Brats & Spuds Sheet Pan Dinner

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Sheet Pan dinners are an amazing way to cut down on dishes and make a great food. When you can put everything on the pan at once and pop it in the oven while you do other things around the house, it’s a win-win on a weeknight. This week I made Brats & Spuds Sheet Pan Dinner – and it turned out so so good.

Brats & Spuds Sheet Pan Dinner
Brats & Spuds Sheet Pan Dinner

If you can’t find fingerling potatoes – you can totally just use baby potatoes of any kind (red, golden, etc.). I like to use the multicolored fingerling potatoes because it’s just more fun. You can also change up the veggies – I love the combo of onions and peppers but you could add other things as well. I included mushrooms (mostly because I had some on hand and wanted to use them). You could add broccoli, zucchini, or squash too.

Brats & Spuds Sheet Pan Dinner

Sometimes when I make a dish, I decide at some point to tweak it or change it in some way. When I pulled the sheet pan out of the oven, I immediately thought – this needs a sauce of some sort. And the hubby immediately say it needs BEER CHEESE! So I decided to make a quick beer cheese sauce to go on top of the brats & spuds. I have added that recipe below.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Brats & Spuds Sheet Pan Dinner

Oven Baked brats and potatoes with some yummy veggies too!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword brats, potatoes, sheet pan dinner
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Marinade Time 30 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 12 Brats
  • 1 12 oz can Lager
  • 3 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 2 lbs Fingerling Potatoes
  • 1 Red Onion sliced
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper sliced
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper sliced
  • 5 Baby Bella Mushrooms sliced
  • 2 tbsp Avocado Oil
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Coarse Black Pepper
  • 1 tsp Parsley
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
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Instructions

  • Prepare all of the ingredients. Preheat oven to 425deg.
  • Add brats, garlic cloves and beer to bowl and let marinade for 30 minutes.
  • In a bowl, combine potatoes, half of oil, and seasonings. Toss to coat. Pour contents into a mostly single layer on a large baking sheet. Place in oven for 30 minutes (while brats are marinating).
  • In the same bowl, add remaining oil, onions, bell peppers and mushrooms. Toss to coat. After 30 minutes of baking, remove potatoes from oven and cover with veggie mixture.
  • Remove brats from beer, and add, evenly spaced, on top of potato & pepper mixture. Place in oven and cook for and additional 30 minutes.
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Beer Cheese Sauce

A quick and tasty cheese sauce that can be used in so many ways
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword beer cheese sauce, cheese, cheese sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp Butter
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 4 tbsp Flour
  • 12 oz Lager
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
  • 2 cups Cheddar cheese shredded
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Instructions

  • Prepare all of the ingredients.
  • In a sauce pan over medium heat, add butter and garlic powder. Once melted add flour and whisk together. Let cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Pour lager into pan while whisking. Cook for 3 minutes more (all foam should be gone). Whisk in heavy cream and cook another 3 minutes.
  • Add cheese, a handful at a time, until fully incorporated.

Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Don’t miss new recipes from Homemade on a Weeknight – subscribe and get an email with every new post!

Tortellini Soup #SlowCooker

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Soup Season is upon us! Soups are so dang easy to put together and can be very hearty and filling! I made this Tortellini Soup the other day hoping for leftovers, but no such luck. My teenage boys practically licked the pot clean! A simple collection of amazing flavors set in the slow cooker for several hours and voila – Tortellini Soup was created.

Tortellini Soup

The great thing about this recipe is that you can customize it a few different ways. You can use a spicier Italian sausage or a mild or even sweet red pepper sausage. You can use cheese tortellini or add some with different flavors – or even colors. I also love that you can use frozen tortellini (for those days when time gets away from you and you forgot to take it out of the freezer in the morning).

