kielbasa Archives - The Midnight Baker

Red Lentil Soup

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 24 Nov 2019 00:00:40 +0000

This red lentil soup is so comforting on a chilly night.

Red Lentil Soup

Have you ever thought of using red lentils?

I have for a long time. The last time I went shopping and saw them, I decided to buy a bag even though I didn’t know exactly what I would do with them. A bit of impulse buying on my part.

Beans and legumes have always been a favorite of mine and I’ve made plenty of soups that use them over the years. However, even though I like regular lentil soup, there’s something about the color I find somewhat disagreeable. So it wasn’t that much of a brainstorm to substitute the red lentil for the grey one.

Vegetarian Or Vegan Too

The beauty of this red lentil soup is that it can easily be made “meatless” and totally vegan.

It should come as no surprise that even we omnivores enjoy vegan/vegetarian dishes. Personally, I enjoy all foods and have no intention of changing my diet, but I’ve noticed that a lot of peoples’ eating habits do change as we age. For instance, when I hit 50, I just didn’t want to eat meat every single day. It was surprising to learn that this was pretty common among similarly aged friends.

So, at times you don’t want to eat meat per se, the kielbasa can be left out. You might want to still use the chicken stock, but you don’t have to do that either. A good vegetable stock will work equally as well and with those substitutions, it becomes entirely vegan.

Whole Or Puree

This soup cooks pretty quickly so it can also be a quickie dinner–and there’s another choice too.

You can leave the lentils whole if you want a bit of chew factor involved and if you’re leaving out the kielbasa, this is probably a good choice. However, the soup may be pureed as well to make it smooth. I pureed it with my stick blender because it’s so easy to do. The choice, as they say, is up to you.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Red Lentil & Kielbasa Soup

Easy and comforting lentil soup.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lentil soup recipe, quick soup recipes, red lentils, vegan soup recipe, vegetarian recipe

Servings: 8

Calories: 452kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 large onion chopped
4 cloves garlic crushed
1 tbs oil
4 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 sprig thyme
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
16 oz red lentils
16 oz chopped kielbasa

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes or until onion begins to get tender.
Add the stock and remaining ingredients except the kielbasa. Simmer for approximately 1 hour or until lentils are tender. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
Puree soup either in a conventional blender or with an immersion/stick blender.
Add the kielbasa and heat through.

Notes

Omit the kielbasa and use vegetable stock for a vegan soup.

Nutrition

The post Red Lentil Soup appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Cajun Chicken Stroganoff

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 23 Jun 2018 23:00:32 +0000

Not your average chicken stroganoff! It’s the Cajun seasonings that make this chicken so tasty.

Chicken Stroganoff Cajun Style

First I have to say I love chicken. I also love anything creamy like a stroganoff–and I’m a mushroom nut too.

However, chicken stroganoff can be a tad boring with it’s flavors. Nothing wrong with that, but sometimes it’s good to mix things up a bit. That’s what happens with this recipe. It’s got bold flavors from the spices and a hint of smokiness from the kielbasa. What’s not to like?

The perfect accompaniment is a luscious tomato salad!

Hot Or Mild–Your Choice

Cayenne pepper is one ingredient in the Cajun seasoning mixture. This can be powerfully hot if you want it to be. I take the option of making it just a bit “zippy” because not everyone will appreciate the heat. Also, I don’t want one ingredient to be too overpowering. My way of thinking is that herbs and spices should combine in such a way that the whole is more than the sum of it’s parts–that the flavor becomes something new and different where you cannot say one flavor dominates.

This is the reason I give a broad range for the cayenne pepper. My mother was famous for saying, “You can always add but you can’t take it out.” That’s the reasoning here. You can always add more if you want more heat. If everyone you are serving is on the same page about liking hot stuff, then use the greater amount.

Searing Is The Secret To Great Mushrooms

Yep, it’s as simple as that!

