Spiced Pork Meatball Couscous Bowls

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Every so often I get the urge to use a new spice or flavor for my family. This go around it was cardamom. While I have used it in baked goods before, I hadn’t used it in a savory dish for them as of yet. I decided to take it on in a couscous bowl – Spiced Pork Meatball Couscous Bowls to be exact. It does have a few components, but really not that much effort to get them each together.

Spiced Pork Meatball Couscous Bowls
Spiced Pork Meatball Couscous Bowls

This bowl of food has got such an amazing flavor profile with the herbs, spices and citrus. While it might be a long list of ingredients, it really does work together. The zucchini salad is especially yummy, and really quite simple to pull together. The grated zucchini keeps its crunch, adding a layer of texture to the dish. You want to be sure to get the onion sliced thin, so it is roughly the same size as the zucchini so that they absorb the lemon juice the same.

Spiced Pork Meatball Couscous Bowls

When you make the yogurt sauce be absolutely sure you are using PLAIN Greek yogurt. You do not want to use vanilla (it will be incredibly sweet). And you do not want to use another type of yogurt either – you need the sour note the comes from Greek yogurt. Also be sure to find Israeli or Pearl Couscous – the larger style. If you use the smaller grain style couscous, you just don’t as good of a base for this bowl.

Spiced Pork Meatball Couscous Bowls

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Spiced Pork Meatball Couscous Bowls

Delicious spiced pork meatballs over couscous with a zucchini salad and yogurt sauce.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Mediterranean, Moraccan
Keyword couscous, greek yogurt, ground pork, pork, zucchini
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

  • 2 lb Ground Pork
  • 2 tsp Cardamom
  • 2 tsp Cumin
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Pepper

For the Couscous

  • 2 cup Israeli Pearl Couscous
  • 3 cups Chicken Broth
  • 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 2 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 1 tsp Salt

For the Zucchini Salad

  • 2 cups Zucchini grated
  • ½ cup Fresh Basil chopped
  • ½ cup Fresh Mint chopped
  • ½ Red Onion sliced
  • 1 Lemon zest & juice

For the Yogurt Sauce

  • 1 cup Plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • ¼ cup Honey
  • 1 Orange zest & juice
  • ¼ cup Fresh Mint chopped
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Instructions

  • Prepare all of the ingredients. Preheat oven to 400deg.
  • In a bowl, combine meatball ingredients and form into 1-inch meatballs. Line them out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes.
  • In a sauce pan over medium-high heat, add chicken broth, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt. Bring to a boil, then add couscous. Reduce heat to medium and cover with lid. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, but do not remove lid until ready to build the bowls.
  • In a bowl, combine ingredients for zucchini salad. Toss to coat and combine. Cover and set in refrigerator until ready to build the bowls.
  • In a small bowl, combine ingredients for yogurt sauce. Stir to fully incorporate. Cover and set in refrigerator until ready to build the bowls.
  • In a shallow bowl, start with a portion of couscous. Add 4-6 meatballs along one side of the bowl. Add a portion of the zucchini salad. Then add a dollop of the yogurt sauce in the center.

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 Chicken Monterrey Spaghetti

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My family loves pasta so I am always looking for new ways to use it in different flavor profiles. I had been craving some spinach so I was trying to come up with an interesting flavor combo to use with that. Pepper jack cheese is always yummy with chicken and spinach so that took me down the road to Baked Chicken Monterrey Spaghetti. So simple to put together but so full of flavor.

It is really important that you do not cook the pasta all the way through in the boiling water. If you do, it will end up mushy by the time you pull it out of the oven. By only par boiling it, you let it finish cooking in the sauce which adds more flavor to the pasta and lets it stay al dente.

Baked Chicken Monterrey Spaghetti

If you don’t have a deep dish lasagna pan, you can divided this up into 2 regular baking dishes (probably one 13×9 and one 9×9). You will also want to reduce the cook time to 30 minutes, since you don’t have the same depth to get through. Another bonus of using the aluminum pans is that clean up is a breeze – so whoever is on dish duty that night is going to be very thankful!

