Comfort Food: Smoked Sausage and Egg Noodles

Easy to Prepare, Delicious to Eat

If you're looking for a delicious and comforting meal that's both easy to prepare and satisfying, this smoked sausage and egg noodle dish with creamy spinach sauce is the perfect choice. Using convenient ingredients like frozen chopped spinach and pre-cooked smoked sausage, this recipe cuts down on prep time without sacrificing flavor. With a rich, creamy sauce infused with garlic, basil, and a touch of sweet-hot mustard, this dish is sure to become a family favorite. Follow along as we guide you through each step to create this hearty and flavorful meal.

Ingredients:

14 oz package smoked sausage

1 pound package egg noodles

1/2 cup chopped white onion

1 package frozen chopped spinach

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons white cooking wine 

2 tablespoon dried basil

2 tablespoon minced garlic

3-5 tablespoons sweet-hot mustard 

Tools:

Heavy bottomed skillet

Stock pot

Colanders

Knife

Cutting board

Spatula

Tongs

Measuring cups and spoons

In this recipe, we cheated and used pre-washed, frozen produce - so we'll spare you the ever present 'wash your produce!' routine this time. Just this once.

Flip the bag of frozen spinach into the microwave and zap it according to package directions.

Fill a stock pot with plenty of water and put it on the stove to heat up to boiling.

While it heats, cut your smoked sausage up however you prefer it. We did mostly big pieces but also a few thin rounds (the ends and the deepest part of the curve in the rope sausage didn't look like much chunked, and so became slices instead).

If you have to dice an onion, 1. we're very sorry for the onion tears, and 2. now is the ideal time to do so. Sensitive eyes here, so we do recommend sticking the onion in the freezer for a little while beforehand, or just using pre-diced frozen onion.

That spinach should be about done on its trip through the microwave. Allow it to cool enough to handle, then tear the bag open and dump it into a colander to let the excess moisture drain out.

Heat your skillet, dry, over medium heat. After it's had a chance to warm up, add your sausage and try to get a nice sear going. The sausage will render out some fat to facilitate this sear. Use tongs or a spatula to flip as needed. Try not to overcook! The sausage comes already cooked, and heating it too long will dry it out.

When the sausage has a nice layer of searing, remove it from the pan and put it back on the cutting board or into a bowl. Don't kill the heat under the pan - just drop in your butter and let it bubble up. Drag a flexible spatula across the bottom of the pan to scrape up the good stuff left by the sausage.

Between the leftover fat from the sausage and the heat of the pan, the butter at the edges of the pan should brown right up. Add your diced onion into the butter and allow it to fry for about two minutes.

The pot of water should be boiling now, so go ahead and throw the egg noodles in. Set your timer and cook them according to package directions.

Add the white wine to the onions and let everything cook a minute more for the wine to reduce before adding the basil and garlic. We pushed the onion to one side to show the garlic and dumped the basil on top of the onion for contrast, but that was just a photo choice and totally not a necessary step. 

Add in your heavy whipping cream and your chicken broth and stir to combine. The mustard, even if you only use a little of it, needs plenty of heat to blend properly with the rest of the sauce, so don't add it right away. Because the cream is likely still quite cold, it's more effective to let this come back up to a simmer before adding the mustard. Again, stir plenty to make sure no one gets all mustard in their bite. Unless your family really, really likes mustard - in which case, do what makes you happy.

The egg noodles are likely about done cooking, so drain them in a second colander and pour them back into the pot. Placing a lid or a plate on top of the pot will keep them warm until it's time to serve them.

Ordinarily we would add the spinach to the sauce around this point, but picky eaters were present. To avoid the dinner drama, the spinach ended up on the side. If you'd like to add the spinach to the sauce, we recommend pressing it well in the colander first. Spinach, especially frozen, chopped spinach, holds onto a lot of water, and it lends the sauce a funky green tint if you skip the pressing step.

When the sauce is well combined, add the sausage back in and turn it a few times to ensure it's coated in sauce. Serve over the egg noodles.

