Category: Main Dishes


Jan
2019

Sesame Chicken Salad with Ginger Dressing

categories: Chicken, Main Dish Salads, Main Dishes, Salads
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This simple, delicious Asian-inspired Sesame Chicken Salad features pan seared sesame crusted chicken breasts, on mixed spring greens, topped with homemade ginger salad dressing!
Delicious Asian-inspired Sesame Chicken Salad features pan seared sesame crusted chicken breasts, on spring greens, topped w/ a ginger salad dressing!

Wow… this sesame chicken salad with homemade ginger dressing tastes AMAZING! I found the original recipe in one of my OLD Weight Watchers cookbooks, while looking through it a couple weeks ago, and KNEW I wanted to try it!

This salad was a huge hit with my husband and I when we first tried it! Talk about quick and easy meals… this one has it all! The entirely EASY sesame chicken salad (and ginger dressing) was prepared in under 30 minutes, had GREAT flavor, and filled us up!

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

Make The Ginger Dressing For The Sesame Chicken Salad

The yummy ginger salad dressing for this salad is incredibly simple to make, in only a few minutes! Place the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, minced ginger, mustard powder, sesame oil and crushed red pepper into a small saucepan, and whisk to blend.

Bring the ginger salad dressing ingredients just to a boil, on medium heat. Once it begins to boil, remove the pan from the heat. Set the pan aside, until you’re ready to serve the sesame chicken salad. See how easy that was?

Ginger salad dressing is cooked until blended for sesame chicken salad.

Prepare The  Chicken Breasts For Sesame Chicken Salad

Place the sesame seeds, salt and pepper onto  a large piece of wax paper. Mix them with your fingers, to blend the ingredients. Spread them out on the wax paper.

Lightly coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the sesame seed mixture, one at a time. Set chicken aside once coated. Repeat, until all chicken breasts are covered. NOTE: I found that I needed to use more sesame seeds to cover all 4 chicken breasts. Just mix up another quick batch, if you find you will need more topping.

Spices and sesame seeds are used to coat chicken breasts for sesame chicken salad.

Cook The Sesame Chicken

Heat the vegetable oil in a large, non-stick skillet on medium heat. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the chicken breasts. Once the chicken hits the pan, do not disturb while it cooks.

Cook the sesame chicken for about 4-6 minutes, then carefully turn over and cook the other side 4-6 minutes.  The chicken should be cooked through, and the outside should be golden brown, when done. Once the chicken is done, place the pieces onto a cutting board, and let the chicken “rest” for 3-5 minutes. Slice each chicken breast into diagonal slices (about 4-6 slices per breast).

Boneless chicken breasts, coated in sesame seeds are pan seared for sesame chicken salad.

Serve The Sesame Chicken Salad With Ginger Dressing

Arrange cold, mixed salad greens on individual serving plates or in bowls. Use a spatula and transfer each sliced chicken breast onto the top of each salad. Be sure to keep the chicken slices for each breast all together! Lightly sprinkle sliced green onions over the top of each piece of sesame chicken.

Salad greens arranged in bowl, then topped with sliced sesame chicken and green onions.

Drizzle the ginger salad dressing over each sesame chicken salad, and that’s it! You are ready to serve this delicious dish! Serve immediately. Seriously – Grab a fork, and DIG IN! I really think you will LOVE this delicious meal!  There is a lot of flavor, the chicken is tender, and this sesame chicken salad is quite satisfying!

Sesame chicken salad with ginger dressing, served in a white bowl.

A side view of the ginger chicken salad with ginger dressing in white bowl.

My husband and I enjoyed this dinner, AND we liked it so much we had another sesame chicken salad (with the leftover chicken and dressing) the next night for dinner, too! That means it REALLY was good!

Hope you will try this delicious main course salad… it is truly easy and delicious! Have a GREAT day, and please come back again soon for more yummy recipes!

Looking For More MAIN COURSE SALAD Recipes?

