Dinner

INGREDIENTS 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound kielbasa or other smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces 3 medium carrots, diced small 2 shallots, diced small Coarse salt and ground pepper 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 cans (15.5 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving 1/4 cup plain yogurt, for serving INSTRUCTIONS In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add sausage and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add carrots and shallots to skillet and cook until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add black beans and broth and bring mixture to a boil. Add sausage, reduce heat to a rapid simmer, and cook until carrots are tender, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Serve with more parsley and a dollop of yogurt. NOTES Make this dish up to 2 days ahead. Reheat gently and add parsley to serve. ...

INGREDIENTS For the chicken: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 Tablespoons olive oil 2 Tablespoons butter For the sauce: 1 1/2 cups chicken broth 3 Tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup heavy cream 4 cloves garlic minced 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/3 cup chopped sundried tomatoes drained 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 10 fresh basil leaves chopped INSTRUCTIONS Season the chicken on both sides with the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and melt the butter. Sear the chicken breasts until golden brown, take the pan off the heat, and set aside. Whisk together the chicken broth and cornstarch in a bowl until there are no lumps. Add the chicken broth mixture to the bottom of an 8-quart slow cooker. Whisk in the heavy cream, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and paprika. Place the seared chicken breasts into the slow cooker and pour the olive oil and butter from the pan on top. Top each piece of chicken with the chopped-up sundried tomatoes. Place on low for 6-7 hours. Take the chicken breasts out and whisk in the parmesan cheese to the sauce. Add the chicken back into the slow cooker, cover with sauce and add the basil, serve immediately. Notes Don’t cook this on high, there would be a good chance of the sauce scorching at a higher heat. It is great served over pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or anything that can soak up that amazing sauce. You can skip the sear part but I think that adds flavor to the finished dish. If you do skip it, then I would add 4 Tablespoons of melted butter to the sauce. The sauce needs the butter/olive oil we pour over the chicken after searing. Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days, freeze for up to 3 months.

INGREDIENTS 1 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies, drained 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese, softened 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded 12 corn tortillas 2 cans red enchilada sauce 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9×13 baking dish with Pam. Add Rotel and cream cheese to a large skillet over medium heat and stir until very well combined and cheese is melted. Stir in chicken. Dip both sides of tortilla and then spoon 2-3 tablespoons of chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas and place seam side down in a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese and the remainder of the enchilada sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 min. Take off foil and cook for another 15 mins, or until top is golden brown.

INGREDIENTS 1 lb. ground beef, pork or turkey 1 large onion, diced 1 small head of cabbage 2-3 carrots 4-5 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/4 cup soy sauce INSTRUCTIONS Cook and crumble ground meat with onions in a very large skillet until meat is cooked through. Do not drain. You’ll need to select a skillet large enough to contain all the cabbage – divide everything evenly into two skillets if necessary. While meat and onions are cooking, cut cabbage into thin shreds; set aside. Peel carrots with a vegetable peeler then either dice small or use the peeler to shave off thin slices; set aside. Combine garlic, ginger, pepper, sesame oil, vegetable oil and soy sauce in a small bowl and stir to combine; set aside. Add cabbage and carrots to ground meat then cook and stir over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add soy sauce mixture then stir well. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes or until cabbage is tender.

