Skillet Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

 

Ingredients 

1 lb. lean ground turkey or beef 

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/4 C panko breadcrumbs, gluten free breadcrumbs if needed

1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic, grated or minced

1 tsp. dried basil

3/4 tsp dried oregano

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

3 oz. part skim mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 in cubes

1/2 C shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

3 C marinara sauce

Directions 

1) In a large bowl combine the ground meat, egg, panko, worcestershire, garlic, basil, oregano, salt and pepper with your hands. 

2) Using a small ice scoop (if you have one) , scoop the meatball mixture. Take one of the pieces of cubed mozzarella and stuff it into the center of the meatball, making sure to cover the cheese completely with meat. Repeat the process until all of the meat mixture is gone. 

3) Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and spray it generously with cooking spray or add a tablespoon of olive oil. Place the meatballs in the skillet and brown them for 2 minutes on each side. 

4) Pour the marinara sauce evenly into the skillet and turn the heat down to medium low. Cover the skillet with a lid and simmer the meatballs for 10 minutes. Top the meatballs with the shredded mozzarella and serve. 

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Serves: 4-6 

These are good as an appetizer as well. 

Chipotle Honey Chicken Crispers

 

Ingredients 

12 chicken tenderloins

6-8 C Canola oil or shortening 

Batter: 

1 egg 

1/2 C milk

1/2 C chicken broth

1 1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3/4 C flour

Breading: 

1 1/2 C flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika 

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Honey Chipotle Sauce:

2/3 C honey

1/4 C water

1/4 C ketchup

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1-2 tsp chipotle chili powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp hot sauce

Instructions 

1) In a small saucepan combine honey, water, ketchup, vinegar, chili powder, salt and hot sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. 

2) To make batter, in a medium bowl whisk together egg, milk, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Whisk in flour. 

3) Combine all ingredients for breading in a pie plate and mix well.

4) Heat oil in a Dutch Oven to 350 degrees. Dip chicken in batter and then roll to coat in breading. 

5) Fry 4 at time , frying until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes. 

6) Place cooked chicken tenderloins in a large bowl and toss with the honey chipotle sauce. 

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

This recipe tastes almost identical to Chili's Chicken Crispers ( Chipotle Honey flavored) Its very very tasty. 

Easy Grape Jelly Kielbasa (Crockpot)

    

Ingredients 

2 links Hilshire Farms Polksa Kielbasa (14 oz ea) 

1 C Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce

1 C Welch's Concord Grape Jelly 

Directions

1) Carefully slice kielbasa links into 1/4 inch piece, then place in crock pot. 

2) Stir together BBQ sauce and grape jelly in medium mixing bowl. 

3) Pour sauce over Kielbasa in crock pot, and stir well. 

4) Cook on low for 2 1/2 hours, high for 1 1/2 hours, or until hot. 

5) Grab the toothpicks and serve straight from your slow cooker. Enjoy!

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 2 1/2 hours

Total: 2 Hours  35 minutes

Serves: 10 

This recipe can be doubled for a bigger gathering or you can also make this as part of a dinner and make something to go with it. 

Garlic Bread Chicken Parmesan Pizzas

                                                                

                                             

   Ingredients 

8 slices garlic Texas Toast slices

1/2 C Pizza sauce

6 fried chicken strips ( or chicken nuggets) 

1 C shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions 

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

2) Arrange garlic bread slices ( butter side up) on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.

3) Bake frozen garlic toast for about 3-4 minutes until bread is no longer frozen and just starting to brown on the edges. 

4) While, the bread is toasting, start dicing up the chicken tenders. Cut them up into 1/2 inch pieces. 

5) When bread is ready, spread pizza sauce on each slice of garlic toast.

6) Then evenly layer diced chicken on top of sauce. 

7) Bake for about 6-8 minutes just to get the chicken warmed back up. 

8) Then take out of the oven and top each slice with some shredded mozzarella. 

9) And pop it back into the oven for another 3-4 minutes just until cheese is melted and bubbly. 

