Tag: Italian sausage

Italian Wedding Soup Orzo

Soup is nearly my favorite thing in the world to cook. It’s incredibly flexible. It generally involves chopping a ton of vegetables, which is something that is very cathartic for me. And most of all, it reheats and serves so well. While thinking about some of my favorite soups, I got to thinking that it would be fun to turn some of them into bakes or skillets. And in this, Italian Wedding Soup Orzo was born. 

I like to “shop” our pantry and try to keep many recipes with things we have on hand. If you open our fridge, you will always see carrots and celery (part of the base in so many soups, you see a theme right?). We have a ton of ground Italian venison in our freezer and I always have orzo. I even had spinach on hand after making my spinach and blueberry salad. 

I got to work making an orzo dish that has a feel of risotto in the way the orzo is prepared. The family was definitely pleased with the way it all came together: A soup without the broth!  I hope you like it as much as we did! 

Your Ingredients for Italian Wedding Soup Orzo

  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage (we use our Italian venison)
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup bread crumbs 
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

For the orzo:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil 
  • ½ cup celery, diced
  • ½ cup onion, diced
  • ½ cup carrots, diced
  • 2 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon orzo
  • 1 ¼  cup orzo
  • 4  cups chicken stock, warmed 
  • 1 cup chopped spinach
  • 3 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

Your Steps to Italian Wedding Soup Orzo

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix Italian sausage, egg, bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese (salt and pepper, if wanted). Mix until well combined. Form into 1 inch diameter meatballs. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through. 

Meanwhile, begin to prep the orzo. Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until softened, about 5-8 minutes. Add the butter and garlic. Once the butter has melted, add the orzo and toast for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. From here, add the chicken stock in half cup increments, stirring very often. Once each ½ cup has been absorbed, add the next ½ cup, cooking about 15-18 minutes, until the orzo is al dente. (Think risotto) 

From here, add just a bit more stock and stir in the spinach, parmesan cheese, and pepper. Cook until the spinach is wilted. Plate the orzo and top with baked meatballs. 

Baked meatballs and prepped veg.
Toast the orzo.
Slowly add the stock.
And keep stirring!
Add in that spinach.
And top with meatballs!

Italian Wedding Soup Orzo

This Italian Wedding Soup Orzo has all the feels and flavors of Italian Wedding Soup without the broth to go with it.
3 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Orzo

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ cup celery diced
  • ½ cup onion diced
  • ½ cup carrots diced
  • 2 garlic clove minced
  • 1 tablespoon orzo
  • 1 ¼ cup orzo
  • 4 cups chicken stock warmed
  • 1 cup chopped spinach
  • 3 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix Italian sausage, egg, bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese (and salt and pepper, if wanted). Mix until well combined. Form into 1 inch diameter meatballs. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through.
  • Meanwhile, begin to prep the orzo. Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until softened, about 5-8 minutes.
  • Add the butter and garlic. Once the butter has melted, add the orzo and toast for 4-5 minutes, stirring often.
  • Add the chicken stock in half cup increments, stirring very often. Once each ½ cup has been absorbed, add the next ½ cup, cooking about 15-18 minutes, until the orzo is al dente. (Think risotto)
  • Add just a bit more stock and stir in the spinach, parmesan cheese, and pepper. Cook until the spinach is wilted. Plate the orzo and top with baked meatballs.
Keyword carrots, Italian meatballs, Italian sausage, Italian Wedding Soup, meatballs, orzo, orzo and meatballs, orzo dish, pasta dish, spinach
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Jess2 Comments
Kale and White Bean Sausage Soup

Kale and White Bean Sausage Soup

Gosh my friends, I love me some soup season. I do believe that I could eat soup every week without complaint, even in the heat of the summer. But this time of year? When fall is sneaking up on us and it’s sweatshirt season but the sun is still warm in the afternoon? That’s just about the perfect time of year. Around our house, it’s all the time we start thinking about clearing out our freezer because hunting season is just around the corner. Right now, our freezer is full of our Italian sausage inspired venison and we are using it in so many ways, including this awesome kale and white bean sausage soup. 

