Grilled Calzones

My husband went to college in Iowa City (go Hawks...?).  It's a lovely little city with a lot of really wonderful food places. My personal favorite is a place called Sam's. Their calzones are A-mazing. Truly. I find myself craving them at random. In fact, if someone would bring one to my house right now, they would be my favorite person ever. Unfortunately, Iowa City is over 4 hrs away by car and we only get down there once every year or two. So when we go, we have to make it count. And the rest of the time, we try to replicate their calzones.

This was our latest attempt (using our brand new pizza stone!). While they were delicious, they still didn't capture the magic of Sam's. My husband is convinced it's all about the sauce and we just haven't found the right sauce recipe yet. I'm willing to entertain this argument...

Grilled Calzones
Makes 2

Here's what I did...

Get some fresh pizza dough and divide it in half. Roll each half out pretty thin. Put one half on a lightly-oiled pizza stone. Put down on half of the crust a layer of shredded cheese, a layer of pepperoni, a small layer of cheese, some browned Italian sausage crumbles, another small layer of cheese, more pepperoni, and then more cheese. Fold in half and then crimp up the edges.

Bring the other half over to the pizza stone and repeat.

Brush some oil on the top of both.

Put on a warm grill and cook until the dough is clearly cooked. You may want to flip it a couple times during cooking to ensure that both the top and bottom are cooked and the cheese inside is evenly melted.

Cut the calzones into strips and serve with marinara.

Pizza Burgers

As I mentioned in my last post, my life has changed a lot lately. My work schedule has been a bit crazy and I've been keeping some odd hours. It sort of feels like I've been living in bizzaro-world. The check-out guy at the grocery store recently told my husband and myself to have a good evening. I was so confused... then I realized it was almost 3 pm. I'd been awake for two hours, at most. Luckily, this isn't going to last a whole lot longer.

I recently had about a half of a loaf of some really delicious focaccia bread to use up. Conveniently, I came across a pizza burger recipe that used focaccia instead of regular buns. It sounded interesting to me, and my husband is always up for things involving pizza. Or burgers. I didn't follow the recipe closely but I don't think I'd change a thing about what I did.

This was really good. I don't think focaccia is necessary, but if you have it, I think it added a little something.

Pizza Burgers
Inspired by Rachael Ray
Makes 2 burgers
Cook & Prep Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 jar spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce
1-2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 lb ground beef
1/4 lb Italian sausage
15-20 slices pepperoni, cut into small pieces
1/2 small onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
~1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (I'm guessing - I eyeballed it)
1-2 leaves basil, chiffonade (optional)
mozzarella cheese
focaccia bread, cut into two burger-sized pieces.

DIRECTIONS
In a small pot, heat up the spaghetti sauce.

Heat up a couple of TBSP oil in a medium pan over medium heat.  Also pre-heat the broiler.

In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, Italian sausage, pepperoni, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and basil. Form into two patties. Add to the pan and cook for about 5-7 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

Transfer the burgers to a cookie sheet and top with spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese. Put under the broiler for a few minutes, until the cheese gets bubbly.

While the burgers are under the broiler, toast the focaccia buns for a couple of minutes (I did this in my toaster oven).

Put the burgers on the toasted buns and enjoy!

Gizmos

This year, I was clued in to a sandwich at the MN state fair called the Gizmo. It's basically a sloppy joe type sandwich with Italian sausage and ground beef, topped with melted cheese. Local chef and Travel Channel TV host Andrew Zimmern claims it's the best thing at the fair. While I really enjoyed it, I'm not completely sure I agree. I'm really more of a roasted corn and pronto pup type of girl. But, I liked it enough to try to re-create an even better version at home.

Surprisingly, I found several recipes online, which I tweaked to my tastes, and ended up with one very delicious sandwich.


Gizmo Sandwich
From the MN State Fair
Serves 4
Prep Time - 10 minutes
Cook Time - 15-20 min

INGREDIENTS
1 TBSP or so Olive Oil
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb Italian sausage (I used turkey sausage)
1 small onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
2-3 cloves garlic
2-ish cups marinara sauce
hoagie buns
Italian cheese (I used mozzarella)

DIRECTIONS
Brown the ground beef and Italian sausage over medium heat in a big saute pan. Season with salt & pepper, to taste. When the meat is about 1/2 done, make a little well in the middle and add the onion, garlic, and green pepper. Cook until the meat is no longer pink and the veggies are soft. This should be about 10 minutes or so.

