Dinner

Skillet Roasted Mexican Chicken

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Mexican spiced chicken breasts with melted cheese, seared and roasted in a cast iron skillet.  Easy for a weeknight and delicious enough for a weekend!

This is one of those recipes that isn’t much of a recipe, but more a method.  It mimics blackened chicken, but with a Mexican twist.  We love Mexican food, and this is an easy way to make a start to a meal that spins into many variations – pleasing different needs with one main course.  Add it to a burrito bowl with rice and beans, top a salad, or just eat the chicken on its own – it all works.  

The simplicity of this recipe is why it shines – it’s easy, fast, and uses only a few ingredients.  The chicken is seasoned with taco spices, pan seared, then roasted with cheese on top to finish in the oven.  This process leads to juicy chicken, without the hassle of trying to perfectly cook chicken through on the stove top.  I love Trader Joe’s taco seasoning, or you can use this recipe for homemade if you have time – 

https://walestable.com/oven-baked-tacos-with-cilantro-ranch/

This method for cooking chicken works in a million recipes – blackened, just salt and pepper, with or without cheese.  The ease comes from the circulatory heat of the oven evenly cooking the chicken breasts all the way through instead of relying on heat from the pan to do all the work.  

Skillet Roasted Mexican Chicken

Print Recipe
Mexican spiced chicken breasts, pan seared and oven roasted with melty cheddar and pepper jack
Course dinner
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Mexican, Chicken, Roasted Chicken, Skillet Chicken
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  • 6 split chicken breasts
  • 2 Tbsp Mexican or Taco Seasoning (my recipe link in notes below, or store-bought)
  • 3 Tbsp Canola or Avocado Oil
  • 12 oz Grated Cheese Cheddar, Pepper-Jack, Montery Jack - anything you like!
  • sliced avocado, cilantro, sour cream for toppings

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and position a rack in the center of the oven
  • Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium heat - I prefer cast iron for recipes like this.
  • Rinse and pat the chicken breasts dry, then season liberally with the taco or Mexican seasoning on both sides.
  • Heat the oil in the skillet, and sear the chicken breasts (three at a time, so in two batches) for about 7 minutes , then flip for a minute or two. Remove to a plate, and then repeat with the remaining three chicken breasts. When done, load all of the chicken back into the skillet, leaving the more cooked sides facing UP. Top evenly with the grated cheese, and throw the skillet into the oven to roast for approximately 8-12 more minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts. NOTE: if you are only making 3 or 4, you can do this whole process in one step, but if you do more than that the chicken won't sear properly. Alternatively, you can use two skillets at the same time, and roast simultaneously as well. Chicken is cooked when it reaches 160 degrees - it will continue to cook as it sits in the pan out of the oven.
  • When the chicken has rested, serve sliced over Spanish rice, a salad or chopped into taco's. This is a great leftover item for lunch the next day. Toppings like sliced avocado cilantro, salsa and sour cream are great additions. Enjoy!

Notes

This is a very adaptable recipe that makes great leftovers - the chicken stands alone, goes great with rice, salad, into tacos or quesadilla's, burritos - you name it.  It tastes just as good the next day, and is quick and easy with little prep and only one pan.
Taco seasoning - you can use this recipe, or make your own, and store bought is great too - I love Trader Joe's taco seasoning.  https://walestable.com/oven-baked-tacos-with-cilantro-ranch/
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Sweet

Peanut Butter Balls

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the ultimate holiday treat – chocolate covered peanut butter perfection!

If there is one treat from my childhood that makes me think of Christmas, it’s these chocolate peanut butter balls.  We spent most years celebrating with my cousins, three older boys to our three girls, and they affectionately called them “Elephant Balls.”  We avoided that title and stuck with the more benign “peanut butter balls”.  Whatever you call them, they are delicious and I warn you that if you make them, you should double the batch.  Or triple.  

I neglected to take an ingredient photo for this one, but it’s so simple, it really isn’t necessary.  Peanut Butter, butter, confectioners sugar, Rice Krispies, chocolate and coconut oil.  That’s it.  Just make sure you use the old school Jiff or Skippy peanut butter – the natural stuff just doesn’t cut it in this recipe.  

