We have a new Fresh Market here.
For Christmas morning, I served, spinach and feta stuffed sausage, santa fe sausage, and apple and raisin stuffed sausage, of which I bought large link of each.
They were sweet Italian sausage. Really tasty.
Maybe this can give you an idea. Sure you can some up with something like the above when you removed them from the casings.

Ruthanna, here are two recipes, we enjoy them both (they're very similar)! They're not too different from each other, and of course you could adjust them to your family's taste. I don't remember where I got them from - I do remember that I found these recipes when I was on vacation in Florida in March a couple of years ago and looking for one pot meals

CAPELLINI WITH SAUSAGE AND SPINACH
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 10-13 minutes

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
1 large onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 - 14 oz. cans chicken broth
1/4 cup water
8 oz. capellini or vermicelli pasta, broken in half
20 oz. bag fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup heavy cream

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat, add sausage and cook 3-4 minutes, turning as it browns. Add onions and garlic and cook 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned. Add broth and water to pot, cover and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add spinach and pepper and cook, stirring spinach into pasta and sauce, 2-3 minutes, until pasta is al dente and spinach is wilted. Stir in cream and serve immediately. 4-6 servings

ONE POT SAUSAGE AND PASTA

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb Italian turkey sausage, removed from casings
1 onion, sliced
2 zucchini, chunked
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons oregano
3 cups water
2-1/2 cups Rotelle pasta
3 cups spinach
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

In large pot, brown sausage and onion in oil, add zucchini, garlic and oregano. Cook 5 minutes and remove to a bowl. In same pot, boil water and cook pasta 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add sausage and vegetables. Heat until warm throughout and add spinach and tomato, stir together, cover for a few minutes until spinach is wilted.

Ruthanna, This is my favourite pasta sauce.

Home Cookin 4.9 Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Sausage And Rosemary Sauce
==========================
4 to 6 Italian Sausage,
hot or sweet, or combination
Olive oil

2 shallots

3 ounces of Mortadella
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon dried or fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon dried basil

2 to 4 cans tomatoes (depending on number of sausages)
. Par boil sausage for 2 to 4 minutes.

Mince Mortedella and shallots in food processor.

Heat in oil in large pot and add mortadella and shallots.

Remove casings from sausage and mince in processor and add to pot. Cook
until meat starts to brown on the bottom. Add the rosemary and basil and
the wine. Simmer until wine has evaporated. Puree tomatoes but leave some
texture and add to pot. Simmer for at least 1 hour. Remove any fat that
surfaces.

Serve over fusilli or Conchiglioni (shell) shaped pasta, to pick up the
little bits of sausage.

Options:

I have made this without the Mortadella and it works.

When I don't have good Italian Sausage I make this same dish using ground
pork.

Saute the pork and season with the shallots, couple of cloves of garlic, hot
red pepper flakes, grind some fennel(optional) with the rosemary and basil,
and then follow the above directions. (Tastes almost identical)

Servings: 6

Remove from casing-crumble & fry with lots of sliced onion & green pepper strips -when well browned melt some shredded cheese on top like you would a cheeseburger-serve a scoop in toasted roll.

How could I ? This is sooooo good
Diane's Home Cookin 4.8 Chapter: Soups

Sausage Tortellini Soup -- Posted by Woodie
=================================
1 Pound sweet Italian sausage meat, crumbled
1 Cup chopped onion
3 Cloves garlic, minced
5 Cups beef broth
1/2 Cup water
1/2 Cup red wine
1 Can diced tomatoes with their juice
1 Cup sliced carrots
1/4 Cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 Teaspoon dried oregano
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 Cups zucchini, sliced or diced
8 Ounces tortellini pasta
. Brown sausage in 5 quart soup pot. Remove sausage and drain, reserving 1
tablespoon of the drippings. Saute onions and garlic in drippings. Stir in
beef broth, water, wine, tomatoes, basil, oregano, tomato sauce, and
sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 40 minutes.

