Spaghetti and Meatball Eyes with Breadstick Bones

If you know my husband pretty well, you know he loves Halloween. I've seen several festive dishes around blog land and this is a fun and easy dinner. I saw this idea over at one of my favorite recipe blogs, Mel's Kitchen Cafe. Enjoy!

Spaghetti and Meatball Eyes
Simply use some sliced olives on top of your meatballs to make the eyeballs. I just used some frozen meatballs and this dinner was so easy!

Breadstick Bones
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups warm water
1 Tbsp. instant yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 ½ cups flour
½ tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. butter, melted (for the baking sheet)

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients (except melted butter) in a large bowl or electric mixer and knead for three minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread melted butter onto an 11X17-inch baking sheet. Roll out the breadstick dough about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick and cut into strips with a pizza cutter. Fold strips in half and tie knots at both ends and place on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with garlic salt, herbs of choice (I used my most favorite garlic bread seasoning) and parmesan cheese. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes. Bake 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees until golden brown.

Sloppy Joe Casserole

Nate loves my sloppy joe recipe and he loves biscuits, so this combination popped in my head one day. When I suggested it to Nate, he was all over it. So try it we did. Nate was really happy with it and definitely wants it made again. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 tube refrigerated biscuits
1 lb. ground beef
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced (optional)
1 green pepper, finely diced (optional)
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1-2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
seasoning salt
seasoned pepper
shredded cheese

Preparation:
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Halfway through cooking, add the diced onion and pepper and finish cooking. Drain any fat/grease. Turn down the heat and add the chili powder, taco seasoning, mustard, and ketchup. Mix well to combine. Keep heat low and simmer beef mixture for 20-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (or temp indicated on biscuit tube). Spread beef mixture evenly into bottom of an 8x8" baking dish. Top with biscuits. Bake for 20 minutes or until biscuits are fully cooked. Serve hot with a little shredded cheddar cheese on top.

Copy Cat Cracker Barrel's Grilled Chicken Salad

Have you ever eaten at Cracker Barrel? I've only ever ordered one thing, their grilled chicken salad. It is so good! I love the taste of their grilled chicken, so much flavor you don't feel like you're missing out on anything by ordering a salad. I saw a recipe for their chicken on Mommy's Kitchen. She braises and cooks her chicken stove top, but I didn't want to take that long so I baked mine. But definitely check out her method too. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
6 chicken tenderloins (I used two breasts)
1/2 cup italian dressing (I used fat free)
1 tsp. lime juice
2 tsp. honey

Preparation:
Combine all the wet ingredients and mix well. Add chicken and marinate for an hour or so. Cook chicken until internal temp reaches at least 165. Like I said, I baked mine, but it would be great grilled or stove top.

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

I always love a good crock pot dish. I've made tacos a hundred times, but never with chicken so I figured it was high time. We really enjoyed these. Nate's little sister Stephanie came over for dinner and she said they were excellent too! I saw the recipe at Family.com.

Ingredients:
1 can Green chiles, diced
1 (12 oz.) jar salsa (I used my homemade salsa)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 whole onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used chicken breasts)

Preparation:
Place chicken in the slow cooker. Top with salsa, diced green chiles, cumin, onion and garlic. Cover and set on low. Cook for 4-6 hours. Remove chicken from pot, shred, and return to juices. Spoon chicken into taco shells, with whatever toppings your family likes. Or use the meat to make burritos, tostadas or as a filling for enchiladas.

Garlic Steak

Have you ever been to the Brazilian restaurant Tucano's? It is Nate's favorite. His favorite dish is their garlic steak, and I have to admit, it's my favorite too. Nate found a garlic steak recipe online and we modified it and came up with this. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. sirloin steaks
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. kosher salt

Preparation:
Mix the oil, garlic, and salt and combine well. Add steaks and make sure they are well coated. Marinate for 6-8 hours. Grill to desired doneness.

