Biscuits & Sausage Gravy Breakfast Casserole ala ~DKBB~

Biscuits & Sausage Gravy Breakfast Casserole ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from www.carlsbadcravings.com)

INGREDIENTS:

Sausage Gravy
½ lb. ground bulk pork sausage (maple or sage)
2 Tbsp. + ½ tsp. flour (I use Wondra)
1¾ cups milk
½ tsp. beef bouillon (I use Better Than Beef bouillon)
½ tsp. each garlic powder, dried parsley
¼ tsp. onion powder
⅛ tsp. each ground sage, salt, pepper
Smidgen each dried thyme, red pepper flakes

Eggs
3 eggs
¼ cup milk
¼ tsp. each paprika, ground mustard
Smidgen each salt, pepper

Biscuits and Cheese
1 5-count can Pillsbury Grands biscuits (if you can’t find the 5-biscuit size, use the full size and only cut up 4 or 5 biscuits, baking the rest later)
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Prep: Preheat over to 350°F; spray 8x8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
• Par-Bake Biscuits: cut each biscuit into 8 pieces; evenly space ½ the biscuits pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; bake for 8-10 minutes, then remove from oven.
• Egg Mixture: In bowl (or liquid measuring cup), whisk together all egg ingredients. Set aside.
• Make Sausage Gravy: In a medium skillet, cook and crumble the sausage over medium-high heat; once browned, reduce heat the medium, sprinkle with flour, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly; reduce heat to low and pour in the milk slowly, stirring constantly; stir in the beef bouillon and seasonings.
• Thicken Gravy: Bring to a simmer, stirring often until it thickens (8-10 minutes); taste and season with additional salt, pepper, and/or red pepper flakes as desired. Set aside.
• Assemble: Put the par-baked biscuit pieces in the bottom of the prepared baking dish and pour the egg mixture over all, then top with ½ of the cheese; evenly pour 1¼ cup of the sausage gravy over this (reserving the remainder for later); add the remaining unbaked biscuit pieces evenly spaced over the top.
• Bake: Bake uncovered at 350°F for 2-25 minutes or until eggs have set and top biscuits are golden (internal temperature should be 160°F).
• Add Remaining Gravy: The remaining gravy will likely have thickened, so stir in additional milk as needed as it reheats; remove casserole from oven and top with remaining gravy and cheese; return to oven and bake an additional 5ish minutes to melt the cheese.
• Rest: Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving; garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Chinese Braised Daikon Radish ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from www.omnivorescookbook.com)

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 green onions, chopped
1 tsp. ginger
1lb. ground meat (beef, pork, chicken, or turkey)
2 tsp. Doubanjiang, or Gojuchang, paste
2 lb. Daikon radish (sliced and quartered)
2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock or water)
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder
¼ to ½ tsp. red pepper flakes to taste
¼ tsp. fine sea salt, or to taste

• Heat a medium-size Dutch oven (or heavy-duty pot) over medium heat until hot; add oil; add green onions and ginger; cook for 1 minute to release flavor.
• Add ground meat; cook until no pink remains; add doubanjiang or gojuchang and mix in well so the meat is evenly coated, then add the radish; cook and stir to mix well.
• Add the wine, chicken stock, soy sauce, sugar, 5-spice, and pepper flakes; cook over medium high heat until it comes to a boil; reduce heat to medium low and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until radish is tender; add salt to taste.

Serve with steamed rich or by itself.

Pappardelle Pasta with Italian Sausage ala ~DKBB~

Pappardelle Pasta with Italian Sausage ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe & photo from www.spendwithpennies.com)

8.8 oz. dry pappardelle pasta

1 lb. Italian sausage
2 Tbsp. olive oil
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ Tbsp. tomato paste
1-2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 (or more) Tbsp. Italian seasoning
2 tsp. basil
1/3 cup red wine
1 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes (or you can use diced tomatoes)
½ tsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cracked pepper
1 cup pasta water (reserved)
Grated cheese of your choice (I use Parmigiano Reggiano)
Fresh basil, chiffonade

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta.
• While the water is heating, add olive oil to a large pan/skillet.
• Once the oil is hot, add the sausage and brown until it is not longer pink; break it up well as it cooks (you don’t want chunks of meat).
• Add onions and garlic to the browned sausage; sauté for 1 minute.
• Add tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes; cook for another minute and let the tomato paste caramelize.
• Deglaze the pan by adding the wine and scraping the bottom to release any brown bits; let the wine cook to half the quantity (and to where you can’t smell the alcohol any longer).
• Add tomatoes, salt, sugar, and pepper; reduce heat, cover, and let cook for 5-6 minutes.
• By now the water for the pasta should be boiling; add a little salt and the pasta; cook per pasta package instructions; when the pasta is done, drain it, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
• The tomato meat sauce should be well incorporated now, and you should see a thin layer of fat on the top; taste and add more seasonings per your taste.
• Toss the cooked pasta along ½ cup of the pasta water (add the other ½ cup only if you feel it necessary).
• Garnish with grated cheese and fresh basil, tossing well to incorporate.