Baked Chicken Monterrey Spaghetti

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Baked Chicken Monterrey Spaghetti

A creamy baked chicken spaghetti with a little pepper and spinach
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican
Keyword cheese, Chicken, pepper jack, spaghetti, spinach
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 1½ lb Chicken Thighs, boneless, skinless cubed into ½-inch pieces
  • 1½ lb Spaghetti
  • 16 oz Sour Cream
  • 2 cups Chicken Broth
  • 2 cups Spinach rough chopped
  • 2 lb Pepper Jack cheese shredded, divided
  • 4 oz French Fried Onions divided
  • 1 tsp Oregano
  • 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 4 Garlic Cloves minced
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Instructions

  • Start water boiling for Pasta. Preheat oven to 350F.
  • In a large bowl, combine chicken, spinach, sour cream, chicken broth, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, half of cheese, and half of onions,
  • Add pasta to boiling water and cook for half of cook time listed on package (should be limp but not cooked through). Drain in colander and add to deep dish lasagna pan (at least 13x9x2.5).
  • Add chicken mixture to pasta and stir to combine. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and onions. Bake in oven for 40 minutes. Let stand 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!

Spicy Turkey Ramen Stir-Fry

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Ramen does not just have to be used for soups. It makes a delicious stir-fry too! And this tasty Spicy Turkey Ramen Stir-Fry proves it. This is one of those quick meals you make when you realize what you had planned isn’t going to work out, or you are just so done with the day but everyone still needs to eat.

This recipe was actually featured on Instructables and took a 2nd place prize in the Home Cooked Speed Challenge! Check it out – Spicy Turkey Ramen Stir-Fry

Spicy Turkey Ramen Stir-Fry

The great thing about stir-fry (as with ramen) is that it is highly customizable. Stir-fry is a great way to use up veggies before they go bad. I used carrots, onion and cilantro for this one. But you could use sweet peppers, bell peppers, broccoli, snap peas, zucchini — the list goes on and on.

Spicy Turkey Ramen Stir-Fry

If you don’t want this to be too spicy, you could omit the additional Sriracha used as a garnish. If you remove it from the sauce, it is going to be a little bit bland, so keep that in mind. If you cannot find Rice Ramen bricks (I prefer Lotus Foods brand for this), you can use the instant ramen. Just make sure to reduce the cook time, as those only take 2-3 minutes to cook through, unlike the 10 minutes the rice ramen bricks take.

Spicy Turkey Ramen Stir-Fry

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Spicy Turkey Ramen Stir-Fry

A quick and easy weeknight meal with a little spiciness.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Asian
Keyword carrots, ground turkey, onions, ramen, sriracha
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 2 lb Ground Turkey
  • 1 Yellow Onion quartered and sliced
  • 1 cup Carrots shredded
  • 1 cup Cilantro for garnish
  • ½ cup Sliced Almonds for garnish
  • 6 Rice Ramen Bricks

For the Sauce

  • 1 cup Soy Sauce
  • ½ cup Rice Vinegar
  • ¼ cup Honey
  • ¼ cup Sesame Oil
  • ¼ cup Sriracha plus more for garnish
  • 4 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Ginger minced
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Instructions

  • Prepare all of the ingredients. Start water boiling for ramen.
  • In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add ground turkey. Cook and crumble until no longer pink.
  • In a bowl, mix sauce ingredients.
  • Once water is boiling add ramen bricks. Use tongs to break up will they cook. Cook for 7 minutes then drain in colander and rinse with cool water. Set aside.
  • Add carrots, onions and sauce mix to turkey and let cook for 5 minutes. Then add cooked ramen. Use tongs to stir and combine will it continues to cook for 5 minutes more.
  • Serve in a shallow bowl with almonds and cilantro sprinkled on top. Drizzle with additional Sriracha, if desired.

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!

