Tag Archives: Dinner

Bubble & Squeak

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My daughter became obsessed with this dinner when she heard about it from her Nanny. My family’s roots are embedded deeply in our English heritage and my mom loves to tell my kids about all things British. Traditionally this meal is made using leftovers from a roast or ham, thrown together with potatoes and cabbage to make a one pot wonder that is delicious and full of homey flavor.

Start with a head of cabbage. Chop half roughly into slices and boil until softened.

This dish has two kinds of pork in it. Bacon and ham. Mmmmm. Bacon!

Chop the bacon, and cook it about half way. Then add some sliced onion into the pan and let it get all soft and yummy in the bacon grease. Why yes, this is a low-fat/low-calorie dish. How could you tell?

Then we add the ham, the cooked cabbage and some diced potatoes. And some butter and seasonings.

Stir it all around until it’s combined and let it brown up just a bit. Make sure you have a big pan. It’s gonna be full! This is where the name comes from. It’s going to be squeaking in the pan as the cabbage and potatoes finish cooking.

A little more seasoning and it’s done!

Home cooking English style. Meat and potatoes and more meat all together in one glorious bite!

Bubble & Squeak
from Allrecipes.com

  • 1/2 medium head cabbage, sliced
  • 3 slices bacon, diced
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup cubed cooked ham
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 3 cups potatoes – boiled, cooled and cubed (do not completely cook them – leave them a little firm)
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan, cook cabbage in a small amount of water for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and set aside.
  2. In a non-stick skillet, cook bacon halfway. Add onion to pan with bacon, cook until softened.  Add ham, and cook until heated through. Add butter, then mix in the cooked cabbage and potatoes. Season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook until browned on bottom, turn, and brown again.
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Spinach & Cheese Tortellini

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Throw dinner together tonight with this quick and easy tortellini dish. Once a week I make something without meat in it. This dish has lots of fresh and filling vegetables wrapped in a creamy sauce with rich cheesy tortellini. It would be easy to throw some chicken into if you really can’t give up your carnivorous dinner – but I find it refreshing once in a while to leave the meat out.

Did I mention how easy this is? 20 minutes and dinner is on the table! Enjoy!

Spinach & Cheese Tortellini
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

  • 1 (19 ounce) package cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)
  • 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 cups fresh spinach
  • 14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained (or 1 large fresh tomato)
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

  1. Cook tortellini according to package directions, leaving them just slightly underdone. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onions & mushrooms in butter until tender. Add the tomato & garlic; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Stir in cream cheese, milk, parmesan, salt, Italian seasoning and pepper.
  2. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted, stirring occasionally. Drain tortellini; add to skillet. Add spinach last, tossing until wilted and combined. Cook 2-3 minutes or until bubbly.

Apple Cheddar Penne Pie

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Or as I’ve decided to call it: Fancy Pants Mac n’ Cheese. I love everything about this dinner. First of all, anything that I get to eat as a main dish with “pie” in the title is awesome in my book. I’ve always heard how great cheese is on top of apple pie (but never been daring enough to try it myself). This cheesy pasta has apple chunks mixed in so it works off that same pairing. And it is incredible. Finally, I like using all my kitchen pans. I hate to think  any of them are lonely in the cupboards. My springform pan is generally relegated to cheesecakes, but got to participate in dinner tonight. Chalk one up for the little-used pan!

The tart apples balance out the rich creamy goodness of two kinds of cheese in this dish. I used an extra sharp cheddar to make sure there was enough bite to go along with the lush cream cheese. Yummy!!

Just look at that. Mmmm. Gorgeous. The crunch of the panko around the edges is just perfect.

Yum. Yummy. Enjoy!

Apple Cheddar Penne Pie
from BHG “Make and Take” cookbook

2 tablespoons butter, softened
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
3 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme
12 ounces dried penne pasta (3 1/2 cups)
2 cups chopped, peeled tart cooking apples (3 medium)
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion, such as Walla Walla
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup apple cider
6 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut up
1 1/2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 10-inch springform pan with 1 tablespoon of the softened butter. Sprinkle sides of pan with 1/3 cup of the panko to coat; set aside. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon softened butter. Stir the remaining 1/3 cup panko and 1 teaspoon of the thyme into melted butter; set aside.
2. Cook pasta 2 minutes less than directed by package directions; drain. Return pasta to pan; set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan cook apples and onion in the 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat for 5-8 minutes or until tender. Add flour, salt, and pepper to saucepan. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in milk and apple cider. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low. Add cheeses and the remaining 2 teaspoons of thyme; stir until cheese melts.
4. Add sauce mixture to pasta; stir to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle with reserved panko mixture.
5. Bake, uncovered about 40 minutes or until edges are bubbly. Let stand on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove sides of pan. Using a serated knife, cut pie into eight wedges. If desired, top with fresh thyme sprigs. Makes 8 servings.

