Hearty Sausage Soup

Soup is the ultimate food, as far as I'm concerned. It's inexpensive, easy to make, a great vehicle for leftovers, and there's just something comforting and "homey" about a bowl of soup. This recipe evolved while I was trying to use up some of the meat that had made its way to the bottom of the chest freezer, and it's now a family favorite! Use homemade broth and dried, cooked beans to reduce the cost!

Ingredients:

1lb sweet italian sausage (if links, remove from casings)
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped (about 2 cups onion)
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups carrots)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tsp basil
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp sage
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
2 cups leafy greens (spinach, mustard greens, kale, escarole, etc), rinsed and torn
about 5 cups broth (chicken or veggie)
1 can beans (Great Northern, kidney or black beans work best), lightly drained
1 cup small pasta (I prefer a tricolor pasta, but use any you like!)

Directions:
In a large dutch oven or stock pot, brown the sausage and break up the pieces.

Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, basil, rosemary, sage and pepper. Stir to mix well. Cook about 7-8 minutes, or until the veggies are just tender.

Add the diced tomatoes and leafy greens, cook about 3-5 minutes until heated through.

Add the broth and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add the pasta, cook about 8 minutes or until al dente.

Total Cost:

Sausage: $1.99
Onion: $0.85
Celery: $0.25
Carrots: $0.25
Garlic: $0.10
Tomatoes: $0.85
Greens: $1.00
Beans: $1.00
Broth: FREE! (use homemade veggie or chicken broth!)
Pasta: $0.25
Seasonings: $0.15

Grand Total: $6.69 for 8-10 servings!

Kielbasa Dirty Rice

A friend of mine made this suggestion when I was looking for a kielbasa recipe that didn't include cabbage or sauerkraut :) I did some research and came up with this little gem for the crockpot!

You can substitute any sausage type for the kielbasa, and vary the spices to make the dish as spicy or savory as you'd like! Use homemade stock to make this a frugal treat :)

Crockpot Kielbasa Dirty Rice

Ingredients:
1lb kielbasa or other smoked sausage, cut into bite sized pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups uncooked long grain rice
4 cups chicken stock (can substitute veggie stock or water) plus 1/2 cup stock or water
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/8 tsp red pepper flake
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
Brown kielbasa in a skillet. After about 3 minutes, add garlic and onion, cook until the sausage is well browned and the onions are translucent. Transfer to crockpot. Turn the heat up to high, and add about 1/2 cup cold chicken stock to deglaze the pan. Let it boil up and use a small spoon or spatula to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour over the sausage and onions in the crockpot.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the crockpot except the cilantro. Cover and cook on low for about 2-3 hours, or until the rice is cooked through. Stir in the chopped cilantro before serving.

Total Cost:
Kielbasa: $1.70
Onion - $0.30
Rice: $0.20
Chicken stock - Free!
Bell Pepper - $0.90
Celery - $0.10
Cilantro - $1.00
Seasonings - $0.20

Grand Total: $4.40 for 6-8 servings!

Italian Sausage Hawaiian

I love sweet italian sausages, but I get tired of using them in the same old pasta based dishes. I found this recipe on Recipezaar.com, and it instantly appealed - I love the mix of sweet and savory flavors! And since I often find canned pineapple on sale, this will be easy to mix up from the pantry.

Italian Sausage Hawaiian

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh sweet Italian sausage link
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks
1 green pepper, julienned
1 onion, julienned
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 lb very thin spaghetti, or 1 cup rice

Directions:
- Remove sausage from casing, break into small pieces and saute until meat is done.
- Saute peppers and onions.
- Add tomatoes, can of pineapple to peppers, onions and meat.
- Cook for 15 minutes.
- Mix cornstarch with a little cold water and add to mixture.
- Meanwhile cook spaghetti or rice until done.
- Serve meat sauce over spaghetti or rice.

Total Cost:
Sausage - $2.00
Pineapple - $1.00
Pepper - $0.40
Onion - $0.30
Diced Tomatoes - $0.80
Rice - $0.40

Grand Total - $4.90 for 4 servings!

