Main Dishes Archives

Category: Main Dishes

04
Jan
2019

Eggplant Parmesan

categories: Italian, Main Dishes, Meatless Meals

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Eggplant Parmesan is a classic Italian meatless dish, with breaded eggplant slices baked with marinara sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Do you enjoy eggplant parmesan? Lots of people love this classic Italian dish, and today I am going to show you how you can make it at home! You can read some interesting information about this dish’s origins here.

I found the original recipe on Pinterest, and made this meatless dish for my husband and I several months ago. Every now and then I love to make meatless dishes, and thought this one sounded really good, so I bought a gorgeous eggplant at our local Farmer’s Market.

Eggplant Parmesan has layers of lightly breaded eggplant slices, topped with marinara sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. The eggplant slices are lightly browned, then layered in casserole dish with the sauce and the cheeses.

Eggplant parmesan is baked until cooked through, and all that gooey cheese is melted throughout. Here’s how to make this dish:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Eggplant Parmesan

The first thing you will need to do is let excess water drain from the fresh eggplant. This step helps to reduce “sogginess” in the eggplant slices, by pulling out moisture before cooking.

Cut a large eggplant into 1/2″ thick slices. Salt BOTH sides of each slice. Put the salted eggplant slices in a large colander in the sink, or over a bowl.

Let the eggplant slices sit and “drain” or “sweat out” the liquid for 45 minutes. Once done draining, lightly brush off the excess salt.

Preparing The Eggplant To Make Eggplant Parmesan

Preheat your oven to 375°F, and place two (shallow) plates on the kitchen counter. Spread the Italian seasoned breadcrumbs out, on one plate. Place the 3 slightly beaten eggs and milk on the other plate. Lightly whisk the eggs and milk together, until blended.

Dip each eggplant slice (one at a time) into the egg/milk mixture, making sure to cover both sides. Let excess liquid drip back onto plate. Dip the eggplant into the breadcrumbs, until both sides are covered, letting excess drop back onto plate.

Continue this step until all eggplant slices are breaded. Place breaded eggplant onto a paper towel covered 9×13 baking sheet in a single layer.

Browning The Eggplant

Put one Tablespoon of oil into a large skillet. Heat the skillet on medium high heat until hot, but not smoking. Once the skillet and oil are hot, add a few slices of eggplant at a time to the skillet. I was able to cook 4 at a time.

Cook eggplant on both sides, until they are lightly browned. Once browned, transfer them from the skillet to a paper towel lined baking sheet. Continue this step for all the slices, adding one Tablespoon oil for each group of eggplant slices that are browned.

Assembling The Eggplant Parmesan Casserole

Now you are ready to assemble the eggplant parmesan! Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. The first layer to go in is the eggplant slices. I used a 2.5 quart casserole dish, so I was able to get about 4 eggplant slices in each layer.

Once you have a layer of eggplant slices, add a spoonful of marinara sauce to the top of each slice. Don’t drown the layers in sauce! Top the sauce with a layer of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. This time I used shredded Parmesan cheese, and slices of mozzarella cheese into my dish, but you can just as easily substitute grated mozzarella (instead of slices), if desired.

Repeat this process for a couple more layers (or until you run out of eggplant!). Make sure to reserve some of the parmesan and mozzarella cheeses to top the entire dish of eggplant parmesan, before baking.

Baking Eggplant Parmesan

Bake the eggplant parmesan for approximately 20-25 minutes at 375°F. When done, all that yummy cheese on top should be melted, golden brown and bubbly! Mine was done at 25 minutes.

NOTE: If you want the cheese to be more golden brown in color, you can always put it under the oven broiler for a couple minutes, if desired. Remember to keep a close eye on it, if you do this step! Nobody wants burned cheese on top, right?

Remove eggplant parmesan from oven, and let it sit for a couple minutes (to let the cheese solidify a bit). The only thing left to do is slice up a piece, serve it hot, and enjoy this classic Italian dish! You can also garnish the casserole with fresh, chopped basil, if desired.

I hope you enjoy this dish! For me, it’s always fun to experiment in the kitchen, and try new recipes. If you enjoy eggplant, be sure to check out my recipe for Baby Eggplant Mozzarella Bites! They’re delicious, too!

Have a wonderful day, please come back again soon, and thanks for stopping by!

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Original recipe source: https://www.tablefortwoblog.com/eggplant-parmesan/

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0 from 0 votes

Eggplant Parmesan

Prep Time

1 hr 10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

1 hr 30 mins

Eggplant Parmesan is a classic Italian meatless dish, with breaded eggplant slices layered and baked with marinara sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Category: Meatless Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: eggplant parmesan

Servings: 4

Calories Per Serving: 624 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

1 large eggplant , cut in 1/2" slices
2 Tablespoons salt
1½ cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
3 large eggs , lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
4 Tablespoons olive oil , or vegetable oil
3 cups marinara sauce
2 cups mozzarella , shredded or slices
1 cup parmesan cheese , shredded

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cut a large eggplant into 1/2" thick slices. Salt BOTH sides of each slice. Put the salted slices in a large colander in the sink, or over a bowl. Let the eggplant sit and "drain" or "sweat out" the liquid for 45 minutes. Once done draining, lightly brush off excess salt.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place two (shallow) plates on kitchen counter. Spread Italian breadcrumbs on one plate. Place eggs and milk on the other plate. Lightly whisk eggs and milk together. Dip each eggplant slice (one at a time) into egg/milk mixture, covering both sides. Let excess liquid drip back onto plate. Dip eggplant into breadcrumbs until both sides are covered, letting excess drop back onto plate. Continue this step until all eggplant slices are breaded. Place breaded eggplant onto a paper towel covered 9x13 baking sheet in a single layer.
Put 1 Tablespoon oil into a large skillet. Heat the skillet on medium high heat until hot, but not smoking. Once skillet and oil are hot, add a few slices of eggplant at a time to the skillet. Cook eggplant on both sides, until lightly browned. Once browned, transfer them from the skillet to a paper towel lined baking sheet. Repeat this step for all slices, adding one Tablespoon oil for each group of eggplant slices that are browned.
Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce on bottom of casserole dish. The first layer is eggplant slices (I used a 2.5 quart casserole dish, and was able to get about 4 eggplant slices per layer). Onto that layer, add a little marinara sauce to the top of each piece (approx. 1/4 cup). Top the sauce with a layer of shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Repeat this process for two more layers (or until you run out of eggplant). Make sure to reserve some of the parmesan and mozzarella cheeses to top the dish off with, before baking.
Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes at 375°F. When done, the cheese on top should be melted, golden brown and bubbly! Note: If you want the cheese to be more golden brown in color, you can always put it under the oven broiler for a couple minutes, if desired. Remember to keep a close eye on it, if you do this step! Remove eggplant parmesan from oven, and let it sit for a couple minutes (to let the cheese solidify a bit). The only thing left to do is slice up a piece, and serve it hot! Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Note that 45 minutes of the prep time listed is INACTIVE time (while zucchini drains).

You can also garnish the finished eggplant parmesan with chopped, fresh basil, if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Eggplant Parmesan

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 624 Calories from Fat 324

% Daily Value*

Fat 36g55%

Saturated Fat 14g88%

Cholesterol 64mg21%

Sodium 5817mg253%

Potassium 817mg23%

Carbohydrates 44g15%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 31g62%

Vitamin A 1505IU30%

Vitamin C 14.1mg17%

Calcium 719mg72%

Iron 4.6mg26%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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01
Jan
2019

Chicken Noodle Soup

categories: Chicken, Main Dishes, Soups

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Delicious, homemade chicken noodle soup, made with leftover rotisserie chicken, celery, carrots, garlic, onions and spinach, will warm you up on a cold day!

