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Variety is the spice of life, right?  Well, here’s a recipe that will help you mix it up a little at dinner time.  If you have a hard time getting your kids (and ahem, possibly hubbies) to eat their veggies, you might be able to win them over with this one.Every person I’ve made this recipe for has not only enjoyed it, but has asked me for the recipe.    I don’t remember where I originally came across it (maybe Southern Living years ago?), but it’s a staple in our house.  And the great thing about it?  In addition to its nourishing qualities, it’s easy.  Every mom needs an arsenal of easy recipes, right?

This recipe calls for sausage (duh, you already knew that).  Can I let you in on a little secret?  You don’t have to buy sausage.   I haven’t bought sausage in a long time.  Not because we don’t eat it (on the contrary, we love it), but because I make it at home using our ground beef.  We have a quarter of a cow in one of our  freezers (I’m a freezer-cooking-aholic, what can I say) and rather than paying an arm and a leg for good pork sausage (eventually we’ll do a hog), I just make it using beef.  If you absolutely must have the real thing, then go for it!  Nothing tastes as great as the real deal, but since my family doesn’t mind it this way, why mess with a good thing?

It’s important to note that you should avoid sausage that has nitrates in it if you do buy it.  My philosophy: buy local, pastured pork.

Homemade Sausage

modified from Sue Gregg’s Breakfasts: More Than Breakfasts With Blender Batter Baking & Allergy Alternatives (Eating Better Cookbooks)

1 lb ground beef or turkey

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp sage

1/2 tsp thyme

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together and either form into patties or brown in a pan until thoroughly cooked.  (For Fiesta Cabbage, just brown it).  I usually throw in a bit more of all the ingredients just because I love lots of flavor!

Fiesta Cabbage

1 small red onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 head green cabbage, chopped

1 (14oz) can of diced tomatoes

1 lb uncooked sausage

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1.  Cook sausage thoroughly.  Remove from skillet and set aside.

2.  Saute pepper and onion in sausage drippings.

3.  Add cabbage to skillet, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes (until softened).

4.  Add sausage, salt, pepper, and tomatoes and cook until warm.

This is an excellent meal with blender cornbread.  Last week, I went to cook sausage, but realized I was out of half of the herbs needed.  No fear!  I quickly improvised by pulling out my pre-mixed jar of homemade taco seasoning and made taco meat instead.  I prepared the rest of the recipe as said above, but served it with cheese.  It was really good!

You’ll have to wait a few weeks for my taco seasoning recipe … and find it in my upcoming recipe ebook, “A Primer on Nourishing, Homemade Recipes to Replace Unhealthy Food Products.”

So there, I just gave two dinner recipes for the price of one!  Enjoy!

This post is part of:

Real Food Wednesdays hosted by Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Yep.  In our house, usually, the temperature doesn’t affect our food choices.  My husband LOVES chili and will eat it at any point druing the year, so long as I prepare it.  So, I made a quadruple batch on Tuesday (because I’m crazy like that).  Andd yes, it was 92 degrees outside.  No matter, everyone, especially Blane, loved it.  I picked up our yearly quarter-of-a-cow last week, so I’ve been inspired anew to EAT BEEF!

Speaking of buying a quarter of a cow, have you ever done it?  It’s so much more economical!

So, without further ado, here is my family recipe for…

the best chili ever

1-1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 large onion

1 large can tomatoes

2 T chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

3 cloves garlic

30 oz. kidney beans (I use pinto beans!  …Because we have about 200 lbs of them)

1.  Brown beef and onion.

2.  Add tomatoes, chili powder, salt and pepper.

3.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

4.  Add beans and cook another 15 minutes.

Now, my husband does not have picky taste buds, but I think it’s even better the next day, once all the flavors have had time to settle in.

I’m also a “meat as a side” kind of gal, so I made a large salad with it.  Blane had a large bowl few large bowls of  chili and a small bowl of salad.

I usually make cornbread, but didn’t have any popcorn.  Because I make cornbread with popcorn after an awesome cornbread experience in Mississippi a few years ago.  Anyway….