Korean Barbecue Beef Kabobs

These were so good! We really really enjoyed them. I am going to be making these again soon, they were that good! I got this recipe from Our Best Bites and just adapted it ever so slightly. I have to confess, Nate made this whole dinner. Since I am now in a big ugly ankle boot while I heal, he has really tried to make life easy for me. Love that man!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. sirloin steak, cut against the grain into thin (about 1/4″) slices, (I only used a pound and it was perfect)
1/2 cup pear juice (a 4 oz. bottle of pear juice from the baby food aisle is perfect and cheap)
1/2 c. low-sodium soy sauce (regular soy sauce makes it taste vaguely like beef jerky)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce
1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil

Preparation:
Combine pear juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, chili sauce, and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Add sliced steak. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator (we marinated ours for 5 1/2 hours and I loved the amount of flavoring it gave). Thirty minutes before cooking, soak your bamboo skewers in water. Preheat the grill. While the grill is heating, thread the steak pieces onto bamboo skewers. Cook over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side, being careful not to let the meat get too cooked. Serve immediately; serves 4-6.

Chicken and Veggie Taquitos

Nate is crazy for taquitos. He seriously could eat them once a week and not get tired of them. We tried this variation last night. I still think these taquitos are my all time favorite, but these were really good too. It's a super easy idea and leftover chicken would work great in this dish.

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
8 small flour tortillas
1/2 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
shredded cheddar cheese
olive oil
salt
pepper

Preparation:
In a large skillet heat a Tbsp. or two of olive oil over medium heat. Once hot add the veggies and a little salt and pepper and saute for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Once the vegetables are done, add the shredded chicken, mix well to combine, and cook until chicken is heated through. Warm up the tortillas slightly so they are more pliable and easier to work with. Spoon some of the chicken mixture onto the tortilla and then top with some cheese (if you keep it on the bottom third of the tortilla, they are easier to roll) and roll up. Place filled tortillas on a tin foil lined baking sheet. Cook at 375 for about 15 minutes or until the tortillas crisp up a bit. Serve warm with whatever toppings you'd like, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, etc. Enjoy!

Lasagna Soup

I've had this recipe bookmarked since Spring, just waiting for the weather to cool down. Now that we are well into October, bring on soup season! I tweaked Paula Deen's recipe to suit our tastes. FYI- if you are planning on eating leftover soup just know that the noodles absorb a most of the broth over night, but it is still so delicious!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (32 oz.) box chicken broth (I used fat-free, low sodium broth)
2 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. garlic bread seasoning
1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
2 cups broken lasagna noodles (I used garden rotini)
1 (5 oz.) package grated parmesan cheese (I forgot to buy parmesan, so I omitted it)
shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation:
In a large pot, combine ground beef, onion, green pepper, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until beef is browned and crumbles. Drain well.
Stir in garlic bread seasoning, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender. Stir in armesan cheese.
I just sprinkled a little mozzarella on top of my soup to save on calories. Paula covers her soup with the mozzarella and then pops it under the broiler for a couple minutes. Serve hot!

Again, sorry about the picture, it was really late when we had dinner.

Twisty Breadsticks

I love love love breadsticks, I could eat them several times a week no problem. However so many carbs is definitely not good for my diabetes, so I don't bake bread products too ofter. I just had to have breadsticks with my soup tonight. This recipe is loosely based on one I found over at Six Sister's Stuff.

Ingredients:
1½ cups warm water
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
3½ cups flour (give or take a little)
1 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. butter, divided
garlic bread seasoning
powdered parmesan cheese

Preparation:
Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar in your mixer (I always use my Bosch) and let sit for five minutes. Then add salt and flour. You want the dough to be smooth and pull away cleanly from the sides of your mixing bowl, so adjust flour accordingly. 3 1/2 cups ended up being perfect for me. Mix dough until smooth, then cover and let raise for 10 minutes. Next roll out your dough into a large square on a floured surface (or you can spray your counter with pam). Melt 4 Tbsp. of butter and add 1 Tbsp. of garlic bread seasoning. Brush that mixture all over the dough. Fold dough in half and use a pizza cutter to cut into 1 inch strips. Twist each strip and place on a prepared baking sheet. Let the breadsticks raise for 20 minutes. Then bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Right after baking brush tops of breadsticks with the remaining 2 Tbsp. melted butter and sprinkle on a bit of parmesan cheese. Enjoy warm!

