2-for-1 Special: A Side Dish & A Main Course

(This post brought to you by Jen)

About a year ago, I decided that my enchiladas needed a side dish.  I thought, "Hmmmm, Mexican.  Enchiladas.  Rice and beans!"  And since then, my rice and beans recipe has been a staple side dish for anything Mexican that Marc and I make.  This recipe is my ultimate "Pantry Dish".  Some of the pantry ingredients used can be homemade, but when in a pinch, these work for me!  I will **star** any items that are easily homemade, but for the sake of this recipe, I will share the storebought variety.  (See the notes at the bottom for substitutions for these ingredients.)

In addition to one of my favorite side dishes, I will take the opportunity to make this blog post a 2-for-1 and tell you how to turn it into an amazing main course - can you say stuffed peppers?

Rice and Beans

Hardware Needed:
1 large saute pan

Ingredients Needed:
1 red onion, diced
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans Goya black beans
2 cans Goya pinto beans
**3 bags Uncle Ben's 90 second brown rice**
**2, 12 oz. jars Goya Sofrito**
Olive oil, for drizzling
Salt and pepper, to taste

I will give you 2 options - both equally tasty when it comes to using canned beans.  Option 1:  Drain the beans in a collander and rinse.  When folding in the beans, add 1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable stock.  Option 2:  Empty cans of beans right into the vegetables, rice and sofrito, without draining and rinsing.  No need for stock.  (FYI:  I always go with the 2nd option...just saying...)

Place saute pan over med-high heat and drizzle in oil.  Saute onion, bell pepper and garlic until soft, about 7 minutes.  While this is happening, prepare each bag of rice as per directions on packaging.



Make sure you season with salt and pepper as these are softening.



Once the vegetables are softened, stir in the beans. 

Look at how colorful this is when you add in the beans!

Let the mixture sit on the heat until the liquid reduces by half. Taste to see if it needs more salt or pepper. Then gently stir in the rice and sofrito. 

Doesn't that look good?

From start to finish, this side dish takes less than 20 minutes!  And it's a one dish wonder which means easy clean up!!!  Also, it's great for leftovers as the flavors get better on the second day!  This dish alone makes enough rice and beans to feed a small army, so you can easily cut it in half if you want.
Enjoy!!!


2-for-1 Special:  Stuffed Peppers

At this point, you will basically need everything from above, plus:

Hardware Needed:
9 x 13 baking dish
Foil

Ingredients Needed:
1 lb. chicken sausage, casings removed (I use the hot variety)
1 cup chicken stock
4 additional bell peppers, seeded (you may use more if you like since you'll have tons of rice and beans)
Provolone cheese, sliced (or any other variety of cheese that you like)

Preheat oven to 350.  Place seeded peppers in baking dish, season the insides lightly with salt and pepper.  Pour stock into the base of the pan (around the peppers) and cover lightly with foil.  Place in the oven to get a head start.

If the peppers don't sit level in the pan, trim the bottom of the pepper.

Brown sausage in saute pan over medium high heat with a drizzle of oil in the pan.  Remove and set aside until later.  Prepare rice and beans as directed above and fold in sausage when adding in rice.   (No need to add oil to the pan prior to sauteing vegetables because the sausage has drippings. Drippings = flavor.)

Remove peppers from oven, fill with rice mixture.  Top each pepper with a slice of provolone (or other cheese) and return to oven for 15 minutes - uncovered.  If you want, after this time is up, pop the stuffed peppers under the broiler to brown the cheese.

Serve over a scoop of the rice and beans.

From start to finish, this dish took less than 45 minutes.  If you need a filling, HEALTHY dinner in a hurry, this is one to consider!

Enjoy!

NOTES:

1)  3 packages of the rice is approximately 4-5 cups of prepared rice.  If you like, you can easily make your own rice instead of my Uncle Ben's choice.  Or, you can use white rice.  I prefer brown rice in this recipe because it has better health benefits and I prefer it's flavor.

2)  Sofrito is a base sauce that is used a lot in Mexican cooking.  You can make your own by combining tomato (seeded and juices removed), bell pepper (seeded), onion, garlic and cilantro in a food processor until smooth. 

