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Lemon Basil Tortellini & Sausage

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Sauces made from scratch make a meal so homey and yummy it doesn’t even matter that you used store-bought tortellini for this dish. Lemon Basil Tortellini & Sausage is going to be on your weekly menu rotation, I just know it!

The light bright flavor of the lemon in this pasta dish is so yummy. Making sauces from scratch is so scary for some – but really it’s not that hard at all. You start with a simple roux of butter and flour. Add some chicken stock, and flavoring and you have a gorgeous silky sauce. Patience is key – it will look awful until the last moment when you produce this beautifully perfect sauce. I do have to say that having my trusty pasta bowls is what makes this dish so pretty – they have just enough spread to make the dish gorgeous without spreading out all over the plate!

Lemon Basil Tortellini Sausage with Sauce

It is very important that you make practice good knife skills and get your sauces and bell peppers roughly the same size. This allows them to cook at the same rate so that the pepper still have a bit of bite before the sausage dries out. I have spent hours working on my knife skills because it really does matter. You want to get things cut in a uniform size ever time to ensure that it cooks the same throughout. If you have a huge piece here and a tiny piece there someone is going to each an under cooked piece and someone else is going to eat an overcooked piece.

Yes! It’s okay to use Store-bought!

I usually use store bought frozen or refrigerated pastas – tortellini or ravioli – when it has been a long day – or I know it’s going to be a long day. A lot of people actually keep a package of it handy for last minute meal change. While meal planning is an absolute must and something I do every week, some days just get away from you and you need a Plan B. This dish is the perfect go-to back-up plan for those sorts of day.

Lemon Basil Tortellini & Sausage

A light, bright, easy dinner of tortellini and chicken sausage with a lemon basil sauce made from scratch

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword lemon, Pasta, pasta dishes, Sausage, tortellini

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Ingredients

2 lb Cheese Tortellini frozen or refrigerated
2 lb Chicken Sausage diced
1 Red Bell Pepper diced
1 Green Bell Pepper diced
½ Red Onion diced
2 tbsp Avocado Oil
1 tsp Basil

For Lemon Basil Sauce

4 tbsp Butter
4 tbsp Flour AP or Wheat
1 tsp Garlic Powder
2 cups Chicken Bone Broth
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Basil
½ cup Parmesan Cheese shredded, plus more for garnish
1 tbsp Parlsey for garnish

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Instructions

Prepare all of the ingredients. Start water boiling for tortellini
In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add oil and onions. Cook for 3 minutes then add basil, sausage and bell peppers. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then reduce heat to medium low and keep warm.
In a sauce pan over medium high heat, add butter and garlic powder. Let melt then add flour and whisk into paste. Cook for 2 minutes then whisk in chicken broth. Cook for 2 minutes then add lemon and basil. Let cook another 3 minutes and then add in cheese. Whisk until melted.
Add tortellini to water and cook as directed on package. Add lemon basil sauce to sausage and peppers and let simmer for cook time of the tortellini. Drain tortellini into colander.
In a pasta bowl, place a portion of tortellini in center. Ladle sauce & sausage mix over top and garnish with Parmesan cheese and parsley.

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!

Spicy Potato Corn Salad – perfect for a Steak Side!

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Almost every cook has a potato salad recipe that they know by heart and pull out for every picnic, BBQ and pot luck. If you have been following along with homemade on a Weeknight you know that I like to change it up from time to time and try some new flavors in old stand-byes. This time I’m adding some Cayenne and Corn to Greek Yogurt and Apple Cider Vinegar and calling it Spicy Potato Corn Salad!

The other night I wanted to just make some steaks on the grill – which doesn’t require all that much effort to prep. So I like to put a little more effort into the side dishes when the main is a snap. We all love potato salad but some times its just meh. So I started thinking of other salads that I really like to make and I remembered the Corn Salad I featured in the Side Dishes section of my cookbook Homemade on a Weeknight. I started to combine that recipe with my potato salad recipe and came up with this Potato Corn Salad.

The cayenne does give it a little kick but it’s so good! If you want to tone it down for the littles you can substitute the 1/4 tsp of cayenne for a 1 tsp of smoked paprika for a smokier flavor – would be great with some smoked pork butt – like pulled pork sandwiches!

