Smoked Sausage and Sweet Potato Noodles

I love to spiralize vegetables.  It is one of the joys of my life.  I have convinced my kiddos to eat vegetables they previously declared “gross” simply by cutting them into noodle shapes.  Can it really be so simple? Spiralized veggies also helps me appease my “non-noodle eating” child.  It can be shaped like a noodle, it just can not be a noodle.  Smoked sausage and sweet potato noodles is a one pan dish that takes 20-30 minutes to prepare.  Quick with little clean up is a wonderful combination. It is also easy to add and subtract veggies depending on your mood.  This recipe uses broccoli, but sometimes I add artichoke hearts instead.  It all depends on my mood and what is in the fridge and pantry.

First step is to prep the onion, garlic, and mushrooms.  I use minced garlic out of a jar, so grab a teaspoon and it’s done.  Dice the onion and slice your mushrooms.  Pour a little olive oil in your pan on medium high heat and throw everyone into the pan.

Saute everything, stirring frequently.  While your first three veggies are cooking chop up your broccoli and then add it to the pan. Continue to saute.

Time to whip up our simple sauce and add the meat into the pan.  Pour tomato sauce into the pan over medium heat.  Add cream cheese and stir until melted and combined.  Then add the shredded smoked cheddar, or cheese of your choice, and continue to stir until melted. Slice the sausage into 1/4-1/2 inch slices and combine with other ingredients.  Cover pan and simmer on low.

Now it is time to spiralize your sweet potatoes.  I use the fettuccine blade.  I like the thicker noodle when using sweet potatoes.  You have several options when purchasing a spiralizer. I have a table top version.  I like the stability.  When making your choice, I would consider how often you plan to use it and how much of an investment you want to make. Click on the pictures below to see some of the options available.

 

At the end of the process, I end up with a pile of sweet potato noodles ready to go into the pan.

Add those beautifully colored noodles to the pan and combine using tongs. The end result is this beautiful arrangement.

Cover the pan and allow everything to simmer on medium low to cook the sweet potato noodles.  How long depends on your preferences.  My family does not like things to be crunchy, so I simmer for around 10 minutes.  In order to keep the sauce the right consistency and create enough steam to cook the noodles fully, I add a tablespoon or two of water about half way through.  I suggest giving the pan a toss every 2-3 minutes to see how things are going. The end result is the following creamy concoction of meat and veggies.

Quick, healthy, one pan meals have to be my favorite.  I love the flavors and the colors in this dish. It is an easy, any night of the week meal.  I personally would recommend you make an investment in some kind of spiralizer.  It gives you the opportunity to make dinner a little less ordinary and every day.  You might even find that veggie hating kiddos are willing to try new things because they are in a new shape. Happy Cooking!