This was something I wasn’t born knowing either. In fact, I learned this a number of years ago from an unusual source. I was watching an HSN presentation of cookware where Jamie Gwen was demonstrating it. Not that Jamie Gwen was an unusual source; she’s a rather famous chef, but rather HSN. Anyway, she was cooking mushrooms and said the real secret was to get the skillet blazing hot where the oil begins to smoke and sear those suckers to within an inch of their lives. So I tried it. It worked, so I do that now as a matter of course.

One thing you have to remember is you must babysit the mushrooms and keep them moving in the pan. If not, they will burn (and rather quickly) but the process is fast; less than 5 minutes.

Watch The Video

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Cajun Chicken Stroganoff

Not your average chicken stroganoff! It’s the Cajun seasonings that make this chicken so tasty.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cajun, chicken, chicken stroganoff, spicy chicken

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 853kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1/2 lb wide egg noodles uncooked
4 tbs olive oil divided
1/2 lb kielbasa cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 lb fresh button mushrooms
1 1/2 lb chicken tenders OR chicken breasts cut in strips
1/2 tsp EACH paprika pepper, salt, basil, oregano and thyme
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper more if desired, up to 1/2 tsp
2 tbs flour
1 tbs tomato paste
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 cup dry sherry
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sliced green onions for garnish

Instructions

Cook noodles per package directions; drain and set aside.
Heat a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs of oil and sear the mushrooms and kielbasa until nicely brown, stirring constantly so they don’t burn. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Mix the cayenne pepper, paprika, pepper, salt, basil, oregano and thyme. Toss the chicken in this seasoning blend, coating evenly. Then sprinkle with the flour and toss to coat.
Add the remaining 2 tbs of oil to the same pan and heat over medium-high heat. Saute the chicken until almost cooked—about 5 minutes. Push the chicken to one side of the pan and add the tomato paste and the garlic; saute for 1 minute.
Deglaze the pan with the sherry and simmer until it’s almost evaporated then add the stock, the Worcestershire sauce and the mushroom/kielbasa mixture. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half—about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream. Serve over noodles.

Nutrition

The post Cajun Chicken Stroganoff appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Mixed Bean Soup with Ham & Kielbasa

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 01 Feb 2017 00:00:25 +0000

Delicious hearty mixed bean soup is great for a winter meal, but the kielbasa and ham add great flavor!

Winter Is For Bean Soup

Bean soup is perfect for a cold winter day!

This soup is extra special because it contains a variety of beans and two meats!

The Flavors Are Terrific

Bean soup is traditionally flavored with ham.

Whenever I make a ham for dinner, I always save and freeze the bone for later use. This is one of the uses I have for the leftover ham bone. Always make sure to leave some meat on the bone for adding to the soup!

Kielbasa or smoked sausage is less traditional for flavoring the soup, but it’s absolutely delicious! It has a smoky flavor but is quite different from ham. This adds another level to the flavor.

Also, most mixed bean packages come with a seasoning packet. Use it because this adds even more flavor, but if your package of beans doesn’t come with this seasoning, don’t worry–it’s totally optional.

Add Some Veggies

I generally will add carrot and celery to most any soup I make.

In this one, I had no celery so I only added carrots. I like the sweetish flavor that carrot imparts to a soup. You can add anything you like that you think goes well with the meats.

As far as herbs and spices, something such as this soup lends itself to bay and a bit of basil for my tastes. You can really get experimental here if you want. I have to admit I’m not that adventurous with herbs so I haven’t tried other combinations. I’d love it if you could let me know your personal favorites for bean and ham soup!

