Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Mushrooms

Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Mushrooms are loaded with everything we love about traditional jalapeno poppers, only better! All of the spicy, cheesy, bacony deliciousness of jalapeno poppers stuffed into the savory goodness of cooked mushrooms, and this twist on a classic appetizer is sure to become a new favorite! I'm hooked!

Delicious Beef Stroganoff

Delicious Beef Stroganoff Yes you can make this yourself! And it's pretty easy too! Be sure to use fresh ingredients! No mushrooms from a can or a jar!! We are using fresh mushrooms in this recipe and taking advantage of all their wonderful flavor!!

In addition to fresh mushrooms, I like to use beef base instead of broth. Because it is not possible for me to always have homemade stock on hand, I use Better Than Bouillon Bases in place of broth and stock in all my dishes! I love the stuff and keep many different flavors on hand. The beef base contributes a richer and more natural flavor to my Beef Stroganoff. I cannot achieve this using a store bought beef stock or broth.

It also takes up much less room in the fridge, and I don't have to worry about any unused portions going to waste! I like that! I use just what I need and pop the cap back on for next time!

Philly Cheesesteak Casserole

Philly Cheesesteak Casserole! Need I say more?! All the goodness of a yummy Philly Cheesesteak in an easy to make casserole!  

Ribeye steaks were on sale, so I took advantage of that sale and came up with this tasty dinner that is super easy to make. You'll have this on the table in lightning speed and the fam will be beggin' for more!

Who can resist the sauteed mushrooms with onions and peppers combined with the pan-seared ribeye and cheeeeese?!! All atop a crispy french baguette with lots of creamilicious, yummy cheese. Did I mention the cheeeese?? It's irresistable! Is it good for you? Nope, it's not healthy at all, but go ahead and indulge once in a while. You only live once!! Make it tasty!

Of course, it's not an authentic Philly Cheesesteak! I know better than to make that claim! My mom is from Philly and Philadelphians have every right to be protective of their famous sandwich! Nothing can compare, but this casserole is still pretty darn tasty, so if you don't have plans to be in the City of Brotherly Love anytime soon, this will do! This just might be better than the Meatball Sub Casserole I made recently!

Roasted Vegetable Orzo

Allrecipes.com Roasted Vegetable Orzo

With a dish like this there is hope for me being a vegetarian someday!  This was so yummy! I made some changes to the recipe mainly because asparagus was $5.99/lb, and I just could NOT bring myself to pay that. As much as I LOVE asparagus, I really felt this dish would still be great without it...definitely more cost effective for sure!

I served this with Roasted Chicken Breasts and it made for a great pairing! Honestly, I think this would go nicely with just about anything or even on its own!  Here is how I made this dish:

Ingredients

• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 1 summer squash, sliced
• 1 red onion, cut into chunks
• 1 pound portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pinch white sugar
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon chicken base
• 1/2 cup Sake or dry white wine
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 8 ounces orzo pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Place the zucchini, squash, onion, and mushrooms on a foil lined baking sheet; add in garlic, olive oil and sugar, and stir gently to coat vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast vegetables until tender, 20 to 25 minutes  

Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned.

Mix the water, chicken base, and wine and slowly add to the orzo; bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 - 20 minutes.

Mix in roasted vegetables and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm. 

Be sure you taste this before adding salt. The Parmesan cheese will add salt and the veges have already been salted, so give it a taste to make sure you need to add more.

I really liked the Sake added to this dish - it really gave it a nice flavor, however, you can change up the liquid to suit your tastes. As long as you add 1 3/4 cups liquid in the end it can be the liquid of your choosing.  If you don't think the wine is going to be to your liking try reducing it to 1/4 cup and add 1 1/2 cups water (with the chicken base). If you prefer to use chicken stock instead of water and base - that is fine too. You can even try a vegetable base with water or vegetable stock.  Make it your own and enjoy! 

Another yummy al fresco All Natural Sausage recipe.  As with all the other recipes we have tried, this one is easy and economical.  I used a red wine I had on hand, and spent under $10 for the remaining ingredients.

I added sliced mushrooms to the recipe because I love them <<smile>>

Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage with Tomato Cream Sauce Over Linguine

By Life Tastes Good
Published 04/24/2012

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package al fresco All Natural Pre-Cooked Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage, sliced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
• 3/4 cup dry red wine
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, with juices
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
• 1/2 cup light cream
• 1/2 pound uncooked linguine
• 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
• Fresh oregano leaves for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Begin cooking linguine in boiling salted water according to package directions. Cook until al dente. Drain.
2. While linguine is cooking, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup chopped onions and 1 cup sliced mushrooms. Saute for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and cook, just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 3/4 cup dry red wine, 1 can diced tomatoes, sliced sausage, 1 teaspoon fresh oregano and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Boil until reduced a bit. I recommend doing this to taste. When it tastes right to you then you can reduce the heat and add 1/2 cup cream and cook for one minute.
3. Portion cooked linguine onto 4 warm plates or pasta bowls. Spoon sausage/sauce over pasta. Sprinkle each with Parmesan and garnish with fresh oregano if desired.

Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 15 mins.

Cook time: 15 mins.
Total time: 30 mins.

Tags: Italian, Sausage, Chicken, Cream Sauce, Tomato, Pasta, allrecipes.com, al fresco chicken sausage

recipe inspired by allrecipes.com Grilled Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage with Tomato Cream Sauce over Linguini