Sausage and Peppers Roll

Being a food blogger, I look at recipes all day and make a mental note to try the recipe. I read through the ingredient list and then go on my merry way. That is what I did with this recipe from Walking On Sunshine. After going to the market and starting to make this recipe, I noticed that I had forgotten three key ingredients, but that is the great thing about making this Sausage and Pepper Roll, you can use whatever ingredients you have on hand, you can do a meat and veggie and cheese combo or a veggie and cheese combo or a just plain cheese roll. I chose Hot Italian Sausage, jack cheese, Parmesano Reggiano Cheese, Onions, Green Peppers combination. This was a dish that I will make again, next time I will do a veggie combo with cheese.

This recipe makes a very large roll in a bundt pan. About 14-16 slices.

 

 

 In a skillet, break up and mash Hot Italian Sausage with a fork, brown on medium heat. Drain fat after browned. Set aside in a bowl.

 In the same skillet, brown 1 chopped onion and 1 green pepper in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

 Roll out pizza dough.

 Shred Jack and Parmesan Reggiano cheeses to make one cup.

 Add browned sausage on top of rolled out pizza dough, on top of the meat, add browned onions and peppers, add cheese on top of veggies. Roll up all ingredients length wise. Bring ends together. Carefully place in an oiled bundt pan. Let rise for 30 minutes.

 Roll up the sausage and pepper roll carefully.

 Bring ends together. Place in an oiled Bundt Pan.

 Looks perfect. Let cool for 2 minutes before taking out of Bundt Pan. Let cool for 1 minute before slicing. Perfect with a side salad and a glass of Chianti! Ciao Nettie

Sausage and Peppers Roll

Ingredients:

1 Package of Hot Italian Sausage

1 Onion chopped

! green pepper chopped

1 cup grated Jack and Parmigiano Reggiano Cheeses

1 package pizza dough

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Directions:

1. In a skillet, brown sausage removed from casing. mash with a fork. Drain fat after meat is browned. Set aside in a bowl.
2. Brown onions and bell pepper in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside after browned.
3. Roll out pizza dough to make a large rectangle shape.
4. Place sausage on pizza dough, place veggies on meat, place cheese on top of veggies.
5. Roll the pizza dough, being careful not to tear dough.
6. Brush Olive oil inside of Bundt pan.
7. Carefully place roll in Bundt pan.
8. Let rise for 1/2 hour, covered with a towel.
9. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until brown all over.
10. Let set for 2 minutes before removing from pan. After flipping out of pan, let cool for a minute before slicing.

This recipe is inspired from Walking On Sunshine Food Blog.

Knock Your Socks Off Brownies

KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF BROWNIES

       It's been like mourning the death of a friend, ever since my oven started sparking and then caught on fire. I guess it was a sign that I have been baking too much....seriously, I didn't realize how much I cooked and baked, um yeah, I forgot...I am a Food Blogger. So what do you do when your baking element breaks in your oven? You broil everything, which can be challenging and even dangerous, do not answer your phone when broiling or your door for that matter...result...burnt garlic bread..I'm just warning you...

I know, I know, there are a lot of friends out there that really don't care for cooking and baking, I get it, kind of, well not really, I am all about food. A great day for me consists of reading cookbooks, cooking magazines, cooking TV shows, Food Blogging, Facebook blogging on my food page, Twittering about food, saving recipes on Pinterest, deciding my meal plan for the week and Food shopping! Don't forget cooking and baking in between all of this, only if I feel like it, not because I have to, because I want to. Plus I would be happy to go out for dinner every single night and still spend my day saving recipes.

So this is the first dessert that I baked after my oven was repaired. Knock Your Socks Off Brownies! This recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond. I saw Ree make these brownies one late night on TV and have been dreaming about these chocolate caramel dream of a brownie ever since. Do you ever do that? See someone bake something and you just can't get it out of your head. I do and these brownies are worth dreaming about! Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 box (18.5 Ounce) German Chocolate Cake Mix ( Duncan Hines)
• 1 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
• 1/3 cup Evaporated Milk
• 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk (additional)
• 1/2 cup Butter, Melted
• 60 whole Caramels, Unwrapped
• 1/3 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, chopped pecans, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and melted butter. Stir together until totally combined. Mixture will be very thick.
Press half the mixture into a well-greased 9 x 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set aside.
In a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water) melt caramels with additional 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When melted and combined, pour over brownie base. Sprinkle chocolate chips as evenly as you can over the caramel.
Turn out remaining brownie dough on work surface. Use your hands to press it into a large square a little smaller than the pan. Use a spatula to remove it from the surface, then set it on top of the caramel and chocolate chips.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for several hours. When ready to serve, generously sift powdered sugar over the surface of the brownies. Cut into either nine or twelve helpings, and carefully remove from the pan.