Sorry about the photo, it was already dark outside when we ate dinner.

Sizzling Chicken and Cheese

I've seen this recipe on multiple blogs. It's a copy cat recipe of a TGI Friday's dish. To be honest, I don't even know how many years it's been since I've been to a TGI Fridays. I used a recipe from The Daily Smash as a guide, but I adapted it to our tastes. I also used instant mashed potatoes and it was a super easy meal. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced (I forgot to buy a red one so it was left out)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. pepper
seasoning salt
olive oil
shredded cheese
mashed potatoes (we used instant, Nate actually prefers instant to homemade)

Preparation:
Prepare marinade with the following ingredients: minced garlic, parsley flakes, red pepper flakes, pepper, 1/4 tsp. seasoning salt, and 4 Tbsp. olive oil. Add chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.
Once the chicken is marinated, cook it. Bake, grill, pan fry, your choice. I baked my chicken at 400 degrees for 30 minutes and it was perfect. While chicken is cooking saute your sliced peppers and onions in a little bit of olive oil and season with a bit of seasoning salt. Cook until tender, but not limp and mushy.
To serve take the hot mashed potatoes, top with peppers and onions, then place chicken breast on top and sprinkle with shredded cheese.



I ate mine without any cheese and it was still delicious!

Pancakes

We had Nate's parents and four of his siblings staying at our place for a couple days over General Conference. Sunday morning I made pancakes as part of our breakfast and I got rave reviews. My brother-in-law Aaron said these were the best pancakes he's ever had. I saw this recipe over at Allrecipes.

This recipe yields about 6 pancakes. I quintupled this recipe for eight hungry people.

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil


Preparation:
Combine all your dry ingredients and mix well. In a separate bowl beat together your wet ingredients and then add that mixture to the dry ingredients. Whisk until smooth.
Heat a lightly greased griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, pour batter using a 1/4 cup measuring cup for each pancake. Once the pancake starts to bubble on the edges it is ready to flip and then brown the second side. Serve hot!

Sorry, no pictures, my guests were hungry!

Fluffy Dinner Rolls

We had these rolls last night with my potato soup and it was so good! These rolls are so easy and they are nice and quick too. I'll be making these again and again! This recipe is from Jamie Cooks It Up.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup milk
4 Tbsp. butter
3/4 cup hot water
4 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
4 - 4 1/2 cups flour
1 heaping Tbsp. yeast


Preparation:
Pour your milk into a microwave safe container. Add your butter to the milk and put it in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 170 degrees. While the milk is getting nice and toasty, turn on the tap to get your hot water. Temperature is important to making these rolls rise quickly.
Put your milk/butter and hot water in the bottom of your Kitchen Aid Mixer. Add the sugar and salt. Then add 2 C of the flour...let it mix for 1 minute.
Add the yeast. Turn the mixer on and add the rest of the flour 1 C at a time.
You have enough flour when the dough scrapes the side of the bowl clean. Mix on medium speed for 5 minutes.
Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 5 minutes. You need the plastic wrap to trap the heat.
Coat the inside of a 9x13 pan with some butter.
Spray your counter, or a cutting board with cooking spray. Lay your dough on top of it.
Take a sharp knife, spray it with cooking spray and cut your dough into 12 pieces. Make them as equal as you can.
Gently round them into balls, and put them in your buttered 9x13 pan.
Put the pan into your warm 170 degree oven. Let them rise for about 20 minutes or until they have risen about 1 inch above the rim of the pan.
Leave your pan in the oven and turn the heat up to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes. This time includes the time it takes the oven to increase in temperature. If your oven takes a long old time....you will of course need to increase the time baking. Bake until golden brown.
Brush with a little softened butter and serve warm. Yah- I don't do this, I don't feel a need for the extra butter.

