Monday, October 28, 2019

Tuscan Bites and Cucumber Bites

Tuscan Bites

Wind Willow Tuscan Olive Cheeseball mix
8 oz cream cheese
1 package salami slices
1 package pepperoni slices
1 jar olives

Combine mix and topping packet with cream cheese.
Let meat slices flat. Spread thin layer of cheese mixture on each and fold.
Top each with an olive and secure with a toothpick.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cucumber Bites

Wind Willow Cheeseball mix of choice (I used Smokehouse Bacon)
8oz cream cheese
2 cucumbers
1lb bacon

Cook bacon and chop
Combine mix with cream cheese
Slice cucumber. Top each slice with cheese mix. Sprinkle with topping mix.
Finish with a piece of bacon on top.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

JJC - Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

Ingredients

· 3-4 Acorn Squash, halved

· Olive Oil

· Salt & Pepper

· 1 lb Ground Sausage (Jimmy Dean Hot)

· 1 Small Onion, finely chopped

· 2 Large Celery Stalks, finely chopped

· 2 Apples, diced

· ½ tsp sage

· 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

· 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Using a sharp knife cut off each end of the acorn squash removing as little as possible, then cut in half.

3. Spoon out seeds.

4. Brush olive oil inside and on top of Acorn Squash.

5. Sprinkle Salt and Pepper over Acorn Squash to taste.

6. Bake for 40 minutes to an hour depending on size of your squash until tender and you can pierce with a fork, but still holding its shape.

7. While the squash is baking begin sautéing the sausage for about 5 minutes, drain and pat dry with a paper towel to remove as much grease as possible, but don't discard grease in the pan.

8. Using the grease from the sausage add your onions and celery to the pan and sauté for another 2-3 minutes until it starts to brown. (add olive oil if necessary)

9. Add apples and sauté for another 2 minutes or until softened.

10.Stir in sage and bread crumbs.

11.Add ¾ cup parmesan cheese and stir until cheese begins to melt. Set aside.

12.Once squash has finished baking and reached desired tenderness spoon in meat mixture until the squash is filled.

13.Return to the oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes depending on size of squash.

14.Remove from oven and top with remaining parmesan cheese.

15.Enjoy!

https://cherishedbliss.com/sausage-and-apple-stuffed-acorn-squash/

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Andrea's Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa Toscana

Cook 2 lbs. hot Italian sausage, drain

Cook in 2 32 oz. cartons of chicken broth (I used Swanson's because there's no flavor in the generic):

1 diced medium onion

5 medium organic russet potatoes, half peeled and sliced thin

2 very large cloves of pressed garlic (almost ½ a head)

While that's cooking add chopped kale – I think about 4 large leaves, no stems

When potatoes are done, add 1 package pre-cooked bacon, chopped

1 pint heavy cream

The sausage

Fresh ground pepper.

Of course, fresh bacon would be better. Between the bacon, sausage, and broth it didn't seem to need salt. If using a milder sausage, add some red pepper flakes. ½ and ½ is fine instead of heavy cream – not so rich of course. And that seems to be at least twice as much soup as you need for 5 people, but leftovers are good. If you serve bread, you should bring butter, because I forgot that. 5 people don't need a lot of bread either. At least not these 5 people…