These require no baking, come together quickly, and despite the mess, they really are fun to make.  It’s a great recipe to get kids involved with.  

Peanut Butter Balls

Print Recipe
crunchy peanut butter balls covered in decadent chocolate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword peanut butter balls, chocolate peanut butter
Servings 24 balls

Ingredients

  • 16 oz jar of creamy peanut butter Jiff or Skippy - not the natural stuff
  • 1 stick butter, at room temp or slightly softer
  • 1 lb confectioners sugar
  • 2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
  • 24 oz chocolate chips (semi sweet or milk, or mixed)
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter and softened butter, then mix in the powdered sugar. Last, add the Rice Krispies, using your hands to combine all the ingredients into a relatively balanced dough.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and start rolling balls of the dough that are roughly the size of a ping pong ball. Stack them on the baking sheet, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • In a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water, melt the chocolate along with the coconut oil until smooth and runny. You can use any kind of chocolate, semi sweet and milk chocolate is a great combination, but pick one or the other if you prefer.
  • When the balls have chilled, and the chocolate is ready, line another baking sheet with parchment paper. Using two large spoons, start dipping the peanut butter balls into the chocolate, dripping the excess before placing onto the new baking sheet. Allow them to cool, and store in the fridge for up to 10 days in an airtight container.
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Dinner

Weeknight Bolognese

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Easy pasta bolognese, delicious and simple – from the Barefoot Contessa!

This recipe is completely untouched as it is perfection in a bowl – Ina Garten’s Weeknight Bolognese cannot be improved upon.  It’s one of the recipes that made me want to start this blog – worth sharing and repeating, again and again.  We used to make it every Friday night – it’s also showing up on birthdays and would be an amazing Christmas dinner!

Critics say this isn’t bolognese, as it doesn’t have the long list of ingredients and doesn’t take all day to simmer.  The simple fact is that it tastes as good as the real deal, and is honestly one of the easiest dishes to make.  It can be prepared ahead, easily reheated, frozen, delivered, and gifted.  It’s a multi-tasking meal that you all need to make, if you haven’t already.  

Weeknight Bolognese

Print Recipe
Barefoot Contessa's most perfect pasta recipe - easy and absolutely delicious!
Course dinner
Cuisine Italian
Keyword bolognese, pasta
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb ground beef (85-90% lean)
  • 4 colves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/4 cups red wine, divided I use Pinot Noir or Cabernet
  • 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes I like San Marzano
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 lb dried pasta
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus extra for serving

Instructions

  • Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large dutch oven or high sided skillet. Add the ground beef, breaking up and stirring until cooke through and is no longer pink in color, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes, and cook for one minute. Pour 1 cup of the wine into the pot and stir to scrape up any ground bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt and 1 tsp black pepper, stirring until combined. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to package directions, for al dente.
  • While the pasta cooks, finish the sauce. Add the nutmeg, basil, cream, along with the remaining 1/4 cup red wine to the sauce and simmer for a few more minutes until slightly thickened. Add the grated parmesan at the very end, then toss with the cooked pasta. Garnish with extra grated parmesan and freshly torn basil leaves. ENJOY!

Notes

This recipe is on a weekly rotation in our house, and shows up for holidays and birthdays as well.  It's easy enough for any night, but special enough for the best occasions.  It's foolproof, simple, and I love it.  Thank you Ina!
This is also a recipe you can double, triple, even quadruple for a crowd.  The sauce freezes well in quart size containers, and always tastes even better the next day.  I also think it would make an excellent lasagna sauce - maybe a future recipe!
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Appetizers/Snacks

The Best Chex Mix, Ever.

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It’s the holidays, and this means it’s time to make Chex Mix.  This one is much like the classic recipe, with more of the good stuff, and some upgraded ingredients.  It’s so good, I’m going to make it throughout the year – life is too short for holiday snacks to only come around in December!

Chex Mix is one of the most nostalgic foods from my childhood – the ultimate holiday snack that brings back the best memories with every bite.  This one is ramped up with extra flavor all around, and a slight change up on ingredients.  