We recently bought a rotisserie chicken at Costco. They always seem to have the best roasted chicken! After a couple days of enjoying it, we were left with a mostly picked over whole chicken in our fridge. About 75% of the meat was gone off the bones, and we had the “skeletal remnants” in the fridge.

A lot of folks would throw out the rest of the chicken, at that point. But did you know the bones and tiny bits of chicken left hanging on for dear life can make an incredible tasting chicken noodle soup? YEP! I decided not to waste the leftovers, and make a big pot of soup for our rainy night dinner!

The results? A wonderful tasting homemade chicken noodle soup that we enjoyed for a few more days, for dinner and a couple lunches! So the next time you have a leftover roasted chicken (or have some leftover pre-cooked chicken and chicken broth in your kitchen), make soup! It’s EASY! Here’s how:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Making Chicken Noodle Soup Using Leftover Roasted Chicken

The photo below shows you what was left of our rotisserie chicken. Poor thing never had a chance! Most of the meat had already been eaten, but there was still some attached to the bones. This is PERFECT for making a delicious broth for the soup!

So, to make a good broth for the chicken noodle soup, place the chicken (or what’s left of it) into a large soup pot, and cover it with water.

Add sliced carrots, celery, chopped onions and two smashed cloves of garlic to the pot. The carrots, onion, and celery are considered the holy trinity of cooking, because they impart so much flavor. They will be perfect to flavor the chicken noodle soup base!

Add salt, pepper, and two large chicken bouillon cubes to the soup pot. Bring the water to a boil on medium high heat. Cook for about 35 minutes, then remove from heat. Carefully remove whole chicken from pot, and let it cool a bit.

Once it has cooled some, pick off all the pieces of chicken you can get from the bones, and add them back into the pot. Believe it or not, I ended up with about 2 cups of shredded chicken! Discard the bones once finished. Skim any accumulated grease off the top of the soup, and remove the two smashed garlic cloves.

If NOT Using A Whole Chicken To Make This Chicken Noodle Soup

NOTE: If NOT using a whole chicken, simply cook the veggies for about 15 minutes (to soften), then add two cups of cooked, shredded chicken into the pot. Make sure to add THREE large chicken bouillon cubes to the water, for flavor.

Timesaving Tip For Making Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

I made this soup to use up our rotisserie chicken leftovers. HOWEVER… IF YOU WANT TO SAVE TIME, simply use 4 quarts of store bought chicken broth with your veggies and precooked chicken. Then there is no need to make your own chicken broth, and it will still have lots of flavor!

It will end up costing you a bit more to make the soup, but will save you time, if that’s an issue!

Put the chicken noodle soup back on the stove on medium high heat. Bring the soup to a full boil, then add the uncooked rotini pasta. If you don’t have rotini pasta noodles, add your favorite! Stir, and cook the noodles for the time stated on package (typically this is between 11-13 minutes).

When the noodles are finished cooking, add 1 Tablespoon of butter to the pot. Stir in the thawed and drained chopped spinach. Continue cooking the soup for a couple minutes, until chicken noodle soup is heated through. Take a small taste, and add salt and/or pepper, as desired.

And there you have it! Instead of throwing away the remnants of a whole rotisserie chicken, you have used it to make a delicious pot of homemade chicken noodle soup!

Who’s Ready To Eat Some Chicken Noodle Soup?

All that’s left to do is ladle up a bowlful of hot soup, and serve it to those you love! It’s really quite easy to make a delicious, filling pot of chicken noodle soup very inexpensively! The best part is that this soup, filled with chicken, pasta, spinach, carrots, onions, celery and a wonderful tasting broth TASTES SO GOOD!

Sure hope you will consider trying this recipe for homemade chicken noodle soup! I think it’s fun to get a huge pot of delicious soup using only a few simple, common ingredients!

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

You can find all my soup recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorites of ours include:

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0 from 0 votes

Chicken Noodle Soup

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

55 mins

Delicious, homemade chicken noodle soup, with leftover rotisserie chicken, celery, carrots, garlic, onions and spinach, will warm you up on a cold day!

Category: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken noodle soup

Servings: 8

Calories Per Serving: 152 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 cups cooked chicken
4 quarts water , to cover chicken
2 cubes chicken bouillon , large cubes
2 large carrots , peeled, sliced
1/2 cup onion , chopped
2 stalks celery , chopped
2 garlic cloves , peeled, smashed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1½ cups uncooked rotini pasta , or pasta of choice
1 Tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped frozen spinach , thawed & drained

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

If Using Rotisserie Chicken Carcass (to make soup base)

Place the chicken carcass (what's left of it) into a large soup pot, and cover it with water. Add sliced carrots, celery, chopped onions and two smashed cloves of garlic to the pot. Add salt, pepper, and two large chicken bouillon cubes.
Bring the water to a boil on medium high heat. Cook for 35 minutes, then remove pan from heat. Carefully remove chicken carcass from pot, and let it cool a bit. Once it has cooled some, pick off all the pieces of chicken you can get from the bones, and add them back into the pot. Discard bones, once finished. Skim any accumulated grease off the top of the soup, and remove the two smashed garlic cloves.
Put the soup back on the stove on medium high heat. Bring the soup to a full boil, then add uncooked rotini pasta. Stir, and cook the noodles for the time stated on package until done (typically this is between 11-13 minutes).
When noodles are finished cooking, add 1 Tablespoon of butter to the pot. Stir in the thawed, drained chopped spinach. Continue cooking soup for a couple minutes, until it's heated through. Take a taste, and add salt and/or pepper, as desired. Serve, and enjoy!

If Using Pre-Cooked Chicken And Store Bought Chicken Broth (TIMESAVER)

Cook the veggies (carrots, onions, celery, garlic) in the boiling broth (4 quarts) for 15 minutes, then add shredded chicken and pasta (etc.) and cook per instructions above. Once noodles are cooked, add butter, spinach, and season with additional salt/pepper as desired. Serve, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Caloric calculation is based on "made from scratch" method (using leftover chicken and bones).

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Noodle Soup

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/8 of total))

Calories 152 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Fat 6g9%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 30mg10%

Sodium 220mg10%

Potassium 264mg8%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 10g20%

Vitamin A 5410IU108%

Vitamin C 3.4mg4%

Calcium 45mg5%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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14
Dec
2018

Chicken Black Bean Quesadilla

categories: Chicken, Lunch - Quick and Easy, Main Dishes, Mexican / Southwestern

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You’ll love this easy, tasty, grilled Chicken Black Bean Quesadilla with salsa verde, corn, and cheddar cheese, served with lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream.

I don’t know about you, but we LOVE Mexican food in our home. We especially love tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas! Sometimes people tend to think of quesadillas only as melted cheese on a flour tortilla, and call that a quesadilla.

While that type of quesadilla tastes okay, we like to serve them loaded with more ingredients at our house, to really make it a MEAL! We’ve enjoyed these so many times over the years I can’t even begin to count! The cooking process for cooking a plain or loaded quesadilla is the same. I really think you’re gonna like eating this filling chicken black bean quesadilla a whole lot MORE than a plain one!

Occasionally I change up the recipe a bit, depending on what we have in the pantry at the moment. However, the core recipe I came up with over 30 years ago almost always stays the same. I am glad to share it with you today!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make This Chicken Black Bean Quesadilla

Quesadillas are simple to make, taste absolutely delicious, and are a super simple dinner to throw together after a busy day! You can save time by using leftover cooked chicken breasts or a rotisserie chicken!

For each chicken black bean quesadilla, place grated cheddar cheese, sliced green onions and cooked chicken breast chunks onto ONE HALF of the flour tortilla. Once you have all the filling ingredients ready to go, it’s amazing how quickly you can throw several of these quesadillas together!

Evenly distribute the corn, black beans and a spoonful of the salsa verde sauce to each chicken black bean quesadilla. Remember to leave one half of the tortilla bare.