INGREDIENTS 8 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 4 garlic cloves finely minced (I used my microplain to make sure the garlic is almost a paste) 2 tbsp herbs of your choice I used parsley, rosemary and oregano. Thyme, sage and marjoram are all good with chicken too. 1 tsp paprika 2 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper INSTRUCTIONS Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, herbs of your choice, paprika, salt and pepper then pour over chicken thighs. Allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes but up to 24 hours covered in the fridge. Preheat your grill for 15 minutes, medium to medium-low heat. It’s a good idea to have a cool spot on your grill where you can move the thighs if they brown too quickly. Cook the thighs for 10-12 minutes per side. For the last 5-10 minutes of cooking I turn the heat up and allow the thighs to char a little, making sure the skin is nice and crisp. Remove the thighs from the grill and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breasts boneless and skinless (about 3 breasts) 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/3 cup shredded Parmigiano Cheese divided 2 cups Zesty Italian Dressing 1 package 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature 1 box 16 oz rotini pasta INSTRUCTIONS Unpack your chicken breasts and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker and with a fork, poke each breast 3 to 4 times. Sprinkle pepper, garlic powder, and half of the shredded cheese. Gently pour the Olive Garden dressing over the chicken Sprinkle the remaining of the shredded cheese and add the cream cheese on top. Cover and cook on High for 4 ½ hours to 5 hours. Cook your pasta. Drain. Set aside. You may want to add a little bit of olive oil (about 1 tablespoon) or butter, so it does not stick too much together. Once cooked, take the chicken out on a plate and shred the chicken using 2 forks. Place the chicken back into the slow cooker and mix well with the sauce. Mix until the chicken is all coated with the sauce. Add the cooked pasta and mix well until pasta and chicken are well coated. Keep warm until ready to serve Notes Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days You can cook the chicken on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours and LOW for 6 to 8 hours You can freeze the chicken once shredded in safe freezer bags for up to 3 months You don’t need to add the pasta to the chicken. You can serve the chicken over rice, over pasta, you can also use it in a baked casserole, and it is excellent in a sandwich as leftovers.

INGREDIENTS 1 1/3 pound pork shoulder 1/2 cup root beer 1/3 cup barbecue sauce INSTRUCTIONS Add the pork butt to a 4 quart or larger Crock Pot. Then pour the root beer over top of the roast. Drizzle the barbecue sauce on top of the meat. Cover and cook on LOW for 10 hours, without opening the lid during the cooking time. Once the cook time is up, remove the meat from the crock pot and shred using two forks. Discard any fatty pieces. Return the shredded meat back into the crock pot and mix it with the sauce. Serve warm. Notes Do not cook on HIGH temperature as the meat needs time to tenderize. Use your favorite root beer and barbecue sauce in this recipe

INGREDIENTS 1/2 pound linguine 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 12 fresh sage leaves Juice of 1/2 lemon 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, for serving INSTRUCTIONS Cook the linguine according to package instructions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. Return the linguine to the pot. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the sage leaves. Cook until the butter browns and the sage becomes almost crispy, about 7 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Add the butter to the linguine and toss to coat. Stir in the pasta water. Cook over medium heat until the water is absorbed. Stir in the cheese, salt and pepper, seasoning to taste.

INGREDIENTS Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 pound dried spaghetti 1/4 cup olive oil 5 GARLIC cloves, sliced 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 cup FRESH FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY leaves, chopped 1/2 cup freshly grated PARMESAN cheese 1 tablespoon UNSALTED BUTTER INSTRUCTIONS In a very large pot, bring 5 quarts water and 3 tablespoons salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, about 1 minute less than the package directions. Occasionally give the pasta a stir so it doesn’t stick together. Scoop out and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta. Meanwhile, put a large skillet over low heat. Add the olive oil and garlic and cook until the garlic is soft and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes along with the reserved pasta water to the garlic. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the cooked pasta to the pan, stirring the noodles into the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and black pepper as needed. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley, Parmesan, and butter. Serve immediately.

INGREDIENTS 2 cup cooked chicken 3 cup spaghetti, uncooked and broken into two-inch pieces 2 cans cream of mushroom soup 2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese 1/4 cup finely diced green pepper 1/4 cup finely diced onion 1 jar (4-ounce) diced pimentos, drained 2 cup reserved chicken broth from pot 1 tsp. Lawry’s Seasoned Salt 1/8 tsp. (to 1/4 teaspoon) cayenne pepper Salt and pepper, to taste 1 cup additional grated sharp cheddar cheese INSTRUCTIONS Cook 1 cut up fryer chicken and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar. Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).