Bourbon Smoked Turkey Legs

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If you want the most succulent, fall off the bone turkey legs, then you have to make this recipe. Bourbon Smoked Turkey Legs was so dang good, my family was mad I only made one for each of us. What I love most about smoking meats is that it only TASTES like you slaved over it all day. You really don’t have to do much, just prep it and set it in the smoker for several hours. It’s actually best to not open the lid at all.

Bourbon Smoked Turkey Legs

I have a Traeger Smoker/Grill. If you don’t have a wood pellet smoker, you can still get the same kind of flavors out of a charcoal or propane. You can just put a few pieces of wood (hickory or apple) in a small smoker box on your grill. You just need a means to make sure the fire keeps going. The real key to smoking meats is low temperature for a longer period of time while being infused with wood smoke. Some people have even have success doing this inside of their ovens. My turkey legs were pretty hefty so I had to use 2 cast iron skillets, so as to keep them in a single layer.

Bourbon Smoked Turkey Legs

If you cannot find Orange Flavored bourbon or whiskey, you can use a little orange liqueur or another two oranges (juiced and zested) in additional to regular bourbon or whiskey. You want to get the sweetness of the citrus into the meat to balance out the heavy smoke flavor. Poultry absorbs the smoke more than red meats, so you want to be careful not to over power with wood flavors.

Bourbon Smoked Turkey Legs

I served this up with a Wild Rice Pilaf and it was so tasty. I used a wild rice blend, orzo and some parmesan cheese to make a light but delicious accompaniment to the star of the show! You could also serve it up with mashed, whipped or roasted potatoes. And maybe a veggies side like zucchini or asparagus.

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Bourbon Smoked Turkey Legs

A succulent, fall off the bone, smoked whole turkey leg.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword bourbon, Garlic, orange, smoked turkey, turkey
Prep Time 1 hour
Smoker Time 4 hours
Servings 6

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 6 Whole Turkey Legs
  • 1 cup Orange Bourbon like Jim Beam
  • 2 Navel Oranges zested and juiced
  • 5 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp Rosemary
  • 1 tbsp Thyme
  • 1 tbsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp Dried Minced Onion
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Instructions

  • Combine marinade ingredients (everything besides turkey legs). Put 3 legs each in 2 gallon sized zipper bags. Pour half of marinade into each bag. Let marinade at least 1 hour. (up to overnight).
  • Preheat smoker to 250degF. In your largest cast iron skillet(s) arrange legs and pour marinade over top. Cover with foil and place in smoker. Use two skillets if needed to keep the legs in a single layer. Let smoke for 4 hours. Remove from smoker and leave foil on until ready to serve.

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!

Mexican Corn Chowder

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The days are shorter and colder around here – which means soup for dinner ups from once in a while to a few nights a week. That means I have to get a little more creative with the types of soups I am making. My family likes chowders of all kinds. Chowders are defined as a creamy soup that contains fish, seafood or corn along with potatoes and onions. And corn chowders are one of my faves! So this Mexican Corn Chowder was a bit hit on a rainy night.

Mexican Corn Chowder

By adding in a few Mexican flavors, you can take a Chicken Corn Chowder to the next level and turn it into Mexican Corn Chowder. If you don’t have the cumin, oregano, and chili powder as individual spices – you could use a premade taco seasoning. Though I would suggest omitting the salt, as most of the premade taco seasonings have a large amount of salt added. If you are worried about the heat level – you might swap out green chilies for the jalapenos.

Mexican Corn Chowder

If you do not have an immersion blender, let me tell you – YOU NEED ONE! This is not a sponsored thing, I just really love mine. I use it all the time. It helps make the creamiest potatoes and whipped cauliflower. It helps make the smoothest soups and chowders. The method of blitzing a portion of the soup mix gives the chowder a velvety thickness that is just delicious.

