Homemade Sweet Italian Sausage recipe

Posted on March 23, 2013 · Leave a Comment
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Homemade Sweet Italian Sausage recipe

It has been  many years since I have made my own sausage, so I started a category for sausage making a couple of months ago. Breakfast Sausage ; I forgot how good the fresh sausage is. My wife said, “Wow this is really good you could sell a lot of this”. Well I think she forgot that that is exactly what we use to do, except at that time, we used a venison and pork combination because we processed venison for the hunters. This Homemade Italian Sausage recipe has a good blend of seasoning that works for wild game, pork or beef. Venison is kind of dry so I usually use a 50/50 combination of venison, and pork butts, but you can mix the combination up to suit your taste. You can link your sausage by purchasing casing from your local market. If you can’t locate them in the meat counter ask the meat department- they can order them for you. I like to spit the sausage up a little bit so I have some links, and some bulk Italian sausage in the freezer. If you decide to make links you will need 32-35mm hog casings along with a sausage stuffer, or an attachment for your grinder. (Most home electric meat grinders come with the attachment)

Homemade Sweet Italian Sausage recipe
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: Makes 5 pounds

Ingredients
  • 5 pounds of pork butts or (pork and venison combination)
  • 2½ tablespoons of canning or pickling salt
  • 8 ounces of ice water
  • 1½ teaspoons fennel seed (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper (fresh ground)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1½ teaspoon sugar

Instructions
  1. Cut the meat up to fit the size of your grinder. If you are using a combination of different kinds of meat, like wild game and pork, mix the meat together before grinding.
  2. Grind the meat through a 1/ 4 or 3/ 8 inch size plate.
  3. In a medium size bowl, starting with the water, combine all the ingredients. Using your hands or a meat mixer, mix the seasoning into the meat until thoroughly combined.
  4. Note about hog casing-they may be packed in salt, so thoroughly rinse them, and flush them out with cold water before stuffing.
  5. Place the sausage casing over the stuffing horn, and then stuff and link. Take out what you need fresh and freeze the rest.

 

Homemade Sweet Italian Sausage recipe Homemade Sweet Italian Sausage recipe

Homemade Sweet Italian Sausage recipe Homemade Sweet Italian Sausage recipe

Homemade Sweet Italian Sausage recipe

Filed Under: Homemade Sausage, Simple Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Slow Cooker Chicken and Shrimp Recipe

Posted on February 23, 2013 · 1 Comment
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Slow Cooker Chicken and Shrimp Recipe

When I first saw this recipe I wasn’t sure how well chicken thighs and shrimp would blend together but it worked pretty well. Because of using dark meat the chicken remained nice and moist. I unusually don’t like cooking pasta in the slow cooker; I’d rather do it separately; because it was Orzo I thought that it might work out ok, and it did. If you have a busy day coming up you can get this on in the morning and finish it off in the evening when you get home. Combing the chicken and shrimp is a little different but I thought it was really good.

The next time you plan on using your slow cooker give this Slow Cooker Chicken and Shrimp Recipe a try. Enjoy

Slow Cooker Chicken and Shrimp Recipe
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 6

Ingredients
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into bite size pieces)
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil (for browning chicken)
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
  • 2 celery ribs (chopped)
  • 1 medium green pepper (cut into 1-inch pieces)
  • 1 medium onion (coarsely chopped)
  • 2 garlic cloves (sliced)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ cup uncooked orzo pasta
  • 1 pound cooked medium shrimp (peeled and deveined)

Instructions
  1. In a large skillet brown the chicken pieces using the oil.
  2. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and mix in the rest of the ingredients except for the shrimp and pasta.
  3. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours or until chicken is tender. Add the pasta and turn the slow cooker on high; cook for about 15 minutes or until pasta is tender. Mix in the shrimp and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until shrimp is heated through.
  4. Serve Hot

Slow Cooker Chicken and Shrimp Recipe Slow Cooker Chicken and Shrimp Recipe

Slow Cooker Chicken and Shrimp Recipe

Filed Under: Crock Pot Recipes, Fish and Wild Game, Italian Recipes, Simple Recipes, slow cooker, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Pizza Meat Loaf Recipe

Posted on February 15, 2013 · Leave a Comment
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Pizza Meat Loaf Recipe

Meat loaf and meatballs always seem to have a good combination of ingredients and this recipe is no exception. If you and your family like meat loaf, give this Pizza Meat Loaf Recipe a try. This recipe caught my eye because of the green pepper the recipe called for. If you don’t like the taste of green peppers just leave them out. This is a simple recipe that doesn’t require a lot of prep time, but it does require about an hour of baking time. As part of the ingredients this recipe uses fresh bread crumbs in place of the traditional dried. To make the fresh bread just process slices of bread in tour blender to form the crumbs. This Pizza Meat Loaf Recipe is pretty good; the family really enjoyed it. Give it a try.

