Memorial Day is this weekend. How did that happen? In case you’re entertaining I have a few delicious and easy-to-make grilling recipes to help you out this coming Memorial Day weekend. I love a good shrimp boil! But to be honest, I’ve never done it the traditional way… I’ve always done a grilled shrimp boil.
A few years back I started making shrimp boil kebabs. They are great, but lets face it kebabs take time for skewering and take extra room on the grill. Why not dump all the shrimp boil contents on the top of the grill and let them sizzle for a few minutes. This recipe for a grilled shrimp boil is what I like to call easy entertaining. You can serve this up in large pasta bowls, on a large platter, or do what traditional shrimp boil practice is and serve it on top of the newspaper. I like minimal cleanup so when I make this recipe I like to serve everyone there portion of the grilled shrimp boil in large pasta bowls and I put a big bowl in the center of the table for shrimp peals and corn cobs!
I also want to add that its rare of me to photograph food in its element. I’ve been making this recipe for years and when I started thinking about how I wanted to photograph the grilled shrimp boil I realized I should do it on top of the grill. So as our dinner cooked I began photographing making this one of few hot dinners my husband and I could enjoy! That is true food blogger style… I rush home and hurry up and cook so that way if I plan on photographing dinner that night its done as soon as possible for optimal lighting!
In a large pot, add a teaspoon of old bay seasoning and boil the baby yukon potatoes on medium-high heat for 20 minutes. Stir often, and set to the side after the 20 minute mark. You don't want your potatoes to be mushy but you want them to be almost cooked through for the grill.
Preheat the grill to high heat, clean, and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Clean corn and cut kielbasa and set to the side.
Melt 1/2 stick of unsalted butter and combine with 3 teaspoons old bay seasoning.
Place drained potatoes, kielbasa, and corn (layer in this order) in a large bowl. Pour the butter/old bay seasoning mix over the large bowl filled with potatoes, kielbasa, and corn. Mix well to ensure that the butter mixture got on everything.
Place the corn, potatoes, and sausage on the grill (save the butter in the bowl). Close lid and cook for 5 minutes, flip items over and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the cleaned shrimp to the butter bowl and toss to coat. Add the shrimp to the grill and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
I love a meal where I can use up leftovers. Transform them into something new. That is exactly what this recipe is today. Back in January, I shared how to make Spicy Italian Sausage Subs with Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce in the Slow Cooker. Super simple meal that allows your slow cooker to do all the work for you. Then a few weeks later I showed you how to Roast Red Bell Peppers. Well, I don’t know about you but when I have lots of leftovers I like to transform them. And thus this beautiful Fire-Roasted Tomato & Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta Bake came to life.
Not only did I utilize some of the leftovers I had on hand, but I used a few more pantry staples include Dreamfields Pasta, some fresh herbs from my garden, and cheese in the refrigerator. After boiling up my pasta, I toss all the ingredients together and voila a beautiful pasta bake ready in less than an hour. Typically, most pasta bakes are loaded with cheese. This pasta bake just so happened to not be loaded with cheese. I chose to place a few dollops of ricotta in the bake. Every now and then we don’t need our pasta loaded with cheese, right? Ok, maybe I’m wrong, but I loved it just the way I made it. If you love cheese feel free to load it up! Either way–its a great way to use up leftovers!
Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Then add in pasta, chopped roasted red bell peppers, spicy Italian sausage, and sauce. Toss well them add 8 dollops (tablespoons) of ricotta, sprinkle with caramelized onions and grated cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the inside of the pasta is hot and the cheese is melted.
This recipe is brought to you by Katie Jasiewicz of Katies Cucina
Disclaimer:I received pasta from Dreamfields pasta; however, I was not compensated nor required to write about them. This is a brand I buy on a regular basis and enjoy eating. As always, all opinions are my own.
Winter is really here in Florida. I know for most of you–you are probably rolling your eyes as you read this. But for this Florida-girl… it is cold outside! Don’t get me wrong–I welcome the cooler weather and enjoy not having through-the roof utility bills; however, I’m cold! I make soups all year round, but now I’m finding my one-pot a week soup rule has now increased to two pots.
I took a chance on this recipe. I wasn’t really sure if I was going to like this. I have never put sweet potato in a soup before this one. Let me tell you… I was missing out on life. I also tried swiss chard for the first time. I know… don’t kill me. I love my greens but for some reason I was scared of swiss chard (and I have no idea why). The swiss chard reminded me of the beet greens I sauteed a few months ago for dinner. The night I made this I felt like I may have disappointed my husband. We had consumed multiple nights of vegetarian / lighter meals. When he first walked in the door I immediately belted out… we are having soup for dinner–if it’s not enough for you I’ll make you something else afterwards. And too my surprise he responded “oh that’s perfectly ok, I’m in the mood for soup”. This is why I married him. He embraces and loves soup just as much as I do! On a side note, he downed multiple bowls of this hearty soup. He loved everything about it–including the sweet potatoes and the swiss chard. We both agree that we like swiss chard way better than we do kale!