Chicken Parmesan Bake

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Chicken Parmesan is my absolute favorite meal. While growing up I got to pick my birthday meal and chicken parm was my choice every single year. I never grow tired of it. It is perfection. Juicy chicken wrapped in crispy breading all smothered in rich marinara sauce and drenched with melty cheese – oh I love it. I’m not a fan of the preparation however. If only it was my birthday every day so my mom would make it for me all the time…in her kitchen. I hate that Chicken Parmesan destroys every counter I own and dirties a full load of dishes. All the pans for egg wash, flour and breadcrumbs. Not to mention the frying which in inevitably splatters grease on whatever brand new favorite shirt I’m wearing. How I forget to put an apron on EVERY TIME is beyond me.

When I first saw this recipe, I was skeptical. How on earth could a casserole type baked dish produce the crisp breaded goodness of my favorite dinner? How? I pictured a soggy yucky mess. Breadcrumbs turned into a goopy pile. *shudder* Then, I read the secret ingredient. Croutons. Oh genius chef who thought of that, you have my devotion forever.

My joy and elation is tempered by a huge problem with this recipe. It is so incredibly easy, and amazingly good that I already want to make it again. My oven isn’t even cool yet and I’m dreaming of the next time I can eat this. It took less than 10 minutes to throw together, used one dish (ONE!) and is every bit as delicious as the full-fledged tornado in the kitchen that is Chicken Parmesan. I’m trying to convince myself that since it’s baked, I can get away with eating it more frequently than its fried inspiration – but the convincing was not going well until I actually did a calorie calculator. Under 400 calories per serving. Oh baby. This just became my favorite meal.

A quick photo spread of the dish coming together. It is really just a dump it all in the pan meal. Layer chicken on top of garlicy olive oil. Then marinara, fresh basil, two cheeses, croutons (genius) and more cheese.

I almost started singing when this came out of the oven all golden and cheesy. The smell overwhelmingly perfect. Like your kitchen has transformed into the best Italian restaurant you’ve ever been to. Make this. Immediately. It is glorious. The croutons stay crisp and perfectly toasted on top, but infuse with the flavor of garlic, basil and marinara on the bottom. The chicken is moist and delicious, coated with saucy cheesy goodness. You will love it.

 

Chicken Parmesan Bake
adapted from Food Wishes

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
pepper/Italian seasonings
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (24 ounces of chicken)
2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 cup chopped basil
8 oz mozzarella, shredded
4 oz Parmesan, grated
1 (5-oz) package garlic croutons

Pour olive oil into the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish.  Crush garlic and swoosh around in the oil until the bottom of the pan is completely covered.
Lay chicken breasts on top of the garlicy olive oil. Season with pepper and italian seasoning (or you could use red pepper flakes if you like a little kick)
Pour marinara sauce on top of chicken and coat evenly.
Chop basil and sprinkle over marinara sauce.
Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella and 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese over the marinara/basil.
Dump croutons in a single layer on top of cheeses and top with remaining cheeses.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-55 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken breasts). Until thermometer reads 155 when inserted into chicken. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes.

Creamy White Chicken and Artichoke Lasagna

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Sometimes, it’s really awkward to be a food blogger. I always feel really silly when I’m at a party taking pictures of food. But, since some of the best things I make are taken elsewhere to be consumed, I really don’t have a choice. So, I whip out my trusty Canon and snap a couple quick pics so I at least have something to show you when recommending a recipe. Believe me when I tell you that this dinner is creamy, rich and delicious and will be loved by anyone you serve it to. I’ll never give up my red sauce lasagna (which, I just realized I have never posted the recipe for – must do that soon!) – but this was a nice change-up from my regular layered Italian meal.

The really great thing about this recipe is that you could easily change it to suit your preferences. I changed the original a little, including using diced tomatoes instead of sun-dried. You could make it vegetarian friendly by using sautéed zucchini, onions, spinach, mushrooms etc. instead of the chicken. Have fun. Make it your own.

Oh, a little tip – I always put my lasagna noodles in a casserole dish and cover them with boiling water for 30 minutes to cook them. While they soak away in the water, I prep the rest of the ingredients. The noodles turn out perfectly cooked and are much easier to handle than if you actually cook them according to the package directions before layering. Also, I love the golden cheese around the edges of lasagna. It’s pretty much the best food ever.

