Barley Soup with Sausages (Minestra d'Orzo)

 From: Joy of Cooking cookbook

Ingredients:

• 6 oz deeply smoked sausages
• 16 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 1/4 cups pearl barley
• 2 large bay leaves, crumbled
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 large head green cabbage, chopped
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 large celery stalk with leaves, finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp tightly packed fresh parsley leaves, minced
• Two 3-inch sprigs fresh rosemary, or 2 tsp dried
• 3 Tbsp tightly packed fresh marjoram leaves, minced, or 1 Tbsp dried
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 2 red or white new potatoes, peeled and diced
• salt and pepper

In a medium skillet, or on a grill, brown the sausages until brown on all sides and heated through. Slice them thinly and place in a large soup pot along with the chicken stock, barley, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat in a large skillet over medium heat the olive oil. Add the cabbage. Cook, stirring, until the cabbage begins to color, 5-10 minutes. Add the onions, carrot, celery, parsley and rosemary. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are browned, 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the marjoram and garlic. Add 1 cup liquid from the soup pot and scrape the bottom of the skillet to loosen any browned bits. Stir the contents of the skillet into the soup pot along with the potatoes. Cover and simmer gently until the barley is tender but not mushy and the potatoes are cooked but firm, about 30 minutes more.

If the soup is too thick, thin with water as needed. Season with salt and pepper if you like. Ladle into warmed bowls and you may also sprinkle each serving with shredded provolone or Montasio cheese.

Verdict: Delicious! Really easy to make. I used sausage that was a bit spicy which added to the flavor in my opinion!

Sausage-Cheese Bake

From: Southern Living 1988 cookbook

Ingredients:
1 lb bulk pork sausage
1 8-oz can refrigerator crescent rolls
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 Tbsp chopped green pepper
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp pepper

Cook sausage in a skillet until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain and set aside.

Unroll each half of crescent roll dough, making a rectangle. Line bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish with rectangles, pressing seams securely to seal.

Sprinkle sausage over dough; top with shredded cheese and green pepper.

Combine eggs and remaining ingredients, and pour over casserole. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

Verdict:

Thumbs up! I love this combination of ingredients. So easy a 10-year old can do it! I also love that there aren't any weird ingredients. I had pretty much everything on hand already. I will definitely make this again, or even do it in muffin tins next time for single serving sizes!

Sausage Gravy

From: Southern Living 1992 cookbook

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground pork sausage
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup flour
3 1/4 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 sp Italian seasoning

What I changed:
I put almost an entire pound of sausage in, just because that's what we already had in the freezer. I put less milk than what it called for - probably closer to 2 1/2 cups - and I really don't think it made a huge difference.  Your mileage may vary!

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I love biscuits and gravy but I've never made my own gravy that was edible. It was very good. This particular sausage was a little spicy for me but at least I know the recipe works!

One Pot Kielbasa Pasta

From: Sugar Apron

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked kielbasa or turkey/chicken sausage sliced 1/4 inch thick
1.5 cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes
8 oz dry pasta(small pasta)
1/2 cup milk or heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt and pepper, each
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions, for garnish


Add olive oil to a 4-5 quart saute pan over medium high heat. Fry the smoked kielbasa and onions. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, heavy cream, pasta, and seasonings. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until pasta is tender.

Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and cover until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly. Sprinkle with sliced scallions and serve.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! We couldn't stop eating this dish. It was incredibly delicious and filling. I will definitely make this again in the future!


 

Italian Sausage Soup

From: Sunset Pasta cookbook

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs mild Italian sausages
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large onions, chopped
1 large can (1 lb, 12 oz) Italian-style tomatoes
3 cans beef broth
1 1/2 cups dry red wine or water
1/2 tsp dry basil
3 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 medium-size green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 medium-size zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
5 oz medium-size bow-shaped noodles

Remove and discard sausage casings; cut sausages in 1/2-inch lengths. In a 5-quart Dutch oven, cook sausages over medium heat until lightly browned. Spoon off and discard all but 2 Tbsp drippings. Add garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until limp. Stir in tomatoes and their liquid.

