Stuffed Tomatoes

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com Stuffed Tomatoes

I have never stuffed a tomato before...well, not like this anyway. I have stuffed those little tomatoes with chicken or tuna salad, but making a stuffed tomato much like you would make a stuffed pepper is new to me, and I LIKE IT!

Here is how I made this recipe:

Ingredients (serves 2)

1 cup rice

3 tbsps butter

2 cups water

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

5 tomatoes

1/2 lb Johnsonville Sweet Italian Sausage

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

5 slices asiago cheese

Rice: Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over mid-high heat. Add 1 cup of rice and saute until lightly toasted. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.  When rice is fully cooked, salt and pepper to taste and add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley. Set aside.

Filling: While rice is simmering, line an 8-9" baking dish with foil and grease with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Cut tops off tomatoes and scoop out the pulp to hollow the tomatoes. Chop tomato pulp and reserve. Brown 1/2 lb Johnsonville Sweet Italian Sausage. When browned add 1/2 chopped yellow onion and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Continue cooking until sausage is fully cooked and no longer pink, scraping browned bits from bottom of pan. When sausage is fully cooked and veges are tender and translucent, add reserved tomato, a pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil, and 2 cups of rice. Give it a taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.  

Bake: Fill tomatoes and bake for 20 minutes in the pre-heated oven or until tomatoes are soft and heated through. Top each tomato with asiago cheese and cook until melted. Serve with remaining rice and enjoy!

Italian Sausage Frittata

allrecipes.com Italian Sausage Frittata

When you need a delicious dinner that won't break the budget and whips up in a jiffy - this is it! I really like this Frittata. It is very easy to make, oh so yummy, low in carbs, and packed with protein! Definitely a winner!

This month Allrecipes has paired up with Johnsonville Sausage. As an Allstar Ambassador with the Allrecipes program I was tasked with making some Johnsonville recipes from the allrecipes.com collection.  

I have tried a couple of different recipes, but this is by far my fave! Although, I must say these Breakfast Muffins are quite delicious as well. The hubs really enjoyed reheating these for a quick bite in the morning!

As a very generous gift, Johnsonville sent each of the allrecipes.com Allstar Ambassadors a beautiful set of Sur la table Stoneware Bakers with lids! This is such a beautiful set, and I can't thank Johnsonville enough for their generosity.  

Did you know that Johnsonville Sausage got it's name from the quaint town in Wisconsin where it was founded back in 1945? Yep, Johnsonville, WI is the home of Johnsonville Sausage. It is an old family recipe that became known as the sausage with the Big Taste. Today, the company is still privately owned and is the most popular brand of sausage in the United States!

Thanks so much, Johnsonville!  

I am a new fan of your tasty sausage, and I absolutely love my new bakers!

Italian Sausage Frittata

(my way)

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, thawed
1 tablespoon water
1/2 package Johnsonville Mild Italian Sausage Links prepared according to package directions
and sliced
6 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
1/4 cup shredded or shaved Parmesan Cheese

Directions

In a 10" skillet, cook the sausage according to package directions and set aside. Slice into 1/4" rounds when cool enough to handle. Drain off liquid in skillet and spray with cooking spray. Add vegetables and water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on medium heat about 3 minutes until heated through. Add cooked sausage, beaten eggs, and basil. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook over mid-low heat 12-15 minutes or until eggs are set. Enjoy!

al fresco is a hit!

So far I have made three al fresco Chicken Sausage recipes, and we LOVE them all!  

Tonight I fixed the 

Garlic Chicken Sausage and Summer Vegetable Saute

 My father-in-law came home from the hospital yesterday and hasn't had much of an appetite, but he really enjoyed this and gobbled it right up!

He even asked for seconds!!  

I omitted the polenta and served it over rice.  

Only 30 minutes to make and it fed 4 adults for about $10 total!!

Last week we enjoyed the

al fresco Roasted Pepper and Asiago Chicken Sausage Frittata

It was delicious!  and, BONUS, it was very quick and easy to make!  Pair this with a salad and you have a fantastic low-carb meal! Economical too!

and last but certainly not least, we absolutely loved the

Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage & Tortellini Soup

*If you can't find the flavor sausage called for in the recipe, no worries! 

Just substitute whatever your store has on the shelf!