Beer-Battered Chicken Wings

I was never really a fan of chicken wings growing up. However, once I started going to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch Packers games here in Massachusetts, I became hooked. The sauces and spices they toss the wings in are delicious. Anyway, for the Super Bowl earlier this year, I decided to make some wings at home. Since my boyfriend is a homebrewer, we had plenty of choices sitting around the house. We chose a lager because it is light and the flavor would not be overpowering. The result was fantastic; the wings were absolutely amazing. Dipping them in chipotle ranch dressing added just the right amount of cool and spiciness.

4 lb. chicken wings, cut in half at joints, tips removed

2 cups (16 oz.) beer (I used a home-brewed lager)

2 cups flour

2 tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. smoked paprika

2 tsp. coriander

1 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Vegetable oil

Chipotle ranch dressing for dipping

Fill a deep pot about 1/3 of the way up with vegetable oil. Heat the oil to 375°. Pat the wings dry with paper towels. Whisk together the beer, flour, sea salt, paprika, coriander, pepper and cayenne pepper. Dredge the wings in extra flour, then dip into batter. Working in batches, add the wings to the hot oil, cooking until crisp and golden, about 12 minutes. Place wings in a bowl with paper towels in the bottom (to help soak up any grease that drains out of the wings. Serve hot with chipotle ranch dressing (or blue cheese, if you prefer).

Seafood Alfredo Lasagna

It’s no secret that I love me some lasagna. Of course, I’m really not a fan of the traditional version since I don’t consume red meat. Thus, I’ve developed quite a few of my own specialty lasagna recipes over the years, incorporating some of my favorite flavors like chicken fajita and chicken and spinach artichoke dip varieties. However, this one is, far and away, my favorite so far. Since I love seafood Alfredo pasta dishes, I’m actually surprised it took me this long to think of throwing it all together in a lasagna. Regardless, it’s delicious - and it’s even pretty darn tasty reheated.

9 lasagna noodles

1 lb. cooked shrimp (thawed if frozen) with tails removed

8 oz. crab meat

8 oz. lobster meat

16 oz. small curd cottage or ricotta cheese

3 tsp. dried parsley

3 tsp. garlic powder

3/4 cups grated parmesan cheese

3 eggs. slightly beaten

1 - 14.5-oz. jar Alfredo sauce (or homemade), divided

2-12 to 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used a mozzarella-provologne blend)

Preheat oven to 350°. Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Once the pasta is done boiling, add the shrimp, crab and lobster meat to the water to warm. Meanwhile, In a large bowl, combine the cottage or ricotta cheese, parsley, garlic powder and parmesan cheese; stir in eggs and mix. Set aside. Drain noodles and seafood. In another large bowl, combine the drained seafood with 2/3 of the Alfredo sauce. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pour the rest of the Alfredo sauce into the bottom of the pan. Place 3 lasagna noodles on top. Spread 1/3 of the cottage/ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. Spread 1/3 of the seafood and sauce mixture over the cottage/ricotta cheese mixture. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the shredded cheese. Continue layering until all ingredients are used up. Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand about 15 to 20 minutes before cutting. Serve with garlic bread if desired.

Juicy Lucy Turkey Burger

In May when we visited Minnesota, my friend, Karis, was telling my boyfriend about the infamous Juicy Lucy burger and he was intrigued. While we didn’t go anywhere that had them on the menu, I knew they couldn’t be too difficult to make; instead of putting the cheese on top, you simply put it inside. Given that I don’t eat red meat, I decided to use my turkey burger recipe instead. And they were fantastic. I wished I could have tried these on a grill, but since we don’t have one or any place to store one, I had to cook them on the stovetop. The key is to make sure not to overcook the burgers as the cheese inside will either disintegrate inside or cook out, leaving you with a pretty crappy non-juicy Lucy.

1 lb. ground turkey

1/2 Tbsp. chopped onion

1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1/2 Tbsp. dry mustard

1 Tbsp. paprika

1/2 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 Tbsp cumin

1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Dash of Tabasco sauce, optional

4 slices American cheese, quartered

In a large bowl, combine all the above ingredients until well blended. Form the turkey into eight small patties (about 1/8 pound each). Cut each slice of cheese in half, then in half again to form four squares. Stack the pieces on top of each other to form four stacks. Place one stack of cheese squares onto the center of one of the patties; top with the second patty and pinch the edges to form a tight seal. Cup each patty with your hands to round out the edges, and press on the top to flatten slightly into a single thick patty. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining portions of meat and cheese to form four patties in total. Cook in a saucepan or on the grill, turning occasionally to make sure the burgers are cooked thoroughly. Serve on buns with your favorite condiments and enjoy.

