Crispy Cheesy Chicken Tacos

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Tacos are a weekly thing for our home, maybe not always on Tuesdays, but almost always every week. As I have said before, tacos are so fun. Like burgers or pizza – you can do some any things with them, by changing up the proteins, veggies, sauces and vessels (pasta, dough, bread, tortillas). These tacos are a favorite of mine, despite the little bit of extra work. Don’t get me wrong – they are not difficult to make, just a little more time consuming. Crispy Cheesy Chicken Tacos are going to be a hit on your #TacoTuesday Table.

This recipe was featured on Instructables.com and you can see step-by-step visual instructions, check it out – Crispy Cheesy Chicken Tacos on Instructables.

Crispy Cheesy Chicken Tacos

I used chicken, because it’s easy, to be honest. The prep of the chicken is simple and requires minimal effort. You could totally beef or pork. These would especially work for leftover carne asada or chili verde. The real key is adding in the cheese and then frying up the taco, to get the shell crispy and cheesy.

The process of frying these is not difficult, but requires attention. You will need to make sure that you hold the tortillas into shape with a pair of tongs. The tortillas are going to start to puff up once they get hot, which will force the taco to open up. So just make sure that you hold it. Some people with make two at a time, but as many times as I have cooked fried tacos, I found it is faster to go one at a time.

Crispy Cheesy Chicken Tacos

You could go traditional side dishes and do a beans and rice. For this particular dinner, I decided to make a Mexican Corn Casserole that was so tasty. It’s fairly easy, which makes it a great accompaniment, as they don’t require attention once they are in the oven. I also added a dollop of sour cream with Sriracha and cilantro for dipping.

Crispy Cheesy Chicken Tacos

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Crispy Cheesy Chicken Tacos

A delicious and simple chicken taco full of cheesy goodness all in a crispy shell
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican, Tex-Mex
Keyword cheese, chicken tacos, taco, tacos, tortilla
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Chicken Thighs boneless, skinless
  • 1 qt Chicken Broth
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Chili Powder
  • 18 Fajita-Sized Tortillas
  • 3 cups Cheddar Cheese shredded
  • Frying Oil enough for 1 inch deep in pan
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Instructions

  • In a sauce pan over medium-high heat, add chicken, chicken broth, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder. Let cook for 20 minutes.
  • Add oil to frying pan over medium-high heat.
  • Remove chicken from sauce pan and cut into bite-sized pieces.
  • Place a portion of chicken and cheese in center of tortilla and fold over, pressing down to help it keep its shape. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
    Note: it's best to prep all of the tacos before you start frying. The frying process happens quickly and it's best to have them all ready.
  • Once the oil is hot enough, begin frying the tacos. Start by holding the tortilla with tongs from the top center, so that the bottom fold in free. Start by holding the tortilla in the hot oil for 15 seconds so the shape is created. Then lay flat on each side, cooking for 20 seconds each. Remove to a paper towel lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tacos.
    Note: you will want to skim off the collected cheese from the oil every 6 tacos or so.
  • Serve with your favorite taco toppings.

Estelle Forrest’s self-published first cookbook – Homemade on a Weeknight: A Family Cookbook – was created after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Estelle self-published a second cookbook – Burgers on a Weeknight – recently. It has over 60 delicious burger creations! 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!

Classic Chicken & Rice

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There really isn’t anything more Comfort Food than Classic Chicken & Rice, especially if you make Homemade Cream of Chicken to go with it! My family has been eating a version of this since my teenager first started solid foods. This particular recipe is slightly elevated with a little more seasoning and finesse involved, but still gives you the feel of classic comfort food!

Classic Chicken & Rice

Back when my kids were younger, this was a quick meal that I could make and everyone would gobble up. I would empty 2-3 cans of cream of chicken into a sauce pan and put the chicken directly into the cream of chicken. Let it cook for about 40 minutes and then serve it over long grain white rice. To give this a slightly more grown up feel, I decided to first make the cream of chicken myself and second, bake the chicken with some extra seasonings so that it got a better depth of flavor.