Grilling The Chicken Black Bean Quesadilla

The empty half of the flour tortilla is folded up and over the toppings for the quesadilla. Each of the quesadilla halves are placed onto a lightly oiled grill (or large skillet) on medium low heat. NOTE: If using a large skillet, you may need to cook these in batches.

Cook each chicken black bean quesadilla for a few minutes on medium low heat until golden brown on the bottom.

Carefully turn each quesadilla to the other side using a spatula. Continue cooking until the bottom side has turned nice and golden brown as well. When done, the cheese should be melted and the other fillings should be heated through.

Slicing The Chicken Black Bean Quesadilla

Once the chicken black bean quesadilla is done cooking, carefully remove two halves (at a time) to a cutting board or surface.

It’s been my experience that a pizza cutter (or a really sharp knife) works really well to slice the quesadilla into serving portions. Slice the quesadilla similar to how you would cut a pizza, into 3 slices per half.

Garnishing The Chicken Black Bean Quesadilla For Serving

In the photo below I placed 2 quesadilla halves on a plate all together, to garnish and photograph the finished meal. It sure looks GOOD once it is “prettied up” a bit, right?

The grilled, sliced chicken black bean quesadilla is garnished with additional grated cheddar, shredded lettuce, diced fresh tomatoes, salsa verde sauce, and a dollop of sour cream! A typical serving would be 3 slices per person, but if you’re REALLY hungry (and don’t mind the extra calories), go for the whole thing!

You can see the chunks of chicken breasts, melted cheese and black beans inside a slice of the chicken black bean quesadilla! This is one great tasting quesadilla, whether you pick up each slice like pizza OR use a fork for each bite! Yum!

I really hope you will give this recipe for a delicious chicken black bean quesadilla a try! The quesadillas are really easy to make, and they sure do taste GREAT! Have a fantastic day, friends. Make it a good one!

Looking For More Tex-Mex Recipes?

You can ALL of my recipes using the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. Some of our favorite Tex-Mex recipes include:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Have a GREAT day!

Recipe Source: my hungry brain…

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

5 from 1 vote

Chicken Black Bean Quesadilla

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

6 mins

Total Time

16 mins

You'll love this easy grilled Chicken Black Bean Quesadilla with salsa verde, corn & cheddar cheese, served with lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream.

Category: Entree

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: chicken black bean quesadilla

Servings: 4

Calories Per Serving: 394 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

4 flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts , pre-cooked
1 stalk green onions , white and green parts
6 Tablespoons whole kernel corn (canned) , drained
6 Tablespoons black beans (canned) , drained
4 Tablespoons salsa verde sauce , or substitute red salsa
cooking spray or vegetable oil , for grill or skillet

For Garnish (OPTIONAL):

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
1/2 cup fresh tomato , diced
4 teaspoons salsa verde sauce
4 Tablespoons sour cream

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For each quesadilla, place grated cheddar cheese, sliced green onions and cooked chicken breast chunks onto ONE HALF of a flour tortilla. Evenly distribute corn, black beans and a spoonful of the salsa verde sauce to each quesadilla. Leave one half of each tortilla bare.
Fold empty half of tortilla up and over the toppings. Place each quesadilla half on a lightly oiled or sprayed flat grill (or large skillet) on medium low heat. NOTE: If using a large skillet, you may need to cook these in batches. Cook for a few minutes on medium low heat until golden brown on the bottom. Carefully turn each quesadilla to the other side, and continue cooking until the bottom is golden brown. When done, cheese should be melted and filling heated through.
Transfer each quesadilla to a cutting board. Slice each half into 3 pieces. Garnish with cheese, lettuce, diced tomatoes, salsa verde, and a dollop of sour cream! Serve, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Caloric calculation is for three quesadilla slices, and includes all garnish toppings (salsa verde, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream).

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Black Bean Quesadilla

Amount Per Serving (1 (3 slices))

Calories 394 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 10g63%

Cholesterol 84mg28%

Sodium 822mg36%

Potassium 507mg14%

Carbohydrates 26g9%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 27g54%

Vitamin A 795IU16%

Vitamin C 4.4mg5%

Calcium 368mg37%

Iron 2.1mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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30
Nov
2018

Bacon Parmesan Spinach Gnocchi

categories: Italian, Main Dishes, Pasta, Pork

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Bacon Parmesan Spinach Gnocchi in a creamy Alfredo sauce, is a simple, delicious Italian comfort food dish that can be ready to eat in about 20 minutes!

Do you like gnocchi? We have really enjoyed trying this little “potato pasta” with several different recipes over the past couple of years. They are known primarily as Italian potato dumplings. Did you know the word “gnocchi” actually means “lumps” in Italian? Yep. There are numerous ways to use gnocchi. These little “lumps” of potatoes and flour can be baked, fried, boiled, etc., and taste amazing when paired with a variety of sauces!

A couple months ago I bought a package of gnocchi at the grocery store (usually found in the pasta aisle). I decided to create my own recipe for Bacon Parmesan Spinach Gnocchi, and used a sauce I’ve made a bazillion times to tie all the ingredients together!

The Bacon Parmesan Spinach Gnocchi ended up tasting wonderful. Creamy alfredo sauce was the perfect sauce to coat the pillowy soft gnocchi, bacon and fresh baby spinach leaves! The added bonus is that it was a very simple (and quick) dinner to make!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Bacon Parmesan Spinach Gnocchi

The first thing you need to do is to cook the bacon. If you cut the raw bacon into thin strips, it will cook a lot faster (thanks, kitchen scissors)! Cook the bacon in a skillet until it is fully cooked and crispy.

Remove the crisp bacon from the skillet; transfer to a paper towel to drain. Leave any bacon drippings in the skillet (there shouldn’t be too much!). This will help give flavor to the sauce!

Making The Sauce For Bacon Parmesan Spinach Gnocchi

Using the same skillet (undrained), add the butter and cook on medium low heat until melted. Once the butter has melted, add the heavy whipping cream and garlic powder. Stir well, to combine the ingredients. Add freshly grated Parmesan cheese to the sauce in the skillet. Whisk or stir the sauce until the ingredients are fully blended together.

Continue to cook the sauce on medium low heat, until the alfredo sauce has thickened slightly and is heated through. Be careful to not let the sauce come to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat once the sauce has thickened.

Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling water according to the package instructions. Once the gnocchi is cooked, drain it well in a colander or strainer. Do not rinse the gnocchi.

Finish The Gnocchi For Serving

Place the drained, hot gnocchi back into the saucepan. Pour the alfredo sauce, fresh baby spinach leaves and crumbled bacon back into the pan.

Stir the ingredients well, to fully coat everything with the alfredo sauce. Turn the heat to low, and continue to heat the bacon parmesan spinach gnocchi until it’s heated through. It only takes a couple minutes to heat through, and the spinach will wilt down as it cooks.

Once the bacon parmesan spinach gnocchi is heated all the way through, it is ready to serve! Portion out the gnocchi to individual serving bowls or plates. Top each serving with additional grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve the bacon parmesan spinach gnocchi while it is hot… and enjoy every bite!

We truly did love this Bacon Parmesan Spinach Gnocchi! The creamy flavorful gnocchi is Italian comfort food at it’s best! I sincerely hope you will give the recipe a try, because I think you’re gonna love it, too! Have a wonderful day.

Looking For More Recipes Using Gnocchi?

I have a few recipes using gnocchi on my blog that you might also enjoy! They include:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

0 from 0 votes

Bacon Parmesan Spinach Gnocchi

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

20 mins

Bacon Parmesan Spinach Gnocchi in a creamy Alfredo sauce, is a simple, delicious Italian comfort food dish that can be ready to eat in about 20 minutes!

