White Cheddar Chicken Pasta

This recipe has been making its way around the food blog world for a while, so I had to give it a try. It's a creamy and cheesy sauce with a hint of Dijon mustard served over herbed chicken and pasta - sounds delicious, doesn't it? It was!

The sauce reminded me a lot of the Dijon-chive sauce I made for pork, found here.

The recipe is originally by Homemade by Holman, and I first saw it on the Taste of Home Cooking blog. I made some minor changes, so my version is below.

Ingredients
For the chicken:

• 1 pound chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1/2 pound penne pasta
  

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 cup light cream
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 8 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Parmesan cheese to taste

Directions

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  
• Season chicken with the dry mustard, thyme, salt and pepper
  
• When pan is hot, add chicken and brown about on all sides until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove to a plate and cover with foil.
• Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.
• Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet you used to cook the chicken. Add garlic and onions and cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
  
• Add the flour and whisk to combine.
  
• Add wine; cook about 5 minutes, then reduce heat to low and add broth, cream, thyme, oregano, and Dijon, stirring to combine. Cook about 5-7 minutes more until mixture begins to thicken.
  
• Add cheddar cheese, stirring to melt cheese.
  
• Add chicken and pasta and toss to incorporate sauce.
  
• Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Loved this - nice and creamy, and I loved the combination of the sharp cheddar with the Dijon mustard. I will definitely make this one again!

Chicken in a Tomato-Basil Broth over Cous Cous

Tomatoes and basil in any dish together scream summer to me. And since we are in the middle of winter (actually, not even.. we have quite a bit of winter to go), who doesn't need a little bit of summer?

This recipe was inspired by a recipe in the blog I was given for the most recent Taste of Home Cooking recipe swap. For this swap, instead of submitting a specific recipe, we simply submitted our blogs and were given another blog from which we could choose any recipe. The blog I was given was Does Not Cook Well with Others. I browsed through her recipes, and decided to use this recipe for Chicken Tomato Basil Cous-Cous Salad as my inspiration. The original recipe is a cold salad, but I wanted to bring the flavors of summer to a hot dish.

Here is what I did -

Ingredients

• 1 box of pearled cous cous
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
• Salt, pepper, Italian herbs (I use McCormick Perfect Pinch Italian - it's just dried herbs, no salt)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 sm onion, chopped
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar (regular would work fine, but I didn't want to change the color of my dish)
• 3/4 c low sodium chicken broth
• Handful of fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade
• Optional: fresh mozzarella, about 1 tbsp per chicken breast, chopped

Directions

• Cook cous cous according to package directions
• Season chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning
• Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat
• Add chicken; saute 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a dish and keep warm.
  
• Add a touch of olive oil to your pan if it is dry. Add garlic and onions; saute 2 minutes.
  
• Add tomatoes, saute 2 minutes.
  
• Add balsamic vinegar and stir into ingredients for about 30 seconds.
  
• Add chicken broth and half of your basil. Bring to a steady simmer.
  
• Return chicken to the pan and let simmer 5 minutes.
  
• Serve over cous cous, top with the tomato broth, basil, and and the fresh mozzarella

Yes, this definitely tasted like summer!! Now if only I could wear flip-flops instead of boots...

Sweet and Spicy Asian Chicken with Brussels Sprouts

Last summer, Jon and I spent our anniversary dinner at Buddakan in Philadelphia, which is now on my list of top restaurants. Not only is the food out of this world, the atmosphere is so unique. From the two levels of interesting seating (complete with chairs with very life-like faces on them) and the loud music to the funky lighting and even a giant Buddha on one end of the dining room, this is a place you just have to experience. When our friends were coming to visit over the Thanksgiving holidays, I was excited to go back to Buddakan.

Everything we have tried there has been absolutely fabulous, but my favorite dish is one of their sides - Wok Charred Brussels Sprouts. They are so tender yet charred perfectly, and are served in a bowl with the most delicious sauce - flavors of soy and ginger and a few other things I just can't put my finger on (although I really want to recreate this dish!!).

I was craving these Brussels Sprouts a few weeks ago, and I happened to have some fresh ones in the fridge, so I threw together a chicken dish with Brussels sprouts that had flavors pretty similar to those at Buddakan. It was quick and easy too - another plus!

My recipe is my own creation, and was inspired by this recipe for Spicy Asian Chicken with Brussels Sprouts.

