Main Dishes Archives

Category: Main Dishes

05
Nov
2018

Roast Cod with Garlic Bacon Butter

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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

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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

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.

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

01
Nov
2018

Traeger Roasted Chicken

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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?

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 (1^st and 15^th) 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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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.

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

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.

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) 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.
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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.

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

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:

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

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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.

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

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!

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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!

Looking For More SEAFOOD Recipes?

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↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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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21
Sep
2018

Rigatoni Sausage Mushroom Ragu

categories: Italian, Main Dishes, Pork

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You’re gonna enjoy rigatoni sausage mushroom ragu, an easy to make, one pot Italian meal that you will want to make again and again, because it is SO GOOD!

I found a recipe for a vegetarian ragu pasta dish online and thought it sounded interesting! Just in case you’re wondering – no… this Ragu is not a brand of spaghetti sauce found in the jar on a grocery shelf. Well, actually it is that, but the recipe I am sharing today is a homemade ragu sauce!

I made a couple changes to the original recipe, such as adding Italian sausage and beef broth, and ended up with an amazing rigatoni sausage mushroom ragu!

Don’t let the long ingredient list stop you from trying this dish… if you look closely, you will see that many of the ingredients are common ingredients or spices you probably already have in your home! This hearty, delicious ragu tastes amazing, and I hope you will read on… and make this dish!

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How To Make Rigatoni Sausage Mushroom Ragu

Before starting the actual cooking, be sure to have the veggies chopped ahead of time, and the rest of the ingredients ready to go!. You will thank me later. No… really! Note that half of the mushrooms are sliced, the other half are chopped. You will add them to the dish at different times. The chopped mushrooms will help add thickness to the sauce.

Put Italian sausage (taken OUT of the casings), butter and vegetable oil into a large stockpot (or skillet). Heat on medium heat, stirring often, until butter has melted. Add chopped onions and celery to the pot.

Cook them for a few minutes, stirring often, until the sausage has fully cooked, and the veggies have softened.

Add chopped red bell pepper and minced garlic. Cook, stirring often, for two minutes.

Add sliced mushrooms; cook for 1 more minute, stirring as they cook. You are slowly adding in layers of flavor!

Add the chopped mushrooms, and cook for 1 minute. Add red wine to pan. Heat, and let the wine gently boil for 2 minutes.

Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock (or vegetable stock), and spices. Stir to combine all ingredients.

Time To Add The Rigatoni Pasta

Bring the sauce to a boil.

Once sauce is boiling, stir in the dry rigatoni noodles, to combine. Put a lid on the pan (or cover with aluminum foil), and turn the heat down to LOW.

Let the pasta cook for 13-15 minutes (mine took 15), or until the pasta is cooked all the way through. Give the pasta a stir a few times while it is cooking, then put lid back on pan.

TIP: If at any time, the rigatoni sausage mushroom ragu looks like it is getting too dry (if heat was too high), then just add several spoonfuls of hot water to pan, and stir in, to combine.

Time To Serve Rigatoni Sausage Mushroom Ragu!

When the rigatoni sausage mushroom ragu is fully cooked, it is time to serve! Give the pasta a stir, then portion it out into serving bowls. Bowls seem to hold the sauce better than on a plate.

Garnish top of each bowl of pasta with some roughly chopped flat leaf parsley and grated Parmesan cheese. Serve… and enjoy! This rigatoni sausage mushroom ragu tastes AMAZING!

And there you have it! Rigatoni sausage mushroom ragu for dinner! It tastes DELICIOUS, and I sincerely hope you will give this recipe a try!

If You Enjoy Pasta Recipes

If you enjoy pasta dishes, be sure to check out my recipes for Simple Chicken Sausage Pasta, Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Butter Sage Sauce, Vegetarian Spicy Noodles in Peanut Sauce, Shrimp and Penne Pasta Alfredo, or Florentine Lasagna Roll, to name a few!

ALL of my recipes are listed in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I’m sure you will enjoy them, as well. Have a wonderful day!

Interested In More Recipes?

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Recipe adapted from Nicky at: https://www.kitchensanctuary.com/one-pot-mushroom-ragu-with-pasta/

0 from 0 votes

Rigatoni Sausage Mushroom Ragu

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

40 mins

You're gonna enjoy rigatoni sausage mushroom ragu, an easy to make, one pot Italian meal that you will want to make again and again, because it is SO GOOD!