My mom always made this with cheerios, which aside from the pretzels, was my favorite part.  I think it was because the cheerios soaked up so much of the butter, so when I wanted to make a better batch, I added more butter, and instead of cheerios, I used oyster crackers.  They have a similar soak-ability but don’t get as lost in size – it worked out perfectly!  

BEST CHEX MIX EVER

Print Recipe
Classic Chex mix, with a little more of all the good stuff
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword chex mix, snack mix
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 10 people

Ingredients

  • 12 Tbsp melted butter
  • 4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt with the red top!
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 3 cups corn Chex cereal
  • 3 cups rice Chex cereal
  • 2 cups wheat Chex cereal
  • 2 cups pretzel sticks or snaps
  • 2 cups oyster crackers
  • 2 cups cashews

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 250 and set two racks in the center of the oven.
  • Combine the melted butter with all of the seasoning, and set aside while you toss the snack mix together.
  • In a very large bowl, throw all the cereals, pretzels, crackers and cashews together and mix. Slowly pour 1/2 of the butter mixture over the snacks, and toss to combine. Finish by adding the rest of the melted butter and seasoning, making sure to mix very thoroughly - doing this in two stages helps to ensure a more even coating of the good stuff!
  • Spread the snack mix between two large baking sheets, and bake in the oven at 250 degrees for one hour, stopping to stir and rotate the pans 1/2 way through.
  • Cool and store at room temp in an airtight container - lasts for a week, if it doesn't disappear immediately!
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Sweet

Chocolate Brownie Tart with Salted Caramel Segments

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Rich and Delicious Dark Chocolate Homemade Brownie, baked into a tart and studded with salted caramel shards.

Our family is lucky to celebrate many birthdays during the month of October, which means a lot of cake in a short stretch.  Sometimes you want to celebrate with something that isn’t cake – enter this brownie tart.  It hits all the satisfying notes of brownies but in a cake shape that makes it feel festive.  It’s special enough to stand out in any pan, so adjust for what you have on hand.  To be quite honest, I personally would prefer this to pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. 

This recipe includes a salted caramel candy that you stick into the batter before baking, and it requires cooling time, so if you want to use this part, plan ahead.  It’s simple to make, but slightly time consuming for cook time (15 mins) and cooling time (20 mins).  You could omit this step and the brownies will be delicious too.  

 This recipe is based on Tieghan Girard’s Caramel Mocha Nutella Brownies, with some tweaks I felt balanced things a bit.  Her recipe can be found here – it’s amazing too!  https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/caramel-mocha-nutella-brownies/#wprm-recipe-container-112818

Chocolate Brownie Tart with Salted Caramel Segments

Print Recipe
Crinkle Top chocolate brownies studded with homemade salted caramel pieces
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword chocolate brownies, salted caramel
Servings 10

Equipment

  • Tart pan.

Ingredients

Homemade Caramel Slab

  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 4 Tbsp salted butter
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • malden sea salt for sprinkling on top

Brownies

  • 12 Tbsp salted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 Tbsp instant coffee granules optional
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder I use Hershey's
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

Homemade Caramel Slab

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and make room for it in the freezer if possible, or at least the refrigerator. The Caramel will need to fully cool before you make the brownies.
  • In a large saucepan, cook the sugar over medium heat, watching carefully not to burn or cook too quickly. The sugar will slowly turn into a caramel color over the course of about 7-8 minutes, with frequent stirring to prevent hot spots. When you have reached the desired color, add the butter, melt completely, and then stir in the cream, continuing to cook over medium heat for several more minutes. You want the caramel to hit a consistency where it coats the back of a wooden spoon - about 4 minutes more.
  • Off the heat, pour the hot caramel (CAREFULLY!) onto the parchment paper on the baking sheet, and sprinkle with flaked sea salt if desired. Transfer it to cool in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
  • When completely cooled, break the caramel into small shards to literally stick into the brownie batter right before cooking. You will have some leftover - this is great for snacking!

