I’m out here to prove 10 can live as cheaply as one.  OK, I’m joking, but you can reduce your food budget with some creative meals that use meat as a condiment. This is one of them and it’s low cal too.

An Economical Family Dinner

Anyone following my blog knows I took the challenge shopping as if I were on a limited SNAP program budget.  I was actually amazed at the food I could purchase that would adequately feed a family of 4 and for under the amount allotted as well.

Tasty budget dinner

The store had Italian sausage on sale in a bulk package for $1.99 per pound.  I took advantage of this since this was a super price.  A “sale” on Italian sausage is usually $2.99 per pound.  I believe there were 14 or 15 sausages in the package.  If you are feeding 4 for this meal you would only require 4 sausages.

I’m using the green bell pepper I bought in this as well.  I didn’t use all the pepper either–I still have 1/2 left and that’s going in another dish–a well-loved Asian specialty with chicken.  Hint: it’s got orange in it.

I also included a few of the purchased mushrooms here as well, and of course the pasta I purchased that day.  To see pics (some of them are not up to the quality of my food pics–sorry shaky hands with cell phone camera) of my shopping trip may be found on this post.

I had chicken stock on hand and also some diced red bell pepper in the freezer that I made the sauce from.  I also had onion and garlic in the pantry.

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Sausage & Pepper Primavera

I’m out here to prove 10 can live as cheaply as one.  OK, I’m joking, but you can reduce your food budget with some creative meals that use meat as a condiment. This is one of them and it’s low cal too.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: pasta, Pork

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: peppers, primavera, sausage and pasta meals

Servings: 4

Calories: 688kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 4 Italian sausage links
• 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 medium tomato sliced in wedges
• 1 clove garlic minced finely
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper sliced thinly
• 1 small onion thickly sliced
• 1 cup rich chicken stock I used Knorr concentrate, 1/3 of the tub
• 2 tbsp finely diced red bell pepper optional
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups cooked pasta any shape

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sausage links on a rack and set rack in a pan. Bake for 30 minutes, turning sausages after 15 minutes. Remove from oven; set aside to cool slightly.
• When sausages have cooled enough to handle, slice in 1/4-inch slices.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, green pepper, the mushrooms, the garlic and the onion. Saute, stirring or shaking frequently, until the sausage begins to brown and veggies start to brown around the edges.
• Add the chicken stock and optional red bell pepper. Stir and bring to a boil. Add tomato wedges.
• Mix cornstarch and 2 tbs water. Add to the sausage mixture and stir frequently until mixture boils. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Serve over hot pasta. Parmesan/Romano cheese is a nice topping.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 688kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 910mg | Potassium: 566mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 457IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 3mg

Sausage & Pepper Primavera

Sausage & Pepper Primavera

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