B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage & Peppers

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage & Peppers

Ingredients:1 pound B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Links (4) hot, mild, or combination

2 tbsp   Extra Virgin Olive Oil1 medium red bell pepper 1 medium green bell pepper 1/4 large yellow onion-large2 tbsp extra virgin olive oilKosher Salt to taste

Preparation:

Wash and dry peppers. Remove seeds and white core from inside of peppers and cut them into 1” strips.Peel and slice onion into ½” strips.

Directions:

Add olive oil a 12” or larger non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add peppers and sauté uncovered for 3-4 minutes.  Add onion and continue to sauté until peppers and onions are soft. Salt to taste and mix gently.   

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil in another 12" saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage links and lower heat to medium. Sauté for ten minutes until sausage is browned then turn sausage gently with tongs, (do not puncture or cut the sausage while cooking to preserve juices).  Continue to sauté for another 10 minutes until other side is browned as well. Add the peppers and onions to the sausage in the pan. Turn heat to low, cover, and sauté an additional 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve. 

Original B.I.T Recipe: B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage and Peppers

Courtesy of Chef Bertha Teresa Thomas

© Copyright 2015 Becoming Italian Today, All Rights Reserved.

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage & Squash Soup

BIT Rustic Italian Sausage & Squash Soup

 Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutesServes: 6 - 8 people

Ingredients:
1 lb BIT Rustic Italian Sausage Mild, loose or removed from casing
4-6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 stick unsalted butter
1 large leek

8 cups of butternut squash

6 cups chicken broth, plus little extra if necessary
1 cup heavy cream
4-5 sage leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Kosher salt (optional)

Preparation:
Peel and cut squash into medium size pieces. Clean the leek and chop the white and light green parts only. Cut the sage leaves into thin strips, julienne-style, and set aside.

Directions:Add the olive oil to the sauté pan over medium heat. Add uncooked sausage to the pan. Using a fork, break up the meat and cook until lightly browned, set aside. 

In a large sauce pan add butter and the chopped leek and sauté over medium heat for about 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the butternut squash pieces to the pan along with the leek, stirring gently to combine. Cook over low heat for about 20 min or until the squash has softened. Remove cooked squash from heat and let cool. Puree the cooled squash mixture, return it to the large pan, and heat over medium heat. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook another 5 minutes or until squash and broth combine. Slowly stir the cream into the squash mixture, stirring gently until combined. 

Add cooked sausage meat, scraping all the bits and juices from the pan to the squash soup. Gently fold in the sausage until mix together well. Bring to a simmer over low heat, add the sage leaves and sugar, and cook for another 15 minutes. If your soup is too thick, add some extra chicken broth until you reach the desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve hot with a drizzle of cream on top and a few small sage leaves for garnish.

Original B.I.T Recipe: B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage and Squash Soup
Courtesy of Chef Bertha Teresa Thomas
© Copyright 2015 Becoming Italian Today, All Rights Reserved.

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Shepherd's Pie

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Shepherd's Pie

Serves: 4-6 persons

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 1 lb BIT Rustic Italian Sausage meat hot, mild or combination
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium size yellow onion
• 10-16 ounce package of mixed frozen vegetables
• 2 Tbsp of flour
• 1 cup of chicken broth (for filling)
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1 tsp rosemary leaves (optional)

Mashed Potatoes:

• 1 1/2 lbs potatoes, Yukon gold or mashing potatoes
• 3/4 cups chicken broth(for potatoes)
• 2 Tbsp sour cream
• 1/2 stick of room temperature salted butter
• salt and pepper
• sprinkle of paprika

Preparation:

Peel and slice onion into thin pieces and chop celery and set aside. Measure out the flour and chicken broth for the sausage meat filling and set aside. 

To prepare the mashed potatoes: Peel and chop potatoes into chunks suitable for mashing. Cook potato pieces in boiling water until soft. Drain potatoes using a colander. Measure out the sour cream, chicken broth, and butter and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, add the drained potatoes and chicken broth and mash until lumps are gone. Add sour cream and butter and mix being careful not to overwork the mixture. Salt and pepper the mashed potatoes to taste and set aside. 

Directions:

In a large saute pan add in oil and brown sausage meat over medium high heat. Break up the sausage meat with fork as it cooks. When meat starts to stick to bottom of pan add sliced onion and combine.  Cook until sausage meat and onion are mixed together with all their juices, about 5-6 minutes. Add chopped celery and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. Add the flour to the mixture and stir to combine. Add frozen vegetables, chicken broth and rosemary (optional). Simmer on low heat 8-10 minutes. Spread the sausage meat mixture on the bottom of the casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes and sprinkle with paprika. Bake 20-25 minutes in oven. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Original B.I.T Recipe: B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Shepherd's Pie
Courtesy of Chef Bertha Teresa Thomas
© Copyright 2015 Becoming Italian Today, All Rights Reserved.