This soup was also inspired by one of my oldest friends. We don’t talk too often, but when we do, it often begins with a text about the food one of us is cooking. About a month ago, he texted me to say he loves cooking in cast iron for soup; that he often makes the soup in the morning, puts the cover on it, and lets the flavors meld together for a few hours. This time, it was a bean, roasted tomato, and artichoke soup. Well, needless to say, the pictures looked amazing!

Of course I needed it in my life

I switched it up a bit, adding the sausage and extra beans. When I described a kale and white bean sausage soup to my kiddos, they were immediately sold. I’ll be honest, I was a bit surprised they were ready for the kale as they don’t love cooked greens, but excited kids means mom has to make the soup pronto. 

When it was done, my babies ate multiple servings and I had to say that I was planning on leftovers for lunch the next day so they would stop. I hope your family loves it as much as mine did. It will definitely be a dinner one repeat at our house, I’ll tell you that! Let’s start cooking!

Your Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage (We use ground Italian venison. It’s great!)
  • 3 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 5 cups chicken stock 
  • 1 cup diced onion, about two small onions
  • 1 cup diced celery, about two ribs
  • 1 cup diced carrot
  • 1 ½ cups diced potatoes (I prefer Yukon gold) 
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups kale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Shaved Parmesan cheese, optional 

Your Steps to Kale and White Bean Sausage Soup

Begin to heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add Italian sausage and brown. (Option to add a bit of oil to the pan before you add the sausage. I find that it helps keep the sausage from sticking.) 

Meanwhile, dice the onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Additionally, drain and rinse the cannellini beans. Combine 1 ½ cans of beans and about 1 cup of chicken stock. Blend with a stick (immersion) blender. I like to do this in a wide mouth mason jar. 

Once cooked through, remove browned sausage and drain. Add the olive oil to the Dutch oven and heat over medium. Once hot, add the diced onions, celery, and carrot. Cook until soft, about 7-10 minutes, stirring periodically. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add the diced potatoes, beans, pureed beans, and remaining chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are soft. Add the kale and perhaps some shaved Parmesan as well as salt and pepper to taste. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, 

Serve with crusty bread, a salad, and additional shaved Parmesan.

All the ingredients for Kale and White Bean Sausage Soup
Simple ingredients, great soup!
Soften them up.
Vegetables cooked down for soup
Veg and bean puree!
Nearly there.
Kale and White Bean Sausage Soup
Serve it up! Delish!

Tools of the Trade

I love all things from the The Lodge Cast Iron, but most of all, I love my Dutch Oven; so much so that I actually own three of them! They are great for soups and stews as well as bread baking. They can go straight in the oven from the stove top and hold heat so well. A stick blender is awesome in this recipe as well!

Kale and White Bean Sausage Soup

This Kale and White Bean Sausage Soup is a nutritious and hearty dish that is perfect for the fall season. It is sure to warm you up on a cold day.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 6

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage
  • 3 cans cannellini beans rinsed
  • 5 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup diced onion about two small onions
  • 1 cup diced celery about two ribs
  • 1 cup diced carrot
  • 1 ½ cups diced potatoes I prefer Yukon gold
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups kale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Shaved Parmesan cheese optional

Instructions
 

  • Begin to heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add Italian sausage and brown. (Option to add a bit of oil to the pan before you add the sausage. I find that it helps keep the sausage from sticking.)
  • Meanwhile, dice the onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Additionally, drain and rinse the cannellini beans.
  • Combine 1 ½ cans of beans and about 1 cup of chicken stock. Blend with a stick (hand) blender.
  • Once cooked through, remove browned sausage and drain. Add the olive oil to the Dutch oven and heat over medium. Once hot, add the diced onions, celery, and carrot. Cook until soft, about 7-10 minutes, stirring periodically.
  • Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add the diced potatoes, beans, pureed beans, and remaining chicken stock.
  • Bring to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are soft. Add the kale and shaved Parmesan (optional) as well as salt and pepper to taste. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, until the kale is soft.
  • Serve with a salad and crusty bread.
Keyword cannellini beans, cast iron, cast iron cooking, comfort food, dairy free, fall eats, Italian sausage, Italian venison, kale, Potatoes, soup, white bean
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Stuffed Pepper Skillet

If the Mr is cooking at our house, there are likely three distinct quantities of food: protein (usually venison chops), roasted potatoes, and some form of steamed vegetable. Is it delicious? Absolutely. It just isn’t the way I cook. I love a good skillet or bake. Bring on the mixtures of flavors and more importantly, the leftovers so I don’t have to worry about making a lunch the next day. Because bakes and skillets are my jam, this simple stuffed pepper skillet was born. 

