This Beef Kielbasa Skillet with Squash and Zucchini Noodles was born out of a combination of laziness and panic. I didn’t want to go to the store. There was a little beef kielbasa leftover from a cheese platter. And the vegetables in my refrigerator were looking pretty sad. This was the fastest and easiest meal I came up with, utilizing everything that needed to be eaten. [This post contains affiliate links] Jump to Recipe
The beef kielbasa, red pepper, and onion flavors remind me of Jambalaya while the mushrooms enhance it all through absorption. Squash and zucchini noodles give it a lighter feel but I was still really surprised at how full it made me.
Mushrooms are really annoying me though. I keep trying to sneak them into my diet but my body is like, “I see you-I know what your doing. Ha. You’ll never eat mushrooms again!” People with j-pouches and ostomies sometimes have trouble digesting mushrooms. No matter how much I chew, they go through my system largely undigested.
Anyways, I also discovered how much I love the other blade settings on the spiralizer. By default, I’ve always just used Blade C, which has the smaller triangular blades and makes spaghetti like spirals.
But I guess the last time I cleaned it I put Blade A on instead, which has no triangular blades and creates pappardelle-like spirals. And I love it! It works a lot better with the yellow squash, which has lots of seeds in the center. Whenever I used Blade C on yellow squash I would just get mush.
Who feels silly for not utilizing all of the blades now? Me. I do.
Party this Friday
I’m super excited because I have a post coming on Friday that’s part of a virtual St. Patrick’s Day party. It’s my first time participating in one. Bloggers create a recipe around a theme and all the posts go live on the same day. Each blogger shares all the links to the other recipes in their post, creating a virtual potluck type party. Cool right?!
My recipe is ridiculous, as befitting a boisterous holiday like St. Patty’s Day. I can’t wait to see what the others are bringing to the table!
Skillet Beef Kielbasa and Squash and Zucchini Noodles
Ingredients
- 2 + 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, separated
- 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup beef kielbasa, thinly sliced
- 1/2 red onion, cut in half vertically and then sliced diagonal
- 3 garlic cloves, minched
- 8 ounces mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
- 2 small yellow squash, peeled and spiralized I used blade A
- 2 small zucchini, peeled and spiralized I used blade A
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat until it is shimmering.
- Add the red pepper and cook until blistered, stirring occasionally for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Add the sausage to the skillet and cook until browned, remove and set aside.
- Add more olive oil if necessary and add onions, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper, cooking on medium high for 30 seconds to a minute. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add the mushrooms and cook 3 to 4 minutes until they are soft and have released all their juices.
- Add the red peppers and sausage back into the skillet, stir.
- Turn off the heat and add the squash and zucchini noodles. Stir until well mixed and the veggie noodles are slightly cooked and tender.
I recently bought a spiralizer but yet to get it started. But this dish is getting me tempted and I do have some zucchini in the refrigerator 🙂
My spiralizer is one of my most used kitchen gadgets now. It helps me use vegetables much more often in my cooking so I love it!