This hearty soup is perfect for a cold winter night. The earthiness of the sweet potatoes and swiss chard balance well against the sweet Italian sausage. Serve with crusty garlic bread and your meal is complete!
Ingredients
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 lbs Sweet Italian Sausage
2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cups Chicken Broth
2 cups Water
3/4 cups pasta shells
4 cups swiss chard
Parmesan cheese for serving
Directions
In a large soup pot heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper; cook until the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes).
Add the sausage to the pot, breaking it up with a spoon; cook until browned about 5 minutes.
Add the sweet potatoes, broth, and two cups water; bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 3 minutes less than package instructions. Reduce to a simmer, add the swiss chard and cook until wilted (about 4 minutes).
Ladle soup in to bowls, and top with a generous serving of grated parmesan cheese.
I am a soup lover at heart–no matter what time of year it is. In the summer months, you will still find countless containers of homemade soup stored neatly in my refrigerator. While browsing through the May issue of Everyday Food I stumbled across this tortellini soup. As I’ve been told by friends tortellini in broth is a very traditional soup in Italy. I love tortellini in broth. One of my favorite soups is Spinach Tortellini Soup–I make it almost monthly. So when I saw this recipe I was instantly intrigued.
I had all intentions of making the recipe exactly as instructed until I was in the grocery store and saw Sweet Italian Sausage Tortelloni in the refrigerated section. I knew instantly I wanted to make it with this instead of the traditional cheese tortellini the recipe was calling for. Since I was making it with sausage–I wanted to change up the broth as well. Upon my first couple of bites I dubbed this the Italian version of Won Ton soup! It has gorgeous pork style dumplings, just enough vegetables to make it filling, and broth that has been infused by the sausage within the tortelloni.
At this point, you may be wondering what is the difference between tortellini and tortelloni. Tortelloni is simply a larger form of the traditional stuffed tortellini. The “ini” ending indicated they are smaller while the “oni” ending means it is larger.
Did you know you were going to get a little Italian lesson today? Probably not. But you did.
This is an extremely quick soup to make and great to have on hand in the refrigerator to add to mundane lunches and/or a nice before dinner soup. Heck, just eat it as is for whatever meal you would like it for–even if it is for breakfast. If you are a soup connoisseur like me–you must try this soup.
In a large stock pot, pour the 2 boxes of beef broth in the pot and bring to a boil (about 5-10 minutes depending on your stove). Add tortelloni and cook for 2 minutes (still on a boil). Then add peas and spinach. Cook for 2-4 more minutes or until the spinach is just wilted. Season with ground black pepper and squeeze one wedge of lemon over the soup prior to serving. Serve with grated parmesan cheese and additional lemon wedges if desired.
Y’all know that I’ve been into grilling lately–I can’t get enough of it. I was craving flatbreads the other week and picked up a package of Flatout Flatbread. I knew I could create some simple dinners utilizing leftovers and make them a bit more on the healthier side. I purposely made extra Grilled Sausage and Sweet Peppers knowing that I wanted to make a flatbread out of it.
Talk about an easy dinner after a crazy day at work–this is your magic ticket. I even entertained with this flatbread. Although, my first batch of flatbreads came out a little more on the crispier side since I wasn’t paying attenion to the time–and of course those are the ones I photographed. Pay no attention to that–these are quick and simple and can easily make 1 fabulous meal into 2 totally different and terrific tasting meals.
I mentioned that I entertained the evening I made the flatbreads. I have our neighbor over for dinner at least once a week and its almost always impromptu! On this night I fired up the grill, created a sumptuous flatbread and an even tastier salad with a homemade Italian vinaigrette *recipe soon to come. This is definitely one of those pantry meals–I used whatever veggies and meats I have leftover in the fridge. Although my salad was a little piece-mealed together it came out fantastic and I even had an avocado hiding out in the fridge that made our salad that much nicer. The sweet and spicy compliment each other in this flatbread and the cheese base of decadent Boursin garlic and herb soft cheese is tasted on each bite. Whether your entertaining or just looking for a simple dinner to make–give this recipe a try!
*I had to share this picture, too. I took this right after moving our flatbreads from where I was photographing to our little table in our outdoor living room where my neighbor and I ate dinner. This made for a great photo and I instantly had to snap a few shots to encompass how our impromptu dinners really look at my house!
In a frying pan preheat olive oil, add thinly sliced onions to the pan and cook on medium heat. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer until the onions have started to caramelized and all the juice has been absorbed (this will take about 10-15 minutes). Place the onions to the side. Follow the same steps for the grape tomatoes except you'll want to sweat these out and place them over high heat.
