Pasta

Breakfast Mac & Cheese

Breakfast - Brunch, Pasta

YUP. You read that right! MACARONI AND CHEESE… for breakfast. I went there. We LOVVVVVVE mac & cheese. We LOVVVVVVE brunch. So why not combine the two?! Genius, I know.

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb. of pasta (I used cavatappi shaped because I thought the spirals would be photogenic 😜)
  • 1 lb. breakfast sausage 
  • 1 sweet yellow onion, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced 
  • 4 Tbsp. butter
  • 6 Tbsp. flour
  • 4 cups WHOLE milk (the extra calories are required here)
  • 3 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese 
  • 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I used a mix of sharp and mild because that’s what I had on hand!) 
  • 4 eggs
  • 5 or 6 biscuits, crumbled (I just used the small can of the refrigerated Pillsbury ones!)
  • Salt & Pepper, to taste 

(I typed that ingredient list while on the elliptical at work because apparently I’m a masochist. Anyway…) 

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375° 
  2. Bake & crumble biscuits
  3. Bring large pot of water to boil & cook pasta al dente 
  4. In a large pan, cook & crumble sausage 
  5. Once cooked, remove from pan with slotted spoon, leaving grease in the pan, and set it aside in a bowl
  6. Add onion & red pepper to grease and cook until soft
  7. Add onion & red pepper to sausage – toss to combine
  8. Add butter to the pan & melt over medium heat
  9. Whisk in flour, cook for about 1 minute stirring constantly 
  10. Gradually whisk in milk & bring to a boil
  11. Lower heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes until sauce has thickened
  12. Turn off heat and stir in 2/3 of the cheese
  13. Stir until well melted, season with salt & pepper to taste
  14. Combine sauce, sausage, onion, red pepper & noodles and toss until well combined 
  15. Pour into buttered casserole dish or cast iron pan 
  16. In a separate bowl whisk eggs together
  17. Stir in remaining cheese and crumbled biscuits
  18. Pour this mixture over top the top
  19. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top
  20. EAT YOUR HEART OUT







I didn’t realize until after that I could’ve cooked the sausage, onion, red pepper, and cheese sauce all in the cast iron skillet I was baking it in anyway. MY BAD. Enjoy!

xoxo,

Jill

Crockpot Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Pasta

I LOVE buffalo wings. LOVE them. Bae and I had our first dinner together at Hooters for pete’s sake. AND we went there for Valentine’s Day. (I picked – I love Hooters AND wings… and fried pickles but that doesn’t have anything to do with this recipe!) If you’ve seen my ass you know I love pasta too. So this recipe combines two of my favorite things. 

Also I love a crockpot meal on the weekends, dump it in in the morning and go about my day not worrying about dinner! Enjoying the few weekends I have left with bae before he leaves for baseball season! 😪 Here, eat your feelings with me…

Ingredients 

  • 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 3 cups chicken broth 
  • 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (1/4 for now and 1/4 for later)
  • 1 Tbsp. ranch dressing mix 
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 
  • 1/4 tsp. celery salt
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/8 tsp. pepper 
  • 8 oz. cream cheese
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
  • 1 Tbsp. corn starch + 1 Tbsp. water
  • 16 oz. linguine noodles
  • Parsley & blue cheese crumbles for garnish (optional)

Directions

  1. Place chicken, broth, 1/4 cup buffalo sauce, and seasonings in crockpot 
  2. Top with cream cheese and shredded cheese
  3. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours 
  4. When chicken is fully cooked, remove to separate bowl & shred 
  5. Add remaining 1/4 cup buffalo sauce to chicken and toss to coat
  6. Set aside chicken 
  7. Whisk together corn starch & water then add to crockpot 
  8. Use a whisk & stir until cheese and cream cheese is all combined and smooth
  9. Break noodles in half and place in crockpot 
  10. Top with chicken and cover 
  11. Turn crockpot on high for 30-60 minutes until noodles are fully cooked, stir 3-4 times during cooking 
  12. If noodles are not done, you can add extra broth or water 1/4 cup at a time
  13. Garnish with parsley and blue cheese if desired 
  14. Nom nom nom 



