Recipes

Servings: 12 Ingredients Penne/ziti/rigatoni (1 lb) Frozen peas (1 cup) Olive oil Bacon (6 slices) Chicken breasts (2) Baby bella mushrooms (8 oz) Broccoli (1 small head) Yellow onions (2) Ricotta (15 oz) Garlic (2 cloves) Eggs (2) Shredded parmesan cheese (1/4 cup) Salt (1 tsp) Black pepper (1 tsp) Crushed red pepper (1/2 tsp) Oregano (1 tsp) Alfredo sauce (2 cups) Sour cream (8 oz) Shredded asiago cheese (2 cups) Directions Cook pasta according to directions on package. Add peas just before draining. Coat pasta mix with a small amount of olive oil to prevent sticking, then set aside in a large bowl. Chop bacon, chicken, mushrooms, onion, and broccoli into bite-size pieces. In a medium-large skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté bacon until crispy, then add to pasta mix, leaving fat in the pan. Sauté chicken until cooked through and lightly golden, then add to pasta mix, leaving fat in the pan. Sauté mushrooms until their liquid is released and cooked off. Add onions and broccoli and continue to sauté until onions are soft and translucent. Transfer skillet contents into pasta mix. Add alfredo sauce and sour cream to pasta mix and stir to combine. Mince garlic. In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, garlic, eggs, parmesan, salt, black pepper, red pepper, and oregano. Stir ricotta mix into pasta mix, then spread the mix into a casserole dish. Top with an even layer of asiago cheese. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Broil at 450°F until cheese starts to brown. Serve hot. Notes When sautéing, add oil as necessary to prevent sticking. You can do steps 1-15 ahead of time, then refrigerate until baking. Feel free to use a different set of meats and vegetables.

Servings: 8 Ingredients Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1 lb) Red potatoes (12 oz) Yellow onion (1) Carrots (3) Celery (2 ribs) Corn kernels (2 cups) Chicken broth (4 cups) Garlic (3 cloves) Dried thyme (1/2 tsp) Dried oregano (1/2 tsp) Salt (1 tsp) Black pepper (1/2 tsp) Cayenne (1 pinch) Bay leaf (1) Half and half (1/2 cup) Cornstarch (2 tbsp) Butter (2 tbsp) Bacon (4 slices, optional) Fresh chives (2 tbsp, optional) Directions Peel carrots. Dice potatoes, onion, carrots, and celery, and add to slow cooker. Mince garlic and add to slow cooker. Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to slow cooker. Add corn, chicken broth, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, cayenne, and bay leaf to slow cooker. Stir and cook on low for 7 hours or high for 3 hours. Whisk together half and half and cornstarch. Stir half and half mixture and butter into slow cooker and continue cooking for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook bacon until crispy, then crumble. Chop chives. Remove bay leaf, stir, and serve garnished with bacon and chives.

Servings: 6-8 Ingredients Stew ingredients: Boneless skinless chicken thighs (2½ lbs, cut into small pieces) Salt Black pepper Butter (4 Tbsp) Celery (2 stalks, diced) Onion (1 large, diced) Carrot (1 small, diced) Flour (½ cup) Apple cider vinegar (2 Tbsp) Water (½ cup) Chicken broth (4 cups) Milk or half & half (¼ cup) Dried thyme (1 tsp) Dried basil (1 Tbsp) Red pepper flakes (½ tsp) Frozen peas (1½ cups) Dumpling ingredients: ...

Yield: 4-6 servings Ingredients Nonstick spray Olive oil (1 tbsp + 2 tsp) Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 lbs) Salt (1 tsp) Black pepper (1/2 tsp) Yellow onion (1) Garlic (3 cloves) Balsamic vinegar (1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp) Crushed tomatoes (28 oz) Green bell pepper (1) Sliced baby bella mushrooms (8 oz) Italian seasoning (2 tsp) Directions Coat slow cooker with nonstick spray. Chop onion and bell pepper. Mince garlic. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. When oil is shimmering, add chicken to skillet. Sauté chicken until browned on both sides (~3 minutes per side), then transfer to slow cooker. Reduce skillet heat to medium and wipe out oil with a paper towel. Add 2 tsp olive oil to skillet. When oil is hot, add onion and sauté until soft (~3 minutes). Add garlic and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar and sauté for 1 minute. Transfer skillet contents to slow cooker. Add tomatoes, bell pepper, mushrooms, and Italian seasoning to slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. (optional) Uncover slow cooker and cook on high for 1 hour to thicken sauce. Stir in 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar. Notes Best served over pasta, rice, or polenta and topped with grated Parmesan.