Notes:

Any pre-cooked chicken will work for this : grilled, rotisserie or even chicken nuggets.

In addition, marinara sauce can be substituted for the pizza sauce. You might want a little extra for dipping!

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

Total: 35 minutes

Serves: 4-8 

With this recipe you may wanna double it depending on how much everyone eats. 

Country Fried Chicken

 

Ingredients 

6-8 thin sliced chicken breasts

2 C flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 C buttermilk

 1 egg

1 tbsp. hot sauce

oil for frying

Gravy: 

1/4 C reserved oil from frying

1/3 C flour

2 C milk

salt and pepper

Directions

1) Heat oil in deep fryer or large pan on stove ( a few inches deep) to 325 degrees. 

2) In a large bowl whisk together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper and garlic powder. 

3) In another bowl whisk together buttermilk, egg, and hot sauce. 

4) Dredge your chicken in the flour mixture then dip into the egg mixture than back into the flour mixture making sure to press down flour to get stuck on the chicken really good. 

5) Place chicken in pan/deep fryer and fry on each side 3-5 minutes until golden brown, remove and drain on paper towel lined plate, repeat with all the chicken. 

6) To make your gravy, in a large pan add 1/4" of oil from cooking and heat on medium-high, stir in your flour until absorbed and cook for 1 minute. 

7) Slowly add in your milk whisking to blend and heat until thickened then stir in salt and pepper to desired taste. 

8) Pour gravy over individual chicken before serving. 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Serves: 6 

* You can use a regular deep fryer to make this instead of in a skillet. If you don't want to use frying oil to make gravy, substitute butter or bacon grease. Add more or less seasoning to the flour and gravy to your liking. You can also save yourself time by using premade country gravy or buying the country gravy packets and using that instead. Whichever works best for you. 

Italian Meatball-Stuffed Crescent Ring

 

Ingredients

24 (1 inch) frozen cooked Italian style meatballs, thawed and halved

1 1/2 C marina sauce

1 C shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz) 

2 cans (8 oz ea.) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

1 tbsp. butter , melted 

1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1) Heat oven to 375 degrees. (350 for dark or nonstick cookie sheet). In a large bowl, mix meatball halves, 1/2 C of the marinara sauce and the mozzarella cheese. 

2) Unroll both cans of dough; separate into 8 rectangles. On ungreased large cookie sheet, arrange in a ring so short sides of rectangle form a 5 inch circle in center. Dough will overlap. 

3) Spoon meatball mixture on the half of each rectangle closest to center of ring (each rectangle should have 6 meatball halves) 

4) Bring each dough rectangle up over filling, tucking dough under bottom layer of dough to secure it. Repeat around ring until entire filling is enclosed (some filling might show a little). 

5) Gently separate dough perforations on top until filling peeks through. Brush tops of dough with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes or until dough is golden brown and thoroughly baked. Cool 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into serving slices. Just before serving , in a small microwavable bowl, microwave remaining 1 C marinara sauce uncovered on medium-high 1 to 2 minutes or until hot. 

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 30 minutes

Total: 45 minutes

Serves: 8  

Creamy, Cheesy Italian Sausage and Basil Penne

 

Ingredients:

For the Sauce:

3 tbsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1 small onion, chopped fine

3 cloves garlic, chopped fine or put through the garlic press

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage 

1 tsp. Italian seasoning (or a mix of dried basil, thyme, marjoram, and oregano) 

1 bay leaf

1 C. chicken broth

1 1/2 C heavy cream

3/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

handful of fresh basil, sliced thin

salt and pepper to taste 

For the Penne: 

1 lb. penne pasta 

1 tbsp. butter

Directions: 

For the penne : 

1) Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook until al dente. Drain and toss with butter. 

For the Sauce: 

1) Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic until it is soft an translucent. 

2) Remove the sausage from casings and add to the pan, Cook until browned. 

3) Add Italian seasoning , bay leaf, chicken broth, and heavy cream. Let simmer on low for 15 minutes. 

