Sausage + Pepper Boxed Mac + Cheese

I love this recipe because it makes boxed mac and cheese into a complete meal.

A complete meal complete with the mouth-watering flavor combination of sausage, peppers, and cheese.

You sauté up the peppers and sausage while the pasta cooks up, so there's minimal extra time involved in hacking this mac!

Then it all gets mixed together into one cheesy, porky mess.

Vegetables, protein, cheese, and carbs—not bad for something that (mostly) came out of a box!

Sausage + Pepper Boxed Mac + Cheese

servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 cups beef stock
• One 14-ounce box macaroni + cheese with liquid sauce packet
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 medium bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 link sweet Italian sausage (about 4 ounces), coarsely chopped
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

1. Add the stock to a large pot over high heat for cooking the macaroni. When the water boils, add the macaroni and cook until al dente—8 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally; drain when finished, but do not rinse, then return to the pot.
2. While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pepper, sausage, paprika, and salt and cook until the sausage is browned all over and cooked through—about 5 minutes, stirring to break it up.
3. Return the pot with the cooked pasta to a burner set at medium heat. Add the cooked peppers and sausage along with the cheese sauce packet, then stir to combine.
4. To serve, divide evenly among 4 bowls.

: @NikkiDinki

: @NikkiDinkiCooking

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Turkey Chorizo Hash with Brussels Sprout Slaw

I love creating Thanksgiving dishes that use holiday staples in brand new ways. And veggie sides have always kind of been my specialty…

But this time around, I wanted to try something with the most classic ingredient that comes to mind when you say the word “Thanksgiving”—the turkey.

Combining turkey with sausage, and adding sweet potatoes and cranberries makes one mouth-watering dish that gives you all the fixings of your Thanksgiving table in every bite!

Happy Thanksgiving! ♥

Turkey Chorizo Hash with Brussels Sprout Slaw

servings: 2 to 4; makes 2 entrée portions or 4 side dish portions

Brussels Sprouts Slaw (optional):

• 8 Brussels sprouts (about 4 ounces), shredded (about 2 cups packed)
• Juice of 1 lime
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

Turkey Chorizo Hash:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 ounces turkey breast, chopped into ½-inch pieces (about 1½ cups)
• 3 ounces chorizo sausage, chopped into ½-inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 large sweet potato (about 14 ounces), chopped into ½-inch pieces (about 2½ cups)
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
• ½ cup cranberries
• Brussels Sprout Slaw (optional)

Brussels Sprouts Slaw (optional):

1. Cut the Brussels sprouts in half lengthwise and then crosswise to create ribbons; discard the ends.
2. Mix the shredded sprouts with the lime juice, salt, and pepper, then allow the mixture to sit as long as possible—for a minimum of 10 minutes.

Turkey Chorizo Hash:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, chorizo, and 1 teaspoon of the salt, cooking until the meats are brown and cooked through—5 to 7 minutes.
2. Remove the turkey and chorizo from the pan, but do not drain the pan; set aside the meats. To the same pan, add the sweet potato, onion, garlic, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and rosemary. Cook the veggies over medium heat until the sweet potatoes and the onion are tender and browned in spots—7 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the turkey and chorizo back to the pan, then add the cranberries to the pan as well. Toss all ingredients to combine.
4. Serve the hash with the Brussels Sprout Slaw, if desired. Enjoy!

: @NikkiDinki

: @NikkiDinkiCooking

Find more recipes like this in Meat on the Side!

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