Sausage-Rice Casserole

1 lb. sausage

3 c. cooked rice

1 can mushroom soup

Italian Seasoning, to taste

Garlic Powder, to taste

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Brown sausage, crumble and drain. Combine and mix sausage, 3 cups cooked rice, and 1 can mushroom soup together. Add seasonings. Pour into casserole dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or in the microwave for 3-5 minutes. Yields: 4 servings.

Price Guessimate: $5-ish

Steph's Comments: I got this recipe out of The Three Ingredient Cookbook that my friend Margee shared with me. My kids downed this casserole! I was shocked - next time I'll double it for sure so that there can be some leftovers for my husband to take to work. This was a really yummy casserole. I used low-fat sausage and low-fat cream of mushroom soup to help make it a tad healthier. :)

Sausage Casserole

1lb. mild sausage
4 cups wide egg noodles
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can milk (measure with the cream of chicken soup can once it's empty)
salt and pepper to taste
frozen peas and/or corn (as much or as little as you want)
Shredded cheese (optional)

Boil the noodles according to the package directions. Brown the sausage while you're waiting for the water to boil and while the noodles are cooking. In a casserole dish or 9x13 pan, mix the cream of chicken soup, milk, peas/corn, salt and pepper. Drain the noodles and then add them to the dish, along with the sausage. Top with shredded cheese, if desired. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

Steph's Comments: I got this recipe from my friend Monica Bingham. And let me tell you, it was a great new casserole recipe, and one that I will be making again! I love sausage, so this was a fun way to use it, and it's a very kid-friendly recipe, and that's always nice to find! I actually used wheat-enriched elbow macaroni instead of the egg noodles because it was what I had (and my kids need all the fiber they can get, a-hem!). I also used canned corn instaed of frozen because that's what I had. Thanks for sending it my way Monica! Everyone else, keep the recipes coming! I'm sorry that I'm slow getting them posted, but it's because I want to try them first, so be patient with me!

Becky's Black Bean Soup

1/2 lb. bulk Italian Sausage (I use the low-fat Jimmy Dean)

2 cans Black Beans

1 can (14 1/2 oz.) beef broth (it works to just do water for this too)

1 can (16 oz.) tomato sauce

1 c. sliced carrots

1/2 c. chopped onion

2 bay leaves

Sour cream (opt.)

Cheese (opt.)

In 4 qt. saucepan cook sausage until brown - drain if needed. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Use a potato masher to mash carrots and beans slightly. Soup will thicken while mashing beans. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and shredded cheese if desired.

Steph's Comments: This soup is soooo yummy with or without the sour cream and cheese (although, I'm a sour cream girl, so I love it with!). It's also quite cheap considering the only meat is 1/2 lb. of sausage, so if you buy the Jimmy Dean stuff (usually $3/lb.) you're only spending $1.50 on the whole soup meat-wise. Not too shabby. I got this recipe from my mom - in fact, I get so many from my mom that this should probably be her blog! :)