Italian Sausage Red Potato Meal

This Italian Sausage Red Potato Meal is an easy and quick way to have dinner ready in 30 minutes or less.

Fran made this one the other night using our own Homemade Sausage. If you're a fan of Italian sausage this one is for you.

Italian Sausage Red Potato Meal: Here is what Fran used

1/2 lb. Italian Sausage links (Cut into one-inch pieces)
2 Medium Red Potatoes (Cubed)
1 Medium Onion Sliced
Light olive Oils (enough to coat the bottom of the pan)
One clove of fresh garlic minced (Optional)
Some Italian seasoning to taste

Using a 10-inch cast iron skillet or nonstick skillet. Cook this over medium heat on the stove top until the sausage is cooked through and the potatoes are nice and tender.

This is another quick, easy and versatile meal.  You can add slices of red and green bell peppers, fresh mushrooms or whatever veggie you desire. Try serving this over your favorite pasta or even rice.

This was enough for both of us. If you're serving more than two people just use more sausage and other ingredients.

Try our recipe for Making Homemade Italian Sausage 

As always thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy.

Make an Italian Sausage Red Potato Meal with one of these:

Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet Set 8, 10.25 & 12 Inches - PFAS-Free, Non-Toxic Cookware - Use with an Oven, Stove, Grill, or Campfire - Naturally Non-Stick & Oven SafeBuy NowHexClad Hybrid Nonstick 12-Inch Frying Pan with Tempered Glass Lid, Stay-Cool Handle, Dishwasher-Friendly, Oven-Safe Up to 900°F, Induction Ready, Compatible with All CooktopsBuy Now

 

Glazed Lemon Almond Biscotti

Every year my cousin sends me a box of fresh lemons from his backyard lemon trees in Arizona. So, I put them to good use with these Glazed Lemon Almond Biscotti.

The lemon and almond are a delicious combination of flavors for biscotti. If you're not a fan of almond flavor you can leave it out. I like lemon so I also made a lemon glaze for my biscotti.

Biscotti is a perfect treat if you're having friends over for coffee or tea. And, biscotti is really not difficult to make.

Glazed Lemon Almond Biscotti: Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated rind of lemon
2 teaspoons of almond extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 large eggs
1/4 cup slivered almonds

In a large mixing bowl, I beat together the sugar, butter, lemon rind, salt, baking powder, and almond extract. I used my hand mixer until the mixture was smooth.

Next, I added the lemon juice, eggs, and almond slicers. I continued mixing until they were combined. Turning the mixer to low speed I added the flour and mixed until a sticky dough formed.

Because the dough is a bit sticky it's best to shape the biscotti log right on a piece of parchment paper. I shaped the log to 14" long x 3" wide x 3/4" high.

Tip: It helps to use a wet spatula to shape the sticky dough.

I placed the log on a large cookie sheet and baked it at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Then I removed it from the oven and let it cool for about 30 minutes.

Notice that I had some cracks on top of the log. I can assure you this does not affect the flavor of the biscotti at all.

After the log was cooled I brushed it with lukewarm water and waited for about 5 minutes before slicing it into 1/2" slices. The warm water helps soften it to make it easier to slice.

I turned the oven down to 325 degrees and prepared another cookie sheet with parchment paper. I set the slices on their side and baked them for 12 minutes per side for a total of 24 minutes until they were golden.

Glazed Lemon Almond Biscotti: The Lemon Glaze

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or 1 teaspoon of milk


I whisked this together in a small bowl and drizzled the glaze over the top and down the sides of the biscotti.

You might also like our Quick and Easy Lemon Bars

As always thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy.

Cast Iron Skillet Deep Dish Pizza

I've been wanting to make my own cast-iron deep-dish pizza ever since I visited Chicago some years ago. If you're ever in Chicago, don't miss trying the famous Chicago-style deep-dish pizza.

I enjoy cooking in my cast-iron skillets, so I thought the deep-dish pizza was a perfect fit. Pizza is just one of those dishes that is so versatile. Choose the toppings that you like: meats, veggies, and even fruit.

I made this one with Italian sausage, pepperoni, fresh mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese. So, I'll call this one a deep-dish meat-lover pizza.

This dough recipe is a little different than my Easy All-Purpose Dough Recipe 

Cast Iron Skillet Deep Dish Pizza: Dough

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons white sugar

1-1/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup light olive oil

1 package dry yeast

First, I dissolved the yeast by adding the warm water and dry yeast into my KitchenAid Stand Mixer bowl. While waiting for that to happen, I mixed together the flour, cornmeal, basil, salt, and sugar in a separate bowl.

Then, I added the olive oil to the water and yeast. I began adding one cup of the dry mixture at a time while mixing with the dough hook.

When the dough ball was formed, I kneaded it by hand on a floured surface, turning it over about 5 or 6 times. Lightly coat it with oil, put it in a covered bowl in a warm place, and let it rise for about one hour.