Category: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: rigatoni sausage mushroom ragu

Servings: 5

Calories Per Serving: 484 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 links Italian sausage (mild or hot) , casings removed
1/2 pound mushrooms ,1/2 sliced, 1/2 chopped
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium red bell pepper , de-seeded and chopped
1 medium onion , finely chopped
1 stick celery , finely chopped
2 cloves garlic , minced
1/4 cup red wine
28 ounces canned diced tomatoes , 2 cans (14 oz.)
1½ cups beef stock (or vegetable)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
8 ounces rigatoni pasta
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley , roughly chopped (for garnish)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Put Italian sausage (taken OUT of the casings), butter and vegetable oil into a large stockpot (or skillet). Heat on medium heat, stirring often, until butter has melted. Add chopped onions and celery to the pot. Cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until the sausage has fully cooked, and veggies have softened.
Add chopped red bell pepper and minced garlic. Cook, stirring often, for two minutes. Add SLICED mushrooms; cook for 1 more minute, stirring as they cook. You are slowly adding in layers of flavor! Add CHOPPED mushrooms, and cook for 1 minute. Add red wine to pan. Heat, and let wine gently boil for 2 minutes. Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock (or vegetable stock), and spices. Stir, to combine all ingredients.
Bring sauce to a boil. Once sauce is boiling, add dry rigatoni noodles; stir to combine. Put a lid on the pan (or cover with aluminum foil); turn heat down to LOW. Let pasta cook for 13-15 minutes (mine took 15), or until pasta is cooked all the way through. Give pasta a stir a few times while it is cooking, then put lid back on pan. If at any time, the rigatoni sausage mushroom ragu looks like it's getting too dry (if heat was too high), add several spoonfuls of hot water to pan, and stir in, to combine.
When the rigatoni sausage mushroom ragu is fully cooked, it's time to serve! Give the pasta a stir, then portion it out into serving bowls. Bowls seem to hold the sauce better than on a plate. Garnish top of each bowl of pasta with some roughly chopped flat leaf parsley and grated Parmesan cheese. Serve... and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Rigatoni Sausage Mushroom Ragu

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/5 of total))

Calories 484 Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Fat 23g35%

Saturated Fat 10g63%

Cholesterol 47mg16%

Sodium 1068mg46%

Potassium 990mg28%

Carbohydrates 50g17%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 18g36%

Vitamin A 1505IU30%

Vitamin C 55mg67%

Calcium 135mg14%

Iron 4.8mg27%

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

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17
Sep
2018

Kung Pao Zoodles

categories: Asian, Chicken, Main Dishes, Meatless Meals

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Kung Pao Zoodles is a low calorie (under 300), low carb dish using spiralized zucchini noodles, cooked in a sweet/spicy Asian sauce, and it can be made with or without chicken.

I’ve got to be honest here… this recipe totally surprised me! I purchased a spiralizer recently, to essentially make “noodles” out of a lot of different vegetables. I’d been wanting one for a while, and finally bought a fairly inexpensive one ($29).

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

What If I Do Not Have A Spiralizer?

If you do not have access to a Spiralizer, it IS possible to make zucchini noodles by hand. The best video I’ve seen to describe how to do this is on YouTube, which demonstrates three easy ways to make your own “zoodles” (with box grater, vegetable peeler, or mandoline). I recommend watching it! Here’s the link to the short video, from Kelly Senyei at “Just A Taste”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETgPaDQh9S4 This was the first recipe I made using it, and my expectations were fairly low for what Kung Pao Zoodles would taste like. Zoodles is a word commonly used to describe Zucchini Noodles!

Whoa! I’m NOT KIDDING… I totally LOVED this dish! This dish can also be a healthy/delicious meatless meal, by simply omitting the chicken breast. It only took a couple minutes to turn two medium sized zucchini into gorgeous pasta like strands of veggie goodness! Once cooked with the amazingly easy Asian inspired sauce, this dish made me GIDDY with excitement with my first bite!

This recipe for Kung Pao Zoodles is very easy to prepare. If there is one tip I can give you, it is to HAVE EVERYTHING PREPPED AND READY TO GO BEFORE BEGINNING COOKING! The dish comes together very quickly once started, so be prepared!

How Do I Make Kung Pao Zoodles?

Cut ends off both zucchini, then spiralize them into spaghetti-like noodles, catching them as they come out into a medium sized bowl. If using a Spiralizer, cut the noodles with kitchen shears into 7 or 8 inch strips (cut long zoodles right in the bowl a couple of times- snip, snip!). Set aside.