Thank you for joining us in making this delightful smoked sausage and egg noodle recipe. We love how it combines ease and flavor, making it perfect for busy families and cozy dinners alike. As always, feel free to customize it to suit your taste buds and family's preferences. We believe that the best meals are those shared with loved ones, and we hope this dish adds a touch of joy and warmth to your gatherings. And remember, if your kitchen appliances need a little TLC to keep your culinary adventures running smoothly, don't hesitate to call Appliance Rescue Service. Happy eating, and remember—every great meal starts with a little love and a lot of heart!

Take Care Of Your Appliances Today

Call Us: (214) 599-0055

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Hearty Chicken and Broccoli Bake for Chilly Nights

A Family-Friendly Recipe for Quiet Evenings

Sometimes, the best meals come from a little improvisation. This chicken and broccoli bake, reminiscent of a heartier chicken and dumpling soup, is designed for those unexpected chilly nights when grilling just isn’t feasible. With a creamy sauce, tender chicken, and a topping of bubbly cheese, this dish is both comforting and delicious. It's a great way to use up ingredients you already have on hand while creating a satisfying meal the whole family will love. Join us as we transform a few simple ingredients into a cozy, fork-friendly dinner perfect for any night of the week.

Ingredients:

3 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless

1/4 cup shredded carrots

12 oz bag frozen broccoli cuts

1 can cream of chicken soup

+/- 1 1/2 cups milk

1/3 cup shredded cheese

1 can crescent rolls

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

salt and black pepper, to taste

olive oil

Tools:

Large lidded skillet

baking dish

spoon

knife

cutting board

grater (if not using pre-shredded carrots and cheese)

measuring cups and spoons

plate

tongs

In short: this is basically chicken and dumpling soup, but heartier, and designed to be eaten with a fork. It makes a better cold weather meal than warm, but sometimes there's just no getting around the weather outside to fire up the grill, and some changes must be made.

We intended to make some grilled chicken, but the wind was high, we were under an "extreme fire danger" red flag warning, and it was unseasonably cold with little warning anyway. So we chose to pivot, use up some odds and ends from the fridge, and save some of that chicken we'd defrosted for another day.

If you're not starting with ready to eat produce, please give it a quick wash before you really get rolling.

In the event you're using fresh produce that needs prep work, prep it before the chicken. Even though we intend to cook it all, this simple rule of thumb for preventing cross-contamination is a good one to follow constantly. 

Once you have your veggies ready, cut the chicken thighs into one inch chunks. Heat a little olive oil in the skillet and add the chicken. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder and stir to coat. Cook covered for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the chicken is done.

Pop the can of crescent rolls and lay out the triangles on a plate while you wait for the chicken to cook through, then preheat the oven to 375.

Once the chicken is done, hold it in place with the tongs and drain off the excess oil (or put it through a colander if you're more comfortable with that; we just find it easier to wash tongs than a colander). Add the condensed soup and the milk to the pan and stir. Use less milk if you want the sauce/filling to be thicker. The condensed soup is gloopy and will just kind of squish around the pan until it gets warm enough to melt, so be aware you'll likely be stirring for a minute or two.

After the soup and milk have combined and the only chunks left are the chicken pieces, add the shredded carrots and mix them in. Allow everything to simmer uncovered for two minutes before cutting the heat.

Grease the inside of the baking dish you'll be using and grab a triangle of dough. Lay the triangle into the pan with the base in the pan and the pointed top poking out. Using a spoon, transfer a scoop of the chicken soup mixture to the base of the triangle. Roll the triangle so that you have the chicken in the middle and the point ends up near or at the bottom, held in place by the weight of the dough and filling.

Repeat with the rest of the dough, leaving a little space between each roll so that they'll have some room to expand while they bake.

Dump the broccoli on top and sort of spread it out so each part of the pan dhas some florets, then pour the remaining soup in the pan over the top of everything as a sauce.

Cover it lightly in a layer of cheese before baking for 20 minutes. If you'd like the cheese to develop the bubbly, crispy-edged texture, turn the heat up for the last five minutes of the cooking time (this works much better with cheese you've shredded at home than with the pre-shredded stuff covered in anti-caking agents).

Serve with a salad for extra veggie points!

We hope you enjoy this comforting chicken and broccoli bake, perfect for those unexpected cold nights when grilling isn't an option. With its creamy sauce and savory flavors, it’s sure to become a favorite in your household. Remember, cooking is all about creativity and making the most of what you have. If you ever find your kitchen appliances in need of some TLC, don't hesitate to call Appliance Rescue Service. They're here to ensure your culinary adventures continue smoothly. Happy cooking, and enjoy every warm and delicious bite with your loved ones!

