Sheet pan Italian sausage doesn’t get any better than when it’s paired with tender gnocchi, sweet peppers, onions, and marinara sauce. Topped with fresh Mozzarella for a delicious weeknight meal.

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Not only is this meal ready in just 30 minutes but dude it’s really stinking good.

I have been meaning to replicate a similar meal I had at a local Italian restaurant, Lola & Giuseppe’s, for years – Giuseppe’s gnocchi served with marinara, sweet peppers, onion, and Italian sausage. I’m fairly certain their gnocchi were prepared separately from the topping but who wants to do more dishes? Not me.

Quite literally this entire meal is prepared in one sheet pan. You toss the gnocchi, peppers, and onions in the marinara and oregano right in the pan – no pre-boiling the gnocchi necessary I promise they cook up perfectly this way.

Then the sausage and rosemary are baked right on top. Again no pre-cooking the sausage necessary, they cooked plenty right along with everything else. And then you seal the deal with some mozzarella melted on top for the last few minutes of cooking time.

Better yet, today is National Potato Lovers Day and personally my favorite way to eat potatoes is in gnocchi form. So go ahead and spontaneously add this to your menu tonight. It would also be a great dish to throw together for company.

If you want more one pan/pot meals, you could try my bacon wrapped mustard chicken with broccoli and potatoes or cast iron lemon-rosemary chicken and potatoes, or one pot tortellini with sausage kale and peas.

All in One! One Pot or One Pan Meals

• Creamy Keto Chicken and Asparagus Skillet from Cheese Curd In Paradise
• One Pan Cheese Ravioli with Peas and Arugula from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• One Pan Ranch Chicken and Veggies from Jen Around the World
• One-Pot Sun Dried Tomato Pasta and Sausage from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Oven Poached Lemon Butter Cod from Art of Natural Living
• Oven Roasted Sausage and Beans from That Recipe
• Slow Cooker Bourbon Chicken from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Spinach and Paneer Orzo Pasta from Magical Ingredients

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SHEET PAN ITALIAN SAUSAGE WITH GNOCCHI, PEPPERS, & ONIONS

Print

Yield: 4-6 Servings Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cooking Time: 25 Minutes 25 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 lb. uncooked potato gnocchi
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1-1/2 cups marinara sauce
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 lb. uncooked Italian sausage
• 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into ½-inch cubes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray; set aside.
2. Spread gnocchi, peppers, and onions on the prepared baking sheet. Pour marinara sauce over the top, add oregano, and salt and pepper to taste; toss until evenly distributed. Spread into an even layer. Place the sausage on top along with the rosemary springs.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Remove from the oven, sprinkle mozzarella over the top, and bake until 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and serve immediately.

Source: Adapted from The Skinny Taste Cookbook and Two Peas & Their Pod.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see! Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

Reduce your food waste by saving vegetable skins and guts in your freezer and I will show you how to make vegetable broth with scraps!

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I hate food waste. I try very hard to plan meals around what needs to be used up first, freezing anything that can be frozen if needed, and finding new purposes for leftovers. But even when I am the most diligent there are still bits of waste that could be of use still.

I’m talking about all the scraps that arise from peeling and chopping vegetables for various recipes or general eating. Sure it may not seem like much, but we have not purchased our own vegetable broth (or poultry stock) in years because we make our own out of the scraps!

We do have a composter but not all food scraps should be pigeon-holed into one role, at least not at first. Instead, start a new habit to celebrate #NationalStopFoodWasteDay and save those vegetable scraps in a gallon sized zip-top freezer bag until it is stuffed full.

Things that you should save for vegetable broth include: onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, tomato, squash guts, mushroom stems, garlic skins, and herb stems (parsley, rosemary, thyme). Of course you could also make a specific flavored broth by going heavy on one component, such as a mushroom broth.

However, these should not go into your broth: stems from leafy greens, zucchini, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, potato, and beets. Basically, no starchy veggies. Save those scraps for the compost pile.