Servings: 6 Ingredients Boneless chicken thigh, cut into small pieces (2 lbs) Yogurt, divided (1 cup) Ginger garlic paste (1 tbsp) Ground turmeric, divided (1 tsp) Red chili powder, divided (1 tsp) Salt, divided (1 tsp) Garam masala, divided (1½ tsp) Ghee or oil (¼ cup) Medium onions, thinly sliced (2) Cashews (¼ cup) Cumin seeds (1 tsp) Bay leaves (1-2) Cardamom pods (2) Cloves (5) Black pepper (½ tsp) Cinnamon stick (2 inch) Ground coriander (2 tsp) Ground cumin (1 tsp) Water (½ cup) Heavy cream (¼ cup) Cilantro, chopped (2 tbsp) Directions Combine ½ cup yogurt, ginger garlic paste, ½ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp salt, and 1 tsp garam masala in a bowl. Add chicken, coat thoroughly, cover, and marinate 20-30 minutes. While the chicken marinates, soak cashews in water. Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat and fry onions until golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Remove onions and cool slightly, leaving the ghee in the pan. Blend remaining onions with soaked cashews (drained) and remaining ½ cup yogurt until smooth. Return the pan with ghee to medium heat. Add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, and black pepper. Sauté a few seconds until fragrant. Add marinated chicken and sauté 5 minutes on medium heat. Add fried onion paste, ground coriander, ground cumin, remaining ½ tsp red chili powder, remaining ½ tsp turmeric, and remaining ½ tsp salt. Pour in ½ cup water, mix well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is fully cooked. Stir in heavy cream and remaining ½ tsp garam masala. Increase heat for 2-3 minutes to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Notes Adapted from Easy Indian Cookbook

Servings: 4-5 Ingredients Pasta (1 lb) Olive oil Bacon (4 strips) Garlic (2 cloves) Yellow onions (3) Sliced baby bella mushrooms (1-1/2 cups) Chicken breasts (2) Crushed red pepper (1/2 tsp or to taste) Sun-dried tomatoes (1/3 cup, optional) Pesto (1 cup) Parmesan cheese (for serving) Directions Cook pasta according to package directions. Continue recipe while pasta cooks. When pasta is finished, drain, return to pot, and stir in a dash of olive oil. Mince garlic, dice onions, and chop chicken and bacon into bite-size pieces. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with red pepper and sauté until slightly golden. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Sauté bacon until crispy. Add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are soft and translucent. Add mushrooms and sauté until browned. Stir pesto, tomatoes, chicken, and contents of skillet into pasta. Serve hot or cold, topped with grated Parmesan cheese. Notes My preferred pasta for this recipe is farfalle.

Servings: 8 Ingredients Lean ground beef (2 lbs) Canned beans of choice (e.g. red kidney, cannellini) (31 oz) Diced tomatoes with onion and green pepper (29 oz) Diced tomatoes with green chilies (20 oz) Corn (1-1/2 cups frozen or 15.5 oz canned, optional) Chili seasoning mix (3 oz) Tomato paste (1/4 cup) Corn muffin mix (19 oz) + any ingredients called for by package directions Shredded sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups) Directions Brown beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain beef, beans, and corn if canned. Add beef, beans, corn, all tomatoes, tomato paste, and chili seasoning to slow cooker. Stir until thoroughly mixed, then spread into an even layer. Prepare muffin mix according to package directions. Spread muffin batter over beef mixture. Cover slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours. Turn slow cooker to warm and sprinkle cheese over top. Serve when cheese is melted. Notes Top as desired with sour cream, sliced jalapeños, and/or sliced green onion.

Ingredients Worcestershire sauce (2 tbsp) Soy sauce (2 tbsp) Chili garlic sauce (2 tbsp) Salt (1/2 tsp) Brown sugar (1 tbsp) Zest and juice of 1 lime

Servings: 6-8 Ingredients Rotini (1 lb) Onion (1) Jalapeño (1) Garlic (3 cloves) Ground beef or vegetarian substitute (1 lb) Diced tomatoes (1 15-oz can) Tomato paste (1 tbsp) Frozen corn (1 cup) Chili powder (1 tbsp) Garlic powder (1/2 tsp) Dried oregano (1/2 tsp) Smoked paprika (1/2 tsp) Ground cumin (1/2 tsp) Beef or vegetable broth (1 1/2 cups) Beans (1 15-oz can) Dijon mustard (1 tbsp) Unsalted butter (1/4 cup) All-purpose flour (1/4 cup) Whole milk (2 cups) Shredded cheddar cheese (2 cups) Salt (to taste) Directions Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Chop the onion. Remove seeds from jalapeño and chop. Mince the garlic cloves. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and cook until soft. Add chopped jalapeño and cook briefly. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Stir in tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and frozen corn. Add chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, smoked paprika, and cumin. Stir to combine. Drain and rinse beans. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in rinsed beans and continue simmering to meld flavors. Stir in Dijon mustard and salt to taste. In a separate pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour to melted butter. Stir until smooth and golden. Add milk and stir constantly until mixture is smooth and thickened. Stir in shredded cheddar cheese until melted and smooth. Combine chili mixture with cheese sauce, stirring well. Add cooked pasta to the pot and mix everything together. Serve hot. Notes This recipe was adapted from Mac & Cheese.

Yield: 12-16 servings Ingredients Caramel topping (1/4 cup) Chocolate cake mix (1 box) Vegetable oil (1/2 cup) Eggs (3 + 4) Sweetened condensed milk (14 oz) Whole milk (1 cup) Vanilla extract (1 tsp) Directions Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a Bundt pan. Spread caramel topping in bottom of pan. In a large bowl, beat together cake mix, 1 cup water, oil, and 3 eggs. Pour mixture into pan. Blend condensed milk, whole milk, 4 eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Slowly and gently pour mixture into pan. Grease a piece of foil. Tightly cover pan with foil, grease-side down. Place pan in a large baking dish. Add 1 inch of hot water to baking dish. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Move pan from water to a cooling rack. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove foil. Run a thin metal spatula or knife around edges of pan to loosen cake. Place a serving plate upside down on pan and flip over. Remove pan. Notes This recipe was tested with Smuckers™ caramel topping and Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ triple chocolate fudge cake mix.