Mexican Corn Chowder

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Mexican Corn Chowder

A south of the border take on corn chowder
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American, Mexican, Tex-Mex
Keyword cheese, Chicken, chipotle, corn, potato, soup
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • ½ stick Butter
  • 3 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 1 Yellow Onion diced
  • 1½ lb Chicken Thighs, boneless, skinless cut in 1-inch chunks
  • 2 qt Chicken Broth
  • 4 Russet Potatoes peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 1 tsp Oregano
  • 1 tsp Chili Powder
  • 1 7oz can Diced Jalapenos
  • 1 15oz can Diced Tomatoes
  • 2 15oz can Sweet Corn drained
  • 16 oz Sour Cream
  • 2 cups Heavy Cream
  • 1 cups Cheddar Cheese shredded
  • 3 Scallions chopped
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Instructions

  • Prepare all of the ingredients.
  • In a large stock pot over medium high heat, add oil, onion, and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes then add chicken. Cook for 3 minutes then add chicken broth, potatoes, green chilies, chili powder, cumin, diced tomatoes and corn. Reduce heat to medium and cover with lid. Cook for 45 minutes.
  • Transfer a third of the soup to a mixing bowl, minimal liquid. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Then add sour cream and heavy cream. Stir together and return to the stock pot. Stir to combine well and cook for 5 minutes more.
  • Serve in bowl with cheddar and scallions as garnish.

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!

Creamy Spaghetti #onepotmeals

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Do you ever have those days when you think “I have to make dinner, again?” – that’s when I turn to One Pot Meals. Minimal effort, and minimal clean up afterwards. Sometimes, I just open up my fridge and see what I think I can put together. A sort of self-imposed Chopped Challenge! This go around I had somehow managed to have an abundance of cream cheese in my fridge because they had got stashed in the door. So I put on my thinking cap and came up with this Creamy Spaghetti.

I know so many people think you can’t use regular dried pasta in a one pot meal. But you really can. It actually helps to thicken the resulting sauce by releasing starch into the liquid. This is why I do not use water in one pot meals, I like to use broth so that more flavor is infused. If you precook the pasta, it will become mush by the time the rest of the meal is ready.

Creamy Spaghetti

When I use Italian sausage, I like to use half hot and half mild or sweet. It gives a great combination of spicy and sweetness to a dish. It also lets you have a little fun when you it each bite – will it be sweet or spicy. If you don’t want the extra heat, you can use all mild. If you want a little extra heat, go all hot! The real thing you need to do is make sure you get ground sausage without casings.

Creamy Spaghetti

You might be thinking cream cheese is an odd addition to this recipe, but it some how works. It’s mild flavor don’t take anything away from the red pepper flakes. But it gives so much creamy texture to the sauce. It will take a bit to mix it in thoroughly, but don’t give up. Do make sure to be gentle, so as not to break up the pasta too much. I used a pair of tongs and employed a sort of lift and twist method until the cream cheese had fully melted into the creamy sauce.

Creamy Spaghetti

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Creamy Spaghetti

A perfect weeknight meal – sausage, pasta, creamy goodness all in a one pot wonder.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword cream cheese, Italian Sausage, one pot, Pasta, pasta dishes, Sausage
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 2 lb Italian Sausage half hot, half mild
  • 2 tbsp Oil
  • 3 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 1 tsp Basil
  • 1½ qt Chicken Broth
  • 1½ lb Spaghetti broken into quarters
  • 1 15oz can Crushed Tomatoes or petite diced
  • 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Oregano
  • 8 oz Cream Cheese cut in quarters
  • 1 tsp Parsley for garnish
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Instructions

  • In a large stock pot over medium-high heat, add oil and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes then add sausage. Cook and crumble for 3 minutes. Add pasta, salt, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. Add chicken broth and crushed tomatoes. Cover with lid, reduce heat to medium and let cook for 15 minutes.
  • Remove lid and add cream cheese. Stir to combine. Cook for 5 minutes more, while stirring to combine cheese.
  • Serve in shallow pasta bowl with parsley as garnish.

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!

Chipotle Shrimp & Cheesy Grits

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Do you ever go to restaurant, read something that sounds amazing on the menu but when it comes out it’s just sort of meh? This recently happened to me and I just thought I can do better than what I was served. So I gave it a go with these Chipotle Shrimp & Cheesy Grits and I was, in fact, correct! The bold flavor of the chipotle in the tomato gravy with shrimp and andouille was on point. And you really can’t go wrong adding some cheese to your grits!