But now, how to make vegetable broth from scraps? When you are ready, all you need are bay leaves, water, and a large stock pot. Once processed, you can can the broth or freeze it until you are ready to use it. And those boiled vegetables? Now you can toss them into the composter!

National Stop Food Waste Day

• 4 ways to use leftover mashed potatoes by Frugal & Fit
• Empanada Nachos by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Broccoli and Ham Quiche by Blogghetti
• Antipasto Smothered Chicken by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• How To Make Vegetable Broth with Scraps by The Spiffy Cookie
• Buttermilk Bread by Making Miracles
• Chicken Meatball Pasta Soup by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Four years ago: Bacon and Vegetable PizzaBacon and Vegetable Pizza

Five years ago: Sourdough Pretzel Bagels

Six years ago: Avocado Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

Seven years ago: Spring Salsa

Nine years ago: Funfetti Month Recipe Round-Up

VEGETABLE BROTH WITH SCRAPS

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Yield: 4 quarts Cooking Time: 1 Hour 1 Hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

1 gallon bag of frozen vegetable scraps

• Onion
• Celery
• Carrot
• Bell pepper
• Tomato
• Squash guts
• Mushroom stems
• Garlic skins
• Herb stems (parsley, rosemary, thyme)

2 bay leaves

4 quarts (1 gallon/16 cups) of water

Directions

1. In a gallon sized zip-top freezer bag, save vegetable scraps.
2. Once full, empty into a large stock pot, plus bay leaves and water (or enough to cover).
3. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook for 1 hour.
4. Strain vegetable scraps and discard (can compost). Pour broth into jars and process for canning (or freeze until ready to use).

Notes

Vegetables NOT to use: stems from leafy greens, zucchini, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, potato, beets. You can add meat bones to make beef or poultry stock.

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Love fajitas? Imagine it served with pasta instead of rice or tortillas and you have fajita pasta salad!

Disclosure: I received complimentary Pomora olive oil to use as I pleased. All thoughts an opinions are my own.

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I am part of a cookbook club (yes it’s the best thing ever) and we recently discussed what defines a “simple” recipe. According to a poll done by one of the big name food magazines (I forget which,), people consider a recipe with 12 ingredients to be special occasion only. Which led to the question, what do you consider an ingredient? Are spices, seasonings, and cooking oil ingredients? Many would not say that basics are ingredients, but if so this recipe would have 21 and evidently would never be made by anyone.

Furthermore, I have had friends tell me they will only make recipes from my blog if they are 5 ingredients or less. While I have some short ingredient list recipes, often they are semi-homemade, using some pre-made components or boxed mixes. Not to say there is anything wrong with that. None of us have the time to cook everything from scratch, but it’s often cheaper and fresher to make your own.

As for this particular recipe, you can buy pre-made fajita seasoning and chimichurri sauce which would narrow the list to 8: seasoning, sauce, bell peppers (yes there are 4 of them), red onion, pasta, chicken, lime, and olive oil. But it’s so easy to make your own fajita seasoning from spices you already have in your arsenal (you can also make your own taco seasoning).

And if you have a blender or food processor you really should try making your own chimichurri (and pesto) because it comes together in a snap. I’ve tasted pre-made versus fresh and you will not believe how much fresher and flavorful homemade is! You may never go back and I will not apologize for converting you. Heck your taste buds will thank me.

Still not convinced and want a more traditional pasta salad? Try my Easy Italian Pasta Salad, customizable based on your preferences.

Two years ago: Cherry Rosemary Cobbler

Three years ago: Weekly Meal Plan #22

Four years ago: Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Five years ago: Almond-Poppy Seed Pound Cake with Lemon Neufchâtel

Six years ago: Birthday Cake S’mores Cookies

Seven years ago: Corn Chowder with Zucchini and Orzo

CHIMICHURRI FAJITA PASTA SALAD

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Yield: 12 Servings Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

SEASONING

• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

• 1/4 cup packed fresh Italian parsley
• 1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup olive oil (I used Pomora al peperoncino for an extra kick)
• 2-1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp salt

