Chicken Meatballs with Orzo

 Chicken Meatballs

1 pound ground chicken

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 chopped fresh parsley (optional)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Garlic Parmesan Orzo

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups dry orzo pasta

2/3 cup cream

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups fresh spinach

1. Mix meatball ingredients: In a large bowl, combine chicken, bread crumbs, cheese, milk, egg, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic, onion powder, and pepper. Mix well, then let it sit for a bit before using it.
2. Cook meatballs: Roll the meat mixture into 1-1¼” balls, put them into a hot pan with oil, and sear until golden brown.
3. Make sauce and add orzo: Sauté the garlic, add the broth, and deglaze the pan. Bring it to a low boil, then add the orzo, cream, parmesan, salt, and pepper, and stir.
4. Add meatballs: Place the meatballs on top of the sauce, cover, and simmer to cook.
5. Add fresh spinach: After meatballs are cooked, gently stir in spinach; heat until wilted.

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Crockpot Turkey

 3 lb butterball turkey breast

1/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon Lawry's seasoning salt

Combine butter and seasonings. 

With the thawed turkey, take out of package, but keep the netting on.

Spread butter mixture over turkey.

Place turkey in crockpot on low for 5 hours, or until turkey reaches at least 165 degrees.

Make gravy that comes with the turkey, or see link below for an accompanying gravy recipe. 

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Lemon Chicken Orzo

3 tsp olive oil, divided

1 lb diced chicken breast

salt and pepper

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 cup orzo

2 cloves minced garlic

2 1/4 cups chicken broth (I did 2 cups + some water)

1 cup asparagus in 1" pieces (or broccoli or other veggie)

3 to 5 oz spinach or kale

zest and juice from one lemon

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

• 
  
• Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot add in the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the chicken is thoroughly cooked then remove it from the skillet onto a plate.
• Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil to the skillet then add in the onion. Sauté for one minute or until the onion starts to soften.
• Add in the orzo and garlic and sauté for about a minute. Pour in the chicken broth, stir everything together and bring it to a boil.
• Once boiling, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes and then add the asparagus. Simmer covered for an additional 5 minutes, then add the spinach. Cook for one minute or until spinach is wilted. Remove the lid and if there is any excess liquid remaining continue to cook uncovered for another minute.
• Add the cooked chicken back into the skillet and stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and Parmesan cheese until everything is combined. Garnish with more Parmesan cheese, if desired. 

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Chicken Noodle Soup

Soup

3 Tbs. butter

1 diced yellow onion

2 cups chopped carrots

2 cups chopped celery

2 chicken breasts (about 3/4 lbs)

8 cups chicken broth (four 14.5-oz. cans)

3 bay leaves

1 tsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. dried parsley flakes

Noodles

1 egg

2 Tbs. cold water

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup flour

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat; add onion, carrots, and celery. Sautee 5-7 minutes, until they start to tenderize. 

Add remaining soup ingredients; cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked.

While soup is simmering, make dough for the noodles. Whisk together egg, salt, and water, then gradually add flour. Mix/knead until dough forms into a smooth ball, about 2 minutes. Let rest for 20 minutes.

When chicken has cooked, remove breasts from pot, shred, and return to pot. Bring back to a simmer.

Cut noodle dough in half; roll until thin (1/4 inch) and use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut into skinny strips, then across to create 1 - 1.5 inch noodles. Add to simmering soup; noodles have cooked when they float (1-2 minutes).

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Lasagna

Tomato-Meat Sauce

Cheese Filling (combine ingredients below)

12 lasagna noodles, fresh or no-boil (if not, boil noodles beforehand)

4 cups mozzarella, shredded

Cheese Filling

1 3/4 cups ricotta cheese

1 1/4 cups parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread bottom of 9x13 pan with 1/4 cup meat sauce (with no large meat chunks). 

Place noodles in single layer on top of the sauce. Spread each noodle with 3 Tbs. ricotta filling, then cover entire layer with 1 cup mozarella. Top evenly with 1 1/2 cups meat sauce.

Repeat above layering two more times.

After last three noodles are placed, spread with remaining sauce, then remaining mozzarella, then remaining parmesan. 

Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes.

From America's Test Kitchen Cookbook.

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Tomato-Meat Sauce

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, minced

6 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 2 Tbs.)

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 28-oz can tomato puree

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, drained

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat; add onion and cook about 2 minutes then add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

Increase head to medium-high and add beef, pork, salt, and pepper. Break meat up for about 4 minutes (but do not brown). Add cream and simmer about 4 minutes, until liquid evaporates. 

Add tomato puree and diced tomatoes; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 3 minutes.

From America's Test Kitchen cookbook.

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Shredded Chicken in the Instant Pot

Place one cup water in bottom of pot (less for smaller quart pot). Place trivet in pot, and chicken breasts on trivet. Season as desired. Pressure cook on high for 12 minutes if frozen, 8 minutes if thawed. Do quick release, and shred chicken with fork(s).