Cast Iron Skillet Deep Dish Pizza: Toppings

1/2 lb. Italian bulk sausage cooked and crumbled

10 slices of pepperoni

1-1/2 cups fresh mushrooms

2 cups mozzarella cheese

Parmesan Cheese (grated)

Romano Cheese (grated)

Cast Iron Skillet Deep Dish Pizza: Sauce

1- 28oz. Can crushed tomatoes
1- 14.5oz. can diced tomatoes (drained)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

I mixed all of the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and set it aside while preparing the toppings.

The dough recipe is enough to make two deep-dish pizzas, so I divided it in half. I used the other half to make a regular pizza.

I spread half of the dough into the bottom of my greased 10-inch cast-iron skillet and worked it up the sides.

I layered the bottom with shredded mozzarella, added some sauce, and then the sausage and pepperoni.

Next, I added a little more sauce and the mushrooms, then a little more sauce over the mushrooms and more shredded mozzarella. Then sprinkle the Parmesan and Romano cheese over the top.

I didn't fill it all the way to the top, as it will rise while it's cooking. It's a good idea to place a cookie sheet under the skillet while cooking, just in case it spills over.

I covered the pan with tin foil and baked it on the center rack at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Then Baked for 12 more minutes uncovered until the edges were golden brown.

My first cast-iron skillet deep-dish pizza was a huge success. One nice slice of this makes a complete meal.

Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet Set 8, 10.25 & 12 Inches - PFAS-Free, Non-Toxic Cookware - Use with an Oven, Stove, Grill, or Campfire - Naturally Non-Stick & Oven SafeBuy Now

 

Making Homemade Italian Sausage

Making homemade Italian Sausage is really not that difficult. We haven't made our own homemade sausage for a long time. Sammy thought it was time to make some of our own again.

So, we set a weekend date and got to work. The best part of making your own Italian sausage is that you can season it to your personal taste.

The first thing that I did was check our local grocery stores for the best prices on pork butt. Luckily, one of our local stores had it on sale for $.99 a pound.

I ordered 20 pounds of coarse-ground pork butt and asked the butcher for enough casings to stuff the sausage. If you grind the meat yourself, cut it into about 1 or 2-inch pieces and coarse-grind it. It is very important to keep the meat cold, so work with small portions.

Making Homemade Italian Sausage: Our Spices

We use some very simple spices for our homemade sausage. Garlic powder, coarse ground black pepper, fennel seed, crushed red pepper, Paprika, and missing from the picture salt. The amounts we use for 20 pounds are below.

Next, we added our spices and mixed the pork. After thoroughly mixing, we set it in the refrigerator to keep the meat cold. I recommend mixing the pork in smaller batches, maybe 5 pounds at a time. Mixing 20 pounds at a time is just the way we've always made it.

After about an hour in the refrigerator, we started stuffing our links. We fried some to taste-test our mixture. This is a great idea because you may want to add more spices. We found ours to be just the way we like it.

Making Homemade Italian Sausage: Stuffing the Links

We soaked our casings in warm water for about 30 minutes. Then we rinsed them with cold water before we used them.

We rubbed a little olive oil onto the stuffer, threaded one casing over it, and then tied off the end. We used our KitchenAid Stand Mixer with the grinder and stuffer attachment to stuff our casings.

We worked with 5 pounds of meat at a time, keeping the rest in the refrigerator. Again, it is very important to keep the meat cold while working. 

As Sammy loaded the hopper, I made the links giving them a twist about every 6 or 7 inches. We find that at this size, four links equal one pound.

The first casing yielded 5.5 pounds. Some people like to cut the casings into a shorter length. It's up to you and is a personal preference.

Bobby stopped over and gave me a little break. This is his first time making sausage, and I have to say he is a natural. He took right over and didn't skip a beat.

  If you get any air bubbles while stuffing, just prick them with a needle to let the air out.

Making Homemade Italian Sausage: The Recipe

Spices for 20 pounds of Sausage:

1/3 cup salt

1/4 cup coarse black pepper

1/4 cup Fennel Seed

1/4 cup paprika

1/2 cup crushed red pepper (optional)

1/3 cup garlic powder

Breaking this down to 5 pounds:

4 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon fennel seed

1 tablespoon paprika

2 tablespoons crushed red pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon garlic powder

I marked the red pepper as optional if you don't like hot sausage. We also made some sausage patties, which are perfect for breakfast or a quick sandwich. It turned out to be a fun day making homemade sausage with my son and grandson.

As always, thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy.

My KitchenAid is, without a doubt, my best kitchen tool. When making more than 5 pounds of sausage, I found the KitchenAid a bit slow. I'm going to invest in one of these to make the next 20 pounds.

