Crockpot Spaghetti with Terranova Italian Sausage

Spaghetti with Terranova Italian Sausage

I’m usually not a huge fan of Italian sausage, more of a meatball gal. Terranova’s Italian sausage has changed my mind. They don’t use a huge amount of fennel and have a perfect balance of spicy and sweet. I specifically go to Katie’s in Mid-City b/c they use Terranova’s sausage on their pizza (which is super tasty). Scott cooked up the sausages in his crockpot spaghetti recipe. So good……

Ingredients:

1 lb. Terranova Italian Sausage
Jar of your favorite marinara sauce
1 16 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup beef stock
1/2 cup red wine
4 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil and oregano
1 small onion, diced
2 cups of mushrooms
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 package of spaghetti
salt
pepper

Directions:

Saute onion with red pepper in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add all ingredients (except for spaghetti) into crockpot. Cook 6 hours on high and switch to low.

Prepare spaghetti according to package. Season sauce to taste.

Crock-Pot Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs with Low Carb Pasta and Whole Wheat Garlic Bread

Crock-Pot Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs with Low Carb Pasta

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (we used Classico something or other)
Dreamfields low carb spaghetti
1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 an onion (chopped)
3 cloves garlic
1 egg
2 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup garlic and herb bread crumbs
Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Directions:

Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil. Deglaze them with the wine and pour that into a slow cooker along with the spaghetti sauce, beef stock, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Set on low for 8 to 10 hours. Put the ground beef in a bowl along with the egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning blend. Mix that together and form them into balls. Place them under a broiler for 10 minutes, then add them to the Crock Pot. Let that slowly simmer for however many hours you can stand it before needing it in your face. Place over boiled spaghetti noodles that have been drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with garlic salt.

Commentary: We actually did this with the leftover sauce from the grits and grillades we made for breakfast.

Inspired by: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/sunday-gravy-and-macaroni-spaghetti-really-recipe/index.html

Whole Wheat Garlic Bread

Ingredients:

1 fresh loaf of whole wheat french bread
Butter or margarine
Mayo
Parmesan cheese
Garlic salt

Directions:

Slice your loaf into about 1-inch thick slices, but not all the way through, just mostly all the way to the bottom of the bread. Spread butter on all the sides facing one way, and mayo on all the sides facing the other way. Then sprinkle Parmesan cheese and garlic salt in each gap. Wrap loaf in foil and place in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Commentary: This way of making garlic bread is a long cherished family recipe. If you think the mayo part is crazy. Just try it once and you’ll probably never not include mayo ever again.

Pork Loin Roast with Mustard Sauce, Guinness Boiled Cabbage, and Crock-Pot Black-Eyed Peas

Roasted Pork

Ingredients:

3.5 lb center-cut bone-in pork loin (rib) roast
McCormick’s Apple & Sage Pork Chop Seasoning
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk oil with spice mix.  Place pork in large roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rub herb mixture over pork. Cover pork loosely with foil and roast 1hr and 45 min. Internal temp should be 170 degrees.

Inspired by: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roast-Pork-Loin-and-Potatoes-103438#ixzz2H4DFx6yH

Mustard Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup of sherry

Directions:

Melt butter in pan. Add flour and cook for one minute on medium heat whisking constantly until creamy. Add wine and garlic. Bring to a boil; cook for 2 minutes.  Add broth; cover and cook for 8-10 minutes Stir in the butter, sherry, mustard and Worcestershire sauce; heat through. Serve with pork.

Inspired by: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Pork-Chops-with-Mustard-Sauce

Guinness Braised Cabbage

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• One head of cabbage shredded
• (8 fl oz) Guinness
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.Mix in cabbageand cook about 2 minutes. Pour in the Guinness. Season with salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to medium, cover frying pan, and continue cooking 5 minutes, or until cabbage is tender.

Inspired by: http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/1096/guinness-braised-cabbage.aspx

Black Eyes Peas

Ingredients:

6 cups water
1 cube chicken bouillon
1 pound dried black-eyed peas, sorted and rinsed
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 green pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
1 pork chop with bone
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt, to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Pour the water into a slow cooker, add the bouillon cube, and stir to dissolve. Combine the black-eyed peas, onion, garlic, green pepper, jalapeno pepper, pork chop, cayenne pepper,  salt, and pepper; stir to blend. Cover the slow cooker and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours until the beans are tender.

Inspired by: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-spicy-black-eyed-peas/