I don’t love raw peppers. I have grown to enjoy them cooked, and I know they are good for me so I try to infuse them into my dinners when I can. If you’ve been around for some time, you may have noticed that I don’t like super tedious recipes. I don’t want to make stuffed peppers in their truest form. That’s work (Ha!).  Let me make something good, filling, and full of nutrient dense ingredients that fits in a pan and I am the happiest of women. 

This stuffed pepper skillet seems to fit all the bills

It has protein from the Italian sausage (I use my Italian sausage inspired venison), starches in the rice, and it’s full of vegetables in the tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Even better? It has minimal hands-on time and once it’s time to cook the rice, you cover it and let it be. No stirring. No checking it constantly. Just get the veg cooked up and you’re almost done. 

And your family will love it (at least I hope they do!). The first time I made it, I was just using up sad ingredients from the fridge: halves of peppers and sad onions. I was trying to clear out some of the freezer before the Mr starts hunting again and we had a ton of Italian venison. As soon as my kids dug in, they said, “Of course you didn’t measure…it’s so good!” We quickly ate it three weeks in a row! On that third week, I measured so that I could share with all of you!

Ready to start creating this great, family friendly meal for the people you love too? Let’s go!

Your ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups chopped sweet pepper, any color
  • 1 ½ cups diced onion 
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage 
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes, unsalted 
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce 
  • 2 ⅔ cup low sodium chicken stock
  • 1 ½ cups brown rice 
  • 1 cup shredded cheese, your favorite kind
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional) 
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Your Steps to Stuffed Pepper Skillet

If available, cook this in an oven safe Dutch oven with a cover so that the cheese can go under the broiler. If that’s not available, any large brazier or saute pan with a cover will do. 

Over medium-high heat, add the olive oil to the pan. Once hot, add green peppers and onion. Saute for 5-10 minutes, until just softening. Then add the Italian sausage and minced garlic, cooking until the sausage is browned. From here, drain if necessary (I use a half venison/pork mixture, so I don’t need to drain any extra fat).

Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken stock, and salt and pepper (including the pepper flakes). Bring to a boil. Add the rice, stirring to combine. Return to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Allow your wonderful meal to cook for 40 minutes, covered. After 40 minutes, check the texture of the rice, cooking for an additional 5-10 minutes if necessary. 

Once the rice is fully cooked, top with shredded cheese. If you are able to put your pan in the oven, cook under the broiler at 475 for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is perfect and bubbly. 

If you are not able to put your pan in the oven, add the cheese and immediately put the cover back on. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes (and up to 20 minutes, if you are busy), to let the cheese melt. 

That’s it. It really is such a simple meal that has you doing just a few things at the beginning and then setting and forgetting it. If you are busy at night, you could totally precook the sausage, onion, and peppers and just add everything together when you get home. 

Peppers and onions first to soften them up.
Add the Italian sausage
Rice and tomatoes next!
Stir it up and top with cheese.
Broil it a bit to melt it up.
Serve! Comfort and full of flavor!

