In honor of tailgating season, I thought I would try out a traditional football season recipe, Beer-braised Italian sausage with onions and peppers.  This recipe was a total hit and one that I will use for years to come. This hearty dish can be eaten on an Italian roll, sliced up over buttered egg noodles, or just as is, with plenty of peppers and onions on top.  

One of the great aspects of this recipe is that it can be made all in one large pot.  The cooking of the sausages in beer first, leaves drippings which are deglazed with a little more beer.  The drippings are full of flavor, so naturally cooking the onions and peppers in the same pot is one of the reasons this is so tasty.  

Also included this week is a recipe for my favorite part of any meal, dessert!  Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are the perfect tailgating treat or Halloween dessert.  I have been making these for a few years now, and people absolutely love them.  The pumpkin gives these cookies such a moist texture and the dark chocolate-pumpkin combination is a match made in heaven.

Give these a try. You will not be disappointed.

Italian Sausage w/Onions & Peppers

Ingredients:
• 6 Italian sausages
• 1 bottle of beer
• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 bell peppers, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbls tomato paste
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ¾ tsp oregano
• red pepper flake, to taste

Directions:
1. Place sausages in a large skillet or Dutch oven along with half of the beer over
     medium heat, covered for 5 minutes
2. Uncover and allow sausages to cook, turning often, until beer has evaporated and
     sausage has browned
3. Remove sausages from pot, then deglaze with the rest of the beer, reduce by half;  
     then add in onions, peppers, garlic, salt, pepper and spices
4. Cook veggies covered, stirring occasionally until veggies begin to soften;  
     then add in tomato paste, cover, and continue cooking until veggies are fully
     cooked and soft
5. Place sausages back into pot with veggies to heat through, serve on Italian rolls if
     desired

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
• 1 Cup Canned Pumpkin Puree
   (not Pumpkin pie mix!)
• ¾ Cup Sugar
• ½ Cup Canola Oil
• 1 Tbs Vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• ½ tsp Salt
• ½ tsp ginger
• ½ tsp Cinnamon
• 1 ½ Cups Chocolate Chips
    (mini if you have them)

Directions:
1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl
2. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger,
     and cinnamon
3. Add flour mixture to wet just until combined, fold in chocolate chips
4. Spray cookie sheet, drop Tablespoons of dough on sheet, and bake at 350 degrees
     for 8-10 minutes
5. Cool on a wire rack, keep refrigerated.