Spicy Tomato Cream Spaghetti Sauce

This spaghetti sauce comes together really quickly but tastes like it cooked all day.  If you cook the noodles at the same time as the sauce you can do the whole thing in 30 mins, though I do like the sauce to simmer longer if I have time.  :)

1 lb. Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage
1/2 c. finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 TB tomato paste (from a squeeze tube is best but from a can works too)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 small pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional, depending on how spicy you want to go)
1/2 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
8-ounce can tomato sauce
1-2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 c. heavy cream or half and half
1/4 c. part skim ricotta cheese
parmesan, for serving

In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground meat, onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper, breaking the meat into small pieces as it cooks, until the meat is not longer pink.  Drain any excess grease.

Stir in the tomato paste, basil, oregano, thyme, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for about a minute, until the mixture smells fragrant.  Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar and soy sauce. Stir to combine.  Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes (or as long as you like/need).  Just before serving add in the cream and ricotta and stir until combined and hot.

Serve over hot, cooked noodles (or zoodles!) and top with parmesan. 

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

{Note to self} Remember this cute gift idea for Christmas: Farr's Candy Cane Ice Cream and a yummy jar of homemade hot fudge sauce.

Hot Fudge Sauce
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cube butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract**

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat and stir continually, until completely melted and hot. Do not boil.

Mixture will thicken as it cools. Microwave, stirring every 30 to 60 seconds, until the hot fudge melts again and gets hot.

**To make peppermint hot fudge sauce, substitute peppermint extract.

Creamy Cilantro Sauce

8 oz. cream cheese
1 T sour cream
1 (7oz) jar of Salsa Verde
1 t. ground black pepper
1 t. celery salt
2 t. garlic powder
1 bunch cilantro
1 T. fresh lime juice.

Combine above ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Serve with any type of Mexican dish as a topping.

Homemade BBQ Sauce..

2 cups Ketchup

3 tsp. Dry Mustard

1/4 cup Honey 

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1-2 Capfuls of Liquid Smoke

Put any type of meat into crock pot with above ingredients and cook on low until meat is tender, or grill any type of meat and brush mixture on meat with cooking brush.