Tortellini Soup

Making dinner in the slow cooker can be a huge time saver. With all the distance learning and working from home, the day can get away from you and you are exhausted by dinner time. When you start a meal in the slow cooker, while you still have the energy, you only have to do a few things at the end and then serve it. Plus you get to smell the yumminess all day long and just know dinner will be fantastic. Remember that every size and shape of slow cooker is different, so you may need to adjust cooking times to suit your unit.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Tortellini Soup

Slow cooked all day to create a delicious, creamy, hearty bowl of warm soup.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword crockpot, hearty soup, Sausage, slow cooker, soup, soup recipes, tortellini
Prep Time 10 minutes
Slow Cooker 6 hours
Servings 6

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Chicken Sausage cut in ½ inch coins
  • 4 Garlic Cloves minced
  • ½ White Onion minced
  • 1 28oz can Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1 15oz can Diced Tomatoes
  • 1 qt Chicken Broth
  • 1½ tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1 tsp Fennel Seed
  • 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1½ lb Tortellini fresh or frozen
  • 2 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese grated
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Instructions

  • Prepare all of the ingredients.
  • Add sausage, onion, garlic, tomatoes, chicken broth and seasoning to slow cooker and stir together. Cover with lid and cook for 5½ hours on low.
  • Remove lid and stir in heavy cream until full incorporated. Then do same with Parmesan Cheese. Last add tortellini and stir. Replace lid and let cook another 30 minutes.

Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Don’t miss new recipes from Homemade on a Weeknight – subscribe and get an email with every new post!

Breakfast Dinner Casserole

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Every so often I just really want to have breakfast for dinner. Sometimes it’s a craving, sometimes it’s because I have an abundance of eggs from my backyard chickens! Whatever the reason, it’s always a win in my house. This casserole is a meat lovers dream – full of sausage, ham and bacon! – and pretty easy to make. Scroll down for my version of Breakfast Dinner Casserole.

Breakfast Dinner Casserole

You can play around with this casserole – use different meats, add some veggies (spinach or broccoli would be yum!). You can also use frozen hashbrowns instead of shredding potatoes if you want. Also – you could use shredded zucchini to make it a little more Keto-Friendly.

Breakfast Dinner Casserole

A couple of kiddos added a dollop of sour cream on top, while my husband added Tabasco. You could serve this with a side of toast (like I did) or english muffins to add to the breakfast diner feel. PS. I like to melt the butter in the microwave and brush it on the toasted bread instead of putting a pat of butter on it. This uses less butter and gets better coverage too! My oldest boy says it would be really yummy with some country gravy on top too! The possibilities really are endless with this one!

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Breakfast Dinner Casserole

Sometimes Breakfast is what you want for Dinner – full of meat and cheese and potatoes!
Course Breakfast, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword bacon, breakfast, casseroles, egg, egg recipes, Ham, potato
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Bacon cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 1 lb Ham diced
  • 1 lb Ground Sausage
  • 2 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 1 lb Potatoes shredded
  • 2 tbsp Avocado Oil
  • 2 cups Sharp Cheddar shredded
  • 12 Eggs beaten
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 tsp Sea Salt
  • 1 tsp Coarse Black Pepper
  • 1 tsp Minced Dried Onion
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Parsley
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Instructions

  • Prepare all of the ingredients. Preheat oven to 400deg.
  • In a 13×9 baking dish (coated with cooking spray), put potatoes in a single layer on bottom and drizzle with oil. Put in oven for 15 minutes.
  • In a frying pan over medium-high, add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove to a paper towel covered plate.
  • In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add ground sausage and garlic cloves. Cook until completely crumbled and no pink.
  • In a bowl, combine eggs, heavy cream, salt, pepper, minced onion and paprika.
  • Remove baking dish from oven and top with ham, half of bacon, sausage mix, and half of cheese. Pour egg mixture over top. Place in oven and cook for 20 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and top with remaining bacon, remaining cheese and sprinkle with parsley. Return to oven for 15 minutes.

Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Don’t miss new recipes from Homemade on a Weeknight – subscribe and get an email with every new post!

Beef Broccoli #Slowcooker

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Slow cookers make it so easy to create a super flavorful meal without having to stand over it for a long time. You can also use tougher or less tender cuts of meat and still have it come out soft in the end. Beef Broccoli is a fairly simple but super delicious meal that your whole family

Beef Broccoli

You could serve the Beef Broccoli with some sticky rice (1 part rice 2 parts liquid, I usually use chicken broth) or you could make some Garlic Noodles to go with it. The garlic noodle recipe is from my cookbook – Homemade on a Weeknight. You can see the recipe below the Beef Broccoli Recipe in this post. When you add the broccoli and cornstarch to the slow cooker, it’s a good time to start your side dish.

