Easy

I am one of those people that loves to cook and I love to cook from scratch. Food and I know each other very well. I usually make a menu every week of things that I'd like to cook then list out the ingredients, check the pantry to see what I need, then head out to Winco to pick up what I don't have. It seems organized. Don't know if I am quite there yet, but I am on the right path. I have been following this same routine for years. It saves me money and my kids eat healthy so I win on those two playing fields. Now, I also have those favorite go-to meals that I always have in my pantry. They are just easy meals for throwing together on days that ended up way to busy to make what I had planned or days when I just could not get to the grocery store and I still have to feed my family healthy not fast fat food. Since one of my friends just asked me about those meals I thought I would post one of my favorite easy ones today. So here it is.

Pasta is alway an easy go-to meal. This is one of the easiest.


WHAT FOOD YOU NEED:
Onion
Garlic
Kosher Sausage (any kind your family will eat, even if it means hot dogs)
Pasta (what ever kind your family really likes or is in the pantry)
salt
pepper
pasta sauce (what you have in the pantry or make a rue with cheese)
a baguette (any kind on sale)
olive oil

That is all we need and we are good to go!
Let's get started with a big pot of water on the stove. We have to get it boiling for the pasta. Don't go crazy with your pot either. Pick one that will fit the amount of pasta that you are going to be cooking .Personally I am always cooking for at least 6 so I need a big pot. That means it will really take a while to warm up so I try to start with warmer water in the pot.

While the water is warming I will start cutting up my onion and garlic. I love to cook with them. They make the whole house just smell so homey. Anyway cut them into fairly small bits. Helpful hint here, take your garlic section put it down on your cutting board, then take the palm of your hand and whack it! It will smash the garlic just enough that the skin will come off so easy and you let off some steam! Multitasking, Awesome! Just cut up as much of the onion and garlic that your family enjoy. We get oodles! Then put them to the side and start cutting up your sausage. Nothing major just into bite size bits. I cut smaller just because I have small munchkins and I don't want them to choke.

Check your water. It may be boiling by now. If it is go ahead and drop your pasta in. Check the time though because you do not want the pasta in to long or to short.

By now I am starting the heat under my pan. I also start warming my oven to 250 degrees.
While they warm I start slicing my baguette into thin slices, just as thin as you like them. Our family likes thin! By the time you finish cutting the bread your pan should be hot so go ahead and add a bit of the olive oil to the bottom of the pan and then add the onions and garlic to the pan. Stir them around a bit and keep your eye on them.

Put your bread slices on a baking sheet and drizzle them with the olive oil. Take a pinch of salt and drop it over the slices. Than sprinkle with the pepper also. If you have garlic powder a sprinkle of that tastes amazing too!

Okay, Your pasta should be done. Go ahead and drain it. Now add your sausage to your garlic and onions in the pan while the pasta drains a little more. Put your bread in the oven for just a few minutes. Your house should smell amazingly wonderful.

Tell the kids 5 minutes till dinner and they need to set the table.

If you cut your meat small it will cook really fast which is why I add mine so late. Now if the meat looks ready add the pasta sauce to the pan. Stir it around a bit. Then add your drained pasta to the pan. Stir it around to cover them with the sauce as well. Turn off the heat.

Don't forget your bread in the oven! Don't let it burn! It is on low so it probably won't. Take them out and put them in a basket or a bowl to cool on the table. Turn off your oven.

Just serve the pasta with the little toasts and you are good to go!

If you want to make this fancier then add cut up bell peppers, green onions, pimentos, small cherry tomatoes, corn or what your family likes added. Use just one or add a few. It will change your super easy dinner into something new. You can add a dinner salad too if you are serving guests. Even a fruit salad is tasty with this meal.

Really this meal I can make in under 20 minutes. That is less than the time it takes to run out and order fast food. It's better for you too! Hope you try it, we like it.

Well, most of us.
:)