Ore-Ida, alrighty!

I've been a big fan of Ore-Ida products for years, especially their hash browns and tater tots. I mean, who in their right mind doesn't like tater tots!?!?! DUH! As part of my involvment with the allrecipes.com Allstar/Brand Ambassador program, I had the opportunity to try some Ore-Ida products and see how I could incorporate them into my meals.

The first recipe I made was Reduced Fat Potato Soup which you can find here on allrecipes.com. Considering I'm on a weight loss journey, the name immediately caught my eye. Reduced Fat you say? Sign me up! Normally potato soup is loaded with heavy creams and mucho calories. I was quite surprised that this soup was only 135 calories per serving! No way! Ore-Ida O'Brien Potatoes were the perfect ingredient for this soup. Oh, and let me mention how quick and easy it is! All you do is simmer the hash browns in some chicken stock, then whisk in a packet of country-style gravy. THAT'S IT. I'm serious! Top it with some reduced-fat cheddar cheese and green onions and you have the perfect autumn meal!

The second recipe I made with Ore-Ida products was...get ready for this one...Tater Tot Poutine!!! Wait, why aren't you jumping up and down? You mad? Oh, you don't know what poutine is. Friends, let me tell you, this is one of my favorite French Canadian dishes from back home. Yes, it does have heart-attack-on-a-plate-ish qualities, but those are minor details. For those who don't know, poutine is essentially fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. I'm not talking about freaky pale country-style gravy either! Do it right, or don't bother! Check out wikipedia for more than you'll ever care to know about poutine.

Now where was I? Right, so it's pretty much impossible to find poutine here in the US. If I get a serious craving, I always make it myself. But I try not to eat it too often, although it is a pretty stellar cure for a hangover. Just sayin'. I decided to put a twist on the traditional meal and use tater tots instead of fries. Who knew!? Pure deliciousness. I think there may have been angels singing at some point during my meal. This was scary good and I'm never, ever, EVEREVER making it again. (yeah, whatevs...screw you diet!)

Where's the recipe? You don't need one! I like to use a rich beef gravy, a lot of people use chicken, some use chicken/beef mix. Use what you want, but for the love of God, step away from the pale stuff! Cook those tater tots til crispy, throw on a handful of cheese curds, and top it with that awesome gravy of yours! That's it!

I decided to take a break from the madness and do something simple for my third meal. Why not let hash browns be hash browns? So that's what I did. Nothing fancy here, folks! Cook up some hash browns, top with shredded cheddar and an egg. Yup. Breakfast. Ain't she a beauty?

Three simple recipes, all made with a fabulous product from Ore-Ida. Check out their website for more recipe ideas and tips!

Johnsonville to the rescue!

I'd been buying Johnsonville sausage for years, but over time I managed to wander off and gradually started buying the store brand sausage. Why? I couldn't even tell you. Price? Maybe. Flavor? Heck no! It's not until earlier this year when Johnsonville teamed up with allrecipes.com, that I was knocked upside the head with an avalanche of flavor. As part of my allrecipes Brand Ambassador monthly assignment, I was asked to prepare several meals using Johnsonville sausage. It was then that I realized both the quality and flavor were far superior to the store brand I had been buying (for reasons unknown), and I quickly made the switch back to Johnsonville.

This month I made three recipes using the sausage. I chose to use the Pork & Chicken mild Italian with 50% less fat than traditional Italian Sausage, since I'm on a weightloss journey and watching what I eat. Excellent choice, healthy, and packed with flavor!

The first recipe I made was Pizza Pasta, found here on allrecipes.com. A big thumbs up on this meal! I love pizza, although I rarely eat it anymore. I used green olives and whole wheat pasta. This one's a keeper for those days I'm craving pizza! By using the lower fat sausage, part-skim mozzarella and whole wheat pasta, I was able to lower the calories from 593 calories and 36g of fat down to 440 calories and 21g of fat! Bonus!

The second recipe I made was Chiliville Chili found here. Now I'm quite picky about my chili, and was pleasantly surprised by this recipe. The sausage adds a ton of oomph and I loved the hint of sweetness from the brown sugar. Another keeper!

Lastly, I made Johnsonville One-Pan Italian, found here. I have to say I was VERY skeptical about this one, but the reviews were amazing, how could I not try it!? This is very quick, and the best part is that you only use one pan, as the name states! You brown the sausage, dump in your sauce, add in some water, then toss in the dry pasta! The pasta cooks in the sauce and soaks up all sorts of flavor. Crazy simple, right?

I was a little hesitant to use 3 cups of water, but it turned out perfectly. I did have to cook the pasta for about 4-5 minutes longer than stated in the recipe, but I was using whole wheat spaghetti. I will definitely make this again! Of course, it's only as good as the sauce you use, so try and use a high-quality jarred sauce, or your own homemade sauce. By using lower fat sausage, whole wheat spaghetti and a lower calorie jarred sauce (Victoria Trading Company's Tomato Basil Sauce), I was able to lower the calories from 675 calories and 38g of fat per serving down to 452 calories and 21g of fat.

Be sure to keep a few packs of Johnsonville sausage in the house, because on those days where you just don't know what to make, these recipes I've tried could become your favorites too! Let Johnsonville save the day and rescue your dinner! Check out the Johnsonville website for more delicious meal ideas!

Bison - The Other Red Meat!