Take Care Of Your Appliances Today

Call Us: (214) 599-0055

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Kid-Approved Dinner Idea: Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Strips

Minimal Effort, Maximum Flavor: Your Go-To Chicken Recipe

Some days you need to feed the picky eaters some chicken in order to avoid an uprising, but can't fire up the oven thanks to the heat. This was our solution.

Ingredients:

three large chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

2 cups pretzel sticks

1 large egg

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup stone ground mustard

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon parsley

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

black pepper to taste

spray cooking oil

Tools:

knife

cutting board

measuring cups and spoons

spoon

tongs

shallow dishes for mixing and dredging

aluminum foil

plastic bag and rolling pin or food processor (for pretzels)

Pour pretzel sticks into the food processor and pulse a few times until you have coarse chunks. If you're not using a food processor, instead put the pretzel sticks into a sealed plastic bag and hit or flatten with a rolling pin (or similar) until thoroughly smashed. If using the plastic bag approach, be sure to keep an eye out for pokey bits of pretzel putting holes in the bag and leaking crumbs everywhere, as the mess potential is high. Once the pretzels are crushed, toss them into a shallow dish and set the dish aside.

Take the thawed boneless, skinless chicken breast and cut it into roughly three inch long by inch wide strips. Just kind of pile them on the cutting board, since you'll be grabbing them one by one for dredging shortly. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly before moving on to the next step.

Measure your mustard, honey, garlic powder, thyme, parsley, parmesan cheese, and pepper into a shallow dish. Crack an egg into this mixture and stir well to combine. We used stone ground mustard because we received some as part of a gift and the container was sitting untouched two months later. We also ran a little shy on the mustard mix (most likely because we started with nearly four pounds of chicken) and ended up making a second batch with spicy brown mustard and a dash of garlic hot sauce for the adults. We digress like this to say, in short, that you're welcome to use whatever mustard you have lying around. It'll work. Just mind your audience. We doubt the kiddos would have been happy with spicy chicken, but we sure were!

Once you have all three stages - chicken, mustard mixture, and pretzels - ready to go, lay out a sheet of aluminum foil and spritz it lightly with cooking oil. Grab a piece of the chicken with tongs, dredge it through the mustard mixture, flip it over, and dredge again to make sure you've coated all sides, then move it to the pretzel crumbs and roll it around until it's covered. Again using the tongs, remove the chicken from the pretzel crumbs and set on the foil.

Repeat until your foil sheet is half full. At this point, lift up the edges and pull the foil mostly closed over the chicken. Be sure to leave some room for moisture to vent. Get another foil sheet, spray it with oil, and fill it up with chicken the same way. Repeat these steps until you run out of chicken.

Put your foil packets of chicken onto a heated grill - we set our digital smoker to 425 degrees - and cook until the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of at least 165 degrees. This took us about 25 minutes. Remove the packets carefully because the foil sometimes tears. A pizza peel is an ideal tool for this task if you have one, but in the likely event you don't, using a spatula or set of tongs ato nudge the foil packet off the grate and onto a baking sheet is also a perfectly serviceable solution.

In just a few steps and less than an hour you’ve got dinner on the table that’s sure to please even the pickiest eaters. You can stash this meal in your recipe list for times when you need something fast or if you’re just not feeling up to doing a lot of cooking. Fire up the grill, grab your ingredients and get ready to enjoy a fantastic meal that’s sure to please. Enjoy! 

In the event that you’re turning to your gril because your stove isn’t working, rather than needing to keep the oven off, we’re here to help. Just give our offices a call and we’ll work with you to  figure out a date and time that works for your schedule. At Appliance Rescue Service our goal is to get your home running smoothly again, without all of the hassle that a broken appliance causes. 

Website 

Call (214) 599-0055

From Dessert to Breakfast Bliss: Lemon Cake French Toast Delight

Easy Steps to Turn Leftover Cake into Breakfast Bliss

Have you ever bought or made a cake for an event or even just because you could, expecting it to disappear... then realized later that basically all of the cake was still there? Maybe you didn't have the turnout you expected. Maybe your family just wasn't terribly interested in the cake. It doesn't much matter why, but somehow you have a whole cake sitting there that you aren't about to scarf on your own.