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into disc shaped, 1/3 inch thick pieces (see pictures)
  
• 2 carrots, chopped into 1/4 inch thick rounds
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c low sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 c rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp chili garlic paste
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• Brussels sprouts - about 20 of them, cleaned, bottoms chopped off, then sliced into disc shaped pieces.
  

Directions

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan or wok over medium high heat
• Add chicken, saute 2 minutes
• Add carrots, onions, and garlic; saute 5 minutes
• Mix broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili garlic paste, brown sugar, and ginger; Add to pan, bring to a boil for 4-5 minutes.
• Add the Brussels sprouts and let simmer 5 minutes.
  
• Serve over rice or noodles.
  

Mahogany Beef Stew

If I had to choose my favorite thing about Sundays besides having my family around, it would be cooking. Sunday is a day when I can spend some time in the kitchen creating something comforting and delicious for my family to enjoy.

So this Sunday I decided to make beef stew, but wanted something different than my favorite Guinness Beef Stew (which was my absolute favorite beef stew until about 4 hours ago...).

I came across a recipe for Mahogany Beef Stew on the Epicurious site and was intrigued by the use of tomatoes with Italian herbs along side hoisin sauce. I love both ingredients, so read the recipe, made a few changes, changed the cooking method a bit, and created the most amazing stew.

Some changes I made - I seared the beef in one pan and the onions in another, then deglazed the beef pan with the red wine. I used half the wine required by the recipe and replaced the other half with beef broth. I added some cayenne pepper to cut the sweetness because sweet-spicy works great with hoisin and a spicy ingredient, like in this hoisin steak sauce (red pepper flakes would work very well too). I also doubled the amount of tomatoes, increased the cooking time, and kept it low and slow all day. So if you make this recipe, give yourself about 4-5 hours of cooking time before you plan to eat it.

Ingredients

• 3.5 to 4 pounds chuck roast cut into 2 inch cubes
• For the beef: 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp cayenne or red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, 1 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp olive oil for your pans
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 c Cabernet Sauvignon
• 28 oz diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, and the juices
• 6 oz hoisin sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 carrots, sliced into one inch pieces
• 1 c beef broth (1/2 c, and 1/2 c mixed with 2 tsp cornstarch)
• Equipment: one large stainless saute pan for searing the beef and one large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot for cooking the stew

Directions

• Toss meat with the olive oil, salt, pepper, flour, and cayenne/red pepper flakes
• Heat olive oil in both the saute pan and Dutch oven, both over medium-high heat
• Add meat to the saute pan, brown on all sides
• At the same time, add onions to the Dutch oven and saute 8-10 minutes
• Transfer the beef to the Dutch oven
• Add wine to the saute pan where you cooked the beef, bring to a simmer and scrape up all the brown bits. Transfer the wine to the beef/onion mixture in the Dutch oven.
• Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, and hoisin to the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then let simmer over medium/low heat for 2-3 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so.
• Two hours before you are ready to eat, add the 1/2 c beef broth, the 1/2 c beef broth mixed with cornstarch, and the carrots to the pot.
• Let simmer until you are ready to eat, stirring every 15 minutes.
• Remove bay leaves and serve.

The flavors in this stew were so intense and delicious. I served it with mashed potatoes and LOVED the gravy over the potatoes. I will absolutely make this one again - I'm already excited for leftovers tomorrow!!

Asparagus-Ham Frittata

A Frittata is such an easy, elegant dish to serve for breakfast or brunch. You can add any meats, cheeses, or veggies that you like, making the flavor options endless. Here is a recipe for another frittata in my blog, broccoli-red pepper-potato.

This post is a bit late as I made this asparagus-ham frittata for my mom's birthday back in November. But I have a few minutes now and this dish was too good not to share.

If you make this, be sure to buy a really good aged white cheddar (nothing already shredded in a bag - go for a block and shred it yourself) as well as a tasty ham - the strong, savory flavors of these ingredients really make this dish!

Ingredients

• 10 eggs
• 1/4 c light cream
• 1 bunch of asparagus, top half only, sliced into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal
• 1 small onion, chopped
  
• 1/4 c shredded aged white cheddar
  
• 4-5 slices deli ham; I chose ham off the bone.
  
• A few pinches of salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning (contains marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, and basil)
• 1 tbsp butter and 1/2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Whisk eggs with cream, salt, pepper, herbs, and most of the cheese
• Add butter and oil to an oven-safe pan over medium heat. I used a 10-inch stainless frying/saute pan.
  