You can find all my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorite main course salad recipes include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

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Original Recipe source: One of my cookbooks titled “Weight Watchers – Great Cooking Every Day”, published 2001, by Weight Watchers International, Inc., page 45

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Sesame Chicken Salad with Ginger Dressing
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
Total Time
22 mins
 

Delicious Asian-inspired Sesame Chicken Salad features pan seared sesame crusted chicken breasts, on spring greens, topped with a ginger salad dressing!

Category: Main Course Salad
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: sesame chicken salad
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 237 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Ginger Dressing:
  • 2 Tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger peeled, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil (dark)
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
For The Chicken And Salad
  • 3 Tablespoons sesame seeds (white) , or more, as needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 4 chicken breast halves (1/4 lb. each) boneless, skinless
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 6 cups spring greens mix (or romaine) , rinsed, shredded
  • 1/4 cup sliced green onions , optional (for garnish)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
To Make Ginger Salad Dressing:

  1. Place soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, minced ginger, mustard powder, sesame oil and crushed red pepper in a small saucepan, and whisk, to blend. Bring to a boil, on medium heat. Once it begins to boil, remove pan from heat. Set aside.

To Prepare/Cook Chicken:

  1. Place sesame seeds, salt and pepper onto a piece of wax paper. Mix with your fingers, to blend. Spread them out on the wax paper. Lightly coat chicken on both sides with the mixture. Repeat process until all chicken breasts are covered. NOTE: I found that I needed to use more sesame seeds to cover all 4 chicken breasts. Just mix up another quick batch, if you find you need more.

  2. Heat vegetable oil in a large, non-stick skillet on medium heat. Once oil is hot (but not smoking), add the chicken. Once the chicken hits the pan, do not disturb while it cooks. Cook chicken for 4-6 minutes, then carefully turn over and cook the other side 4-6 minutes.  The chicken should be cooked through, and the outside should be golden brown, when done. Once done, place chicken on a cutting board, and let it "rest" for a couple minutes. Slice each chicken breast into diagonal slices (about 4-6 slices per breast).

  3. To Serve: Arrange mixed salad greens on individual plates or in bowls. Use a spatula and transfer each sliced chicken breast onto the top of each salad, keeping the slices for each breast together! Sprinkle sliced green onions over chicken. Drizzle ginger dressing over each salad, and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Sesame Chicken Salad with Ginger Dressing
Amount Per Serving (1 salad with dressing)
Calories 237 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 72mg24%
Sodium 707mg31%
Potassium 565mg16%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 26g52%
Vitamin A 755IU15%
Vitamin C 15.3mg19%
Calcium 72mg7%
Iron 1.9mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards! This delicious Asian-inspired Sesame Chicken Salad features pan seared sesame crusted chicken breasts, on spring greens, topped w/ a ginger salad dressing!


Jan
2019

Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole

categories: Casseroles, Chicken, Main Dishes, Mexican / Southwestern
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You’ll love this easy to make Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rigatoni noodles, chicken, corn, black beans, and cheese, baked in a Southwestern flavored sauce!
You'll love this easy Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rigatoni, chicken, corn, black beans, and cheese, baked in a Southwestern flavored sauce!

Can I get a shout out for the humble, yet delicious casserole dishes that have made mealtimes easier for home cooks everywhere? This Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole is a perfectly simple but absolutely lip-smackin’ delicious casserole that will leave you smiling!

I found the original recipe on Pinterest, and loved that you can use pre-cooked (think rotisserie or leftover) chicken. By using pre-cooked chicken, and canned corn and black beans, you’ve already saved yourself some time!

Making this fiesta chicken pasta casserole recipe is as simple as cooking pasta, whisking together a simple Southwestern flavored sauce, stirring in the rest of the ingredients, then baking it! The recipe is really quite simple. Let me show you how to make this yummy meal!

Scroll Down for A Printable Recipe Card At The bottom Of The Page

How To Make Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole

The first thing you will need to do is spray a 13×9 inch baking dish with non-stick spray, then set the dish aside.  Preheat your oven to 350°F. Cook the rigatoni pasta in 4 quarts of lightly salted water. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

NOTE: No rigatoni? No problem! You can easily substitute rotini (spiral) pasta or penne pasta in this dish!