Enjoy!

Are you up to your ears in zucchini from your garden or CSA?  I am.  Take a look at exhibit A.  Um, that is only *half* of the zucchini.

I'm a beast!

This monstrous mutation of a zucchini and squash grew in our garden.  Looks like a pumpkin, I know.  The flesh is bright orange like a pumpkin, so maybe?  My husband let it

grow this large  in order to save lots of seeds.  Then, he plopped it on the counter for me to “do

something with.”    I’m ignoring two other large zucchini sitting on my kitchen counter that are waiting for someone to eat them.  I had to deal with this beast first!

For kicks, I measured it.  I only wish we’d done so before he cut into it to save seeds.  It measures 22″ around, 7″ across, and 8.5″ long.  That means that the whole stinkin’ thing was around 17″ long!  After getting over my feelings of being overwhelmed, I dove into that thing like a mad woman and began grating it for various recipes.  I have only made it through one half of it and already have 8c of grated zucchini.

I like to put it into small ziploc bags, 2c (or 3c if I want to make zucchini bread later) at a time and freeze it for later use. After grating the rest I should have somewhere around 16c of grated zucchini.  Guess what we’ll be enjoying through the fall, winter, and spring?!

I’ve already shared recipes for zucchini pancakes, squash casserole, and creamy quinoa primavera.  But you have to try this recipe for the best meatloaf ever!  Admittedly, I never cared for meatloaf growing up.  But I love this recipe.  Even if you or someone in your family is not a meatloaf fan, I can almost guarantee that they will like it.  This is not your ordinary meatloaf!  Everyone I’ve made it for has enjoyed it.  And do you know what I love best about it?  It is chock *full* of vegetables.  It is a great way to get veggies into your diet.

I am a “treat meat as a side item” kind of gal, so this is a great main dish.  We had it for dinner last night with homemade sweet potato fries and creamy garlic cauliflower.  I should warn you that the texture is a bit, well… mushy.  It kind of falls apart as you take it out of the pan.  We don’t mind it, but I’ve found that baking it longer helps firm up the loaf.

Garden Meatloaf

1 lb ground beef (preferably grass-fed!)

2 c grated carrots

2 c chopped onions

2c grated zucchini

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 eggs

1 c bread crumbs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 T parsley

1 tsp thyme

1/2 – 1 tsp sage

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Saute onion until golden brown.  Add remaining veggies and cook until softened.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Look at all those veggies! This is a 10-inch cast iron skillet!

2.  In a large bowl, combine beef, eggs, salt, pepper, and herbs.  Add in cooked veggies and mix well.

3.  Place in a 9×13 glass baking dish and shape into a loaf.  Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (I often leave mine in longer).

Before baking - this would fit into a loaf pan, but we don't like feeling like we are eating straight grease (not that it's bad for you!). This way, it all stays on the sides.

This is a great dish to fix ahead of time and freeze.  You need only to thaw and re-heat in the oven! Enjoy!

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday hosted by Kelly the Kitchen Kop

If you are in need of a fabulous meal to serve company, I have one for you!  Every time I’ve prepared this meal, it has been given rave reviews.  I usually at least double the recipe, even if I only make it for my family.  It is an excellent meal to freeze (simply freeze the meat mixture separately from the peppers). 

Ingredients:

3 large bell peppers (any color, cut in half and seeded)

1 lb. lean ground beef

1/3 cup sliced green onions

1 cup cooked barley

1 cup  salsa

1/3 cup shredded carrot (I usually use more!)

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

3/4 cup cheese

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Brown the ground beef with the onions. In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the peppers and cook for about 3 minutes.  Remove with tongs and let them dry on a towel.

3.  Once the meat is cooked, add the remaining ingredients.

4.  Transfer peppers to a 9×13 baking dish.  Stuff them with the beef filling.  Cover and bake for 25-30 minutes, until heated through.

Serve with a salad and enjoy!

This is a great meal if you are in search of recipes using ground beef.  It’s easy to get in a rut and this one is a winner!