Stir or whisk Asian sauce ingredients together in a small bowl (soy or tamari sauce, balsamic vinegar, hoisin sauce, water, sriracha, sugar and cornstarch). Set sauce aside.

If You Are Preparing Kung Pao Zoodles WITH Chicken:

If adding chicken to this dish, season lightly with salt and black pepper. Heat vegetable oil over medium high heat. Place chicken cubes into large skillet; cook until lightly browned on all sides and cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside (or drain on paper towel).

Prepare The Rest of This Dish

Turn the heat down to medium and add sesame oil, minced garlic and grated fresh ginger to skillet. Stir and cook for 30-45 seconds, being careful to not let the garlic burn.

Add chopped red peppers, then stir in the Asian sauce. Bring sauce to a quick boil, then turn heat down to LOW, and cook for a minute or so until sauce is bubbling and has thickened.

Add zucchini noodles (zoodles) to skillet. Stir while cooking until the zoodles are coated with sauce. Cook for two minutes, stirring often. As the zucchini noodles cook, they will release water, which will help to blend the sauce together with the noodles.

Time To Eat Some Kung Pao Zoodles!

When done, add the cooked chicken pieces (if using) to the skillet, and stir to combine. I found using tongs worked great at getting everything mixed together. Divide Kung Pao zoodles between two serving bowls, and garnish each with chopped dry roasted peanuts and sliced green onions.

Serve these delicious Kung Pao zoodles and enjoy! I absolutely LOVED this dish…there is so much yummy flavor! This meal is filling (as each serving is about 2 cups), it tastes amazing, and it so low in calories! Winner, winner… ZOODLE dinner!

I really hope you will try making these Kung Pao Zoodles! If you prefer the more traditional version of Kung Pao Chicken, I hope you will check out that recipe, as well.

Looking For More SPIRALIZED FOOD Recipes?

You can find ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a few delicious zoodle recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

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Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Recipe Source: http://recipestotry.ca/kung-pao-chicken-with-zucchini/

0 from 0 votes

Kung Pao Zoodles

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

20 mins

Kung Pao Zoodles is a low calorie (under 300), low carb dish using spiralized zucchini noodles, cooked in a sweet/spicy Asian sauce, w/or without chicken.

Category: Dinner

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: kung pao zoodles

Servings: 2 (approx. 2 cups per serving)

Calories Per Serving: 281 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Zoodles:

2 medium zucchini , ends trimmed
1 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil **if adding chicken
6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast **cut in 1/2 inch cubes (if adding chicken)
1 pinch salt and pepper , to taste
1/2 medium red bell pepper , cut into 1/2" pieces
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground ginger
2 cloves garlic , minced
2 Tablespoons finely chopped dry roasted peanuts (for garnish)
2 Tablespoons thinly sliced green onions (for garnish)

For Asian Sauce:

1½ Tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce (tamari for gluten free)
1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2½ Tablespoons water
1/2 Tablespoon Sriracha sauce
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cut ends off both zucchini, then spiralize them into spaghetti-like noodles,. Cut noodles with kitchen shears into 8 inch strips. Set aside.
Stir or whisk Asian sauce ingredients together in a small bowl (soy or tamari sauce, balsamic vinegar, hoisin sauce, water, sriracha, sugar and cornstarch). Set sauce aside.
If adding chicken to this dish, season lightly with salt and black pepper. Heat vegetable oil over medium high heat. Place chicken cubes into large skillet; cook until lightly browned on all sides and cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside (drain on paper towel).
Turn heat down to medium and add sesame oil, minced garlic and grated fresh ginger to skillet. Stir and cook for 30-45 seconds, being careful to not let garlic burn. Add chopped red peppers, then stir in Asian sauce. Bring sauce to a boil, then turn heat to LOW, and cook for a minute or so until sauce is bubbling and has thickened. Add zucchini noodles to skillet. Stir while cooking until zoodles are coated with sauce. Cook for two minutes, stirring often. As the zucchini noodles cook, they will release water, which will help to blend the sauce together with the noodles. When done, add cooked chicken pieces (if using), and stir to combine. I found using tongs worked great at getting everything mixed together.
To serve, divide Kung Pao zoodles between two serving bowls, and garnish with chopped peanuts and sliced green onions. Serve hot, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: Caloric calculation of 281 per serving includes chicken and vegetable oil to cook it in. If preparing this recipe as a MEATLESS meal, the calorie count would be approximately 167 calories per (2 cup) serving.