Chipotle Shrimp & Cheesy Grits

Getting the tomato gravy just right is what really hits the home run on this dish. You want it to be thick enough to call it gravy but not so thick that you can eat it with a fork. By using the same butter that you cook the shrimp in, you get that extra shrimp flavor in the gravy too, which really brings it together in the end. I added in the red bell peppers for a bit of texture as well as the bit of brightness.

Chipotle Shrimp & Cheesy Grits

If you can’t find andouille style sausage, you can use a kielbasa or smoked sausage in it’s place. When I cut the sausage, I like to cut it in half lengthwise and then chop it into half inch pieces. Since you are just heating it up in the sauce, it doesn’t matter how big or small you make them, just make them all roughly the same size. For the bacon, I usually go with a center cut, thick bacon. You get more meat with it and it crisps up really nicely.

Chipotle Shrimp & Cheesy Grits

If you are worried about the spiciness of this there are a few things you can do. Use smoked sausage instead of andouille. Omit the red pepper flakes. Or you could use half as much chipotle peppers. But I would not recommend doing all three. This is supposed to be a spicy dish, think Cajun food here.

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Chipotle Shrimp & Cheesy Grits

Shrimp & Grits with a little extra kick, some cheese and some bacon!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Cajun
Keyword andouille, bacon, cheese, grits, shrimp, shrimp recipes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 1½ lb Large Shrimp peeled, deveined, tails-off
  • 1/2 cup Butter
  • 4 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 1 tsp Minced Dried Onion
  • 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 4 tbsp Flour
  • 1 15oz can Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1 4oz can Chipotle Peppers in Adobo chopped,
  • 1 lb Andouille Sausage cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper diced
  • ½ lb Bacon cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 1½ cup Quick Grits
  • 2 qt Chicken or Vegetable Broth divided
  • 1 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
  • 4 Scallions chopped
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Instructions

  • Prepare all of the ingredients.
  • In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add butter, and garlic. Once melted add shrimp, cumin, red pepper flakes, and onion. Cover with lid and cook for 7 minutes (until shrimp is just cooked.) Remove shrimp from pan and keep warm. Reserve juices.
  • In the same saute pan, reduce heat to medium and whisk in flour and cook for 3 minutes then whisk in 2 cups broth. Let cook 3 minutes then add chopped chipotle, and crushed tomato. Cook for 3 minutes then add red bell peppers and andouille. Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer until ready to serve.
  • In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add bacon. Cook until crispy and remove to paper towel covered plate.
  • In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add remaining broth. Bring to a boil then add grits. Once boiling again, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in cheese. Cook for 3 minutes more.
  • Return shrimp to large saute pan with sauce and sausage. Stir to coat.
  • In a shallow bowl, start with a portion of grits. Ladle shrimp and sausage sauce. Sprinkle with bacon and scallions.

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!

Italian Stuffed Peppers

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If you are looking for a hearty, flavorful meal that everyone is going to gobble up, then you just found it! Italian Stuffed Peppers are a delicious combination of orzo pasta, Italian sausage, tomatoes, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. My whole family loves bell peppers so I am always trying to find new ways to use them. Then it occurred to me that I didn’t need to reinvent the wheel here, just change up a tried and true one!

Italian Stuffed Peppers

Orzo pasta is so versatile, it works hot or cold. It makes a delicious stuffing component as well. It mixes in with the ricotta, crushed tomatoes and Italian sausage so thoroughly. And it also makes it so the stuffing makes it into all the nooks and crannies of the bell pepper.

Italian Stuffed Peppers

I like to turn the peppers into bowls instead of just lopping off the tops and filling it like a cup for a few reasons. First off, you don’t have to worry about the peppers falling over on their uneven bottoms (though you can combat that issues by using an extra large muffin tin). Secondly, you make it easier to portion out, as they are already halved. I, personally, can’t eat a whole bell pepper and neither can my younger two kiddos. Another reason is – MORE CHEESE! With more surface area, you get to pile on more mozzarella and who doesn’t love that?

