Grilled Ranch Potato and Sausage Packets

Perfect Pairing: 8-cup glass measuring bowl

Friends!  Are you still with me?!  If you are, bless your heart. 

So… I have been majorly slacking on my little passion project, Perfecting the Pairing.  Let’s be honest, all of 2016 has been a bust, but the last two months have been ridiculous with ZERO posts.  I have a good reason!  Life has been bananas!  Wonderful, but bananas.  

In the last month Chris accepted a job in Iowa, we sold our condo in the city (closing soon), I started working remotely (it was an answered prayer to keep my job), we celebrated our one year anniversary, and we moved in with my parents until we close on our new home in Bettendorf, Iowa.  We kind of feel like our lives have been turned upside down but we are absolutely overjoyed with the exciting changes happening.  We are going to miss Chicago so much (especially our friends… and the restaurants) but we can’t wait to open the next chapter in IOWA.  If you follow this blog at all you know how much I love the lake where my parents live, so living there has not been a hard adjustment! 

Now that life has normalized a bit I am anxious to start blogging again!  These days I get to cook on a regular basis for more people and have access to all of my mom’s fun kitchen gadgets/serving pieces/spices/etc.  I have ZERO excuses!

The warm weather makes me want to grill all the time. Grilled foil packets are a quick and easy dinner with minimal clean up.  Everything is mixed together (potatoes, green beans, shallots, and pre-cooked chicken sausage) to make a complete meal.  The whole shebang is seasoned with ranch seasoning and red pepper flakes and thrown on the grill. 

So simple!

I pre-cook the potatoes for a few minutes in the microwave to speed up the grilling process.  I use my favorite 8-cup glass measuring bowl.  This is a must-have tool in my kitchen.  I use it all the time. 

 

Perfecting the Pairing is back!  

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing:  We got married! #LamsInLoveForever

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Grilled Chili Lime Sweet Potatoes

Three years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Greek Turkey Burgers

Four years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Pickle Dip (I just re-discovered this recipe and make it all the time.  Now I add a spoonful of hot pepper jelly!)

 

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Spaghetti Squash Frittata

Perfect Pairing:  Leftover spaghetti squash

One food trend I am totally on board with is spaghetti squash.  My first post of 2015 was this Spaghetti Squash Pizza Casserole recipe.  I froze half of the recipe and was thrilled to have it on hand when I was in the midst of wedding planning and needed a healthy and filling meal. 

Next time you have leftover spaghetti squash try this frittata recipes.  Actually, just cook up some spaghetti squash so you can make this!  It was such a great breakfast, served up beautifully, and was delicious reheated. 

There are a few different ways of cooking a spaghetti squash.  I definitely prefer roasting them and will usually do two at once to make sure I have plenty on hand.  To roast it, poke the spaghetti squash with a fork 10 times.  Microwave on high for 6 minutes (this softens the squash and makes it easier to cut in half).  Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.  Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for 50-60 minutes at 400 degrees, or until completely tender, then you can shred it with a fork.  You can also cook it in the microwave.  I use this method if I just don’t have the time for roasting. 

Cooked spaghetti squash acts as the crust of the frittata.  Try to remove any excess moisture in the squash, this is especially important if you cooked it in the microwave.  You can either squeeze it in a clean kitchen towel, pat with paper towels, or press into the bottom of a strainer.

The filling is a mixture of sautéed vegetables, eggs, egg whites, chicken sausage, and cheese.  This recipe is totally customizable so if you don’t like mushrooms, leave them out.  If you have kale on hand, throw it in.  Would rather use swiss cheese than shredded cheddar?  Brilliant.  Do it.  I think I used a roasted red pepper chicken sausage, like this.   

I have an exorbitant amount of spices in my kitchen, and I love all of them.  I used some crazy combination of Italian/Za’atar/Berbere/Jamaican Jerk in this (not really, but also not far off) but you could use whatever you have on hand, whether it is Mrs. Dash or Cajun.  Just be sure to check if it has salt so you can adjust that accordingly.

One other thing to note…. Yes, this does have cottage cheese in it.  No, you cannot tell there is cottage cheese in it.  It just adds a little creaminess and bulk, but won’t freak out cottage cheese haters.  They’re out there.

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Chocolate and Banana Overnight French Toast

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Raisin Bran Muffins

Three years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Garlic and Herb Cheese Crostini with Summer Tomato Sauce

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Sausage Caprese Bites

Perfect Pairing:  Marinated mini bocconcini

I am a big fan of pre cooked chicken sausage.  I use them all the time. 

Sometimes just as a quick appetizer.

Or as the protein in a healthy soup.

They come in a ton of flavors like apple and cheddar, cognac and cranberry, or you can keep it simple with spicy or Italian flavored.  They are all pretty healthy.  I like to get the natural varieties.  I am using them here in a quick appetizer.  Even though they are fully cooked I sauté them a bit to give them some caramelization.  Spell-check is telling me that caramelization is not a word.  I do not agree with this.