**Weight Watchers - Points+ = 7 points (with chicken).

Nutrition Facts

Kung Pao Zoodles

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 281 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 54mg18%

Sodium 724mg31%

Potassium 976mg28%

Carbohydrates 20g7%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 24g48%

Vitamin A 1410IU28%

Vitamin C 78.6mg95%

Calcium 42mg4%

Iron 1.6mg9%

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

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14
Sep
2018

Easy Chicken Caesar Salad

categories: Chicken, Main Dish Salads, Main Dishes, Salads

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Easy Chicken Caesar Salad is a light, yet filling entree, with grilled chicken breast on crisp romaine lettuce, with Parmesan cheese, croutons, and bottled dressing!

Do you enjoy Chicken Caesar Salad? We sure do, in our home! We have one for dinner every couple of weeks (especially in the summer), and it continues to be a family favorite meal.

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

How Do You Season The Chicken For The Caesar Salad?

Whenever we grill chicken and use my Mom’s trusty chicken basting sauce (been using her recipe for over 40 years), I always try to grill two extra breasts to put aside for this salad! That way, the chicken is ready to go, any time we want to have this salad for dinner!

Having the chicken already grilled makes this a very quick meal to make… BUT… whether you use leftover chicken breasts, or grill them on an indoor grill, in the skillet, or on your BBQ, simply make sure you have a cooked, lightly seasoned chicken breast for each salad!

When you are ready to make the chicken caesar salad, slice a head of romaine lettuce into thin strips. I typically buy romaine hearts (these have a lot of the darker outside leaves taken off) for this salad, but it really doesn’t matter.

Okay… So How Do I Make The Chicken Caesar Salad?

If using romaine hearts, one whole one should be enough for two entree salads. Place thinly sliced romaine into large bowl. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over lettuce, catching any seeds that try to jump in!

Now, I have seen so many recipes to make homemade Caesar dressing, with anchovies, etc. in it, but when you want a quick dinner, what I use is bottled salad dressing!

We have used Cardini’s Caesar dressing for many many years. Caesar Cardini is the man who is known for creating Caesar salads, and we have found this dressing to be the very best tasting one on the market! Obviously you can use whatever Caesar dressing you wish, but we give this one, found in most grocery stores (or Amazon) a thumbs up, for sure!

Add the Caesar Salad Dressing

Pour the desired amount of salad dressing over the lettuce in the bowl, then mix it, to combine.

TIP: After the lettuce has the salad dressing on it, THEN add grated Parmesan cheese! Because the lettuce has salad dressing on it, the cheese will stick to the romaine and not fall to the bottom of the bowl. Best tip I’ve ever found for a caesar salad! Mix to fully combine ingredients.

Serving The Salad

Portion salad into 2 serving bowls or plates. Place croutons on top, and add a couple thin slices of lemon to dish as a garnish. Adding lemon slices looks good, and each person can squeeze additional lemon juice on their salad, if desired.

Slice the precooked grilled chicken breasts into thin slices. Place the sliced chicken on top of the salad, slightly fanning out the slices across the salad. The chicken can be hot or chilled… we serve it both ways.

Garnish your chicken Caesar salad with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve, and enjoy this absolutely YUMMY entree salad!

I really hope you enjoy this classic grilled chicken Caesar salad, and trust you will enjoy it as much as we do! If you enjoy this salad, chances are you will also enjoy my recipes for Grilled Chili & Lime Chicken Fajita Salad or Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken (YUM). Don’t forget to check out ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. Have a wonderful day.

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0 from 0 votes

Easy Chicken Caesar Salad

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Total Time

15 mins

Easy Chicken Caesar Salad is a light, yet filling entree, with grilled chicken breast on romaine lettuce, Parmesan cheese, croutons, and bottled dressing!