Stuffed Pepper Skillet

This Stuffed Pepper Skillet is packed with flavor and simple to prepare, even on a weeknight, thanks to its minimal hands-on time.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups chopped sweet pepper any color
  • 1 ½ cups diced onion
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes unsalted
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 2 ⅔ cup low sodium chicken stock
  • 1 ½ cups brown rice
  • 1 cup shredded cheese your favorite kind
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes optional
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • If available, cook this in an oven safe Dutch oven with a cover so that the cheese can go under the broiler. If that’s not available, any large brazier or saute pan with a cover will do.
  • Over medium-high heat, add the olive oil to the pan. Once hot, add green peppers and onion. Saute for 5-10 minutes, until just softening. Then add the Italian sausage and minced garlic, cooking until the sausage is browned. From here, drain if necessary.
  • Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken stock, and salt and pepper (including the pepper flakes). Bring to a boil. Add the rice, stirring to combine. Return to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Allow your wonderful meal to cook for 40 minutes, covered. After 40 minutes, check the texture of the rice, cooking for an additional 5-10 minutes if necessary.
  • Once the rice is fully cooked, top with shredded cheese. If you are able to put your pan in the oven, cook under the broiler at 475 for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is perfect and bubbly.
  • If you are not able to put your pan in the oven, add the cheese and immediately put the cover back on. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes (and up to 20 minutes, if you are busy), to let the cheese melt.
Keyword cherry tomatoes, green peppers, Italian sausage, Italian venison, one pot meals, peppers, stuffed peppers
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JessLeave a comment

One Pan Pepper and Italian Sausage Skillet

This one pan pepper and Italian sausage skillet has been on my mind for some time. I wanted to create something simple for families to cook that is kid friendly. I also wanted to develop some more meal inspiration for ground proteins. 

You see, at our house, our primary protein is venison. The Mr. aims to harvest three deer a year, which we process ourselves. We have the good cuts (chops and tenderloin), we pressure can stew and seasoned meat (find that here!), and then we grind the rest. Some is ground plain while some gets the Italian sausage treatment, getting mixed with some ground pork. That means about ½ of our freezer is full of ground venison in some form. The usual suspects in terms of recipes are pasta with a meat sauce, tacos, Korean inspired BBQ, Homemade Hamburger Helper, and soups and stews. 

Okay, now that I type those…it seems like we have a lot of options, but my goodness, I wanted more! I think this has a bit of a picadillo inspiration (without the olives or raisins) only because I had been looking at Cuban recipes heavily the month before and while this truly is not a picadillo, it definitely has some elements. It’s simple and full of easy to find ingredients you might just have on hand. It’s a good one.

Enough talk. Let’s get cooking and get this meal on the table in about 40 minutes!

Your Ingredients for Pepper and Italian Sausage Skillet

  • 1 pound Italian sausage (we use our Italian inspired venison) 
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 ½ cups sweet pepper, diced (about 1 large)
  • 1 cup onion, diced (about 1 medium) 
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 15 ounces diced tomatoes (I use unsalted), NOT drained
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) 
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 ½ cups chicken stock 
  • 1 cup long grain white rice (If you use brown rice, adjust the cook time) 
  • 1 – 1 ½ cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Colby, Italian blend, whatever suits you)
  • Sliced green onions (optional, as a garnish)
  • Salt to taste (I find the sausage and stock add enough and don’t add any) 

Your Steps to this One Pan Pepper and Italian Sausage Skillet

Choose a heavy cooking vessel with a cover (I love my cast iron dutch oven, but it doesn’t have to be). Brown the Italian sausage (I like to add a bit of oil to help it from sticking as it cooks). Remove from the pan and set aside. 

Heat the olive oil. Then add the diced peppers and onions. Cook, stirring often, for about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients (except cheese and green onions) and bring to a boil. 

Lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, until rice is done. If you opt for brown rice (which I have done), increase the cook time to 40-45 minutes. The hardest part is not checking the rice. Part of what cooks the rice is the steaming action that comes from keeping the cover on. It will turn out great. Just let the stove top do its thing. 

Once the rice is cooked, top with shredded cheese, remove from heat, and replace the cover until the cheese is melted. Serve with sliced green onions. 

I love a good veg photo shoot.
Cook them down and add those tomatoes.
Stir in the protein and rice.
Be patient and leave that cover on.
Perfection!

Tools of the Trade

If you’ve been here awhile, you know I live for my cast iron Dutch oven. I think it is the number one cooking vessel in my house. I also love my flexible cutting boards. It sure would be hard to live without them!