Chicken Florentine Pasta

My oven hasn't been feeling up to par lately, so I have been making a lot recipes~ a lot of chicken recipes~ that call for sauteing with lots of veggies. This recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman Cooks, Chicken Florentine Pasta. I used lots of garlic, the MOORE the merrier, right? This is a delicious dish using fresh vegetables and chicken, very healthy and wonderful comfort food. This is my newest favorite pasta dish. I love it so much, I am making it again this weekend. I love these types of recipes that are simple and delicious, you can't go wrong!

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound Ruffles Pasta
• 4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 3/4 cups Dry White Wine
• 3/4 cups Low-sodium Broth, More If Needed
• 1 bag Baby Spinach
• 2 cups Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise
• Parmesan Cheese, grated

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions in lightly salted water. Drain and set aside.

Cut chicken breasts into chunks and sprinkle on salt and pepper.

Heat butter and olive oil over high heat in a large skillet. Add chicken chunks in a single layer and do not stir for a minute or two in order to allow the chicken to brown on the first side. Turn the chicken and brown on the other side. Cook until done, then remove chicken from the skillet.

Turn heat to medium. Add garlic and quickly stir to avoid burning. After about 30 seconds, pour in wine and broth, stirring to deglaze the pan. Allow the liquid to bubble up, then continue cooking until it's reduced by at least half (most of the surface of the liquid should be bubbling at this point.)

Turn off the heat. Add spinach, tomatoes, chicken, and cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss to combine; the spinach will wilt as you toss everything. Add plenty of Parmesan and toss to combine.

Serve with extra Parmesan.

Southern Chicken Pasta

Do you ever start making dinner and then come to realize that you are missing most of the ingredients in your recipe? Well that is exactly what I did for my Southern Chicken Pasta only to find out that this dish is fabulous! I have been making all types of pasta dishes with boneless skinless chicken breasts and this one was voted 5 stars out of 5 by my family! It has a great Southern Flavor with the caramelized onions and green beans and tomatoes, it's like having a Southern Fried Chicken supper without the "Fried" part.

Ingredients

• 1 pound broken up Lasagne Noodles
• 4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• I Red Onion, chopped
• 3/4 cups Dry White Wine
• 3/4 cups Low-sodium Broth, More If Needed
• 1 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces (steamed)
• 1 small can chopped tomatoes (drained)
  
• 2 ounces Parmesan Cheese, grated

Method

Cook pasta according to package directions in lightly salted water. Drain and set aside.
Cut chicken breasts into chunks and sprinkle on salt and pepper.
Heat butter and olive oil over high heat in a large skillet. Add chicken chunks in a single layer and do not stir for a minute or two in order to allow the chicken to brown on the first side. Turn the chicken and brown on the other side. Cook until done, then remove chicken from the skillet.
Turn heat to medium. Add onion and let cook until golden brown. After about 1 minute, pour in wine and broth, stirring to deglaze the pan. Allow the liquid to bubble up, then continue cooking until it's reduced by at least half (most of the surface of the liquid should be bubbling at this point.)
Turn off the heat. Add green beans, tomatoes, chicken, and cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss to combine. Add plenty of Parmesan Cheese and toss to combine.
Serve with extra Parmesan Cheese.

This post has been shared with these fabulous blogs! Nettie

{Sunday's With Joy} Honey Mustard Roasted Cashews

This is one of those recipes that you make and you say, "Oh....WOW!" I snack on nuts every day. Cashews are one of my favorite nut, all buttery and crunchy, yummy on salads or just by the handful. This is a fantastic way to eat a cashew. I could eat up every little last piece of these wonderful Honey Mustard Roasted Cashews, but I must refrain myself! Your friend's will be thrilled if you make these before you go to a party and bring them as a gift, or else you may be sitting in front of the computer shopping and then unbeknown to you, your bowl of nuts has vanished!  Not that this happened to me or anything like that.