Seafood Salad

Many years ago, my family would go to Sam’s Club when they had free membership days. Because they didn’t happen a lot, we didn’t go all that often. However, every time we would go, my mom made sure to pick up a container or two of this delicious seafood salad. We’d open up a box of Chicken in a Biscuit crackers and enjoy it for as long as we could make it last. And then, one day, they didn’t carry it anymore and it was kind of devastating - it seems it’s always the good things that go away. Anyway, we searched for the seafood salad for quite a while and never had any luck. A few weeks back, I decided I wanted to make seafood salad salad, so I scoured the Internet for recipes. Not finding anything that sounded good right away, I finally stumbled across a recipe that seemed like it might be comparable to the seafood salad that we used to buy at Sam’s Club, so I gave it a go. And it was almost spot on. Of course, I tweaked it by adding lobster meat, but, other than that, it reminded me of the good old days.

1 small onion, diced

3 celery stalks, finely diced

1 cup sour cream

1-1/2 cups mayonnaise

2 tsp. dill weed

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. coriander

1 lb. salad shrimp, thawed

1 lb. refrigerated imitation crabmeat, flaked

8 oz. lobster meat, thawed (optional)

In a large bowl, combine the onion, celery, sour cream, mayo and seasonings. Add the seafood and stir until combined; add additional seasoning if desired. Refrigerate about an hour before serving. Enjoy with crackers, on a salad or with your favorite veggies.

Drunk Brats

About two months ago, I took my boyfriend to visit my home state of Wisconsin. In addition to seeing sights like Lambeau Field and the only remaining pulpwood stacker in the world (my hometown’s pride and joy), I made sure to introduce him to Crescent Meats, a butcher shop right up the road from my parents’ house on Highway 27 in Chippewa County. We bought cheddar wursts, beer brats to grill the next day, along with a couple beef sticks (for him, obviously). It was so good that, last month, we placed an order online to have Crescent ship us some Wisconsin-made meat, most of which was intended as a Father’s Day gift for Jay’s dad. Since we were making the order, we got some Italian sausage and beer brats for ourselves. I recently decided to do something I’ve never done with beer brats -  boil them … in beer. They turned out so good, very tender and incredibly flavorful with the addition of some herbs to the boil. I will definitely be doing this again.

36 oz. beer of your choice - we used a home-brewed red ale (3 cans or bottles)

5 or 6 beer brats (or regular bratwurst)

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. dried cilantro

1/2 tsp. rosemary

In a medium stock pot or Dutch oven, bring the beer to a boil. Place the bratwurst in the boiling beer. Add the herbs and continue boiling for 25 minutes until tender. Remove from beer broth and serve with your choice of bread/roll and condiments.

BBQ Chicken

Though I have a crock pot, I really don’t use it that often. For one, you have to get up relatively early to get things going and, needless to say, I am not a morning person. So when I do decide to make something in the crock pot, it’s usually something that takes a little less time, such as BBQ chicken. Basically, it’s the same ingredients I use for pulled pork, just with chicken. Personally, I think pulled pork tastes better made in the oven over the course of the day. For some reason, it’s just more flavorful. I never found that to be true with chicken. Besides, chicken can get dried out in the oven, whereas the crock pot keeps the chicken perfectly tender and juicy. For this recipe, I suggest seasoning the chicken with salt, pepper and paprika, but feel free to season it however you like. 

5-6 pounds (about 6 to 8 pieces) boneless skinless chicken breasts, whole

paprika, salt and pepper (to season chicken)

6 slices bacon, cut into quarters

one small onion, diced

4 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2-3 cups BBQ sauce (more or less depending on your taste)

In a crock pot, layer three or four chicken breasts in the bottom; season with salt, pepper and paprika if desired. Cover the chicken with half the bacon, half the garlic and half the diced onion. Layer three or four more chicken breasts on top; season as desired. Cover with the rest of the onions, garlic and bacon. Pour the apple cider vinegar over the contents of the crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours. Tear the chicken and bacon apart and stir in the BBQ sauce. Stir and cook on low an additional hour. Serve on your favorite buns or rolls. 