Classic Chicken & Rice

Honestly, the only issue that my family had with this recipe was that I didn’t make enough of it! Which just goes to show that sometimes its the simplest recipes that really can make an impact on your family’s food memories.

Classic Chicken & Rice

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Classic Chicken & Rice

A simple but flavorful classic comfort food elevated just a little bit!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword baked chicken, Chicken, cream of chicken, rice
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Homemade Cream of Chicken see recipe below
  • 3 cups Long Grain Rice
  • 1½ qt Chicken Broth

For the Chicken

  • 6 Chicken Thighs bone-in, skin removed
  • 6 Chicken Drumsticks bone-in, skin removed
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Parsley plus more for garnish
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Pepper
  • Cooking Spray
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Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 375degF.
  • Sprinkle both sides of chicken with seasonings. Place baking rack on a parchment paper covered baking sheet and spray it with cooking oil. Place chicken on rack and place in oven for 25 minutes.
  • Flip each piece of chicken and return to oven for 20 minutes more.
  • In a saucepan over medium heat, add rice and chicken broth. Cover with lid and let cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, but do not remove lid until ready to serve.
  • In a separate sauce pan, make Homemade Cream of Chicken using recipe below.
  • In a shallow bowl, add portion of rice, place 1-2 pieces of chicken to one side and ladle cream of chicken over the top. Sprinkle with extra parsley.
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Homemade Cream of Chicken

Delicious and velvety homemade cream of chicken that can replace the can with ease
Course Sauce, Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword cream of chicken, soup
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 3 cups

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp Butter
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 4 tbsp Flour
  • 2 cups Chicken Broth
  • 1 tsp Poultry Seasoning
  • 1 tsp Celery Salt
  • 1 tsp White Pepper
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
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Instructions

  • In a sauce pan over medium heat, add butter and garlic powder. Once melted, whisk in flour, let cook for 2 minutes.
  • Whisk in chicken broth and let cook for 2 minutes. Then whisk in poultry seasonings, celery salt, white pepper, and salt.
  • Whisk in heavy cream and let cook for 2 minutes more. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Use as a replacement for any recipe that calls for canned cream of chicken.

Estelle Forrest’s self-published first cookbook – Homemade on a Weeknight: A Family Cookbook – was created after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Estelle self-published a second cookbook – Burgers on a Weeknight – recently. It has over 60 delicious burger creations! 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!

Quick Asparagus Fries

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Need a quick side dish for you family holiday meal? This is so easy to make but so tasty. Quick Asparagus Fries have just enough crunch to give you the feel of fries but you are really eating your veggies. This would make a beautiful and different addition to your holiday table too. You can make these any day with a burger as well.

Quick Asparagus Fries

I always cut the bottom 3/4 inch of my asparagus before preparing it. You know that sort of dried out bit that’s stringy. And for this recipe I then cut the remaining in half so that you essentially get two fries out of each asparagus stalk. My family gobbled these up real quick, so you might want to double this recipe if you are trying to feed crowd.

Quick Asparagus Fries

I served this with a Spicy Pig burger (recipe from my Burgers on a Weeknight cookbook) and it was the perfect balance. And no one even missed regular fries. In fact there was a little bit of a kerfuffle over the last few on the baking sheet.

Quick Asparagus Fries

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Quick Asparagus Fries

A simple but delicious side dish of crispy asparagus with almost no prep!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword asparagus, panko
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 2 lb Asparagus ends cut, cut into half
  • 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
  • 2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ¼ cup Avocado Oil
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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400degF.
  • In one bowl, combine panko bread crumbs, garlic powder and salt. In another bowl add avocado oil and asparagus.
  • Toss asparagus until fulling coated by oil. Then transfer to panko boil. Toss to coat.
  • Lay asparagus out in a single layer on to a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.

Estelle Forrest’s self-published first cookbook – Homemade on a Weeknight: A Family Cookbook – was created after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Estelle self-published a second cookbook – Burgers on a Weeknight – recently. It has over 60 delicious burger creations! 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!