4) Off the heat, stir in parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and salt and pepper to taste. 

5) Toss with hot buttered penne and serve immediately. 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Serves: 6 

* If your sausage doesn't contain fennel seed, toast 1/2 tsp fennel seeds in a pan until they become aromatic, then pound in a mortar and pestle and add to sausage. 

Easy Pancake Muffins

 

Ingredients 

1/2 lb breakfast sausage, cooked and cut into small pieces ( ground breakfast sausage or pre-cooked links or patties work just fine) 

1 1/2 C milk

4 tbsp. white vinegar

2 C all-purpose flour

4 tbsp. white sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

4 tbsp. butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla

Maple syrup for drizzling

Directions

1) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. 

2) Cook breakfast sausage and cut into small pieces.

3) In a small bowl combine milk with vinegar and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. 

4) In a large bowl sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

5) Add in eggs, milk, vanilla, and melted butter and stir to combine. 

6) Stir in cooked breakfast sausage pieces.

7) Prepare muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray or line them with paper liners.

8) Fill each muffin cup 2/3 of the way full. 

9) Bake for about 15-16 minutes, or until done. 

10) Drizzle pancake muffins with maple syrup and serve immediately. 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Serves: 8

This is a recipe that if your really short on time or just wanna use a shortcut you can always use a box of pancake mix and just add the breakfast sausage to it and cook as above. I doubled the recipe and was able to get almost 48 muffins by doing so. They are great heated the next day and can be put in the freezer for a quick breakfast (just reheat in the microwave for a few minutes) . 

Sweet N' Sticky Polska Kielbasa

 

Ingredients

3 lbs polska kielbasa (beef or pork) 

27 oz. cola (regular , sweetened cola , NOT diet) 

Directions

1) Slice the entire kielbasa into 1/2 inch wide slices. Place them in a skillet and saute on medium high heat for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the both sides of the kielbasa  begin to lightly brown. 

2) Pour the 27 oz cola into the skillet. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally , until all the liquid has reduced, thickened, and glazed the meat (about 30 minutes). All the liquid should be gone from the skillet. 

3) Remove kielbasa from skillet and serve hot, alongside a serving of mashed potatoes and a veggie. Enjoy!. 

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 30 minutes

Total: 35 minutes

Serves: 12

You can double , triple etc this recipe and use it as an appetizer for a gathering if you like. 

Easy Honey Garlic Chicken

 

Ingredients 

6 chicken thighs, bone-in or out, with or without skin*

Salt and pepper, to taste 

2 tsp. garlic powder, to season

6 cloves garlic, crushed

1/3 C honey

1/4 C water (or chicken broth)

2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar, or any white vinegar)

1 tbsp. soy sauce

Instructions

1) Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder; set aside.

2) Heat a pan or skillet over medium high heat; sear chicken thigh fillets or breast fillets on both sides until golden and cooked through.

For Bone In Thighs: 

1) Reduce heat after searing on both sides, cover skillet with a lid and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, while turning every 5 minutes until done. Alternatively , see below for oven method. 

2) Drain most of the excess oil from the pan, leaving about 2 tbsp. of pan juice for added flavor. 

For Sauce: 

1) When chicken is done and cooked through, arrange chicken skin side up in the pan (if cooking with skin); add the garlic between the chicken and fry until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the honey, water, vinegar and soy sauce. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook until the sauce reduces down and thicken slightly (about 3-4 minutes). 

2) Garnish with parsley and serve over vegetables, rice, pasta or with a salad. 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

* For chicken breasts: use 3 breasts, sliced horizontally in half. Sear breast fillets on each side until golden and cooked through ( about 6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your fillets).  Continue directions from the sauce, onwards. 

* For oven baked, bone-in thighs: Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Sear chicken in an oven proof skillet pan, skin side down for the first 3 minutes. Flip and sear for a another 3 minutes until browned on each side. Then bake in the oven for another 20-25 minutes, until completely cooked through and no longer pink inside. Continue directions from sauce, onwards. 