Category: Entree Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken caesar salad

Servings: 2 main course salads

Calories Per Serving: 530 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts , pre-grilled or baked
1 head romaine lettuce (I use romaine hearts)
1/2 large lemon
1/4 cup Caesar salad dressing
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
3 Tablespoons croutons , for garnish
4 thin slices lemon , for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

NOTE: Having the chicken already grilled makes this a very quick meal to make... BUT... whether you use leftover chicken breasts, or grill them on an indoor grill, in the skillet, or on your BBQ, simply make sure you have a small, cooked, lightly seasoned boneless chicken breast for each salad!
Place thinly sliced romaine into large bowl. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over lettuce, catching any seeds that try to jump in! Pour desired amount of salad dressing over lettuce, then mix to combine.
After the lettuce has the salad dressing on it, THEN add grated Parmesan cheese! Because the lettuce has salad dressing on it, the cheese will stick to it, and not fall to the bottom of the bowl. Mix to fully combine ingredients.
Portion salad into 2 serving bowls or plates. Place croutons on top, and add a couple thin slices of lemon to dish as a garnish.
Slice precooked grilled chicken breasts into thin slices. Place chicken slices on top of salad, fanning out the slices across the salad. The chicken can be hot or chilled... we serve it both ways. Garnish salad with additional grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve, and enjoy this absolutely YUMMY entree salad!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: Caloric calculation is approximate, based on a 4 ounce chicken breast per serving. Caloric count will vary, due to weight of chicken and amount / type of salad dressing used.

Nutrition Facts

Easy Chicken Caesar Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 530 Calories from Fat 252

% Daily Value*

Fat 28g43%

Saturated Fat 7g44%

Cholesterol 101mg34%

Sodium 1067mg46%

Potassium 1243mg36%

Carbohydrates 28g9%

Fiber 7g29%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 40g80%

Vitamin A 27490IU550%

Vitamin C 14.9mg18%

Calcium 436mg44%

Iron 4.9mg27%

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

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13
Aug
2018

Dry Rub Spice Mix

categories: For The BBQ Grill, Mixes (spices, etc.), Sauces and Dressings

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It’s easy to enhance the flavor of grilled chicken or pork with this Dry Rub Spice Mix! Make enough mix to season meat for several BBQ’s, in under 5 minutes!

I enjoy finding new seasoning mixes to use in different recipes to enhance flavors. I’ve shared posts in the past for Homemade Cajun Seasoning, Grilled Chicken Sauce, Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix, and Herb Butter for Steaks, so when I found this recipe for a dry rub spice mix online (for grilled chicken or pork), and I knew I had to try it! Guess what? It is WONDERFUL!

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

How To Make This Dry Rub Spice Mix

Start by making the dry spice rub. EASY! Place the dry rub spices in a medium sized bowl. Stir well, to fully combine ingredients. I cut the recipe in half, and even after cutting it in half, it made enough dry rub spice mix to season a pork loin roast, and a few whole chickens.

Using this Spice Rub On Whole Chickens

Cover all sides of a whole chicken with the dry spice rub, lightly rubbing it onto the surface of the meat. The slight moisture of the meat will help the spices stick! Sprinkle some of the spice mix into the cavity of the chicken. When done, set seasoned chicken aside until ready to cook in a smoker or on the grill.

Here is a photo of a whole chicken with the rub on it. We cooked two chickens this time, on our Traeger grill; they both turned out perfect, with a great added flavor from the spices!

Using The Spice Rub On A Pork Roast

Here are a couple photos from when we used this spice rub on a pork loin roast! We covered all sides of the roast with the spice rub, smoked the pork, then roasted it, long and slow on our Traeger grill. We then shredded about half of the meat, added BBQ sauce, and made incredible tasting BBQ pulled pork sandwiches!

I hope you will enjoy this quick and easy to prepare dry rub spice mix… if you store it in an airtight container, you will have it handy, and ready to use to enhance the flavor of your next grilled chicken or pork dish!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you will choose to come back soon. Be sure to check out ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. Have a great day.

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Recipe Adapted From: https://www.tastesoflizzyt.com/pulled-pork-rub/

0 from 0 votes

Dry Rub Spice Mix (for chicken and pork)

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Total Time

5 mins

It's easy to enhance the flavor of grilled chicken or pork with this Dry Rub Spice Mix! Make enough mix to season meat for several BBQ's, in under 5 minutes!

Category: Spices

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dry rub spice mix

Servings: 8 (1/4 cup servings)

Calories Per Serving: 72 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

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

In a medium sized bowl, combine all spice rub ingredients. Stir to mix, until all ingredients are fully combined.
When ready to use, sprinkle rub on chicken or pork, and pat it down to adhere to surface of meat. Smoke or grill meat until done. Enjoy!

Store unused spice rub mix in an airtight container until next use.

