Pork Roll Breakfast Strata

A nice (yummy!) way to start the weekend!

4 slices of pork roll, diced into small bite size pieces
1 small red pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 slices of thick 'day old' wheat bread
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
5 eggs
1 c milk
salt, pepper

Coat a large skillet with non stick spray and heat to medium high heat.  Add pork roll, pepper, and onion and add garlic after 2-3 minutes.  Cook until vegetables are tender.  Be sure not to burn garlic.  Grease an 8x8 pan and line bread in bottom (do not overlap-tear apart if needed to make an even layer of bread.  Top with pork roll vegetable mixture.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese.  In a bowl, whisk eggs and milk together.  Pour evenly over cheese.  Cover and refrigerate over night or at least for 3 hours.  Remove from frig 30 minutes prior to baking.  Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Italian Sausage Pepper Rigatoni

Tonight's dinner... Eric went back for thirds I believe... not even right.

1 1lb rigatoni pasta
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
3 tbsp EVOO
3 large garlic clovews, minced
1 large red sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 jars (total of 39oz) of sausage pasta sauce
1/2 c red wine
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 c parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Cook sausage for 30 minutes-keep warm.  Cook rigatoni according to package instructions and keep warm.  In a small skillet, heat EVOO over medium heat.  Cook garlic and pepper 3-5 minutes, being sure not to burn garlic.  Drain excess oil.  In a medium saucepan, heat pasta sauce and red wine over low heat.  Add pepper garlic mixture.  Once sausage is cooked, slice and add to sauce.  Cook for additional 5 minutes.  Toss with pasta.  Top with fresh herbs and grated cheese.  Serve with salad for meal for 4.

Smokin' Jambalaya

This is the dish that ended the life of my crockpot.  In the crockpot's defense, I have been using it a lot lately... mostly for Sunday meals because I am scared that if I leave it on while I'm at work, I will come home to a burnt down house and two dead puppies, which would kill me.  The handle popped right off and Eric told me there was no way it could be fixed and that it presented a safety hazard.  (The crockpot has since been replaced).  Anyway, we both agreed that we did not think that shrimp should ever be put in the crockpot again.  It wasn't that it tasted badly, it just made the shrimp tough.  The rest of the flavors were very good and it was a good amount of food for two people with leftovers for Hearn to take to lunch for two days.

1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch chunks, cooked
1lb Hot Italian sausage, crumbled, cooked and drained of excess fat
1-2 tbsp EVOO
1/2 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 c celery, chopped
1 green or red sweet pepper, chopped
1 14.5oz fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 c chicken broth
1 c vegetable broth
1 8oz jar tomato paste
2 tbsp quick cooking tapioca (a thickener)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 hot frying pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
8oz frozen peeled and deveined medium shrimp
2 c hot cooked rice

In a large skillet, heat EVOO over medium high heat.  Add onion, garlic, celery, sweet and hot peppers to pan.  Cook until tender.  In a 3 1/2 to 4 quart crockpot, combine vegetable mixture, chicken, sausage, broths, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tapioca, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and spices.  Cover and cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours OR on high setting for 3 to 4 hours.  If using low setting, turn to high heat and add frozen shrimp.  Cook an additional 30 minutes.  Serve with rice.

Morning Mix Up... for dinner

This was our dinner last night... but I hit the hay at 8pm and therefore, blogging was not happening... I feel so old.  For some reason, I had acquired 36 eggs in my frig and since there is not too much baking in my future, I figured breakfast was the way to go :)  Despite being a "Serves 4" recipe, we polished this off sans toast or bagels.

2 c frozen hash browns
1/2 lb fully cooked ham, chopped (I used ham steak so there were chunks of ham)
4 oz sliced pepperoni, diced into quarters
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 eggs
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

In a large non stick skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat and add meats, garlic, and hash browns.  Cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  In a small bowl, combine eggs and seasonings.  Add to pan, cook, stirring occasionally until the eggs are cooked through.  Remove from heat and stir in cheese.  Serve with toast or bagels for a meal for 4.

Pepperoni Pizza Chili

I had my doubts on this one (it seemed too tomato based for my liking) but I decided to give it a whirl anyway.  I'm happy I did :)  The original recipe stated it made 8 servings.... well, not when Eric devours half (if not, 3/4) of the pot!!  Delish with garlic toast.

1lb ground beef
1/4 onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz) pizza sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) Italian style diced tomatoes
1 c tomato sauce
1 1/2 c vegetable broth or stock
4 oz sliced pepperoni
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
5 basil leaves, sliced thin
Shredded mozzarella cheese to garnish



In a large skillet, cook ground beef over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic.  Cook until beef is no longer pink and vegetables are slightly tender.  Drain well.  In a 3 1/2-4 quart crock pot, combine cooked beef mixture, beans, pizza sauce, tomatoes, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, pepperoni, seasonings and basil in crock pot.  Stir well to combine.  Cook on high for 1 hr.  Turn to low for 2 hours.  Serve with shredded mozzarella cheese and garlic toast.