Homemade Cream of Chicken

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About 4 years ago I made a huge effort to get away from using canned and boxed foods. Our family wanted to eat healthier and wanted to get away from the unnecessary additives and preservatives. We started reading labels and learning what to look for. By no means are we super health nuts, we just try to be conscious of what we are putting into our meals. Which means we stopped using canned cream soups in recipes. But I recently had a rather fervent request from my youngest to make what we call Chicken & Rice. Which is essentially just chicken cooked in cream of chicken and served over rice. So I decided to make Homemade Cream of Chicken.

For step by step photos of this recipe – check it out on Instructables – Homemade Cream of Chicken.

Homemade Cream of Chicken

It was much easier than I thought it would be, although I have no idea why I thought it would be hard. I just wish I had made a go of it sooner so that we could have been enjoying this whole time! I used white pepper instead of black pepper purely for aesthetic reasons, because I didn’t want black specs. You can absolutely use black pepper if you don’t have white pepper on hand (I always have it because I use it in my mashed potatoes for the same reason). Some people push this through a sieve with very fine holes, to remove all of the seasonings. This makes it look closer to what you get out of the can, but it doesn’t make sense to me to remove the flavors.

Homemade Cream of Chicken

As I mentioned above, I made this so that I could make a family favorite of Classic Chicken & Rice. Back when my kids were younger, this was a quick meal that I could make and everyone would gobble up. I would empty 2-3 cans of cream of chicken into a sauce pan and put the chicken directly into the cream of chicken. Let it cook for about 40 minutes and then serve it over long grain white rice. Since I made the cream of chicken, I decided to make the chicken a little more and back it in the oven with some more seasoning. It was so so good in the end.

Classic Chicken & Rice

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Homemade Cream of Chicken

Delicious and velvety homemade cream of chicken that can replace the can with ease
Course Sauce, Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword cream of chicken, soup
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 3 cups

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp Butter
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 4 tbsp Flour
  • 2 cups Chicken Broth
  • 1 tsp Poultry Seasoning
  • 1 tsp Celery Salt
  • 1 tsp White Pepper
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
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Instructions

  • In a sauce pan over medium heat, add butter and garlic powder. Once melted, whisk in flour, let cook for 2 minutes.
  • Whisk in chicken broth and let cook for 2 minutes. Then whisk in poultry seasonings, celery salt, white pepper, and salt.
  • Whisk in heavy cream and let cook for 2 minutes more. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Use as a replacement for any recipe that calls for canned cream of chicken.

Estelle Forrest’s self-published first cookbook – Homemade on a Weeknight: A Family Cookbook – was created after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Estelle self-published a second cookbook – Burgers on a Weeknight – recently. It has over 60 delicious burger creations! 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!

Baked Pizza Pasta

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Pasta casseroles are perfect for weeknight meals. You just put the ingredients, with minimal prep, into a big pan and let the oven do the real work. This Baked Pizza Pasta takes all the flavors of a supreme pizza baked with a simple red sauce and mixes it with pasta and cheese. What’s not to love about that?

Baked Pizza Pasta

I went with pepperoni, sausage, bell peppers and onions, which is sort of the basic supreme pizza. You could certainly add other traditional pizza toppings like mushrooms, olives, or ham. The red sauce is very simple but full of flavor. The reason for the beef broth is to finish cooking the pasta. Pasta needs to absorb liquid to rehydrate. Tomato sauce alone doesn’t work as well, so you can end up with some undercooked pasta.

Baked Pizza Pasta

If you don’t have an aluminum pan to use (I buy a 5 pack every month for dishes like this), you could divide it into to two baking dishes. Probably one 13×9 and one 9×9 or 8×8. This is also a freezable dish. If you want to make it ahead and put it in the freezer for later, only bake it for 30 minutes than let it cool. Wrap it in plastic wrap and them aluminum foil. To reheat it, remove the plastic wrap and bake it for 45 minutes, if frozen, or 30 minutes, if thawed.