Beef Broccoli

The cornstarch trick can be used on just about anything from the slow cooker. If you want to thicken up a soup, stew or just the sauce to be served with the meats, you can use this tip. The key is to take the hot liquid from the slow cooker (try to minimize how much solids you get in, like the onions) whisk in some cornstarch, letting it barely thicken and then return it to pot. Once you combine it all together, return the lid and let it cook another 20-30 minutes so that is thickens the whole pot.

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Beef Broccoli

Come home to delicious and flavorful Beef Broccoli out of the slow cooker!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Chinese
Keyword beef, broccoli, slow cooker
Prep Time 10 minutes
Slow Cooker 8 hours

Ingredients

  • 2 lb Chuck Steak cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3 cup Beef Broth
  • ½ cup Coco Aminos
  • 4 Garlic Cloves minced
  • ½ White Onion diced
  • ¼ cup Oyster Sauce
  • ¼ cup Brown Sugar
  • 3 cups Broccoli Florets
  • 3 tbsp Corn Starch
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Instructions

  • Prepare all of the ingredients.
  • Add all ingredients – EXCEPT broccoli and cornstarch – to the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cook on low for 8 hours.
  • In the last 30 minutes of cooking time, remove ½ cup of liquid and combine with corn starch. Return liquid to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Add broccoli and stir together. Replace lid and cook for remaining cooking time.
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Garlic Noodles

A simple side dish that works with so many different cuts of meat.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Keyword Garlic, noodles, pasta side dish, Side Dish
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Spaghetti Noodles linguini works too
  • 3 Garlic Cloves minced
  • ¼ cup Coco Aminos
  • 1 tsp Fish Sauce
  • 1 tsp Oyster Sauce
  • 1 tsp Ginger Powder
  • 3 Scallions sliced
  • 1 tsp White Sesame Seeds
  • 1 tbsp Avocado Oil
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Instructions

  • Prepare all of the ingredients. Start water boiling for the pasta.
  • In a small bowl, combine garlic, coco aminos, fish sauce, oyster sauce and ginger powder
  • Add pasta to boiling water. Cook as directed on the package. Drain in colander and rinse with cool water to arrest cooking process.
  • In a large saute pan or wok over medium-high heat, add oil. Add noodles to oil and toss too coat with oil. Stir in noodle sauce and continue to cook for 5 minutes, while tossing frequently with tongs. Add green onions and sesame seeds and cook a minute longer.

Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Don’t miss new recipes from Homemade on a Weeknight – subscribe and get an email with every new post!

Layered Pizza Casserole #ketofriendly

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I am the worst KETO diet person on the planet – I can’t stick to it like the die-hards (who I literally applaud regularly). But I do try to stick to the principles of keto – very low carb, good fats and lots of protein. And for the most part my family is okay with eating keto. So when I say pizza night is gonna be a little different this week – they weren’t too concerned. When I order pizza for the family, I usually take a slice and scrap everything off the top – leaving the crust behind – and eat the meats, sauce, cheese and veggies. That is basically what I created in this casserole. I present to you Layered Pizza Casserole!

Layered Pizza Casserole

I made this like a typical “Supreme” style pizza – but you could put in any of your favorite toppings. I’m the only one in my family that likes mushrooms – so I omitted them from this recipe. Most of my family likes olives so I put olives on half of the baking pan. You could also add bacon, ham or salami and make it a meat lovers. Or maybe go all veggies (which would make it less keto, but still yummy).

Layered Pizza Casserole

This meal was enough for us on its own, but you could totally serve it up with a nice green salad or maybe a caesar salad. If someone in your brood really needs the bread – I suggest making some breadsticks and then they can use them to scoop up the yumminess of this casserole.

If you are looking for more keto friendly dishes – check out my other Keto Recipes.