Drain any excess fat and bring back to the pan and add the marinara sauce. I'd do about 2 cups, but feel free to add more or less depending on how saucy you want it.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. If yours has a high and a low setting, set it to low.

Split your hoagie buns in half, but not all the way through, so that the buns stand up on their sides. Fill with the meat/sauce filling and top with cheese.

Put under the broiler for about 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Baked Ziti

I love baked ziti. In my opinion, it's basically the epitome of comfort food. I also love mascarpone cheese. So, as I was sitting at home watching the rain turn into snow and the wind steadily get stronger, I was inspired to make a baked ziti with mascarpone.

I think I struck gold with this one - it was absolutely delicious and I would make it again in a heartbeat - though, I probably would make a smaller batch because I ended up with enough food to feed an army. It's smooth and creamy, and the flavors combine wonderfully. In fact, we liked it so much that I have decided to submit it to this week's Presto Pasta Nights, sponsored by Ruth at Once Upon a Feast, and hosted this week by one of my favorite blogs, Ben at What's Cooking.

I hope you enjoy it!


Baked Ziti with Mascarpone Cheese
Serves 8-ish
Prep Time - 5-10 min
Cook Time - 40 min

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ziti pasta
1 (26 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1/4 lb ground beef
1/4 lb Italian sausage
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz mascarpone cheese
1 cup sour cream
1-2 cups Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Meanwhile, brown ground beef & Italian sausage with onion & garlic. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Add marinara sauce to the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes. Thin the sauce just a tad with about 1/8 cup water or chicken stock. Season the sauce with garlic & herbs, to taste.

In a large bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, sour cream, and cooked pasta.

Layer the pasta, sauce and cheese in a large greased casserole dish as follows:

• 1/2 pasta
• 1/2 sauce
• 1/2 cheese
• remaining pasta
• remaining sauce
• remaining cheese

Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and top with Parmesan cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Pasta e Fagioli

I love a good, hot bowl of soup on a cold day. I bet you do, too. Recently, I had a craving for a nice, hot bowl of pasta e fagioli. If you are also a soup fan, you really should make this one. I think it's technically supposed to be a vegetarian dish, even though most of the recipes I came across called for pancetta or Italian sausage - so, vegetarians, knock yourself out. :)



Pasta e Fagioli
Recipe by Rachael Ray, adapted
Serves 6
Prep Time - 10 min
Cook Time - 20 min

INGREDIENTS
2 TBSP olive oil
1/4 lb Hot Italian Sausage
2 (4 to 6-inch) sprigs rosemary, left intact
1 (4 to 6-inch) sprig thyme with several sprigs on it, left intact
2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
4 large cloves garlic, minced
Coarse salt and pepper
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1 cup water
4-5 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups small pasta (I used elbows)
Grated Parmesn cheese, to top

DIRECTIONS
Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add oil and sausage. Once the sausage is almost cooked through, and add herb stems, bay leaf, chopped vegetables, and garlic. Season vegetables with salt and pepper.

Add beans, tomato sauce, water, and stock to pot and raise heat to high. Bring soup to a rapid boil and add pasta.**

Reduce heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente. Rosemary and thyme leaves will separate from stems as soup cooks.

Remove herb stems and bay leaf from soup and remove pot from the heat. Let sit for a few minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and top with lots of grated cheese.

**If you will be eating this for leftovers, I suggest cooking the noodles in a separate pot and adding them to your individual soup bowls instead of cooking them in the pot. When reheated, the noodles will get way over-cooked and mushy.

Spicy Sausage with Peppers

It's been awhile since I came across a recipe that both my husband and I really loved. Sure, there were recipes we both liked, but nothing recently had wow-ed us. Until I made spicy sausage with peppers.

I went back & forth over whether I should post this recipe. I didn't take a picture, and I like to post pictures of whatever dish I'm blogging about. Finally, my husband convinced me that I should, simply because we enjoyed it so much.