Rice-less Stuffed Peppers

Given that stuffed peppers are one of my favorite meals (and relatively healthy), I decided to make them more Paleo-friendly by coming up with a recipe that omits the rice. While I had initially considered replacing the rice with cauliflower rice, I went a different route and added more ingredients instead. The bacon is a great accent to the turkey and the mushrooms and onion serve as fillers in lieu of rice. In the end, this recipe turned out to be very flavorful … and filling.

5 or 6 large bell peppers (any color)

1 medium onion, diced

15 slices bacon, sliced in 1/2-inch pieces

8-10 medium mushrooms, diced

1 lb. ground turkey or ground beef

1 - 14.5-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 - 10.75-oz can condensed tomato soup

1 Tbsp. dried basil

Preheat oven to 350°. Remove tops of peppers and clean out seeds. Boil in a Dutch oven for 5 minutes. Set in cold water to cool, then drain. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, sauté the bacon and onion until the onions are tender. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Set aside. In another pan, cook the ground turkey until no longer pink. Stir in the bacon, onion and mushrooms. In a small bowl, combine tomato soup and basil. Mix 1/3 of the mixture into the meat mixture. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and place the peppers inside. Stuff the peppers with the meat mixture. In another bowl, combine the diced tomatoes and remaining soup mixture. Pour over the tops of the peppers. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

Teriyaki Pork Stir-Fry

I have found that when it comes to dinner, you can never go wrong with stir-fry. Aside from being delicious, it’s relatively quick and easy to make with very little preparation needed. As such, I have several stir-fry recipes in my repertoire using both pork and chicken and various different flavor like teriyaki, Jamaican Jerk, Cajun and sweet and sour, to name a few. Obviously, if you use the same seasonings over and over, it would get old. With so many options available, there’s really no need to limit yourself. While it’s difficult to decide which stir-fry recipe is my favorite, this one is up there near the top.

6 boneless pork loin chops, cut into thin strips
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 green bell pepper, sliced thinly

1-1/2 cups sugar snap peas

1 - 8 oz. can bamboo shoots
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. water

Hot, cooked rice

In a skillet or wok, heat oil and stir fry the pork and season as desired. Remove the pork and set aside, leaving behind the juices in the skillet. In the same skillet, stir fry the onion, peppers, peas and bamboo shoots for 3 to 5 minutes. Return the pork strips to the pan with any liquid in bowl. Add the teriyaki sauce and vinegar; stir. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water well. Pour into pan with pork and vegetables, stirring as you add. The sauce will get thicker and have a more glossy appearance. Stir well to coat the meat and vegetables with sauce. Serve over rice.

Stuffed Pork Loin

To be honest, I had never had a pork loin in my life until last year. Instead of making a huge to-do, I simply cooked it in the oven plain and served it with some sides … nothing too extravagant. So, when I found a 5-pound pork loin on sale at the local grocery store a little while back, I thought I’d get a little more creative. Thus began my hours-long search of the web for a stuffed pork loin recipe. I finally found one very similar to this, but made a few changes for my tastes. When I filled the loin, I had some of the onion, bacon and dressing mixture leftover. Naturally, I grabbed a spoon and dug in. And, my word, if that’s not the most tasty combination of my favorite foods I’ve ever tried. I was thinking about saving it to put it on top of a salad, but it never made it. But, I digress. This recipe turned out to be very tasty as well. I definitely have turned myself into a pork loin fan. 

1 Tbsp. dry minced garlic

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 boneless center cut pork loin roast (4 to 5 pounds)

1-1/2 Tbsp. tablespoon butter

2 large apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

1 medium onion, cut into thin strips (about 1 cup)

6 strips bacon, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

2-1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. Honey Dijon salad dressing

1 cup apple cider

kitchen string

Preheat oven to 325°. Combine garlic, salt, rosemary, thyme, pepper and cinnamon in small bowl. Cut lengthwise down roast almost to, but not through bottom. Open like a book. Rub half of garlic mixture onto cut sides of pork. Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples, onion and bacon. Cook and stir 5 to 10 minutes or until onions and apples are soft. Stir in brown sugar and dressing. Spread mixture evenly onto one cut side of pork loin. Close halves; tie pork loin with kitchen string at 2-inch intervals. Place roast on rack in shallow roasting pan. Pour apple cider over roast. Rub outside of roast with remaining garlic mixture. Roast, uncovered, basting frequently with pan drippings 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until thermometer inserted into thickest part of roast registers 155°. Remove pork loin from oven; let stand 15 minutes before slicing. Carve roast crosswise to serve.