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Mixed Bean Soup with Ham & Kielbasa

Delicious hearty mixed bean soup is great for a winter meal, but the kielbasa and ham add great flavor!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time10 5

Course: Pork, soups

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bean soup, ham, kielbasa

Servings: 6 -8

Calories: 65kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 bag approx 16 oz mixed dried beans + enclosed flavor pack (see NOTES)
8 cups water
2 tsp chicken base i.e. Better Than Bouillon -OR- 2 chicken stock cubes
1 cup sliced carrots - about 1/2-inch thick
1/2 cup chopped onion
meaty ham bone -OR- 1 large ham steak cut in chunks
1/2 tsp basil
1 bay leaf
1 package fully-cooked kielbasa cut in 1/2-inch slices
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Place soaked beans in a 5-7 quart slow cooker.
Add the water and the flavor pack that was in the beans (if there isn't one in your package, it's not essential so don't worry), the chicken base, carrots, onions, basil, bay leaf. kielbasa and ham bone/ham chunks.
Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours, high 5-8 hours (times are approximate).
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

To prepare beans-- place beans in a large pot and cover with water 1" above the beans. Soak overnight. Alternate method (but not as good)--place beans in a large pot and cover with water 1" above the beans. Bring water to a boil, boil 5 minutes then remove from the heat, cover and let sit for 1 hour. With either method, drain the water and rinse.

Flavor packet--if the brand of beans you buy doesn't have a little packet of flavoring, it's not essential so don't worry.

Nutrition

The post Mixed Bean Soup with Ham & Kielbasa appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Kielbasa & Cabbage Skillet

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 00:00:48 +0000

Not only is this kielbasa and cabbage skillet dinner delicious, it’s great to look at too!

Quick Cabbage Skillet Dinner

This cabbage and kielbasa dinner gets to the table very quickly. It’s pretty to look at too! So it pleases the eye as well as the palate.

Actually, this is one of those meals that you can make “light” or “rich.” Either way, it has great taste.

Lighten It Up

You can lighten this up without greatly affecting the flavor.

I usually make this with one stick of butter because I like cabbage that has a nice buttery flavor. However, when I’ve been low on butter, I’ve made it with a mere 2 tablespoons and it tastes just fine. You can also substitute olive oil for the butter.

Using reduced-fat or turkey kielbasa will further reduce the fat.

So if you’re watching your weight or you just want to eat a tad healthier, you’ll be delighted with these substitutions.

Add More Veggies

I tend to keep this meal simple as far as the veggies are concerned since I love the flavor of cabbage. My version only has the cabbage, some julienne carrots and onion.

But if you have leftover veggies, toss them in as well. It’s a great way to use them up.

Potatoes would make a nice addition too. Whatever you think would blend well with cabbage is good. Make it to suit your individual taste.

Another benefit of adding more vegetables is it will extend the meal to make more servings.

Vegetarian or Vegan Too

There are quite a few soy-based sausages that taste very good. I’ve tried them and I couldn’t tell that it was meatless!

Vegetarians can substitute the soy-based sausages and use the butter, but vegans can omit the butter and use olive oil and make it totally vegan. I hear vegan butter tastes pretty good so you might try that. Not having tasted it, I cannot judge, but if you like it, feel free.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Kielbasa & Cabbage Skillet

Not only is this kielbasa and cabbage skillet dinner delicious, it’s great to look at too!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Everyday Meals, Pork, skillet dinners, vegetarian dishes

Cuisine: German

Keyword: cabbage, kielbasa, skillet dinner

Servings: 4

Calories: 256kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 pkg 16 oz fully-cooked kielbasa
1/2 cup unsalted butter divided
1 small onion chopped
1/2 cup julienne carrots see NOTES
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 head savoy cabbage see NOTES
Salt to taste optional

Instructions

Cut kielbasa into 1/4-inch slices. Coarsely shred cabbage.
Melt 2 tbs of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add kielbasa and brown on both sides; remove from pan.
Melt the remaining butter in the same pan. Add the onion and saute until onion is translucent.
Add the cabbage and the carrots. Toss well to coat the veggies with the butter. Pour in the chicken stock. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until the cabbage is crisp-tender.
Place the kielbasa back in the pan and heat through. Taste to see if you need any salt. Add if you need it.

Notes

You can buy julienne carrots—they are sold where the baby carrots are sold in the produce section of the store.