Honey Garlic Steak Bites

  

Ingredients 

2 lbs. top sirloin steak, cubed

2 tsp. sweet or smoked paprika

salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

4 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided

6 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

1/2 C water (or broth) 

8 cloves garlic, minced

4 tbsp. honey 

2 tbsp. sesame seed oil (you can also use extra virgin olive oil) 

2 tbsp. rice vinegar ( you can also use white vinegar) 

1 tsp. dried oregano 

2 tbsp. cornstarch

sesame seeds, for garnish (optional) 

sliced green onions , for garnish (optional) 

Directions

1) Cut up steak into 1/2 inch to 1 inch cubes.

2) Season with paprika, salt, and pepper; set aside. 

3) In a mixing bowl combine soy sauce, water, garlic, honey, sesame seed oil, rice vinegar, oregano, and cornstarch; whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside. 

4) Heat 1 tbsp. vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. 

5) Add 1/2 of the steak cubes to the hot oil and cook for 2 minutes per side, or until browned and done. Remove from skillet and repeat with the rest of the steak cubes, adding extra oil as needed.

6) Remove all steak bites from the skillet and set aside. 

7) Give the previously honey garlic sauce a good stir with a whisk and pour 1/3 of the sauce into the hot skillet; scrape up the browned pieces from the bottom of the pan. 

8) Add the steak bites back to the skillet and pour the rest of the sauce over the steak; cook for 1 to 2 more minutes, or until sauce starts to thicken. 

9) Remove from heat. 

10) Transfer steak bites to a plate and drizzle with the pan sauce. 

11) Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions (if using).

12) Serve with a side and vegetable of your choice. 

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Serves: 8 

 

Balsamic Roast Beef

 

Ingredients

1 3-4 lb boneless roast beef (chuck or round roast)

1 C beef broth

1/2 C balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. soy sauce or coconut aminos

1 tbsp. honey

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

4 cloves garlic, chopped

Directions

1) Place roast beef into the insert of your slow cooker. In a 2 C measuring cup, mix together all remaining ingredients. Pour over roast beef and set the timer for your slow cooker. (4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low)

2) Once roast beef has cooked, remove from slow cooker with tongs into a serving dish. Break apart lightly with two forks and then ladle about 1/4 - 1/2 C of gravy over roast beef. 

3) Store remaining gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for another use.

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 8 hours

Total: 8 hours 5 minutes

Serves: 6-8 

Buffalo Style Mozzarella Pork Chops

 

Ingredients

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

2 tbsp. Butter

2-3 tbsp. Wing Sauce

Thinly sliced fresh mozzarella 

Thin center cut boneless pork chops 

Salt 

Pepper

Montreal Steak ( or your favorite seasoning) 

Directions

1) Add the olive oil, butter, and one tbsp of wing sauce to a large skillet. 

2) Season each side of the pork chops with salt, pepper, and your preferred seasoning. 

3) Once the pan is heated to medium-high heat, add the pork chops.

4) Cook for 2-3 minutes each side (or until done). 

5) Once the pork chops are thoroughly cooked, place on a cookie sheet and apply a liberal amount of buffalo sauce to coat the top of the pork chops. 

6) Top each pork chop with a thin slice of mozzarella cheese. 

7) Place under the broiler on high for 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and melted. 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Sweet Baby Ray's Crockpot Chicken

 

Ingredients 

4-6 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

1 bottle sweet baby ray's bbq sauce (any flavor you want)

1/4 C vinegar

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 C brown sugar

1 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

1) Mix BBQ sauce with vinegar, red pepper flakes, brown sugar and garlic powder. 

2) Place chicken in crockpot (still frozen is ok). Pour sauce mixture over chicken. 

3) Cook on LOW 4-6 hours. 

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 4 hours

Total: 4 hours 5 minutes

Serves: 12 

Cheesesteak Style Sloppy Joes

 

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 small onion

1 green bell pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. worchestershire sauce

1/2 C beef broth

1 tbsp. cornstarch

4 slices white american or provolone cheese

4 rolls

Directions

1) Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Crumble ground beef and season with salt and pepper, then cook until browned. Remove from pan and set aside. 

