Sausage Three Ways: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

It's been no secret how much my family likes Johnsonville sausage products.  I've posted some fantastic recipe ideas using them here, here, here, AND here!  Today, I'm sharing the latest creations I prepared through this month's partnership with Allrecipes and Johnsonville that can be served for any meal--you won't be disappointed!  The recipe links are under the photos. 

 

Amazing Muffin Cups

First we tackle breakfast.  Johnsonville's Amazing Muffin Cups feature a hash brown base filled with eggs, cheese, red bell pepper, and their Original breakfast sausage links.  These can be prepared in advance, and reheated for quick breakfasts.

 

Sausage, Potato, & Cheese Tart

 The next two recipes can be for either lunch or dinner.  I was challenged to recreate recipes that had 6 ingredients or less and substitute sausage for one of the ingredients.  I'm happy to share these with you, and my family LOVED them!  The Sausage, Potato, and Cheese Tart features thinly sliced sausage and potatoes--I didn't peel them, and my trust mandoline slicer did most of the work!  Layers of potatoes, sausage, and cheese--how can you go wrong with that combination?  You simply substitute cooked sliced or ground Italian sausage for the bacon in this recipe.

Salad Recipe Link that inspired this one

Have you ever heard of the classic spinach salad with bacon, or hot bacon dressing?  The last recipe is a play on both.  Using Johnsonville's Mild Italian Links as a substitute for the bacon, you can use the ranch dressing the recipe calls for, OR make my hot Sausage Dijon Vinaigrette--just save the drippings.  Here's how:

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. Johnsonville Italian sausage drippings
1/8 cup white sugar
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Whisk the sausage drippings, sugar, vinegar, Dijon, and cornstarch together in a small saucepan.  Cook on medium heat until slightly thickened.  Drizzle over your Spinach Sausage Salad and enjoy!  Makes 4 servings.





 

School Lunchbox--Beyond Chicken Nuggets

Both of my daughters get a packed lunch every day.  My oldest is 11 and likes to pack her own, using the ingredients we choose together.  I like having control of what my kiddos eat during the day, plus we like to stress healthy options.

My youngest is 4, and is MUCH more picky than her sister ever was!  She could live on chicken nuggets and strawberries so finding alternatives that she will eat warrants a victory dance! 

Recently, the folks at Johnsonville sausage sent me two of their newest products to test:  Frozen, ready to eat meatballs and sausage slices.  Find more about the different varieties here: http://www.johnsonville.com/meatball

One of the proteins my picky preschooler will readily eat is sausage.  We almost exclusively buy Johnsonville because of the quality of the ingredients, and it tastes so darn GOOD!  We've eaten the frozen meatballs (just heat them in the microwave or simmer on the stove) in typical spaghetti and meatballs, and meatball subs, but my favorite way to serve them is in my preschooler's lunchbox!  I'm so happy to have something that she loves besides chicken nuggets.  Above is a sample of one of her lunches, and I'm thrilled to report that she happily eats everything.

I encourage YOU to replace your kid's nuggets with these meatballs in their next lunch--I think they'll love them as much as we do!

In my next post, you'll get a recipe using Johnsonville's frozen sausage slices.  I can't say enough about how wonderful these newest offerings from Johnsonville are!

School's Back in Session!

We had a super-busy Summer and as usual, the poor blog was neglected.  But with school back in, I'll have more opportunities to work on finding neat things to share with you. 
This is a transition year for me because my oldest started 5th Grade, and my youngest has entered preschool for the first time.  I have to admit I was a bit emotional watching her walk our the door with her enormous backpack and lunchbox (Dad agreed to take her since it was her first day).  She was SO excited about "learninganmeetingnewfriendsanddoingcrafts" and I was excited for her. 

Since I now pack lunch for both of my girls, the challenge is to find things they both enjoy without having to come up with two completely different lunches every day.  Not only can that get expensive, but it can become tedious very quickly.  My oldest is a fantastic eater, my tiny girl is extremely picky.  You can guess where the challenge comes from! I refuse to pack junk food though--no Doritos or Little Debbies here.

I found a recipe for veggie muffins awhile back, and it's perfect for both of my girls.  They contain carrots, zucchini, and I add spinach to boost the vitamins.  The girls love them, and I can include them with their normal entree and vegetable, and they think they're getting a treat!  Make them for your kids (or picky spouse!) by using this recipe:  Zucchini Yogurt Multigrain Muffins

Normally, my husband or I will write a small note or picture on our oldest girl's napkin before putting it in her lunchbox, but I found these cards recently that are wonderful for school-age kids.  The front has an affirmation, and the back has a fact or joke.  You can order your own here:  http://www.sayplease.com/

I've always enjoyed packing lunches, and I'll share some more ideas throughout the school year.  I like to think of it as my way of letting both of my girls know that Mama is thinking of them while they're away ♥ .