I used savoy cabbage but any cabbage can be substituted.

Nutrition

The post Kielbasa & Cabbage Skillet appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Cream of Broccoli & Kielbasa Cheese Soup

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 23:00:32 +0000

Comforting and cheesy cream of broccoli soup with the added kick of flavorful kielbasa.

Great Flavors

There’s not many people who don’t like cream of broccoli soup with cheese. Add the savory flavor of kielbasa to the mix and you have the perfect flavor combination.

The broccoli imparts that lovely sweet yet earthy flavor and the kielbasa gives a hint of smokiness. The addition of a sharp cheddar cheese completes the taste experience.

A Meal In Itself

This cream of broccoli and kielbasa cheese soup is more than just a soup. It’s a complete meal in itself.

It’s packed with broccoli, kielbasa, cheese and unpeeled potatoes. You can certainly peel the potatoes if you wish, but I find scrubbing them well and leaving them unpeeled in these types of dishes adds a rustic look. It also adds a bit more fiber if you are concerned about that.

All you’d have to do is add some crusty rolls or bread and you have a totally delicious and complete meal.

Smoked Sausage Or Kielbasa?

The choice is pretty much up to you, but to be honest here, I can’t really tell the difference between the two! Turkey sausage can be substituted if you prefer the taste.

Another thing that would be great substituted in this soup would be Andouille sausage. Now that would add a bit of kick for folks who like a bit of zing to their food.

As far as the broccoli is concerned, I used frozen florets, but frozen chopped broccoli will do nicely as well as fresh.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Cream of Broccoli & Kielbasa Cheese Soup

Comforting and cheesy cream of broccoli soup with the added kick of flavorful kielbasa.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Comfort Foods, soups

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheese soup, cream of broccolli, kielbasa

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 793kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

16 oz frozen broccoli florets or chopped broccoli see NOTES
4 medium potatoes unpleeled cut in chunks
2 cups chicken stock
1 small onion chopped
3 tbsp butter
2 sprigs fresh thyme -OR- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 cup half-and-half cream
14-16 oz fully cooked kielbasa cut in 1/4-inch slices
1 cup whole milk
1/2-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese I used white cheddar
salt and pepper to taste

THICKENING

1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup water

Instructions

Melt butter in a dutch oven or very large (6 cup) saucepan. Add onion and cook until translucent.
Add the thyme, chicken stock, potatoes and broccoli. Heat to boiling. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes or until broccoli and potatoes are tender.
Add the kielbasa and heat through.
Thicken, if desired, by mixing the flour and water until there are no lumps. Stir into soup base. MIXTURE WILL BE VERY THICK.
Gradually add the milk and cream, stirring to incorporate well with no lumps (if you thickened the soup). If soup is too thick, additional milk may be used to thin. Add salt and pepper to taste at this point.
Stir in cheese until it melts. Cheese is given in a range--use the 1/2 cup if you don't want it too cheesy and the full cup if you are a cheese lover.

Notes

Fresh broccoli may be substituted

Nutrition

The post Cream of Broccoli & Kielbasa Cheese Soup appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Kielbasa Green Bean and Potato Casserole

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 07 May 2016 23:00:18 +0000

Kielbasa, green beans and potatoes blend together to make this wonderful and comforting casserole–and the slow cooker does all the work!

This is genuinely one of those “toss and forget” crockpot meals that tastes wonderful!

I’m imagining it must be the combination of ingredients that makes this taste so good and the stock you use. If I’m not using a stock I make myself, then I like a richly flavored one. The one I find to have the best flavor is College Inn Bold. I also like Knorr Concentrated, but that’s becoming very hard to find lately.

Another great thing about this meal is it’s a complete meal. It reminds me very much of Slow Cooker Chicken & Vegetables–another delicious complete meal that I make.

