Southwest Shrimp and Sausage

What a day what a week! Normally I handle work stresses easily enough, but this past week has seemed like an ongoing effort in futility. Frustration! So today, I could not wait to get home, and into the kitchen. Something truly yummy was in order. I had just braved the throng of eager customers at my neighborhood HEB's grand opening, and picked up some fresh shrimp and a pound of seriously tasty sausage. This is where we begin.

Rummaging through the refrigerator, I spied a container of Philadelphia Cooking Crème Santa Fe blend. Having never used this product before, I had no idea what to expect (now I do!). Grabbing every pepper I could find, along with a red onion, I set out to wow myself (mission accomplished!). This rich, creamy dish was so incredibly quick and embarrassingly easy to prepare – had I not been busy snapping photos I probably could have finished it in 30 minutes.

I served the sauce over rice this time, but when I make it again I will probably go with pasta (bowtie, to capture the rich, creamy sauce in its folds).

Southwest Shrimp and Sausage

4-6 servings

1 pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined, seasoned with a pinch of salt (patted dry)

1 pound sausage, sliced (I prefer spicy Andouille – you may use your favorite. One of my general rules of cooking: If you love what you put into it, you will love what you get out of it.)

2 cups  chopped bell peppers (I used tricolor because they are oh so pretty and I think they have a nice well-rounded sweetness. )

1 cup chopped red onions

1 Serrano pepper, sliced thin

1 Jalapeno pepper, sliced thin (If you hate the heat, you can skip the Jalapeno and Serrano. You can also reduce the heat by handling the peppers carefully during preparation, making sure to remove the seeds and the membranes they are attached to without crushing them. This is where the heat comes from. I personally like it HOT, so I abuse the peppers, roll them around on the counter, beat on them, call them names, and THEN, mercifully, chop them up.)

1 container Philadelphia Crème Santa Fe Blend

½ cup water

Pasta or Rice, to serve

Prepare your pasta or rice, whichever you prefer . This should be started first, as the main dish moves quickly.

Chop peppers and onions, set aside.

 

Preheat skillet on high. Slice the sausage in ¼-inch slices, and add to the heated skillet. 

Cook on medium high until sausage has a nice crust forming on one side – this should take about 7-10 minutes. Stir and flip the slices for another 2 minutes.

Add vegetables, and stir – cook for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add Shrimp.

Stir for another 2 minutes or so, until shrimp lose their translucence. Your skillet should be very hot and fairly dry at this point – add ½ cup of water. Stir and scrape skillet to deglaze those tasty sausage bits.

Once the mixture is completely blended and the bottom of the pan is smooth, add the Philadelphia Crème Santa Fe Blend, and mix well.

Lower the heat to simmer, and cover the sauce while you finish setting up the rest of your dinner. Serve over pasta or rice.

ENJOY!