Baked Pizza Pasta

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Baked Pizza Pasta

The delicious flavors of a supreme pizza in a pasta casserole
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 6

Equipment

  • 1 20x12x2 baking pan

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Italian Sausage
  • 1½ lb Short Pasta elbows, shells, rotini
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper diced
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper diced
  • ½ Red Onion diced
  • 4 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 1 28oz can Tomato Puree
  • 1 15oz can Crushed Tomatoes
  • 2 cups Beef Broth or vegetable
  • ½ cup Parmesan Cheese shredded
  • 3 tsp Italian Seasoning divided, see recipe below
  • 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 tsp Fennel Seed
  • 6 oz Pepperoni Slices divided
  • 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese shredded
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Instructions

  • Start water boiling for pasta. Preheat oven to 400Fdeg.
  • In a frying pan over medium heat, add sausage and cook for 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove from heat and cut in half then slice each link.
  • Add pasta to boiling water and cook for half of cooking time listed on packages. Drain in colander.
  • In a 20x12x2 aluminum tray, add bell pepper, garlic, onion, crushed tomatoes, tomato, puree, broth, red pepper flakes, fennel seed, half of Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese. Cut half of pepperoni into quarters and add to tray. Stir to combine.
  • Stir in pasta and cover with 1½ cup mozzarella cheese and remaining Italian seasoning. Cover with foil and bake in oven for 30 minutes.
  • Remove foil, top with remaining pepperoni and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Italian Seasoning

Estelle Forrest’s self-published first cookbook – Homemade on a Weeknight: A Family Cookbook – was created after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Estelle self-published a second cookbook – Burgers on a Weeknight – recently. It has over 60 delicious burger creations! 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!

Balsamic Stuffed Chicken

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Cheese, Prosciutto, Balsamic, Meyer Lemon all packed into a chicken breast – it’s as yummy as it sounds! The marinade is the star of this stuffed chicken, just be sure to butterfly the chicken before you put it in the zipper bag. This makes sure to penetrate the meat thoroughly, giving the most flavor punch. To butterfly the chicken, lay the chicken flat on a cutting board. Put a butcher knife parallel to the cutting board and slice the chicken breast through the center almost entirely through.

Balsamic Stuffed Chicken

If you can’t find Meyer lemons, you can use a regular lemon. The Meyer lemon is a hybrid that came from China a little over a hundred years ago. It had a rough start and was actually outlawed at some point. In the mid 70’s, scientists were able to fix the issues and were able to put it back on the market. They are slightly more pricey than a traditional lemon because they have a shorter production period, on a few month instead of year round. The easiest way to describe the flavor is a mild orange flavor over the tangy lemon.

Balsamic Stuffed Chicken

I served this up with probably the easiest, cheesiest pasta. I cooked up some pasta, then added half a stick of butter, 1 cup of mozzarella, 1 cup heavy cream and 1 tsp Italian seasoning. Stir until melty and enjoy!

Balsamic Stuffed Chicken

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Balsamic Stuffed Chicken

A delicious balsamic marinated chicken stuffed with mozzarella cheese and prosciutto .
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword baked chicken, balsamic, Chicken, meyer lemon, mozzarella, Prosciutto
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Marinating time 1 hour
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 6 Chicken Breast butterflied
  • 6 slices Mozzarella Cheese
  • 6 slices Prosciutto
  • 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese shredded

For the Marinade

  • 1 cup Chicken Broth
  • ½ cup Balsamic Vinegar
  • ½ cup Avocado Oil
  • 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tbsp Dried Minced Onion
  • ¼ cup Honey
  • 1 Meyer Lemon zest & juice
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Instructions

  • Add marinade ingredients to a zipper plastic bag. Add butterflied chicken breast to bag and place in refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour (up to 24 hours).
  • Preheat oven ton 400degF. Remove chicken from bag. Lay flat and open. Place slice of cheese, slice of Prosciutto and 1/3 cup of shredded cheese. Fold chicken over and secure with toothpicks.
  • Place a cooking rack on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Lay stuffed chicken breasts on the rack. Bake in oven for 45 minutes. Let cool at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Estelle Forrest’s self-published first cookbook – Homemade on a Weeknight: A Family Cookbook – was created after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Estelle self-published a second cookbook – Burgers on a Weeknight – recently. It has over 60 delicious burger creations! 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!