I love using Greek Yogurt instead of mayo in dressings – you get the same creaminess without the calories and you get some probiotics for your happy belly too. I usually use 2% or 5% Fage – but you could use other varieties if you are more comfortable with them – just make sure it’s PLAIN. Had a friend try a recipe that called for Greek yogurt and then she was complaining it was so sweet – turns out she used Vanilla flavored not PLAIN!

Spicy Potato Corn Salad

This time I'm adding some Cayenne and Corn to Greek Yogurt and Apple Cider Vinegar and calling it Spicy Potato Corn Salad!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword bacon, corn, Corn Salad, potato, Potato Corn Salad, Potato Salad, Side Dish, side dish ideas

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Chill Time 20

Servings

Ingredients

1 lb Baby Red Potatoes quartered
1 Sweet Corn (15 oz can) drained
1 lb Bacon cut in ½-in pieces
1 bunch Scallions diced
½ cup Fresh Dill chopped
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
3 Garlic Cloves minced
2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
⅓ cup Sugar
1 tsp Salt
¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
6 oz Greek Yogurt plain

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Instructions

Prepare all of the ingredients. Start water boiling for potatoes
In a frying pan, add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove to a paper towel covered plate and let cool. Add potatoes to boiling water and cook for 15 minutes. Drain in colander and let cool 5 minutes.
In a serving bowl, combine bacon, yogurt, garlic, salt, cayenne, sugar, vinegar, dill, corn, scallions, and lemon juice. Once cooled, add potatoes, toss to coat and chill in fridge at least 20 minutes before serving,

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Sweet Pepper Nachos – KETO Friendly

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Sweet Pepper Nachos – all the flavor and hardly any carbs! It doesn’t get much better than that! Replacing Tortilla Chips with Sweet Bell Peppers is seriously the easiest away to have your Nachos and eat them too! Here is a step by step instruction on how to make them!

Step 1: Start by browning some ground turkey with 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, chili powder and cumin.

Step 2: Make the Black Bean and Corn mixture with one 15 oz can of black beans (drained), one 15 oz can of Sweet Corn (drained), 1/2 red onion diced, 8 grape tomatoes (quartered), and 2 tbsp lemon juice.

Step 3: Now comes the preparation of the the Sweet Bell Peppers. You first cut the top off. Then you cut in half so that you have the widest remaining pieces. Then you scrap the ribs and seeds out and then you have a good “chip” for the nachos.

Step 4: Build the Nachos. Place all the prepped sweet bell peppers on a baking sheet (oven should be preheated to 425deg). Put a portion of the cooked ground turkey on each bell pepper. Then a portion of the black bean & corn mixture. Then sprinkle cheese over all of it. Put it in the oven for 15 minutes

Step 5: Once the nachos are cooked, plate a portion. Then top with sour cream and pickled jalapeno, as desired.

This is seriously one of the easiest recipes you can make on a weeknight. It comes right out of my Homemade on a Weeknight Cookbook in the Healthier Fare section. My family absolutely loves this recipe – my son actually requested it for his birthday meal this year! If you want more healthier alternatives please check out my cookbook. It’s available in PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS on Amazon.

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Featured on Imparting Grace – Make-ahead Egg Bites

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How exciting! The Make-Ahead Egg Bites recipes was featured on the Grace at Home weekly post by Richella from Imparting Grace!

In case you missed this recipe – you are definitely going to want to check it out! These make-ahead egg bites are a perfect healthy alternative to sugary cereal in the mornings. You can make a whole batch of different mix-ins and have them ready in the freezer each morning! The post also has step by step instructions – WITH PICTURES!

Turkey Quesadilla Burger

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In case you haven’t noticed – I love to make burgers. But not typical burgers. I like to get a little wild and crazy with flavors and definitely support bun alternatives! Thus the birth of the Turkey Quesadilla Burger – which uses 2 quesadillas as a bun As quick side dish – I just made some french fries and seasoned them Cumin, Garlic Powder, Chili Powder and Salt (essentially taco seasoning).

My family had to make a considerable leap of faith when I presented them with this plate of food…but it was well received. What kid doesn’t love a quesadilla anyway, right? And it was surprisingly easy to eat – there was a little concern that it was going to be hard to keep together. But once you have the half in your hands, you are good to chow down. But a do suggest using something more than a toothpick – I used regular bamboo skewers that my husband cut in half for me.

