One Pot Dinners
To Simplify the Weeknight Routine & a Word on Purpose
Summer vacation starts next Friday and I can’t wait to sip my coffee in the morning without having to pack lunches and do hairstyles before the caffeine even begins to kick in.
I’ve been seeing all these mom memes that say “I’m sick of school and I don’t even go.” Same! So relatable.
Everyone keeps asking me what my plans are for the kids this summer and honestly we don’t have a lot. I’m going 1990’s on them and telling them to go play outside. When we do go out, I’m focusing on free activities..parks, libraries, the YMCA.
I’ll report back on my status a few weeks into Summer and let y’all know how things are going, haha!
I had coffee with my aunt this morning, which was so fun to catch up. We talked a lot about having purpose and I think it’s so important. Everyone’s purpose looks different and I always saw mine as working and getting paid. I think it’s because I was thrown into motherhood early (at age 22), but was always independent & working as a kid and throughout high school & college. I related purpose to being financially independent and having my own money.
I realize now that work doesn’t have to be your purpose. I love entrepreneurship & it really does give me purpose, but I’m also 36 years old and not financially free yet, which is a big motivator for me. A lot of my purpose is dedicated to being a mom and a wife too.
Some people, most people, work for other people’s companies and that’s great, and maybe their work isn’t their purpose. I think it’s important to lean into your interests and explore new things. I’ve tried lots of things that didn’t end up sticking, but now here I am doing something I really love. Sometimes you’ve got to look really hard & it takes time to uncover.
Also, your purpose doesn’t have do be something that impacts a million people. It could just impact you, or you and your family. Maybe you want to focus on being a good parent and raising children that will contribute to society. Maybe you like butterflies and want to learn more about them and plant butterfly bushes, then you find other people obsessed with butterflies and they become your best friends and eventually you all start a butterfly sanctuary.
I don’t care what it is, but if you’re thinking about doing something great, start it. We only live once.
End rant and back to the cooking.
This week is all about one pot dinners. I’ve been making them a lot, because they’re easy and you can pack a ton of flavor into them. I like being creative and adding what I have in the fridge, whether it’s roasted red peppers or baby spinach & sausage or chicken.
You can easily make a salad to go along with them or just serve them with French bread. Up first and this week’s YouTube video is this Kielbasa Pasta. It’s packed with flavor from the smoky Kielbasa, roasted red peppers and nutty parmesan cheese. Plus, it’s ready in 30 minutes and made all in ONE POT!
The Video
This Chicken and Chorizo Paella is another one pot favorite. It's a bit spicy depending on the chorizo you use and it’s ready in just 40 minutes. This is one of my husband’s favorites because you get the combo of meat with creamy arborio rice. So stinking good!
Check out more one pot, one skillet and one bowl recipes 👇
That’s it for this week. Lots of Memorial Day recipes coming to your inbox next Friday. Happy Cooking!
Kielbasa Pasta Recipe
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
This Kielbasa Pasta is a Cheesy One Pot meal that is ready in just 30 minutes for the best weeknight dinner. It's filled with flavor from the smoky sausage and roasted red peppers to the creamy penne pasta!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounce turkey kielbasa (or pork), packaged and fully cooked in package
1 cup yellow onion, diced small
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3 cups dry penne pasta
2 cups chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
6 ounces jarred roasted red peppers, remove some of the juice and roughly chopped into pieces
1 cup parmesan cheese from the block, finely shredded
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
How to Make:
Slice the kielbasa on an angle into 1 inch pieces.
In a large dutch oven or pot with cover oven medium heat, add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place the kielbasa slices into the pan in an even layer. Sauté for 2 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove kielbasa sausage to a plate and reduce the heat to medium low.
Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Toss in onions and salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add in a splash, about 2 tablespoons, of the chicken stock, and stir with wooden spoon scraping up the brown bits from the kielbasa. Cook for 2 minutes to soften the onions, stirring frequently. Add in the garlic.
Pour in the dried pasta, remaining chicken stock, then heavy cream. Stir well, cover and cook for 12 minutes, stirring halfway through and making sure the pasta isn't sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Toss in the kielbasa and roasted red peppers. Stir and cover for 2 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Sprinkle in the cheese and stir with wooden spoon until melted.
Top with fresh parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations:
The turkey kielbasa can be substituted with traditional pork or pork and beef Kielbasa. If there is a lot of extra grease in the pan, drain a bit before adding in the onions.
Instead of roasted red peppers, bell pepper can be diced and cooked along with the onions.
I don't recommend using chicken broth rather than chicken stock. It has less flavor.
The penne pasta can be substituted with any pasta in similar size like fusilli, rotini, etc.
Tips and Tricks:
Shred the parmesan cheese from a block for the best melt and do not use bagged cheese. Pre-packaged shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that don't allow the cheese to melt as well.
The kielbasa should read already cooked on the package and we are just searing both sides for the texture.
Make sure to stir the pasta halfway through cooking. I like to use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the dutch oven because the pasta loves to stick and wood won't scratch like metal will.
If you use pork or beef kielbasa, you may need to drain a bit of the grease out of the pot before sautéing the onion. Turkey doesn't have as much fat, so it's not necessary to drain the fat because there won't be much.
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