• Add onions and asparagus; saute 3-4 minutes
• Add ham; spread everything evenly in the bottom of the pan.
• Turn heat to medium-low. Pour eggs into pan and run your spatula through the eggs in quick back and forward motions for 10 seconds or so. Also run your spatula around the edges to form a nice, clean edge.
  
• Let cook on the stovetop for a few minutes, top with the rest of the cheese, and then transfer to the oven. Cook until completely set, about 15 minutes.
  
• Slice and serve immediately.
  

Bacon-Blue Cheese Dip

Another holiday appetizer!

Bacon makes everything better, so when I first saw this dip on the blog Pink Parsley, I knew I had to make it. We went to visit my cousins over the holidays, so it was the perfect opportunity to make this dip.

Yes, I loved it, and yes, I did reheat the leftovers for 2 nights (I doubled the recipe so I'd have leftovers...). This dip is very rich and isn't something I would make a habit of eating every weekend, but for a party, football game, or the holidays, this dip is sure to be a hit. Just make sure you make a little extra in case you can't get anywhere near it during your party!

Ingredients

• 7 slices bacon, chopped (preferably thick-cut, applewood smoked bacon) (I used reduced sodium bacon)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened (reduced fat is fine)
• 1/3 cup half-and-half, heavy cream, or Greek yogurt (I used half-and-half)
• 4 oz crumbled blue cheese
• 2 Tbs chopped fresh chives
• salt and pepper to taste
• grapes, for serving
• crackers, for serving

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook the bacon in a skillet until browned and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Pour off all but about 1 tsp fat, and add the garlic. Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
• Add the bacon (reserve a small amount for garnish), garlic, half-and-half, blue cheese, and chives. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Spoon into a lightly greased serving dish, and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Garnish with reserved bacon and allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve with grapes and crackers.

Sausage Balls

My favorite thing about cooking around the holidays is making a lot of snacks and appetizers. Our Christmas Eve always consists of a few apps and a casual, comfort food dinner. I have heard so much buzz about Sausage Cheese Balls that I had to try them. 

My sister and I put this together on Christmas Eve. It was really easy and turned out to be the perfect one-bit appetizer. The recipe makes a lot, but good news! They reheat well the next day. 

You can customize these to meet your tastes by changing the type of sausage and level of heat. Also, a lot of people serve them with a sweet chili sauce, whereas I liked serving them with a marinara sauce for dipping. However you make them, I promise you that they will disappear! 

Sausage Cheese Balls


Ingredients

• 2 cups Bisquick
• 1 pound Hot Italian sausage 
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1 jar marinara sauce (or homemade), for serving

Directions

• Heat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease bottom of a baking sheet.
• Stir together all ingredients, using hands or spoon. Shape mixture into 1-inch or smaller balls. Place on the sheet.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brown. Immediately remove from the sheet.
  
• Serve with marinara sauce for dipping

Italian Pot Roast

Braised, slow-cooked meats always remind me of my grandmom. The wonderful aroma from all-day cooking, the rich flavors, and the meat that just melts when you eat it. When we ate this pot roast, my mom said it was like eating her mother's food.

I was inspired to make this recipe by a recipe I saw on the blog What's Cooking Chicago. I changed it from a crockpot recipe to a stovetop and oven recipe, and also used the cooking method from my Guinness Beef Stew Recipe. The original recipe did not call for searing the beef, but I really like searing any meats before any sort of slow cooking which is the main reason I made the changes I did. Below is my adaptation.

Note: I gave this post a one-pot tag; although 2 pots are used, it ultimately cooks for hours in just one pot, so by the time you eat the first pan is already washed and put away!

Ingredients

• 6 slices of bacon
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• Handful of white mushrooms, sliced
• 2 large potatoes, chopped into large pieces
• One 3-lb pot roast
• Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning (I love McCormick's Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• One 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c dry red wine
• 1.5 c beef broth
• 2 bay leaves
• Equipment: Dutch oven and a large stainless saute pan
  

Directions

• Put Dutch oven on stovetop over medium-high heat. Add bacon, cook until crispy. Remove bacon. Add carrots, celery, potatoes, mushrooms. Saute over medium heat for 10 minutes.
  
• Heat olive oil in the stainless pan. Season the beef with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Sear beef in pan until browned on all sides.
  