PASTA SALAD

• 1 each red, orange, yellow and green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil (Pomora al peperoncino again)
• 1 lb. cooked pasta
• 2 cups shredded chicken (I used a Rotisserie chicken)
• 1 lime, juiced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil and lightly coat with nonstick spray, set aside.
2. In a small bowl, stir together chili powder, sugar, salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin. Set aside
3. For the chimichurri sauce, puree all ingredients in processor. Transfer to a large bowl, cover, and let stand at room temperature.
4. In another large bowl, combine the bell peppers and onion. Add olive oil and toss to coat. Add 1/2 of the seasoning and toss until evenly distributed.
5. Spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes, rotate, and roast another 10 minutes.
6. While the peppers cook, boil pasta according to package instructions for al dente. Drain.
7. Add chicken to bowl with chimichurri, along with remaining seasoning, and lime juice, and stir to coat. Add in drained pasta and the cooked peppers and onions, and stir until evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (optional fresh cilantro garnish).

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I think I may have an obsession with chicken/sausage and bell pepper as toppings on pizza. Let me back track for a moment. I have an obsession with pizza in general (not to mention that I already posted a recipe earlier this week as a side dish to pizza). Not only is it is incredibly versatile and can be topped with pretty much whatever I have on hand, but it’s basically a nonrecipe. I have to admit, when making pizzas I rarely using measuring cups/spoons other than for the pizza dough and I have a feeling many of you don’t precisely measure when it comes to cooking.

This statement was made evident by a recent discussion I had with my friend Haley on how she executed a particular recipe. She recounted her tale about throwing in a handful of this, a sprinkle of that and oh wait I don’t remember what I put in it exactly. But thankfully for you all, I am pretty good and eyeballing amounts and make a point to write down everything as I go so that when I do post the recipe I actually can tell you how to make it! Amazing how that works.

But back to how I started this post. I’ve shared several pizzas with the aforementioned toppings already including (1) Sausage, Red Bell Pepper and Spinach Pesto, (2) Mexican, (3) Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper, (4) Asparagus, Red Pepper, and Goat Cheese, and (5) Spicy Chicken and Pepper Jack. However, today’s version is not easily confused for the others. Even the crust is slightly different!

A wonderful follower of mine, Susan, is always telling me what she thinks of the recipes of mine she has tried (particularly the pizzas) and always has great suggestions for ways she made the recipe her own. Heck one time it sounded so good that I had to make it myself and seen with the Fig, Goat cheese, and Kielbasa Sausage Pizza. One of her recent adaptations involved mesquite flour mixed into my cornmeal crust. After telling her I had never had it before, she generously sent me with some of her own homemade mesquite flour! You better believe I mixed that stuff into the dough for my next pizza night! To highlight the mesquite flavor I went with a mesquite seasoned chicken sausage and of course bell pepper ;-). Next I can’t wait to mix it into cornbread!

One year ago: Cheetos Cheeseburgers

Three years ago: Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter Sauce

MESQUITE CHICKEN SAUSAGE AND PEPPER PIZZA

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 recipe cornmeal pizza dough (I substituted 1/2 cup flour with mesquite flour), risen

1/2 cup pizza sauce (or homemade)

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella

1/4 cup shredded Pecorino Romano

1 (4 oz.) link chicken sausage, cooked and sliced

1 medium orange or yellow bell pepper, sliced

1 tsp dried oregano

Directions:

1. Place pizza stone on middle rack and allow to preheat in the oven to 450°F.
2. Roll out dough to desired size and transfer to a pizza peel (or flat baking sheet) sprinkled with cornmeal.
3. In a small bowl, combine pizza sauce and vinegar. Spread mixture evenly over the dough, top with cheeses, sausage, bell pepper, and oregano.
4. Transfer to the hot pizza stone (it’ll take a couple shakes) and bake for 15 minutes or until it the crust turns golden and the cheese starts to bubble. Allow to cool slightly before cutting and serving.

Source: Adapted slightly from Cooking Light, July 2015.