Brownies

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • If using a tart pan, grease liberally. If using a brownie pan or regular baking pan, line with parchment paper and grease as well.
  • In a large glass bowl, melt the 12 Tbsp butter and 1 cup of the chocolate chips, reserving 1/2 cup to stir into the batter. Heat for 1 minute, then stir and continue to cook at 20 second intervals until you hit a smooth melted consistency - this happens quickly, so don't burn the chocolate. When it's melted, stir in the sugar, vanilla, and the coffee granules.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the three eggs until whipped and fluffy (this will help the brownies with a crinkle top crust), and fold into the batter. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt) and stir gently into the batter until well mixed. Fold in the remaining chocolate chips, and pour the batter into the prepared pan. Stick shards of the broken caramel into the dough, as desired, then bake in the preheated oven for about 25- 30 minutes (time will vary based on pan size).
  • I like to serve these in wedges with vanilla ice cream on top - they are incredibly rich, and best served warm.

Notes

This recipe combines aspects from several of Tieghan Girard's on Half Baked Harvest, but most closely resembles her Caramel Mocha Nutella Brownies posted recently.  My version omits the Nutella, as well as the Kahlua, and I made extra caramel for topping.  
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Dinner, Lunch

Game Day Beef Chili

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The ultimate beef chili recipe, no beans, rich and hearty and perfectly balanced in flavor.

Most everyone loves chili this time of year, and it’s the perfect meal to make ahead for busy weekends, and it lasts for days as easy leftovers.  I’ve made dozens of recipes, and we have always had a tradition of this on Halloween – I hoped to get this up ahead of time, but better late than never!  This has become our favorite recipe by far.  No beans, all beef, loads of flavor – don’t skimp on the 6 Tablespoons of chili powder!  I promise it’s not too spicy.  This is almost an exact replica of Geoffrey Zakarian’s Game Day Chili – I adjusted the tomatoes a bit for consistency.  https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/geoffrey-zakarian/game-day-chili-2306029

I try to use good quality beef for this – it cooks for a while, and anything honestly will work, but the flavor of grass fed works really well here.  This makes a HUGE batch, so definitely plan to invite friends over for dinner.  

Game Day Beef Chili

Print Recipe
Rich and hearty beef chili
Course dinner, Lunch, Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword chili, beef chili
Servings 10

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3 lbs ground beef use grass fed if you can
  • salt and pepper
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 large yellow onions, chopped
  • 2 bunches scallions, chopped reserve some for topping
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 6 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 12 oz bottle of beer
  • 1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
  • 1 28 oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups chicken or beef stock
  • 2 Tbsp Red Tabasco Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Green Tabasco Sauce

Toppings

  • cilantro
  • sliced jalepeno or serano pepper
  • full fat greek yogurt, or sour cream
  • sliced avacado

Instructions

  • In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the ground meat. Cook and stir occasionally, breaking up until browned all over and you can hear a slight crackling in the pan, letting you know the moisture has cooked away, about 15 minutes. Don't skip this long cooking step with browning the beef. Season with salt and pepper, about 1 Tbsp salt and 2 tsp black pepper.
  • Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, onions and half of the scallions and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Make a space in the pan and drop in the tomato paste. Let toast for 1 minute and then stir into the meat. Sprinkle on the chile powder. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  • Pour in the beer and cook until almost reduced away, about 4 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes and stock and season with the red and green hot sauce. Adjust the heat so the chili is gently simmering and cook, uncovered, until the chili is thick, dark red and flavorful, about 1 1/2 hours. Serve in bowls with the remaining scallions and suggested toppings.

Notes

This recipe is almost exactly the same as Geoffrey Zakarian's Game Day Chili - I swapped one can of tomatoes for crushed, as I prefer the consistency, but this recipe is perfect as it is!  
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Appetizers/Snacks, Dinner, Lunch

Everything Bagel Seasoned Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

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Grilled Cheddar and Mozzarella Cheese Sandwiches crusted with grated Parmesan and Everything Bagel Seasoning

My daughter’s 18th birthday brought a crowd of 20 hungry teenagers to my back deck, and grilled cheese was on the menu.  Not just any grilled cheese, this is the real deal, all grown up with the most delicious crust imaginable – a melty layer of grated parmesan and Everything Bagel seasoning makes this SPECIAL.

