Monday is Memorial Day. This is an American holiday initiated to stop and honor our fallen soldiers. There are cities in every state that hold Memorial Day parades and events and include different veterans groups to commemorate the day. Thousands of Americans also head to the cemeteries to place flowers and wreaths and American flags on the graves of the soldiers.

While I could have done some Memorial Day foods, I decided to go with Mom’s suggestion. She lives with me now and I want her to enjoy what we eat so she helps with my column each week. Mom suggested smoked sausage this week as something we haven’t had in a while and I had no problem with that. I enjoy smoked sausage and it’s quick to heat.

Smoked sausage is a smoked meat cooked via the indirect heat of wood smoke. Sausages are meat products consisting of minced or ground meat and spices stuffed into a casing. Some sausages, like Polish kielbasa, French andouille, and Spanish chorizo, get preserved by both smoking and curing. The smoke gives the sausage a distinctive flavor and extends the storage life of the product. Most sausages are a blend of beef, pork and chicken, but with people trying to eat healthier, you can find many different varieties, often of just a single meat. You can even find fish sausage in Britain! These days, you can also get sausage made vegan or vegetarian that has absolutely no meat in it.

As you cookout and celebrate the beginning of summer, take a moment to say a prayer or just have a moment of silence for those who have been lost. And then spend some time with family. Make some memories you can hold on to. You just never know when this might be the last today and we should always make time for family. This week, I am sharing some simple sausage recipes. Mom gave them all a seal of approval. LOL! Make your grocery list and hit the grocery store. Then, meet me in the kitchen for some easy and filling dinners.

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Sausage Green Bean Bake

1½lbs smoked kielbasa, sliced ¼” thick 2lbs baby potatoes, washed, sliced in half-I used a mix of purple, red and yellow 2 15oz cans green beans, drained ⅛ cup vegetable oil ¼ cup butter 1 large onion, sliced as desired 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. Cajun seasoning, more or less to taste 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. pepper ½ tsp. red pepper flakes Preheat oven to 400°F and spray a 9”x13” baking dish with nonstick spray. Wash creamer potatoes, cut in half and add to sealable gallon baggie. Add oil, seasonings, pepper and red pepper flakes to baggie. Shake to coat. In large skillet, heat sausage over medium heat until sausages have browned. Remove sausage from pan and, when cool enough, add to baggie. Melt butter in skillet and add onions and garlic, cook until onions are translucent. Let cool a few minutes. Add to baggie and shake to mix. Lastly, add green beans to baggie, shake to mix and then empty contents into prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and place in oven. Bake for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Carefully remove from oven and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from greatgrubdelicioustreats.com.

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Cream Cheese Sausage Pasta

8oz uncooked pasta 2 Tbsps. unsalted butter 1lb smoked sausage, sliced ¼” thick 1 large onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup chicken broth 8oz cream cheese, softened and cut into smaller chunks ¼ tsp. Italian seasoning ½ tsp. red pepper flakes optional 1 15oz can corn, drained Salt & pepper to taste Boil pot of water and cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Meanwhile, add butter and sausage to skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes over medium heat. Add onion and continue sautéing for another few minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage has nicely browned and onions have softened. Stir in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Transfer contents of skillet to plate and set it aside. Add chicken broth, cream cheese, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Stir constantly until smooth (this will take a few minutes). The softer the cream cheese, the quicker this will be. Add sausage/onions back to skillet, along with corn, and stir combine well. Let it heat until all is hot again. If sauce has thickened up too much, add a few tablespoons of hot pasta water prior to draining pasta. Add drained pasta to skillet with sauce and mix well. Serve immediately. Season with salt & pepper as needed.

Recipe adapted from saltandlavendar.com.

--- Breakfast Stacker

1lb frozen hash browns 1 medium yellow onion 1lb smoked sausage, sliced ¼” thick or as sliced as desired 2 Tbsps. unsalted butter, plus what’s needed to cook hash browns 4 eggs Cheese, green onions or other toppings as desired In large skillet over medium heat, prepare hash browns as directed on package to your liking. Skip likes less crunchy so I cooked his less, but I like crispy so I cooked it longer. Remove from pan to plates. Place in small area to allow stacking. Add butter and sausage to skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes over medium heat. Add onion and continue sautéing for another few minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage has nicely browned and onions have softened. Add cheese and seasoning if desired. Allow cheese to melt and remove from pan directly onto plated hash browns. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet. Add eggs in a way they don’t run together. Fry eggs to your taste and place on top of plated sausage. Serve immediately.

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Cheesy Sausage Rice Skillet

2 Tbsps. unsalted butter 1lb smoked sausage, sliced ¼-inch thick 1 medium onion, diced 2 cups broccoli florets 2 cups cooked brown rice - I used minute rice to save time 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. onion salt ½ tsp. pepper, more or less to taste ¼ tsp. salt, more or less to taste 1 cup shredded Velveeta Queso Blanco Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook for about 5 minutes until sausage begins to brown. Add onion and continue cooking until sausage has browned and onions are soft. Add broccoli and cover. Reduce heat to low and cook about 5 minutes more - stirring occasionally. Add cooked rice, garlic powder and onion salt to skillet. Stir well. Add Velveeta stirring well until cheese is completely melted. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Recipe adapted from allthingsmama.com.