Chicken Enchiladas a la Crema

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We love enchiladas at our house, so I try to make them every couple of weeks. I love enchiladas because you can do some many different things with them – different meats, no meat, different cheeses, no cheese, flour or corn tortillas. This time I tried my hand at my husband’s favorite order from our local Mexican Restaurant -Chicken Enchiladas a la Crema. It is a sour cream based sauce with a kick of jalapenos. It’s a simple dish, but really a great weeknight meal!

I like to use the burrito sized tortillas and then cut them in half when I serve them. If you want to use a smaller tortillas that’s totally fine, just keep it with flour tortillas for this particular recipe. The flour tortillas absorb the sauce really well while it’s cooking and adds to the dish in a way corn tortillas wouldn’t. I also like a lot of sauce on my enchiladas, so I make a little more than some might. You can cut the sauce amount if you don’t want it totally covered in sauce.

Chicken Enchiladas a la Crema

One important thing to do when you are making enchiladas is to make a mental (or literal) snapshot of how you positioned them in the baking dish. This makes serving them up much easier. You want to serve up whole enchiladas and not one that have been demolished by getting cut down the middle.

Chicken Enchiladas a la Crema

What’s Mexican #fakeaway without rice and beans? I served up my cheesy beans (pinto beans with cheese, milk, cumin, and chili powder). And I made a simple red rice with rice, tomato sauce, chicken broth, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder. It makes for a full meal that is sure to fill everyone up!

Chicken Enchiladas a la Crema

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Chicken Enchiladas a la Crema

A light sour cream jalapeno sauce over chicken stuffed tortillas!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican, Tex-Mex
Keyword Chicken, creamy enchiladas, enchilada recipes, enchiladas, jalapeno, sour cream
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 6

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 12 Burrito Sized Tortillas
  • 1 cup Mexican Blend Cheese finely shredded
  • 4 Scallions chopped

For the Chicken

  • 1½ lb Chicken Thighs boneless, skinless
  • 1 qt Chicken Broth
  • 2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 2 tsp Chili Powder
  • 2 tsp Cumin

For the Sauce

  • 4 tbsp Butter
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 4 tsp Flour
  • 2 cups Chicken Broth
  • 16 oz Sour Cream
  • 1 4oz can Diced Jalapenos
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Instructions

  • In sauce pan over medium high heat, add all ingredients for chicken. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred or chop.
  • Preheat oven to 400degF.
  • In another sauce pan over medium heat, add butter, garlic powder, and cumin. Once melted, whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Then add chicken broth and cook for 2 minutes. Next whisk in sour cream. Once combined, add jalapenos and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Ladle a thin layer of sauce into a 13×9 baking dish. Fill each tortilla with a portion of the cooked chicken and roll it up. Line tortillas up in the baking dish. Poor remaining sauce evenly over top of tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions as soon as you remove from oven. Let sit at least 5 minutes before serving.

Estelle Forrest’s self-published first cookbook – Homemade on a Weeknight: A Family Cookbook – was created after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Estelle self-published a second cookbook – Burgers on a Weeknight – recently. It has over 60 delicious burger creations! 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!

Cincinnati Chili

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I had never even heard of Cincinnati Chili until I saw it in a food magazine (can’t recall which one). I jotted it down on a sticky note and forgot about it for a while. Then I found it again when I was clearing up my desk. And started my research. I learned quite a lot about this dish created by Macedonian immigrants. They added their Mediterranean spices to ground meat and tomatoes to create an amazingly delicious dish!

Cincinnati Chili

When you read the ingredients you might want to run away – I mean cinnamon in chili might sound odd enough – but cocoa powder? You have to trust me on this one. The comingling of the flavors along with the Worcestershire and honey creates such a wonderful flavor profile. Usually when people talk about chili varieties the beans or no beans topic always comes up. I read a lot about it and it would appear that Cincinnati Chili is a strict NO on the beans.