Stir in zucchini and carrots. Simmer covered for 10 minutes. Add tortellini
and simmer for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of each
serving.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE PIE

1 lb grated Monterey Jack
1/2 cup mayonnaise
9" pastry shell, baked & cooled
1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage, cooked & crumbled
1 large ripe tomato, peeled & thinly sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Combine Monterey Jack & mayo. Place half of mixture in the bottom of the cooled pastry shell. Layer sausage, remaining cheese mixture & tomato slices in pastry shell. Sprinkle w/salt, pepper, basil, oregano & Parmesan. Bake in a preheated 375 oven for 25 minutes.~~

I would think this would be good with all sweet sausage:
ITALIAN KNIFE & FORK sOUP (serves 8)
8 oz sweet Italian sausage, sliced
8 oz hot Italian sausage, sliced
1/4 cup water
2 TBL olive oil
4 potatoes, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, cut in strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp rosemary
4 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup water
Salt & pepper to taste
Garnish: Minced green onion, grated Parmesan, croutons

Combine the sausage & 1/4 cup water in a saucepan. Simmer, covered for 4 minutes; drain.
Brown the sausage in the saucepan. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Discard the drippings; wipe the saucepan with a paper towel.
Heat the olive oil in the saucepan until hot. Saute the potatoes, red & green pepper, onion, garlic, oregano & rosemary in the hot oil for 5 minutes. Stir in the stock, tomato paste, 1/4 cup water & sausage.
Cook, covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season w/salt & pepper. Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish as desired.~~

Here's an easy recipe that we like:

SAUSAGE AND POTATO BAKE
Source:teriskitchen.com
SERVES 4

This is very good, quick and easy.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 pound Italian link sausage, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
* 4 medium potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
* 1 large onion, coarsely chopped (about 1/2-inch pieces)
* 1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped (about 1/2-inch pieces)
* 2 tsp dried oregano
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400° F. Combine all ingredients in baking pan sprayed with olive oil, adding just enough olive oil to the mixture to coat slightly. Cover tightly and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Notes: Whole or halved mushrooms are also good in this recipe. Any fresh link sausage can be used. If you like, smoked sausage may be substituted for the fresh. Serve with a green salad.

------------------------------------------------------------
and one that I want to try

BRAISED ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS WITH POLENTA
Source:teriskitchen.com
SERVES 4

This is classic and so good. The link to my Garlic and Parmesan Polenta is included in the ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

* 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
* 1 pound Italian sausage links, cut into 2 to 3-inch pieces (use mild, hot or a mixture of both)
* 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
* 4 large cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
* 2 large green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 1/2 cup dry red wine
* 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) whole tomatoes, crushed with fingers, with juices
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Polenta with Garlic and Parmesan

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the sausage and sauté until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove sausage from pan and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan. Add the other 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onions and sauté until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and fennel; sauté another minute. Return heat to high; add the wine and cook about 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes and peppers; season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium, partially cover, and cook until the peppers are tender and the liquid has reduced, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, make the polenta according to the recipe. To serve, spoon some polenta on individual serving plates and top with the sausage and peppers. (Leftovers reheat well, separately, in the microwave.)

POLENTA WITH GARLIC AND PARMESAN

SERVES 4

This is the perfect side-dish to some entrees. The seasonings can be altered many ways to enhance the main dish it accompanies.

INGREDIENTS

* 3 tablespoons butter (preferably unsalted)
* 4 large cloves garlic, minced
* 2-1/4 cups water
* 1 can (14.5 ounces) low-salt chicken broth
* 1 cup yellow cornmeal
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, or 1 tablespoon dried
* 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until softened, about 1 minute; do not brown. Add water, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal, being certain to break up any lumps that might form. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring often, until thick and creamy, adding more water if too thick, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and Parmesan cheese. Taste for seasoning. Serve immediately with sauce from entree.

Cindy

ITALIAN EGG BAKE (serves 10)
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
1 tsp butter
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
12 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
8 oz mozzarella
2 medium tomatoes, peeled & chopped

Preheat oven to 400°. Peel casing from sausage & cut into bite-sized pieces. In a medium skillet, saute sausage over medium-high heat until crumbly. Drain & set aside.
Wipe skillet clean, then melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion & mushrooms & cook until tender.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper & seasoned salt. Stir in mozzarella & tomatoes. Add sausage, onions & mushrooms. Pour egg mixture into a greased 13x9" baking pan. Bake 30-40 minutes.~~NOTE: May be prepared the night before, refrigerated & baked before serving.

Thanks, these all sound good and will get me out of my sausage rut. We ended up making woodie's pasta with spinach because I had all the ingredients on hand and it was delicious. Thanks again.