• Transfer the beef to the Dutch oven, nestling it into the veggies. Add tomatoes and broth.
  
• Back in the stainless pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add garlic and onions, saute 4-5 minutes. Add red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up all brown bits. Bring to a simmer for a few minutes, and then transfer wine/onion mixture to the Dutch oven.
  
• Add bay leaf to the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  
• Cover beef and transfer to the oven. I cooked it for a total of 5 hours - one hour on 300, two hours on 250, and two hours on 200. It was perfectly cooked and falling apart.
  
• Remove beef from the Dutch oven and let rest. Transfer the veggies to another dish. Let the sauce simmer on low until ready to serve.
  

Beer Braised Sausages with Warm Potato Salad

I'm having a lot of fun participating in the Taste of Home Cooking Recipe Swaps, and the main reason I like them so much is that sometimes the recipes I am given are things I wouldn't necessarily choose to make. Like the one I got for the most recent swap featuring One-Pot Cooking. I was given a recipe for Beer Braised Sausages with Warm Potato Salad.

I like sausage, but had never had it braised in beer so I was intrigued when I first read the recipe. I had also never had warm potato salad - my grandmom made the best cold potato salad that has been passed down through the family over the years. It's a simple recipe, but so good that I really don't eat any other potato salad (even Jon will now only eat my potato salad!). So for that reason alone I wouldn't choose to make another potato salad. But the swaps push me out of my comfort zone and I was excited to try this recipe.

The sausage was SO good - even more flavorful from braising in the beer, juicy, and just delicious. I loved the sauce that came out of the beer once I reduced the liquid. The potato salad was good, just not my thing - I am not the biggest fan of vinegar on hot foods (fries and vinegar, not for me!). I would definitely make this again, however, and would just let the potatoes simmer in the sauce instead of tossing them with a dressing.

The recipe below is the exact recipe with 2 changes noted in italics.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausages (I used hot Italian sausages)
  
• 1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 12 ounces pale ale beer
• 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, halved
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I used dried parsley flakes)
  

Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add sausages and cook until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add beer, potatoes, and 2 cups water; season with salt and pepper and press to submerge potatoes in cooking liquid. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Transfer sausages to a serving platter and keep warm. In a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon oil, vinegar, and parsley. With a slotted spoon, transfer potato mixture to dressing (reserve cooking liquid) and toss to combine.
3. Return pot to high heat; boil cooking liquid until reduced to 1 cup, about 12 minutes. Return sausages to pot and cook until heated through, 2 minutes. Place sausages and dressed potatoes on serving platter; drizzle half the sauce over top. Serve sausages and potatoes with remaining sauce alongside.

Sauteed Spinach with Bacon

Thanksgiving is only two weeks away! Where has this year gone? To get ready, A Taste of Home Cooking hosted a Thanksgiving Sides Recipe Swap. I'm really, really late making and posting this. I tried to get to it twice last week, but with last minute things and my daughter getting sick, and then my husband's surprise birthday weekend, it just didn't happen. I finally got to it tonight - I apologize to those waiting to see the post!!

Anyway, the recipe I was given was for Sauteed Spinach with Bacon from the blog Life and Kitchen; it is originally a Martha Stewart Recipe. I shared my recipe for Green Beans with Bacon and Caramelized Shallots.

I love spinach, and I love bacon, so was really excited to make this. Bacon makes everything better, right? Well, I am really sorry to say that bacon didn't do it for us in this recipe. Spinach is so delicate and light that sauteing it in bacon grease was just too overwhelming (however this technique works great for heartier veggies, like Brussels sprouts or green beans). I even removed half of the grease from the pan, but it was still just too much. I did, however, love the crispy bacon mixed in with the spinach. So while I won't wilt spinach in bacon grease again, I will add crispy, crumbled bacon to spinach.

Please excuse the picture - now that I don't have natural light for taking pictures because it gets dark so darn early, my pictures suffer a bit.

Ingredients

• 2 slices of bacon (I used low sodium bacon)
• Bag of spinach (I used baby spinach)
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar (I omitted this)
• Added: 1 tbsp light olive oil (since I removed some of the bacon grease)
  

Directions

• Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy; about 5-8 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Crumble and set aside.
  
• Remove some of the bacon grease (about half) from the pan, add olive oil.
• Add spinach, season with salt and pepper. saute 1-2 minutes until wilted.
• If using it, add white wine vinegar
  
• Top with crumbled bacon