Cincinnati Chili

Like most chilis, this dish is seriously hearty and filling. When you add in the pasta, you definitely have a full meal. I had considered serving some corn bread on the side and it probably would have been good with it. I usually like to add in a can of corn, some cheddar cheese, and diced jalapenos into the corn bread mix. Then heat up a well oiled cast iron skillet on the stove top, pour the corn bread mix into the hot skillet and then finish it up in the oven.

Cincinnati Chili

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Cincinnati Chili

An amazing creation of spiced up chili over a plate of pasta and topped with cheese!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword cheese, chili, ground beef, Pasta, pasta dishes, scallions, tomato
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 1 Medium Red Onion diced, divided
  • 4 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 2 tbsp Oil
  • 2 lb Ground Beef
  • 2 tsp Cinnamon divided
  • 2 tsp Cumin divided
  • 2 tsp Cocoa Powder unsweetened
  • 2 tsp Chili Powder divided
  • 2 tsp Parsley divided
  • 3 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce divided
  • 2 28oz cans Crushed Tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp Hot Honey
  • 1½ lb Spaghetti
  • 2 cups Cheddar Cheese shredded
  • 4 Scallions chopped
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Instructions

  • In large saute pan over medium high heat, add oil, half of red onions (save the rest for garnish), and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes then add in ground beef, half of each seasoning and half of Worcestershire sauce. Cook and crumble until no longer pink.
  • Add in tomatoes, remaining seasoning, remaining Worcestershire sauce and hot honey. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 20 minutes. (longer if you have the time)
  • Start water boiling for pasta. Add pasta and cook as directed on package. Drain in colander and rinse with cool water.
  • In a shallow bowl, add a portion of pasta. Ladle a generous amount of chili to the plate. Garnish with cheese, scallions and remaining red onions.

Estelle Forrest’s self-published first cookbook – Homemade on a Weeknight: A Family Cookbook – was created after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Estelle self-published a second cookbook – Burgers on a Weeknight – recently. It has over 60 delicious burger creations! 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!

Apricot Pork Tenderloin #slowcooker

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So many people put apples and pork together as the match made in heaven. But honestly – apricot and pork is the real divine medley! This is such a simple but full of flavor pork dish, you are going to flip! If you haven’t embraced your slow cooker for more than soups… you are missing out. Cooking pork tenderloin in the slow cooker is the perfect main for your dinner. Apricot Pork Tenderloin has so much flavor you will be over the moon.

Apricot Pork Tenderloin

I always thought pork and apple was the piggy and fruit combo. But apricot came for me and won. Apricot has a slightly bolder flavor when cooked into meats. And using preserves or jam with meats keeps it juicy and tender. I used a hot honey instead of regular honey so that you still get that sweetness but a little fire too. If you can’t find hot honey or don’t want the heat, you can use regular honey. Or you can make your own by adding some cayenne to your honey.

Apricot Pork Tenderloin

This pork would go great with lots of different sides. Rice, potatoes, pasta, veggies. I decided to serve it with my Balsamic Risotto. It is essentially a parmesan risotto with balsamic vinegar added in. I wanted the side to have a bold flavor like the meat. And if you haven’t had balsamic and apricot together – you need to try it!

Balsamic Risotto w/ Apricot Pork Tenderloin

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Apricot Pork Tenderloin

A delicious sweet and savory pork tenderloin slow cooked to juicy perfection.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword apricot, pork, pork tenderloin, slow cooked pork, slow cooker
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker (at least 6qt)

Ingredients

  • 2 Pork Tenderloins about 3 lbs total
  • 1 cup Chicken or Vegetable Broth
  • 12 oz Apricot Jam
  • ½ cup Hot Honey
  • 1 tbsp Thyme
  • 4 Garlic Cloves minced
  • ⅓ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Pepper
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Instructions

  • Place tenderloins in bottom of slow cooker, pushed out to outer edge, leaving center space open.
  • In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Pour over pork, secure lid and cook on low for 6 hours.
  • Remove tenderloins to cutting board and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing. Stir sauce in slow cooker to re-combine. Drizzle over top of pork when serving.