Italian Stuffed Peppers

Since this is such a hearty, heavy recipe, I try to make a light side dish. The simplest way to go is a quick Caesar salad. If you want something a little extra, you can do a cucumber and tomato salad. I like to make mine with a balsamic vinegar, honey, and oil and it is so so good.

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Italian Stuffed Peppers

Pasta, sausage and cheese fill up these bell peppers for a delicious meal.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword bell peppers, cheese, Italian Sausage, orzo, Pasta, Pasta Salad, ricotta
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 8 Bell Peppers (red or green) Halved and seeded
  • 2 lb Italian Sausage
  • 1 lb Orzo
  • 16 oz Ricotta Cheese
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese grated
  • 4 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1 15oz can Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1 tsp Basil
  • 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese shredded
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Instructions

  • Prepare all of the ingredients. Preheat oven to 400 deg. Start water boiling for pasta.
  • In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add Italian sausage. Cook and crumble until no longer pink. Drain off excess grease and transfer to mixing bowl.
  • Add Orzo to boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain in colander and rinse with cool water to arrest the cooking process. Add to bowl with sausage.
  • Add ricotta, parmesan, garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to sausage. Stir to combine.
  • Lay each bell pepper half out on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Fill each with a portion of the sausage mixture. Sprinkle each with mozzarella cheese and then basil. Bake in oven for 20 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!

Chipotle Cheese & Chorizo Enchiladas

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Making cheese sauce from scratch is one of my favorite things to do. And one of my favorite things about making the sauces is that you can add in different flavors to create new sauces. I started with my basic cheese sauce (like what I use for typical mac & cheese) and then added in some chopped chipotle peppers, along with the adobo sauce. And to keep the heat up, I used chorizo and ground beef to stuff the tortillas before I poured the chipotle cheese sauce over the top. Chipotle Cheese & Chorizo Enchiladas are so super tasty, and very hearty.

Chipotle Cheese & Chorizo Enchiladas

Since I used ground beef, I decided to use beef chorizo. If you prefer – or can only find – pork chorizo, that will work too. Typically chorizo is pork and not beef, but as it becomes more popular you can actually find it made from beef, venison and even turkey. The seasoning is what sets chorizo apart. Mexican Chorizo tends to be spicier than Spanish Chorizo. Mexican chorizo is usually made with chili peppers while the Spanish Variety is predominately made with smoked paprika. Which ever variety you have access to will work out, as long as it’s ground or minced and not in a cooked sausage that would be sliced. Some times it’s called Chorizo Fresco.

Chipotle Cheese & Chorizo Enchiladas

I opted for burrito sized tortillas for these enchiladas, just to do something different. You can use smaller tortillas if you prefer. I would just suggest sticking with flour and not corn. The flour absorbs the flavors better, in my opinion. Since they are so big, you don’t need a lot on the side. I just made my cheesy beans. They are so easy to make – you just add 2 cans of refried beans, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp chili powder and 1 cup of milk to a sauce pan over medium heat. Keep stirring until it is all combined. Stir in 2 cups shredded cheddar and stir until melted. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.

Chipotle Cheese & Chorizo Enchiladas

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Chipotle Cheese & Chorizo Enchiladas

A velvety chipotle cheese sauce over a ground beef and chorizo stuffed tortillas.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican, Tex-Mex
Keyword cheese, chipotle, chorizo, creamy enchiladas, enchilada recipes, enchiladas, ground beef, ground beef recipes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Ground Beef
  • 1 lb Chorizo beef or pork
  • 12 Tortillas burrito Sized
  • 2 cups Cheddar Cheese shredded, divided

For the Chipotle Cheese Sauce

  • 4 tbsp Butter
  • 4 tbsp Flour
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 3 cups Chicken Broth
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 4oz can Chipotle Peppers in Adobo chopped
  • 2 cups Cheddar Cheese shredded
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Instructions