xoxo,

Jill

One Pot Sausage Tortellini

Pasta

When I said I’ve barely made anything more than once since I started cooking for my lover… this pasta was the exception. I’ve made it over and over. It’s delicious. It’s easy. AND the cherry on top? Its preparation leaves one dirty dish! I heard dat! (we don’t have a dishwasher… 😒)

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. sausage (I’ve used regular, turkey, hot turkey, you name it! You can also use more sausage if you’d like it extra meaty 😉)
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 1 cup vegetable broth 
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced 
  • 20 oz. refrigerated tortellini (I’m all about day Buitoni)
  • 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  • Salt & Pepper 

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil over medium heat
  2. Add sausage to large skillet or pot (I used the best Christmas gift ever – my Le Creuset 5 qt. dutch oven)
  3. Cook sausage through (about 5 minutes)
  4. Remove sausage from pan and cut into bite size slices then return to the pan (I do it one at a time, then immediately put back in pot)
  5. Add the minced garlic to the sliced sausage and simmer together for about 30 seconds to 1 minute 
  6. Add the tomato sauce, vegetable broth, cream, and tortellini to the pot 
  7. Season with salt & pepper and stir to combine
  8. Cover and reduce heat to low, let simmer for about 12 minutes
  9. Try not to eat the whole pot 



Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

Pasta, Seafood

It’s been about six months since my love and I moved in together and I started cooking our dinner every night. In that time I’ve only cooked the same thing once or twice. I’m crazy. I know. I got addicted to Pinterest all over again. I began obsessing over our menu for the week, over what side dishes will go best with what main dish, and over making neurotically detailed grocery lists. Like I said, I’m a total maniac. 

I’m also insanely indecisive and couldn’t decide what recipe to post first. So I’m going with what I made last night… Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta. I hate blogs that ramble on and on with the steps in between dozens of pictures, because when I’m cooking it’s usually with my laptop or iPad right there on the counter, reading a recipe word for word, frantically scrolling to get the info I need. So here ya go:

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta (I actually like to use a little less than the whole lb. so there is a saucier noodle:sauce ratio)
  • 1.5 lbs. medium shrimp – peeled & deveined (I always buy the frozen bags and thaw out in a colander with cool water)
  • 1 Tbsp. coconut oil 
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced 
  • 3 tsp. paprika
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise (this southern girl prefers Duke’s – low fat or regular work fine, what I use just depends how tight my jeans felt that day 😉 )
  • 1/2 cup Chili Garlic Sauce (I use the one with the rooster – clear bottle, green top in the Asian food section)
  • 2 Tbsp. lime juice 
  • 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes – or more for good measure
  • Sriracha to taste – I just squirt until the sauce tastes spicy enough, or you may not want to use it at all – doesn’t matter!

Directions

  • Mix the 1/2 cup mayo, the 1/2 cup garlic chili sauce, the 2 minced garlic cloves, the 2 Tbsp. lime juice, the 1/8 tsp. (or more) crushed red pepper flakes, and however much Sriracha you prefer – all together in a bowl and set aside 
  • Cook the pasta according to package directions 
  • Toss the uncooked shrimp in a bowl with the 3 tsp. Paprika, 3 minced garlic cloves, and pepper – make sure the shrimp are evenly coated 
  • Heat the coconut oil in a medium pan over medium high heat
  • Once melted, add the uncooked shrimp
  • Stir frequently while cooking until shrimp are pink and cooked through (7-10 minutes)
  • Toss the drained pasta, the cooked shrimp, and the sauce all together
  • Immediately slurp that scrumptious shit up

Should look a little like this:



xoxo,

Jill