Tuscan Pasta

I had seen this pasta on a couple different blogs and really wanted to make it. When I went to make it for dinner tonight I noticed that it called for 1/2 cup olive oil! How is it a light pasta dish when there is 1/2 cup oil? So I decided to come up with my own version. I hope you like it!

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into cubes
1 lb. penne pasta
1 (14.5 oz.) can of petite diced tomatoes
1/2 small onion, finely diced
2 Tbsp. garlic bread seasoning
2 Tbsp. olive oil
grated mozzarella cheese for garnish

Preparation:
Cook pasta until al dente, rinse, drain, and set aside. In a large skillet heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat, once hot add onion and cook until translucent. Add diced tomatoes, garlic bread seasoning, and chicken. Bring everything to a simmer and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add penne pasta and stir to combine everything. Cook everything for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until everything is hot. Top with mozzarella cheese if desired and serve immediately.

Butterfinger Cookie Bars

I usually make a treat once a week for Nate. This was our treat this week. I saw the idea over at Kaitlin in the Kitchen.

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
about 8-10 fun size butterfinger candy bars, chopped (or any candy bar of your liking)

Preparation:
Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add baking soda and salt, then mix. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until just incorporated. Add flour and mix until well blended. Pour batter into an even layer in a greased 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake in at pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (they should be a dark golden brown). As soon as they come out of the oven, sprinkle chocolate chips over top and let set for about a minute or two. The chocolate chips should be melted and easily spreadable. Spread them in a even layer over the bars, then quickly before the chocolate sets, sprinkle on your chopped candy bars. Let cool before cutting into bars.

Savory Chicken Wings

This was the other appetizer I served during the football game tonight. Nate loves the hot wings I make and so I knew wings would be on the menu. The other night I found this idea on a recipe blog, Kaitlin in the Kitchen, and knew I wanted to try these. I don't like spicy things, so I figured these wings I would actually try. They were really good! Both Nate and I really enjoyed them and they will be a definite game day food at our house.


Ingredients:
1 bag frozen chicken wings (they are usually about 2.5 lbs.)
1 cup bottled Italian dressing (I used fat free)
1/2 cup soy sauce

Preparation:
Lay your chicken wings evenly in a pan with high sides and bake in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes without any sauce on them. Whisk together soy and Italian dressing. After the 20 minutes, remove them from the oven, and pour half of the sauce on them and return to the oven for another 15 minutes, then remove, flip them with a pair of tongs and pour the rest of the sauce on and return to the oven for 10-15 more minutes or until they are brown and cooked all the way through.

Pizza Bites

It's game day! While Nate is busy cheering on BYU he will be snacking on chicken wings and these pizza bites. I've had these bookmarked for so long and I thought today was the perfect day for them. The recipe is from Our Best Bites.

Ingredients:
1 roll refrigerated pizza dough (or you can use homemade dough)
pizza sauce
melted butter
garlic bread seasoning
shredded mozzarella cheese
pizza toppings of your choice (I used turkey pepperoni, green peppers, and onions)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it's 400 degrees.
Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". You're going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.
Place cheese and desired toppings on each square. Just eyeball how much. You just need to be able to enclose the toppings in the dough so keep that in mind.
When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish).
Brush the tops of the dough balls with melted butter and then sprinkle with the garlic bread seasoning.
Cook them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Keep an eye on them! Doughs vary, so I'd check them after even 10 minutes.
Serve warm with warmed pizza sauce on the side for dipping.


These were so fun and they are perfect football food!

Cajun Pork Roast

Such an easy and yummy recipe! Seriously, so easy. The original calls for the roast to cook on low for 12-15 hours. I didn't have that kind of time, so I just cooked it on high for 4 hours and then on low for another 2 and it still turned out really well! This recipe comes from Lovely Little Snippets.