Pizza Meat Loaf Recipe
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients
  • 1 package dry onion soup mix
  • 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 1½ fresh bread crumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 small green pepper (chopped)(optional)
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 cup of your favorite pasta sauce (divided)
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. In a large bowl mix together the ground beef, bread crumbs, eggs, green pepper, water, ½ cup pasta sauce and ½ cup cheese. (Using your hands work best for this)
  3. In a 13 x 9 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray, or lined with aluminum foil, shape the burger into a loaf. Then coat the top with the rest of the pasta sauce.
  4. bake uncovered for 50 minutes to an hour or until meat loaf is done. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Return the meatloaf to the oven and continue baking until the cheese is melted.
  5. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

 

Pizza Meat Loaf Recipe Pizza Meat Loaf Recipe

Pizza Meat Loaf Recipe Pizza Meat Loaf Recipe

Filed Under: Italian Recipes, Simple Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Recipe

Posted on November 3, 2012 · Leave a Comment
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Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Recipe

I wasn’t sure when I looked at this recipe if it really was Spanish or not. It kind of looked like it favored Italian cuisine a little better. However I thought this Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Recipe looked pretty good, so I decided to give it a try. I have a pretty busy schedule so I have a tendency to favor the slow cooker meals.

This is a real simple recipe with almost no prep time. Everything except for a couple of items goes right into the slow cooker so you can set it, and forget it, and continue on with your day. The red pepper flakes in the recipe heat it up a little bit which for me is fine. If you like it more on the hot side just increase the hot red pepper to taste.

If you have a busy week end coming up, free up some time; and give this Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Recipe a try. Enjoy

 

Ingredients

1 3/ 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts ( cut into 1-inch cubes.

1 pound Italian turkey sausage links (cut into 1-inch pieces)

1 large red bell pepper (chopped)

1 medium onion (chopped)

4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/ 2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or to taste

1 can diced tomatoes (28 ounces undrained)

1 can tomato paste (6 oz)

1 can quartered artichoke hearts (14 ounces drained)

1 can sliced ripe olives (4 ounces drained)

White rice for serving cooked to package directions

Directions

1. Spray 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.

2. in a slow cooker combine the chicken, sausage, bell pepper, onions, garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, tomatoes and tomato paste.

Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Recipe Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Recipe

3.  Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

4. Just before serving stir in the artichoke hearts, and olives into chicken mixture. Cook until heat through.

Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Recipe Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Recipe

Serve hot- over hot rice.

Serves 6

Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Recipe

 

 

Filed Under: Crock Pot Recipes, Simple Recipes, slow cooker Tagged With: , , , , ,

Skillet Lasagna Recipe

Posted on October 4, 2012 · Leave a Comment
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Skillet Lasagna Recipe

I saw this Skillet Lasagna Recipe, and thought why not? So I gave it a try. I didn’t it like it as well as the oven made; but it was very good. If you are pinched for time, and are set on putting Lasagna on the table, this will work. I followed the recipe as written and even though it took a little longer to prepare than I thought, it was still a lot quicker. I think fresh mushrooms would also be very good in this recipe if you have them available. If you like Lasagna, give this Skillet Lasagna Recipe a try-serve with hot biscuits or garlic bread, and you’re family will love it. Enjoy- serves 4-6

 

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef

4 garlic cloves (minced)

1 green pepper (chopped)

1 medium green onion (finely chopped)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

6 ounces lasagna noodles (broken into 2-inch pieces 8 noodles)

24 ounces marinara sauce

3 cups water

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

1/4 cup fresh basil (chopped)

 Directions

1. Brown ground beef in a large skillet along with the green pepper, onion and garlic.

browning burger making Skillet Lasagna

2. Add the water, red pepper flakes, and salt. Bring to a boil. Then add the lasagna noodles and pour the marinara sauce over the top.