Category: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: bacon parmesan spinach gnocchi

Servings: 4

Calories Per Serving: 742 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 strips bacon , cooked until crispy
4 Tablespoons butter
1¼ cups heavy whipping cream
1¼ cups grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt , plus more to taste
17.5 ounces gnocchi
2 cups baby spinach leaves (fresh)
Parmesan cheese , optional for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook bacon in skillet on medium heat until fully cooked/crispy. TIP: If you cut the raw bacon into thin strips before cooking, it will cook a LOT faster! Remove crisp bacon from skillet; transfer to a paper towel to drain, then crumble (if not already cut into small pieces).
Using the same skillet (undrained), add butter; cook on medium low heat until melted. Once the butter melts, add heavy whipping cream and garlic powder. Stir well, to combine. Add grated Parmesan cheese to the sauce in skillet. Whisk or stir sauce until the ingredients are fully blended together. Continue to cook sauce on medium low heat, until it has thickened slightly and is heated through. Be careful to not let the sauce come to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat once the sauce has thickened.
Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling water according to package instructions. Once the gnocchi is cooked, drain it well in a colander or strainer. Do not rinse the gnocchi. Place the drained, hot gnocchi back into the saucepan.
Pour the alfredo sauce, fresh baby spinach leaves and crumbled bacon into the pan of gnocchi. Stir well, to fully coat everything with the sauce. Turn heat to low, and continue to heat gnocchi until heated through. It only takes a couple minutes to heat through; the spinach will wilt down as it cooks. Once gnocchi is heated all the way through, it is ready to serve! Transfer gnocchi into individual bowls or plates. Top each serving with more grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve hot... and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Bacon Parmesan Spinach Gnocchi

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/4 of total))

Calories 742 Calories from Fat 477

% Daily Value*

Fat 53g82%

Saturated Fat 31g194%

Cholesterol 166mg55%

Sodium 1256mg55%

Potassium 200mg6%

Carbohydrates 48g16%

Fiber 3g13%

Protein 20g40%

Vitamin A 3120IU62%

Vitamin C 4.7mg6%

Calcium 438mg44%

Iron 5.1mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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26
Nov
2018

Moroccan Meatball Couscous Soup

categories: Beef, Main Dishes, Soups

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Moroccan Meatball Couscous Soup is a delicious, flavor-filled dish, with baked ground beef meatballs and pearl couscous, in a simple garlic/shallot broth.

A couple of weeks ago, I tried a new soup recipe that I recently found on Pinterest. The recipe was for a Moroccan meatball couscous soup, and I thought it sounded really interesting, due to the spices used in the tiny meatballs.

Do you like meatballs in soup? We do! One of our favorite soups with meatballs is my Albondigas Soup, which has traditional Southwestern flavors. I wasn’t too sure how this Moroccan meatball couscous soup (using pearl / Israeli couscous) would turn out, but thought I’d give this unique sounding soup a shot!

WOW! We LOVED this simple soup! Tiny meatballs, made with ground beef or lamb (I used ground beef), are mixed with a variety of Moroccan spices. The spices include turmeric, cinnamon, chili powder, curry powder, and several more.

Those little meatballs are baked, then added to a simple chicken or vegetable broth, which has been flavored with garlic and shallots. The end result? A wonderful tasting Moroccan meatball couscous soup that will knock your socks off! The soup is very easy to make – here’s how:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Moroccan Meatball Couscous Soup

The first thing you will need to do is preheat your oven to 375° F, and line a 13×9 inch baking sheet (with edges) with parchment paper. Place a rack in the middle of the oven.

Mix together the spices for the meatballs in a small bowl. Place the ground beef (or ground lamb) in a medium bowl. Add the spice mixture and tomato paste to the meat in the bowl. Mix thoroughly (with clean hands), until all ingredients are completely blended.

For each meatball, use a rounded teaspoon of meat. Roll meat between your hands to form a small meatball. Place meatballs onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the meat is gone. I ended up with 43 little meatballs out of this mixture.

Place meatballs into the oven (on the middle rack). Bake at 375° F. for 10-12 minutes, until they are fully cooked through. When done, remove baking sheet from oven, and set aside.

Preparing The Couscous

While the meatballs are baking, you can cook the Israeli (pearl) couscous. For this recipe the couscous is lightly “dry toasted” first, then cooked. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium heat in a saucepan. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the pearl couscous. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally while it lightly “toasts”. Lightly “toasting” the couscous, helps develop a slightly nutty flavor.

Add 1¾ cup water, and a tiny pinch of salt to the toasted couscous. Let the water come to a full boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low, and cover the pan. Cook the couscous for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until the water has been fully absorbed. Remove pan from heat once done. Set aside.

Putting The Moroccan Meatball Couscous Soup Together

Heat 3 Tablespoons olive oil on medium high heat, in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the minced garlic and 3 chopped shallots to the hot oil. Cook, stirring often, for one minute.

Add the chicken (or vegetable) broth to the pot, along with 2 more cups of water. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and carefully add the meatballs and the cooked couscous to the hot broth.

Simmer the Moroccan meatball couscous soup (uncovered) on low heat for 10 minutes. See how nice and plump the pearl couscous is?

Time To EAT!

Once the Moroccan meatball couscous soup is finished cooking, remove the pot from the stove. Taste test the broth. If you find more salt or pepper is necessary to suit your taste, add it now. Ladle the hot soup into individual serving bowls. To serve, garnish each bowl of Moroccan meatball couscous soup with some chopped fresh flat leaf parsley.

That’s how simple it is to make this delicious soup! I wasn’t sure I was gonna like it at first (being honest), but my husband and I ended up loving it! The leftovers were fabulous for lunches, too! YUM.

I really do hope you will consider trying this scrumptious Moroccan meatball couscous soup recipe. You will be surprised at the wonderful flavors in the meatballs and in the broth! Have a wonderful day, friends.

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

You can find all of my soup recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. Some of our favorites include:

Interested In More Recipes?

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Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Recipe Source: littlespicejar.com/moroccan-meatball-couscous-soup/

0 from 0 votes

Moroccan Meatball Couscous Soup

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Moroccan Meatball Couscous Soup is a delicious, flavor-filled dish, with baked ground beef meatballs and pearl couscous, in a simple garlic/shallot broth.

Category: Main Dish, Soup

Cuisine: Moroccan

Keyword: Moroccan meatball couscous soup

Servings: 8

Calories Per Serving: 360 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Meatballs:

1½ pounds ground beef (or lamb)
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For Soup:

8 ounces Israeli (pearl) couscous
2 teaspoons olive oil ,for toasting couscous
3 Tablespoons olive oil ,for cooking shallots/garlic
8 cloves garlic ,minced
3 shallots , finely chopped
4 cups chicken broth ,may substitute vegetable broth
3¾ cups water , divided
chopped flat leaf parsley ,for garnish - optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° F, and place a rack in the middle of the oven. Line a 13x9 inch baking sheet (with edges) with parchment paper.
Mix spices for the meatballs in a small bowl. Place the ground beef (or lamb) in a medium bowl. Add the spice mix and tomato paste to the meat. Mix thoroughly (with clean hands), until completely blended. For each meatball, use a rounded teaspoon of meat. Roll meat between hands to form a small meatball (40-45 total). Place meatballs onto parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat until meat is gone. Place meatballs into oven (on middle rack). Bake at 375° F. for 10-12 minutes, until fully cooked through. When done, remove baking sheet from oven, and set aside.
While meatballs bake, cook the couscous. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium heat in a saucepan. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the pearl couscous. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally while it lightly "toasts". Add 1¾ cups of water and a pinch of salt to the toasted couscous. Let water come to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, and cover the pan. Cook couscous for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until the water has been fully absorbed. Remove pan from heat and set aside when done.
Heat 3 Tablespoons olive oil on medium high heat, in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add minced garlic and chopped shallots to the hot oil. Cook, stirring often, for one minute. Add the chicken (or vegetable) broth to the pot, along with 2 more cups of water. Bring liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to low; carefully add meatballs and cooked couscous to the hot broth. Simmer the soup (uncovered) on low heat for 10 minutes. Once the soup is finished cooking, remove the pot from the heat. Taste test the broth. If you find more salt or pepper is necessary to suit your taste, add it. Ladle the hot soup into individual serving bowls. To serve, garnish each bowl of soup with chopped fresh flat leaf parsley. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Moroccan Meatball Couscous Soup