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Layered Pizza Casserole

All the yummy goodness of a slice of supreme pizza without the carbs of the crust
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword casseroles, pizza
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 5 oz Pepperoni Slices I used turkey
  • 1 lb Italian Sausage
  • 2 cup Mozzarella Cheese shredded
  • 2 cups Cheddar Cheese shredded
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper diced
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper diced
  • ½ White Onion diced
  • 1 8oz can Olives sliced (optional)
  • 1 tsp Parsley

For the Sauce

  • 1 28oz can Crushed Tomatoes
  • 2 15oz cans Tomato Puree
  • 3 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 1 tsp Basil
  • 1 tsp Oregano
  • 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Coarse Black Pepper
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Instructions

  • Prepare all of the ingredients. Preheat oven to 425deg.
  • In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add Italian sausage. Cook until you see no more pink and remove sausage from pan. Add bell peppers and onions and cook for 4-5 minutes.
  • In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the sauce.
  • In a 13×9 baking dish create the layers of the casserole as follows: ½ of sauce mixture, ½ of sausage, ½ of veggies, ½ of cheese, ½ of pepperoni, ½ of sauce mixture, remaining sausage, remaining veggies, remaining cheese, remaining pepperoni. Sprinkle top with parsley
  • Bake in oven for 20 minutes.

Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Taco Stuffed Shells #TacoTuesday

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While I absolutely love a good Taco for #TacoTuesday – sometimes I want to have something different. I have really been loving coming up with different types of stuffed shells so I went with Taco Stuffed Shells this week – and it was a total win!

Taco Stuffed Shells

This is a really simple dish to put together. And one of my kids pointed out that they kinda look like little tacos! The salsa is so super easy to throw together and the sour cream sauce was a must. Both would be very good on any type of taco you are making. My big guys ate 6 shells each – while me and the younger kids only had 3. They are pretty filling and so so yummy!

Taco Stuffed Shells

There are also a ton of variations you could make on this recipe – you could use diced jalapenos instead of the green chilies in the meat to make it more spicy. You could use ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef. Using a Mexican Cheese blend would also change it up some. Just like with any tacos – its all about the different combinations.

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Taco Stuffed Shells

Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican
Keyword beef, ground beef, Pasta, stuffed shells, taco, tacos
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Jumbo Shells
  • 2 lb Ground Beef
  • 1 tsp Chili Powder
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 1 tbsp Avocado Oil
  • ½ White Onion diced
  • 1 4oz can Green Chilies diced
  • 3 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 3 cups Cheddar Cheese shredded
  • ½ cup Taco Sauce
  • 1 cup Sour Cream

For Salsa

  • 2 Roma tomatoes diced
  • 1 Jalapeno diced
  • 3 Garlic Cloves minced
  • ½ White Onion diced
  • 1 cup Cilantro diced
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 3 tbsp Lime Juice
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Instructions

  • Prepare all of the ingredients. Preheat oven to 400deg. Start water boiling for pasta.
  • In a bowl, combine all ingredients for the Salsa. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
  • In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add oil, garlic and onions. Cook for 3 minutes then add green chilies, cumin, chili powder and ground beef. Cook until no longer pink (8-10 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in half of cheese.
  • Add shells to water once it in boiling. Cook as directed on the package. Drain in colander and rinse with cool water to arrest cooking process.
  • Being filling each shell with a portion of the ground beef mixture and lining them up in a 13×9 baking dish (coat bottom with cooking spray). Once all shells are full, cover with remaining cheese and place in oven for 20 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, combine sour cream and taco sauce.
  • Serve shells with a drizzle of sour cream mixture and a spoonful of salsa on top.

Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Don’t miss new recipes from Homemade on a Weeknight – subscribe and get an email with every new post!

Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken #Slowcooker

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Winner winner chicken dinner! Yummy chicken so packed full of garlicy, lemony good flavors – you are gonna love it. And using the slow cooker makes is so quick and easy to make – check out my latest recipe – Lemon Butter Garlic Chicken.

Lemon Butter Garlic Chicken

I have always loved slow cooker meals – you can make them ahead of time, they are always so flavorful, and you pretty much spend 10 minutes actually cooking the whole time. Not to mention that you get to smells the deliciousness of what will be dinner for the better part of the day!

Every slow cooker is different – you might have a round one or an oval one, some are short and fat and others are tall and skinny. So you should always be mindful of how your brand works. In general, the depth of liquid in the crock is going to be the key to success. You always want your meats submerged but not drowning. So adjust the amount of broth or water you are adding accordingly. If you have a new (to you) slow cooker, keep an eye on it throughout the day to monitor the liquid level.