Cooking rigatoni for the fiesta chicken pasta casserole.

While the pasta noodles are cooking, mix together salsa, light sour cream, garlic powder, ground cumin, and onion powder in a medium sized bowl.

Mixing together the Southwestern sauce used in the fiesta chicken pasta casserole.

Building The Casserole

When the pasta is done cooking, drain it well, and pour it into a large mixing bowl.  Add the sauce to the pasta in the bowl, and give it a good stir to mix it together. Once the sauce and pasta are combined, add the drained corn, black beans, cooked chicken (shredded or cubed), and ONE CUP of grated cheddar cheese.

Reserve the remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese to use later. Gently stir the fiesta chicken pasta casserole together, until all ingredients are coated with sauce and are thoroughly combined.

Sauce, corn, black beans, cheese and chicken is added to the fiesta chicken pasta casserole.

Time To Bake The Casserole

Pour the fiesta chicken pasta casserole ingredients evenly into the baking dish, and spread out, to cover. Evenly distribute the remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese across the top of the casserole. 

Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 25 minutes. About 10 minutes before the cooking time is done, remove the foil and finish cooking the fiesta chicken pasta casserole.

Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole is covered with grated cheese, then baked.

Once the casserole is finished cooking, remove it from the oven. The cheese will be melted, and the casserole will be slightly bubbly around the edges.

Fiesta chicken pasta casserole, right out of the oven, after baking.

To Serve Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole

Garnish the fiesta chicken pasta casserole with some sliced green onions (or chives, as shown), and chopped tomatoes. If desired, you can also add avocado slices for flavor and color. The casserole is now ready to serve! The recipe serves 8 (modest portions), or 6, if serving larger portions!

The baked fiesta chicken pasta casserole is garnished with tomatoes and chives before serving.

The only thing left to do is dig into this absolutely delicious fiesta chicken pasta casserole! It has WONDERFUL flavor, and is not too spicy… trust me! The black beans add additional protein, and together with the corn, help to make this a well-rounded, nice and filling meal! It is SO GOOD!

An individual portion of fiesta chicken pasta casserole is served in a white bowl.

I really hope you will consider trying this fiesta chicken pasta casserole. My husband and I LOVED it! Guess what? The leftovers tasted fantastic, too! I really think you will love this easy to make recipe, too! Have a wonderful day!

Looking For More CASSEROLE Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of casserole recipes you’ll enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe! 

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Author's signature

Original Recipe Source: https://togetherasfamily.com/fiesta-chicken-casserole/

5 from 1 vote
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Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
You'll love this easy to make Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rigatoni noodles, chicken, corn, black beans, and cheese, baked in a Southwestern flavored sauce!
Category: Entree - Casserole
Cuisine: Southwestern
Keyword: fiesta chicken pasta casserole
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 385 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2¼ cups uncooked rigatoni pasta (can substitute spiral or penne pasta
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 1 cup light sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 15 ounces whole kernel corn (1 can) , drained
  • 15 ounces black beans (1 can) , drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups cooked chicken breasts , shredded or cubed
  • 2 cups grated cheddar cheese , divided
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, then set aside. Preheat your oven to 350°F.

  2. Cook pasta in 4 quarts of lightly salted water. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

  3. While the pasta is cooking, mix together salsa, light sour cream, garlic powder, ground cumin, and onion powder in a medium sized bowl.

  4. When pasta is done, drain, and pour it into a large mixing bowl.  Add the sauce; stir to combine. Add drained corn, black beans, cooked chicken (shredded or cubed), and ONE CUP of the grated cheddar cheese. Reserve remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese to use later. Gently stir, until all ingredients are coated with sauce and are thoroughly combined. Pour into the baking dish, spreading to cover. Sprinkle remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese across the top of the casserole.  Cover dish with aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 minutes. About 10 minutes before the cooking time is done, remove the foil and finish cooking.