Cheesy Kielbasa Bake

I came across this recipe on Stumbling Along Faithfully, it originally comes from Allrecipes.com and is a FANTASTIC recipe for OAMC cooking! I regularly pick up Kielbasa at BOGO sales and I'm always looking for new ways to serve it. This is a nice, hearty dish that can be frozen in two 9X13 or four 8X8 pans depending on how many mouths you need to feed at a sitting.

Cheesy Kielbasa Bake

INGREDIENTS
1 box uncooked elbow macaroni
2 pounds kielbasa (Polish) sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onion, chopped
2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
2 medium carrots, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 green onions, chopped (optional)

Directions:
- Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, brown the sausage in oil over medium heat. Add the onions, zucchini, carrots and garlic; cook and stir for 5-6 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
- In each of two greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dishes, layer a fourth of the macaroni and meat sauce. Combine the egg and ricotta cheese; spoon a fourth over sauce. Sprinkle with a fourth of the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Repeat the layers once more.
(I actually combined the macaroni and meat sauce together in a big bowl, and squished things down as I layered them)
- Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serve one casserole. Cool second casserole; cover and freeze for up to 2 months. To bake after freezing, thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Total Cost:
Macaroni - $1.00
Kielbasa - $4.20
Olive Oil - $0.30
Onions - $0.50
Zucchini - $1.00
Carrots - $0.30
Spaghetti Sauce - $1.00
Garlic - $0.15
Tomatoes - $0.80
Egg - $0.14
Ricotta cheese - $1.35
Cheddar cheese - $1.50
Mozzarella cheese - $1.50

Grand Total - $13.74 for 12-16 servings, $6.87 per 9X13 pan!

Sausage and Penne bake

I love a good pasta bake - especially one that freezes well! This recipe came from my mother's recipe box, she usually used sausage but you can also substitute a pound of ground meat. This is a great make-ahead recipe, and can be frozen cooked or uncooked since the meat is browned ahead of time. I like to make this in multiple batches!

Sausage and Penne Bake

Ingredients:
1 pound box penne pasta
1 pound Italian sausage (hot or sweet - or use ground meat!)
2 bell peppers, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 (14 oz) jar tomato sauce
1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Cook pasta according to package directions, removing from heat while still slightly firm (about 8-10 minutes). Drain and set aside.
- While pasta is boiling, crumble sausage into a skillet and brown over medium-high heat. After about 3 minutes, add peppers, onion and garlic, and brown for an additional 4-5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until heated.
- Remove from heat, stir in penne and half the mozzarella. Transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top.
- Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is slightly browned and melted.

Total Cost:
Pasta - $1.00
Sausage - $2.00
Peppers - $0.75
Onion - $0.30
Tomato sauce - $1.00
Cheese - $2.40

Grand Total: $7.45 for 6-8 servings, or $0.93 per serving!

Cabbage Roll Casserole

When I first came across this recipe on Recipezaar I was hesitant. I didn't want to make a glorified sauerkraut! But after reading it through, it's much less cabbage roll and much more hearty stew...and what a nice deviation from the usual Italian sausage and peppers! Don't let the long ingredient list scare you - because this is a crockpot recipe, it's very easy! I use homemade chicken stock and just a pound of sausage to help lower the overall cost. I also used canned diced tomatoes to save time. This is great served in a bread bowl!

Cabbage Roll Casserole

serves 6
Ingredients:
1-1 1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage
2 large potatoes, peeled
2 onions, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
10 ounces chicken stock
1 large can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 Tbsp dried dill, or 2 Tbsps fresh dill
1/2 tsp caraway seed
1/2 tsp celery seed
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
4 cups cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/4 cup fresh parsley coarsely chopped, or 2 Tbsp dried parsley
1-2 Tbsp minced garlic

Directions:

1. Discard the casings from sausage; cut into bite-size pieces.
2. In a large skillet, brown the sausage over med-high heat; drain off any fat, and transfer sausage to crock pot.
3. Meanwhile, peel potatoes, grate one potato, and dice the other potato.
4. Add the potatoes to the crock pot, along with onions, garlic, carrots, chicken stock, tomatoes, dill, caraway seed, celery seeds, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
5. Cover crock pot and cook on LOW heat for 7-1/2 hours.
6. After the 7 hours of cooking, add in the cabbage, parsley and butter, pushing the cabbage down into the liquid; cook for another 30-60 minutes, or until cabbage is tender.