3)  This dish is very easily vegetarian for all you animal lovers.  You can just use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.  Also, you don't need to add the sausage to the rice and beans before you put it in the peppers.  I just think that it can boost up the flavor, and gives it more of a main dish quality with meat.  But then again, I'm not a vegetarian...

4)  I'm sure we've all had stuffed peppers before.  Since the filling is completely cooked before putting it in the peppers, I choose to give my peppers a head start in the oven.  My guess is that the peppers are probably in the oven about 15 minutes before I stuff them.  The stock helps steam the peppers a little so to soften them up.

5)  This recipe is tame in terms of heat level.  If you like your dish a little on the spicy side, dice up a jalepeno and saute along with the vegetables in the beginning.

6)  Goya is a great product!  And in case you didn't know, it's typically cheaper than any store brand by at least 10 cents!  Yes, that's right, it is cheaper at Wegmans to buy Goya than to buy Wegmans brand beans.  You can find Goya in the International section of most supermarkets.

7)  This dish is healthy!!!  If you choose to make the stuffed peppers, cut them in half after serving because half of one is more than enough for a serving.

I hope you're enjoying this blog as much as I am in sharing my food with you!  Have you tried any of the recipes I've posted?

Stromboli

(This post brought to you by Jen)

Marc and I are big fans of making foods that our family members have taught us.  One of my favorite things to make is Pepperoni Bread (my grandma used to make this with my sisters and me when my parents were out of town and she was "watching us").  Within the past year or so, we have been creating stromboli that Marc grew up with.  I would say that this stromboli is a "cousin" to my grandma's pepperoni bread.  When he first made it, I remember him calling up his father asking how he did it.  My job was to roll out the dough, because Marc just can't compete with my dough-rolling skills.  I just have too much practice that I can probably out-roll anyone!  :)

Hardware needed:
Sheet pan
Rolling Pin

Ingredients: 
1 Wegmans premade Pizza Dough (makes 2 stromboli)
Flour, for dusting
1 lb Genoa salami
1 lb provolone cheese
1 red onion, diced
Roasted red peppers, diced
Pepperoncini rings, diced
Parmesan cheese, grated
2 eggs plus 1 tbsp water, beaten

For this recipe, we chose to use a premade pizza dough from Wegmans.  On occasion, we will make our own dough and flavor it up with spices, but this one is a pantry meal - my specialty - so Wegmans dough is great! 

Let the dough rise at room temperature for several hours before preparing.  You'll be happy you did.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Divide the dough into 2 equal size parts, set aside one part for later.  Dust a surface with flour and dust the dough with flour to prevent sticking.  Roll the dough, turning occasionally, flipping over if needed, until you've created a 15 x 20 inch rectangle (rough estimate).  It will be thin - maybe 1/8 inch thick.  Layer on ingredients.  I start with provolone and pile on the rest of the ingredients in an even layer from there.

Looks yummy already!

Brush three of the edges lightly with your egg wash.  It will help seal the stromboli and prevent breaking.  (But let's be honest, it's not fool-proof!  Sometimes it busts anyway!)  Roll the stromboli, making sure to keep all the ingredients tucked in and the edges sealed.

Sealing up the final edge.

Once the stromboli has been rolled up, crimp the seams with a fork.  You've already brushed the egg wash on, but sometimes crimping helps prevent breakage as well.

A nicely crimped seam.

I always place the stromboli seam down on the sheet pan.  Brush with egg wash and poke a few holes in the top with a fork to help steam escape. 

Two stromboli fit nice on a sheet pan.

Let bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown and yummy.  (If you notice, the stromboli on the right in the picture above looks different - that's because it is!  We had some left over meatballs from a prior meal - I diced them up and made a different stromboli - meatball provolone!  Yummmmmm...)

Yep - One of my stromboli broke!!!

Let cool for about 5-10 minutes before slicing and enjoy! 

Grandma's pepperoni bread is very closely related to this, but I'll share that another time! 

2 for 1 Italian Special

(This post brought to you by Jen)

Recently, Marc and I made some sauce for baked ziti to give to a friends.  As it normally goes with us, we make a lot more than we need.  We gave 2 quarts to our friends, and saved 2 for ourselves.  (We typically save won-ton soup containers from Chinese take-out to store our sauce in.)  What to do with this leftover sauce?  Well, Marc has been wanting eggplant parmesan for some time now, and I thought that since we had some chicken breasts in the fridge, why wouldn't we just make chicken parmesan as well?  Genius idea!  Marc and I tag-teamed the cooking of these dishes, and here they are!