3. Cover and cook on a high simmer, stirring frequently until noodles are done. (Should take 20 minutes to 1/2 hour)

Skillet Lasagna melting cheese

4.  Remove from the heat; salt and pepper to taste, and then mix in 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/2 of the grated Parmesan cheese.

5. Dot heaping tablespoons of ricotta over the noodles, and then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

6. Cover and let it stand till the cheese melts.

Garnish with Basil just before serving. (Optional)

Skillet Lasagna

Filed Under: Italian Recipes, Simple Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Italian Meatball Sliders Recipe

Posted on September 19, 2012 · Leave a Comment
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Italian Meatball Sliders Recipe

The family has been putting some pressure on me to try some of the slider recipes. I choose this Italian Meatball Sliders recipe because in the past I had made pizza burgers, and I thought because of the pizza sauce in this recipe it would be very good. This is a simple recipe and not very time consuming. Within a half hour, you can have these on a platter in front of your family or guests. This is a small recipe so you might want to adjust to the size group you are feeding. This Italian Meatball Sliders recipe should feed 8, depending on the size meatballs you are making. If you are looking for a really good game day recipe; give this one a try.

Ingredients

1 tbsp Zesty Italian dry seasoning mix

1 lb ground beef

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup pizza sauce

1 cup mozzarella cheese, finely grated

8 slider size rolls, sliced horizontally

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, combine Italian Seasoning Mix with ground beef and salt.

3. Form the meat into 8 uniform size meatballs.

meatball mix meatballs

4. Place meatballs on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes. (Internal temperature 160-165F)

5. Using a sauce pan heat the pizza sauce almost to the boiling point. (You want the sauce hot enough to melt the cheese when placed on the meatball)

6. Make the sliders by placing 1 meatball on each roll, then top with sauce and cheese.

Italian Meatball Sliders

Filed Under: Italian Recipes, Side Dish, Simple Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Low Carb Italian Meat Loaf Recipe

Posted on September 2, 2012 · Leave a Comment
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Low Carb Italian Meat Loaf Recipe

I don’t make it a point to prepare low carb recipes very often, but a couple of items in the ingredients list; in this Low Carb Italian Meat Loaf Recipe caught my eye. The first item was Zucchini; which you don’t see in a meat loaf recipe very often. The second was whole wheat fresh bread crumbs which I thought was kind of unique because most meat loaf recipe I have prepared called for traditional or seasoned dry bread crumbs.

This is a simple recipe, but it does take some time, because of the baking time which is about an hour. I followed the recipe as is and the result was a moist good tasting meat loaf. If you’re into a low carb diet, or just want to try something a little different, give this Low Carb Italian Meat Loaf Recipe a try.

Tip:.

Ingredients

1 can tomato paste (6 ounces)

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon garlic (minced)

1/2 dried basil

1/2 dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 ounces lean ground round

12 ounces ground turkey breast

1 cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs (2 slices whole wheat bread- Fresh bread crumbs are very easy to make-just use a blender or food processor)

1/2 cup shredded Zucchini

2 egg whites

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a small sauce pan combine tomato paste, wine, water, garlic, basil, oregano and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to blend the flavors.

meatloaf spice mix meat loaf sauce

3. In a large bowl combine the ground turkey, ground round, bread crumbs, zucchini, egg whites and 1/2 cup of the tomato mixture.

4. Shape into a loaf and place in a 9x5x3 loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and drain any excess fat, or liquid, and pour the remaining tomato mixture over the top of the meat loaf.

making meat loaf prepared meat loaf

5. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. Place on a serving platter and let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Low Carb Italian Meat Loaf

Filed Under: Italian Recipes, Simple Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Slow Cooker Porketta Roast Recipe

Posted on August 24, 2012 · Leave a Comment
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Slow Cooker Porketta Roast Recipe

It has been awhile since I have had Porketta on the menu and I was kind of in the mood to use the slow cooker. This Slow Cooker Porketta  Roast Recipe is a simple recipe, but you have to allow time for the seasoning to blend into the meat. I knew I had a busy day coming up so I planned ahead and rubbed the seasoning in the night before. The original recipe calls for at least 6 hours, you might be able to get away with that, but I don’t think it’s quite enough time.

The blend of spices was excellent, and the end result was a juicy and tender pork roast. You could very easily turn this into a one dish meal by adding some potatoes, and a vegetable.