Slice grilled hot Italian sausages in 1/4 inch pieces, chopped sweet bell peppers, and tear the basil.
Begin arranging the flatbreads by smearing 2 tablespoons of Boursin Light Garlic & Herb cheese then sprinkle 1 tablespoon mozzarella and parmesan (each). Place the sliced Italian sausage, peppers, caramelized onions, and grape tomatoes equally amongst the 4 flatbreads. Then sprinkle each flatbread with torn basil; followed by 1 tablespoon each of mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Place on grill for 5-7 minutes with lid on for 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted and flatbread is crisp not burnt.
Notes
*If your onions begin to burn during the caramelizing process lower the heat and add more broth.
Grilling season is in full effect in Florida. It’s something about this time of year that makes me resist wanting to turn on the oven and step outside and fire up the grill. Somehow I’ve managed to never grill Italian sausages, so the other day I decided I wanted to give it a try. Let me tell you–this is not only easy but in my opinion I think the only way I will ever cook Italian sausages again. The sausage skin is crispy and the inside is perfectly moist, and best of all it only takes 20 minutes to grill!
I mean, take a look at the crispy sausage above. I used hot Italian sausages, so to be honest they really did not need to be seasoned, and since they can be on the oily side I did not coat them in anything for fear that they were burn with any additional oil added.
I love recreating classic recipes and cooking them with a twist. This is the perfect recipe for entertaining this summer since its quick, easy, and your guest will surely be impressed with your creative take on this classic! I decided that I didn’t want a traditional starch for dinner so I made a quick batch of Italian white beans on the stove top. I’ll share that recipe tomorrow. It pairs wonderfully with the sausage and peppers. Or you can use it for a side dish for any meal you’d like!
Preheat your grill on high heat and clean. Then reduce the heat to medium. While the grill is preheating toss sweet peppers with one tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper.
Place sausage on one side of the grill and peppers on the other side of the grill. Grill for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the sausage reaches 165 degrees. *You'll want to turn the sausage and peppers two-to-three times during the cooking process to prevent burning. If peppers begin to char remove from heat.
Ever since visiting New Orleans earlier this year I’ve really had a greater appreciation for all cajun food. One in particular. Jambalaya. Last month a coworker and close friend of mine was telling me about this awesome new crock pot recipe she found I knew I had to try it. It had all the ingredients that my husband would love and I really did enjoy eating Jambalaya in New Orleans.
I wasn’t sure about the andouille sausage, but decided to give it a shot. Woah, buddy. It gave the spiciness that this dish deserved! I’ve made this meal a few times now and have found it’s best with the rice cooked in with the meal. It will take an additional 2 hours give or take. Be prepared but know that its well worth the wait. If you get home at 5 your meal is almost done cooking. Add the rice in followed by shrimp and you’ll have dinner on the table by 7. If you aren’t patient and don’t want to eat that late then cook the rice on the side and spoon a generous portion of the jambalaya on top of the rice.
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound andouille sausage, diced
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp Cajun or Creole seasoning
1 tsp hot sauce
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 pound frozen peeled shrimp, thawed
2 cups white long grain rice
Fresh chopped parsley as garnish.
Directions
Prepare the ingredients for the crockpot: cut chicken, dice sausage, and chop the onion, green bell pepper, and celery stalk.
In the crock pot combine chicken, sausage, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, celery, and chicken broth. Stir in oregano, cajun seasoning, hot sauce, bay leaves, and thyme. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.
Once the contents in the crockpot are done cooking, carefully remove the liquid. You will use this liquid to cook your rice in a separate pot. Cook the rice according to package directions using as much jambalaya liquid as possible; 2 cups rice needs 4 cups liquid. Typically I can get 2 cups of liquid from the crock pot so I'll use an additional 2 cups water. While rice is cooking, stir in the thawed shrimp in the crockpot, cover and cook until the shrimp are cooked (about 30 minutes). Once rice is done mix into the crock pot. Discard bay leaves, add fresh chopped parsley if desired, and serve.
Notes
*If preparing the night before store the crock pot ingredients in a ziplock freezer bag or large tupperware in the refrigerator.
*I cook my rice in a rice cooker using as much liquid from the jambalaya as possible. This adds flavor to the rice and makes it taste like its been cooking with the jambalaya for hours.
My husband and I never cook together, well I can’t really say never, but RARELY is a better word to use. I had been in a cooking rut a few weeks back and just didn’t want to cook. He decided he wanted to help me. We made a baked sausage and vegetable ziti together that tasted delicious and was easy to put together! The best part was that my husband started the dish when I was still on the road on my way home from a long day at the office. He kept asking for the directions and I had to explain to him that I was just “winging it”. He didn’t really understand that it was a recipe I put together in my head! I asked him to pre-heat the oven, boil pasta, cut the sausage links and fry them. He did just that, ultimately making my life much easier when I got home. We had leftover tomato basil sauce that we used for this dish. If you don’t have home made sauce you can always use a jar (gasp)! This is a great collaborative dish to make at home with a loved one–whether its a child or significant other! I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we did!