Add broth, wine, and basil. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Add parsley, pepper, zucchini, and noodles. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes or until noodles are al dente. Pass Parmesan at the table.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I loved this recipe. I only made a couple of changes. I used beef bouillon cubes (3) instead of actual broth, and I did use the water instead of red wine. I used rotini instead of bow-shaped noodles. This was such a great, filling, delicious soup. I would love to make this again in the future.

Italian Sausage Stew

From: Here

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb Italian sausage links, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cups water
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 medium carrots, cut into chunks
2 ribs celery, cut into chunks
2 small onions, cut into wedges
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed
1/2 tsp thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp rosemary, crushed
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 large green or sweet red pepper, cut into chunks
1 Tbsp parsley, minced and fresh
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp cold water

In a soup kettle over medium heat, brown sausage; drain. Add water, potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, Worcestershire and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook over low heat for one hour or until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.

Add the ketchup, pepper and parsley. Cook 12-15 minutes longer or until pepper is tender. Discard bay leaf.

Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir into stew. Bring to a boil and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Verdict:
This was very good! I subbed sweet Italian sausage and it added a great flavor. I'd definitely make this again. Very filling and loved this taste!

Smoked Sausage Soup

From: Here

Ingredients:
1 lb cooked smoked sausage, sliced and halved
1 lb medium pasta shells
4 cups beef broth
2 cups water
2 8-oz cans tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups frozen corn
2 large baking potatoes, sliced and halved
1 clove of garlic
1/2 tsp parsley
salt and pepper

In a large stock pot, pour in the broth and water and bring to a boil. Once it begins to boil stir in all remaining ingredients. This should simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

What I did different from the recipe:
I used rotini pasta. I used red potatoes instead of baking potatoes. I left out the corn because all the corn I had on hand had butter added and I thought it would taste gross.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Up in the air? I said I wasn't a big fan of this. But the four other people who tasted it said they loved it, and ate multiple bowls of it. Obviously it is a very easy recipe, which I love. I would recommend that you at least try it - looks like I'm the loner on not loving this recipe!

Sausage and Pepper Baked Ziti

From: Womans Day

Ingredients:
8 oz uncooked ziti rigati pasta
2 tsp oil
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 cubanelle peppers, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
12 oz spicy or sweet Italian sausage (4 links)
1 cup part-skim ricotta
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cups marinara sauce (from a 24- or 26- oz jar)

Heat oven to 400. Cook pasta in a large pot of lightly salted water as package directs for al dente or firm texture. Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add peppers, onion and sausage; cook 6 minutes or until sausage is browned. Remove from heat; cut sausage into slices.

Mix ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 3 Tbsp Parmesan and the parsley in large bowl. Drain pasta; toss with cheese mixture, sausage mixture and 1 cup marinara sauce. Pour pasta mixture into a 2-qt shallow baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes or until bubbly.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I didn't have any tubed pasta so I just used what I had on hand. I left out the cubanelle peppers because they weren't at the one grocery store I was headed to today, and I wasn't about to go all over town looking for them. I used kielbasa instead of sweet Italian sausage, so I added juice from my minced garlic and a little fennel seed to sweeten it. Basically what I'm saying is I changed everything about this recipe. Just kidding!

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! What a yummy recipe! Although I'd be interested to test different flavors of sausage and pepper in here, it was so good just the way I made it this time, so I hate to mess with it at all! Highly recommend!