You could maybe get fancy and make a jalapeno popper or bacon wrapped jalapeno on the grill while you are making the burger and layer that on the top of the quesadilla – that would be pretty!

If you wanted to take this burger all the way to the border you could nix the tomato, lettuce and onion and add on some fresh made salsa on top (you could use the Salsa recipe from my Salsa Chicken Video!) And then you could serve it up with some yummy Rice & Beans (I have a super easy recipe for that too – in my Homemade on a Weeknight Cookbook – available on Amazon in either Paperback or Kindle versions).

If you are looking for more burger recipes – check out my Caesar Salad Burger or my other collection of 10 Burger Ideas! I can’t wait to hear what you think of this latest creation. Comments are always welcome.

Now let’s get cookin’

Asparagus Mac & Cheese

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A great Homemade Mac & Cheese recipe is a must in every kitchen – IMO! And once you have a solid one, you can start to play around with what you add into it to make it more fun, fancy, or flavorful. This go around I am going to add in some asparagus and BACON! to make Asparagus Mac & Cheese a new favorite in your house.

The made-from-scratch sauce is a huge part of this meal – and it really is super simple. Making sauces from scratch is what Home Cookin’ is all about. If you can whisk – you can make this velvety sauce. And once you have the process down you can change it up with different cheeses, different seasoning and different flavors. Sometimes I add in some lemon juice to give it brighter flavor or I add in some paprika to give it a little kick.

You might be thinking – is this just a side dish? The answer is NO Asparagus Mac & Cheese is not meant to be a side dish – but it could be if you wanted. You could serve it with some baked chicken or grilled shrimp or maybe a pork tenderloin. But trust me when I say this recipe is enough to make a meal out of it. And every other week I try to do a ~mostly meatless~ option for dinner! I can’t get away with no meat at all with my houseful of carnivores, but bacon usually placates them. I usually put out a nice simple green salad (lettuce, cucumbers, cheese, tomatoes, croutons and dressing of choice).

If you like this recipe and want more like it you can purchase the Homemade on a Weeknight Cookbook in Paperback or Kindle (eBook) versions through Amazon to get over 100 more recipes developed by me!

Now Let’s Get Cookin’

Asparagus Mac & Cheese

Adding Asparagus and BACON to a delicious made from scratch cheese sauce makes this dinner a winner!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword asparagus, bacon, mac & cheese, Pasta, pasta dishes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Servings

Ingredients

1½ lb Short Pasta rotini, shells, elbows, penne
1 lb Asparagus cut in 2-in pieces
1 lb Bacon cut in 1/2-in pieces
3 tbsp Butter
3 tbsp Flour AP or Whole Wheat
2 cups Chicken Broth
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 cup Heavy Cream
1½ cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded
½ cup Parmesan Cheese shredded
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tbsp Parsley

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Instructions

Prepare all of the ingredients. Start water boiling for pasta
In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add bacon pieces. Cook until crispy and remove to a plate with a paper towel.
Add pasta to boiling water and cook as directed on the package. In the last 2 minutes of cook time add the asparagus to the boiling water. Drain in colander and rinse with cool water to arrest cooking process then return to pot.
While the past is cooking, in a separate saucepan over medium heat, add butter and garlic powder. Cook until butter is completely melted then whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth and cook for 3 minutes more. Whisk in heavy cream and cook 3 minutes more. Add salt and begin to add cheese by the handful, stirring regularly, until all is added. Then stir in parsley.
Pour sauce over cooked pasta and asparagus and combine well. Stir in half of cooked bacon. Serve in a pasta dish with a sprinkle of remaining bacon 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!

Make Ahead Egg Bites

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There are so many wonderful things about these Make Ahead Egg Bites. You can make lots of different kinds all at the same time. They travel very well, so you can make them the night before and eat them for breakfast on the way to school or work. You can also freeze them so they are great for making ahead for camping trips. And they are super – SUPER – easy to make!

I use this pan from Pampered Chef called the Brownie Bites Pan. It is so perfect for this recipe but also so much more. But if you don’t have this pan – don’t despair – you can use a regular cupcake/muffin pan.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400F. Start with a dozen eggs (mine are from my backyard chickens – you don’t have to use brown eggs, if you prefer white). Crack them all into a mixing bowl and whisk together. Add in 1 tsp Sea Salt and 1 tsp Black Pepper.