  5. Remove finished casserole from oven. Garnish with sliced green onions (or chives), and chopped tomatoes. If desired, you can also add avocado slices. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Caloric calculation was calculated based on using light sour cream. Regular sour cream will work perfectly, but will increase calorie count for each portion.

Nutrition Facts
Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/8 of total))
Calories 385 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Cholesterol 69mg23%
Sodium 657mg29%
Potassium 597mg17%
Carbohydrates 37g12%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 26g52%
Vitamin A 680IU14%
Vitamin C 5.2mg6%
Calcium 285mg29%
Iron 2.3mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!You'll love this easy Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rigatoni, chicken breast, corn, black beans, and cheese, baked in a Southwestern flavored sauce!


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.
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.

Eggplant is sliced, then liquid is drained out of it before cooking Eggplant Parmesan.

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.

Eggplant slices are dipped in egg, then seasoned breadcrumbs, to make eggplant parmesan,

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.

Eggplant slices are cooked on both sides to prepare them to make eggplant parmesan,

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.

Eggplant parmesan has layers of sauce, eggplant, and cheeses,

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.

Eggplant parmesan, freshly baked, with gooey melted cheese on top.

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!

Looking For More MEATLESS Meal Recipes?

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

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

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Author's signature

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

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Eggplant Parmesan is a classic Italian meatless dish, with breaded eggplant slices layered and baked with marinara sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.


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!
Delicious, homemade chicken noodle soup, 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.

Leftover rotisserie chicken in pot of water to make chicken noodle soup.

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!

Celery, carrots, garlic and onion added to chicken in water, for chicken noodle soup.

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!

Holding a ladle full of chicken soup (without noodles)

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).

Uncooked rotini pasta is added to boiling chicken noodle soup in pan.

Chicken noodle soup in a ladle is almost done cooking.

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.

Spinach has been added to chicken noodle soup in pot.

A ladle, full of the finished chicken noodle soup.

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!

A big pot, full 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!

A bowl of hot chicken noodle soup is ready to eat!

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:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

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

Have a wonderful day!

Author's signature

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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)

  1. 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. 

  2. 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.  

  3. 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).

  4. 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)

  1. 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.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Delicious, homemade chicken noodle soup, with leftover rotisserie chicken, celery, carrots, garlic, onions and spinach, will warm you up on a cold day!


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.
You'll love this easy grilled Chicken Black Bean Quesadilla with salsa verde, corn & 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!

Cheese, chicken and green onions are placed on a flour tortilla half for chicken black bean quesadilla.

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.

Black beans and corn are added to tortilla for chicken black bean quesadilla.

Green sauce (salsa verde) is added to chicken black bean quesadilla.

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.

Each chicken black bean quesadilla is folded in half and place on griddle to cook.

Each chicken black bean quesadilla is turned to other side when golden brown during cooking.

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.

Each chicken black bean quesadilla is sliced using a pizza cutter, when done.

Each chicken black bean quesadilla half is sliced into three pieces.

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!

Chicken black bean quesadilla is garnished with lettuce, tomato, sour cream and salsa verde.

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!

Side view of a slice of chicken black bean quesadilla.

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?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

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!

Author's signature

Recipe Source: my hungry brain…

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

5 from 1 vote
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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

  1. 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.

  2. 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. 

  3. 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.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!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.


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!
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!

Bacon is cooked until crisp for the Bacon Parmesan Spinach Quiche,

Cooked bacon for bacon parmesan spinach quiche draining on paper towel.

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.

Butter and whipping cream in skillet to make sauce for bacon parmesan spinach quiche.

Parmesan cheese is grated into the sauce for bacon parmesan spinach quiche.

The alfredo sauce for the bacon parmesan spinach quiche 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.

Gnocchi for the bacon parmesan spinach gnocchi has cooked and then is drained.

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.

Cooked gnocchi, sauce, fresh spinach and bacon is mixed for bacon parmesan spinach gnocchi.