That's us this week. We got a lemon cake from the grocery store, cut it up, and that was about as far as it got. So now we have 97% of a lemon cake and we...  Well, we don't like lemon cake enough for that silliness. 

Time to get inventive! Thus, lemon cake French toast with blueberries.

Full disclosure: we used a two-day-old cake for this, not a fresh one, and it is assuredly store-bought. It's significantly sweeter and softer than the average homemade cake. It did not do the drying around the edges thing that a homemade loaf or bundt does when cut. If you work with homemade, the best way to get the same texture we did is to work with it fresh and not let it soak up too much of the custard.

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1/4 cup milk

Pinch salt

Salted butter

Lemon cake

2 cups frozen blueberries 

1/4 cup water 

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Tools:

Mixing bowl

Spatula

Spoon, knife, fork

Measuring cups and spoons

Heavy bottomed skillet 

Saucepan with lid 

Because the blueberries take longer, we strongly recommend starting with them. Measure your blueberries into a saucepan, then add the tablespoon of lemon juice, teaspoon of vanilla extract and the water.

If you find blueberries to be a bit sour, you can add a little sugar, but we like them just as they are and omit the extra sweetener. Set the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, set a timer for 15 minutes and basically forget about it for a bit.

In a shallow mixing bowl, whisk together your eggs and milk and add a tiny little pinch of salt. You can add a little more milk or use a little less, depending on your preferences - everyone does French toast a little differently in our experience. We don't recommend sugar, cinnamon or vanilla be added here as is common in most French toast recipes. The cake is already super, super sweet.

Melt some salted butter in a skillet over low heat - definitely do not sub unsalted butter, as the result will be all sweet with very little to balance it.

Dredge, flip, and dredge again the slices of cake through the custard, then add to the hot butter. Avoid allowing cake slices to sit in the custard, as they'll get soggy and fall apart.

Also try not to overcrowd the pan, as the slices will take longer to cook and be harder to flip. We fit five small slices into our skillet with enough room for flipping, but obviously your mileage may vary here. Maybe you have a giant cast iron skillet and can fit a whole cake in there. If you do, great - and also, where did you get it? We would like to have one too.

Cover the pan and let the cake cook for two to three minutes, then uncover, flip with a spatula (you may also need an assist from some tongs, depending on how soft your cake slices are), cover and repeat the "cook for two to three minutes" part. We like our French toast nice and toasty but not quite all the way to "scorched." Please adjust your cook time accordingly if you disagree.

Remove the finished slices from the pan and set them aside on a plate covered with another plate to keep some of the heat. If you have a crowd waiting, and said crowd is less interested in the blueberries that aren't done yet, you can just hand them off to hungry kiddos holding out plates as they leave the pan. Somehow, every variation of French toast seems to draw this crowd, so chances are pretty high you do have someone peeking around you trying to get the first piece.

Once the second wave of slices is in the skillet, grab a clean spoon so you can stir your blueberries. After giving them a quick stir, leave them uncovered for their remaining cook time. The goal is to have the liquid reduce some.

For the second wave of lemon cake French toast, we sprinkled some poppy seeds onto the slices as the first side cooked, then flipped and allowed the heat to sear them into place. This is totally optional, but hey, if you like lemon poppy seed muffins, why not give it a shot?

Once the blueberries are done, assuming there are still any slices of French toast left for the cook, make yourself a plate with a couple pieces and drown them in blueberry sauce.

Add some syrup if you're so inclined, but we'd definitely avoid any powdered sugar. Kids are thrilled; moms see the sugar content of this recipe and weep. Cake as a meal is kind of a rarity for a reason.

As you savor each sweet bite of this lemon cake French toast, you'll marvel at how a simple leftover can be transformed into a breakfast masterpiece. Whether you're enjoying it with family on a lazy Sunday morning or impressing guests at a brunch gathering, this recipe is sure to be a hit. So next time you find yourself with leftover cake, don't throw your hands up—embrace the opportunity to create something special. With a dash of creativity and a sprinkle of culinary magic, you can turn any ordinary day into a delicious adventure. 