2) Add butter to pan. Once melted, add onion and bell pepper and saute until onions are translucent. 

3) Return ground beef to pan. Add garlic powder, worchestershire sauce, and beef broth, stirring to combine. Add cornstarch and stir until dissolved. This will thicken the beef broth and create a sauce. 

4) Reduce heat to low. Cover meat mixture with cheese slices and allow to set for 1-2 minutes, or until melted. Remove from heat, spoon onto rolls and serve immediately. 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Serves: 4 

Oven Roasted Smoked Sausage and Potatoes

 

Ingredients

1 pkg. of smoked sausage , sliced into rounds 

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

5 large potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes

olive oil

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

sweet paprika

dried thyme

a handful of grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

2) Line a large baking sheet with sides with several sheets of foil, and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. 

3) Spread the oil out over the pan. Set aside. 

4) Put the sausage rounds, onions and potatoes into a large bowl. Drizzle with a couple tbsp of olive oil and season to taste with salt, pepper, paprika and dried thyme. 

5) Toss together with your hands until everything is evenly distributed. Pour this out onto the baking tray and spread it out as much as you can. 

6) Place into the heated oven and roast for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so, until the potatoes are golden brown and tender. 

7) Turn off the oven. Scatter the cheese over the top of the cooked meat and potatoes. Put back into the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese. Serve immediately. 

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 60 minutes

Total: 1 hour 15 minutes

Serves: 4 

Bacon, Beer, and Cheese Sloppy Joes

 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

8 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 C ketchup

1/4 C tomato paste

1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. dijon mustard

1 C beer 

1/2 C beef broth

2 C sharp cheddar , cubed

6 brioche buns

Directions

1) In a large skillet cook the bacon on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes or until crispy but still bendable. 

2) Remove the bacon from the pan and drain all but two tablespoons of the fat. 

3) Add the onions and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until softened. 

4) Add in the beef, lower the hear to medium and cook well, breaking it apart but leaving some chunks about the size of a raspberry or small grape ( don't crush the heck out of it, the larger crumbles will help give the sandwich stability). 

5) Cook until well browned (5-6 minutes), then add in the ketchup, tomato paste, Worchestershire sauce, dijion mustard, beer and beef broth. 

6) Stir well, continue cooking until the sauce starts to evaporate and the mixture becomes "sloppy" (about 5-6 minutes). 

7) The consistency you are looking for is reduced enough that spoonfuls can be placed on top of each other with the bottom spoonful not spreading more than a half inch or so. 

8) Add in the chunks of cheddar and cooked bacon crumbles a minute before serving and stir just slightly to melt them into little puddles. 

9) Toast the buns then spoon over the mixture and top with additional bacon (if desired). 

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops with Brown Sugar

 

Ingredients 

Pork Chops: 

4-6 pork chops

1/2 lb. bacon

1/2 C brown sugar

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 tbsp. butter

Marinade: 

4 tbsp. honey dijon mustard

1 tbsp. worcheshire sauce

1 tbsp. bbq sauce (any flavor) 

3 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. dry basil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1) Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. 

2) Spread the marinade on your pork chops and then wrap each pork chop with bacon. 

3) Meanwhile, brown your garlic in the butter in a large pan. 

4) Once brown, place your pork chops in the pan. Coat one side with brown sugar and then turn over to coat the other side. 

5) Cook pork chops until they are golden brown and the bacon is crispy, about 15-20 minutes. 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

Sweet Sausage

 

Ingredients 

1 (16 oz) pkg. smoked sausage

1 1/2 C maple syrup

Directions

1) Cut sausage into 1 - inch rounds.

2) Place in a large skillet over medium heat and add the maple syrup. 

3) Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. 

4) Serve piping hot. 

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Serves: 4 

This would also make a great appetizer for a party you just need to double or triple the recipe.