There’s nothing like a house full of family and friends for the holidays. Whether you need to wake the family to a delicious breakfast or feed a hungry crowd after a busy day of

shopping, keep things simple with some tasty short cuts from Food Network Star Sandra Lee.

“The holidays are too short for from-scratch recipes,” says Sandra Lee. “You want to be with your family and friends, instead of being stuck in the kitchen.” That’s easy to do with recipes from her books, “Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Weeknight Wonders” and “Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Money Saving Slow Cooking.”

These recipes take advantage of flavorful Johnsonville sausage, so you don’t need to spend time or money getting extra spices or seasonings for your dishes.

For more recipes to make your holidays sensational and semi-homemade, visit www.johnsonville.com or www.SandraLee.com.
Sausage-Stuffed Peppers
and Cabbage
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 1 hour
Makes 6 servings
8 large cabbage leaves
1 medium red bell pepper
1 medium green bell pepper
1 package (16 ounces) Johnsonville
Italian All Natural Ground sausage
(mild variety)
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup converted rice
1 cup frozen chopped onions, thawed
1 packet (1.5 ounces) meat loaf
seasoning
1 packet (0.5 ounce) pesto sauce mix
2 eggs
1 jar (26 ounces) pasta sauce
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes
with green peppers, celery and onion
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place cabbage leaves in large bowl and cover with boiling water; set aside to wilt.

Cut red and green bell peppers into fourths through the stem ends. Remove seeds and membranes; set aside.

In large bowl, stir together sausage, ground beef, uncooked rice, onions, meat loaf season ing, pesto mix and eggs; set aside.

Spoon 1/4 cup meat mixture onto bell peppers. Place peppers in a 9 x 13-inch pan, alternating colors and leaving a space for the cabbage rolls.

Remove cabbage leaves from water and cut off the thickest part. Spoon 1/4 cup meat mix ture onto center of each leaf. Fold over sides and roll up. Place cabbage rolls between the peppers (use an additional pan if necessary).

In small bowl, stir together pasta sauce and diced tomatoes. Pour over peppers and cabbage. Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Serve hot.
Sweet Italian Meatball Pasta
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 3 to 4 hours (Low)
Makes 8 servings
For Meatballs
1/2 pound ground beef
8 ounces Johnsonville Italian
All Natural Ground sausage
(sweet variety)
1/4 cup frozen seasoning blend
1 egg
3 tablespoons Italian-style bread crumbs
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons hamburger seasoning
For Pasta and Sauce
Canola oil cooking spray
1 jar (24 ounces) Cabernet marinara
sauce
2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 pound dried gemelli pasta
Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
For meatballs, preheat broiler. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil; set aside. In large bowl, mix together ground beef, sausage, season ing blend, egg, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic and hamburger seasoning until well combined.

Shape meat mixture into 1-inch balls. Place, evenly spaced, on prepared baking sheets. Broil meatballs 4 to 6 inches from heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until browned, turning once.

For pasta and sauce, coat a 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Pour marinara sauce, beef broth, and water into slow cooker. Add meatballs and gemelli pasta; carefully stir until combined.

Cover and cook on Low heat setting for 3 to 4 hours. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (optional).

Recipes from “Sandra Lee Semi Homemade Money Sav ing Slow Cooking” by Sandra Lee.