  • Prepare all of the ingredients. Preheat oven to 350deg.
  • In large saute pan over medium-heat, add ground beef and chorizo. Crumble and cook until no longer pink.
  • In a saucepan over medium heat, add butter and garlic powder. Once melted, whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and cook for 3 minutes. Whisk in heavy cream and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in chopped chipotle peppers and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in cheese and cook until fully melted. Remove from heat.
  • Ladle enough sauce into bottom of 13×9 baking dish. Fill tortilla with 2 spoonfuls of beef mixture and 1 tablespoon of cheese. Roll up tortilla and place lengthwise in baking dish. Repeat with 5 more tortillas. Repeat process with second 13×9 baking dish and 6 more tortillas. Divide remaining sauce over each baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  • Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes. Let sit for at least ten 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!

Rosemary Chicken & Biscuits

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Somethings just go together – like Rosemary & Chicken. The flavors meld together so seamlessly it is delicious every time. There is just something so comforting about the smell of rosemary and chicken cooking in the kitchen. And this Rosemary Chicken & Biscuits with chicken from the slow cooker, makes the whole house smell amazing by the time everyone comes home for the day.

Rosemary Chicken & Biscuits

You are not going to believe the delicious flavor you get from this rosemary cream sauce. The preparation might seem a little different but I promise you that it is worth it. The pureed carrots, celery and leeks give the sauce such a depth of flavor! With them cooking all day in the slow cooker, it would be a shame to just toss them out. And I know I say this a lot, but if you still don’t have an immersion blender – you need one!

Rosemary Chicken & Biscuits

Putting the chicken under the broiler is a necessary step. While the chicken is totally cooked and full of flavor, the skin is going to be a little, well, slimy. By putting it under the broiler for a few minutes, you get it to crisp up, which is much more appealing to most.

Rosemary Chicken & Biscuits

For the biscuits, you really can use whatever your favorite recipe is. I like to use my Butter Swim Biscuits for most of my biscuit dishes. You can use your own recipe or you can go pre-cooked from the grocery bakery or refrigerator biscuits from the tube. For this dish, the biscuits are more of vessel than anything else, so you have some leeway here.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Rosemary Chicken & Biscuits

Slow cooked tender chicken with a velvety rosemary cream sauce over fresh baked biscuits.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword biscuits, Chicken, heavy cream, slow cooker
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Slow Cooker 6 hours
Servings 6

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 Chicken Thighs, bone-in
  • 6 Chicken Drumsticks, bone-in
  • 1 qt Chicken Broth
  • 1 cup White Wine
  • 3 Carrots chopped
  • 3 Celery Stalks chopped
  • 2 Leeks chopped, only the tender bottoms
  • 2 tsp Rosemary divided
  • 1 tsp Thyme
  • 1 tsp Tarragon
  • 2 tsp Salt divided
  • 1 tsp Pepper
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
  • 4 tbsp Butter
  • 4 tbsp Flour
  • 12 Biscuits
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Instructions

  • Add chicken, chicken broth, white wine, 1 teaspoon rosemary, tarragon, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, carrots, celery, and leeks to slow cooker. Secure lid and set to low for 6 hours.
  • Prepare biscuits in last 30 minutes of the cook time. (You can use refrigerator biscuits, the butter swim biscuit recipes I have linked in the post, or whatever your favorite biscuit recipe).
  • Preheat oven to Broil setting. Place a cooking rack on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Remove chicken pieces from slow cooker and lay out on the cooking rack. Cook for 3 minutes on each side under broiler.
  • In a sauce pan over medium heat, add butter. Once melted whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Ladle 2 cups of chicken stock (from the slow cooker while trying to only get liquid) into sauce pan and whisk together. Cook for 3 minutes and whisk in heavy cream, remaining salt and remaining rosemary. Reduce heat to medium-low.
  • Remove 2 cups of veggies and liquid from the slow cooker to a bowl. Using an immersion blender to blitz until smooth. Then stir into cream sauce.
  • Add 2 biscuits and 1 or 2 pieces of chicken to a plate. Ladle cream sauce over top.

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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