Lemon Butter Garlic Chicken

This recipe for Lemon Butter Garlic Chicken can go with a variety of side dishes. I just made regular rice with it (3 cups rice, 6 cups chicken broth, lid on and cook for 18 minutes). You could make a simple buttered noodle also (cook pasta as directed then toss with 1/2 stick off butter). Or maybe even Whipped Cauliflower or mashed potatoes. The gravy that comes out of the slow cooker is so super yummy and will enhance any of these side items for sure.

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Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken

Yummy Chicken so packed full of garlicy, lemony good flavors – you are gonna love it!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Chicken, Chicken Dishes, Garlic, lemon, slow cooker
Prep Time 10 minutes
Slow Cooker Time 7 hours
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 8-10 Chicken Thighs boneless, skinless
  • 5 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 1 Yellow Onion diced
  • 1 Lemon zest & juice
  • 2 sticks Butter cut in tablespoon pieces
  • 1 tsp Basil
  • 1 tsp Parsley plus more for garnish
  • 1 tsp Oregano
  • 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 tsp Coarse Black Pepper
  • 2 cups Chicken Broth
  • 2 tbsp Corn Starch
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Instructions

  • Prepare all of the ingredients.
  • Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker, in a single layer. Sprinkle with garlic and onions. Combine all remaining ingredients – EXCEPT cornstarch – and pour over top. Place lid on slow cooker and cook for 7 hours on low.
  • In the last 30 minutes of cooking, remove ½ cup of liquid from slow cooker and whisk in corn starch. Return liquid to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Replace lid and continue to cook for remainder of cook time.
  • Serve with a drizzle of "pan gravy" over top of chicken and garnish with lemon slice and/or parsley if desired.

Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Don’t miss new recipes from Homemade on a Weeknight – subscribe and get an email with every new post!

National Nacho Day! 5 Different Nacho Styles – with Recipes!

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Nachos are one of those types of foods that can actually be so many many different things. From the melted “questionable” cheese to the overflowing mountain of meats, veggies and cheese that you get from a pub or brewery. To celebrate National Nacho Day – I have pulled together 5 Different Nacho Styles that are anything but typical!

5 Nacho Recipes

Greek Pita Nachos – (full recipe here!) – All the flavors of a Greek Pita on a plate of nachos. Pita Chips with a mountain of ground turkey, tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, tzatziki sauce, and of course, feta cheese.

Greek Pita Nachos

Sweet Pepper Nachos – (full recipe here!) – If you need a low-carb, healthier nacho, these are for you. For these you don’t use chips at all, but rather sweet peppers cut into chips. Then a mixture of ground turkey, black beans and corn make for a tasty treat that everyone is going to fall in love with.

Sweet Pepper Nachos

Brew House Nachos – (full recipe here!) – This plate of nachos is probably the most decedent on the list. No one would accuse these of being health food at all. But they are so dang tasty. BBQ Chips pilled high with a creamy bleu cheese sauce, steak, jalapenos, bacon and cheddar cheese, you are going to need a nap after!

Brew House Nachos

Irish Nachos – (full recipe here!) – Potato Wedges are the star of this plate – but the BACON is a close second. Or maybe it’s the creamy cheddar cheese sauce? Who am I kidding, these are so dang good and pretty simple to make too!

Irish Nachos

Fiesta Nachos – (full recipe here!) – Don’t worry I didn’t forget about the traditional nachos on this list. These start with your usual corn tortilla chips and topped with ground beef, fresh salsa, pinto beans, pickled jalapenos, sour cream, cheese, and taco sauce!!

Fiesta Nachos

I hope that you have enjoyed this collection of 5 Different Nacho Styles and that you will add them to your weekly meal rotations!

Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

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Sometimes you just need a really fast, super simple dinner for a busy weeknight. Lemon Ricotta Pasta is the perfect go to! You are going to be so shocked with how simple it is to make this dish – you don’t even have to cook the sauce! If you can boil water – you can make this pasta dish! And the addition of the chicken and bacon makes it a hearty dish for any weeknight meal.

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Ricotta is a totally underappreciated cheese – in my opinion. It is so versatile – you can use it in sweet and savory creations and you can have it take on so many different flavor profiles. For this dish, adding the lemon brings an amazing level of brightness to the dish. The lemon really helps to bring out the great flavors of the chicken and bacon.

If you wanted to make this as a side dish or a vegetarian dish, you could omit the chicken and bacon. And I would probably increase the amount of spinach used, just give it a little more substance.