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For this month’s Secret Recipe Club I was assigned to Rebekah’s blog Making Miracles. After browsing her recipe list I found myself quickly adding recipes to my bookmarks for things such as Italian sliders, seared pork tortas, and of course oatmeal peanut butter cookies because you all know how much I cannot ignore a good peanut butter recipe. But ultimately I landed on a recipe for baked fajitas – Mexican Monday anyone!?

Fajitas are one of my favorite Mexican dishes to order and I was excited by how easily it came together, and using only one pan, making it a perfect weeknight meal. Serve it with your favorite toppings all wrapped in a soft, warm flour tortilla and your cannot go wrong. I did increased the amount of chicken and bell pepper slightly but other than that kept the recipe the same. Thanks Rebekah for the great meal!

One year ago: Single Serving Peanut Butter Krispie Chocolate Balls

Three years ago: Petri Dish Cookies

BAKED CHICKEN FAJITAS

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips

1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes w/ chilies (such as Rotel)

1 medium onion, sliced into thin strips

2 bell peppers, seeded and sliced into thin strips

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp salt

12 flour tortillas, warmed

Favorite fajita toppings

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Mix together chicken, tomatoes, peppers, and onions in the dish.
2. In a small bowl combine the oil and spices. Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and toss to coat.
3. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Drain any excess liquid and serve with warmed tortillas and enjoy!

Source: Adapted slightly from Making Miracles.
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My mini-road trip adventure continues to Ann Arbor, MI to visit my friend Stephanie who since graduating with me from UTHSC has started a post doc here at UM. She’s trying to convince me to get a job here and manged to get her boss involved! Moving to enemy territory may not be the first thing on my list (if you don’t know college football rivalries just ignore me), but what she is working on it really cool and I would not turn down a job if they found one for me. We shall see how serious they truly are.

If you haven’t started up your grill yet this season now is the time to make some homemade steak seasoning and then whip up this steak with peppers and potatoes and enjoy it on your patio because it’s finally nice out for spring/summer.

While the steak cooks on the grill, you saute the bell peppers and onions on the stove. Although next time I want to wrap up the onion, peppers, and seasonings in a foul packet to be cooked on the grill. I found myself running in and out of the house to check on the steak because I am not a grill-master and was unsure how long the steak needed to cook. Thankfully the oven and grill are not terribly far apart haha.

One year ago: Oven-Fried Avocado Tacos with Cilantro Lime Creme

Two years ago: Farfalle with Zucchini and Ricotta

GRILLED STEAK WITH PEPPERS AND POTATOES

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb. small red skinned potatoes, quartered

1-1/2 lb. favorite steak

Salt and pepper or favorite steak seasoning

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 large bell peppers, sliced

1/2 onion, sliced thin (I used a red onion)

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 Tbsp tomato paste

3 Tbsp fresh minced parsley

Juice from 1/2 a lemon

Directions:

1. Preheat the grill to medium high heat. Clean grates.
2. Place potatoes in a pot, cover with water, and add salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 8 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.
3. Season the steak with salt and pepper and rub with olive oil. Cook on the grill until desired doneness, flipping once. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm while it rests.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium high heat, cook the peppers, onion, and garlic with a tablespoon of water for 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Add another tablespoon of water to thin out the tomato paste and cook until veggies are tender but still crisp *.
5. Place veggies in a bowl with the potatoes. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
6. Slice the steak into thin strips once it has rested and serve with veggie-potato mix.

* Next time I want to try cooking the veggies on the grill, wrapped in a foil packet.

Source: Adapted slightly from Girl Carnivore.

Breakfast casserole is always a hit, but have you ever stuffed it inside mini sweet peppers? Great for your next weekend brunch.

Welcome to the second annual brunch week hosted by Terri of Love and Confections and Susan of The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen!  Join us May 5th through 10th while we celebrate the deliciousness of brunch and to prepare for Mother’s Day and summer brunching season.  We have 32 bloggers bringing you their best brunch game, from cocktails to eggs benedict to donuts, there is something for everyone this week.  Our amazing sponsors have donated some great prizes for a gigantic giveaway, please visit them all for more information.

