipe found here.

Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches

I've been making these freezer breakfast sandwiches since August 2013. I swear I had these everyday during the 2013-2014 school year. I STILL eat them every school day... well, except for the days I don't use self-control and go to Starbucks... but hey, I get the reduced-fat turkey bacon breakfast sandwich there anyway!

I have been asked SO many times for my recipe, and for some reason I never posted it. I always directed people to the JessFuel site, which is where I got the recipe from. But of course I've tweaked it and tried different meats, all of which are delicious!

I usually make 6 at a time, only because the English muffins come in packs of 6. But I've done 12 at a time when I make them for Will too!

With turkey sausage patties...

With turkey bacon...

English muffins (Thomas' Light/High Fiber)
Kraft Singles 2% Sharp Cheddar slices
eggs
Meat of choice - I've used turkey sausage patties, ham, turkey bacon - all delicious)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray ramekins with cooking spray and crack one egg into each ramekin. Use a knife to gently pierce the yolk. Bake for about 12-14 minutes, or until eggs are cooked. Let cool a little and remove from ramekins... they should fall right out if you used cooking spray. I have forgotten the cooking spray before... and it was a problem.

Cut your English muffins in half and lay out. Use 1 slice of cheese on each muffin. I fold the slice into fourths. On top of the cheese, put your meat. If using turkey bacon, cook it, then break each slice into thirds and place on cheese. If you use ham sandwich meat, just lay it on top, and if you use a turkey sausage patty, just lay it on top as well.

Top with the egg, then the top of the muffin. Wrap each breakfast sandwich in plastic wrap well. I put the wrapped sandwiches into a large Ziploc bag and let freeze.

To heat up, you'll just have to experiment with your microwave. Remove plastic wrap and wrap the sandwich in a paper towel. Microwave on one side for 45-55 seconds, flip, then microwave the other side for another 45-55 seconds.

Original recipe found here.

Sauteed Cabbage with Sausage and Mushrooms

Wow - this is GOOD. Easy too. I know I will be making this dish often. It's been a week since I made this (yes, I am behind on my posting). Just typing the blog entry about the dish makes me want some right now!

8 oz chicken or turkey sausage, cut into rounds (I used Johnsonville Apple Chicken Sausage)
2 tsp olive oil
2 c sliced mushrooms (I like baby bellas)
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced 
1 small head of green cabbage, hard core removed and sliced
1/2 tsp dried sage
dash cayenne pepper (I used more than a dash because we like the spice)
2 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large skillet, brown the sausage over medium heat. Once it is browned, set aside. Add 1 tsp oil to the pan, then add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Saute until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are tender. Remove them from the pan and set aside.

Add the remaining oil, then add the cabbage and start sauteing. Season with sage and cayenne. When the cabbage begins to soften, return the sausage and mushroom mixture to the pan. Cook until the cabbage becomes very tender. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper to your liking. Add more cayenne if you want the saute to be really spicy. Toss in the vinegar at the last minute, then serve immediately. YUM!

Original recipe found here.

Turkey Kielbasa Stew

This is great! Perfect for this stormy and sort of cold night. New favorite for sure!

1 lb turkey kielbasa sausage, cut into slices
1 (14 oz) can beef broth
1 can tomato soup (10.75 oz)
1/2 c water
3 c shredded cabbage
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 c lite sour cream

In a large saucepan over medium heat, spray with olive oil spray, and cook sausage until brown. Pour broth, tomato soup and water into pan with sausage. Stir in cabbage, onion and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes, or until flavors are well blended. Stir in sour cream and heat through before serving.

Original recipe found here.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Jambalaya with Chicken & Turkey Sausage

Easy and delicious... and from Fitness Magazine. As you know, I love a crock pot meal... and this is great. Will is also a picky eater (see: snobby eater) of jambalaya and he loved it. We had lots for leftovers.

thinly sliced chicken breasts (I used 4 of those)
8 oz sliced turkey sausage (I used the whole 16 oz!!)
16 oz package frozen bell peppers and onions
2 c water
1 can diced tomatoes with jalapeno peppers, undrained
1 package jambalaya rice mix (I used Zatarain's)

Pour frozen bell peppers and onions into crock pot. Lay chicken on top, then put in the turkey sausage. Pour the can of tomatoes (undrained) into a bowl and add the 2 cups of water. Stir in the seasoning packet from the rice. Pour into crock pot and cook on low 5-6 hours. About 45 minutes before serving, add rice and stir. Turn on to the high setting and let cook 30-45 more minutes.

Original recipe found here.

Skillet Turkey Sausage & Rice

This is one of those recipes that I immediately knew would go into the weekly recipe rotation. Once school starts, obviously I won't have time to try lots of fun, new recipes. This is SO easy and SO delicious, it will be perfect to have every week. Not to mention sausage and rice dishes are Will's favorite. Including cutting up the bell pepper, onion, and sausage, this dish took a total of 30 min. Awesome.

1 pkg (16 oz) smoked turkey or chicken sausage
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 c fat-free chicken broth
2 bags quick-cooking brown rice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
fresh chopped parsley

Cut sausage into 1/2-inch slices. Sauté in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove sausage slices, and drain on paper towels.

Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic to skillet, and sauté over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until tender. Add chicken broth, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet, and bring to a boil. Remove rice from cooking bag; add rice, sausage, salt, and pepper to skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 5 minutes or until rice is tender. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley!

Original recipe found here.

Spicy Turkey Sausage and Penne Pasta

First of all, turkey sausage is amazing. I really should cook with it more often. AND the sauce is cheesy and creamy. The original recipe did not call for Sriracha sauce. But I wanted to make it more spicy, and Will keeps a bottle of that stuff and puts it on everything... so I thought I'd try it out. It was awesome. So if you like spice, use it. If you don't, leave it out. This dish tasted like a yummy pasta dish I'd get at a restaurant, but likely more healthy. :)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked turkey sausage
1.5 c diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c low-sodium chicken broth
1 can Rotel
1/2 c cream
10 oz penne pasta
1/2 tsp salt & pepper, each
1 c Monteray Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 c thinly sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add olive oil to a large pan and heat over-medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and diced onions. Cook until lightly browned, about 4-5 min. Then add garlic and cook 1 additional minute. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, and salt/pepper to the pan and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to med-low and simmer, covered, for about 15 min. Remove pan from heat, and stir in 1/2 c cheese and 1/4 c green onions. Spray a 9x13" casserole dish and transfer pasta mixture to dish. Sprinkle top with remaining cheese & green onions. Bake about 10-15 min or until bubbling and cheese is lightly browned. Let cool and enjoy!

Original recipe found here.