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Lemon Ricotta Pasta

So fast, so easy and so full of flavor – lemony, creamy, chickeny, bacony pasta
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword Chicken, Chicken Dishes, lemon, Pasta, pasta dishes, ricotta
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 1½ lb Chicken Breast
  • ½ lb Bacon cut in ½-inch pieces
  • 1 qt Chicken Broth
  • 1½ lb Long Pasta spaghetti, linguine, etc.
  • 2 cups Ricotta
  • 1½ cups Baby Spinach rough chopped
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese grated
  • 2 Lemons zest & juice
  • 3 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Coarse Black Pepper
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Instructions

  • Prepare all of the ingredients. Start water to boil for Pasta
  • In a pot over medium-high heat, add chicken broth and chicken. Let boil for 15 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and chop into bit-sized pieces.
  • In a frying pan over medium high heat, add bacon. Cook until crispy and remove to paper towel covered plate.
  • Add pasta to water and cook as directed on package. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add spinach to the pot. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain in colander and rinse with cool water to arrest cooking process. Return to pot (away from heat).
  • In a bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan, garlic, lemon zest & juice, salt and pepper. Add to pasta, along with chicken and reserved pasta water, and toss to until well coated. Garnish with bacon and additional parmesan cheese if desired.

Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Don’t miss new recipes from Homemade on a Weeknight – subscribe and get an email with every new post!

Ginger Pork Meatballs w/ Veggie Noodles

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I love to use all different kinds of ground meat to make meatball dishes. This one has a Thai inspired flavor profile. It brings in lots of ginger and jalapeno spiciness without overwhelming. And the veggie-packed noodles will make sure your family is getting their daily count. Try Ginger Pork Meatballs w/ Veggie Noodles for dinner tonight!

Ginger Pork Meatballs w Veggie Noodles

This recipe does have a sort of long list of ingredients, but trust me it’s all worth it. If you want to save some time – or if you don’t have some of the ingredients for the sauce – you can also just use your favorite Sesame Ginger Dressing. You will use basically a whole bottle (split in half for the meatballs and noodles). You can also use this sauce for lots of other things – it makes a great dipping sauce for wontons, eggrolls, and spring rolls.

Ginger Pork Meatballs w Veggie Noodles

You could also add more or different veggies to the noodles. I like to use veggies that don’t need to be cooked to be tasty – they give the dish a great crunch. Just be sure to cut them into thin matchstick-sized pieces so that they don’t overpower the noodles (making it almost a salad). Some other veggies I would suggest are red or green cabbage, bean sprouts, cucumbers, radishes or diakon.

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Ginger Pork Meatballs w/ Veggie Noodles

Tender meatballs served over delicious veggie packed noodles.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Asian, thai
Keyword ginger, meatballs, noodles, pork, thai
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Cilantro chopped – for garnish
  • 2 tbsp Sesame Seeds for garnish

For the Meatballs

  • 2 lb Ground Pork
  • 1 Egg beaten
  • 1 Jalapeno finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Ginger grated
  • 2 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp Lime Juice
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ½ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp Fish Sauce
  • 1 tsp Coco Aminos

For the Noodles

  • 1½ lb Linguine
  • ½ Red Onion halved and sliced
  • ½ Carrots matchsticks
  • 5 Sweet Bell Peppers matchsticks

For the Sauce

  • ½ cup Coco Aminos
  • ½ cup Avocado Oil
  • ⅓ cup Sriracha
  • ¼ cup Honey
  • 1 tbsp Fish Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Ginger grated
  • 1 tbsp Lime Juice
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Instructions

  • Prepare all of the ingredients. Preheat oven to 400 deg. Start water boiling for noodles.
  • In a bowl, combine ingredients for sauce. Put in refrigerator until ready to serve.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine ingredients for meatballs. Form into 1 inch meatballs and line up on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Place in oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately place in a bowl with half of the sauce. Toss until well coated.
  • Add noodles to boiling water. Cook as directed on package. Drain in colander and rinse with cool water to arrest cooking process. Return to pot and add in onions, sweet peppers, carrots and remainder of sauce. Toss until well coated.
  • In a shallow bowl, place a portion of Veggie Noodles. Then line up 4-6 meatballs on one edge of the plate, drizzle extra sauce over top. Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds.

Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

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