My take on a good thing

Pesto pasta with chicken sausage and roasted brussel sprouts

http://pinterest.com/pin/224194887669867269/

This was such a yummy dinner and it was the first time trying brusssel sprouts for me and the hubs. Loved them BTW!!! I didn't have any chicken sausage but I did have mild Italian sausage links that I cooked up and used instead. I also couldn't find the orecchiette pasta at my trusty Winco so I got shell pasta instead thinking the shape would hold the pesto just a good. We hogged out on this and so did the kids!! Gus didn't like the brussel sprouts, he said they taste like broccoli. Colton loved them though. You'll have to try it!

Pesto pasta with chicken sausage and roasted brussel sprouts

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh brussel sprouts, ends trimmed and any yellowed/browned outer leaves removed, then sliced in half
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 lb (16 oz.) orecchiette (or any pasta)
• 4 chicken sausage links (I used spicy Italian), sliced into 1/4″ thick coins
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup pesto
• Parmesan cheese, for serving

Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together brussel sprouts, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper. Gently stir until well-combined.
Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then spread the brussel sprouts on it evenly. Roast for about 20-30 minutes, stirring once partway through, or until they are crispy on the outside and cooked on the inside. (My batch of tiny sprouts only took about 12 minutes to cook.) Remove from oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until nearly-browned, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic, and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the sausage is browned.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. (I begin heating my water while preparing the brussel sprouts, and added the pasta to the boiling water just after beginning to cook the sausage.) Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water (reserving 1/4 cup pasta water), and then toss together the pasta, pesto, cooked sausage and garlic, and brussel sprouts. Add in some of the reserved pasta water if needed for extra moisture.
Serve warm, and sprinkle with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.

Crispy Potato Roast

http://pinterest.com/pin/145241156702529072/

This was super delish too. It's like scalloped potatoes with out the fatty sauce. The crispy edges were a nice touch. I might add garlic to it next time  :)

Crispy Potato RoastServes 8

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
4 shallots, thickly sliced lengthwise
Coarse salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
8 sprigs thyme

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine butter and oil. Brush bottom of a round 9-inch baking dish with some butter mixture. With a sharp knife or mandolin, slice potatoes very thinly crosswise.

2. Arrange potato slices vertically in dish. Wedge shallots throughout. Sprinkle with salt and red-pepper flakes (if using); brush with remaining butter mixture. Bake 1 1/4 hours. Add thyme and bake until potatoes are cooked through with a crisp top, about 35 minutes more.

♦I got both of these off Pinterest and have put a link to my pins below the pics♦