I hope you try it, even without being able to see a picture of it. You'll love it.


Spicy Sausage with Peppers

Inspired by Giada de Laurentiis and Rachael Ray
Serves 3-4
Prep Time - 10 min
Cook Time - about 30 min

INGREDIENTS
4 Hot Italian Sausages
3 TBSP olive oil
1/3 cup chicken broth
3 bell peppers, seeded & sliced (I used red, orange, and yellow)
1 large onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
crushed red peper flakes, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp dried oregano
6 chopped fresh basil leaves
toasted buns*

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on both sides, 8-10 minutes. Add chicken broth to the pan to deglaze and cook for about a minute. Remove sausages from the pan and set aside.

Add the onions, peppers, garlic, salt, & pepper, and cook until onions begin to soften, about 6 minutes.

Return the sausages back to the pan and add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, and red pepper. Reduce heat to low or medium low and cook for about 10 minutes.

Serve sausages with peppers and tomato sauce on toasted buns.

*If you're not a fan of making these into subs, I'm sure this would be delicious over pasta.

Potato & Sausage Soup

It's freezing here in Minnesota. That means it's time to whip out the soup recipes.

I've had this one in my "to-make" folder for quite some time. I used an Olive Garden copycat as a base and modified it to my liking. Anyway, it's delicious. You should make it. You'll love it.


Potato & Sausage Soup
Serves 4-5

INGREDIENTS
4 spicy Italian sausage links
3/4 cup diced onions (about 1 medium onion)
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP chicken stock
1 Quart water
2-3 Russett potatoes, cut into small-ish chunks
2 cups kale, chopped
1/2 cup cream
salt & pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Bake the sausage for about 25 minutes, or until done. Cut in half lengthwise, and then into 1/2 inch slices.

Melt butter and olive oil in a stock pot and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for about another minute. Add chicken stock, water, and potatoes and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Add sausage, kale, and cream. Simmer about 5 minutes. Season with salt & lots of pepper. Serve with some nice, crusty bread.

Dirty Risotto

At work yesterday, I was thinking about making either Chicken Marsala or an Italian-style Paella for dinner. Then, I got home and remembered I had Italian sausage and pancetta in the fridge and a brand new box of arborio rice in the cupboard that was just dying to be used. So, with input from my husband, I decided to try my hand at Giada's Dirty Risotto.

I've never made risotto before. Well, I've never made it intentionally, that is. That time I sort of accidentally turned basmati rice into risotto doesn't exactly count. Coincidentally, I've also never made or even eaten dirty rice.

This recipe was really easy. I found it a little annoying to need to stand over the stove and stir constantly for about 25 minutes, but that was only a small issue. We both really liked this dish and I will definitely make it again, though probably on a less hot day, or when/if we finally get central air.


Dirty Risotto
Recipe by Giada de Laurentiis, adapted
Serves 4-6
Total Cook & Prep Time - about an hour

INGREDIENTS
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 TBSP butter
2 ounces pancetta, chopped
6 oz Italian turkey sausage
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper (I used a mix of red & green)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 TBSP chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep warm over low heat. I'm not sure this was necessary, as I started with room-temperature broth.

In a large heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sausage and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the onion and bell pepper and saute until tender, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the rice and stir to coat.

Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute.

Add 1/2 cup of simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes.

Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 25 to 30 minutes total. Remove from the heat.

Stir in 3/4 of the Parmesan. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the parsley and remaining Parmesan and serve immediately.

Stuffed Peppers

I recently discovered a liking of green peppers. I'm actually not sure if I always liked them and then finally bothered to try them in a burrito at Chipotle one day or if my taste buds changed. Call me crazy... Either way, I like them.

So, how do you make green peppers unhealthy? You stuff them. I'd been wanting to make stuffed peppers basically since discovering I liked them. All the recipes I found online looked fine, but not exactly my style. Then, one day I was watching Ingrid Hoffman's Simply Delicioso and she made stuffed tomatoes that looked more to my liking. So, using her guidance, I came up with this recipe for stuffed peppers. They were delicious and I'd highly recommend them. You should try them. Beware - they're very filling.




