Saucy sausage, peppers and onions, Crockpot Meal

Are you having to make last minute food decisions for the holiday? Have no fear I have an easy suggestion to help you.  We just finished lunch and I quickly wanted to post our lunch/dinner for a last minute food idea for you. Sausage, variegated  cut peppers, garlic,onions seasoned with pinch of salt and pepper in tomato sauce.

2 lb. link sausage(I used mild and hot Italian.

1 -28 oz. can tomato sauce

1 -28 oz. can diced petite tomatoes 

Fresh basil 

3 cloves fresh garlic 

Pinch salt and pepper 
cleaned and sliced variegated peppers and onions
Note:  colorful peppers are much sweeter than green peppers and are much milder too but you can use green peppers also.  Enjoy!

Place sausage links on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for approximately 10 minutes or until browned slightly.

Place diced tomatoes, tomato sauce in your crockpot set on high.  Add sausage, garlic( I used whole cloves for easy removal) and basil.

Cover and cook approximately 4 hours on high and 6 hours on low .

I added my cooked peppers and onions 10 minutes before serving to avoid over cooking.

NOTE: today we had the sausage and pepper/onions over Basmati rice .  Tomorrow I'll serve with rolls and macaroni salad.  Yummy!

You can cook your sliced peppers and onions in oven as well while you are waiting for the sausage to cook or Note: you can do all at the same time on the same cookie sheet if you find it easier. 

Sprinkle salt and pepper and a little olive oil on peppers and onions if you do them separately.


From my kitchen to yours,

Chili bean biscuit pockets

I'm just playing with food today and I just so happened to have biscuits and beef so why not add chili beans too! Enjoy! Appetizer or meal you decide.  A side salad makes it a meal.

Yummy filled biscuit pockets.

1 lb. Ground beef

1 8 oz. can Chili beans(I used country style Bush's)
pinch chili powder

1 small onion chopped or grated

Hot sauce to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

20 small thin pieces sharp cheddar or cheese of choice.

Small amount ketchup and brown sugar for brushing on top before baking the pockets.

2 pkg. buttermilk biscuits

Approximately 20 biscuits

Fry beef with onion until browned, drain grease. Add a small can chili beans, chili powder, salt,pepper and hot  sauce and cook for several minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Roll each biscuit to the size of a medium to large orange. Place small amount of meat /bean mixture on top of biscuit and top with cheese.  Fold over and seal edges. Brush top with ketchup mixture.  Sprinkle with parsley or chives and onion powder.

Bake on parchment lined cookie sheet 12 to 14 minutes at 400 degrees.  Enjoy!

From my kitchen to yours,

Easy Beef Pastie!

My Dad loved anything I would make for him.  He was the sweetest guy and a gentle giant who always made time for me.  No matter what was on my mind Dad could pick up on it and softly say JJ (that's what he called me) something bothering you? and as much  as I tried the tears would pour out. I miss him so much!!!

Mom and Dad lived several miles from me.  I knew lots of his favorite foods and when I would make one of his favorites I would make extra and bring some to him and mom.  Pasties were one of my favorite early childhood memories and he loved them too.  

We lived very close to a couple who the husband did all the cooking and he would on occasion drop off a huge pastie to us.  So that's how I came to enjoy them.  I never was taught how to make them but I decided to try a version similar to his using what I remembered about his. I am sure he did everything from scratch so bear with me this is a very simple version of those great pasties.

Today I didn't have a clue what to make for dinner.  Honestly I am kind of spent (so to speak) on cooking these days.  I have lots and lots of recipes to try but somewhere have lost motivation to get into making anything!

After browsing through my frige I found Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie crusts and decided to make a Pastie.  Well I needed ground beef so hubby graciously said he go to the grocery store and get some.  I had carrots, potatoes and onions so this I figured would be one easy meal and quite honestly it was both easy and delicious.

When mentioning on my page that I was going to make easy Pasties I received lots of comments from Pastie lovers, as well as a recipe from one of my foodies , Paula Payne.  I will post her recipe and mine too!  Here's what I did and you can easily do it too! Very easy to duplicate and Yummy too!

1 lb. 90 % ground beef
1 small onion chopped
2 T olive oil
1 large potato cubed
2 carrots cubed
salt and lots of pepper
1 refrigerated pie crust

Saute beef in olive oil with chopped onion, salt and pepper until beef is browned with no red showing.  Drain well. Note:  I pat with a paper towel well to remove any grease.  In a separate pot place cubed potatoes and carrots.  Cook until slightly tender.  Drain and cool.

Combine cooled beef, potatoes and carrots.  Toss together and add salt and lots of pepper (that's the way I remember it). 

Unroll pie crust.  Place heaping spoonfuls of beef mixture in center and fold over and seal.

Sprinkle lots of pepper on top and Bake 400 degrees approximately 20 to 30 minutes until top is nice golden brown.

The above is my recipe.

Sharing Paula's recipe too! Thanks so much Paula:)

12/9/12
2/19/14