LEM Products Mighty Bite Vertical Stainless Steel 5 Pound Capacity Sausage Stuffer with Plastic Stuffing TubesBuy Now

 

Baked Butter Garlic Chicken Wings

These baked butter garlic chicken wings made the perfect game-day treat last week. You don't have to wait for a game day to enjoy these. Serve these for a nice appetizer or snack at your next party or just a snack for the family.

It's no secret that I'm a huge garlic fan. Butter and garlic are a perfect match for wings. I added some additional spices to these nice and crispy baked wings.

Baked Butter Garlic Chicken Wings:

I started off by placing the frozen wings onto a large cookie sheet. Then I baked these at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

While I waited, I prepared the garlic butter by melting 2 sticks of butter with 6 cloves of fresh minced garlic. I added a tablespoon of Lemon Pepper Seasoning.

After 15 minutes, I took the wings out of the oven and drained the excess water from the cookie sheet. Then I separated the butter sauce and brushed both sides of each chicken wing with a healthy dose of it.

I baked the wings for an additional 60 minutes, turning them every 20 minutes. When they turned a nice golden brown and the internal temperature was 180 degrees, I knew they were ready.

I placed the wings into a plastic container and poured the remaining garlic butter sauce over them. Then I added some Parmesan cheese and gave them a good shake.

I like my wings crispy, and these turned out perfect. Nice and crispy with a buttery garlic flavor and a hint of lemon pepper.

There was no way that I was getting away with just the baked garlic butter chicken wings. So, I made some tangy hot wings for the hot wing fans in the house.

I used 1/2 cup Frank's RedHot Wing Sauce and added 2 tablespoons melted butter. Using the same process in a plastic container, giving them a good shake, and they were ready to serve.

If your wings are fresh and not frozen. Skip the first 15 minutes in the oven and start by brushing on the garlic butter sauce.

As always, thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy.

Frank's RedHot Hot Sauce, Original, Made with Cayenne Peppers, Ready-To-Use, Shake or Pour Over Chicken Wings, Sandwiches, Pizza, and More for the Perfect Bend of Flavor and Heat, 32 fl ozBuy NowNutriChef 3-Piece Nonstick Kitchen Oven Baking Pans - Premium & Stylish Non-Stick Steel, Commercial Grade Restaurant Quality Metal Bakeware with Red Silicone Handles - Easy to Clean, NCSBS3SBuy Now

 

County Fair Fried Dough

Last week, as a Birthday gift for Fran and an early Birthday gift to me, Sammy and Tricia got us a new Professional KitchenAid Stand Mixer.

Needless to say, I was delighted. We use our current 4.5 Quart KitchenAid constantly. For the longest time, I've wanted to upgrade to the larger machine, and now I have it.

I just couldn't wait to mix up some of my Easy all-purpose dough in my new KitchenAid. So, I mixed up a batch and made some pizza.

I only made a couple of small pizzas, so I would have some dough left over to make some fried dough.

County Fair Fried Dough:  

You don't have to wait for that annual county fair to have this sweet little treat. These are so easy to make and the perfect little snack. You can make your own dough or just pick up some fresh dough at your local grocery store.

I pulled off a handful of dough and shaped it into as close to a circle as I could. These are about 4 to 5 inches across.

Using my cast-iron skillet, I poured about 1/2-inch of vegetable oil into the bottom. I set the heat to medium and heated the oil to about 350 degrees.

Once the oil is hot, they only take about 20 seconds per side to cook. If the oil is too hot, they'll brown too fast and not cook on the inside.

In a separate dish, I mixed 1/2 cup of white sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. I used Penzeys Vietnamese Cinnamon, it's a favorite of ours.

Out of the skillet and into the sugar-and-cinnamon coating on both sides. Then place them on another dish lined with paper towels.

Let them cool for about 10 minutes before eating. Now you can enjoy county-fair fried dough any time of year.

You might like: Fresh Tomato Spinach Pizza

As always, thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy.

Make your own: County Fair Fried Dough

KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer K45SS, Onyx BlackBuy NowLodge Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet Set 8, 10.25 & 12 Inches - PFAS-Free, Non-Toxic Cookware - Use with an Oven, Stove, Grill, or Campfire - Naturally Non-Stick & Oven SafeBuy NowVietnamese Cinnamon Ground By Penzeys Spices 1.7 oz 1/2 cup jar (Pack of 1)Buy Now

 

Easy Homemade Ravioli Recipe

When it comes to Italian food, there is nothing like this easy homemade ravioli recipe. Ravioli are so versatile because there are so many options for the filling.

We happened to be visiting Sammy, and, as luck would have it, he was making ravioli. This was a great opportunity to capture the process and post it.

The filling that Sammy had ready was ricotta cheese, sausage, and spinach. This is one of the many fillings you can use for ravioli.

