Oh, that age-old struggle… the one that has your conscience in a twist. The part of you that knows to be good while the other part tells you to give into temptation. The need to balance health and wellness with that desire for the good stuff.
Yeah, that's the one: how to get that comfort food feeling without any of the next-day guilt! You probably think it’s totally impossible to have both good and evil in the same meal, right? Fear not, friends: flavor without remorse is in your future!
Here are a few ideas to keep you warm on that cold winter night… or be that satisfying meal without the shame.
Comfort Food: Garlic Parmesan Noodles with Sausage
Ughhhhhh Garlic… and Parm… and pasta and sausage?! Ok obvi this is going to be incredible. Heat olive oil with 4 garlic cloves over medium heat, and add some red pepper flakes. Add some crumbled sausage (we love the way our Half Smokes adds smoky depth) and sautee 6-8 minutes until cooked through. Add one box of cooked spaghetti noodles, and stir in 1 tablespoon of butter with ¼ cup of parmesan cheese. Season to taste and add the rest of the parmesan cheese when serving.
Healthy Hack: Zucchini Noodles
Same as above… but substitute the regular noodles for zucchini noodles. The cheese adds the texture and the garlic/butter combo makes it almost impossible to tell that anything is different. You’ll not only cut a ton of calories… but avoid the post-dinner food coma that comes with downing pasta.
Comfort Food: Gnocchi with Spinach and Chicken Sausage
Sautee one package of sliced Feta Chicken Sausage with two shallots until fully cooked. Add in a few garlic cloves, one cup of white wine, and ½ cup of chicken broth. Bring to boil and reduce for a few minutes. Add 3 cups of spinach, and ½ cup of heavy whipping cream. Add one package of fully cooked potato gnocchi and ½ cup of parmesan cheese.
Healthy Hack: Veggie Gnocchi
There are so many variations of the classic potato dumpling. You could do cauliflower, spinach, even sweet potato varieties to not only cut the fat, but add the benefits of vitamins and minerals only found in veggies.
Comfort Food: Sausage and Rice Stuffed Peppers
You can just mic drop on this one and saunter away from the dinner table because this recipe ALWAYS gets the crowd's approval.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook one package of crumbled sausage (Spicy Italian adds a kick, but Thai Chicken can be an unexpected gamechanger)until browned, and then stir in 2 cups of steamed rice and 1 cup of mushrooms (your choice of type).
Comfort Food: Sausage and Rice Stuffed Peppers
You can just mic drop on this one and saunter away from the dinner table because this recipe ALWAYS gets the crowd's approval.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook one package of crumbled sausage (Spicy Italian adds a kick, but Thai Chicken can be an unexpected gamechanger)until browned, and then stir in 2 cups of steamed rice and 1 cup of mushrooms (your choice of type).
Add italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Top with ½ cup of shredded Italian cheese. Spoon the cooked sausage mixture into topless and seedless red or green peppers, and bake for about 10 minutes. Top with some more cheese and VOILA… dinner is served!
Healthy Hack: ANY type of veggie rice.
There are literally TONS of versions available. You can do cauliflower, broccoli, even riced hearts of palm! Just switching out the classic rice for a vegetable version will be just the thing you need, that you never knew you even wanted.
There we have it. Just beyond these three ideas, there are SO many ways to take those classic recipes and shake up just one little ingredient to add some fitness flair. The possibilities are endless, and the flavors are unlimited.
We hope you take these ideas and make them your own! The beauty of cooking is you can never really go wrong. Whatever tickles your fancy is precisely what your homemade meals need! Don’t forget to drop us a line and let us know if you have any good comfort hacks.
And as always,
Thanks for being a fan.
Make sure you upload your recipes and cooking tips to social media and tag us! We love to hear from our fans and see what YOU create with the MeatCrafters products. Who knows, maybe we will feature your custom creation on our social media! You could be the next MEAT MASTER!
Thanks for being a fan,
MeatCrafters
Who wouldn't want the freshest quality meats at their dinner table?
At MeatCrafters, we say, "inspired by tradition, naturally." People shouldn't have to worry about the quality of their food and whether it contains harmful ingredients.
You should be able to sit down for a meal knowing that your food contains only all-natural, fresh ingredients. That's why we created MeatCrafters and our line of salamis, cured meats and sausages. Our collection will satisfy even the most discerning of palates.
Half Smokes
Chicken Spinach Feta
Spicy Italian
What people are saying about MeatCrafters...
"Excellent customer service. This is a company you need to support. Great food and will definitely be purchasing more in the future. Thanks!" — Quinten
All MeatCrafters Products are tailor-made for people who appreciate high quality meats.
We care about making our products tasty and healthy for you. Using only the highest-quality ingredients, locally sourced and produced in small batches – MeatCrafters is just pure stomach happiness.
Thai Chicken
Chicken Apple
Chorizo Picante
See what people are saying!
"Just get this meat in your mouth ...you can thank me later! As a food professional, I'm not at all reluctant to give these folks three huge thumbs up!"
- Thomas T., a happy MeatCrafters customer
"MeatCrafters participates in the Saturday Rockville Pike market and the Sunday Bethesda market. Their bratwurst is fantastic!!! I say that as someone who both grew up in Wisconsin and has lived in Germany. Their landjaeger is also great, and something I've not really seen outside of Wisconsin."
- Dee B., a happy MeatCrafters customer
"Not only was I impressed with the facilities and the employees' enthusiasm for their products, but I was impressed with the samples I had while there."
- Gulyas L., a happy MeatCrafters customer
"Thank you for your great products. I love your sausages. Your cold packaging is nice and neat for long distant shipment 📦"
- Tatsushi Yoshida., a happy MeatCrafters customer
ALL NATURAL MEATS
We only use REAL naturally ingredients. Our meats are free of antibiotics and growth hormones. If you can pronounce all of the ingredients on the labels, then you know its healthy! So enjoy our sausages worry free!
HANDMADE IN SMALL BATCHES
Each product is carefully crafted by hand in small batches. We grind and blend our spices fresh every morning.
ALWAYS FRESH
We grind and mix our spices immediately before production. We never use pre-made spice blends.
Join The MeatCrafters Club