Recipe Notes

As written, dry rub recipe makes almost 2 cups. I cut the recipe for the dry rub in half. The quantities are easy to cut in half (except for the 1/3 cup of dark brown sugar. If cutting brown sugar in half, use 2 Tablespoons PLUS 2 teaspoons brown sugar). If halved, you'll end up with about 1 cup of spice rub, which is enough for 3 pork roasts or chickens (about 3 pounds each). Each roast or whole chicken will need approx. 1/3 cup of the rub to cover. Store leftover spice mix in airtight sealed container.

Nutrition Facts

Dry Rub Spice Mix (for chicken and pork)

Amount Per Serving (0.25 cup)

Calories 72 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Sodium 3546mg154%

Potassium 235mg7%

Carbohydrates 15g5%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 3600IU72%

Vitamin C 0.9mg1%

Calcium 48mg5%

Iron 2.4mg13%

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

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

06
Aug
2018

Coconut Milk Braised Chicken

categories: Chicken, Main Dishes

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Easy Coconut Milk Braised Chicken – big in flavor, low in calories (under 300)! Pan seared seasoned chicken breasts are cooked in, and topped with a spiced coconut milk sauce. You’re gonna LOVE this dish! YUM!

We just returned from our annual summer vacation to Whidbey Island, WA. One of my traditions while there is to visit a local community thrift store and browse for cookbooks to add to my collection. I LOVE to look at recipes in cookbooks… it’s been a crazy “down time” hobby of mine for years, even before I started blogging. I love the “thrill of the hunt” for great recipes to make for my family.

This year I found several (8) “new to me” used cookbooks, including the one I found this recipe for coconut milk braised chicken in, for a tiny fraction of their original retail price. I paid $17.35 for 8 cookbooks, but their original retail value was over $150! Now that’s what I call a DEAL!!!! This recipe, for coconut milk braised chicken sounded really interesting to me, so I gave it a try…wowzer! This is a FANTASTIC recipe! Seriously GOOD! It’s also very easy to prepare, so it’s a WIN-WIN in my book!

The chicken is seasoned nicely (it only has a tiny “kick” to it), and the coconut milk sauce tastes amazing! I “might” have taste-tested the sauce several times as it cooked…yum. Who knew coconut milk braised chicken could taste so good? Let me show you how easy this dish is to make!

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

How To Prepare Coconut Milk Braised Chicken

Mix spices for the chicken in a small bowl (coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper). Add white wine vinegar, and stir to combine ingredients fully.

(SIDE NOTE: I was able to hand grind coriander seeds I had dried from our garden a year or two ago… YAY for homegrown! If you use store bought ground coriander, it will be more powdery, so your sauce will be smoother… mine has “bumps” from hand-grinding coriander seeds).

Give the chicken breasts a rinse, then place them on a paper towel, and pat them dry. Rub or brush on the seasoning mixture, covering both sides of chicken.

Cook The Chicken

Heat oil in a large (10-12 inch) non-stick skillet on high heat. Once the oil gets really hot (but not smoking), add the seasoned chicken breasts. Cook chicken for 2-3 minutes (without moving), then carefully flip chicken over and cook the other side 2-3 minutes.

Both sides should be a nice golden brown color. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed plate (a rimmed plate will catch any juices from chicken as it sits). Do NOT clean out skillet.

Create The Sauce For The Chicken

Place onion slices and minced ginger into the same skillet. Cook, stirring often for 2-3 minutes while the onions turn a golden color. Add the garlic, and stir well while it cooks for 1 more minute. Stir the coconut milk well with a fork or spoon while still in can (it’s thick). Pour entire can of coconut milk into the onion mixture in the skillet. Add salt. Stir well, to combine ingredients.

(Note: this recipe (as written) calls for LIGHT canned coconut milk, which has far less calories than regular. I only had regular coconut milk in our pantry, so that is what I used, and what you see in photo below).

Finish The Coconut Milk Braised Chicken

Cook on medium heat until the sauce comes to a boil. Transfer the chicken breasts back into the sauce. Pour any accumulated juices into the skillet, as well. Reduce heat, and cook chicken (turning once) for 10-12 minutes total, and the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the thickest part. I also spoon sauce over the top of chicken occasionally as it cooks.

When chicken is finished cooking, remove chicken breasts; transfer them back onto the rimmed plate. Cover with foil to keep warm. Turn the heat back up to high and bring sauce to a boil. Cook the coconut sauce for about 4 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened a bit, and reduced down to about 1½ cups.

