Penne Sausage Alfredo

Ingredients:
1 roll (16 oz) of Jimmy Dean's Regular Sausage
8 oz. penne pasta, cooked and drained
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. ground pepper
3/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
dash ground thyme
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare penne according to directions on box. Drain and set aside.
Cook sausage over medium heat, breaking sausage up into small pieces until thoroughly cooked through. (approximately 10 minutes)
After sausage is no longer pink and has browned, reduce heat to medium and slowly add the cream and the 8 spices.Bring to an easy boil then reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally until slightly thickened. Stir in Parmesan cheese. After incorporated, toss in the penne and mix well.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Zuppa Toscano the Hungarian/Czech Way

ZUPPA TOSCANO

64 ounces chicken broth
16 ounces whipping cream
1 tsp. salt
1/2  tsp. pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 pound bacon (I use 1 package of 100% Real Bacon Bits (2.5 oz. bag)
10 ounce frozen, chopped spinach
1 lb Jimmy Dean's Original or Italian Pork Sausage Roll
2 large russet potatoes scrubbed and cut in half lengthwise, and then into 1/4 inch slices
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on when served.

 
      Cook and crumble the bacon, set aside. (or have Real Bacon Bits on hand).

      In a Dutch Oven, heat the chicken broth to boiling. Turn off the heat and add the spinach. Place a lid on the pot and let the spinach thaw in the chicken broth.

      Meanwhile, crumble and brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat.

*(Prep potatoes and onion while sausage is browning.)
 After the sausage is browned, place it into the hot chicken broth. Also add the bacon bits to this mixture. Cook over medium low, with out the lid, while you prepare the potatoes.

      In the same skillet you browned the sausage, add the Tablespoon of olive oil . Heat oil over medium heat, add the potatoes and diced onion. Cook potatoes and onions until slightly browned and softened, turning periodically. Halfway through browning, sprinkle potatoes and onions with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Continue cooking until potatoes are cooked almost through.

Add cooked potato/onion mixture to the chicken broth, sausage/bacon and

spinach. Stir thoroughly, replace lid and turn off heat. Let it set until almost ready to serve.

When ready to serve, add whipping cream in very slowly, with no heat on.

When thoroughly incorporated turn heat to medium/low and heat to serving temperature. (without a lid on.)

Have the fresh grated Parmesan cheese available to be sprinkled by each person to their liking.
I also serve this with homemade bread or pepperoni rolls...oh so yummy!

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!  

Polenta Pepper Pie

2 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 pound bulk Italian Sausage
5 or 6 thinly sliced green pepper rings
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
1/3 cup finely shredded carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup grated Romano Cheese
1/2 cup shredded provolone cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium saucepan bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil.
Meanwhile, combine remaining 1 cup water, 1/2 tsp. salt and cornmeal together in a separate bowl. Slowly pour cornmeal mixture into boiling water, stirring constantly using a wooden spoon. Cook and stir till thick and bubbly. Continue cooking over low heat 5 minutes more or till very thick, stirring frequently.
Grease an 8 inch cake pan and spoon half the polenta mixture into it. Cover the surface of the polenta with a waxed paper circle, and using your fingers, press the waxed paper to pat polenta into an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Remove waxed paper and place it in the bottom of another ungreased 8 inch pan. spoon the other half of the polenta in this pan and repeat the pressing even technique using another waxed paper circle. Set the cake pan aside. Place the first pan (the greased one) in the oven and bake, uncovered for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook finely crumbled sausage, chopped green pepper, carrot and onion till sausage is brown and vegetables are tender. Drain well. Stir in tomato paste and Romano Cheese.
Spoon the sausage mixture evenly over the baked polenta. Carefully invert the unbaked polenta layer on top of the sausage mixture. Put back in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Top with green pepper slices and provolone cheese; bake for 10 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before slicing into 6 wedges to serve.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

This is definitely a favorite of mine and something different to serve when special family members or friends come for a visit.