Hardware Needed:
Dredging station (the one pictured was purchased from a Pampered Chef catalog, but 3 big bowls work just as well)
Foil lined sheet pan with wire rack for draining/resting
12 inch frying pan (we used cast iron)
Ceramic Dutch oven (or any other oven safe bakeware with tall sides)

Ingredients:
2 eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
3 chicken breasts
2 cups flour
4 eggs
2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
1 quart of your favorite pasta sauce (maybe one day I will share how to make mine...)
Mozzerella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Vegetable Oil for frying
Salt and Pepper
Garlic powder

Ahead of time, you will want to prep your eggplant.  After you peel and slice it, lightly salt both sides and place on a dish.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes.  You will notice that the eggplant has released some moisture.  Pat pieces down with paper towels and you are ready to start dredging.  In addition to releasing some moisture from the eggplant, it also helps season and remove some of the bitterness. 

Eggplant after being salted.

While the eggplant is being salted, I set up my dredging station.  I season the flour with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  The eggs are seasoned with salt and pepper as well.  The breadcrumbs used in today's meal were seasoned Italian breadcrumbs that you can purchase as your favorite supermarket (which better be Wegmans).  We never just leave the breadcrumbs as is though, those got a dose of garlic powder and parmesan cheese.  Stir together all ingredients in each bowl to combine.  Whisk eggs thoroughly. 

Dredging station

I always make an assembly line out of my dredging station.  On the far right is my ingredient to be dredged (eggplant), then flour, eggs, breadcrumbs, and a plate to stash the prepared ingredient. 

An assembly line makes this easy!  And it keeps you well organized.

Coat each side of the eggplant evenly with each component. 

Eggplant taking a stroll through the dredging station.

Ready to be fried!

As I continue making sure all the eggplant is breaded, Marc started up the cast iron frying pan over medium high heat.  I can't tell you exactly how much oil was used, but it was about half the height of the eggplant slices.  Fry the eggplant on each side until golden (about 2-3 minutes per side). 

Egplant going for a dip in the oil.

Remove to your prepared draining rack and season lightly with salt.  You will want to work in batches of 4-5 eggplant at a time, depending on how much fits in your pan.

Repeat this process with the chicken.  First, bread them using your assembly line.

Chicken in the assembly line breading station.

This time, since it is chicken, you will need to fry it longer.  Approximately 5-7 minutes per side (depending on how hot your oil is) until golden.  Remove to the draining rack and lightly season with salt.

Draining rack with all the goodness on it.

In your ceramic dutch oven, place a layer of sauce, followed by eggplant, mozzerella cheese, parmesan, and sauce.  Repeat this process until all eggplant has been used.  The very top layer should be mozzerella and parmesan.

Layered pan

Cover the pan and place in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes is up, remove lid and let cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Remove from oven, let rest for 10 minutes and serve.

Ready to be plated up!

As the eggplant is in the oven, spoon a thin layer of sauce over the chicken.  Follow this with some mozzerella and parmesan cheese.  Place it in the oven when you remove the lid from the eggplant.  Remove it at the same time as the eggplant.

The cheese is wonderfully melted after 10 minutes in the oven.

Give this recipe a try, let us know what you think.

Enjoy!

Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Risotto

(This post brought to you by Jen)

I was feeling the need to shake things up a bit from my normal risotto recipes.  This is what I came up with.  This has the "bones" of my basic risotto recipe (look back a few posts to reference), but with a twist! 

Hardware Needed:
Saute Pan
Sauce Pan
Saucier Pan

Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 Shallot, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
2 cups Arborio rice
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups tomato juice (as in V8)
2-3 cups broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
1 lb. Italian chicken sausage, casings removed.
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper

In a large saute pan over medium high heat, brown sausage.  While the sausage is browning, add stock to a sauce pan over medium heat with the broccoli florets.  After the sausage has browned, remove from heat, drain from excess drippings.  Also, remove the broccoli from the stock and put into a bowl for later.  After you remove the broccoli from the stock, add tomato juice to stock and stir to combine

Chicken Stock and Tomato Juice

Over medium high heat, add the butter and olive oil to your saucier. When the butter melts, add in shallot and garlic. Lightly salt and pepper. When translucent (approx. 3-5 minutes), add rice to pan to toast, an additional 3-5 minutes. Stirring constantly. 