Toast Shredded Coconut While the Sauce Thickens

While the sauce is cooking, I quickly toast some shredded coconut in a small dry skillet. I use this toasted coconut as a garnish for the finished dish.

To toast coconut, simply place coconut in skillet, and cook on low heat, stirring often, until coconut turns a golden brown in color (only takes a couple minutes). Remove from heat; transfer coconut to a plate or paper towel to cool. This step can also be done ahead of time or while the chicken is cooking.

Serve Coconut Milk Braised Chicken

Place the coconut milk braised chicken breasts onto individual plates or a serving platter. Spoon the sauce evenly over the pieces. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and toasted coconut, (if desired). Season with additional salt, if desired. I served the coconut milk braised chicken with white rice and peas. YUM!

I REALLY hope you will give this recipe for coconut milk braised chicken a try. My husband and I really enjoyed it, and I will definitely be making this quick dish again! I sure got my money’s worth finding that old used cookbook!

Looking For More CHICKEN Recipes?

If you enjoy chicken dishes, be sure to check out my recipes for Coq au Vin, Chicken Broccoli Fettucine Alfredo, Chicken Fried Chicken, and many, many others, all of which are listed in the Recipe Index shown at the top of the page.

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 WONDERFUL day!

Recipe Source: Sunset – Recipe Annual Cookbook (2002 Edition), page 14, Published November, 2001 by Sunset Publishing Corporation.

0 from 0 votes

Coconut Milk Braised Chicken

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

35 mins

Coconut Milk Braised Chicken - big flavor, low calorie (under 300)! Pan seared seasoned breasts are cooked in/topped with a spiced coconut milk sauce.

Category: Entree

Cuisine: American

Keyword: coconut milk braised chicken

Servings: 4

Calories Per Serving: 277 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Chicken Seasoning:

2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar

For Rest of Dish:

4 chicken breasts (5-6 oz. each) (boneless, skinless)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 (14 oz.) canned coconut milk (reduced fat)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional garnish)
3 Tablespoons shredded coconut

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix seasonings for chicken in a small bowl (coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper). Add white wine vinegar; stir to combine ingredients fully.
Rinse chicken, then place on paper towel, and pat dry. Rub or brush on seasoning mixture, covering both sides of chicken. Heat oil in a large (10-12 inch) non-stick skillet on high heat. Once oil gets hot (but not smoking), add chicken. Cook 2-3 minutes (without moving), then flip chicken over and cook other side 2-3 minutes. Both sides should be golden brown. Transfer chicken to a rimmed plate (rimmed plate will catch juices from chicken). Do NOT clean out skillet.
Place onion slices and minced ginger into the same skillet. Cook, stirring often for 2-3 minutes until onions turn a golden color. Add garlic; stir well while it cooks for 1 minute. Stir coconut milk with a fork or spoon while still in can (it's thick). Pour coconut milk into onion mixture. Add salt. Stir well to combine ingredients. Cook on medium heat until it comes to a boil.
Transfer chicken back into sauce. Pour any accumulated juices into skillet. Reduce heat; cook chicken for 10-12 minutes total (turning once), until chicken is no longer pink in the middle of thickest part. Spoon sauce over top of chicken often as it cooks. When chicken is done, remove chicken from skillet back onto rimmed plate. Cover chicken with foil to keep warm.
Turn heat back up to high; bring sauce to a boil. Cook sauce for 4 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened a bit, and reduced down to about 1½ cups.
While sauce is reducing, toast coconut (for garnish) by placing shredded coconut into a dry skillet; cook on low, stirring often, until it turns golden brown (takes a couple minutes). Remove from heat; transfer coconut to a paper towel to cool. **This step can also be done ahead of time or while the chicken is cooking.
Place chicken breasts onto individual plates or serving platter. Spoon sauce evenly over chicken. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and toasted coconut, (if desired), and season with additional salt, to taste. Serve, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Coconut Milk Braised Chicken

Amount Per Serving (1 chicken breast + sauce)

Calories 277 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Cholesterol 72mg24%

Sodium 524mg23%

Potassium 531mg15%

Carbohydrates 11g4%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 25g50%

Vitamin A 305IU6%

Vitamin C 8.5mg10%

Calcium 30mg3%

Iron 1.2mg7%

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

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