Sausage and Pepper Baked Ziti

Ingredients:
8 oz uncooked ziti rigati pasta
2 tsp oil
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 cubanelle peppers, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
12 oz spicy or sweet Italian sausage (4 links)
1 cup part-skim ricotta
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cups marinara sauce (from a 24- or 26- oz jar)

Heat oven to 400. Cook pasta in a large pot of lightly salted water as package directs for al dente or firm texture. Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add peppers, onion and sausage; cook 6 minutes or until sausage is browned. Remove from heat; cut sausage into slices. Mix ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 3 Tbsp Parmesan and the parsley in large bowl. Drain pasta; toss with cheese mixture, sausage mixture and 1 cup marinara sauce. Pour pasta mixture into a 2-qt shallow baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Italian Sausage Soup

From: Sunset Pasta Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs mild Italian sausage
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 onions, chopped
1 large can (1 lb 12 oz) Italian-style tomatoes
3 cans (14 oz each) beef broth
1 1/2 cups dry red wine or water
1/2 tsp dry basil
3 tbsp chopped parsley
1 medium-size green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 medium-size zucchini, cut into slices
5 ounces bow-shaped noodles
grated Parmesan cheese


Remove and discard sausage casings; cut sausages in 1/2-inch lengths. In a Dutch oven, cook sausages over medium heat until lightly browned. Spoon off and discard all but 2 Tbsp drippings. Add garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until limp (about 5 minutes). Stir in tomatoes and their liquid (break up tomatoes with a spoon.) Add broth, wine, and basil. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes. Add parsley, pepper, zucchini, and noodles. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 25 minutes or until noodles are al dente. Use Parmesan on soup.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used turkey kielbasa instead of sausage, 1 15-oz can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes instead of 1 huge can of Italian tomatoes, 2 cans of beef broth, and left out the wine/water part. Nothing drastic.

What I'll do differently next time:
Whatever I need to substitute!!

Verdict:
Thumbs up. This was a good recipe, but not an all-time favorites. I probably could have eaten just the kielbasa and pasta and been happy with it, but I mean, I did have two bowls, so it wasn't bad or anything. :) I would make it again.

Sausage Balls

Ingredients:
1 lb ground sausage
1 lb sharp cheese, shredded cheddar
1 cup Bisquick

Leave cheese out to soften. Mix sausage and cheese, knead well. Sift Bisquick in and mix together with sausage and cheese. Form into 1 large ball. Then take off small portions to form small 1/2-inch sausage balls. Place sausage balls on a non-stick pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until done.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Nothing.

What I'll do different next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Sausage balls are a classic party recipe and SO easy to make. Even if the final picture does make them look unappetizing....

Printable version:

Ingredients:
1 lb ground sausage
1 lb sharp cheese, shredded cheddar
1 cup Bisquick

Leave cheese out to soften. Mix sausage and cheese, knead well. Sift Bisquick in and mix together with sausage and cheese. Form into 1 large ball. Then take off small portions to form small 1/2-inch sausage balls. Place sausage balls on a non-stick pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until done.

Sausage Gravy

Ingredients:
1 can buttermilk biscuits (if you aren't making biscuits separately)
12 oz. bulk pork sausage
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
3 cups milk

Heat oven to 350°F. Bake biscuits as directed on can.

Meanwhile, crumble sausage into large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until browned and no longer pink, stirring frequently.

With wire whisk, stir in flour, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in milk. Cook until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Split warm biscuits; place on serving plates. Serve sausage mixture over warm split biscuits.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used smoked sausage, only about 12 oz. I used more like 2/3 cups of flour and 2 cups of milk to make the consistency of gravy I wanted.

What I'll do differently next time:
Same, although I'll probably use a different type of sausage. That was just some I had in the freezer already.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Very easy to make. Not as good as Chick Fil-A though. The best part is I had a lot left over so I froze it. The next time I have biscuits left over from dinner, I'll be able to heat this up and pour it over those biscuits! Simple!

$$:
The most expensive thing would be the sausage. I paid $0.50 for 12 oz because I got it on sale and with a coupon. I think it's normally around $3 or so though, which isn't too bad considering you can make two to three meals out of this!

Printable version:

Ingredients:
1 can buttermilk biscuits (if you aren't making biscuits separately)
12 oz. bulk pork sausage
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
3 cups milk

Heat oven to 350°F. Bake biscuits as directed on can.

Meanwhile, crumble sausage into large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until browned and no longer pink, stirring frequently.

With wire whisk, stir in flour, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in milk. Cook until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Split warm biscuits; place on serving plates. Serve sausage mixture over warm split biscuits.