Total Cost:

Sausage - $1.99
Potatoes - $0.30
Onions - $0.43
Carrots - $0.40
Chicken stock - FREE!
Cabbage - $0.45
Butter - $0.55
Spices and seasonings - appx $0.15

Grand Total: $4.28, or $0.71 per serving!

Sausage Oven Omelette

I put this recipe together while trying to come up for something to do with some Cheddarwurst sausage that I had bought on sale - it's a great breakfast-for-dinner or brunch dish and you can use just about any type of sausage you have on hand. Try it with breakfast sausage, regular kielbasa, or sweet italian sausage!

Sausage Oven Omelette

Ingredients:
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb sausage, cut into bite sized pieces
8 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 cup grated cheese (any type)
1 small chopped onion
1/2 bag frozen broccoli, thawed and drained
salt and pepper (to taste)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 9x9 pan or casserole dish
Heat oil in skillet, brown sausage until almost cooked through.
While sausage is browning, whisk together eggs and milk until blended well. Add cayenne pepper if desired.
Add onion and broccoli to skillet, cover and cook for appx 3 minutes, remove from heat.
Stir sausage and vegetables, and 1/2 cup of cheese into egg mixture. Salt and pepper to taste
Pour into prepared casserole or dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.
Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until eggs have set and top is lightly browned.

Total Cost:
Cheddarwurst sausage - $2.00
Eggs - $1.12
Cheddar cheese - $0.95
Milk - $0.06
Broccoli - $0.50
Onion - $0.20
seasonings - negotiable

Grand Total: - $4.83 for 6 servings - $0.81 per serving!

Kielbasa and Pasta Supper

This recipe came about because I found myself with two extra mouths to feed and not a lot of prep time - it's quick, easy, and VERY inexpensive....and TASTY!


Kielbasa and Pasta supper

1 kielbasa, cut into quarters and then diced into bite-sized pieces
1 box pasta of choice (I used rotini, easy for the kiddos to get on their forks)
1/2 bag frozen peas
2 tbsp butter or margarine
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp fresh ground pepper (optional)

Bring water to boil in a large pot. In a small fry pan, heat the kielbasa on medium-low heat. After about 3 minutes, add the garlic powder and stir well to coat the kielbasa. Heat for an additional 2-3 minutes. When water is boiling, add pasta and peas. Return to a boil, cook for appx 8-10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Drain, put into a large serving bowl. Add warmed kielbasa. Add margarine (and pepper) toss until well mixed.

TOTAL COST:
Kielbasa - $2.00
Pasta - $1.00
Peas - $0.50
Butter - $0.10

GRAND TOTAL: $3.60 for 6-8 servings

Sausage and Summer Squash

Sausage and Summer Squash

Another one found on MSNBC.com. I only buy kielbasa when it's BOGO so this ends up being a really cheap dinner. I use the Naan flatbread and just brush it with the dressing and some italian herbs to give it flavor, I know they carry that at Price Rite and it's cheaper than Boboli.

Ingredients:
1/3 to 1/2 cup bottled Italian salad dressing
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. cooked Polish sausage links, halved lengthwise, sliced diagonally
3 small yellow summer squash and/or zucchini, quartered lengthwise
4 wedges Italian flat bread, split (Naan or homemade flatbread)
1/4 cup sliced green onions Fresh oregano leaves (dried oregano is what I have on hand)
1/4 cup coarsely shredded
Parmesan cheese (optional) (regular grated Parmesan from the can)


Directions
1. Preheat broiler. In small bowl combine dressing and garlic. In extra-large skillet cook sausage and squash in 2 tablespoons of the dressing mixture for 8 to 10 minutes or until sausage is heated through and squash is almost tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, place bread on broiler pan; brush with 1 tablespoon of the dressing mixture. Broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until lightly toasted.
3. Serve sausage and squash with toasted bread. Drizzle remaining dressing; sprinkle green onions and oregano. Pass Parmesan cheese. Serves 4.

Appx cost:
Dressing: $0.75
Kielbasa: $1.50
Zucchini: $1.50
Naan $1.50
Green onions: $0.15

Grand total: $5.40 or $1.35 per serving