When it comes to the potatoes in this meal, I don’t bother to peel them. First and foremost, it’s more work–and I look to eliminate that to make a recipe easier to make. Second, I think the potatoes look better with the skin in this casserole. Makes it look more “rustic.”

I used fresh green beans and kept them whole. Frozen would work well here too. The beans also develop a sweet and roasted flavor. That’s something that surprised me somewhat with the method of cooking.

Kielbasa is very tasty and will impart it’s flavor to the rest of the ingredients. It can be substituted with smoked sausage or even chorizo if you like a spicier taste.

Watch The Video

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Kielbasa Green Bean and Potato Casserole

Kielbasa, green beans and potatoes blend together to make this wonderful and comforting casserole–and the slow cooker does all the work!

Prep Time10

Cook Time8

Total Time8 10

Course: Comfort Foods, Everyday Meals, Pork, Slow Cooker

Cuisine: American

Keyword: casserole recipe, green beans, kielbasa, potatoes

Servings: 4

Calories: 467kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

14-16 oz kielbasa fully cooked, sliced in 1/2-inch slices
3 large potatoes cut in chunks (about 2.5-3 cups)
1 lb fresh green beans or equivalent of whole frozen
3/4 cup chicken stock

Instructions

If using fresh green beans, cut off any stems.
Place potatoes, kielbasa and green beans in a 4-6 quart slow cooker
Pour stock over the top.
Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours, high 3-5 hours.

Nutrition

The post Kielbasa Green Bean and Potato Casserole appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Kielbasa & Beans with Cheddar Biscuits

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 23:00:26 +0000

Kielbasa and jazzed-up beans make up the base of this casserole and it’s all topped off with delicious and cheddary cornmeal biscuits.

I always tell everyone that one of the best things to have on hand in your fridge or freezer is kielbasa because you can do so much with it.

There’s another benefit to it to–it’s great for days you’re not really into cooking and want a fast meal. And that meal can be anything from simply heating the sausage up and having a side to making quick skillet meals like this tasty Smoked Sausage with Cheesy Rice.

Lately, I’ve been craving kielbasa served the simple way–with baked beans. However, I wanted to get a bit more adventurous with the beans. Sure, they sell them in a whole variety of flavors, but I wanted to create my own.

An old friend who was a short-order cook once told me that the secret to her BBQ beef strips was nothing more than the addition of pancake syrup. Hard to believe, but it’s true. When she put it on the menu, it was standing room only at the diner. I wondered whether this would work for the beans as well (with the addition of other ingredients). It did.

I got the idea for the biscuits from an old–and I mean OLD–recipe from a Pillsbury Bake-Off from the 1950s. The casserole in question was topped with a cornbread-like biscuit. That recipe was much like a batter where the topping was something like a pancake. I wanted biscuits and I wanted cheese in them.

Since I don’t fuss with biscuits from scratch and I hate to roll them out even more, I used baking mix and did drop biscuits.

The result was a simple-to-make casserole that was delicious and done in 30 minutes. This one is a real family pleaser and totally kid-friendly–even the grown-up kids!

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Kielbasa & Beans with Cheddar Biscuits

Kielbasa and jazzed-up beans make up the base of this casserole and it’s all topped off with delicious and cheddary cornmeal biscuits.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Comfort Foods, Everyday Meals, Pork

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beans, cheddar biscuits, kielbasa

Servings: 4

Calories: 556kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 pkg 14-16 oz kielbasa or smoked sausage, cut in 1/4-inch pieces
28 oz can baked beans (see NOTES)
1/4 cup BBQ sauce see NOTES
2 tbsp pancake syrup -OR- maple syrup
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp water

BISCUITS

3/4 cup baking mix i.e. Jiffy or Bisquick
1/4 cup cornmeal
2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray a 11 x 7-inch baking pan
Mix the beans, BBQ sauce, pancake syrup, mustard and water in a large bowl. Add the kielbasa and stir until combine.
Place bean mixture in prepared pan.
In another bowl, mix the baking mix, cornmeal, cheese and sugar. Stir in the oil and milk--DO NOT OVERMIX.
Drop biscuit mixture by heaping tablespoon-full on top of bean mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the beans are heated through and the tops of the biscuits are browned.