Mise en place

From this point, add a few ladles of stock/tomato liquid to the rice, stirring constantly until most of the liquid has absorbed.  Repeat until a desired texture of risotto has been acheived (about 25 minutes or so).  Taste occasionally for salt/pepper levels. 

After a few ladles of liquid

Gently fold in broccoli, 2 cups of sausage and Parmesan.

The broccoli and sausage are in there!

Spoon onto a plate or bowl and top with more sausage and a sprinkling of Parmesan. 

Hope you're hungry!

Try this recipe, or any of the others I've posted and let me know what you think!  Have a suggestion for a recipe I should make or an ingredient I should use?  Leave me a comment and I'll come up with something yummy!

Enjoy!

Pepperoncini Chicken

(This post brought to you by Jen.)

Many of the dishes that I cook at home are meals that Marc taught me.  I'll happily share them with you! 

This is a dish that is one of our favorites, and talk about easy to make!  Pepperoncini chicken is a dish that once you try it, you'll crave it's simplicity and spicy nature.

Hardware Needed:
Roasting Pan (or Large Casserole Dish and Saute Pan)
Tongs

My roasting pan is large enough to fit on the stovetop and cover two burners, so for me, this is a one pan dish (read - easy clean up!!!).  If your roasting pan is not large enough, you can do several batches in a saute pan and transfer into a casserole dish.

Ingredients Needed:
1 club pack chicken thighs (trimmed of excess skin or fully remove skin if you like)
1 32 oz jar pepperoncinis, including juice
3-4 cups chicken stock, optional
6 cloves garlic
Salt and Pepper
Oil

Preheat oven to 350.

Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.  (You don't have to use thighs.  If you want to use legs or quarters, that would be great.  Breast is okay, but doesn't quite have the same flavor.  I would stick to the dark meat of chicken for this dish.) 

Over med-high to high heat, drizzle oil in the pan.  Place the chicken skin side down and brown, about 5-7 minutes.  Turn and repeat on the other side. 

When chicken is browned off, pour in jar of pepperoncinis.  (You can use more than 1 jar if you want).  The liquid should come about 1/2 way up the chicken.  If you want to tame the spice level of the pepperoncini, you can add chicken stock.  Put garlic in pan, scattered around the chicken.

Place pan in the oven.  After about 30 minutes, remove and turn chicken over.  Repeat every 30 minutes until the chicken has cooked for 90 minutes.  (This may seem like overkill, but the flavor imparted on the chicken is so good, that you won't want to use less time.)  The meat will literally fall off the bone.

Let rest for 5-10 minutes before eating.  Serve with a side salad or your favorite macaroni and cheese.  The creamy texture of mac-n-cheese is the perfect compliment for this lightly spicy dish.

Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

(This post brought to you by Jen)

The first thing Marc ever cooked for me was risotto with wild mushrooms, asparagus, and goat cheese.  Actually, it was for a group of young teachers in our first year of teaching.  I remember he put us to work.  I was put on risotto stirring duty.  He kept telling me, "Stir in figure 8s and don't stop."  I stirred so much and I kept a constant figure 8 pattern that I don't think I could feel my arm for days afterwards (it was a BIG POT).  It is only fitting that the first thing Marc taught me how to cook was risotto (not the one below).  I will now share my favorite side dish with you.

Hardware Needed:
2 medium size sauce pans**
1 (well loved) wooden spoon
1 ladle
9x13 casserole dish

**I use one sauce pan and one saucier.  If you don't have a saucier - you need to get one!  If you don't know what it is, Google it!!!**

Ingredients Needed:
2 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 cups butternut squash (diced into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes)
1 shallot, diced small
2 cloves garlic, diced small
2 cups arborio rice
4 (plus) cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
4 chives, diced
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Toss the butternut squash with 1 tsp. olive oil and season with salt and pepper in the casserole dish.  Roast in the oven for approximately 30 minutes until tender.  (I suggest doing this ahead of time unless you are an amazing multi-tasker in the kitchen.)  Remove from oven and set aside.  (NOTE:  I roasted a whole butternut squash and only used a small amount for this recipe.  I plan on using the rest in a soup, or eating as is - it's good either way!)

