Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

February 18, 2020 by

These little meatballs are a hit in my house. Sometimes I make them ahead (refrigerate for a few days or freeze for longer storage) for crazy days. I promise they will taste so much better than any packaged meatballs you’ll even buy in the store. I only use ground chicken from my local butcher because it’s ground chicken breast and we really love the flavor of it.
But use what your family likes, even ground turkey would work well.

Filed Under: Chicken / Turkey, Pasta Tagged With: , , ,

Pimento Ham Pasta Salad and Herb Dressing

July 20, 2011 by
 
I know what you’re thinking.  ANOTHER salad recipe? How many salad recipes do you need Holly?
Well, as I’ve said before, I love salads. 
Green salads.     Pasta salads.    Entree salads.     Side salads.   Any salads.
  As long as the ingredients you start out with are fresh you can have something wonderful. 
I love this dressing.  It goes well with just about anything.  It’s so much better than store bought and I bet you can make it faster than digging your store bought dressing out of the fridge. ; )
 
The other thing I love about salads is they are inexpensive ways to feed a group, and they are great for having company over since it’s something I can have ready to go in the fridge and don’t have to cook while I could be visiting.
 
PASTA SALAD:
1 lb mini fussili, or pasta of choice (cooked al dente and rinsed with cold water)
2 oz can pimentos, undrained
1 cup chopped ham
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup finely diced cheddar
1 cup sliced olives
1/2 cup mayonnaise
 
Make one batch of herb dressing (recipe below) and whisk in the mayonnaise.  Combine all other salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss gently with dressing.  If too dry add a little more mayo or sour cream.

HERB DRESSING:
1 tsp dried parsley, or 2 T chopped fresh
1 tsp dried dill weed
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream (or substitute 3/4 cup buttermilk for sour cream and milk)
1/4 cup milk (or buttermilk)
3 T powdered buttermilk
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tsp garlic powder
 
Whisk all together or combine in a blender.
 
Recipe Source:  Pasta salad by My Stained Apron, Herb dressing inspired by The Herbal Kitchen, one of my favorite cookbooks
Filed Under: Pasta, Salad / Dressings Tagged With: , , ,

Gnocchi with Gorgonzola cream sauce and ham

February 3, 2011 by
 
This dish is evil, evil I say.  Run while you can. Don’t look back.  Forget you ever saw this.  Too late? Well, sorry then. : )
 
GNOCCHI WITH GORGONZOLA CREAM SAUCE AND HAM
Recipe by My Stained Apron
 
Gnocchi, homemade or store bought
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (or extra Gorgonzola)
2 tsp dried parsley (or fresh chopped)
1/2 cup thinly sliced ham (I use a good quality Canadian Bacon)
 
Heat ham in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add cream and cheeses, stir until well incorporated. 
Add gnocchi (if homemade boil first), toss to coat.
Add parsley, serve hot.
 
 
Filed Under: Pasta, Sauces / Condiments Tagged With: , ,

Restaurant Chicken Alfredo

September 20, 2010 by
 
I’ve gotten some requests for recipes to make Olive Garden dishes at home.  So when my hubby took me there for my birthday (I know, livin’ the life of glamour : ), I took mental notes and then tried my hand at making some “copycat” versions at home.  First I made some notes, then looked online for others ideas too.  First up was the Alfredo recipe, which it seems A LOT of people want that recipe!  There were many different ideas, the most common of which was to use cream cheese, like my usual recipe.  The Olive Garden website actually had an Alfredo recipe on it using eggs in the sauce.  I’m pretty positive they are both impostors.  The only way in my opinion to get the same flavor is to use both Parmesan and Romano cheeses, FRESHLY GRATED, and let it cook for a bit to thicken naturally.  I was really surprised at how closely this dish resembled theirs.  
Keep checking back all week for more copycat olive garden recipes!
P.S. This also is great for dipping bread sticks!

RESTAURANT ALFREDO
Recipe by My Stained Apron
 
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup milk
2 cups cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 4 oz)
1 cup grated Romano cheese (about 4 oz)
salt and pepper, to taste
8 to 12 oz fettuccine noodles (use the lower amount if you want it really saucy)
fresh parsley, for serving
extra grated Parmesan, for serving
 
Melt butter in a saucepan and add garlic.  Saute for a couple of minutes over medium heat.
Add milk and cream, bring to a simmer.
Add cheeses, mix well. 
Let simmer, uncovered, for about 10 to 15 minutes, until slightly thickened.
Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Cook noodles and toss together.  Sprinkle with parsley and cheese.
 
To serve with Chicken:
2 chicken breasts
olive oil
salt and pepper
 
Brush grill or pan with olive oil, season chicken with salt and pepper and either grill or saute on both sides.  (I use my indoor grill pan).  Cut into strips when done.
 
Filed Under: Pasta, Sauces / Condiments Tagged With: , ,

Bolognese

August 30, 2010 by
 
This is probably my husband’s favorite dish that I make.  He seriously makes a fool out of himself when I serve this.  And I love every second of it. : )  There is nothing like seeing your family savor every bite of a meal.  Happy and content.  I make a big batch of this so I have it on hand in the freezer when needed for a seriously good quick dinner.   And I know with school starting back up, many of you are looking for some extra satisfying dinners with minimal effort. 
I’ll be sharing more recipes for using this sauce this week, so make sure to check back for that!  At the bottom I’m including directions for a small batch as well.  Usually you would use white wine when making this sauce, but since we don’t drink alcohol I don’t cook with it either, so I use all chicken stock in it’s place.  I don’t think you miss it at all.
 
 
Saute onions, carrots, and garlic in the olive oil.  You can finely dice them or puree them in a food processor to make a smooth paste.  Let cook and soften while you cook meat.
In another pan, brown meat in batches, then add the vegetables.
Add tomato paste and incorporate well.
Add chicken stock, then crushed tomatoes.
Simmer on stove for 1 to 3 hours.  Add salt and pepper to taste. (If making for the freezer I under season and season more so when heating to serve.
I then separate into 7 freezer-safe quart containers.  Label and freeze.
To serve: Heat in a pot, add 1/2 to 1 cup milk depending on personal preference.
Toss with noodles. Sprinkle on some fresh basil if desired.
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Filed Under: Freezer, Pasta, Sauces / Condiments Tagged With: , ,