Ready-Set-Eat

Hello, again! Spicy smoked sausage alfredo bake...doesn't that sound good? This is a scrumptious and filling meal I think most people will like. It is also quick and, best of all, HOMEMADE. You can choose any kind of pasta, although I recommend penne, shells, elbow macaroni or rotini. If you are not a fan of smoked sausages, I'm sure this recipe would be great with grilled chicken. My favorite part is the homemade alfredo sauce...that's right, homemade! This sauce is so easy to make and taste delicious. You'll never want to buy that jarred alfredo sauce ever again. So, let's get to cooking!

Spicy Smoked Sausage Alfredo Bake
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

16oz pasta, of your choice

3 tablespoons butter

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth

2 cups half & half

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

ground parsley, sprinkle or 1-2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

1 (14oz) smoked sausage, fully cooked, any variety

Cook the pasta according to package instructions and then drain. I have chosen penne pasta.

For the sausage, you can use any variety of fully cooked sausage. I am using a kielbasa.

While the pasta is cooking, slice your fully cooked smoked sausage into 1/4 inch pieces. Set aside.

Next comes the best part, in my opinion...the homemade alfredo sauce. It is named for its creator, Alfredo Di Lelio I, who lived in Rome, Italy and opened and ran restaurants there during the early to mid 20th century.

In a skillet, melt the butter on medium heat.

Add the minced garlic. Yum! I love garlic and the smell of it cooking in my house. Stir the butter and garlic for approximately 2 minutes to thoroughly cook the garlic.

Whisk in the chicken broth and all purpose flour until smooth.

Then, stir in the half & half.

We are halfway done making our homemade alfredo sauce. It's looking good!

Next, add the salt, pepper, cayenne and red pepper flakes to the mixture. Turn the heat on low and simmer while the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.

Add the parmesan and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese until well blended.

Your alfredo sauce should look like this. I think it's beautiful and I just know you're gonna love it. If you "can't take the heat," then I would simply leave out the cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes.

Add your sausage to the alfredo sauce mixture along with the cooked pasta. At this point, you can add the parsley and any additional salt and pepper, if needed. The original recipe calls for fresh chopped parsley which I did not have at the time. If using fresh, you will need 1-2 tablespoons.

Add your mixture to a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cup of mozzarella cheese on top. Then, turn your broiler on and broil for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

#inovenshot #almosttimetoeat #yum-o

Ok. Who's ready for supper? It's time to eat. You will enjoy this homemade Spicy Smoked Sausage Alfredo Bake. I just know it! Bonus, the leftovers are scrumptious too!

Bon appetit'...let's eat!,

Amy

Recipe source: www.letsdishrecipes.com

Who loves Italian food? I do, I do! It is, by far, my favorite cuisine. I could eat it everyday. From pasta, basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano to tomatoes, salami and pizza, I love most ingredients associated with Italian cooking. Any kind of pasta dish is comfort food to me. Of course, you must eat pasta in moderation! You don't want all those carbohydrates to cause a sleep coma, much less add a little more fluff to your midsection! This was the first time I've made any kind of stuffed manicotti and will not be the last. It is very filling and something the whole family will enjoy. This recipe is a keeper! Try it soon!

Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

Prep Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 60 mins

1 (10oz) pkg frozen spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
15 oz ricotta cheese
8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded Romano/Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 box of manicotti shells (12-14 shells)
3-4 cups of marinara sauce
1/2 cup shredded Romano/Parmesan cheese, for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Now, it's time to thaw your spinach and completely squeeze all the liquid out. First, put box of spinach on a microwave safe plate and defrost completely. Halfway thru the defrosting process, I used a fork to help separate the spinach.

Your spinach should look like the picture below. I then allowed it to cool for about 5 minutes.

Here comes the messy part! You'll notice the spinach holds a lot of water and we must get rid of it. Every bit of it! We want dry spinach...as dry as cracker juice! This is the easiest way I've found to squeeze dry spinach and it works! You'll need a devoted, clean kitchen towel, one that you'll reserve only for this task...later known as the "spinach rag." Lay all the spinach in the center of towel and, over a small bowl, begin to squeeze out all the water.

You will be surprised how much water the spinach holds. Squeeze until completely dry.

We are now ready to make the stuffing mixture. Put the spinach into a mixing bowl. To this, add the cheeses, eggs, salt and pepper.

It doesn't get any easier than that. Stir all together until well blended.

Next, you will cook your manicotti pasta. I think manicotti is so pretty. But, I think most pastas and noodles are pretty. Manicottis are long, tubular pasta that are usually ridged and intended to be stuffed with a mixture. We're going to do just that!

Cook manicotti as instructed on package. Then, place back into the plastic container they came in to allow to cool.

Next, spread about 1 & 1/2 cups of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 dish.

Place the spinach and cheese mixture into a gallon size Ziploc bag. I have found the easiest way is to use a large cup so your hands are free to scrap mixture into bag. A homemade pastry bag is what we are aiming for. This method will help easily put spinach mixture into the manicotti shells.

Now, we are ready to assemble the pasta!

You can either lay the shell down or hold in one hand as you fill the shell with the mixture. Don't be skimpy with the filling. I would rather them be overfilled than under filled. Plus, more filling means more yumminess!

Repeat process until all manicotti is filled. Fill the dish with all the stuffed manicotti.

Next, cover the pasta with marinara sauce, about 2 & 1/2 cups. Try to get the sauce on all parts of manicotti. If any pasta is left uncovered, it will become hard and chewy.

Then, sprinkle 1/2 cup of Romano/Parmesan cheese on top or as much or little as you desire. Now, it's time to get to cooking....it's about time because I'm getting hungry!