One Pot Alfredo

1/2 white onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups cooked chicken, diced (rotisserie works great)

2 tbls butter

Handful fresh chopped basil

2 cups chopped fresh portobellos

1 lb pasta

1 1/2 cup heavy cream

2 1/2 cup chicken stock

Salt/pepper/garlic powder/cayenne pepper to taste

1 1/2 cup Parmesan/mozzarella mix

1. Sauté garlic, onions and mushrooms in butter. Add chicken to warm through.

2. Pour in broth & cream, bring to a simmer, add pasta and reduce heat to slow simmer until pasta is al dente (approximately 15 minutes).

3. Stir in cheeses, thin with additional cream if too thick (remove from heat).

Zesty Lemon Chicken

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

Kosher salt/freshly ground black pepper/cayenne to taste

3 tablespoons butter, divided

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Juice and zest of one lemon

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 cups fresh baby spinach

Preheat oven to 400.

Season chicken thighs with paprika/salt/pepper/cayenne.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, brown both sides until golden.

Melt remaining tablespoon butter in the skillet. Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until golden. Mix in chicken broth, heavy cream, Parmesan, lemon juice and thyme.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat, stir in spinach, and simmer until the spinach has wilted and the sauce has slightly thickened. Return chicken to the skillet.

Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through,about 25-30 minutes.

Serve immediately with rice.

Honey Mustard Chicken

• 1/3 cup honey

• 3 heaping tablespoons grainy mustard

• 4 cloves crushed garlic

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• Salt/pepper/cayenne to season

• 5 skinless/boneless chicken breasts or thighs

• 1/2 lb diced bacon

• 1/3 cup heavy cream

• 1 cup milk

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water

• 2 handfuls chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• In a large, shallow dish, combine the honey, mustard, garlic, oil and salt to taste, coat chicken evenly in the sauce. Set aside.

• Heat a large skillet or pan over medium heat. Fry bacon until crispy; transfer to a plate. Sear chicken on each side in the oil left over from the bacon until just beginning to brown (just need to brown as it will finish in the sauce).

• Add any remaining honey mustard sauce into the pan along with the cream and milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a warm plate.

• Pour the cornstarch mixture into the pan, mixing it until it thickens. Place chicken back into the pan; coat with the sauce. Top with the bacon and garnish with parsley.

Note: I like to double the sauce – it’s delicious.

Copycat Jalapeño Ranch

• 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dip mix

• 16 oz sour cream

• 1 can roasted green chilies

• ¼ cup sliced jalapenos

• ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves

• ½ teaspoon salt

• four cloves minced garlic

• ½ teaspoon lemon juice — or to taste

• ¼ to ½ cup half and half to thin

Pulse all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Chill and serve cold.

DOUBLE IT – it’s amazing🥳

Cornbread Mexi-melt

2 boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix

2 large egg

1 cup sour cream

1 can creamed corn

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. chili powder

Garlic salt

Freshly ground black pepper

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 lb. ground beef

2/3 c. red enchilada sauce

2 c. shredded cheddar

1 cup pepper jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400°.

Grease 13×9 set aside.

whisk together corn muffin mix, egg, sour cream, and creamed corn. Set aside.

in a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and garlic, cumin, and chili powder and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft.

Add ground beef and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, Drain fat. Add enchilada sauce and cook until bubbly.

In 13×9, Add beef and top with 1/2 of the cheeses. top with corn bread mix, lightly folding in over beef & cheese, top with remaining cheese, cover with foil and bake about 20 minutes until the corn bread is set. Switch oven to broil, remove foil, and broil until cheese turns golden, about 5 minutes.

Italian Sausage & Mushroom Pasta

one box rigatoni

1 lb bulk Italian sausage

4 tablespoons butter

1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms, I prefer baby portobellos

4 garlic cloves, minced

salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1. Cook rigatoni according to package directions in heavily salted water.
2. cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles; drain and remove sausage from pan.
3. In same skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper; cook until mushrooms are tender and liquid is completely evaporated.
4. Stir in cream and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, 8-10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Return sausage to skillet; heat through. Toss with pasta.

Amazing Roasted Potatoes (worth the work😘)

• Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters, sixths, or eighths, you want even size pieces
• 5 tablespoons bacon grease
• Generous amount of herbs of your choice
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Small handful fresh parsley leaves, minced

-Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 450°F. Heat 2 quarts of water in large pot to boiling. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt, baking soda, and potatoes and stir. Return to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until a knife meets little resistance when inserted into a potato chunk, about 10 minutes after returning to a boil.

-combine bacon grease with herbs, garlic, and a few grinds of black pepper in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Cook, stirring until garlic just begins to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Immediately strain oil through a fine-mesh strainer set in a large bowl. Set garlic/herb mixture aside for later.

-When potatoes are cooked, drain carefully and let them rest in the pot for about 30 seconds to allow excess moisture to evaporate. Transfer to bowl with infused bacon fat, season to taste with a little more salt and pepper, and toss to coat, shaking bowl roughly, until a thick layer of mashed potato–like paste has built up on the potato chunks.

-Transfer potatoes to a large rimmed baking sheet and separate them, spreading them out evenly. Place in oven to roast, without moving, for 20 minutes. Using spatula to release any stuck potatoes, shake pan and turn potatoes. Continue roasting until potatoes are deep brown and crisp all over, turning and shaking them a few times during cooking, 30 to 40 minutes longer.

-Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and add garlic/herb mixture and minced parsley. Toss to coat and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Quick Bread & Butters

• 5½ cups pickling cucumbers
• 1½ tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup white vinegar
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine cucumbers and salt in a large, shallow bowl, cover and chill 1½ hours. Rinse cucumbers in colander under cold water. Drain well, and return cucumbers to bowl. Add onion and toss with the cucumbers.
2. Combine the granulated sugar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds and ground turmeric in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
3. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over cucumber mixture; let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours.

Quick Pickled Carrots

• 2 lb carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 Jalapeño pepper
• 4 oz apple cider vinegar
• 2 oz lemon juice
• 10 whole allspice
• 1/2 tsp cumin seed
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt

• Peel the carrots and cut them into sticks.

• Cut the Jalapeño in half, remove the seeds and the pith and cut the pepper into thin strips.

•mix the apple cider vinegar with the lemon juice, cumin seed, peppercorns, sugar, salt, and allspice.

• Pack jars with carrots and pour brine over to cover completely- carrots should be placed in the fridge for at least six hours before serving. The carrots are even better once they’ve sat in the brine overnight.

White Walnut Pesto

2 cups toasted walnuts
Kosher salt
12oz. fresh ricotta
Zest of 3 lemons
Juice of 3 lemons
4-5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh oregano
2 cups freshly gated Parmesan, plus more for serving
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes to taste
1 lb. tube- or rod-shaped pasta (such as bucatini)

Toast walnuts in a fry pan tossing until golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Let cool, then roughly chop.

Combine walnuts, ricotta, lemon zest, garlic, oregano, and Parmesan in a large bowl until well combined. Add oil 1/4 cup at a time, stirring well until all the oil is incorporated. Season pesto with salt and pepper and red pepper flakes.

Cook pasta in pot of boiling water. Keep pasta cooking liquid and mix with pesto(it’s okay if some of the pesto is still in small clumps). Using a slotted spoon, add pasta directly to bowl with pesto. Mix well until pesto thickens enough to lightly coat pasta, about 2 minutes; the pasta should have sauce clinging to it but there should also be some extra sauce that collects in bottom of bowl.

Divide pasta among bowls and serve with more Parmesan alongside for sprinkling over.