Sausage and Vegetable Stir Fry

Another quick and easy dinner idea for you. This is a meal idea that my mom came up with- and one that I really like. One reason I like it is because it allows you to use any vegetables you have on hand. So I often make it when I have a bunch of vegetables that I need to use. So for those of you who have a vegetable garden, this might be a great idea for you! There isn't a real "recipe," just a list of ingredients to add to your liking.

The ingredients in it are smoked sausage; I used Hormel Beef Smoked Sausage. When making this dish for me and Luke, I use about half the sausage. Add a bunch of cut up vegetables, cooked pasta, Italian dressing, and Italian seasoning.

The first step is to slice the sausage and cook it. I cook the sausage on both sides until it starts to brown. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside. I wipe out the grease from the pan before using it saute the vegetables.

Next, start boiling some water to make pasta. I make about 3 servings of pasta when making this for us. Then cut up a bunch of fresh vegetables- how ever much you want to eat. Use whatever vegetables you like and have on hand. This time I used little tomatoes, baby carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, and red onions. In the past I have also used zucchini, cauliflower, red peppers, and white onions.

Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil and add the vegetables. Saute until tender. Add Italian seasoning and Italian dressing. (I used low fat dressing.) Add as little or as much as you want. Add the cooked pasta and sausage to the vegetables. Cook a few more minutes until everything is heated through. We always have leftovers when I make this. Somehow the dish always ends up larger then I expect. Luke often ends up bringing the leftovers to work for lunch.

I served this dish with a simple salad. Romaine lettuce, mandarin oranges, sliced strawberries, and sugared pecans. Luke used a balsamic vinaigrette for dressing. I don't use salad dressing. (I know, weird. But typically, I don't even eat salad.)

And I will leave you with a picture of my cooking assistant that evening- sitting in a Bumbo for the first time! Isn't he just the cutest?!?