Tag: recipes

One Pot Creamy Sausage Pasta

Published on by Holly SpanglerLeave a comment

One pot sausage pasta has become a go to weekly meal for my family. If I’m being honest… the little ones won’t even eat it. BUT it makes great leftovers for Ryan and I and to pack for his lunch the next day. The good thing is I can always pull some of the pasta to the side before throwing it into the pot, and pull out some raw peppers for the kids to have with their meal since they will eat them raw but not cooked… weird, I know.

It’s pretty easy and quick to throw together as long as you have all the ingredients on hand, and it’s super creamy and delicious with cream cheese and white wine in the mix. This sausage pasta would be great for a weeknight meal, or even for entertaining, served with a light salad.

What you need to make one pot sausage pasta

Two large pots – Ok so I know it’s called “one pot sausage pasta,” but hear me out… the other pot is just to boil pasta, so I don’t really count it.

Loose sausage of choice – To make this sausage pasta I usually use the country style loose sausage from the store or a one pound bulk package from the farm near us that does pastured pork. You can use any flavor you want. I’ve made this recipe with chorizo sausage, country style or sage sausage, and it’s delicious either way.

Vegetables & Pasta – To enhance the flavor of the sausage pasta I add onion, sweet peppers, garlic, and fresh baby spinach. My favorite shapes of pasta for this dish are bowtie or shells.

White wine – I find that adding wine always brings dishes to the next level and there is no exception here! I find the white wine elevates the flavor of the sauce and makes it feel fancy for a weeknight meal. Any wine will do, just not something too sweet.

Tomato paste – I use the Cento tomato paste that comes in a tube. It has the best flavor and so easy to store for later use!

How to make creamy sausage pasta

Prep your ingredients – There really isn’t much prep for this recipe which makes it great for a weeknight meal. Before I start cooking I just chop up half an onion, 2 cloves of garlic, a whole bell pepper, and 2 cups of baby spinach. I also boil the water for the pasta. Throw the noodles in to cook as soon as the water is boiling.

Brown the sausage/sauté the vegetables – Heat a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium high heat, and put about a tablespoon of olive oil in once it’s hot. Then brown the sausage and when it’s finished remove it to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium, add a little more olive oil, and the peppers and onions. Cook them for about 4-5 minutes until the onions become translucent. Then add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Add the chopped spinach and continue cooking until it starts to wilt.

Spinach and sausage with peppers

Make the sauce – The sauce for the creamy sausage pasta is made right in the pot with the rest of the ingredients, that’s what makes it so easy. Add the sausage back into the peppers, onions, and spinach, then add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, as well as some fresh cracked black pepper. Sauté the tomato paste for about 2 minutes. Add in the white wine and mix everything together. Simmer it for about 2-3 more minutes reducing the wine a bit. Then add in the cream cheese in chunks, stirring until it melts completely. Finally add in a cup of pasta water from the boiling pasta. Let the sauce simmer for a minute to thicken it up.

Add the pasta and serve – Lastly, drain the pasta and add it all back into the pot with the sauce. Combine everything together and season with salt as needed. I always use seasoned salt. Serve it with a piece of crusty bread, or a light salad. This one pot sausage pasta is so easy for weeknight meals, and great as leftovers. Let me know in the comments if you made this and what you think! See below for a recipe card…

Creamy sausage pasta with peppers and spinach

nugget life

Published on by Holly SpanglerLeave a comment

veggie chicken nuggets

kid approved and mom-approved, kind of a pain in the butt to make, but as my 2-year-old would say, “so delicious and so healthy!”

ingredients

1 lb ground chicken
3-4 large broccoli florets
1 medium-sized carrot
½ red bell pepper
¼ large yellow onion (If it’s a small onion, use a half)
1 large egg, beaten
¼ tsp kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/8-1/4 tsp garlic powder
Few shakes of smoked paprika
1/3-1/2 cup italian seasoned breadcrumbs, plus more for coating
panko breadcrumbs
olive oil

instructions

pulse broccoli, carrots, onion, and red pepper in a food processor. saute over medium heat with some olive oil until veggies start to soften. in a large bowl, beat egg and add chicken. once veggies are softened, add into chicken and egg. add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. add in 1/3-1/2 cups of the italian breadcrumbs until meatball consistency. You want it to be able to hold its shape together enough to form into nugget shapes. mix together about half and half panko bread crumbs and italian seasoned breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. form meat mixture into nugget shapes (I just grabbed about as much as I would need for a meatball, rolled it into a ball and pressed it flat). it’s easier to do with wet hands so the mixture doesn’t stick. coat each nugget in breadcrumbs and set aside. heat oil over medium heat in a skillet. cook nuggets for about 4 minutes on each side. i’m a crazy person and put the lid on the pan while they were cooking on the first side, just to make extra sure i wouldn’t give everyone salmonella (but this probably isn’t necessary). 🙂

nugget life – toddler and mom approved vegetable chicken nuggets

Published on by Holly SpanglerLeave a comment

veggie chicken nuggets with carrots and broccoli

Vegetable chicken nuggets.
Vegetable chicken nuggets.