One problem with grilled cheese for 20, is you don’t want to make it ahead as it will get soggy.  However, this one can be fully prepped in advance, so the quick cooking can take place right before serving.  I found the crust almost stuck better after resting in the fridge for a while.  If you absolutely need to make everything ahead, you could try using a rack nested inside a baking sheet, in a 200 degree oven.  I didn’t quite have room for 20 that way!

Everything Bagel Seasoning Grilled Cheese

Print Recipe
Cheddar and Mozzarella Grilled Cheese, Crusted with Grated Parmesan and Everything Bagel Seasoning
Course dinner, Lunch, sandwich, Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 2

Ingredients

  • 4 slices sourdough or French country bread
  • 4 Tbsp room temp butter
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan
  • 2 Tbsp Everything Bagel Seasoning I like Trader Joe's "Everything but the Bagel"
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella

Instructions

  • Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium or medium-low heat, depending on how your burner runs - you don't want to burn the bagel seasoning, so go with lower to be safe.
  • In a pie plate, combine the grated parmesan and everything bagel seasoning to coat the outside of the bread. Spread a layer of butter on the outsides of the bread for the sandwich (one side only) and then press to adhere to the grated parmesan and bagel seasoning on the outside of the bread.
  • Heat 1 Tbsp of butter in the skillet, and lay the bread down, top with cheese (1/2 each of the cheddar and mozzarella), then top with the other slice of bread and cover with tinfoil or a lid to help melt the cheese. Flip after a few minutes when the cheese has formed a golden crust.
  • Serve warm with ketchup on the side!

Notes

There are many variations of everything bagel seasoned grilled cheese, and many of them use the bagels themselves.  This variation is credit to Half Baked Harvest, using the parmesan to help form a golden crust - it's literally sandwich perfection, and goes great with creamy tomato soup....
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Dinner

Spicy Ramen Noodles with Ground Chicken and Sneaky Veg

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Healthy Ramen Noodles with a Spicy Soy Ginger Sauce, Ground Chicken, Shitakes, and Kale, topped with hot sesame oil.   The mushrooms blend into the ground chicken with the sauce and can be completely undetectable if you have picky eaters – hence, the title…

If I’m being honest, this isn’t my style of food.  My family loves it, and I found this recipe makes me love it too.  It’s an adaptation from Half Baked Harvest’s 30 minute Spicy Sesame Noodles with Ginger Chicken, which is amazing and easy, and I’ve tweaked it slightly here.  It’s an easy meal to make ahead and leave in the pot, allowing everyone to heat portions as needed.  It’s also great the next day for lunch, or dinner again!  Great for the busy seasons, and healthy enough for a Monday night of feeling good about what you are eating.  

The ingredients are supremely healthy here, and as always, it’s worth the splurge to buy the good stuff.  I find the ramen noodles in packs of 4 at Whole Foods, pictured above (2 oz each) which means my family needs 1.25 boxes for this meal, but you likely would be fine with just one.  You can also use Ramen packets and simply discard the packaged seasoning.  I also should state this recipe is SPICY – in a REALLY delicious way, but if you don’t love spice, perhaps omit the red pepper flakes in both locations of this recipe, and substitute a small amount of black pepper with just the chicken mixture.  

Spicy Ramen Noodles with Ground Chicken and Sneaky Veg

Print Recipe
Ramen Noodles, with Ground Chicken, Kale, Mushrooms and a Spicy Ginger Soy Sauce.
Course dinner
Keyword ramen, noodles, healthy, ground chicken, kale, mushrooms
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate juice
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 3 Tbsp Sesame Oil
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 inch knob of fresh ginger, grated on a microplane
  • 3 cups finely chopped shiitakes and/or crimini mushrooms
  • 2-3 cups shredded tuscan kale ribs removed
  • 10 oz ramen noodles
  • 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1/4 cup scallions, sliced diagonally
  • pomegranate arils, for topping

Hot Sesame Oil for Topping

  • 1/4 cup sesame oil
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Instructions

  • In a glass measuring cup, mix the soy sauce, pomegranate juice, honey, and 1/2 cup water. Set aside for use later
  • In a large skillet with high sides, or a dutch oven, heat the sesame oil over medium heat, and cook the ground chicken until no longer pink. Add the red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, and mushrooms, stirring to combine and release the flavors. Add 1/2 of the soy sauce mixture, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the liquid has concentrated a bit. Add the kale and the remaining soy sauce mixture, and simmer over medium low heat for a few minutes until the kale has wilted, and everything comes together.
  • Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook the Ramen noodles according to package directions - drain and reserve to add to the chicken mixture in the large pot.
  • When the kale has wilted, add the noodles, along with the sesame seeds and sliced scallions, remove from the heat and stir to combine. When ready to serve, top with the Hot Sesame Oil below, or simply top with crushed peanuts, sliced scallions and pomegranate arils.