I served this Slow Cooker Porketta Roast Recipe with mashed potatoes, and corn; the family loved it. Enjoy

Ingredients

1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

1 teaspoon onion salt

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon celery salt

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon paprika

4 cloves garlic, slivered

1 -3 to 4 pound pork shoulder

Directions

1.  Mix first 9 ingredients together in a bowl; set aside.

2. Slice holes throughout the roast and insert the garlic slivers.

pork roast seasoned roast

3. Rub the roast well with the spice mixture and wrap it up in plastic wrap. (I used a one gallon plastic bag)

4. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. (Overnight is better)

5. Place in the slow cooker and cook 8 to 9 hours or until pork is tender.

Porketta Roast

Filed Under: Crock Pot Recipes, Italian Recipes, Simple Recipes, slow cooker Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Baked Italian Style Meatballs Recipe

Posted on August 16, 2012 · 1 Comment
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Baked Italian Style Meatballs Recipe

Italian Spaghetti still carries a lot of weight in this house as a favorite supper dish.  Call it comfort food or whatever you like; the fact is we seldom go a week without it. This week I went in search of a meatball recipe that was a little different; just wanting to change things up a little bit. When I saw this Baked Italian Style Meatballs Recipe I couldn’t believe how simple it was, but it made me a little nervous because the ingredients in the recipe called for chicken flavored stuffing mix. Well I had a box on hand and thought, why not give it a try; the end result was a moist and delicious meatball with an excellent blend of flavors that were a good match for the spaghetti sauce. The family really enjoyed this recipe and I will add it to my favorites list.

I prepared the recipe as is, but have not included any prep pictures because I did not think they were necessary-this Baked Italian Style Meatballs Recipe is a very simple recipe-just mix it altogether, form the meatballs, and bake. Enjoy

 

Ingredients

1. Package (6 oz.) Chicken flavored stuffing mix (stove top or store brand)

2 pounds ground beef

1-1/4 cups water

2 eggs (beaten)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Combine all ingredients and mix till well blended.

3. Shape into 24 (number really depends on how big you like them) meatballs, using about 1/4 cup for each. Place in single layer in foil-lined 15x10x1-inch pans.

4. Bake 20 min. or until done (160ºF).

5. Add to your favorite spaghetti sauce.

(I let this simmer in the sauce for about 15 minutes to blend some of the flavors)

Filed Under: Italian Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Lasagna Roll Ups Recipe

Posted on August 8, 2012 · Leave a Comment
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Lasagna Roll Ups Recipe

I have been wanting to try preparing these Lasagna Roll Ups for quite some time-but just could not find the time, because I thought they would be time consuming, and a lot of work. I was pretty much right. Although I think if I was a little younger it would have went a lot quicker; my fingers don’t work as well as they use to.

Well that’s enough crying; this is a really good recipe and the whole family enjoyed it. I guess that is what its all is about. I prepared the recipe as written and depending on the style pasta sauce you use, the recipe is mildly seasoned, so you could spice it up a little bit if you wanted to, such as adding chopped garlic, some additional oregano, or Italian seasoning. If you add any ingredients like mushrooms, green peppers or onions keep in mind they have to be finely chopped because you have to be able to roll the Lasagna noodles.

If you have some extra time on your hands and you want to give the family a treat, give this Lasagna Roll Ups Recipe a try; you and your family will love it.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1 egg (lightly beaten)

1 cup (8 ounces) ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese (divided)

9 lasagna noodles (cooked and drained)

2 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese (divided)

Parsley (for garnish)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Brown meat in skillet on medium-high heat; drain and mix in spaghetti sauce.

3.  Remove half of the sauce mixture; stir into meat in skillet. Set remaining sauce mixture aside for later use.

cooking lasagna noodles browning ground beef

4. MIX together egg, ricotta cheese, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese.

5.  Spread each noodle with 2 heaping tablespoonfuls of the ricotta mixture. Top evenly with a 1/4 cup meat mixture, and 2 heaping Tbsp. mozzarella cheese.

6.  Roll up each noodle.

lasagna noodles roll up lasagna noodles roll up

7. Place in greased 8-inch square baking dish. Pour remaining sauce mixture over noodles. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.

8.  Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Garnish with parsley (optional)

Lasagna Roll Ups

Filed Under: Italian Recipes Tagged With: , , ,
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