Turkey Loaf

When I made the decision to stop eating red meat, I never realized how much I would miss eating basic ground beef recipes like hamburgers, spaghetti and meatballs and meat loaf. Thankfully, I have found ways around it, discovering that using ground turkey or ground pork in place of ground beef is just as good, so long as it’s seasoned properly to give it more flavor. While ground turkey is quite a bit more expensive than hamburger, it was worth it for this recipe. And my boyfriend, who eats red meat like it’s going out of style, even thought this turkey loaf was delicious.

Loaf

2 lbs. ground turkey

1/2 large onion, diced

3/4 cup diced mushrooms

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 Tbsp. ketchup

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

pinch cayenne pepper

Glaze

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard

3/4 cup ketchup

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 375°. Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl; add the remaining loaf ingredients and gently mix and knead with your hands until well combined. Transfer turkey ingredients to a 13-by-9-inch greased baking pan and form into a domed loaf shape. In a smaller bowl, combine the glaze ingredients and stir until well combined. Spoon the ketchup mixture evenly over meatloaf, spreading with the back of the spoon. Bake until turkey loaf is browned on top, cooked through and a meat thermometer inserted in the center reads 165° (about one hour). Remove pan from oven and allow to stand 5 to 10 minutes before cutting.

Jennie’s Gumbo

While this is not a true Cajun or Creole gumbo recipe since I can’t find okra around these parts year-round, I came up with my own version of the delicious Southern staple. Aside from okra, a typical gumbo often calls for crabmeat and beef bouillon. Since I’m not a fan crabmeat or anything that has to do with beef, I instead used chicken and chicken bouillon. I also cut back on the amount of Tabasco sauce used in most gumbo recipes. While I love spicy food, it doesn’t always agree with some people (namely, my boyfriend). Regardless, you can always add more hot sauce if you can stomach it. And while I used Cajun-flavored chicken sausage, any kind of sausage (andouille being the most common gumbo sausage) will do. Also, if you can find file gumbo powder, use that in place of the cornstarch.

1 cup all-purpose flour 

3/4 cup bacon grease 

1 cup coarsely chopped celery 

1 large onion, coarsely chopped 

1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

3 quarts water 

6 chicken bouillon cubes

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. sea salt 

1 Tbsp. Tabasco sauce 

1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning blend

4 bay leaves 

1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves 

1 - 14-1/2 oz. can stewed tomatoes 

1 - 8-oz. can tomato sauce 

4 tsp. cornstarch, divided

1 pound precooked pork or chicken sausage, sliced 

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

1 lb. cooked medium shrimp, peeled 

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 

Make a roux by whisking the flour and 3/4 cup bacon grease together in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat to form a smooth mixture. Cook the roux, whisking constantly, until it turns a rich mahogany brown color, about 10 minutes; watch heat carefully and whisk constantly or roux will burn. Remove from heat; continue whisking until mixture stops cooking. Place the celery, onion, green pepper, and garlic into the work bowl of a food processor or into a blender and pulse until the vegetables are very finely chopped. Stir the vegetables into the roux. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Bring the water and chicken bouillon cubes to a boil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Stir until the bouillon cubes dissolve, and whisk the roux mixture into the boiling water. Reduce heat to a simmer. Mix in the sugar, salt, hot sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer the soup over low heat for 1 hour; mix in 2 teaspoons of cornstarch at the 45-minute mark. Add the sausage, chicken and shrimp, along with the Worcestershire sauce, and simmer until flavors have blended (about 30-45 more minutes). Just before serving, stir in 2 more teaspoons of cornstarch.

