Hooray for newsprint! I, like most of the other writers and staff at The Fallon Post, am super excited about the transition in paper media–but with this shift comes a brand new deadline day for Kelli’s Kitchen and I anticipate that this is going to be a bit of a struggle.
So here I am on Monday morning, smoothie in hand, scrambling to meet a deadline that is a full four days earlier than in the past. In the long run, I am way more excited about getting to use terms like “above the fold” than I am disgruntled about having to change my writing schedule, so this is a win overall. From the narrative perspective, this shift means that I am likely to start writing more about my weekend culinary adventures. Weekends are for more complicated recipes, multi-day preparations, and ingredients that require longer cooking times like beans. So, hang on to your hats and grab your whisks.
While this weekend was chock full of amazing Fallon events and activities, I still managed to bang out some great comfort food. The weather is warming, which means that the timeline for “hearty-fare” recipes that require oven time is drawing to a close. But before salad and barbeque season is fully upon us, I have a simple yet delicious cool-weather recipe to share with you!
A few weeks ago, I was scrolling through my Twitter feed when I came upon a photo posted by my friend Erik Jimenez. During the week, Erik is the deputy state treasurer, but on nights and weekends, Erik is an adventurous home cook who is honing his skills for a potential foray into the professional culinary realm. I have watched as he has roasted bone marrow, made meatballs, dabbled in curries, and made his signature (obsession) paella. On this occasion, Erik posted a picture of a casserole dish captioned “Grown up hamburger helper with hot Italian sausage.”
Erik used to be mostly vegan, and this recipe originated from The Mississippi Vegan website. It is super simple these days to alter vegan recipes to make them meaty and to modify meaty recipes to make them vegan. Erik adapted the recipe once to incorporate fresh herbs, and I have adapted the recipe a second time for ease of preparation. So here you are:
Kelli and Erik’s Grown-Up Hamburger Helper
with Hot Italian Sausage
Inspired by The Mississippi Vegan
INGREDIENTS:
1 large onion - chopped
2 T olive oil
1 head garlic (or 8 cloves), peeled and chopped
1 lb bulk Hot Italian Sausage, or Beyond Meat sausage
1 T smoked paprika
1 ½ t chipotle chili powder
1 T onion powder
1 T garlic powder
Either 1 t dried thyme or 1 t dried oregano
Or whatever fresh herbs you have on hand (sage, oregano, thyme, basil, parsley, etc)
½ lb cavatappi pasta (corkscrews)
1 14.5 oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 7.5 oz package of shredded mixed cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
2 c water (more or less as needed)
1 bag of crispy onions (find these in the produce section)
½ c shredded parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, season with salt and pepper, and sauté stirring regularly until the onions are golden and slightly dark on the edges.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add the sausage and garlic. Break the sausage into crumbles. Cook for a few minutes to caramelize the garlic and brown the meat. Add dry spices (paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, dry herbs if using).
3. Add tomatoes and cheese. Mix well and stir until the cheese melts and melds with the tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring often. Add pasta and 2 cups of water (just enough so the pasta is covered). Mix well and cover then place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and uncover. If using fresh herbs, stir them in. Add salt and pepper to taste then top with lots of crispy onions and shredded parmesan. Return to the oven uncovered and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
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