I drizzled some pesto on top, but you could certainly skip that step.  You could also add a little basil leaf to the skewer.  I used marinated mini bocconcini which were perfect in this recipe.  No need to slice up fresh mozzarella, and they just look really cute.  They are marinated in a seasoned olive oil.  I removed some of the oil by resting them on paper towels before threading them on the toothpicks.

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Sausage and Dried Cherry Stuffing

Perfect Pairing:  Thanksgiving

Everyone knows that Thanksgiving is the ultimate food holiday.  I hate to sound biased, but my family does it right.  There are a few recipes that HAVE to be on our Thanksgiving table. 

I felt like I was cheating my readers by having two Thanksgivings pass on the blog without sharing these family recipes.  The problem is we usually only make them at Thanksgiving, so it is too late to share them and there is never any time to take pictures.  

I decided this year to have an early Thanksgiving meal, so I could share these recipes in time for the holiday.  So over the next couple of weeks it is going to be Thanksgiving central on Perfecting the Pairing.  I hope you try these out and love them as much as we do.

First up is my favorite, Sausage and Dried Cherry Stuffing.  OH my goodness.  This is just the best thing ever.  My mom started making this a few years ago and it is now a staple.  I don’t even know how to tell you how great it is.  I love the addition of sausage and tart dried cherries. 

Poor Riley just couldn’t understand why this fabulous smelling goodness was in front of him and he could not touch it.   

This is the only stuffing recipe you will ever need.  Promise.

Stay tuned for other Thanksgiving favorites!

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing:  Apple Cake with Warm Caramel Sauce

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Prosciutto Wrapped Breadsticks

Click "Read more" for the recipe....

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Chorizo and Potato Frittata

Perfect Pairing:  Sriracha

This recipe came to be because of a cooking accident.  Fortunately it turned into a very good thing!

I have a really good deal going when I visit my parents.  Before I head home I will send my mom some menu ideas along with a grocery list.  Usually by the time I get there everything is purchased and put away.  How fabulous is that??  My mom thinks it is a pretty good deal too because I do most of the cooking.  Everyone wins.

Recently I asked my mom to buy chorizo for an appetizer I wanted to try.  I guess I didn’t think to tell her to get Spanish chorizo instead of Mexican.  Once we realized this we were about 20 miles from the closest grocery store.  How different could they really be?  Well, it turns out they are very different.  My goal was to slice the chorizo and grill it, but you cannot do that with Mexican chorizo.  It is more of the crumbly bulk sausage variety. 

So now I had some cooked chorizo that needed to be used.   We didn’t have much else in the house, but did have eggs and potatoes.  A frittata!  There is a chance that this is actually more like a Spanish Tortilla, but honestly I don’t understand the difference, so I am calling it a frittata.  I am including this picture against my better judgment.  I know it is so far from being pretty, but it is nice to get an idea of what the entire recipe looks like.  Right?

We all loved this.  It was super hearty and great as a main course for dinner.  I used Manchego cheese but you could use whatever favorite cheese you have on hand.  The chorizo has a kick, but this dish is great topped with a little (or a lot of) sriracha sauce.  I love that stuff.

 

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Sweet Potato and Sausage Breakfast Hash

Perfect Pairing:  Eggs

I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!  I was lucky enough to spend it with loved ones.  Unfortunately, there was a lot, and I mean a lot, of rain throughout the weekend.  We definitely made the most of it and still had a great time.  It is all about the company!

There are so many good things about this recipe including sweet potatoes, sausage, caramelized onions, it is made ahead of time, and is versatile.  I figured out the versatile thing firsthand. 

The hash component is made the night before and stored in the refrigerator overnight, so it lends itself to quick prep in the morning.  I made this when I was home for Easter and the plan was to cook it for breakfast in a 9x13 baking dish in the oven.  When I woke up that morning I realized the ceiling fan had stopped, the clock was dark, and the house was very quiet.  The power was out and we did not know when it was coming back on.  Fortunately, my parents had already made coffee!

We moved to plan B and cooked the hash in a pan on the grill.  It was a happy accident because I loved the crispiness and grill flavor. 

 

The hash would be great as a breakfast/brunch side dish (actually, it would be good at any time of the day) but it is made into a complete meal by cracking eggs on top. 

I can’t say enough about this meal.  It was so good.  The combination of spicy sausage, sweet caramelized onions and sweet potatoes, and a slightly runny egg was divine.  I can’t wait to make this again! 

We only used a portion of the recipe in the skillet since it makes a large batch.  The leftovers were fabulous.  For the leftovers we cooked the hash and eggs in the oven in individual ramekins. 

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