Italian Sausage Cabbage Rolls

For some reason, out of the blue one day, I got a hankering for cabbage rolls. I couldn’t actually recall the last time I had eaten them, which was really strange. Regardless, my mind was set on cabbage rolls. Since the basic recipe calls for ground beef, which I don’t eat, I decided to get creative. While I could have simply used ground turkey in its place, I opted for sweet Italian sausage to give them more flavor. In addition, I threw in some diced green pepper. Though peeling the leaves off the cabbage turned out to be quite tedious (I don’t think it can be done without tearing every single one of the leaves at least a little bit), they turned out great.

12 cabbage leaves

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, ground

1 small onion, diced

1 green medium pepper, diced

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup milk
1 cup cooked rice

1 - 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, flavored (I used Hunt’s Spicy Red Pepper)

14 oz. tomato juice

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350°. In a skillet, cook the sausage with the onion and green pepper until crumbled and no longer pink. Add cinnamon, chili powder and salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Add the egg and milk; stir well. Stir in the rice. Set aside. Boil cabbage leaves for 2 minutes; drain. Place one or two spoonfuls of the meat and rice mixture in each cabbage leaf, fold and roll up. Place each of the cabbage rolls, flap side down, into a greased baking pan. Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, juice and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl. Pour over cabbage rolls and place in the oven. Bake for about an hour. Serve.

Jennie's Chicken Chimis

I have always loved Mexican food. From nachos to enchiladas and quesadillas to burritos, it’s just amazing. Of course, my weekly trips to Chipotle for a chicken fajita burrito speaks for itself … nope, still not sick of it! Anyway, the one thing they don’t have on the menu is a chimichanga. When I visited another local Mexican restaurant last fall, I simply fell in love with their chimichangas. They weren’t soggy and tasted phenomenal. Now, being the culinary whiz that I am, I decided to give my own homemade chimichangas a try. Best idea ever. While I did search the Internet for ideas, I decided to combine about three of them and came up with this tasty gem of a recipe. For the topping, I combined salsa and sour cream, which is also a tasty dip for tortilla chips. However, you can keep them separate or even switch it up and go with guacamole on top; the possibilities are endless.

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 Tbsp. cumin

1/2 Tbsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1-1/2 lbs. cooked chicken, shredded

1 - 8-oz package cream cheese, softened

1 cup pepper Jack cheese, shredded

1 cup black bean & corn salsa, divided

1/2 cup onion, diced

8 flour tortillas

1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together spices and use it to season chicken. Cook the chicken in the oven (or toaster oven) on broil for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, flipping once during cooking. Meanwhile, stir together cream cheese, pepper Jack cheese, 1/2 cup of the salsa and onion; set aside. When chicken is done cooking, shred it with a fork (works best while still warm). Fold the chicken into cream cheese and salsa mixture. Divide the filling among flour tortillas. Tuck in sides, and roll up each tortilla. Lay seam side down in a sprayed 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spray tops of tortillas with cooking spray. Bake in oven 15-20 minutes. Switch the oven setting to broil and broil for 2-3 minutes. Turn the chimichangas over and let broil an additional 2-3 minutes on the other side. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and remaining salsa. Serve over chimichangas and garnish with cheese.

Mac & Real Cheese

Having grown up in Wisconsin, I am a firm believer in using real cheese in my recipes. So, when my boyfriend said that Kraft and Annie’s were the best macaroni and cheese, I almost vomited. Yes, I have eaten my fair share of the boxed entrees over the years, but never would I classify them as “the best.” Anyway, hearing that, I was bound and determined to prove to him that homemade macaroni and cheese is far superior. Thus, I combined some recipes I had found online and crafted my own recipe, which he deemed was delicious (and passed the reheat test). It’s quite a bit more work than pouring powdered cheese over pasta, but it’s totally worth it. As far as cheesiness goes, you can add more or less cheese and milk to this after it’s all mixed together in order to meet your desired tastes.