One Pan Pepper and Italian Sausage Skillet

Looking for a one pot meal that will be done in under 40 minutes? This One Pan Pepper and Italian Sausage Skillet is just the ticket!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound Italian sausage
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 ½ cups sweet pepper diced (about 1 large)
  • 1 cup onion diced (about 1 medium)
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 15 ounces diced tomatoes NOT drained
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper optional
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 ½ cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup long grain white rice
  • 1 – 1 ½ cups shredded cheese
  • Sliced green onions optional, as a garnish
  • Salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Choose a heavy cooking vessel with a cover (I love my cast iron dutch oven, but it doesn’t have to be). Brown the Italian sausage (I like to add a bit of oil to help it from sticking as it cooks). Remove from the pan and set aside.
  • Add olive oil, diced peppers and onions. Cook, stirring often, for about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients (except cheese and green onions) and bring to a boil.
  • Lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, until rice is done. If you opt for brown rice (which I have done), increase the cook time to 40-45 minutes. Leave the cover on and don’t check the rice. It will cook. Just be patient.
  • Once the rice is cooked, top with shredded cheese, remove from heat, and replace the cover until the cheese is melted. Serve with sliced green onions.
Keyword cast iron cooking, Italian sausage, one pot meals, peppers, tomatoes
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Looking for other fun recipes?

Check out my cooking page, or pick some of the great recipes below!

Jess2 Comments

Italian Chili

If you know me, you know I dig ground Italian sausage. We almost always have some on hand (frozen or in the fridge). We also make our own Italian sausage/venison blend that’s great! ⁠A while back, I had some in the fridge that needed to get used up and it was CHILLY outside. It got me wondering, “Is there such thing as Italian chili?” A quick google search got me to all the ingredients and some inspiration to throw a little something together. ⁠I remembered it as delicious and the pictures were beautiful. But…

It may be a big surprise to you, but I didn’t write it down and had only jotted what I remembered after the fact. That doesn’t make for good food blogging, so it went on the back burner. For months, I have been thinking that I needed to revisit the recipe and check the measurements, the flavors, and the like. 

That time finally came, and friends, it’s a great recipe. It needs just a bit of prep ahead of time (might I recommend browning the meat the night before if your mornings are rushed?), and 6-8 hours later, you will have a DELICIOUS Italian-inspired chili that will keep you warm any chilly day. (Or really any day, because every day is a good day for soup!) 

Before you get started, let me preface this recipe by saying that it will seem like you don’t have enough liquid initially. After cooking in the slow cooker all day, the liquid will be drawn out of the vegetables and it will be perfect.

Let’s get cooking!

Your Ingredients for Italian Chili

  • 1 ⅓ cup diced sweet bell pepper, any color (1 large)
  • 1 ⅓ cup diced onion (1 medium) 
  • 16 ounces ground Italian sausage
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil 
  • 28 ounce Italian diced tomatoes⁠
  • 1 1/2 cup tomato juice⁠
  • 1 cup diced celery⁠
  • 15 ounces kidney beans, rinsed⁠
  • 15 ounces Cannellini beans, rinsed⁠
  • 1/2-1 tablespoon chili powder⁠
  • 1 cup diced zucchini (1 small)
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic ⁠
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper ⁠
  • salt, to taste ⁠

Your Steps (So easy!)

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add onions, peppers, oregano, and basil. Cook until just softened, about 7 minutes. Add Italian sausage. Cook until browned.⁠ Drain as necessary. 

Combine the sausage mixture with the remaining ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours. Serve up with some crusty bread and top with some shaved Parmesan. Simple and great. A combination of all the things I love. Happy cooking! ~Jess

Cut your peppers like this. A great hack!
Softened onion and peppers meet sausage.
Browned and beautiful.
Get the rest of the ingredients.
Stir it up!
Perfection!
And serve!

Looking to pair this with some dessert and bread? Give these recipes a try!

Tools of the Trade

I know I share about them a lot, but gosh, I love my flexible cutting boards. I don’t even mess with anything else! And You’ve got to have a great slow cooker, bonus points if it has the timer on it.