Stuffed Peppers
Loosely based on Ingrid Hoffman's Tango Tomatoes
Serves 3-4
Prep Time - 15 min
Cook Time - 20 min

INGREDIENTS
3-4 green bell peppers
8 oz spicy Italian sausage
1 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion, diced fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 ribs celery, diced fine
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & finely chopped
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 TBSP flat leaf parsley, chopped
salt & freshly ground pepper
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Chop all vegetables and set aside. Cut the tops off of the green peppers and remove the seeds and ribs. Set aside.

In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and brown. When almost browned, add the onion and garlic and saute about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the celery, jalapeno, parsley, and tomatoes. Saute for about 5 minutes, again stirring frequently. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Remove skillet from heat and add the Monterey Jack cheese. Stir until cheese melts.

Spoon the mixture into each pepper, pressing down with each scoop (this is to ensure the pepper keeps its shape while baking). Place onto a cooking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Top each pepper with Parmesan cheese and bake about 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Enjoy!

Some Notes
*Next time, I'll probably use a chicken or turkey sausage. Even with draining, the pork sausage produced a little too much excess grease. Also, I think chicken or turkey would give a milder flavor, which would better compliment the pepper. The pork sausage was a little over-powering.

**I'm now interested in turning these into vegetarian stuffed peppers. I'm thinking subbing some rice or orzo instead of the sausage. I can even see using quinoa, if you're into that. I'm not, so I'd probably choose rice.

(Non) Eggplant Timbale

I saw Giada make this on Everyday Italian probably about a month ago, and even though I don't like eggplant, I wanted to make it. Well, I wanted to make the filling, that is. It looked like everything I'd want to make on a rainy Friday night. Well, my plan was foiled a bit when I stepped out of my office at 6 p.m. to find blue skies and sunshine instead of the heavy wind and torrential downpour going on when I walked by a window an hour earlier. I decided to make it anyway. I liked it, but I would make some changes the next time I make it. Those will be noted at the bottom. I hope you enjoy it!

Penne Timbale

Recipe by Giada de Laurentiis, originally Eggplant Timbale
Serves 4-6
Cook & Prep Time - about 1 hr

INGREDIENTS
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound penne pasta
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 pound ground beef
1/3 pound Italian sausage
1/4 cup Marsala wine
1 cup frozen peas, thawed (I omitted)
2 cups store-bought marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups diced mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus 1/4 cup
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the beef and pork, and brown the meat, breaking it into bite-sized pieces with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Add the Marsala and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the peas and marinara sauce and stir to combine. Add the cheeses, basil, and cooked pasta. Set aside.

Fill a casserole dish with the pasta mixture and bake the timbale about 30 minutes. Let rest on the counter for 5 minutes to set.

* I think I would add ricotta or mascarpone cheese next time. The flavor was good, but it was missing a certain creaminess. I think mixing ricotta or mascarpone cheese with mozzarella would create that needed texture

** This needs a chunkier tomato sauce. I used a smooth marinara and found it to be a bit lacking.

***I'm not sure what the ground beef added, except to dull down the Italian sausage spice. I think I'd try it with just Italian sausage.

Rigatoni with Italian Sausage

If you haven't figured it out yet, we love Italian food. Really love it. I personally think it's one of the best cuisines available. I think I could eat spaghetti with marinara sauce pretty much every day, and my husband thinks the same about pizza. I made up this recipe after looking at a bunch of recipes on CookingLight and FoodNetwork and playing around with them. The end result was great. I loved the combination of spicy Italian sausage with tomatoes and cheese. It worked a lot better than ground beef does. I even think I'm going to submit this over to Ruth for Presto Pasta Nights. I hope you enjoy it, too.

My husband thought the casserole dish looked cool. And because it's just that good, here's another photo of it.

Rigatoni with Italian Sausage

INGREDIENTS
2/3 lb Rigatoni Noodles
1/3 lb bulk hot Italian sausage
½ medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp tomato paste
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 can petite diced tomatoes (I recommend Muir Glen Organic)
2 cubes Trader Joe’s frozen fresh basil (about 1 ½ TBSP fresh chopped)
~1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
¼ cup shredded Asiago Cheese
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.