Hot Sesame OIl for topping

  • In a small saucepan, cook the sesame oil with the red pepper flakes until hot, then pour into a glass bowl with the chopped peanuts.

Notes

This recipe is an adaptation from Half Baked Harvest's 30 minute Spicy Sesame Noodles with Ginger Chicken - it's a great dish and I have only tweaked a few things.
If you have picky eaters, don't let them see the mushrooms - they will never know they are in there if you chop them up small enough!
This dish is spicy - tread lightly with the red pepper flakes if you aren't hoping for that!  
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Dinner

Roasted Italian Meatballs with Creamy Parmesan Polenta

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Roasted Italian Meatballs, simmered in marinara sauce, served with creamy parmesan polenta.  Two Barefoot Contessa recipes worth putting on repeat.  These are being dubbed “Bobby’s Meatballs” in a nod to Bobby Carlin, whose Thanksgiving was never complete without meatballs – we think he’d approve!

These recipes are both incredible on their own, and probably should be separate posts, but they are SO GOOD TOGETHER!  The meatballs are to die for, easy to make, and freeze well.  The polenta is perfection, and works well with roasted veggies or just straight out of the pot with a spoon.  Thanks Ina for being the food genius that never fails.  

I forgot to include the chopped garlic in the photo of ingredients for the polenta (right side).  The polenta is simple, and so are the meatballs, so once again, quality is key.  If you don’t like to use veal, just double the ground pork – the meatballs will be amazing.  

I purchase Quart size containers on Amazon (the ones you see in prepared food stores) as they freeze well and stack in the fridge easily.  You can make this ahead and serve later in the week – up to 3 days without freezing – the polenta should be made the same day though.  

Roasted Italian Meatballs with Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Print Recipe
Roasted Italian Meatballs simmered in marinara with creamy parmesan polenta - AKA "Bobby's Meatballs"
Course dinner
Cuisine Italian
Keyword meatballs, polenta
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

Roasted Italian Meatballs

  • 1 lb ground beef 85 percent is great here
  • 1/2 lb ground pork
  • 1/2 lb ground veal use double ground pork if you don't eat veal
  • 1 3/4 cups dry seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup freshly ground parmesan 2 oz
  • 1/2 cup freshly ground pecorino 2 oz
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes optional
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 3/4 cup red wine I use cabernet
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup olive oil this is for brushing the meatballs before baking
  • 2 jars Rao's Marinara (32 oz each)

Creamy Parmesan Polenta

  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups stone ground whole grain cornmeal Bob's Red Mill Medium Grind is great here
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan
  • 4-6 tbsp creme fraiche
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced

Instructions

Roasted Italian Meatballs

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and arrange two racks in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, veal, and pork together with a fork and your fingers, breaking it up as you go. Add the bread crumbs, pecorino, parmesan, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, eggs, wine and water, mixing thoroughly but gently - you don't want to compress the mixture.
  • Using a 2 oz (1 3/4") ice cream scoop, form the meatballs and spread evenly between the two baking sheets - you will have about 30 in total. Brush the tops with olive oil, and roast for about 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned.
  • In a large pot, heat the marinara sauce over a medium-low flame, and gently add the meatballs to the sauce, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Keep warm and serve with the polenta and a sprinkle of shaved parmesan.