Italian Chili

Italian flavors combine with this classic comfort food for a simple slow cooker meal that is sure to make everyone happy!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 8 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ⅓ cup diced sweet bell pepper any color (1 large)
  • 1 ⅓ cup diced onion 1 medium
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage
  • 28 ounce Italian diced tomatoes⁠
  • 1 1/2 cup tomato juice⁠
  • 1 cup diced celery⁠
  • 15 ounces kidney beans rinsed⁠
  • 15 ounces Cannellini beans rinsed⁠
  • 1/2-1 tablespoon chili powder⁠
  • 1 cup diced zucchini 1 small
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic ⁠
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper ⁠
  • salt to taste ⁠

Instructions
 

  • Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add onions, peppers, oregano, and basil.
  • Cook until just softened, about 7 minutes.
  • Add Italian sausage. Cook until browned.⁠ Drain as necessary.
  • Combine the sausage mixture with the remaining ingredients in a slow cooker.
  • Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
  • Serve up with some crusty bread and top with some shaved Parmesan.
Keyword chili, crock pot, Italian sausage, roasted vegetables, slow cooker
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

From the Garden Midwest Harvest Soup

Summer is winding down in Northern Wisconsin and that means it’s turning to my favorite season. No, not autumn. Okay, I adore autumn. But with autumn comes soup season! A large kettle of soup, a salad, and some fresh baked sourdough bread just can not be beat, and luckily I love making it all. Since the weather dipped into the lower 30’s last week, I had to put together a new soup. I talked with my lady friends, and we christened it Midwest Harvest Soup. I think it is incredibly fitting. 

Picture it: the end of garden season. You are harvesting the last of your tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini. Maybe you grew onions too. And it is also time to clean out the freezer because it is almost hunting season which means a new batch of venison to process and store in the freezer. You want to use it all up. This, my friends, is where a Midwest Harvest Soup comes into play. 

Before we begin…

Let me share that each year, we process our own venison. While doing so, we grind and combine some of it with pork butt 50/50 and mix in the seasonings that go with Italian sausage. We dig the mixture put together by Taste of Lizzy T. We freeze our version of Italian sausage in one pound packages and pull it out for all our Italian dishes; think: pasta, baked ziti, etc. It’s fantastic, adds tons of flavor, and keeps the fat down since the pork is only 50% of the mixture. You can bet that if a recipe of mine calls for Italian sausage, I am using this venison version. 

Is it cold where you’re at today? Or do you just love soup like me? Let’s get simmering up a batch of this delicious Midwest Harvest Soup to warm your bellies and your souls. 

Your Ingredients: 

  • 1 pound Italian sausage
  • ¼ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup finely diced onion
  • pepper, to taste (¼ – ½ teaspoon)
  • 2 cups chopped sweet pepper (any color) 
  • 1 cup chopped onion 
  • ½ tablespoon minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon pepper 
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil 
  • 3 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 3 cups chopped zucchini, skins on
  • ½ tablespoon dried oregano
  • ½ tablespoon dried basil 
  • 5 cups beef broth (I dig Orrington Farm’s beef base)
  • 2 cups water
  • ¾ cup orzo 

Your Steps

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with foil. Combine Italian sausage, bread crumbs, onion, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Form into 1-1 ½ inch meatballs and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. 

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add sweet peppers, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook 6-8 minutes, until the vegetables have begun to soften. Add tomatoes, zucchini, oregano and basil, cooking an additional 6-8 minutes, stirring often. Add broth and water. Stir in meatballs. Bring to a boil and add uncooked orzo. Simmer for 9-12 minutes, until orzo is cooked through. 

Of course, you should serve this Midwest Harvest soup with crusty, fresh bread and a side salad for good measure. But even if you don’t have those things on hand, a warm bowl of soup is delightful all on its own. 

Note

It will thicken over a few days, so if you are preparing this with the intent of eating it over a few days like I do, know that it will become more stew like in the coming days. If that isn’t your jam, you can always add an additional cup or two of beef broth.

Onions and peppers, oh my!
Chop some tomatoes, skins on.
Season those babies up!
Oh, those glorious vegetables, mingling together.
Meatballs complete, mess averted.
Serve it up!

Tools of the Trade

This broth base is amazing. It allows you to control the amount of sodium when you make your stock. It doesn’t get weird and clumpy like other stock bases I have used and is my go to in our home.

I ADORE my cast iron Dutch Oven from The Lodge. The enamel makes me worry less about rust and oh man, it just makes soups better.