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 360 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 57mg19%

Sodium 667mg29%

Potassium 449mg13%

Carbohydrates 24g8%

Fiber 1g4%

Protein 20g40%

Vitamin A 60IU1%

Vitamin C 10.1mg12%

Calcium 36mg4%

Iron 2.8mg16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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05
Nov
2018

Roast Cod with Garlic Bacon Butter

categories: Main Dishes, Seafood

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Roast Cod with Garlic Bacon Butter is pan-seared, then finished in the oven! The seasoned butter topped fish tastes amazing, and is ready in under 20 minutes!

Recently I found a recipe for roast cod on Pinterest that sounded good, so decided to make the dish for my husband and I. The part of the recipe that intrigued me was the seasoned garlic butter that topped the fish.

The original recipe called for a small amount of proscuitto to help flavor the garlic butter. When I made the roast cod, I didn’t have any proscuitto laying around my kitchen, begging to be used (story of my life).

However, I DID have bacon! Since everything is better with bacon, I decided to improvise! A strip of bacon was cut into tiny pieces, quickly fried until crisp, then drained. I used the bacon in place of the proscuitto, and BOOM! This was a FANTASTIC substitute!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Cad At The bottom Of The Page

Make The Garlic Bacon Butter For Roast Cod

To make the garlic bacon butter, place the ingredients in a small bowl. The ingredients include softened butter, flat leaf parsley, garlic, shallots, Dijon mustard, crisp, cooked and crumbled bacon, flour, salt and pepper. Stir well, to combine ingredients.

Once the seasoned butter ingredients were combined, I added fresh squeezed lemon juice. Mix the butter once again to incorporate the juice, then set aside.

Prepare The Fish

Lightly season the skinless cod fillets on one side with salt and pepper. NOTE: The recipe, as written serves 4. However, I only cooked TWO pieces of cod for my husband and I, so my photos reflect that.

Heat canola (or vegetable oil) on medium high heat in a deep, large OVENPROOF skillet. I used a heavy cast iron skillet to cook the fish. Once the oil is very hot (but not smoking), add the fish. Cook the seasoned cod fillets for 4 minutes without disturbing. After 4 minutes, carefully turn fillets over with a spatula. Cook cod fillets for 1 more minute.

Tip For Cooking The Cod Fillets

TIP: The oils in the skillet may pop quite a bit, so you may find it helpful to use a splatter screen on top of the skillet to reduce any mess.

Continue Cooking The Cod

Flip fillets back over to the original side cooked (it should have the best color). Place a Tablespoon of the garlic bacon butter mixture on top of each piece of fish. Immediately put the ovenproof skillet and fish (uncovered) into a preheated 450°F oven. Roast cod in the oven for about 3 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through. Remove pan with roast cod from oven.

Add any leftover garlic bacon butter to the hot skillet. It will melt, and you can spoon the sauce over the roast cod when serving, for extra flavor!

Time To Eat Roast Cod With Garlic Bacon Butter

The roast cod was served with a green salad and some garden peas on the side. Ooh, the garlic bacon butter topping on the roast cod gave so much FLAVOR to the fish!

My husband and I absolutely LOVED our dinner! The pan-seared, roast cod was cooked perfectly, flaked easily, and tasted incredible, thanks to that yummy garlic bacon sauce!

TIP: When serving, if you want to “garnish” the fish a bit more, you can always add a couple slices of lemon to “pretty it up”. It’s not necessary, but would add another pop of color to the dish!

It really was easy to make this roast cod with bacon garlic butter! Hope you will consider making this delicious seafood dish for those you love.

Want More Recipes Using Cod Fillets?

If you enjoy cooking with cod fillets, I’ve got a few others! I’m confident you will enjoy these recipes, too! They are very good, and are wonderful dishes that use this mild flavored fish.

Interested In More Recipes?

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Recipe Adapted From: Alfred Portale, for Coastal Living, Gotham Bar and Grill, New York City, at https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/roast-cod-with-garlic-butter

0 from 0 votes

Roast Cod with Garlic Bacon Butter

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

9 mins

Total Time

19 mins

Roast Cod with Garlic Bacon Butter is pan-seared, then finished in the oven! The seasoned butter topped fish tastes amazing, and is ready in under 20 minutes!

Category: Dinner, Seafood

Cuisine: American

Keyword: roast cod

Servings: 4

Calories Per Serving: 358 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Garlic Bacon Butter:

1/4 cup butter , softened
1 large garlic clove , peeled and minced
1½ Tablespoons flat leaf parsley
2 teaspoons minced shallots
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 slice bacon , cooked till crispy, crumbled
1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons lemon juice , fresh squeezed
1/8 teaspoon Salt , to taste
1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper , to taste

For Cod

4 7 ounce pieces cod fillets , skinless
2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
Lemon wedges (optional garnish)
Salt & pepper , to lightly season fish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make Garlic Bacon Butter

Place the ingredients in a small bowl (softened butter, flat leaf parsley, garlic, shallots, Dijon mustard, crisp, cooked and crumbled bacon, flour, salt and pepper. Stir to combine ingredients well. Once combined, add fresh squeezed lemon juice. Mix butter once again to incorporate juice, then set aside.

Cook Cod Fillets

Preheat oven to 450°F. Lightly season skinless cod fillets with salt and pepper.
Heat canola (or vegetable oil) on medium high heat in a deep, large OVENPROOF skillet. Once oil is very hot (but not smoking), add the fish. Cook the cod fillets for 4 minutes without disturbing. After 4 minutes, carefully turn fillets over with a spatula. Cook cod fillets for 1 more minute. TIP: The oils in the skillet may pop quite a bit, so you may find it helpful to use a splatter screen on top of the skillet to reduce any mess.
Turn fillets back over to the original side cooked. Place a Tablespoon of garlic bacon butter mixture on top of each piece. Immediately put ovenproof skillet with fish (uncovered) into a preheated 450°F oven. Roast cod in oven for 3 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through. Remove skillet from oven. Add any leftover garlic bacon butter to the hot skillet. It will melt, and you can spoon the sauce over the roast cod when serving, for extra flavor! Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTES: If you wish to use proscuitto instead of bacon, use 1½ Tablespoons minced proscuitto (no need to cook).

Nutrition Facts

Roast Cod with Garlic Bacon Butter

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 358 Calories from Fat 198

% Daily Value*

Fat 22g34%

Saturated Fat 13g81%

Cholesterol 119mg40%

Sodium 325mg14%

Potassium 830mg24%

Carbohydrates 2g1%

Protein 36g72%

Vitamin A 560IU11%

Vitamin C 6.8mg8%

Calcium 35mg4%

Iron 0.9mg5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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01
Nov
2018

Traeger Roasted Chicken

categories: Chicken, For The BBQ Grill, Main Dishes, Traeger Grill Recipes

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Traeger Roasted Chicken, well seasoned with a dry rub spice mix, is a great meal! Cooking whole chickens on a smoker/pellet grill couldn’t be easier!

My husband and I have enjoyed “getting to know” the Traeger grill he got for his birthday this past summer. We’ve made several items on it, including a smoked Pork Loin Roast, and a delicious dessert of Berry Cobbler. Both recipes were both amazing!