4 cups milk

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup flour

2-1/2 Tbsp. sea salt, divided

1 pound elbow macaroni

3-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk just to a simmer; turn off the heat and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly until the mixture turns light brown in color, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Continuing to whisk constantly, slowly add the hot milk to the flour mixture until evenly combined and smooth. (Note: The mixture will get very thick when you first add the milk, then thin out). Return the saucepan to medium-high heat and, while whisking constantly, cook until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the sea salt, taste, and add another 1/2 Tbsp. of sea salt as desired. Remove from the heat and set aside. In another large pot of water, add the remaining 1 Tbsp. of salt; bring to a boil. Add the elbow macaroni and cook until it’s almost al dente (just on the edge of being underdone). Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water; set aside. Place the reserved saucepan of béchamel (the flour, butter and milk mixture) over medium heat and stir in cheese just until melted and smooth. Add the pasta to the béchamel and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is heated through and steaming, about 2 to 4 minutes. Add more milk for a thinner consistency if desired. Season with pepper if desired. Serve immediately or, if baking, transfer to a 5-quart baking dish and bake at 400° until bubbling and brown on top, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Cheez-It & Bacon Chicken Tenders

Trying to figure out what I could make out of the chicken breasts I had been thawing, I remembered I had purchased two boxes of Cheez-Its that had been on sale as part of a two-for deal. Anyway, I got to thinking that using the Cheez-It crumbs as a coating would be a splendid idea. After looking Cheez-It chicken up on the interweb, I discovered that I wasn’t the first person who thought it would be brilliant. After doing some searching, I found a recipe that was relatively easy and decided to go with it. But, of course, I also made one slight improvement - adding bacon! After all was said and done, these turned out really good. Though not as crispy as I had imagined they’d be, they were very tasty. I used the Four Cheese version of Cheez-Its, but you can use whichever flavor is your favorite and I’m sure it would turn out great. You could even buy several of the small bags in a variety of flavors and add even more flavor!

8-10 strips bacon

1-1/2 to 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 box Cheez-Its

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted

Cut the bacon strips into small cubes. Cook bacon and drain grease. Set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 375°. Prepare a 9-by-13-inch baking dish by spraying with cooking spray. Meanwhile, crush 3-4 cups of the Cheez-It crackers by placing them in a large resealable bag and rolling over it with a rolling pin. Add the bacon pieces and mix well. Place the cracker crumbs and bacon mixture on a paper plate. Cut the chicken breasts into strips. Spoon the sour cream Into a small bowl; roll the chicken strips in the sour cream until covered. Now, roll the chicken in the Cheez-It crumbs and bacon until coated. Place the coated chicken in the baking dish. Drizzle the chicken with melted butter. Bake for 45 minutes or until chicken juices run clear when poked with a fork. Serve.

Moroccan Chicken

This is, without a doubt, one of the most delicious chicken dinners I have ever made. All of the spices combine to create a sweet, yet bold flavor that is completely enjoyable. When I first made this, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but my boyfriend has actually requested I make this a couple times since. It’s a relatively easy recipe to throw together after work or when you’re pressed for time. And you can also prepare it in advance and freeze the chicken until you want to bake it, which is also quite convenient. I would recommend serving this alongside salad, steamed veggies or some good old-fashioned Stove Top stuffing.

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. ground coriander

1-1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

5 or 6 chicken legs

4 or 5 chicken thighs

Preheat oven to 375°. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients except the chicken. Once well blended, add the chicken and toss to coat. Bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. You can also put the coated chicken in freezer bags, label and freeze until ready to make.

Unstuffed Peppers

After scouring the web for a nice, simple unstuffed peppers recipe, I gave up and just decided to use my very own (well, my mom’s) recipe and tweak it. Not only is this version a lot less messy than making the stuffed version, but, the best part is there’s no need to turn on the oven. That certainly makes a lot more sense since you typically find the best peppers in the summertime. I mean, who wants to heat up the entire house to make a batch of stuffed peppers in the middle of July? I likely would, but people like my mom don’t even go near the oven during the summer months. For this recipe, you can obviously use ground beef or ground turkey, as in typical peppers. What I did was use spicy chicken sausage (for a little kick) sliced and then halved. While I still intend on making stuffed peppers on occasion during the fall and winter, this will definitely become my go-to summer meal.

4 large green, red, yellow or orange bell peppers (or one of each for color’s sake)

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 - 5.6-oz. packages Spanish rice mix

1 - 10-3/4-oz. can tomato soup

1 tsp dried basil

1 lb. chicken sausage (or ground beef or turkey), sliced then halved

1/2 medium onion, diced

Julienne peppers into 1/2-inch strips, then halve them down the center. In a large skillet, sauté the peppers in oil until tender. Meanwhile, cook the Spanish rice according to package directions. In a small bowl, combine tomato soup and basil. Once the rice is finished cooking, add the tomato soup mixture; stir until blended. When the peppers are done cooking, remove them from the pan and preserve the oil. Add the peppers to the rice and soup mixture and stir until blended. In the oil preserved from the peppers, cook the sausage (or your choice of meat) and onions until the onions are tender and the meat is done. Add the meat and onion to the rice and soup mixture, stir and serve.