Midwest Harvest Soup

End of the season harvests combine with orzo and Italian sausage meatballs to create this comforting and warm you soul Midwest Harvest Soup.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound Italian sausage
  • ¼ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup finely diced onion
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups chopped sweet pepper any color
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • ½ tablespoon minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 3 cups chopped zucchini skins on
  • ½ tablespoon dried oregano
  • ½ tablespoon dried basil
  • 5 cups beef broth
  • 2 cups water
  • ¾ cup orzo

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with foil or parchment paper.
  • Combine Italian sausage, bread crumbs, onion, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
  • Form into 1-1 ½ inch meatballs and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through.
  • Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add sweet peppers, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper.
  • Cook 6-8 minutes, until the vegetables have begun to soften.
  • Add tomatoes, zucchini, oregano and basil, cooking an additional 6-8 minutes, stirring often.
  • Add broth and water. Stir in meatballs. Bring to a boil and add uncooked orzo.
  • Simmer for 9-12 minutes, until orzo is cooked through.
Keyword from the garden, Italian sausage, orzo, soup, soups and stews
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

From Scratch Italian Wedding Soup

Soup. It speaks to my soul. If someone said I could only eat one type of food for the rest of my life, I would choose soup in a heartbeat. Here’s the thing: I love all the parts of the prep; the chopping, the cooking of garlic (because you need all the garlic in your life), the long slow cook on the stove in a Dutch Oven, all of it. And this Italian Wedding Soup fits all the bills.

I may not look it, but I have enough Italian in my DNA to call myself an Italian, and ALL Italian food makes my taste buds do a happy dance; so when I saw a recipe for Italian Wedding Soup, I immediately started looking at all sorts of recipes to pull my favorite parts and make it my own. I was happy with how quickly this got pulled together and everyone in our family loved it!

Ready to get cooking? Let’s get started!

Your Ingredients

  • 1 lb of Italian sausage seasoned ground venison (regular ground Italian sausage would work great!)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 4 Tablespoons bread crumbs
  • 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan
  • 2 cups finely diced carrots
  • 4 cups chopped spinach
  • minced garlic, 2-3 cloves (I like to do a cereal spoon-ful, but do to taste. I have only experienced too much garlic once in my life)
  • 11 cups chicken stock, low sodium
  • 1 cup orzo
  • salt, pepper, and basil to taste

Your steps To Italian Wedding Soup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil. Set aside.

Mix the eggs, bread crumbs, Parmesan, and ground venison together. Shape into 1 inch meatballs and place on the lined baking pan. Bake the meatballs for 10 minutes, until cooked through. (If you haven’t cook meatballs this way yet, you have to give it a try! It saves a lot of stress in terms of making sure they don’t burn in a pan as well as the yuck of clean up. I wouldn’t do it any other way now!)

Meanwhile, sauté the carrots with garlic, salt, and pepper until softened. Add chicken stock, and bring to a boil.

Once the chicken stock is boiling, add orzo and cook to al dente. Two minutes before the pasta is done, add spinach and meatballs. Season with pepper and salt to taste. Easy and delicious.

I’m loving all the uses I’m finding for this seasoned ground venison. It’s still low fat and healthy, a great alternative to Italian sausage, which we love at this house.

Measure, measure, measure
I love being able to get greens in all my meals
Baked meatballs…the way to go!
Perfection.

From Scratch Italian Wedding Soup

Looking for a simple but so delicious soup to serve? This Italian Wedding Soup has a little of everything: orzo, meatballs, carrots, and spinach. Give it a try!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb Italian sausage
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 4 tablespoons bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
  • 4 cups chopped spinach
  • 2-3 cloves minced garlic
  • 11 cups chicken stock low sodium
  • 1 cup orzo
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Basil to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Mix eggs, bread crumbs, Parmesan, and Italian sausage (venison or regular) together. Shape into 1 inch meatballs and place on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, until cooked through.
  • Meanwhile, saute the carrots with garlic, salt and pepper until softened.
  • Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add orzo and cook to al dente. Two minutes before the pasta is done, add spinach and meatballs. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Keyword Italian sausage, Italian Wedding Soup, meatballs, soup, soups and stews
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other soups and Stews?

You can check out my cooking page here, or let me just tell you a couple of my favorites!

Corn and Pancetta Chowder

JessLeave a comment