One of our favorite things we make often is Traeger roasted chicken. Whole chickens are covered with a dry spice rub mix, then the chickens roast, quite happily I might add, in the Traeger grill for about an hour, until done! It’s so easy to make chicken this way!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Making The Spice Rub For Traeger Roasted Chicken

The dry rub mix for Traeger roasted chicken is ridiculously easy to prepare. The spices are combined in a small bowl. Spices are mixed well, until all spices are fully incorporated. The spice rub recipe makes approximately 2 cups. You will only have to use a small PART of this to coat one chicken.

My recommendation is to go ahead and make up the whole batch, as written. After seasoning chicken(s), place remaining dry rub mix into an airtight bottle, and store in pantry. The spices will keep for at least 6 months, so you will have it handy, to use over and over! Guess what? This spice rub tastes fantastic on PORK, too!

Applying Spice Rub On The Traeger Roasted Chicken

Rinse and pat dry (with a paper towel) one or more whole chickens. Remove any giblets that may be inside the chicken cavity, and discard.

Cover the entire chicken generously with dry rub mixture, patting it into chicken to adhere. Sprinkle some into the cavity of the chicken, also. NOTE: You will definitely have some of the spice rub left over, which can be used for other recipes, or to coat about 4 more chickens).

Prepare Chicken To Roast Evenly

Tuck the tips of the chicken wings under the chicken, to hold in place. Tie the front legs of chicken together with cooking twine. NOTE: I didn’t have cooking twine available, so used some of my raffia, from crafting, to tie legs together. It worked perfectly!

The reason it is a good idea to tuck wings under chicken, and tie legs together, is that it helps the chicken cook more evenly. You can see in the photo below how the legs were tied. As always, when working with fresh poultry, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling chicken.

How To Roast Chicken On A Traeger Grill

When ready to begin, start the Traeger grill on SMOKE setting, with the lid OPEN, until the fire has ignited and is smoking (about 4-5 minutes). Set the temperature gauge to 375°. Close the lid. Let the Traeger preheat for 10-15 minutes. Add a small pan of apple juice (or cider) to the top rack of the grill. This helps to keep some flavorful steam circulating while roasting the chicken.

After grill has preheated, place the chicken directly on the grill grate. Cook at 375°F (with the lid closed) for approximately 60 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

How To Test For Correct Temperature Of Traeger Roasted Chicken

To test for internal temperature, insert the temperature probe into the chicken in between the leg and the thigh joint. You will need to also check the internal temperature of a chicken breast, to ensure it also reaches an internal temp of 165°F once done. NOTE: If it looks like the chicken is starting to get blackened on top when near the end of the roasting time, lightly cover the chicken with aluminum foil, and continue cooking until done.

Remember, due to varying weights of chicken used, fluctuating temps on your grill, and how chilled the chicken is before adding it to the grill, your cooking time may be shorter or longer.

Okay, The Chicken Is Ready, Now What?

Once Traeger roasted chicken has reached an internal temp of 165°, remove them from the grill and place on cutting board or tray with rimmed edges (to catch any juices). Untie the chicken legs by slicing through and removing the cooking twine.

Let the chicken rest for about 10-15 minutes, before attempting to slice. This will allow the juices inside the meat time to redistribute throughout the chicken. Trust me, you WANT juicy chicken!

After your Traeger roasted chicken has rested for 10-15 minutes, it is time to slice, and serve!

And that is how easy it is to make Traeger Roasted Chicken! The meat turns out perfectly juicy and flavorful. You can eat it, as is, or use it in a variety of other recipes! Sure hope you will consider trying this easy recipe for Traeger roasted chicken! You’re gonna love it!

Looking For More TRAEGER Recipes?

You can find ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of Traeger recipes you might be interested in, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Source: The recipe booklet that came with the purchase of our Traeger grill.
Dry Rub Source: https://www.thegratefulgirlcooks.com/dry-rub-spice-mix/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Traeger Roasted Chicken

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 15 mins

Traeger Roasted Chicken, well seasoned with a dry rub spice mix, is a great meal! Cooking whole chickens on a smoker/pellet grill couldn't be easier!

Category: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: roasted chicken

Servings: 1 whole chicken

Calories Per Serving: 1987 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

3 pound fresh young chicken (1 whole) (between 3-4 pounds total)

For Dry Rub Mix:

1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup smoked paprika
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup salt
2 Tablespoons black pepper
2 Tablespoons onion powder
1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon dry mustard

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare Dry Rub Mix and Chicken

Make dry rub mix by combining all spices in small bowl. Stir or whisk well, to fully blend ingredients. Set aside.
Rinse and pat dry (with a paper towel) one or more whole chickens. Remove any giblets that may be inside the chicken cavity, and discard. Cover the entire chicken generously with dry rub mixture, patting it into chicken to adhere. Sprinkle some dry rub mix into the cavity of the chicken, also. Tuck the tips of the chicken wings under the chicken, to hold in place. Tie the front legs of chicken together with cooking twine. It's a good idea to do this, because it helps the chicken cook more evenly.

To Roast Chicken(s)

Start the Traeger grill on SMOKE setting, with the lid OPEN, until fire has ignited and is smoking (about 4-5 minutes). Set temperature gauge to 375°. CLOSE LID. Let grill preheat for 10-15 minutes. Add a small aluminum pan of apple juice (or cider) to the top rack of grill (this helps keep flavorful steam circulating while roasting). After grill has preheated, place chicken directly on the grill grate. Cook at 375°F (with lid closed) for about 60 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
To test for internal temperature, insert the temperature probe into the chicken in between the leg and the thigh joint. You will need to also check the internal temperature of a chicken breast, to ensure it also has reached 165° temp. NOTE: If it looks like chicken is starting to blacken on top near the end of roasting time, lightly cover chicken with aluminum foil; continue cooking until done.
Once chicken has reached an internal temp of 165°, remove from grill and place on cutting board or tray with rimmed edges (to catch any juices). Untie chicken legs by slicing through and removing cooking twine. Let chicken rest for 15 minutes (to let juices inside redistribute throughout meat). Slice and serve!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: Caloric calculation is an estimate for a WHOLE 3 pound chicken. Calorie counts will vary, due to pieces of chicken eaten, OR the total starting weight of the chicken.

Nutrition Facts

Traeger Roasted Chicken

Amount Per Serving (1 whole chicken)

Calories 1987 Calories from Fat 990

% Daily Value*

Fat 110g169%

Saturated Fat 29g181%

Cholesterol 489mg163%

Sodium 28832mg1254%

Potassium 3120mg89%

Carbohydrates 127g42%

Fiber 26g108%

Sugar 78g87%

Protein 135g270%

Vitamin A 29735IU595%

Vitamin C 17.6mg21%

Calcium 455mg46%

Iron 24.8mg138%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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26
Oct
2018

English Muffin Mummy Pizzas

categories: Holidays!, Italian, Lunch - Quick and Easy

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English Muffin Mummy Pizzas are a perfect Halloween treat for kids (or adults)! They’re cute, yummy, and VERY EASY to make, with only a few ingredients!

With Halloween fast approaching, these English muffin mummy pizzas would be a FUN way to enjoy a quick lunch treat with the kids or grandkids! These EASY, tasty mini YUMMY MUMMY pizzas would be a fun project to do with your kids for Halloween! The kids can decorate their own English muffin mummy pizzas. What fun!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Halloween Memories

I remember how memorable it was when our two sons were little (they’re grown men now) and would get dressed up for Halloween festivities. They were always SO incredibly excited!

This would be a fun dinner to serve before going Trick or Treating, or to serve a group of kids at a Harvest Party! They will be talking about making their own MUMMY PIZZAS long after they’ve eaten them!

