Spicy Sausage Pasta

I love skillet dinners and this one is a winner. It can be a little spicy for young children - I add a little sour cream to their portions to calm the heat.

-Kevin and Amanda

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb smoked sausage

1.5 cups diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 oz penne pasta

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.

Caramel Apple Cake

This cake is definitely a new-found favorite! Everyone loved it so much it was requested in place of apple pie for Thanksgiving. I halve this recipe when using my Demarle Bundt mold.

-Taste of Home

1-1/2 cups canola oil

1-1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3-1/2 cups diced peeled apples

1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

CARAMEL ICING:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup half-and-half cream

1/4 cup butter, cubed

Dash salt

1 cup confectioners' sugar

Chopped walnuts, optional

In a large bowl, combine the oil, sugars and eggs until well blended. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture until blended. Fold in the apples, walnuts and vanilla.

Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 325° for 1-1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, cook and stir the brown sugar, cream, butter and salt until sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a small bowl; cool to room temperature. Beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth; drizzle over cake. Sprinkle with walnuts if desired. 

Soft Dinner Rolls

The best rolls ever!

-The Stay at Home Chef

2 cups warm milk

2 tablespoons instant dry yeast

¼ cup white granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

6 tablespoons salted butter, softened

2 large eggs

6 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon melted butter

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm milk, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, and eggs.

Add in 5½ cups of flour. Using a dough hook, turn the mixer on to a low speed. Once the flour starts to incorporate into the dough, increase the speed to a medium range.

Slowly add the remaining ½ cup of flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough mixture should be slightly sticky and soft. Add more or less flour until the dough reaches the desired consistency. The amount of flour you add in bread making is always an approximation and you should go by feel.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased mixing bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise 90 minutes.

Lightly grease a baking sheet. Punch down the dough and form into 24 rolls (2.3-2.4 oz each). Place on the greased baking sheet in six rows of four.

Cover and let rise 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the rolls for 12 to 14 minutes, until lightly browned.

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Remove rolls from oven and brush with melted butter. Serve the rolls warm, or to cool, let rest on the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Once cooled completely, store in a plastic bag.