I have always said that if I had “another” life I must have been a mother in a little Italian village. I love their culture, art and most of all the food. With that said, I have NEVER been to Italy. It is my dream place to go. So, whenever I travel in the states I look for cities “Little Italy’s”. Did you know Oklahoma has a town almost dedicated to the original Italian settlers during the Land Run? Krebs, Oklahoma is like going to Italy with an Okie flair. You will find incredible restaurants and of course a town would not be complete without a grocery. Lovera’s Italian Grocery is AMAZING! They make their own world famous Italian Sausage and then the cheese….. If you are looking for a day trip, then I highly recommend going to Krebs! It is really neat!
Here are two of my easy “go-to” meals I make in the summer when I am craving Italian!
Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan
4-5 chicken breasts, cut into small cubes
1/2 onion, chopped
1 bottle spaghetti sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
2 cups bread crumbs
2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
4 tablespoons olive oil
In the bowl of a slow cooker add the chicken and onions. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning over the chicken. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the top and then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, the remaining Italian seasonings and olive oil. Toss together till combined. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of the sauce and cook on HIGH for 4 hours. Serve over spaghetti or the pasta of your choice.
Broccolini, Peppers and Italian Sausage
1 pound Italian sausage
1 red and yellow pepper, fire roasted and peel removed
1 onion, cut into chunks
1 pound broccolini
3 cloves garlic
olive oil
In a greased cast iron pan, saute the red/yellow peppers with the onions, broccolini and garlic in olive oil till they are browned. Remove from the pan and place on a plate. Grill the sausage and serve with the veggies!