All YOU will need to do is a TINY bit of prep work (slice cheese and olives), let the kids decorate their pizzas, and then YOU can bake them! That’s it! Then, before you can say “FUNNY YUMMY MUMMY”, a “spooky” tasty lunch is served!

It’s EASY To Make English Muffin Mummy Pizzas!

The first thing you will need to do is split the English muffins in half. Place them on a parchment paper or silicone baking mat, cut side UP, on a 13×9 inch baking sheet.

Place a HEAPING Tablespoon of prepared pizza or spaghetti sauce onto each English muffin half. I used my homemade spaghetti sauce. Spread the sauce with a spoon, to cover the English muffin.

By the way, if you are ever interested in learning how to make homemade English muffins, my recipe is right here.

Since we ALL KNOW that mummies have eyes (right?), the next thing to do is slice the pimento-stuffed green olives into “eyeballs”. Position them toward the top of the English muffin mummy pizza.

The next thing to do is position thin strips of mozzarella cheese on top, as if wrapping a mummy. This is where the kids can really get creative! I used string cheese sticks, and carefully cut them into strips.

However, you can definitely use packaged mozzarella slices, or mozzarella slices cut from a large mozzarella ball (and then trimmed), to make this work for you. Best width is 1/4″.

Once the English muffin mummy pizzas are decorated and “mummified”, they are ready to put into the oven and bake!

Baking English Muffin Mummy Pizzas

Place the baking sheet in a preheated 400°F oven. The yummy mummies will need to bake between 8 and 12 minutes. They are done when the cheese has melted, and the muffins are heated through. Remove the baking sheet from the oven.

TIP: Let the English muffin mummy pizzas cool for a little bit before serving (especially to kids), because they will be very hot!

Here’s an up close photo of my English muffin mummy pizzas. I made the strips of cheese a bit wider than the recommended 1/4″ size, so a lot of the cheese melted together.

I think the pizza on the far left ended up looking a bit like Santa Claus, now that I think about it. Hmmm. Wrong season… wait your turn, Santa!

Here’s hoping your family enjoys these cute little English muffin mummy pizzas! My hubby and I, (who are most definitely “big kids”) really do!

If you enjoy this cute treat, be sure and check out my recipes for Stuffed Jack O’ Lantern Peppers and Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Pumpkins! They are so cute, easy to make, and the kids will love them, too!

Have a GREAT day, and don’t forget- you can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page.

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I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
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Recipe Adapted From: https://www.veggiessavetheday.com/english-muffin-pizzas

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

English Muffin Mummy Pizzas

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

20 mins

English Muffin Mummy Pizzas are a perfect Halloween treat for kids (or adults)! They're cute, yummy, and VERY EASY to make, with only a few ingredients!

Category: Lunch

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: English muffin mummy pizzas

Servings: 4 (2 halves each)

Calories Per Serving: 211 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

4 English muffins , split in half
6 Tablespoons pizza or spaghetti sauce , HEAPING Tablespoons
8 green pimento-stuffed olives
3 low fat mozzarella string cheese sticks SEE NOTE BELOW

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Split English muffins in half. Place them on parchment paper or silicone baking mat, cut side UP, on a 13x9 inch baking sheet.
Place a HEAPING Tablespoon of prepared pizza or spaghetti sauce onto each English muffin half. I used my homemade spaghetti sauce. Spread the sauce with a spoon, to cover muffin.
Slice the pimento-stuffed green olives into "eyeballs". Position the sliced olives toward the top of the pizza.
Position (layer) thin strips of mozzarella cheese on top, as if wrapping a mummy. Once decorated, they are ready to cook!
Place the baking sheet in a preheated 400°F oven. The mummy pizzas will need to bake between 8 and 12 minutes. They are done when cheese has melted, and the muffins are heated through. Remove baking sheet from oven. Let pizzas cool for a little bit before serving (especially to kids), because they will be very hot! Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: If using string cheese, carefully cut them into strips to fit. You can also use packaged mozzarella slices, or slices from a large mozzarella ball. Recommendation is to slice mozzarella cheese strips 1/4" wide .

Nutrition Facts

English Muffin Mummy Pizzas

Amount Per Serving (1 )TWO halves))

Calories 211 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Fat 6g9%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 11mg4%

Sodium 671mg29%

Potassium 149mg4%

Carbohydrates 28g9%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 9g18%

Vitamin A 130IU3%

Vitamin C 1.6mg2%

Calcium 52mg5%

Iron 0.7mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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12
Oct
2018

Tortellini Bacon & Peas Skillet

categories: Bacon, Italian, Main Dishes, Pork

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Tortellini Bacon & Peas Skillet is a simple, quick dish to make in about 20 minutes! Seasoned with onions, Italian spices and Parmesan, it’s a delicious meal!

Ever have those days when you need to cook dinner, but are out of ideas? Believe it or not, I sure do! This recipe for Tortellini, Bacon & Peas Skillet came about as a result of wracking my brain to come up with a dinner plan recently.

I raided my pantry and found dried tortellini pasta. Next, I raided my refrigerator and came up with bacon and and onion. An idea started forming in my head… hmmm. Then I found a bag of frozen petite peas, and BAM… I knew what I would cook for our dinner, and created this dish!

The recipe is very simple to make in only a few steps. It only took about 20 minutes from my pillaging in the kitchen, until we were eating this delicious meal! Not too bad for a quick and delicious weeknight meal, if I do say so myself!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Here’s How To Prepare The Tortellini, Bacon & Peas Skillet

One of the ingredients in this dish is cooked and crumbled bacon. The first thing I did was to cook the bacon. I cooked the onion along with the bacon. The easiest way I have found to cook bacon quickly is to stack bacon slices, then thinly slice them into small pieces.

NOTE: Use a large skillet to cook bacon and onion. The tortellini will be added to the skillet later, so it needs to big enough to hold it all! Once the small bacon strips (and chopped onion) are added to the skillet, they will cook very quickly, with minimal stirring!

Once the bacon (and chopped onions) are finished cooking, remove them from skillet with a slotted spoon. Place the bacon mixture on a paper towel, to finish draining. Set bacon aside. IMPORTANT: Keep the bacon drippings in the skillet (do not discard). It will be used when the dish is put together and will add additional amazing flavor to the tortellini!

Which Kind Of Tortellini Should I Use?

I used dried cheese tortellini for this recipe. However… you can easily substitute refrigerated cheese tortellini found in the deli section at most grocery stores, if that is more convenient for you!

Cook cheese tortellini in salted, boiling water, according to package directions. The great thing is that you could, in theory, cook the tortellini ahead of time. That way, if pressed for time to get dinner on the table, it will take even less time to throw this meal together later!

If using dried tortellini, you will need 1½ cups dry tortellini to cook. However, if you will be using refrigerated tortellini, you will need a total of 3 cups cheese tortellini.

When done cooking, drain the tortellini.

To Assemble Tortellini Bacon & Peas Skillet

Pour a teaspoon of olive oil into pan that has the reserved bacon drippings in it. Turn heat to medium. Once oil/bacon drippings are hot, add the cooked and drained tortellini. Add cooked crumbled bacon/onion mixture, thawed peas (thawed frozen peas won’t be as mushy as canned peas), salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.

Stir to combine, and cook on medium heat until mixture is heated through. Taste test a small bite. If necessary, add more salt/pepper, to suit your personal taste.

To Serve:

Once heated thoroughly, remove pan from heat. Add grated Parmesan cheese (optional, but GOOD) to top of dish, and serve hot!

That’s it! I really hope you enjoy this quick, satisfying (and quite tasty) Tortellini, Bacon & Peas Skillet! We sure did. Hope you have a wonderful day, and thank you for stopping by. Come back soon!

Looking For More TORTELLINI Dishes?