I am fortunate to be a part of a wonderful group, Sunday's With Joy, and this recipe was chosen this week from Joy The Baker Cookbook. Do yourself a great favor and get yourself a copy of  this wonderful cookbook. I have loved every recipe that I have made from this cookbook, you will too! Nettie

This post has been linked up to these fabulous blogs! Nettie

Best Chocolate Sheet Cake

It's Judy's Surprise Birthday and I have been wanting to make this incredible cake ever since I saw it on The Pioneer Woman Cook's Blog. She says it's The Best Sheet Cake Ever, and I trust her. Everything that I have made from her blog has been delicious and my kids have asked me to make it all the time! Well she was right! Friends were going back for second and third pieces! I wanted to make a delicious cake for Judy and her friends, since I didn't know how many people were going to be there to surprise the HECK out of her, I thought that a sheet cake would be perfect! I read every single one of the comments on TPWC Blog, which is saying a lot ( she usually gets around 800 comments or MORE per post) and so many people commented that this cake was really difficult to mess up. I thought of this the whole time that I was talking to my best friend while trying to make the cake and frosting. Do you ever do that? Leave out an ingredient while you are having a serious conversation on the phone? I have, sugar , while making pies, not good at all!I didn't leave out any ingredients for this cake, but my mind was really concentrating on two things at one time. I recommend this if you are feeling lazy and need to be challenged! Talking and Baking!

This sheet cake is wonderful warm after just being freshly frosted or perfect the day after for breakfast, or as a late snack, or before lunch, or after a hike! My kids are asking me to make another sheet cake since this one was whisked away for the party, okay kids, for your birthday! Make sure to decorate the cake if you like, I am in no way a skilled baker-ess, I drew out JUDY and a Heart, but it was still hard to tell what that exactly was...

As we were all hiding waiting for Judy and Tom to come back from their date night, Judy's Mother called Judy from the back room asking her if she could show her something on the computer, the lights were off, we were quiet as mice, we all jumped out and yelled SURPRISE!! Thank goodness, Judy is young and has a very strong heart, I would have collapsed, don't yell at me and come jumping out at me from a dark room, years will come off my life! You are an amazing sport Young Judy!!

Judy still trying to recover, you did a great job Tom keeping it a secret!

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE:
2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa Powder2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
1/2 cup Buttermilk
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla

FOR FROSTING:
1/2 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
1-3/4 stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Note: I use an 18x13 sheet cake pan.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.
In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake. Enjoy! Take this sheet cake to your next party, you will make lots of friends! Nettie This post has been linked up to these fabulous blogs!

< Sunday's With Joy > Apple Crisp

This recipe comes from Joy The Baker Cookbook, 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes. I have changed the recipe a bit by adding a cup of blueberries for the filling, I just had to, I have a lot of blueberries still! For the topping, I also added a half cup of slivered roasted almonds and a half cup of unsweetened coconut. Apple crisps are just perfect like that, you can add whatever you have on hand, in this case I happen to have lots of almonds, pecans and coconut!

Lily is having her first dinner party with sister and brother in law and we are invited and I am in charge of bringing dessert! Oh goody, I made two apple crisps! We served the apple crisp warm over ice cream. Lots of ooohs and ahhhs were going on, so I think the party was a success!

It was a perfect day for apple picking! Have to get the right apples for the crisps!

Last day to pick Paula Red's and Ginger Gold's. Just keep walking until you get to a fence, slim pickings but if you are persistent, you can find them!

First stop, taking thousands of photos of sunflowers. Hubs likes taking just as many pics as me, probably more! Joy The Baker calls this crisp, "Man Bait Apple Crisp". I've got my man and he is in love with Sunflowers and me. He'll be even more in love with me when he tastes this crisp!

Second stop, grape vineyard, lots of photos of grapes too, because we can.

Oh yes, I remember this is why we came to the apple orchard, to pick apples!!

Of course the star of the show, The Moore Paparazzi is going crazy for these beauties.

How many can we get? As many as you can carry!