Check out all the amazing recipes today:

Brunch Beverages:

• Blueberry Bourbon Smash from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Key Lime Pie Smoothie from Chelsea’s Messy Apron
• Spicy Mocha from Cooking in Stilettos

Brunch Eggs:

• Sausage, Pepper and Caramelized Onion Quiche from Love and Confections
• Mexican Carrot Fritters with Bacon and Eggs from Food Faith Fitness
• Breakfast Casserole Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers from The Spiffy Cookie

Brunch Main Dishes:

• Crab Imperial Peppers from The Vintage Cook

Brunch Sides:

• Roasted Pepper and Ricotta-Stuffed Peppers from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Carrot and Apple Slaw from Real Housemoms

Brunch Breads and Grains:

• Carrot Cake Muffins from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Lemon-Poppyseed Cornbread Mini Muffins from Foxes Love Lemons
• Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cherry Muffins from Chocolate Moosey
• Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast Roll-Ups from Cupcake & Kale Chips
• Raisin Craisin Cinnamon Rolls from Big Bear’s Wife
• Chipotle Peach Cheese Danish from {I Love} My Disorganized Life
• Spring Vegetable Danish from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Brunch Desserts:

• Key Lime Cheesecake with a Hazelnut Crust from It’s Yummi
• Sacher Torte from Roxana’s Home Baking

When I received the mini bell peppers from Baloian Farms it did not take long for me to figure out how to use them in a brunch recipe. Oddly enough my mind immediately went to stuffed peppers even though growing up I could not get far enough away from anything resembling stuffed peppers (or stuffed cabbage, which I still dislike). Thankfully my taste buds grew up and I decided to make a breakfasty version by stuffing the mini bell peppers with breakfast casserole.

The real challenge was deciding upon which recipe to use as my dad has a slew of different breakfast casserole recipes. I ended up picking this one which uses honey, as I thought it would bring out the sweetness of the bell peppers – and I was right. These sweet mini bell peppers are also stuffed with bacon, broccoli, onion, cheddar cheese and an herb seasoned stuffing mix. Lots of flavor in a little package.

There’s only a couple days left in #BrunchWeek so make sure you enter the giveaways featured at the end of this post, and tell me what is your favorite brunch dish! There are far too many awesome prizes for you to pass up on this opportunity. To find out more about the specific items up for grabs, click HERE.

One year ago: Strawberry Lemonade Rice Krispies Treats

Two years ago: Malted Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chip CookiesBREAKFAST CASSEROLE STUFFED MINI BELL PEPPERS

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

4 slices of bacon

1-1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped

1 small Vidalia onion, diced

4 eggs

1-1/4 cups milk

1/4 cup honey

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

4 cups seasoned stuffing mix

1-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

18 Baloian Farms mini bell peppers, sliced in half lengthwise

Directions:

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove and drain on paper towel-lined plate. Add the broccoli and onion to the bacon grease and saute for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, honey, and salt and pepper *. Gently stir in the stuffing mix, 3/4 cup cheese, crumbled bacon, and sautéed mixture. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.
4. Stuff filling into the mini bell peppers, pressing in slightly. Place on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle tops with remaining 3/4 cup cheese and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden and puffed.

* I used the OXO egg beater.

Source: Adapted from Jan Naujokas.

Terms & Conditions:
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Many more ways to enter in the Rafflecopter widget, below.

This giveaway is open to residents of the United States only, age 18 & older. The #Brunchweek 2014 giveaway runs from Monday, May 5, 2014 7:00a EDT through Saturday May 10, 2014 at 11:59p EDT. Winners will be randomly chosen and announced on May 11th. Winners will also be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to respond to the email. If a winner does not respond in that time a new winner will be chosen. For more information, see the full terms and conditions in the Rafflecopter widget.
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Disclosure: California Walnuts, Bob’s Red Mill, Oxo, Dixie Crystals, Whole Foods Market Doctor Phillips, Grimmway Farms, Woot Froot, Vidalia Onion, Baloian Farms, Stemilt and Bonne Maman are providing the prizes free of charge.  I have received product related to these brands to use for #Brunchweek. All opinions stated are my own.

