Joyce's Cheese Dip

This recipe came from the sweet wife of one of Dad's coworkers. It is so good. Although the recipe calls for 8 oz of Velveeta, I typically use a whole pound. Sometimes, if I really want to crank up the heat, I'll use Mexican Velveeta. I've also combined half sausage and half ground beef, because it was what I had on hand. Either way, you can't go wrong. It makes a lot, but can be transferred to a 3-qt Crock-Pot pretty easily if you need to transport it.

Joyce's Cheese Dip

1 1/2 lb. sausage
1/2 onion, chopped
3/4 stick butter
4 tbsp flour
3/4 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp ketchup
2 c milk
1 -oz can Ro-Tel
8-16 oz. Velveeta, cubed

In a large skillet, brown sausage and onion. Drain and set aside. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour until smooth. Add paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and ketchup. Stir until smooth. Slowly pour in milk, stirring constantly. Add Ro-Tel and sausage/onion mixture. Stirring constantly, heat through. Add cheese and stir until melted. Serve with tortilla chips or Fritos.

Sausage Balls

Hooray for this old classic! Just in case you actually didn't have a recipe, here's our version - quick and easy. Can't beat that. Oh, and you can make these ahead of time and freeze them, too.

Sausage Balls

1 lb. sausage (hot or mild)
3 c. Bisquick
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Allow sausage to warm to room temperature. Mix all ingredients together and shape into one-inch balls. (It is a good idea to wear gloves, since this is pretty messy.) Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 10 minutes.

Chicken with Sausage and Capers

I bought my first-ever jar of capers for this dish. I had no idea the little buds were so salty! Be sure you rinse them well, or it will overpower the meal - which, by the way, is quite delicious. I added a bit more tomatoes than originally indicated, mostly because I looooove tomatoes, and I absolutely believe you can never have too many. I also couldn't find hot Italian sausage, so I used sweet sausage and added some cayenne. This reheats well, and although I ate it as is, it would be good with roasted potatoes or rice.

Chicken, Sausage, and Capers

2 tsp olive oil
3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch pieces
1/4 lb hot Italian turkey sausage, cut in 1/2-inch slices
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 bell peppers, any color, seeded and cut into strips
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
2 15-oz cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 c low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, optional

In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Saute the chicken until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. In the skillet, cook the sausage, stirring frequently, until cooked through and browned. Pour in vinegar and cook until liquid evaporates. Add bell peppers, onion, garlic, and oregano; cook, stirring, until peppers are tender.

Stir in tomatoes, broth, and capers; bring to a boil. Return chicken to skillet and sprinkle in cheese. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens slightly.

Serves 4.
220 Cal, 8g fat, 13g carb, 2g fiber, 24g protein.

Sausage Spaghetti Pie

I love spaghetti in all forms, and this recipe was especially intriguing because it is lower in fat and calories. I doubled it from the original and switched up the ingredients a bit. Nutrition is calculated for Ragu No-Sugar Added sauce and whole-wheat spaghetti.

Sausage Spaghetti Pie

8 oz uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
1 pound smoked turkey sausage, diced
1 26-oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 15-oz container reduced-fat ricotta cheese
3 egg whites
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, saute sausage for 3-4 minutes or until browned; stir in spaghetti sauce.

In a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese and one egg white; set aside. Drain spaghetti; add 2/3 cup Parmesan and remaining egg whites. Press onto bottom and up the sides of a 9x13 casserole dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon ricotta mixture into crust. Top with sausage mixture.

Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and bake 5 minutes longer or until heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Serves 8.

Nutrition Info: 313 calories, 11g fat, 6g fiber

Southern Sausage Muffins

My weekend cooking got a little interrupted, and I wound up splitting the kitchen duty over two days this time. I had decided to make the Shepherd's Inn Breakfast Casserole again, but wanted something to use up the leftover 1/2 lb of sausage. I found this yummy little recipe that tastes very much like a sausage ball, but with a much lighter texture. I used reduced-fat cheese, turkey sausage, and reduced-fat Bisquick to lighten it up. Make sure to store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Southern Sausage Muffins

1/2 lb. mild pork sausage
1/3 c. green onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 c. Bisquick baking mix
1 1/2 tsp. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. finely grated Cheddar cheese (2 oz.)

Heat oven to 400 degrees (375 degrees for dark nonstick pan). Grease bottoms only of 12 medium muffin cups, 2 1/2 x 1 1/4 inches. Cook and stir sausage and onions in 10 inch skillet until brown, crumbling sausage into small bits; drain on paper towels.

Mix baking mix, brown sugar, dry mustard, and red pepper in medium bowl. Stir in sausage mixture, milk, and cheese just until blended. Batter will be thick. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full, spreading batter to edges of cups. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly; remove from pan. Serve warm. 1 dozen muffins.

High altitude directions (3500 to 6500 feet) : Heat oven to 425 degrees. Bake about 20 minutes.

Sauerkraut Soup

Perfect for cold weather, this is an inexpensive-but-filling stoup (to borrow a Rachael Ray term). It's pretty thick, so feel free to add extra broth if you like.

Sauerkraut Soup

1 lb. smoked turkey sausage, cut in ½-in pieces
5 medium potatoes, peeled & cubed
2 medium onions, chopped
2 carrots, cut in ¼-in slices
3 cans (14 oz) chicken broth
1 can (32-oz) sauerkraut, rinsed & drained
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

In large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine sausage, potatoes, onions, carrots and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add sauerkraut and tomato paste; mix well. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30 minutes longer. If a thinner soup is desired, add additional water or chicken broth.

Serves 8-10.

Penne with Peppers and Sausage

Mmm-mmm tasty! It smells wonderful cooking, it pretty easy to throw together, and reheats well. Plus it's good for you. If you can find them, use fire-roasted diced tomatoes. They add greatly to the flavor. Adapted from Weight Watchers online, here is:

Penne with Peppers and Sausage

1 green bell pepper, julienned
1 orange bell pepper, julienned
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 c. mushrooms, sliced
1 lb. turkey sausage, spicy-Italian flavor
1/8 tsp dried oregano
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
3 c. cooked whole wheat penne

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Cook pepper, onion, garlic, and mushrooms until almost tender (7-8 minutes).

Remove turkey sausage from casings; add to skillet and brown until no longer pink. Break up with a spoon as it cooks. Add oregano, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes; stir in tomatoes. Simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Gently stir in pasta. If desired, sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves 6

Shepherd's Inn Breakfast Casserole

I have a special place in my heart for breakfast casseroles - the kind that include meat, potatoes or rice, cheese, eggs, and lots of flavor. It's a versatile class of food, the kind that can be eaten any time of the day and on any occasion. When I tried this recipe from the Taste of Home Casserole Cookbook, I knew I had a winner. Jeff confirmed my assessment by eating half the casserole in one sitting! It really couldn't be yummier. To reduce calories and fat, use low-fat turkey sausage, reduced-fat cheese, and egg substitute.

Shepherd's Inn Breakfast Casserole

1 1/2 lbs. bulk sausage
26-oz bag frozen tater tots
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
salt & pepper to taste
sliced tomatoes

Brown sausage and drain. Transfer to greased 9x13 casserole dish. Cover with tater tots. Sprinkle cheese over tots. In a medium bowl, beat eggs, milk, and seasonings. Pour over cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25 minutes more, until heated through. Garnish with tomatoes.