Ingredients:
3 lb. pork roast
6 cups water
4 chicken bullion cubes
4 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning

Preparation:
Dump all of the ingredients on the slow cooker, and set on low for 12-15 hours. Shred and serve.

French Bread Rolls

Nate is a huge fan of rolls. I don't make rolls or bread too often because carbs aren't the best thing for my diabetes. However, Nate had been asking for them for a while so I figured it was time to give in. I saw this recipe over at The Skillet Sisters.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
2 Tbsp. white sugar
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
4 cups all-purpose flour


Preparation:
In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead* until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 12-14 equal pieces, and form into round balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth (or greased saran wrap), and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake for 12-13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Makes about 16 rolls.

*I just used my bosch mixer with the dough hook.

Steak Stir-Fry

So good! I really, really enjoyed this recipe. This tasted much better than some of the dishes I've had at restaurants. I loved this dish! I am going to be making this again soon! I adapted this idea from one over at The Daily Smash. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1- 1 1/2 lbs. steak, sliced into thin strips
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce
olive oil
vegetables of choice (I used broccoli, green pepper, onion, and carrots)
hot cooked rice

Preparation:
In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil, once hot, cook the beef. Be careful not to over cook your beef, you don't want it to be tough. If sliced thin it should take just a few minutes. Once done, remove from pan and set aside. Empty any grease from pan. Heat another tablespoon of olive oil and saute vegetables until they become crisp-tender. In a bowl, combine cornstarch with water and mix well, then add brown sugar, ginger, chili powder, garlic powder, pepper, and soy sauce. Pour that mixture into the skillet with the vegetables and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 or 3 minutes or until thickened. Add beef back to the skillet and heat through. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Homemade Slurpees

I saw these over at Taste and Tell and knew we had to try them! Such a fun hot weather treat and I like that you can make them any flavor you want!

Ingredients:
makes 2 slurpees
2 cups ice
about 1 cup carbonated beverage (I used sprite)
1 Tbsp. pre-sweetened Kool-Aid*

Preparation:
Put the ice in a blender. Add enough carbonated beverage to just make the ice float. Add in the pre-sweetened Kool-Aid. Blend until slushy. Serve at once.

*all I had was unsweetened Kool-Aid so I just mixed the flavor packet and 1 cup sugar, and then added a Tbsp. of that

Taco Stuffed Shells

This is a recipe from my childhood. I got a kid's cookbook that I think was published by Betty Crocker or Better Homes and Gardens, I can't seem to find it anywhere online or I would show you. It had a lot of fun and yummy recipes. Two of the recipes I remember making were mini cinnamon sugar soft pretzels and these taco stuffed shells. I looked everywhere online for the recipe, but couldn't find it so I just had to wing it. I think they turned out really well and they were even good left over. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
8 oz. jumbo pasta shells
1 small onion, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
1 envelope taco seasoning plus the water it requires
1 recipe of Zesty Mexican Tomato Sauce
shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla chips, crumbled for garnish (optional)

Preparation:
Brown the ground beef. Halfway through cooking time add the chopped pepper and onion. Add the taco seasoning plus the water it requires and finish cooking the meat. While the beef is cooking, boil the pasta shells until they are just shy al dente, they will finish cooking in the oven. Rinse and drain the shells and let cool for a few minutes. Prep sauce. Pour enough sauce into a 9x13" glass baking dish to cover the bottom. Once the beef is finished and the shells are cool, gently spoon beef into the shells and place finished shells in the baking dish. Once finished, pour remaining sauce over the stuffed shells. Cover and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. After 30 minutes uncover the stuffed shells and top with shredded cheese. Return to oven and bake another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Just before serving top shells with some crushed tortilla chips and sliced olives. Enjoy warm.




