I’m sure by now you’ve all guessed what the last month of no posts means – I had the baby! Miss Julie joined us just as the last Improv Challenge was going up. We’re totally smitten, but life with two kids is no joke! I’m super grateful that I stocked the freezer with dinners before she came – I’ve been relying on them heavily since Mark went back to work!

Most of my freezer meals this time around were things I could just pop in the oven. I had a feeling I wouldn’t be able to stand over the stove cooking this time – and it’s totally true. Most of my “real” cooking the last month has been on the weekends – when Mark is around to help out with the littles.

This was one of the first dinners I made post-baby that didn’t involve heating up something from the freezer. The ingredients for the Improv Challenge this month were sausage and mustard – perfect flavors for the beginning of fall! This dish uses chicken sausage and covers everything in a creamy mustard sauce. Bonus: it’s a one-pan meal so there’s less to clean up!

You can check out what the other bloggers cooked up here:

Sausage and Pirogi Skillet with Creamy Mustard Sauce
(adapted slightly from Such the Spot)
Serves 4

16 oz. pierogies
4 chicken and apple sausage links, sliced thin
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In an oven-safe pan, melt 2 Tbsp. of butter on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tbsp. of olive oil and then the pierogies. Cook until the pierogies are browned lightly on both sides and remove to a plate.

Add remaining butter and olive oil to the pan, then add the sliced sausage. Cook about 5 minutes, until the sausage begins to brown. Add the pepper slices and cook until tender-crisp. Remove to the plate with the pierogies.

Whisk the flour into the pan to create a thick paste and cook until golden brown, about two minutes. Whisk in the chicken stock and mustard until smooth. Cook until bubbling and slightly thickened. Stir in the heavy cream.

Return the pierogies, sausage and pepper to the skillet and stir to coat in the mustard sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella over the top and then place in the oven for about 15 minutes, until everything is hot and bubbly.