2. In a large pasta pot cook pasta according to direction. Drain, and place to the side.
3. While pasta is cooking, cut sausage links into one inch pieces and fry in a frying pan. Half way through the sausage cooking add 1 tablespoon of garlic, mushrooms, and zucchini. Cook sausage until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees and vegetables are al dente.
4. In a large pan add one cup of sauce, followed by sausage and vegetables. Slowly start to mix in pasta. Add the remainder of the sauce along with the italian seasoning. Mix well and then add spoonfuls of ricotta to the pan. Lastly, sprinkle mozzarella cheese around the pan.
5. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Upon plating sprinkle fresh minced parsley on top and serve immediately.
I had been looking for recipes that contained wonton wrappers prior to Super Bowl since I had almost a full package of wonton wrappers that I did not want to waste. I just happened to find this recipe on Less Cake {more frosting} a few days prior to Super Bowl, and I knew that these would be a hit. At first I thought “ranch and sausage”? But the ranch acted like a cream base in this delectable little bite. Whatever you do, make sure you prebake your wonton wrappers. I did that on the first batch, and because I had a house full of guest I failed to do that on the second batch (I had a brain-fart. What can I say–it happens!). They were good the second time around, but the first batch was great!
2. In a large bowl combine the cooked sausage, cheeses, ranch dressing, black olives, and red bell pepper.
3. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray then take a wonton wrapper and press it down into a muffin tin. Make sure that the wrapper at least forms into a cup that has a bottom. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.
4. Once the wrappers have been baked for 5 minutes you will want to fill each of the “cups” with the filling. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the wrappers are crispy. Serve hot and enjoy!
Last month, I received a copy of {New York Times best-selling author} Pam Anderson’s Perfect One-Dish Dinners: All You Need for Easy Get-Togethers. From the moment I received the book I could not put it down. I literally read this cookbook cover-to-cover, which is rare for me to do! I love how she has divided this cookbook into four sections; Stews for All Seasons, Worldly Casseroles, Roasting Pan Complete, and Big Summer Salads and Grilled Platters. Not only does Pam include some amazing recipes for her “one-dish” meals, but she also includes easy appetizers, salads, sides, and dessert recipes that compliment each one-dish. My first recipe “sub-set” (as I like to call it) that I chose to cook turned out wonderfully. I’m so excited to start cooking and hosting from this book! It’s a great “go-to” book when you know your going to entertain! I decided to make this dish on a particular evening after a long day in the office. After reading the directions I knew this would be an easy and satisfying meal to cook up for my husband and parents. Some-times a one-dish meal can lack flavors, but this dish was the opposite! The hearty stew can satisfy any appetite, and the leftover’s were even more fabulous the next day! I made the recipe set for this entree, and will feature the rest of the recipes this week.
Side note: I used the most amazing balsamic vinegar for this recipe. My in-laws had just returned from Italy, and brought me back a 15 year aged balsamic. It was sweet and flavorful–I could honestly drink it! I can honestly say it is the most amazing balsamic I’ve ever tasted; however, if you don’t have a fancy balsamic vinegar flown in directly from Italy you can use any balsamic vinegar you have on hand!
1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix sausages, tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, thyme, bay leaves, and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper in a large heavy roasting pan. Set the pan in the oven and roast until sausages are brown and tomatoes have reduced to a thick sauce, about 45 minutes. *I covered the dish for the first 20 minutes, and then left uncovered for the remaining 25 minutes.
3. While dinner is cooking toss half a loaf of bread in a food processor and pulse until bread crumbs. Toss the fresh bread crumbs with 2 tablespoons melted butter and a sprinkle of salt. Add the crumbs to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown.
4. Remove the casserole dish from the oven, stir in beans, and continue to roast until casserole has heated through, about 10 minutes longer. Fish out bay leaves, plate, top with bread crumbs, parmesan, and enjoy!
I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. I’ve always had a love for cooking, and more so in the past few years a love for eating!
Join me on a culinary adventure where life always tastes good. {more}
I am a soup lover at heart–no matter what time of year it is. In the summer months, you will still find countless containers of homemade soup stored neatly in my refrigerator. While browsing through the May issue of Everyday Food I stumbled across this tortellini soup. As I’ve been told by friends tortellini in broth is a very traditional soup in Italy. I love tortellini in broth. One of my favorite soups is Spinach Tortellini Soup–I make it almost monthly. So when I saw this recipe I was instantly intrigued.
I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. I’ve always had a love for cooking, and more so in the past few years a love for eating!
Join me on a culinary adventure where life always tastes good. 