I like Italian sausage just cooked up with sliced onions, some garlic and sliced bell peppers. It's easy and very good. Make sure you don't burn the garlic though. Add it the last few minutes of cooking.

For future reference, (since you already used your sausage) my sil gave me a recipe fo sausage bread that is simple and wonderful.

You use:

a can of french bread dough
sausage
mozzarella cheese
garlic & oregano
minced onion & parsely
salt & pepper

Crumble and cook sausage, drain then mix all, spread on the rolled out dough, roll up and bake. Really tasty with roasted red peppers on top of it.

Ruthanna,
This is from one of my NY cookbooks only I don't remember which one; I have it written down in my favorite recipes book:
Chicken Delicious
1 cut up skinned chicken
1# Italian sausage`, sliced
6 med potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic salt or minced garlic
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3c light olive oil
Spray casserole dish. Place potatoes and chicken in casserole dish. Scatter sausage pieces over all. Combine all remaining ingredients and pour over all. Cover and bake 1 hr at 375°, then uncovered for 30 minutes more or till tests done.
Serves 4-6.
RL`

This place has great Italian sausage and they ship it nationwide! They also have other delicious Italian foods- especially if you're from the East Coast. It's a taste of home.

Enjoy!

When I have sweet sausage here, it is always put into lasagna, into spaghetti sauce, or on a pizza. But, above that Tortellini Sausage Soup looks like a winner to me!

Ruthanna, I have made this and it is tasty.......and easy too:
Posted by: Mustangs (My Page) on Wed, Mar 16, 05 at 13:59

I make this frequently but really don't have a specific recipe, I wing it:
Lemon Sausage

6 Italian sausage links

2 large lemons-juice only

2 tsp chopped garlic

1/2 cup EVOO

1/2 stick butter

1/2 cup white wine
Broil or roast sausage links on 400 degrees. While sausage is cooking, add other ingredients to sauté pan and simmer. When sausages are pink, take out of oven and diagonally cut into 1 inch pieces. Add sausage to pan continue simmering until sauce thickens.

I serve this quick dish as the main course for dinner but they can be used as appetizers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Roselin, you reminded me of this recipe from "Opkikid", its terrific!

Angie (Opkikid's) Sausage and Wilted Greens and Pasta

1 pound sausage, sliced
1 pound spaghetti
12 cups greens
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Salt and Pepper
Parmesan Cheese

Brown sausage and cook and drain pasta. Put greens in a large bowl and put the hot pasta and sausage on top and remaining ingredients and toss and serve with Parmesan cheese.

I like this knock-off of Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana soup:

OLIVE GARDEN ZUPPA TOSCANA

1 lb. Italian Sausage
2 large Russet Baking Potatoes sliced in half, then in 1/4-inch slices
1 large Onion, chopped
1/2 can Oscar Meyer Real Bacon Bits (less fatty than real bacon)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Kale or Swiss chard, chopped
2 cans (14 oz. each) Chicken Broth
1 qt. Water
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

Cook sausage in a 300° F. oven. Bake approximately 1/2 hour, drain on paper towels and cut into slices.

Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic in pot, and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done. Add sausage, bacon, salt, and pepper to taste, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn to low heat, add kale and cream. Heat through and serve.

Here's another one that we like:

POIVRONS FARCIS

(A Different Stuffed Pepper)

1-1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
1-1/2 cups coarsely grated zucchini (about 1 large)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1 tsp. ground black pepper
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
4 red bell peppers (each about 4 to 6 ounces), halved lengthwise and seeded

Preheat oven to 350° F. Mix first 9 ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Fill pepper halves with sausage mixture, dividing equally and mounding slightly. Arrange in 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.
Bake peppers uncovered until tops are browned and thermometer inserted into filling registers 165°F., about 1 hour.

Pat, thanks for the stuffed pepper recipe. It definitely looks like something my family will enjoy and I look forward to trying it out.

I'm guessing that you need the large size pan for the fat to cook out of the sausage - am I right?

Well, actually, no. You're slicing 4 peppers lengthwise, so you've got 8 pieces to stuff. That'll take up the entire 13 x 9 pan.

Pat, thanks! I didn't really read the recipe through (duh) but hopefully, I would have before I actually made the dish!

I have always made stuffed peppers by stuffing the whole pepper with just the top cut off, so I didn't notice the exact directions. Thanks - I look forward to trying this recipe.

Woodie, what kind of greens did you use for that pasta dish?