Step 2: Evenly divide the mixed eggs into the your Bites or Muffin pan. You want to be sure not fill each space more than half way – once you add the mix-ins it will be full.

Step 3: Pick your mix-ins. You can make the whole pan the same, or make every single bite different. I usually like to make 3 varieties (resulting in 4 each). You can really use just about anything. I try to do a cheese, a veggie and then either a meat or second veggie. For this batch I went with 1) Bacon Jalapeno Cheddar, 2) Swiss Onion Ham and 3) Mozzarella Spinach Sweet Pepper.

Step 4: Add a few pinches of each mix-in to each bite/muffin slot. Then use a fork to combine it a little.

Step 5: Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. You will be able to see which slots you over filled – but they will all be tasty I promise!

Step 6: Remove to a cooling rack. If eating right away – serve it up! If saving for the next day, let cool and then put in a storage container and into the fridge. You can reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds. If you are planning to freeze them for a later date, let them cool completely then place in a freezer bag. To reheat frozen ones, you need to microwave for 1 minutes.

My kids absolutely love these – especially since they can all have their “own kind”. I love that they are getting protein and veggies in! These are great for breakfast but also make an awesome afternoon snack too.

If you like this recipe – check back on the blog feed often or maybe just subscribe so you never miss a new post!

Creamy Red Enchiladas

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Every kitchen needs a great enchilada recipe. This one is mine! Creamy Red Enchiladas are so tasty and super versatile. You can make them with any type of filling – shredded chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or cheese. You can also get extra fancy with fillings like cream cheese with green chilies and shredded chicken or Greek yogurt with shredded beef and jalapenos.

The homemade sauce is the real star of this dish – and it’s really simple to make. Like I have said so many times – sauces from scratch are amazing and super easy! Stop reaching for the cans and jars and make your own sauces!

In our house, we rotate between enchiladas and tacos almost every week. When you make it that often you start to get creative. This recipe started as wanting to learn to make regular enchilada sauce from scratch. I always thought the stuff from a can has a “tinny” flavor to it so I didn’t want to use it often. One I had figured out how to make the regular red enchilada sauce (you can find that recipe in the cookbook too!), I started to play around with it and came up with this Creamy Red Sauce variation.

I usually pair these with a simple side of rice and beans (another recipe you can find in the cookbook!). But it also would be great with a Southwest style side salad to add some veggies to the mix. They also freeze nicely if you want to make this ahead of time (prepare as directed and let cool complete then wrap for freezing). And if you are lucky enough to have leftovers – they make excellent lunch the next day!

Creamy Red Enchiladas

If enchiladas are not already a staple on your family dinner table, you have been missing out. This recipe gives a great variation on the classic dish by adding a layer of creaminess to the homemade enchilada sauce. It is also super versatile because you can use any meat you like, or you can just fill your tortillas with cheese.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword creamy enchiladas, dinner, enchilada recipes, enchiladas

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Servings

Ingredients

1 15oz Tomato Sauce
1 qt Chicken Bone Broth
3 tbsp Avocado Oil
1 cup Sour Cream
3 Garlic Clove minced
½ White Onion minced
2 tsp Smoked Paprika
2 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Coarse Black Pepper
12-15 Tortillas (Flour or Corn) taco sized
1 lb Filling of Choice chicken, beef, pork or cheese
2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded

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Instructions

Prepare all of the ingredients. Preheat Oven to 375 deg
In a saucepan over medium high heat, add oil, onion, and garlic, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the Broth, and all the seasonings. Whisk together until all the oil is incorporated and let it cook for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and slowly whisk in the Tomato Sauce. Once a smooth sauce, let it come just to a bubble. Using a slotted spoon, remove any larger pieces of onion and garlic that did not break down. Then reduce heat to low and simmer while you prepare your enchiladas.
Fill each tortilla with desired meat and small amount of cheese (or all cheese) and line them up in a 13×9 baking dish.
Whisk in the sour cream into the red sauce. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes then pour over your pan of enchiladas. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of the sauce. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cook about 5 minutes before serving.

