Spicy Sausage Skillet and Home Sweet Home

Our team with "Humphrey" the camel mascot.

What felt like 5 weeks away, has actually only been 5 days and we are now back home. After arriving at 1:00 am last night (or does that count as this morning), my bed never felt so wonderful.

The South and people of Atlanta were very good to us.  It was an awesome experience for our team, my girls and everyone who attended the weekend. The sites around town were tons of fun and although I was not wearing a pedometer, I am quite certain I put on 10,000 steps every day, which is good because I needed to burn off all our great meals we had out.

One of my favorite breakfast/lunch places is Corner Bakery Cafe.  I treated myself to a turkey sandwich lunch on the patio overlooking their gorgeous tulip garden.  It is so rare that I get a quiet meal to myself and even though I really don't like eating alone, it was nice to take in some sunshine and relax for a while.

I made this dish for dinner a couple weeks ago and it was terrific!  I hope I froze some leftovers because after arriving in the middle of the night last night, I have no idea what to do for dinner tonight!!

Spicy Sausage Skillet
Courtesy of Plain Chicken

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb smoked sausage, sliced into 1/4" slices

2 Tbsp dried minced onion flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 oz campanelle pasta (or penne)

1/4 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

Heat olive oil over medium hight heat in a 12-inch oven safe skillet until hot.  Add sausage and cook until lightly browned.  

Add onion flakes, garlic powder, broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cover skillet. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until pasta is tender.

Remove skillet from heat and stir in half of the cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions.  Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly.

One Year Ago:  Mushroom Soup

Happy Spring to everyone !!!

Baked Fontina Cheese Dip

It is the official week of the beginning of fall and it has definitely been showing around here.  The leaves are turning their beautiful colors and there is a crispness in the air each morning...and then it goes back to 85 degrees.  Well, at least it feels like fall for a few hours each day.

This charming little farm is near our old house and my husband called me as he was driving by it the other morning to let me know that the pumpkins were out and so wonderfully displayed.  Thankfully I had my camera with me and was able to catch this great shot.  

For those cool nights, here is a warm cheese dip to take the chill off.  I will give you one warning, be careful when you are taking it out of the oven.  The olive oil and cheese are bubbly and popping and I gained a new grease burn from it (which I of course proudly shared with the chef at my cooking class).

Baked Fontina

Courtesy of Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa)

1-1/2 pounds Italian Fontina cheese, rind removed and cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 cup olive oil

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 crusty French baguette

Preheat the broiler and position the oven rack 5 inches from the heat.

Distribute the cubes of Fontina evenly in a 12-inch cast-iron pan.  Drizzle on the olive oil.  Combine the garlic, thyme, and rosemary and sprinkle it over the cheese and olive oil.  Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and place the pan under the broiler for about 6 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and starts to brown.

Serve the baked Fontina family style, right out of the oven in the cast-iron pan with crusty chunks of bread.

** This recipe makes a large batch and is very rich, so I cut the recipe in half when I made it for our small family.