Estelle Forrest’s self-published first cookbook – Homemade on a Weeknight: A Family Cookbook – was created after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Estelle self-published a second cookbook – Burgers on a Weeknight – recently. It has over 60 delicious burger creations! 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!

2×3 Homemade Lasagna

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My husband’s very favorite meal is homemade lasagna. I have spent several years finding his absolutely favorite version. And thus far…. this one is it! 2×3 Homemade Lasagna is two meats (ground beef and ground pork) and three cheeses (ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan) in a homemade red sauce. Every year, no matter what day of the week it is – even if it lands on Thanksgiving – I make him a homemade lasagna. And so far….we are still happily married and he looks forward to it every year!

This recipe is featured on Instructables – you can check out the step-by-step photo instructions for 2×3 Homemade Lasagna here!

2×3 Homemade Lasagna

This year the twist I added as including the Italian sausage in the ricotta mix to add a second meat more substantially. Before I mixed the ground beef and Italian sausage in the red sauce. Yes, it’s yummy, but by separating it out in the two different layers gives it so much more. I am solidly on the ricotta in lasagna side of the ricotta versus cottage cheese side. I have a personal aversion to cottage cheese. But its extra yuck in lasagna because it does not take on any of the flavors, its just there.

2×3 Homemade Lasagna

This is a seriously hearty lasagna – when you make it totally per the recipes. If you want to cut it down and make it in a 13×9 baking dish, you can cut the pasta sheets by a third, remove on of the cans of crushed tomatoes, and cut the ricotta to 24 ounces. I just serve it with a loaf of crusty bread. If you wanted to stretch this for more than six people, I would add in a Bacon Caesar Salad or a cucumber tomato salad.

2×3 Homemade Lasagna

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2×3 Homemade Lasagna

Two meats, three cheese, lots of pasta and red sauce – my lasagna!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword ground beef, Italian Sausage, lasagna, mozzarella, Parmesan, Pasta, pasta dishes, red sauce, ricotta
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 6

Equipment

  • 14×10 Aluminum Lasagna Pan
  • Aluminum Foil

Ingredients

  • 18 Oven Ready Lasagna Sheets
  • 4 cups Mozzarella Cheese shredded
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese shredded
  • 1 tsp Parsley

For the Red Sauce

  • 2 tbsp Avocado Oil
  • 1 small Yellow Onion diced
  • 4 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 2 tsp Italian Seasoning divided
  • 2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes divided
  • 1 lb Ground Beef
  • 2 28oz can Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1 15oz can Tomato Puree
  • 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
  • 1 tsp Parsley
  • 1 tbsp Hot Honey

For the Ricotta Mixture

  • 1 lb Italian Sausage
  • 30 oz Ricotta Cheese
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese shredded
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Parsley
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Instructions

  • In a saute pan over medium-high heat, add Italian Sausage. Cook and crumble until no longer pink. Remove from heat and let cool.
  • In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add oil, onions, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes then add ground beef. Cook and crumble until no longer pink. Reduce heat to medium and add tomatoes, honey and remaining seasonings for the red sauce. Stir to combine and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350degF.
  • Add ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and parsley to cooked Italian sausage and stir to thoroughly combine.
  • Ladle a portion of sauce into bottom of aluminum pan. Spread 6 sheets of lasagna pasta with ricotta mix and place in a single layer in pan. Ladle more sauce on top of ricotta mix. Sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers from pasta sheets to mozzarella cheese. Layer 6 more sheets of pasta. Ladle on remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella, parmesan cheese, and parsley. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and bake in oven for 60 minutes. Let site for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Estelle Forrest’s self-published first cookbook – Homemade on a Weeknight: A Family Cookbook – was created after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:

AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS

Estelle self-published a second cookbook – Burgers on a Weeknight – recently. It has over 60 delicious burger creations! 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!

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