kid approved and mom-approved, these vegetable chicken nuggets are kind of a pain in the butt to make, but as my 2-year-old would say, “so delicious and so healthy!” plus they’re packed with healthy veggies. inspired by perdue chicken plus nuggets which i can’t find anywhere in california! love that my kiddos are getting a good serving of vegetables and protein in these nuggets and they really are delicious. i probably ate more of them than my son… enjoy!

ingredients

1 lb ground chicken
3-4 large broccoli florets
1 medium-sized carrot
½ red bell pepper
¼ large yellow onion (If it’s a small onion, use a half)
1 large egg, beaten
¼ tsp kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/8-1/4 tsp garlic powder
Few shakes of smoked paprika
1/3-1/2 cup italian seasoned breadcrumbs, plus more for coating
panko breadcrumbs
olive oil

instructions

pulse broccoli, carrots, onion, and red pepper in a food processor. saute over medium heat with some olive oil until veggies start to soften. in a large bowl, beat egg and add chicken. once veggies are softened, add into chicken and egg. add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. add in 1/3-1/2 cups of the italian breadcrumbs until meatball consistency. You want it to be able to hold its shape together enough to form into nugget shapes. mix together about half and half panko bread crumbs and italian seasoned breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. form meat mixture into nugget shapes (I just grabbed about as much as I would need for a meatball, rolled it into a ball and pressed it flat). it’s easier to do with wet hands so the mixture doesn’t stick. coat each nugget in breadcrumbs and set aside. heat oil over medium heat in a skillet. cook nuggets for about 4 minutes on each side. i’m a crazy person and put the lid on the pan while they were cooking on the first side, just to make extra sure i wouldn’t give everyone salmonella (but this probably isn’t necessary). 🙂

Instant Pot pulled pork.

the pork speaks for itself

Published on by Holly Spangler1 Comment

instant pot pulled pork

…the two year old ate his entire serving (unheard of), and the 8 month old couldn’t stop shoveling it in. enjoy!

ingredients

6-7 pound bone in pork shoulder

dry rub:
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar, 1 ½ tbsp kosher salt, ½ tbsp fresh ground black pepper, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp ancho chili powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, a few shakes of cinnamon (to taste).

braising liquid: 1 can of beer (i used blue moon), about ½ cup of water, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce

olive oil

instructions

the night before, mix together dry rub and cut pork into 2-3 large pieces. add pork and dry rub to a bowl or gallon sized plastic bag, along with dry rub and a few glugs of olive oil. mix together so all the pork is coated in the dry rub/olive oil mixture. refrigerate overnight. next day, add pork and braising liquid to instant pot. cook on manual mode, high pressure for 90 minutes. let pressure cooker naturally release for at least 10 minutes, then you can manually release steam. enjoy tender, juicy pulled pork 🙂

Instant Pot pulled pork.

the pork speaks for itself – instant pot pulled pork

Published on by Holly Spangler1 Comment

instant pot pulled pork

Instant Pot bbq pulled pork.

…the two year old ate his entire serving (unheard of), and the 8 month old couldn’t stop shoveling it in. enjoy!

ingredients

6-7 pound bone in pork shoulder

dry rub:
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar, 1 ½ tbsp kosher salt, ½ tbsp fresh ground black pepper, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp ancho chili powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, a few shakes of cinnamon (to taste).

braising liquid: 1 can of beer (i used blue moon), about ½ cup of water, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce

olive oil

instructions

the night before, mix together dry rub and cut pork into 2-3 large pieces. add pork and dry rub to a bowl or gallon sized plastic bag, along with dry rub and a few glugs of olive oil. mix together so all the pork is coated in the dry rub/olive oil mixture. refrigerate overnight. next day, add pork and braising liquid to instant pot. cook on manual mode, high pressure for 90 minutes. let pressure cooker naturally release for at least 10 minutes, then you can manually release steam. enjoy tender, juicy pulled pork 🙂