Four-cheese Italian Sausage with Garlic Basil Sauce

We had some leftover Italian sausage, so I went to the manufacturer's website for ideas on how to serve it. This was yummy.

Four-cheese Italian Sausage with Garlic Basil Sauce
From www.Johnsonville.com

• 1 pkg. Johnsonville Four-Cheese Italian Sausage Links
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth (14 oz.)
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• Hot cooked angel hair pasta.

In a skillet, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add peas. Combine the cornstarch, broth and pepper until smooth; stir into onion mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in sausage and basil. Serve over pasta.
Makes 5 servings.

Chicken with Whole Cranberries

I've made this a couple times already. Everyone's liked it who's tried it. It's good for a Sunday when you want to throw something together quick in the morning and have it be ready at the end of the day.

Chicken With Cranberries
from southernfood.about.com

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup fresh cranberries (I froze mine. Still great)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar or honey (honey for me)
• 1 cup orange juice
• 3 tbsp flour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water

Place all ingredients, except flour-water mixture, in a slow-cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, until chicken is tender. Add flour mixture in the last 15-20 minutes and cook until thickened. Taste and adjust servings.
Makes 4

Kate's Cranberry Chicken

I have a few different cranberry chicken recipes. I wanted to eat it one night but didn't have time to let whole cranberries cook down. So I found this one to use my cans of cranberry sauce that I didn't use at Thanksgiving. It was yummy!

Kate's Cranberry Chicken
from Cooks.com

• 1 whole chicken, cut up. (I used a few chicken breasts)
• 1 -15 oz. can whole or jellied cranberry sauce
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 4 tbsp. lemon juice
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter; add soy sauce, lemon juice and cranberry sauce. Pour sauce over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, basting frequently the last 1/2 hour. Excellent over noodles or rice.

Pretend Chicken Marsala

I don't usually keep marsala wine on hand, so I just substituted white grape juice instead. I love this new book...

Pretend Chicken Marsala
from Cook This, Not That! 2010, p. 272

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to uniform 1/4" thickness
• 1 cup flour
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 oz prosciutto, sliced into thin strips (I used bacon. They look the same)
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, stemmed and sliced. (don't know which I used)
• 3/4 cup Marsala wine (white grape juice)
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 chopped fresh parsley

Season the chicken with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl and add the chicken; coat evenly, shaking off any excess flour.
Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken (don't overcrowd the pan; cook in two batches if need be) 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown on the outside and cooked all the way through. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm.
Add additional oil to the pan if needed, then saute the prosciutto for 1-2 minutes, until it starts to crisp up. Add the mushrooms and continue sauteing until well browned. Stir in the Marsala/juice and broth, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. cook until the liquid has reduced to about 1/2 cup. Season with salt and pepper, add the parsley, and pour over the chicken.
Makes 4 servings.

Chicken Fingers

Justin said these qualify for "Brooke's Top Ten." I don't know what the other nine are. . .
Super Easy, super fast. And heathy! Sort of. I didn't plan ahead for this one, so I had to substitute a few things.

Chicken Fingers
from Cook This, Not That! 2010, p. 86

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken tenders
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 3 Egg whites, lightly beaten
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs (I used crushed Stovetop instead)
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp chipotle pepper puree (optional- didn't have it on hand, but I want to use it next time)
• 1 Tbsp honey

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the egg whites in a shallow bowl. Place the crumbs on a plate and season those, too. Dip the chicken tenders into the egg, then toss in the crumbs, being sure to coat fully.
Place the breaded chicken pieces on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray and bake for 10-12 minutes, (I did 15-ish with fries baking at the same time) until the crumbs have browned and the chicken is firm.
Combine the mustard, chipotle, and honey in a large bowl. toss the cooked chicken tenders in the mixture so they are all evenly coated with spicy-sweet sauce.
Makes 4 servings.