*updated 04/06/13*

Honey Glazed Chicken

When I showed this recipe to Nate, he had to have it! So I added to our menu and made him help me cook it today. The chicken turned out so moist and tender, it was really good! The glaze was a bit sweet for me, but as long as I pulled the skin off I was fine. I may switch up the flavors next time, but I will definitely use this method for roasting chicken again. I adapted this recipe from one found at Mel's Kitchen Cafe, one of my favorite recipe blogs.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds, giblets discarded
1 Tbsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. water
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 cup chicken broth

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and make sure the oven rack is in the middle of the oven. In a small bowl combine the salt, pepper and paprika. Pat the chickens dry with paper towels and rub the spice mixture under the skin and over the outside of each chicken. Tuck the wings behind the back and tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

Arrange the chickens, breast side down, on a V-rack set inside a roasting pan. Roast until the chickens are golden, about 35 minutes. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and carefully with a wad of paper towels, flip the chickens so that they are breast side up. Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Pour 1 cup water and the broth into the roasting pan. Return the roasting pan to the oven and roast until the thigh meat registers 165 to 170 degrees, about 35-45 minutes.

Stir the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water together in a small bowl until no lumps remain; set aside. In a small saucepan bring the honey and 4 tablespoons vinegar to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until the mixture is reduced to about 1/2 cup, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly whisk the cornstarch mixture into the glaze. Return to a simmer and cook for one minute.

Brush the chickens evenly with a layer of the glaze. Continue to roast until the glaze is golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes (this is important – if the chicken is cut too quickly, all the delicious juices will escape and the meat will be dry).


I didn't notice until after the pictures were taken that my chicken was upside down! Sorry!

Homemade AuGratin Potatoes

I finally used my mandoline slicer that I got for my birthday (in February)! It made this recipe really easy. I was surprised that the recipe was so simple. I saw the idea over at Fantastical Sharing of Recipes, but I adapted it for us.

Ingredients:
3 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices (love using my mandoline for this!)
3 tbsp. butter, plus more for buttering baking dish
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
paprika


Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Butter an 8x8" baking dish and layer 1/2 potatoes into the bottom. Season with some salt and pepper.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in flour and salt; stir constantly with a whisk for a minute and then add milk. Cook until thickened. Stir in cheese and continue stirring until it is fully melted.
Pour half the sauce over the potatoes. Add other half of the potatoes on top, season with salt and pepper and top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle paprika over the top.
Cover and bake for 90 minutes.

Again, not an amazing photo, but the potatoes taste really good.

Meatloaf Muffins

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2-1 package dry onion soup mix (depends on how much seasoning you like)
1/4 cup crushed saltines
1 egg

Preparation:
Combine ground beef, soup mix, crackers, and egg. Don't over-mix or meat will be tough. Spray a cupcake tin really well with non-stick spray. Evenly spoon meat into cupcake tin. I got about 9 cupcakes, but next time I am going to make them bigger, so aim for 6. Bake uncovered at 350 for about 30 minutes or until meat is cooked through. Enjoy!

*You can use whatever meatloaf recipe you like and just make them into muffins.

Okay, this is not the prettiest picture, but it gives you an idea.

Pasta with Spicy Italian Sausage Sauce

The first few years of our marriage I barely made any Italian food. Nate claimed he didn't like pasta very much so I didn't make it. Once in a blue moon we would have pasta because I love pasta. However since I've really gotten into becoming a better cook and trying new recipes these past 9 or so months, we've tried several pasta dishes. Nate now likes pasta and I put in on our menu every other week or so. I saw this recipe over at Better than Burgers. I used mild sausage and it was just right, I'm a spice wimp. It's a super easy recipe and nice variation on pasta.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. mild Italian sausage, removed from casings (you can use hot if you want)*
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 (16 oz.) can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
salt
pepper
hot cooked pasta

Preparation:
In a large skillet, heat sausage, garlic, and onion until meat is browned. Drain any excess fat. Pour in tomatoes and tomato sauce; mix in parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over hot pasta.

*The original recipe calls for a full pound of sausage. I found that to be too much meat for my preference. I like more sauce to meat ratio, so from now on I'll just use a half pound.