Sweet Potato Sausage and Kale Casserole

Savory sausage cooked up with sweet potatoes and tomatoes, then combined with kale.

Jambalaya

A quick and easy jambalaya with sausage, onion, celery, bell pepper, and tomatoes. Perfect served on top of rice.

Lentil Sausage Soup

A warming soup with lentils and sausage flavored with onions, celery, carrots, and a bit of garlic and topped with a bit of bacon.

Slow Cooker Creole Jambalaya

A spicy, smoky stew of peppery sausage and shrimp simmering in a tangy, zesty jambalaya.

Summer Vegetables and Sausage Skillet

A vibrant combination of peppers, onions, zucchini, potatoes, and sausage provide layer upon layer of taste, textural, and visual appeal.

Chorizo Scrambled Eggs

Your basic scrambled eggs flavored with savory chorizo and onions.

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Lasagna is typically baked, but I didn't want to go through all the additional steps of cooking the noodles, cooking the sausage, and then washing all the extra dishes, so I thought I could make a "one pot" lasagna in the slow cooker. Having never made lasagna in the "traditional" manner, I can't really compare the two, but you really can't beat a one dish meal! Although using a slow cooker will require a bit planning since it will take a while to cook, it also simplifies cooking significantly. And when it's time to eat, no prep is needed, simply open up the slow cooker and serve! Some think that chili is about the only thing you can make in a slow cooker, but here's another recipe you can add to that list of slow cooker recipes!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

by CJ Huang

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
	1 pound			sausage, minced or ground
			2	onions, chopped
	26 ounces			tomato sauce
		2 tablespoons		basil, dried
		1 tablespoon		parsley, dried
	15 ounces			ricotta cheese
		1.5 cups		Pecorino Romano, grated	Parmesan or other cheeses would also work.
				lasagna noodles

Methods:

1. Mix tomato sauce, basil, onion, and sausage.
2. Mix parsley and cheeses.
3. Spread a small amount of the sausage mixture into the bottom of the slow cooker. This layer will prevent sticking and allow for easier serving.
4. Place a monolayer of noodles on top of the sausage mixture. (You might need to break a few pieces, if needed, to fit.)
5. Spread some cheese mixture on top of the noodles and top that with some sausage mixture. Continue layering cheese, noodles, and sausage mixture, ending with either the cheese or sausage layer. I opted for ending with a cheese layer since I ran out of cheese for an additional topping, but you could just sprinkle grated cheese on top after it's cooked.
6. Cover and cook for about 4-6 hours, until noodles are tender.

Dirty Rice

Since returning from NC, we quickly went though the Bojangles we brought back. One of my favorite things at Bojangles is their dirty rice, so I started thinking about how I might be able to recreate it. Fortunately, I found several recipes, and kind of mixed them together. I wasn't hardcore enough to use chicken livers, so this dirty rice isn't as authentic, but it certainly is was tasty! I might even dare to say that this dirty rice could rival Bojangles' dirty rice. Although this recipe does take a bit of time, it's very easy and you'll have plenty of dirty rice. I also used some short cuts. Instead of chopping the sausage and bacon into small pieces, I simply threw them both into a food processor and let that do all the work. If you wanted to use that method, I'd recommend chunking mostly frozen pieces. So.much.faster! You could also just chop the pieces and use it that way. This dirty rice can also be easily frozen and reheated for a quick side or snack. Waiting until the next day will also allow the flavors to further meld and could result in an even better taste!

Dirty Rice

by CJ Huang

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
		3 cups		uncooked medium or long grain rice	I used 2 cups brown rice, 3/4 cup barley, and 1/4 cup jasmine rice.
		5 cups		stock or water
	9 ounces			sausage, minced or chopped
			3 slices	bacon, crisped and crumbled	or bacon bits
			1	onion, diced
		1/4 teaspoon		celery seed
			1	bell pepper, chopped
				serrano peppers, chopped	optional, taste and add as you go - I ended up using 3.
		1 tablespoon		soul food seasoning	You could also use Cajun seasoning or seasoned salt.
		2 teaspoons		red pepper flakes	optional

Methods:

1. Cook the rice following package instructions, substituting stock for water if desired. I used a rice cooker.
2. Once rice is finished cooking, remove from heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes.
3. While rice is cooking, put the minced sausage and bacon, along with soul food seasoning into a pot that will be able to eventually hold everything and cook over medium heat.
4. When meats start to brown, increase the heat and add celery seed, peppers, and onions. Brown them over medium/high heat. Keep it from burning by lowering the heat and stirring. I used a total of 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes and 3 serrano peppers, chopped finely, one at the beginning, one towards the middle, and one closer to the end. 
5. Add the cooked rice and mix in. I found it easier to add the rice in about 1 cup portions, mix in, and then add and mix in the next portion. 

Note: Taste and make sure you're not adding too much or too little heat. Depending on which peppers you use, a little could go a long way, and it's easier to add heat than remove it!