In one saucepan, over medium heat, warm the stock.  You do not want the stock to boil, just keep warm. 

(If you have never made risotto before or if you haven't yet learned it's trickiness, I suggest at this point - don't leave the kitchen or stray from the pan!!!)

In the other sauce pan (this is where I use my saucier instead), place 1 tbsp butter with 2 tsbp oil over medium high heat.  When the butter has melted, add shallot and garlic, cook until translucent - about 2-3 minutes. 

At this point, add arborio rice so that it can toast, stirring frequently about 2-3 minutes.  This is not adding color to the rice, it adds a nutty flavor that complements your finished product.  If you look at the picture below, you should be able to see there is some color variation in the grain.  Some looks white, while some looks like it has absorbed moisture.

From here, add in several ladles of stock until the rice is covered.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir, stir and don't stop stirring.  (I admit, Marc goated me into believing that it had to be figure 8s.  Hook, line and sinker.  Just stir the pot and make sure to scrape down the sides/bottom so that nothing sticks.)

When it starts looking like the liquid has been mostly absorbed (below), add a few more ladles. 

Continue this process about 25-30 minutes until desired tenderness of the rice has been reached.  Some chefs say that the perfect risotto takes 22 minutes - start to finish.  I think I am a little slower than a professional, so mine takes me about 25-27.  (The first time I ever made it completely on my own, it took me about 45 minutes!  But then again, I used a lower heat so I didn't mess anything up.)  I start tasting around the 20 minute mark for seasoning levels and doneness. 

Once it has reached its desired tenderness, gently fold in squash, chive and lemon zest.  This risotto alone can be a full meal, but I placed about 1/2 cup on my plate with some pan-seared scallops for my dinner and garnished with some more chive.

Enjoy!

Notes:

The risotto recipe above will be called my "Basic Risotto".  I chose butternut squash because it looked too good to turn down.  The Basic Risotto recipe can be modified for anyone's taste in vegetable.  You may see some recipes add a tbsp of butter at the end to "give the risotto a shine" (I don't do this)  or parmesan cheese. 

I included some variations below.  All variations get added at the completion of the Basic Risotto.

-Ham and pea (Dice ham and gently cook frozen peas in the stock.  Half of the peas get pureed in a blender with some stock and seasoning.)

-Asparagus and goat cheese (gently cook the asparagus in the stock)

-Wild mushroom and brie (saute mushrooms with thyme and garlic ahead of time)

-Broccoli cheddar (gently cook broccoli in the stock)

-Asparagus, portobello, parmesan (cook asparagus in stock, saute portobello in a small pan)

Let your imagination run wild!  Choose fresh, local vegetables that are in season!

When adding vegetables to the stock to cook, they impart some of their flavor into the stock - it completely adds another dimension to your dish!  When they are done cooking, remove from the stock and set aside in a bowl.  (This tip right here is one of my secrets - you now have wisdom as to why my food is soooooooooo good.  Keep it close to your heart!)

Please leave a comment if you have any questions or suggestions for variations!

The Cuban

(This post brought to you by Jen)

The Cuban  (sigh) a Top 5 Sandwich in our book.  It's made up of some of the most simple ingredients (some which are pantry items, some may be leftovers), yet it hits every part of your pallette for complete enjoyment.

Hardware Needed:

Aluminum Foil
Sheet Pan
Cast Iron Grill Pan (A heavy oven proof skillet will do as well.)

Ingredients:

Crusty Bread (I used a ciabata roll, cut into a 4 inch square)
Dijon Mustard
3 Slices Swiss Cheese
2-3 Slices Ham
Pork Tenderloin, sliced thin on the bias (I used some leftover from a dinner a few days ago)
Sweet Pickle Sandwich Slices

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with the sheet pan on the lower rack and the grill pan on the top rack.  These need to heat up with the oven.

Spread an even layer of mustard on both sides of the bread and one slice of cheese on each side of the bread.  From there, layer on the pork, pickles, last slice of cheese, and ham.  Close the sandwich up and wrap tightly in foil.  (I used a double layer so there was no leaking.)

Place the wrapped sandwich on the sheet pan and place the grill pan on top - I give it a little press so that it stays under the grill pan.  After 7 minutes, I flip the sandwich and let it go for another 7 minutes. 

