Creamy Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

 

The holidays sure do look different this year! Most of you know that gathering with my family has always been a cherished time for me. That time holds memories like no other; gathered with the people who know me best and love me anyway.

I admit I may have had a tiny meltdown today. I mean, Thanksgiving was one thing, but Christmas is another thing altogether! However, I have so many things to be thankful for this season that I will not let a little distance spoil my season.

Typically, I would be running around. I would be searching for the perfect gifts. I would go a little overboard and spend way too much money. This year, I will make homemade gifts, spend more time reflecting on all of the good things in my life and the incredible things that await me in 2021, like my very first grandchild!

Today I share a new recipe that I made for Savannah while she was home during Thanksgiving. This soup is delicious and perfect for a cold night. It comes together fast, so it’s easy to put on the table after a busy day of work, shopping, or making homemade gifts.

Creamy Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Sweet Italian Sausage crumbled, cooked and drained
  • 4-5 cups Vegetable broth
  • 2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes undrained
  • 1 cube Vegetable bouillon cube
  • 2 cloves garlic grated with microplane grater
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 8-ounce cream cheese cubed
  • 18 ounces cheese tortellini
  • 3 handfuls fresh baby spinach

Instructions

  • Add browned and drained sausage to a slow cooker.
  • Add broth, tomatoes, bouillon cube, garlic, oregano, and cream cheese.
  • Cook on low, stirring occasionally, until the cream cheese has melted.
  • Add tortellini and spinach. Give it a stir and cook about 30 minutes, or until tortellini is tender and spinach has wilted.
  • Serve with garlic bread, if desired.

Italian Sausage and Cheese Tortellini Soup

Italian Sausage and Cheese Tortellini Soup

What a year 2019 has been! I know that you thought I had disappeared! I’m still here! I have wanted to post, but quite honestly, life is for living, and I have lived it this year. As I have mentioned in previous posts, our son married his soulmate, Ashley, in June, in our yard. We spend the first five months of the year working in the yard! Also, our daughter, Savannah, graduated college and moved to Atlanta to start her career. In fact, we moved Savannah and had a wedding all within two weeks.

Everything has worked out well, and I am one proud mother! However, I suppose being an empty nester is an adjustment.

I feel like I am finally settling into this new season in my life. Have you ever had one of those moments where you just sit back, take a deep breath, and know everything is okay? That is how I’m feeling right about now.

With that being said, I am going to start reposting some of my old recipes I removed from the blog back when I had decided to shut the blog down. I have had so many people contact me trying to find some of the favorites. I hope you enjoy seeing some of your old favorites again!

Thanks for sticking with me through life!

Amye

My longtime friend, Loretta, shared this fantastic Italian Sausage and Cheese Tortellini Soup with me several years ago. It’s not one of those show simmering soups for the crockpot, but it is still incredibly simple to make without spending hours in the kitchen. Serve with toasty garlic bread and a salad for a delicious meal!

Italian Sausage and Cheese Tortellini Soup
 
Author:
 
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. Italian sausage
  • 1 c. chopped onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 5 c. beef broth
  • ½ c. water
  • ½ c. red wine
  • 2 (14½-oz.) cans Italian diced tomatoes
  • 1 c. thinly diced carrots
  • ½ tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
  • 1½ c. diced zucchini
  • 3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
  • 8 to 9-oz. fresh cheese tortellini pasta
  • fresh basil
  • grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Remove casing from sausage and brown sausage. Drain and set aside.
  2. In the meantime, cut zucchini in half and scrap out seeds. Discard seeds and dice zucchini, set aside.
  3. Saute onions and garlic in same pan.
  4. Stir in beef broth, water, red wine, diced tomatoes, carrots, oregano, and tomato sauce.
  5. Add cooked sausage. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
  6. Skim any fat from top. Stir in zucchini and parsley and simmer 30 minutes.
  7. Add tortellini during the last 10 minutes.
  8. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese to serve.

 

Low-Carb Deconstructed Pizza Casserole

 

Deconstructed-Pizza

My family has been keeping me on my toes lately requesting low-carb meals. Low-carb diets can become so boring to me. I enjoy cooking, and I like to keep things exciting. Recently, I made my week’s menu using new low-carb recipes. We had a not so good Mexican dish, some soggy zucchini boats, and a chicken dish that we hope never to see again! However, I feel that it was successful because my family found three recipes that we will make again and again. This low-carb deconstructed pizza from Kayln’s Kitchen was fabulous. It’s a super easy recipe that makes me wonder why I never thought of doing this before.

I suggest that if you prefer to use a slightly larger dish, say a 9 x 13-inch, use a little more cheese than the recipe suggests. This will make your casserole gooey and delicious. Top your casserole any way you like. We had two deconstructed pizzas for my family topped differently and they were both great. Other than using a fork, and not your hands to eat, you will never miss the crust.

 

Low-Carb Deconstructed Pizza Casserole
 
Author:
 
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. Italian Sausage
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
  • 8 to 12-oz. fresh mushrooms, cut into thick slices, optional
  • ½ tsp. dried oregano
  • salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1½ c. grated Mozzarella cheese
  • Topping suggestions: Pepperoni, Green Peppers, Onions, Canadian Bacon, Pineapple, Jalapeno Peppers, Banana Peppers
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Spray a 8 x 11-inch casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
  2. Pour the diced tomatoes into a colander, rinse with cold water. Let tomatoes drain well, then spread them out on paper towels to dry completely, blotting with another paper towel, if needed.
  3. Using a skillet, brown the sausage in a little extra-virgin olive oil, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain on paper-towel lined plate.
  4. Add a little more extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet and saute the mushrooms until all the liquid is released and the mushrooms are starting to brown.
  5. Layer the cooked and drained sausage in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the dried tomatoes. Layer the mushrooms over the tomatoes and then sprinkle the ingredients with oregano, salt, and pepper.
  6. Sprinkle the cheese over the entire casserole and add topping of your choice. Bake about 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Serve hot.