Creamy Parmesan Polenta

  • Add the minced garlic to the chicken stock in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and slowly pour the cornmeal into the stock, stirring constantly with a whisk to break up any clumps that might form. Add the salt and pepper, and continue to simmer for another 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Depending on your desired consistency, remove from the heat when it hits the thickness you want. Off the heat, add the parmesan, creme fraiche, and diced butter. This will thicken the polenta as well. Taste for seasoning and serve hot with meatballs and sauce.
  • I let this sit in a covered pot off the heat, and reheat as needed, thinning with extra chicken stock. Many recipes say you can't make polenta ahead, but I find it reheats well like this.

Notes

These are two of my all time favorite Barefoot Contessa recipes, found in her book titled, "Cooking for Jeffrey".  The meatballs are even better the next day, freeze well, and please a crowd for a weeknight dinner,  holiday meal, or a game day sandwich spread.  My husband and son prefer the meatballs in a sub, but all the girls in our house like the polenta - almost more than the meatballs themselves!  My son also loves to bring leftovers for lunch at school in a thermos. 
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Dinner

Slow Cooker French Chicken with Mustard and Kale

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Slow cooked chicken simmered in white wine, mustard, and cream, with kale, shallots, and parmesan.  I truly love this with mashed potatoes, but baked rice or polenta are a great base too.  

A favorite slow cooker recipe that feeds a crowd and works for those busy weeknights most are experiencing this time of year.  This is a Half Baked Harvest gem – Tieghan Girard calls this “Slow Cooker French Wine and Mustard Chicken”. https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/slow-cooker-french-wine-and-mustard-chicken/, which fits but I changed the name a touch to reflect the flavors I find make the dish.  I absolutely love this, and you will too.  

Simple ingredients here, so quality is key.  Searing the chicken is important, imparting flavor and texture to the chicken, more than most slow cooked recipes I’ve tried.  The Sauce is simply thrown in and stirred, toss the chicken in with a few pats of butter and close the lid.  

Slow Cooker French Chicken with Mustard and Kale

Print Recipe
Slow cooked chicken simmered in white wine, mustard, and cream with kale, shallots and parmesan.
Course dinner
Cuisine American, French
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings 6
Cost $25

Equipment

  • slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 4-6 split chicken breasts, skin on, deboned roughly 2.5 lbs
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves, divided in half
  • 1 1/2 cups dry white wine I like Pinot Grigio
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream, or full fat canned coconut milk
  • 3 Tbsp dijon mustard
  • 3 Tbsp whole grain mustard
  • 3 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled, and minced
  • 2 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
  • 1 bunch tuscan kale, stemmed and roughly chopped

Instructions

  • Start by seasoning the chicken liberally with salt and black pepper, and 1 Tbsp of the chopped fresh thyme. Let the chicken rest and come close to room temp while you preheat a 12 inch skillet (cast iron works great here) to medium high heat.
  • In the basin of your slow cooker, combine the ingredients for the sauce - white wine, cream or coconut milk, both mustards, shallots, garlic, and the remaining Tbsp of thyme. Stir until you see everything come together.
  • When the skillet is hot, add 2 Tbsp of Olive oil, and sear the chicken, skin side down first, for roughly 3 minutes a side, looking for a golden crust. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan, as the skin will steam rather than get the desired color. I tend to do this in two batches, and keep the chicken on a plate to the side in between. When done, place all the chicken into the sauce in the slow cooker, keeping the skin up and out of the liquid. Add any remaining juices from the plate too - even if just a tablespoon of drippings, they hold incredible flavor. Throw the butter into the top in a few pieces, cover and cook on high for 2 1/2-3 hours. Cook time will depend on the size of your chicken breasts.
  • At the end of the cook time, remove the chicken to a plate, and toss the kale and parmesan into the cooking liquid. Cook on high for another 5-10 minutes until the kale is wilted. Then put the chicken back into the sauce, and serve as you like. I like this dish over baked white rice, mashed potatoes, even polenta. It also holds up on it's own with a side of salad.

Notes

This recipe is taken from Half Baked Harvest, Tieghan Girard's incredible food blog - she calls it "Slow Cooker French Wine and Mustard Chicken" - I have only made minimal tweaks, but renamed it as I think it claims the true flavors of the recipe more.  
You can make this with skinless chicken breasts, but I highly recommend using skin on - it's easy to de-bone chicken breasts if your butcher doesn't offer it cut this way.  
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