Kielbasa Pasta

This was incredibly simple, and simply delightful!  It's a very easy, quick dinner for a busy weeknight.

Kielbasa Pasta
1 Kielbasa Sausage, cut into slices
3 sweet peppers, chopped
oil for cooking
1/2 box farfalle
garlic powder
oregano
Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Parmesan Cheese

Sweat peppers in oil until slightly tender, add sausage and brown.  Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and toss with sausage, garlic powder, oregano, creole seasoning, black pepper, and Parmesan.

Serve with cheesy garlic bread.

Serves 2-3

Note: The endorsement for Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning is because this stuff is amazing!  I did not receive any compensation for this endorsement.

Bubble Pizza

Bubble pizza is quite possibly my favorite meal.  It was certainly one of my favorites when I lived with my aunt and uncle and she cooked dinner every night!  I slightly modified the recipe, especially since I'm cooking for two instead of seven.  (In the past I've also substituted chicken and Alfredo sauce for their red counterparts in this recipe, and added spinach--much like my Deluxe Chicken Alfredo Pizza.)

I don't have pictures of the beef cooking, because I had already cooked it, frozen it, and thawed it the day I took these pictures.  Also not pictured: preheating the oven and greasing the pan.

Start with biscuits--if you're making this for seven people, use two cans.

Cut them in quarters:

Arrange in the pan:

Spread sauce and beef mixture over the top:

Bake a while, then top with cheeses + Parsley.

Bake some more, then let it rest.

Serve with salad and enjoy!

Bubble Pizza

½ lb ground beef or sausage

½ green pepper, diced

Diced onion

1 8-oz can tomato sauce

1 can buttermilk biscuits

1 c. Mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

Parsley

Brown meat with pepper and onion (I like to cook a full pound and freeze half). Stir in tomato sauce. Quarter biscuits; place in greased 11”x7” baking dish. Top with sauce mixture. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes; top with cheeses and parsley and bake 5-10 minutes longer (until cheese has melted). Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Double all amounts to use a 9x13.

Freezer meal idea: brown meat and divide between two quart bags. Add a can of tomato sauce to each bag; mix carefully. Measure cheese into a separate bag; freeze together in larger bag (or label carefully). On serving day, thaw meat and cheese and continue as directed.

Imitation Maple Syrup

Although I grew up making and eating this syrup every Saturday night (pancakes were Saturday's dinner in our house), I haven't made it very much in recent years.  However, my husband and I love to eat granola for breakfast and we go through about a batch a week.  My recipe calls for maple syrup or honey, but both can add up to such a high cost that we might as well buy granola!  I made this syrup specifically for making granola, but it's good on pancakes and French toast.  ☺

It's quite simple, and it doesn't take long. If you're making granola you can use the same pan to melt the butter after making the syrup.

Imitation Maple Syrup

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup water

1 tablespoon maple flavor (or a different flavor to make it interesting)

Bring all ingredients to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer, covered, for two minutes. If storing in mason jars, pour while hot and the lids will seal. (I find that this recipe generally fills three half-pint [jelly] jars, and it's pre-measured for granola!)

This syrup is about the same consistency as real maple syrup; it is nothing like the thick, high fructose corn syrup nastiness you can buy in the breakfast aisle.