You can find all of my pasta recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have several tortellini recipes, including:

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0 from 0 votes

Tortellini Bacon & Peas Skillet

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

5 mins

Total Time

20 mins

Tortellini Bacon & Peas Skillet is a simple, quick dish to make in about 20 minutes! Seasoned with onions, Italian spices and Parmesan, it's a delicious meal!

Category: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: tortellini

Servings: 3 servings (approx 1 cup each)

Calories Per Serving: 640 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

12 ounces dry tortellini pasta (can sub. 3 cups fresh tortellini)
3 slices bacon , drippings reserved after cooking
1/2 cup frozen peas , thawed
1/4 cup onions , chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon (each) salt and pepper , plus more, to taste
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese , for garnish (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Use a large skillet to cook bacon and onion. The tortellini will be added to the skillet later, so it needs to big enough to hold it all! Once the bacon (and chopped onions) are finished cooking, remove them from skillet with a slotted spoon. Place the bacon mixture on a paper towel, to finish draining. Crumble. Set bacon aside. IMPORTANT: Keep the bacon drippings in the pan (do not discard). It will be used when the dish is put together and will add additional amazing flavor to the tortellini!
Cook cheese tortellini in salted, boiling water, according to package directions. When done cooking, drain the tortellini.
Pour a teaspoon of olive oil into the skillet with reserved bacon drippings in it. Turn heat to medium. Once oil/bacon drippings are hot, add the cooked, drained tortellini. Add cooked bacon/onion mixture, thawed peas, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine, and cook on medium heat until mixture is heated through. Taste test a small bite. If necessary, add more salt/pepper, to suit your taste.
Once heated thoroughly, remove pan from heat. Add grated Parmesan cheese on top to garnish dish (optional, but GOOD), and serve hot! Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Tortellini Bacon & Peas Skillet

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/3 of total))

Calories 640 Calories from Fat 270

% Daily Value*

Fat 30g46%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Cholesterol 88mg29%

Sodium 1211mg53%

Potassium 121mg3%

Carbohydrates 70g23%

Fiber 7g29%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 21g42%

Vitamin A 415IU8%

Vitamin C 10.6mg13%

Calcium 211mg21%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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24
Sep
2018

Citrus Marinated Swordfish Kabobs

categories: For The BBQ Grill, Main Dishes, Seafood

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Citrus Marinated Swordfish Kabobs, with onions and red and green bell peppers are quick and easy to prepare, and can be grilled on a BBQ outside, or inside on a griddle.

My husband bought a small swordfish steak. ONE. There are two of us. Go figure! Swordfish can be a bit expensive (one 7 ounce piece of swordfish cost just under $10), so I needed to figure out something to do with just one piece of fish (cause I sure wasn’t going back to the store for another).

Then it came to me… kabobs! By cutting it into smaller pieces and adding vegetable chunks, there would be plenty for BOTH of us! Aha!

I have used swordfish before, including in my recipe for Swordfish in Lemon Garlic Sauce, but I wanted to try something different. I recently had made a citrus Dijon salad dressing for a mixed green salad. It was so good I decided it would be a PERFECT sauce to make with swordfish kabobs, so I decided to go for it!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Citrus Marinated Swordfish Kabobs

Cut the swordfish steak into 16 bite sized cubes (4 used per skewer).

Cut the red and green bell peppers and the red onion into approximate 2″ pieces (about the same size as the swordfish cubes).

Threading The Kabobs

Thread the swordfish and vegetable pieces onto skewers, alternating vegetables and fish. If you are grilling indoors on flat surface / griddle, there is no need to treat skewers.

NOTE: If grilling the citrus marinated swordfish kabobs outside using wood skewers, you will need to soak the wooden skewers for 30 minutes fully submerged in water. Do this step prior to adding the fish and veggies, to prevent burning the skewers up, once over an open flame.

Mix together the ingredients for the citrus marinade. Brush sauce onto the kabobs, covering both swordfish and veggies. Turn kabobs to brush both sides with sauce.

Let the kabobs “marinate” in the sauce for a bit, while you get your outside BBQ started, or heat up your griddle.

Cooking The Kabobs

Heat the griddle (or outside BBQ) with a tiny bit of oil on medium high heat. Once the grill is hot, add the kabobs. You should hear them sizzle when they hit the hot grill.

Cook for several minutes, then rotate kabobs to other side. Continue cooking (turning to cook all sides), and basting with additional sauce, until swordfish is seared on the outside, and cooked through (6-8 minutes).

TIP: If a piece of the fish isn’t fully touching the griddle, simply use a fork to lightly press it down, to ensure a crisp seared exterior. Sometimes the chunks of veggies prevent a few pieces of swordfish from being seared on outside; this is the best way I’ve found to solve that issue.

Time To EAT!

Once citrus marinated swordfish kabobs are fully cooked through, carefully remove them from the grill, and serve while they are hot!

Each serving is two skewers of swordfish and veggies! I served them with steamed broccoli, yellow squash and carrots, and rice on the side. YUM.

I really hope you will enjoy these citrus marinated swordfish kabobs… we sure do! By using only ONE swordfish steak between the two of us, it saved some money, too!

It was a great way to eat a lot of veggies and healthy fish; all in all it was a very light, DELICIOUS meal! Have a fantastic day!

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0 from 0 votes

Citrus Marinated Swordfish Kabobs

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

20 mins

Citrus Marinated Swordfish Kabobs, with onions and red and green bell peppers are quick and easy to prepare, and can be grilled on a BBQ or an inside griddle.

Category: Main Course, Seafood

Cuisine: American

Keyword: citrus marinated swordfish kabobs

Servings: 2

Calories Per Serving: 364 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

1 swordfish steak (approx. 7 ounces)
1 small red bell pepper
1 small green bell pepper
1/4 small red onion

For Citrus Marinade:

2.5 Tablespoons orange juice (fresh squeezed)
1.5 teaspoons orange zest
3/4 Tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
2.5 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons poppyseeds

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cut the swordfish steak into 16 bite sized cubes (4 used per skewer). Cut the bell peppers and onion into approximate 2" wedges (about the same size as the swordfish cubes).
Thread swordfish and vegetables onto skewers, alternating vegetables and fish. If you are grillng indoors on flat surface, no need to treat skewers. If grilling outside and using wood skewers, you will need to soak the wooden skewers for 30 minutes, (fully submerged in water) prior to adding fish and veggies, to prevent burning once over an open flame.
Mix together the ingredients for the citrus marinade. Brush sauce onto the kabobs, covering both swordfish and veggies. Turn kabobs to brush both sides with sauce. Let the kabobs sit and "marinate" in the sauce for a bit, while you get your outside BBQ started or heat up your griddle.
Heat griddle (or outside BBQ) with a tiny bit of oil on medium high heat. Once hot, add kabobs. You should hear them sizzle once they hit the grill. Cook for several minutes, then rotate kabobs to other side. Continue cooking (turning to cook all sides), and basting with additional sauce, until swordfish is seared on the outside, and cooked through (6-8 minutes). TIP: If a piece of the fish isn't fully touching the griddle, simply use a fork to lightly press it down, to ensure a crisp seared exterior. Sometimes the veggies prevent a few piecesfrom being seared on outside; this is the best way I've found to solve that issue.
Once kabobs are fully cooked through, carefully remove them from the grill, and serve! Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Citrus Marinated Swordfish Kabobs

Amount Per Serving (1 (2 skewers))

Calories 364 Calories from Fat 225

% Daily Value*

Fat 25g38%

Saturated Fat 16g100%

Cholesterol 65mg22%

Sodium 236mg10%

Potassium 621mg18%

Carbohydrates 14g5%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 20g40%

Vitamin A 1455IU29%

Vitamin C 89.7mg109%

Calcium 43mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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