Creamy White Chicken and Artichoke Lasagna
adapted from Tasty Tidbits

Ingredients

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
1 pkg. (8 oz.)  Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/2 cup  Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup milk
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh basil, chopped, divided
12 lasagna noodles, cooked

Directions
HEAT oven to 350°F.
COMBINE chicken, artichokes, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan and tomatoes. Beat cream cheese, milk and garlic powder with mixer until well blended; stir in 2 Tbsp. basil. Mix half with the chicken mixture.
SPREAD half the remaining cream cheese mixture onto bottom of 13×9-inch baking dish; cover with 3 noodles and 1/3 of the chicken mixture. Repeat layers of noodles and chicken mixture twice. Top with remaining noodles, cream cheese mixture and mozzarella; cover.
BAKE 25 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining basil. Let stand 5 min. before cutting to serve.

Mom’s Spaghetti

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There is no food I have eaten more than spaghetti. I grew up in a family of 7 with one income and a mom who homemade dinner every night. Spaghetti was a staple. It feeds a crowd, is simple and inexpensive to make and is just comfort food at its finest. Everyone has things they like or don’t like in red saucy pasta. If you like mushrooms, throw them in. I often do. Also, my mother recently shared that she adds a little bit of sugar to her sauce usually. It takes the bite off the acidity of the tomatoes. It’s funny how comfort dishes just taste better when mom makes them. Regardless of how many times I make this myself, I’ll always prefer getting it in my parents dining room. Nostalgia is the best seasoning there is.

I’ll always be thankful to my mom for the years I saw her in the kitchen. I always assumed that baking and cooking was second nature. That it just kind of happened because there were always amazing meals and delicious treats.

Now that I’m the homemaker, I appreciate the energy it takes to constantly plan and prepare meals and I realize that I never thanked my sweet wonderful mother enough. I think I’ll call her and do that now.

Mom’s Spaghetti
from my mom

1 pound ground beef (or you can use turkey)
1 large onion, finely minced
28 ounce can chopped tomatoes
8 ounce can tomato paste
1-2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, cook onion and meat until no longer pink. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer 1-2 hours.

Perfect Roast Chicken and Vegetables

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This recipe has been shared before, but it is absolutely one of my FAVORITE dinners to make.  I love roasting chickens. They are so easy. Yes, easy. If you’ve never roasted a chicken for dinner you are missing out! If the picture in your head requires you to slave over a hot stove, basting and fretting over your bird, you need a reality check. A few minutes of prep and then into the oven it goes. No work required for an hour and a half while it cooks. When it’s done, it looks like Norman Rockwell came and painted dinner on your table. Gorgeous!

This chicken is well-flavored with butter, lemon and garlic. Stuffed inside the chicken roughly chopped, the flavor makers require almost zero prep. As far as the veggies around the chicken go, feel free to use baby carrots if you want to cut out the step of cutting up whole ones. Sometimes, I add a little poultry seasoning to the butter that gets rubbed under the skin. Sometimes not. Either way it’s delectable.

The veggies actually are my favorite part of this meal. My husband says as delicious as the chicken is, it’s really just a side dish to the perfection of the roasted vegetables. Just look at that amazing golden color. Ah-mazing.

Perfect Roast Chicken & Vegetables
(adapted from Ina Garten)

1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs (dried thyme can be substituted)
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter (melt 2 tablespoons)
1 large yellow onion, cut into 8 chunks
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
3 russet potatoes (or 5 red/baby potatoes)
Olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic.

Poke one finger under the breast skin at opening of the chicken. Wiggle around until the skin is separated from the meat. Repeat on other breast. Rub 1 T of butter underneath the skin on each side of the chicken breast. Brush the outside of the chicken with the melted butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and potatoes in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 10-15 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

Coconut Curry Chicken

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Sometimes, you need to try a little something different. In an effort to expose my kids to more than just American cuisine, I decided to make this light and delicious meal with the pungent spices of India. The dish also heavily relies on coconut milk, which mellows it out and gives it a nice sweetness. When I first saw the toppings I was a little skeptical. I don’t think I’ve ever put raisins in my dinner. And, combined with curry? But, I was feeling adventurous and I’m glad I broadened my horizons. It was delicious. The chicken was perfectly cooked and the crunch of the peanuts, sweetness of the coconut and raisins really made the spicy richness of the curry shine.

If you’re feeling stuck in a bit of a cooking rut and are looking for something to spice up the dinner table, this is it. It’s a little unusual and certainly very different than the normal fare that graces my table, but I figured anything that had potatoes AND rice in it couldn’t be bad! The original recipe called for it to be prepared in a crock pot, but it only cooked for 5 hours. Which, I find kind of defeats the purpose of crock pot cooking. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a job that only requires you to be there for half a normal workday, 5 measly hours in the crock pot isn’t really going to help you. Besides, the meal comes together my way in about a half hour – so I don’t see the need for busting out the slow cooker.