Remove from the oven, unwrap, cut and serve.  The weight of the pan on top compresses the sandwich and helps create a nice crunch on the outside of your sandwich.

Your mouth will thank you for this sandwich. 

Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie - A "Pantry Dish"

I've been hearing from some of my friends that it's been a while since the last blog post.  I would say that May - January is quite a while!  Last night's dinner is brought to you by my wife, Jen.

Chicken Pot Pie is a traditional pantry dish, where many of the goods used come from items many people have on hand.  I've been practicing my skills for a while now, and I am perfectly happy being a  pantry cook.  Besides, I think most at-home cooks are pantry cooks anyway.

Jen's Tip #1:  I find that it is easiest to get all of your ingredients prepped before assembling because this dish comes together fast once you start cooking.  I've become very good at prepping because that's what I do for Marc when he cooks.  But at the same time, that's when I become his sous chef.

Jen's Tip #2:  I choose to not make this dish in individual crocks because there is less to clean if there is only one dish!  And how many people actually like cleaning up afterwards?  But if you are a fan of cleaning, use as many dishes as you like!

Jen's Tip #3:  When you cook, please keep seasoning and tasting in the forefront of your mind - the reason most restaurants have food that tastes so good is because they season their food and give it time for flavors to develop.  I think this is the most important thing Marc taught me about cooking - season your food!  Yes, my husband taught me how to cook and because of his teachings, I now can make Grandma's Sunday Sauce like a pro (but not as good as Grandma's - it just never is...)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Hardware Needed:

Large Skillet (I use a 15 inch Calphalon)
Casserole Dish (9 x 13 minimum)
Foil covered sheet pan (just in case of spill over)

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken sausage, casings removed (mild or hot)
2 medium onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 lb. red potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch cubes and parboiled in salted water
2 cups baby bella mushrooms, quartered
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Red pepper flake (to your desired spice level)
1/2 lb. each - frozen peas, corn, green beans
1/4-1/2 cup AP flour
4-5 cups chicken stock (homemade preferable)
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded or chopped
2 prepared pie crusts
1 egg plus 1 tbsp. water, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, brown chicken sausage over medium high heat. 

Remove to a bowl and set aside.

In the same skillet, there may be some remaining drippings.  Do not drain (it's flavor!).  If your chicken sausage was lean, you may add some oil to the pan.  Sweat the onion, garlic, celery, and carrot (seasoned with salt and pepper) over medium heat, approximately 5-7 minutes. 

Add potatoes, mushrooms, thyme, Italian seasoning and red pepper flake.  When the ingredients have warmed through, add in peas, corn and green beans.  Season again with salt and pepper.  Taste to make sure the seasoning levels are appropriate.

Once all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, dust evenly with flour.  (If you like the gravy of your pot pie a little thicker, use closer to 1/2 cup.)  Cook the flour with the vegetables approximately 3 minutes and add chicken stock.  Bring to a boil.  You may want to season with salt and pepper again.  Believe it or not, many food items don't come pre-seasoned!

Stir in chicken sausage and diced rotisserie chicken until coated in gravy.  Pour into casserole dish. 

Cover with the prepared pie crust and brush on egg wash.  Most prepared pie crusts come in round shapes, I shape mine to fit the casserole dish.  Place the casserole onto the foil covered baking sheet and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes so that the pie crust turns golden brown.

Let rest for 10 minutes so that the gravy can firm up and spoon into bowls.  For additional heat, drizzle with hot sauce.



This dish is packed with vegetables and stick to your ribs goodness that will please even the pickiest of eaters.  And guess what, if you don't like one of the vegetables, you can always substitute in another or double up on something else.

From start to finish, this dish took approximately 1 1/2 hours.  That may seem like a lot of time, but considering prepping the ingredients took about half that time (I do include browning the sausage and parboiling potatoes as prep), I really only spent about 20 minutes at the stove and 30 minutes cleaning up while the pie was in the oven (Why sit and do nothing while it's in the oven?  Clean up a little!)

This dish is packed with vegetables and stick to your ribs goodness that will please even the pickiest of eaters.  And guess what, if you don't like one of the vegetables, you can always substitute in another or double up on something else.

Trust me, you will be well rewarded taking your time on this dish!  Enjoy this hearty pantry favorite!

~Jen