Notes

Use the beans in brown sugar sauce, not the ones with the tomato sauce (Bush's, B&M, etc)

I always use Sweet Baby Ray's Original (or the store equivalent) BBQ sauce

Nutrition

The post Kielbasa & Beans with Cheddar Biscuits appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Kielbasa & Potatoes in Cheese Sauce

Judith Hannemann — Thu, 06 Aug 2015 23:00:00 +0000

Kielbasa & Potatoes in Cheese Sauce

Nothing beats kielbasa and potatoes for comfort food. Add a delicious cheese sauce and it’s pure heaven.

Since it’s been hot out, I’ve been looking for dinners that cook quickly–in a skillet on top of the stove.

Quick & easy

I had some kielbasa, but it was just too hot to turn on my oven to make some Kielbasa Potato Bake so I reworked it somewhat to cook stove top.

I had a taste for this covered in a nice cheese sauce–so that’s what I did!

Cooks in one skillet

Actually, this was mighty delicious and it took about 20 minutes.

Dripping with cheesy sauce

It starts with cooked potatoes. I had some left over from a potato salad I’d made a few days earlier, but if you don’t have leftover potatoes, canned are perfect here. Since canned potatoes are smallish, I’d cut them in half. But if they are really tiny, leave them whole. You can also used the ones that come sliced. Two cans should suffice here.

OK, I know it’s not everyone’s fave, but the sauce uses Velveeta. I don’t mind the taste of it, but there is one great thing about it–if you add just a bit to any cheese sauce, it stops the sauce from separating.

Kid friendly!

You can make the entire sauce with the Velveeta if you like the flavor. I combined it half and half with sharp natural cheddar. You can use real cheese, of course, but the sauce will probably separate if it stands.

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Kielbasa & Potatoes in Cheese Sauce

Nothing beats kielbasa and potatoes for comfort food. Add a delicious cheese sauce and it’s pure heaven.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Comfort Foods, Everyday Meals, Pork, skillet dinners

Cuisine: American

Keyword: kielbasa, potatoes

Servings: 4

Calories: 375kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 14-16 oz pkg kielbasa or smoked sausage
4 medium cooked potatoes cubed*
2 tbsp chopped onion
1 tbsp olive oil

SAUCE

1 cup milk
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup process cheese spread i.e. Velveeta
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

*2 cans of drained whole or sliced potatoes may be substituted.
Cut sausage into 1/2-inch pieces.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown sausage pieces on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add the 1 tbs olive oil to the same pan. Add the onion and cubed potatoes. Brown slightly over medium heat–about 5 minutes. Remove from pan.
In the same skillet, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir until flour/butter mixture is smooth and starts to bubble. Using a wire whisk, whisk in the milk gradually to prevent lumps. Add the process cheese (this stops the sauce from separating) and stir until it melts. Add the shredded cheese, stirring until that is melted.
Add the sausage and potato/onion combo back to the pan. Stir to coat with sauce and heat through.
Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Follow The Midnight Baker’s board The Midnight Baker on Pinterest.

The post Kielbasa & Potatoes in Cheese Sauce appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Smoked Sausage & Cheesy Rice

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 26 May 2015 23:00:00 +0000

Smoked Sausage & Cheesy Rice

This tasty smoked sausage skillet dinner is a complete meal cooked in one pan. Quick, easy and totally delish.

It was love at first sight when I saw this posted on one of the recipe groups I run on Facebook!

A member shared this off a recipe page called “Janet’s Appalachian Kitchen.” This lady doesn’t have a website, just a Facebook page where she shares her wonderful recipes, otherwise I’d give a link, but she’s easy to find if you want to follow her page.

Tasty, tasty, tasty!