Filling with ricotta cheese, sausage, and spinach:

1 lb. (16 oz.) ricotta cheese
1/2 lb. Italian bulk sausage (cooked, crumbled, and cooled)
1 egg
2 cups chopped spinach (fresh or frozen)
1 clove minced garlic (Optional)
salt and pepper to taste

In a small frying pan, cook the sausage. Break it up as fine as possible while cooking. Let the sausage cool before mixing with the ricotta cheese.

Mix the ricotta cheese, spinach, garlic, egg, and salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Now add the cooled sausage and mix well. Cover and refrigerate while you make the dough.

The Dough:

4 cups all-purpose flour (more if needed)
4 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

We use our KitchenAid Stand Mixer for this. Add the flour, olive oil, and salt into the mixing bowl. Add one egg at a time, mixing on low speed. Do this until a ball of dough forms, then knead it by hand on a floured surface. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

If you don't have a stand mixer, you can mix the dough by hand. Mound the flour onto a clean surface. Use your fingers starting in the middle of the mound to create a well. Add your eggs, oil, and salt to the middle and work in the flour. Knead by hand until the dough is formed.

Tip: If the dough is too dry add a teaspoon of water or more as needed. Or, if the dough is too wet add a little more flour.

Getting ready to roll the dough. Cut the dough into four equal sections. I know, here you only see three, that's because Sammy has one in the roller.

Easy Homemade Ravioli Recipe: Rolling the Dough

Using the pasta attachment for the KitchenAid. Take one section and begin on a wider setting, running the dough through. Then move the dial to the thinner settings, then to the thinnest setting. Make sure there are no tears or holes in the dough.

Again, if you don't have a KitchenAid or a pasta machine, get out the rolling pin. Take one section of dough and, on a floured surface, roll it into a circle as thin as possible without holes or tears. Cut about 4-inch strips.

Lay the strip of dough on a floured surface and cut it in half. Sammy used a 1-1/2 tablespoon scooper to place the filling onto the dough. With two fingers, Sammy spreads a little water on both halves of the dough.  The water helps stick the dough together.

Place the second half of the dough over the filling. Lightly press around the filling to form the ravioli.

Now Sammy centers this handy ravioli cutter over the filling and firmly presses to cut out the ravioli.  Tip: If you don't have one of these handy cutters, just use a mason jar; you'll get the same tasty ravioli, just round.

After cutting the ravioli, carefully pull the extra dough away. Roll out the extra dough into another strip and make more.

Sammy yielded about 30 delicious ravioli from this recipe.

As I said, in the beginning, there are so many options for ravioli fillings here is our typical ricotta cheese filling recipe.

Ricotta Cheese Filling:

1 lb. ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons parsley
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Here is a link for 20 more ravioli-filling ideas

You might also like this easy-to-make marinara sauce

As always, thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy

KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer K45SS, Onyx BlackBuy NowSailnovo 3 in 1 Pasta Maker Machine - 9 Adjustable Thickness Settings Aluminum Alloy Pasta Roller & 2 Width Cutters for Fresh Spaghetti, Fettuccini, Lasagna, Dumplings - Stainless Steel, SilverBuy NowAll Metal Pasta Attachment 3 In 1 Set For Kitchenaid Stand Mixer, Included Pasta Sheet Roller, Spaghetti Cutter, Fettuccine Cutter Maker Accessories And Cleaning BrushBuy Now

 

Easy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

We haven't made these easy chocolate crinkle cookies for a couple of years. So, this year Fran found the recipe and we decided to add this one to our Holiday cookie list.

These are so easy to make and oh-so-good. They're crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Who doesn't love chocolate? The chocolate flavor is to die for.

You can find many recipes to make these easy chocolate crinkle cookies using a cake mix or brownie mix. We prefer this easy-to-make homemade recipe.

Here is what you need: 

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

4 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

How to make easy chocolate crinkle cookies:

We always use our KitchenAid Stand Mixer. But, you can mix this in a medium bowl using a hand mixer.

First mix together the cocoa powder, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Then beat in the eggs one at a time then, mix in the vanilla.

Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to the cocoa mixture. Mix this until a dough is formed. Then cover and refrigerate for four hours.

Roll the dough into one-inch balls and coat with powdered sugar.

Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. I'm not so perfect so some of mine were a little bigger. 

I preheated the oven to 350 degrees and placed them on the center rake. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Since I made some a little larger than one inch I baked for about 14 minutes.

Leave these on the cookie sheet for a minute or more then you can move them to a rack to cool.

As always thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy it.

KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield - Imperial BlackWilton Stainless Steel Small Cookie Scoop, SilverBaking Sheet Set, 3-Piece Cookie Sheet Set with Silicone Handles, Steel Baking Pans Set, Durable Baking Sheets for Oven, BPA Free Cookie Sheets for Baking Nonstick Set, Sheet Pan - Black Baking Pan