This recipe is from the Ethnic Adventures Section of the cookbook. You can purchase the Homemade on a Weeknight Cookbook in Paperback or Kindle (eBook) versions through Amazon to get all of the recipes from the Ethnic Adventures collection.

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

Chicken Burrito Bowls (video)

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This is what I call a “cheater dinner” because all you actually have to cook up is rice. I use a rotisserie chicken from my grocer’s deli to make this super quick meal of Chicken Burrito Bowls for my family. And by saying quick I am not exaggerating at all – the whole thing takes less than 20 minutes to be ready – it takes less than a minute to build each bowl (trust me I filmed it for this video!).

You can make burrito bowls a million different ways – you can use different proteins – like the Shrimp Burrito Bowl you will find in the Homemade on a Weeknight Cookbook (available in Paperback or Kindle versions). You can use different types of salsa – like the basic one in this video, or you could do mango or pineapple salsa. Or you can use Black Beans or Pinto Beans. Also you could add cheese or sour cream. You can add lettuce or not. I mean, really, you can do a lot when it comes to burrito bowls.

The basic premise of Chicken Burrito Bowls is that it has everything a burrito has without the tortilla. This video uses a basic salsa mixed with black beans and corn. A simple rice preparation using chicken broth instead of water (it gives it so much more flavor). And rotisserie chicken mixed with a few spices to give it more flavor.

Plating is huge part of this dish. You have to start with the right bowl – I, personally, love these super classic and just white bowls from Corelle. They are the perfect size and depth for all dishes that need to be plated in something more than a plate but not quite a full bowl.

What’s great about burrito bowls is they are a great carb cutting meal and you can totally customize them to each persons likes and dislikes. You will notice in the video that I made two without avocado for myself and my oldest son because we just don’t care for it. If you love to have you dinner all in one bowl – you should check out the Soups, Salads & Bowls section of the Homemade on a Weeknight Cookbook.

What do you like to put into your burrito bowls?

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!

Featured on Happy Now Blog

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So exciting to be one of the Host picks on the Happy Now Blog Link-up Party this week! Thank you so much Jen from JENerrally Informed for selecting my Caesar Salad Burger as you favorite recipe from the last week!

It is so exciting to get featured on other people’s blogs. Especially for something you are so proud of! I have been obsessed with burgers lately and loved this one so very much. I am actually working on a Burger Collection that I will post soon!

Here is the recipe card for the Caesar Burger in case you missed it!

Caesar Burger

Putting the classic flavors of Caesar Salad on a Bun

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword burger, dinner, hamburger, main dish

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Servings

Ingredients

For the Burger

2 lb Ground Beef
1 Egg beaten
3 Garlic Cloves minced
½ cup Parmesan Cheese shredded
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Coarse Black Pepper
6 Brioce Hamburger Buns
4 tbsp Butter
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Parsley

For the Salad

2 Romaine Hearts chopped
½ cup Parmesan Cheese Shredded
½ cup Caesar Dressing
1 tsp Coarse Black Pepper

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Instructions

Prepare all of the ingredients. Preheat Grill to 400deg. Preheat oven to 450deg
In a mixing bowl, combine ingredients for the burgers (beef, Parmesan, egg, garlic, salt and pepper). Then shape into patties roughly 3½ inches wide by ¾ inch tall.
Once the grill is heated up, put burgers on and cook for 8-10 minutes on each side. Remove from grill and let rest at least 5 minutes before building burgers.
While the burgers are grilling, place buns, face up, on a cookie sheet. Combine melted butter, garlic powder and parsley and brush on to buns. Put in oven for 8 minutes (or until golden toasted)
In a salad bowl, combine the ingredient for the salad and place in fridge until ready to build burgers.
To build the burger, simple take bottom bun, top with burger, then some of the Caesar salad and the top bun. Enjoy!

Notes

You can also pan fry the burgers if you don’t have a grill. Use a medium-high heat pan with about a tbsp of oil. Same cook time.

Yes! It’s okay to use Store-bought!

Lemon Basil Tortellini & Sausage

Ingredients

For Lemon Basil Sauce

Instructions

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Spicy Potato Corn Salad

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Asparagus Mac & Cheese

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Creamy Red Enchiladas

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Caesar Burger

Ingredients

For the Burger

For the Salad

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