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Stuffed Bell Peppers

• 6 bell peppers, any color
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 15 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, plus more to sprinkle on top
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional) 
• cooking spray

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a large baking dish with cooking spray.
• Slice the tops off the peppers and remove the ribs and seeds inside.
• Place the peppers cut side down in the baking dish. Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the dish.
• Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
• While the peppers are cooking, prepare the filling. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
• Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook for 5-6 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until meat is cooked through.
• Add the onion to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add the rice, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove the peppers from the oven and drain off the water. Turn the peppers over and fill each one with the beef mixture.
• Top each pepper with the remaining cheese. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned and peppers are tender.
• Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.

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Chicken and Rice Bake

1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 cup water
3/4 cup uncooked rice
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper

In a 2qt shallow baking dish mix soup, water, rice, paprika, and pepper. Place chicken on rice mixture. Sprinkle with additional paprika and pepper. Cover.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

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Breakfast Casserole

 8 to 16 ounces bacon, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
 1/2 cup small diced onion
 8 large eggs, lightly beaten
 4-5 cups (20-24 ounces) shredded hash browns, frozen or thawed
 1 teaspoon salt (I use coarse kosher salt)
 1/4 teaspoon pepper
 3/4 cup cottage cheese
 3/4 cup sour cream
 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese (preferably sharp)
 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
 Chopped green onions or chives, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon and onion until cooked through and crisp (for the bacon). Drain excess grease.
3. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, bell pepper, hash browns, cottage cheese, sour cream, and cheese. Add the bacon and onions. Mix to combine.
4. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan (at this point the casserole can be covered and refrigerated overnight).
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes until lightly golden on the edges, puffy in the center, and a thin knife comes out clean from the center (add 10-15 minutes to the baking time if the casserole has been refrigerated).
6. Garnish with chopped green onions or chives. Let the casserole rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

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Orange Glazed Chicken & Sweet Potato Kabobs

• 2 large sweet potatoes (or yams), peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 8 kebab skewers
• 4 (4 to 6 ounce) boneless and skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (more or less if desired)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat a grill to medium high heat or an oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water.
3. On each skewer, place one cube of chicken and one cube of boiled sweet potato. Repeat until the skewer is full.
4. In a small mixing bowl, combine orange juice, crushed red pepper, honey, olive oil, and ginger. Brush each skewer with the mixture. Place on a baking sheet or directly on the grill and cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Turn and brush with more of the orange juice mixture. Bake for another 6 to 8 minutes until chicken is firm and cooked through and potatoes are soft.
5. Remove from the oven or off the grill and sprinkled with fresh thyme and fresh parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy!

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Chicken Pot Pie

Note: I never measure the vegetables.  The original recipe calls for 1 C carrots, ¾ C celery, and 1 C frozen peas and no other vegetables.  I like all the other vegetables so I’ve always just thrown in what I have. I usually cut up all the veggies and boil them and then add enough to the sauce so that the sauce to vegetable ratio seems correct to me.  I make this in a 9” deep dish pan and always use at least twice the amount of vegetables than what’s listed below. I also double the sauce recipe for my 9” deep dish pan. There’s usually extra filling that I freeze and use another time.  

Crust
2 Unbaked Pie Crusts (9” each).  I usually just buy the pre-made refrigerated ones.  

Filling
4 large Potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks

1 C Carrots, cut into bite-sized chunks

3/4 C Celery, cut into bite-sized chunks

3/4 C Cauliflower, cut into small florets/bite-sized pieces

3/4 C Broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces1 C Frozen green peas

1 pound Shredded, cooked chicken (I usually throw some chicken breasts in the crock pot the day before and shred it while it’s hot and then store in the refrigerator until I’m ready to assemble the pie)

Boil potatoes, carrots, celery, and cauliflower for approximately 8 minutes (so they’re almost tender, but not quite done).  With about 2 minutes left, add broccoli. Remove from heat and drain

Sauce
1/3 C Butter
1/3 C Chopped onion
1/3 C Flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 C Chicken broth
2/3 C Milk

In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, boiled vegetables, frozen peas, and the sauce. Stir together until the sauce is evenly distributed among the vegetables. Add salt to taste.

Place one pie crust in the bottom of a pie plate.  Place the chicken/vegetable/sauce mixture into the pie crust.  Cover with the second pie crust, seal edges, and remove excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

If making ahead of time—cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.  Remove from fridge about an hour before baking.

Bake at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly.  

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Chicken Fajita Pasta

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 envelope (3 tablespoons) taco or fajita seasoning 
• 2 cups diced onion (about 1 whole onion)
• 2 cups diced bell peppers (2-3 bell peppers)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 (10-oz) can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles
• 8 oz (about 3 cups) penne pasta
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season with half of taco seasoning. In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat. When the oil is very hot, carefully add the chicken in a single layer and cook without stirring until one side is seared and browned, about 1-2 minutes. Flip the chicken to the other side and cook until browned. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet with the heat still on high. When the oil is very hot again, add the onions, bell peppers, and remaining taco seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are slightly blackened. Turn heat to low, add minced garlic, and stir until fragrant and well combined, about 30 seconds. Remove the veggies to the plate with the chicken.
3. In the same skillet, add the broth, cream, diced tomatoes, uncooked pasta, and salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 15 minutes until pasta is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed. Add the chicken and veggies back into the skillet and stir to combine until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve with buttery garlic bread and enjoy!