Buffalo Chicken and Potato Casserole

The first time I made this, it turned out overly spicy (even for my taste, which is quite a feat). After playing with the recipe a little bit, I was able to find the perfect blend of spiciness to accentuate the chicken and potatoes. Of course, the amounts of Tabasco can be reduced and hot chili sauce omitted to lessen the hotness even more, if desired. Either way, this is a fairly simple casserole that gives you your meat and potatoes all in one pan. What more could you ask for?

2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cubed (1")

8-10 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup olive oil

1-1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. black pepper

1 Tbsp. paprika

2 Tbsp. garlic powder

4 Tbsp. Tabasco sauce

1/2 Tbsp. hot chili sauce

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Topping:

2 cups fiesta blend cheese

8-10 strips bacon, sliced and cooked until crisp

1/2 cup diced green onion

Preheat oven to 500°. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, hot sauce and chili sauce. Add the cubed potatoes and stir to coat. Carefully scoop the potatoes into the prepared baking dish, leaving behind as much of the oil-hot sauce mixture as possible. Bake the potatoes for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until cooked through and crispy and browned on the outside. While the potatoes are cooking, add the heavy whipping cream to the remaining sauce mixture and stir to blend. Add the cubed chicken to the bowl; stir to coat. Once the potatoes are fully cooked, remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 400°. Top the cooked potatoes with the raw marinated chicken. In another bowl, mix together the cheese, bacon and green onion and top the raw chicken with the cheese mixture. Return the casserole to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the topping is bubbly delicious.

Serve with bleu cheese or ranch dressing.

Spicy Turkey Burgers

After I quit eating red meat, one of the things I missed the most was eating hamburgers. Recently, I began buying pre-made turkey and chicken patties at the grocery store, but, to be honest, they lacked taste. So, instead of loading them down with spices before cooking them, I decided to try my hand at making my own turkey burgers. Since I already had the rest of the ingredients at home, all I needed to buy was the ground turkey and the buns, which makes it less of a hassle. Of course, the plain ground turkey is also cheaper then buying the patties (apparently, simply shaping those suckers jacks the price up a couple bucks). Anyway, I made sure MY turkey burgers were full of flavor so that adding things like ketchup and mustard was unnecessary. These can be enjoyed plain - of course, adding cheese is always recommended. ;)

1 lb. ground turkey

1/2 Tbsp. chopped onion

1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1/2 Tbsp. dry mustard

1 Tbsp. paprika

1/2 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 Tbsp cumin

1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Dash of Tabasco sauce

In a large bowl, combine all the above ingredients until well blended. Form the turkey into patties (1/4 lb., 1/3 lb. 1/2 lb. - whatever you desire). Place the burgers on a foil-lined pan and broil in a toaster oven (turning occasionally) until juices run clear. You can also cook them in a saucepan on the stove or on the grill. Serve on buns with your favorite condiments and enjoy.

Caribbean Jerk Chicken Drums

I’m a huge fan of jerk chicken - Jamaican, Carribean, you name it! So, when I bought some chicken drumsticks and decided I didn’t just want to bake them as is or just with some plain old blah seasoning, I looked for ideas on the good ol’ Interweb. Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything that really that piqued my interest, so I widened my search to more than just chicken drums. And, voila … I found a recipe for Caribbean jerk chicken leg quarters. Changing a few of the details to accommodate not only my taste, but also more chicken, I came up with this phenomenal recipe. It’s easy to make and absolutely delicious - a must try for any jerk lover.

1/2 cup zesty Italian dressing

4 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. thyme

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

12 chicken drumsticks

In a gallon size resealable bag, combine first seven ingredients; mix until well blended. Add chicken. Seal the bag and turn to coat the chicken; refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Preheat oven to 375°. Remove chicken from marinade and place in a greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and greases run clear. Serve with your favorite side dish.