Cook pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Brown sausage in medium skillet. When about halfway done, add onions and garlic and finish cooking. When sausage is browned, add tomato paste, salt, & pepper. Add tomatoes and basil and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

In a large bowl, combine sausage mixture with pasta. Toss to coat. Place half the mixture in a large casserole dish. Top with half the Mozzarella cheese, half the Asiago, and half the Parmesan. Repeat.

Bake for approximately 25 min or until the cheese is bubbly.

*I recommend serving this with garlic bread and a side salad. Have you figured out yet how much I like garlic bread?

I'm back... with Ziti

I've been on blogging hiatus lately. Beating Bowser in Super Mario Galaxy for Nintendo Wii became a priority over the past couple weeks. Fortunately for me (and my cooking skills), we've successfully collected all 120 stars, beaten Bowser twice, and unlocked Luigi to make him playable.

A few days ago, I made a really great baked ziti, and I thought I'd share it with you all. It's a Robin Miller recipe. I'm torn on her. I really like her concept, but most recipes I've tried have just been so-so. This one was great, though. It got a big thumbs up from both of us. This recipe is HUGE, though, so I highly suggest making a 1/2 batch, unless you have a family of 20 or so.

Photo from www.foodnetwork.com

Baked Ziti with Sweet Turkey Sausage
Recipe by Robin Miller
Serves 8-12
Total Cook Time - 1 hr

1 pound ziti noodles
1 pound sweet turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with seasonings (garlic and oregano)
2 teaspoons dried thyme (I omitted both Thyme & Rosemary in favor of Italian Seasoning)
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
(I also added some minced garlic)
1 (15-ounce) container regular or part-skim ricotta cheese
4 cups grated part-skim mozzarella cheese, reserve 1 cup, for topping (I also added a handful of a shredded cheese blend).
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, cook sausage in a hot skillet over medium heat until golden brown on all sides. Add tomatoes, thyme and rosemary and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and garlic powder and mix well. Spoon 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish. Top with half of the cooked ziti. Top with half of the cheese mixture. Top with 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Repeat layers (remaining ziti and remaining cheese mixture). Top with remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese over top. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes, until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Mac & Cheese, with a twist

I know I've said before that I really like Rachael Ray's concept of the "30-Minute Meal," but usually don't like her actual recipes. I found this one a while back and thought it looked interesting. My husband picked it out for dinner on Friday. We both thought it was great.


Italian Mac & Cheese
Recipe by Rachael Ray (my changes noted)
Prep Time - 10 minutes, Cook Time - 20 minutes

1 pound ziti rigate, penne rigate or cavatappi (I used shells - It was what we had on hand)
1 pound Italian bulk sweet sausage (I used hot)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (I omitted)
1 tablespoon butter
3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped
12 crimini mushrooms, sliced (I omitted)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 (10-ounce) sack, 2 1/2 cups, shredded Italian 4 cheese blend, available on dairy aisle
1 can diced tomatoes, drained well
1 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco), optional
1/2 cup Parmesan, a couple of handfuls

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water and cook pasta to a chewy al dente, about 8 minutes.

In a nonstick skillet, brown and crumble the sausage. Drain cooked crumbles on paper towel lined plate. Return pan to heat and add extra-virgin olive oil, butter, garlic and mushrooms. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Saute 3 to 5 minutes, until mushrooms are lightly golden. (Because I omitted the mushrooms, I added the garlic to the sausage about 1/2 way through the browning).

Preheat broiler to high.

To mushrooms, add flour and stir, cooking 2 minutes. Whisk in stock, then stir in cream. (Since I omitted the mushrooms, I added the stock first and whisked in the flour, then added the cream). Bring cream to a bubble, then stir in 2 cups of 4 cheese blend. When cheese has melted into sauce, add tomatoes. When sauce comes to a bubble, remove from heat and adjust seasonings, adding hot sauce if desired.

Combine cheese sauce with sausage and pasta, transfer to baking dish, casserole or oven safe serving platter. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of 4 cheese blend and the grated Parmesan over the top and brown under hot broiler. (This only took about 2 minutes)