Kielbasa Sweet Potato Packets

Ingredients:
1 pound fully cooked kielbasa
2 small sweet potatoes, diced (or 1 small butternut squash)
1 red or orange bell pepper, cut in strips
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat. Cut four 18x12-inch sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place sausage, squash and bell pepper on each foil sheet. Sprinkle with onions.
2. Mix syrup, orange juice and salt in small bowl; pour over sausage mixture on foil sheets. Fold foil over sausage mixture so edges meet. Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again. Allow space on sides for circulation and expansion.
3. Cover and grill packets 4 to 6 inches from medium heat 35 to 40 minutes or until sausage is thoroughly heated and squash is tender. Place packets on plates; unfold foil.

Source: Betty Crocker Grilling Made Easy

Italian Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1 box tri color rotini
1/4 red onion, sliced
1/2 orange pepper, sliced
1/2 box grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 can black olives
1/2 pkg. italian dry salami
1/2 cup crumbled feta, to taste
black pepper, to taste
1 bottle Olive Garden Italian dressing (or similar)

Directions:
1. Cook pasta, rinse, and cool.
2. Mix all the ingredients with the cooled pasta. Add more vegetables if you like.
3. Pour 1/4-1/2 bottle of dressing to salad the night before and refrigerate overnight.
4. Add remaining dressing before serving if you want more flavor.

Source: Joanne Cooper

Boerenkool Stamppot

Ingredients:
4 russet potatoes
2 onions
1 bay leaf
1 bunch kale, washed and chopped
6-8 carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 or 2 kielbasa links

Directions:
1. Peel and dice potatoes and onions.
3. Add the potatoes, onion, a bay leaf, a pinch of salt and just enough water to cover all in a large pot.
4. Cover and boil gently for about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, prep the kale and carrots.  Once the water starts boiling, add the kale and carrots. 
6. Remove the bay leaf, drain the vegetables, and mash them.
7. Add milk, butter, salt, and pepper.
8. Slice and saute the kielbasa and serve with stamppot

Source: adapted from allrecipes.com

A favorite recipe from Holland!!

Pasta with Roasted-Tomato Meat Sauce

Ingredients:
1 pint cherry tomatoes
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
9 ounces 80% lean ground pork
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 canned anchovy fillets in oil, drained and chopped
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Place cherry tomatoes on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until tomatoes are lightly browned.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
4. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork, garlic, salt, pepper, and anchovies to pan; cook 4 minutes or until pork is browned, stirring to crumble. Add sherry to pan; cook 30 seconds, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add tomatoes and vinegar; cook 2 minutes or until tomatoes release their liquid and sauce is slightly thickened. Combine pasta and sauce in a large bowl; toss to coat. Sprinkle with basil.

Source: Cooking Light

Spinach & Onion Strata

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 onion thinly sliced
1 lb. Italian sausage
8 large eggs (or I've used 10)
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh-ground pepper
1/8-tsp. nutmeg
2 cups gruyere cheese (or mont. jack)
3 cups spinach leaves or baby arugula
1/2 of 1-lb. loaf rustic bread, 1-in. cubes

Directions:

1. Melt butter in frying pan. Add onion and stir till slightly brown - 10 min. Reserve.
2. In same pan fry crumbled sausage on med-hi heat. Stir often to break up chunks. Cook
till no longer pink - about 15 min. Pour sausage onto paper towel to drain grease.
3. In large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in cheese,
spinach, onion and cooked sausage. Fold in bread.
4. Pour mixture in to a buttered 9" x 13" casserole dish. Cover airtight and chill overnight
or at least a couple hours.
5. Bake strata, uncovered, in 375 deg. oven until top is golden and mixture is firm in center
when dish is jiggled, 45min. - 1 hour. Check after 40 min., and if top is getting brown,
cover with foil.

Source: Theresa Veldkamp :)

Pizza dough

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups warm water
1 envelope active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
2 tsp sugar
3 Tbsp olive oil
4-5 cups flour (half wheat, half white)
2 tsp salt
cornmeal

Directions:
1. In a liquid measuring cup, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar.  Allow the yeast to dissolve and bloom, about 5 minutes.  Add the olive oil.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.  Add liquid mixture and mix well.  Knead dough on a floured surface.  Form the dough into a round ball and place it in a large bowl sprayed with nonstick spray.  Cover with a clean towel and let the dough rise until it doubles in size, about 90 minutes.
3.  Top with desired toppings (thai chicken, bbq chicken, veggie, sausage & pepper, pear gorgonzola & arugula, etc.) and cook on a heated pizza stone.

Source: Cooking Channel

Notes: This makes dough for two pizzas.  Thai chicken pizza is a great use of leftover peanut sauce.

Boilermaker Tailgate Chili

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
1 (15 ounce) can white beans
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cubes beef bouillon
1/2 cup beer (lager, amber or brown)
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar
pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.
2. Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chile peppers, bacon bits, bouillon, and beer. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. (use high setting on the crock pot)
3. After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.

Source: allrecipes.com

Tuscan Kale & White Bean Soup

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp EVOO
1 onion, chopped
6 carrots, sliced
Salt & pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced or microplaned
1 lb kielbasa, cut into bite-sized pieces
8 cups chicken broth
2 cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 bay leaf
8 cups chopped kale (remove leaves from stems/center vein before chopping)
4 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add carrots and onions then season with salt and pepper and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds then add kielbasa and cook for 3 more minutes.
2. Add chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen brown bits, then add beans, Parmesan cheese rind, and bay leaf. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir in kale then place a lid on the pot, turn heat down to medium-low, and simmer until kale is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese then taste and adjustment seasonings if necessary.
3. Remove bay leaf (Parmesan cheese rind can stay in – it will continue to flavor leftovers) then serve with additional Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, if desired.

Source: Iowa Girl Eats