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Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork

Ingredients:

1 (2 lb) boneless pork tenderloin
1 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 c water

Glaze
1/2 c brown sugar
1 Tbs cornstarch
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1/2 c water
2 Tbs soy sauce

Directions:
Combine sage, salt, pepper, and garlic.  Rub over roast.  Place is slow cooker with 1/2 c water.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  About 1 hr before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in a small sauce pan.  Heat and stir until mixture thickens.  Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking.  Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

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Un-Stuffed Pepper Soup

1 lb ground beef or pork 
2 tbsp oil 
1 large onion, chopped 
2 carrots, chopped 
2 celery sticks, chopped 
2 large bell peppers, one red and one green, chopped 
1 tsp dried oregano 
½ tsp sweet paprika 
2 cups canned whole or chopped tomatoes 
¼ cup rice, uncooked 
Salt and pepper after taste 
8 cups water or beef stock  (I do 4 cups beef broth and 4 cups water)

Heat the oil in a large pot and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the carrots and celery. When the vegetables are softened, add the oregano and paprika, then the meat, breaking it with a wooden spoon. Add the water or beef stock, the peppers and about a teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Bring to a boil, and then add the tomatoes (if using whole tomatoes, break it with your hands). Let boil for about 15 minutes, add the rice and let boil for another 15 minutes, when the rice and peppers are done.

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Gnocchi Chicken Minestrone

1-1/4 pounds chicken tenderloins, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 each small green, sweet red and yellow peppers, finely chopped
1 medium zucchini, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped prosciutto or deli ham
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
3/4 cup canned white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 package (16 ounces) potato gnocchi
1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese
8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Sprinkle chicken with oregano, salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven, saute chicken in 1 tablespoon oil until no longer pink. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, cook the peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and onion in remaining oil until tender. Add prosciutto and garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the broth, tomatoes, beans, peas, tomato paste and chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain; stir into soup. Garnish each serving with cheese and basil. 

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Tomato Basil Soup

6lbs tomatoes (if on vine still, just roast on the vine)
8 garlic cloves, whole in paper
½ cup of olive oil

4 Tbs butter
2 large yellow onions (roughly chopped)
handful of basil
4 cups chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream
kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Arrange tomatoes and garlic on a sheet pan. Drizzle the tomatoes with ½ cup of olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt.

Roast tomatoes and garlic in the oven for 30 minutes, and then remove pan from the oven to cool.

In a soup pot, melt butter and add chopped onions. Sweat until tender (it is ok if they get some brown caramelization on them).

Squeeze the roasted garlic from the paper, and remove all of the stems and vines from the roasted tomatoes.

Dump all of the tomatoes, garlic and juice into the soup pot with the onions, add the handful of basil and the chicken stock. Turn the heat to medium-high, and let the soup cook for about 15 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until completely smooth. Stir in (do not blend!!) the heavy cream.

Serve hot and garnish with fresh basil or shaved parmesan.

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Biggest Loser Pancakes

6 egg whites
1 cup rolled oats, dry
1 cup cottage cheese
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla 

In a blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. Heat a griddle or large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. For each pancake pour 1/4 cup of batter onto griddle. Flip when they start to bubble. Cook until golden brown. Repeat with remaining batches, spraying the griddle as needed.

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Kneaders French Toast

8 large slices Cinnamon Swirl Bread
8 eggs
3 cups milk
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons butter

Butter a 9 x 13 glass baking dish generously. Place the bread flat in the baking dish. Mix all remaining ingredients, reserving the butter and dip the bread thoroughly in the egg mixture, then place flat in the baking dish.   Cut butter into pieces and dot over the top. Refrigerate over night or at least one hour. Bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Kneaders Caramel Syrup

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup heavy whipping cream 

1 cup light Karo syrup

Blend together and heat on stove top until sugar is smooth. Serve warm.

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Breakfast Casserole

12 eggs
1 cup of shredded cheese
3 cups of shredded hash browns
1 can of crescent roll dough
6 slices of bacon (more if you are a bacon freak like me)
optional: other toppings: veggies, other meats, cheeses, mushrooms etc.
salt and pepper to taste

Fry up bacon and place on a paper towel to drain.
Roll out the crescent roll dough into a greased casserole dish.
Spread shredded hash browns on top of the dough.
Beat eggs in a bowl, salt and pepper to taste, and spread over the hash browns.
Crumble up bacon and sprinkle the bacon bits over the eggs.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
Remove casserole from oven and sprinkle cheese on top; place back in oven just until cheese melts.

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