I love all the ingredients in this. I had kielbasa and used that in place of the smoked sausage. I can’t really tell the difference between the two to be honest. I also used fresh broccoli and had some frozen diced red bell peppers in the freezer. I did buy the extra-sharp shredded cheddar as Janet specified just that in the recipe–and with good reason. It makes it taste so much better than just regular sharp.

This was just so good, I couldn’t stop eating it!! You can’t ask for more than something abundantly tasty and so easy to make.

This is a wonderful way to use leftover rice too!

Watch The Video

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Smoked Sausage & Cheesy Rice

This tasty smoked sausage skillet dinner is a complete meal cooked in one pan. Quick, easy and totally delish.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Comfort Foods, Everyday Meals, Pork, skillet dinners

Cuisine: American

Keyword: RICE, smoked sausage

Servings: 4

Calories: 627kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 lb smoked sausage or kielbasa sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 small onion chopped
1 small red bell pepper seeded and chopped
2 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and olive oil till butter sizzles.
Add the slice smoked sausage and onions. Cook for about 5 minutes until onion is tender and sausage begins to brown.
Add the red bell pepper and broccoli. Cover, reduce heat and cook about 5 minutes.
Add the cooked rice, garlic powder and onion salt. Combine well, cover and heat until rice is hot.
Add the shredded cheese and remove from heat. Stir in cheese until it’s melted.

Nutrition

Smoked Sausage & Cheesy Rice

Follow The Midnight Baker’s board The Midnight Baker on Pinterest.

The post Smoked Sausage & Cheesy Rice appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Poor Man’s Dinner

Judith Hannemann — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Poor Man’s Dinner

Poor Man’s Dinner is named as such because years ago, bacon and sausage were cheap ingredients. It’s still a tasty and filling meal.

Everyone laughs at this meal’s name nowadays, but back in the Depression, these ingredients were very cheap. Someone remarked that if you’re poor, you can’t afford $7 for bacon–and that’s very true!

Anyway, no matter what it costs nowadays, it’s still a tasty and filling meal.

I used the cheddar kielbasa in this for more flavor, but regular will do.

Hearty, filling and comforting

Now comes a caveat with this recipe–which is why I give 2 recipes for the dumplings. And the dumplings are optional.

The original recipe that was given to me by a former co-worker, uses egg dumplings. They are rather dense and chewy. If you feel you wouldn’t appreciate that consistency, then good ole Bisquick dumplings will do you just fine. Actually, the Bisquick ones are easier since the others require boiling–with a method much like making matzo balls.

If you don’t want either dumpling recipe, leave them out and add about 2 more cubed potatoes. The dumplings are purely optional here.

Poor Man’s Dinner

16 oz kielbasa or smoked sausage, sliced thin
4 large potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
6 slices bacon uncooked, diced
1/4 cup water
4 slices toasted white bread, crushed into crumbs
(Optional) Dumplings #1:
2 cups flour
1 egg
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
enough water to form a stiff dough
(Optional) Dumplings #2:
2 cups baking mix
2/3 cup milk

Heat a large deep skillet or dutch oven over medium heat.

Add the kielbasa, cubed potatoes, chopped onion and diced bacon. Cook until bacon bits are crispy.

Add the water, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, mix your choice of dumpling recipe in a medium bowl.

Boil a large pot of water if you are using Dumpling Recipe #1. Make small balls and flatten slightly and add to the boiling water. When dumplings rise to the top, they are done. Add them to the kielbasa mixture and heat through

If using Dumpling Recipe #2, drop small teaspoons of dumpling mixture on top of the simmering kielbasa mixture in the pan. Cook for about 10-15 minutes. Dumplings are done if they “flake” when the tines of a fork are scraped across the top.

Stir in toast crumbs.

Serves 4.

Poor Man’s Dinner

Follow The Midnight Baker’s board The Midnight Baker on Pinterest.

The post Poor Man’s Dinner appeared first on The Midnight Baker.