Sausage Pasta Skillet

The past few months have been a time of many changes for my family….. my husband just recently retired after serving 20 years in the Air Force, my three kids started back at school and I went back to work as a Speech Pathologist in a school district working with kids ages 3 to 18 years. Needless to say our schedule remains busy…and it will go into fast forward as the Fall soccer season begins and the kids attend weekly dance classes, cub scouts, music lessons, etc…

 As my family knows I'm constantly on the lookout for "new" recipes. I especially love those easy one skillet dinners that require little clean-up and come together quickly. I was thrilled to see this recipe posted by the website Kevin and Amanda. (The original recipe is from the cookbook The Best Simple Recipes by America's Test Kitchen.)  It had all of the basic ingredients for a yummy but fast meal. I adapted it to my own tastes but for the most part it is a definite keeper!!! 

Sausage Pasta Skillet

adapted from kevinandamanda.com's recipe for Spicy Sausage Pasta

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced 

1 1/2 cups diced onions (I left this out)

1 1/2 teaspoons crushed garlic

1 (14.5 oz.) can chicken broth

1 (10 oz.) can Ro-Tel, Mild (or use 1 (14.5oz.) can diced tomatoes if you like it less spicy)

8 oz. penne

1/2 cup heavy cream

salt & pepper to taste

2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

Add olive oil and sliced sausage (and diced onions if you like) to a large skillet and cook over medium heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, broth, tomatoes, penne, heavy cream, salt and pepper; stir. Bring to a boil; cover skillet with a lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender; about 15 minutes.  Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese.  Then add the remaining 1 cup of cheese evenly across the top of the skillet right before serving.  Makes 4 servings. 

My family ate every last bite of this skillet meal and agreed this is a tummy pleaser. The next time I make it I will definitely use a can of diced tomatoes….I liked the extra kick but it was a little too much for my youngest son.  You can also play around with the sausage by using turkey sausage or a lite version of smoked sausage.  The pasta can also be swapped out with whatever type of pasta you have available in the pantry.  Add this recipe to your weeknight rotation for an easy skillet meal the whole family will enjoy!!!

Easy Dill Pickles

My family loves pickles….of any kind!!! I'm pretty sure that all three of my kids have inherited their "sour" cravings from me.  I can trace my pickle-loving habit all the way back to when I was a little girl…..my grandmother made the best pickled okra! She always had an abundance of jarred okra every summer and was more than happy to share. 

There has been a big resurgence lately in home canning. I've been amazed by the large amount of supplies, pre-made mixes and vintage glass jars that are now available at local stores.  Even though I'm highly fascinated by the unique skill of "old fashioned" canning, I usually don't have the extra time that it involves.  When I came across this recipe for refrigerated pickles, I knew it would be the perfect quick way to get that yummy fresh pickle taste….with little effort.

Of course this recipe is so simple that my nine year old daughter was able to jump right in and help. Her favorite part was stuffing the sliced cucumbers into the glass jars and mixing up the brine.  I adapted the recipe by using fresh sprigs of Dill and also minced garlic. I also left out the red pepper flakes since I knew my kids would be the first to devour the pickles. 

I purchased (from the canning section in Wal-Mart) a set of 9 "Pint & Half" Ball Jars. I thought this would be the perfect size to fit the length of the pickling cucumbers and have a good amount of pickle servings per jar. (It averaged out to be around 10 spears in each jar.) One of the best things about these jars is the ability to wash them when you are done and reuse them for the next batch of pickles!!! It is a never ending cycle in our home!

Easy Dill Pickles

adapted from Kansas City Mamas

12 pickling cucumbers, sliced into fourths

5 tsp crushed garlic (or 5 peeled garlic cloves)

2 1/2 tsp black peppercorns

fresh Dill (at least 5-6 sprigs)
(Optional: add 1/4 tsp onion flakes and 1/4 tsp mustard seeds to each jar)

Brine: 

6 tbsp kosher salt

4 tbsp sugar

2 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar

Place 1 tsp garlic, 1/2 tsp peppercorns and 1 sprig of fresh Dill (or 1/4 tsp dried dill) at the bottom of five (pint & half) jars. Divide sliced cucumbers evenly into each jar. In a medium sized bowl or Pyrex measuring glass, mix together 6 tbsp salt, 4 tbsp sugar and 2 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar. Microwave until it comes to a boil 3-4 minutes. (Or bring to a boil in a medium saucepan) Mix together until the sugar and salt are dissolved.  Then add 4 cups of water and mix well. Pour mixture over cucumbers until all of the cucumbers are submerged.  Place lids on jars and screw tightly. Place into the refrigerator overnight. Pickles will be ready to eat the next day and should last for up to a month. 

I made this batch of pickles for the 4th of July holiday so I added a little festive ribbon to the top of the jars.  They made great gifts for my friends and family. We all enjoyed these perfectly seasoned crisp pickles with our potluck barbecue. You can leave them in spears or slice them into rounds to add to sandwiches. Either way these "Easy Dill Pickles" will not last long!!!