If a leprechaun ordered a pizza, this is what it would look like. Green spinach crust, pesto, mozzarella, goat cheese, and four-leaf clover bell peppers.

St. Patrick’s Day is a whirlwind of corned beef, rainbows, green food, and Guinness. This recipe is no exception from that list, with a green spinach pizza crust, topped with green basil pesto, mozzarella and goat cheese, followed by green and yellow bell peppers cut to look like four-leaf clovers. I actually tried to find green cheese but decided the white was a nice contrast for the appeal factor.

Using half the spinach pizza dough, this recipe makes one medium pizza. If you want to use it all, make a larger pizza or two medium ones but make sure to double your toppings. Or you could make dinner rolls with the other half. How about cheese stuffed spinach dinner rolls?

In other news my pizza stone and peel are just big enough to make a 13-inch pizza (therefore making this one medium pizza). Although I do have a 16-inch pizza pan, I am now in the market for a 16-inch or larger pizza stone and peel. Because pizza stones rock. If you don’t already own one I strongly suggest adding it to your wishlist. Assuming you like to make homemade pizza on a regular basis.

One year ago: Kale Quiche

LEPRECHAUN PIZZA

Makes 1 medium pizza

Ingredients:

1/2 recipe Spinach Pizza Dough, risen

1/4 cup basil pesto

1 cup shredded Mozzarella

4 oz. (1/2 cup) crumbled goat cheese

1 green and 1 yellow 4-section bell peppers, sliced into rounds 1/4-inch thick

Directions:

1. Place pizza stone* on the bottom rack of the oven and allow to preheat in the oven to 400 degrees, for at least 10 minutes.
2. Roll out dough and transfer to a pizza peel* sprinkled with cornmeal. Spread pesto over the dough, and top with Mozzarella, goat cheese and bell pepper slices. Transfer to the pizza stone (it’ll take a couple light shakes to slide off the pizza peel) and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until it the crust turns golden and the cheese starts to bubble.
3. Allow to cool slightly before cutting.

* If you don’t have a pizza stone or peel, shape dough on a pan and place directly into oven after topping.

Source: The Spiffy Cookie original (Inspired by Angel’s Homestead).

I chose to make her recipe for smoked sausage with bell peppers and onion. This recipe takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and couldn’t be easier, making it a perfect weeknight meal. Caramelize the peppers and onion, then add the sausage until heated through. There is no need for a sauce and just some garlic for seasoning. The sweet bell peppers, onion and smoked sausage bring plenty of flavor and moisture all on their own.

Two years ago: Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Mozzarella and Pesto

Three years ago: Cheesy Chicken, Bacon & Avocado Quesadillas

SMOKED SAUSAGE WITH PEPPERS AND ONION

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb. package smoked sausage, cut into bite size pieces

2 bell peppers, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the onions, bell peppers, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and slightly caramelized, about 15 minutes.
2. Add the smoked sausage and garlic and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until warmed through and well blended, about 5 minutes.
3. Taste for seasonings and serve over rice or cauliflower rice.

Source: Adapted slightly from Angels Homestead.

Between avocado, mini sweet bell pepper and mango I cannot get enough. Since this meal includes two of those current obsessions, I ended up making it twice in one week. Plus it was crazy easy to make. I think that’s enough information to convince you to make this for yourself! Ii is halved from the original recipe resulting in 2 servings, but you can easily double it back for four.

HONEY-LIME CHICKEN KEBABS

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 tsp grated lime rind

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/8 tsp salt

Cooking spray

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1/2 Tbsp honey

4 mini sweet bell peppers

1 sliced peeled mangoes

Chili powder (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler to high. Line broiler pan with foil and coat with nonstick spray, set aside.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients; toss to coat. Thread chicken onto 2 (12-inch) skewers. Place kebabs on a broiler pan along with mini bell peppers; broil 4 minutes on each side or until done.
3. While the chicken cooks, combine juice and honey in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Arrange kebabs, peppers and mango slices on a platter; drizzle with honey mixture, and sprinkle with chili powder, if desired.

Source: Halved from Cooking Light, June 2013.