If you’re struggling with any of your kitchen appliances while making this sweet treat, don’t wait on calling Appliance Rescue Service. We’ll work with you to get your home running smoothly again. 

Website

Call: (214) 599-0055

Energizing Tuna and Turmeric Rice Balls: Perfect for Busy Days

Prepare Ahead, Enjoy Later: A Convenient Meal Option

This recipe is a great option for those who are always on-the-go and looking for a protein-packed lunch to stay energized throughout the day. Although it may require some effort and create a bit of a mess while preparing, the end result is definitely worth it. With its delicious taste and wholesome ingredients, this recipe is perfect for busy spring and summer days when you need a quick and healthy meal that will keep you fueled and satisfied.

Ingredients:

2 cups sticky rice

2 3/4 cups water

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon turmeric

pinch salt and black pepper

2 cans tuna in water, drained

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

3/4 teaspoon ground thyme

1 tablespoon parmesan cheese

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

spray olive oil

Tools:

Measuring cups and spoons 

Small pan with lid

Fine sieve or colander

Assorted dishes for shaping and dredging 

Plastic wrap

Ice cream scoop

Spoons

Fork

Can opener

Baking sheet

Aluminum foil

Start with the rice. Give it a quick rinse in the colander and transfer it to the pan. Measure in your turmeric, vinegar and water, and add a little salt and pepper to taste. Don't overdo it, as you'll muffle and mute the turmeric taste.

Cover the pan and bring the water up to a simmer. Let the rice simmer for five minutes or so, then turn off the heat. Set a timer for 25 minutes. Don't uncover the rice or remove the pan from the burner; keep the lid tight and the pan in place.

Find a little task to do to eat up a couple minutes. Maybe wash that colander from earlier, or go move a load of laundry or something. Collect all the things you'll need later in the recipe if you haven't done so already.

Once the timer is down to about five minutes left, preheat your oven to 425 and turn your attention to the fish.

Open the two tuna cans and drain out the water. Dump the tuna into a mixing bowl and add the olive oil, then stir with a fork to break up the big pieces and get everything evenly coated. Measure in your paprika, thyme, garlic and parmesan cheese and stir until incorporated.

Tear off a seven-or-so inch piece of plastic wrap and use it to line a small bowl. We're targeting something just the right size for a scoop of ice cream, but if you have to go a little bigger, that's fine too - just make sure you have enough plastic wrap that the sides of the bowl will help you hold it.

Once the rice has absorbed all the water, you can remove the lid and give it a stir. It should be tacky enough to stick to the spoon you stir with.

Using the ice cream scoop, take up a level scoop of rice and plop it into the center of the plastic wrap in the small bowl. Take a clean spoon and press down in the center of your scoop of rice, creating a hollow and smoothing some of the rice up the sides of the bowl. 

Grab a forkful of your tuna mixture and put it in the hollow. Don't overfill it. You want there to be plenty of rice up the sides of the bowl to cover the tuna - but if there's not, you can add a little bit from the pot to cover up the top.

Grab the edges of the plastic wrap, bring them toward the middle of the bowl, and twist gently to pull the rice ball closed. Let any excess air out, and then continue twisting until the rice is densely packed around the tuna. 

Un-twist the plastic gently, and drop the rice ball into a bowl of breadcrumbs. Roll it around a little to coat it, then transfer it to a foil lined baking sheet.

Repeat until you're out of rice. You should have 10-12 rice balls when you're done. You'll see nine pictured, but that's mostly due to space constraints - we worked with the toaster oven since it was an 80-degree afternoon, and only nine fit comfortably on the half-size pan.

Spray lightly with the olive oil spray, and bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned. We served ours with a little Tabasco sweet & spicy hot sauce.

This recipe is perfect for those busy weeks when you don't have time to cook every day. You can make a big batch and use it for lunches throughout the week, or even freeze it for later. Just remember to take it out the night before, and you'll have a delicious and healthy lunch with just a bit of reheating in the microwave. 

We've also been experimenting with different tuna options, and we think the recipe can be mixed up to include all sorts of flavors. If you have any ideas or want to share your favorite variations, please let us know in the comments on our Facebook page. We can't wait to hear from you!

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Office ((214) 599-0055) 

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