Bacon parmesan spinach gnocchi, on a wooden spoon, ready to eat!

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!

Bacon parmesan spinach gnocchi is served in a white bowl.

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?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

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

Author's signature

0 from 0 votes
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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

  1. 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). 

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!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!

 

 

 


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.
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.

Blending spices and ground beef to make Moroccan Meatball Couscous Soup.

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.

Forming meatballs and baking them for Moroccan meatball couscous soup.

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.

Toasting then cooking Israeli couscous for Moroccan meatball couscous soup.

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.

Shallots, garlic, chicken broth, & meatballs added to Moroccan meatball couscous soup.

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

Moroccan meatball couscous soup cooking in broth.

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.

Moroccan meatball couscous soup, served with parsley garnish.

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.

Moroccan meatball couscous soup, served in white bowl, with fresh parsley garnish.

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?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

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

Author's signature

Recipe Source: littlespicejar.com/moroccan-meatball-couscous-soup/

0 from 0 votes
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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

  1. 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. 

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Moroccan Meatball Couscous Soup is a delicious, flavor-filled dish, with baked ground beef meatballs and pearl couscous, in a simple garlic/shallot broth.


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!
Roast Cod with Garlic Bacon Butter is pan-seared, then finished in an 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.

Mixing up the garlic bacon butter seasoning for roast cod, in small bowl.

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.

Fresh lemon juice is added to garlic bacon butter for roast cod.

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.

Cod fillets are seasoned with salt and pepper before roasting.

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.

Cod is pan-seared to a golden brown in skillet, before roasting in oven.

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.

Roast cod is turned over in skillet halfway through the cooking process.

A splatter screen helps the oil not to splash out while cooking roast cod.

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.

Roast cod is topped with garlic bacon butter, then put into oven to finish cooking.

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!

Garlic bacon butter is added to skillet to melt, so it can be drizzled on roast cod.

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!

Roast cod with garlic bacon butter is served with a salad and green peas.

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!

Roast cod with garlic bacon butter on a plate with peas and a green salad.

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?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe! 

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

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

Author's signature

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

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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

  1. 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

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Lightly season skinless cod fillets with salt and pepper.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!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!


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!
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!

Spices for dry rub mix to season Traeger roasted chicken.

Dry rub spice mix for Traeger roasted chicken.

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.

Whole roasting chicken, ready to apply the dry rub spice mix, then roast on Traeger grill.

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).

Whole chicken with spice rub mixture, ready to be roasted on Traeger grill.

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.

Two whole chickens with spice rub and legs tied , ready to be roasted on Traeger grill.

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.

Traeger roasted chicken, on the grill cooking.

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.

Traeger roasted chicken is done cooking, resting on cookie sheet before slicing.

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!

The skin on a Traeger roasted chicken gets nice and crispy!

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

Slicing into the Traeger roasted chicken. The meat is cooked perfectly!

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?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

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

Author's signature

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 ↓↓

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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

  1. Make dry rub mix by combining all spices in small bowl. Stir or whisk well, to fully blend ingredients. Set aside.

  2. 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)

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!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!


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!
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!

Time to feed these boys some English muffin mummy pizzas for their Halloween treat!

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.

Pizza sauce is spread onto split, untoasted English muffins for mummy pizzas.

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.

Green olive eyes are added to English muffin mummy pizzas.

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″.

Strips of mozzarella cheese are added to English muffin mummy pizzas.

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!

English muffin mummy pizzas on white plate, after baking in oven.

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!

Close up picture of English muffin mummy pizzas on white plate, once baked.

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.

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

Find Me On Social Media:

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

Author's signature

Recipe Adapted From: https://www.veggiessavetheday.com/english-muffin-pizzas

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. Slice the pimento-stuffed green olives into "eyeballs". Position the sliced olives toward the top of the pizza.

  4. Position (layer) thin strips of mozzarella cheese on top, as if wrapping a mummy. Once decorated, they are ready to cook!

  5. 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.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!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!