Coconut Curry Chicken
adapted from Taste of Home, Healthy Cooking Cookbook

  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
  • 1 cup light coconut milk
  • 4 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups hot cooked rice
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
  • Raisins, flaked coconut and chopped peanuts, optional

Directions

  • In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, brown chicken on both sides.
  • Remove and set aside. In the same pan, cook the onion and potatoes briefly until softened/slightly browned. In a small bowl, combine the coconut milk, curry, garlic, bouillon, salt and pepper; pour over onions and potatoes. Scrape up any brown bits that are on the bottom of the pan. Add chicken back to the pan. Cover and cook on low for 25 minutes until meat is tender. Depending on the thickness desired for your sauce, add additional coconut milk to thin slightly.
  • Serve chicken and sauce with rice; sprinkle with green onions. Garnish with raisins, coconut and peanuts if desired.
    Yield:     4 servings.

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

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Do you ever want to pick up the giant box of frozen taquitos at the warehouse store but have no idea where you would store them? Well, with this recipe you can make your own, in whatever quantity you can manage to make room for in between frozen corn and random half bags of ice leftover from your last party. I made a double batch, half corn and half flour tortillas which ended up making 36 taquitos. Now I have them ready for when I’m feeling lazy and don’t want to come up with something for dinner (or lunch). 20 minutes straight from the freezer and you have a delicious homemade meal that you can feel great serving to your family. You could even make them, freeze them and have them for a party appetizer! Yum!

At the beginning of every week I poach a few chicken breasts. It’s really easy. Boil broth in a medium saucepan, add the chicken – making sure it’s completely covered by the broth. Cover and turn off the heat. Allow the residual heat from the broth to gently cook the chicken for about 20 minutes (or until it’s cooked thru). Remove from broth and then shred with two forks or throw it into your Kitchen Aid with the paddle attachment and turn it on medium for about 30 seconds. Seriously. Shreds chicken perfectly. Like a restaurant. I keep a bag of it in my fridge pretty much at all times. It’s fantastic for throwing into casseroles, soups, making tacos or these taquitos.

So, I took a few cups of my already prepared chicken and added it to some cream cheese, spices, onion, salsa and fresh cilantro. Mix it all up and you’re ready to fill your tortillas.

Heat up a couple tortillas at a time to soften so they don’t break apart when you roll them. Corn tortillas will need a little longer in the microwave than flour. I put mine under a slightly damp paper towel for about 20-30 seconds. Put a couple of tablespoons of the mixture on the bottom third of the tortilla and then roll.

Repeat until all the mixture is used. Then you can freeze for later, or bake them up right away. If freezing, “flash freeze” them in a single layer on a  baking sheet. 15-20 minutes until they’re firm.

Then you can put them in a freezer bag and they won’t stick together. Easy easy.

When you cook these up they get all crispy on the outside with that rich chickeny cheesy filling melted up on the inside and are just divine. Use your favorite tortilla. Flour or corn works just as well. I know. I’ve tried both.

All ready to be devoured by your whole family. Mmmmm.

Creamy Chicken Taquitos
from Chef-in-Training

  • 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup green salsa
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (juice from half a lime)
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp sliced green onions
  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican flavored cheese
  • small flour or corn tortillas
  • kosher salt
  • cooking spray
Preheat your oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic. Once combined, stir in the cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly.
(If you decided to prep this in advance, refrigerate the mixture at this point until ready to continue.)
Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between two paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (about 20 – 30 seconds). Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can.
Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the mixture is gone.  Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.
Serve with salsa, sour cream or guacamole.
**To freeze:  Before baking, flash freeze the taquitos in a single layer on a baking sheet then place in a labeled freezer bag and store up to 3 months.  To bake a frozen taquito (no need to thaw first): Preheat oven to 425˚F and bake for 20 minutes.  (Flash Freeze means freezing the taquitos in a single layer for 15-20 minutes so that when you add them to the freezer bag, they will not all stick together).

Chicken Cacciatore

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Cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian. Preparing food hunter-style basically means stick it in a pot, cover with fresh veggies and herbs and let it cook. Which is exactly what you do with this dish. It’s hearty and delicious, full of fork tender chicken and a fantastic vegetable sauce. A perfect pairing with pasta and crusty bread. I generally find that making Italian food (and Mexican food too) destroys my kitchen. Not so  with this fabulous chicken dish. It gets cooked in one pan, and the majority of the cook time it’s just simmering itself into deliciousness. Score! Continue reading →