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January 11, 2022 Classic Italian

Classic Italian Meatballs

Everybody needs a good recipe for Classic Italian Meatballs. This recipe is simple, easy and full of delicious, meaty flavor! Read through the post for tips on how to make the tastiest meatballs!

Make a batch of these meatballs and simmer them in a simple sauce—instant dinner! You can choose to toss them with spaghetti for the Italian American classic, Spaghetti and Meatballs, or just eat them on their own. Maybe a piece of crusty bread for good measure. Gotta have those carbs!

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I usually simmer these meatballs in a simple marinara sauce to let the meatball flavor really shine. An added bonus is that this sauce is super easy to make! Of course, you can use your favorite store bought sauce if you prefer.

For this recipe, I use a combination of pork and beef. This meat combination will give you great flavor, texture, and fat content. You can also use a combo of pork, veal, and beef (sometimes called meatloaf mix) if you want!

I like to keep the add-ins for the meatballs very simple. Garlic, fresh parsley, and Pecorino Romano are my stars! Be sure to use fresh Italian flat leaf parsley instead of dried, it adds a much better flavor.

One element that keeps the meatballs from becoming tough is the panade, which is a mixture of breadcrumbs and liquid. I like using panko breadcrumbs and milk for the panade. Panko breadcrumbs (or Japanese breadcrumbs) are a bit lighter than traditional breadcrumbs which I think helps give the meatballs a better texture. You can use plain breadcrumbs instead, or make your own if you prefer!

What about the cheese? I like using Pecorino Romano in my meatballs as opposed to Parmigiano Reggiano because, to be honest, I just like it better! Pecorino has a great salty/tangy bite that just adds a lot of flavor. This is not to say I don’t love Parm, I do! I just usually choose Pecorino instead. And honestly, I don’t think Pecorino gets enough respect around here! If you prefer Parm, you can use that instead, although, I always recommend making the recipe as written the first time. The best quality Pecorino usually has a black rind, so look for that when shopping—I love Locatelli brand!

Serve it all up with some Italian wine and make sure to have extra fresh parsley and Pecorino out. You can serve these meatballs with pasta or without, obviously I chose with!

Perfect, tender meatballs every time. Yum!

Classic Italian Meatballs

Everybody needs a good recipe for Classic Italian Meatballs. This recipe is simple, easy and full of delicious, meaty flavor!

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 8

Ingredients

1 Pound ground pork
1 Pound ground beef 85% lean
2 Large eggs
1 Cup panko breadcrumbs
¾ Cup milk
3 Cloves garlic finely minced
1 Cup Pecorino Romano
¼ Cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley minced
1 ½ Teaspoons kosher salt

Instructions

Make the panade. In a small mixing bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and the milk. Stir and let sit until the breadcrumbs have soaked up the milk and softened; 5 minutes.
To a large mixing bowl, add the pork, beef and eggs. Add the panade, Pecorino, parsley, garlic and salt. Using your hands, mix the ingredients until evenly combined, being careful not to over work the meat.
Roll the mixture into meatballs (I like making them a little bigger than a golf ball).
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high. In batches, sear the meatballs on all sides until a brown crust forms. Add the seared meatballs to a simmering pot of marinara sauce to finish cooking.
Serve on their own or with pasta. Top with more Pecorino and fresh parsley.
Enjoy!

Keyword Italian Meatballs, meatballs, Spaghetti and Meatballs

January 11, 2022 Appetizers

Italian Antipasto Platter

There’s nothing I love more than a good antipasto platter! Antipasto means “before the meal” in Italian and can be any type of small meal, or appetizer, before the main dish. Typically, it ends up being a platter of cured meats, cheeses, and marinated vegetables.

The fun thing about an antipasto platter is that it can be different every time! There are no set rules and no exact measurements. In this post, I’ll share my tips for creating the best Italian Antipasto Platter!

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The key to a great antipasto platter is to choose meats, cheeses and vegetables that have different tastes and textures, but that all still go together to create one cohesive platter. That sounds complicated, but it’s truly not!

Let’s start with the meats. For this particular platter, I chose mortadella, red wine salami, and hot capicola. These three meats differ in texture, taste, and heat level. Other great meat options are bresaola, soppressata and prosciutto. I usually stick with three to four meats, but if I were making a platter for a larger amount of people… I might just include them all! Choose whichever meats you like best, but keep the texture/flavor rule in mind!

Sharp provolone and fresh mozzarella are classic cheese choices for an antipasto platter. In addition to those two, I love to include chunks of parmigiano reggiano. The texture and nutty flavor is so different from the other cheeses, it’s a fun change of pace! Plus, who doesn’t love parm?

If I’m feeling fancy, I like to quickly marinate the fresh mozzarella in olive oil, fresh parsley, red pepper flakes and chopped sun dried tomatoes. This is totally optional, but really tasty!

Without a doubt, the best part about putting all of these ingredients on the same platter, is that they all help each other taste better! The juices from the pickled and marinated veggies almost “dress” the meats and cheeses. Yum! For this reason, I don’t keep any crackers or bread on the platter. In my opinion, an antipasto platter doesn’t need crackers or bread, but if you want to include those, I suggest serving them in a bowl on the side so that they don’t get soggy!

To arrange the platter, I like to keep things simple. Just make piles! Seriously, that’s it. This is an antipasto platter that’s meant to be eaten, no need to shape the meats and cheeses into roses and what not. Cut the provolone and parmigiano into bite sized pieces and pile them up. Pile the meats in a way that’s easy for people to grab a piece. Try to place piles of the same meats across the platter from each other so that people can grab them from different sides. Same thing with the veggies, just pile them up! The only thing I would suggest separating are things like marinated mozzarella (you don’t want the marinade running away from the mozzarella!) and super hot peppers. Other than that it’s literally just piles. Pretty piles.

Make sure to have some serving utensils available so that people don’t have to use their hands. Appetizer plates and napkins are a must too! Keep an eye on the platter and re-fill as necessary.

And that’s it! The easiest, prettiest, and tastiest way to start a meal or entertain. More antipasto platters please!

Italian Antipasto Platter

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Prep Time 15 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

½ Pound mortadella thinly sliced
½ Pound hot capicola thinly sliced
8 Ounces red wine salami cut into thick slices
½ Pound sharp provolone cut into wedges
¼ Pound parmigiano reggiano broken into chunks
Roasted red peppers cut into strips
Hot or sweet cherry peppers
Marinated artichokes
Pepperoncini
Olives

For the quick marinated mozzarella balls

8 Ounces ciliengine mozzarella balls
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley minced
2 Teaspoons sun dried tomatoes drained and finely minced
¼ Teaspoon red pepper flakes
Pinch of kosher salt
1 Small clove garlic finely minced (optional)

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients for the marinated mozzarella in a small bowl and give it a stir.
On a very large platter, arrange the ingredients in piles, making two piles of each of the meats and the provolone on opposite ends of the platter. Add the bowl with the marinated mozzarella. Fill in the rest of the platter with piles of the vegetables.
Place cocktail forks around the platter for easy serving. Lay out appetizer napkins and plates. Refill platter as necessary.
Enjoy!

Keyword Antipasti, Antipasto Platter, Charcuterie, Cured Meat, Italian Appetizer, meat and cheese board

January 11, 2022 Italian

Baked Pasta with Meatballs

What’s more comforting than baked pasta? Baked pasta with meatballs! Cheesy, saucy pasta with meatballs, baked to bubbly perfection. It’s baked pasta season!

This is the perfect recipe for when you’re craving some cozy comfort food, but don’t want to put too much effort in. It’s great for large or small groups. If you’re a a smaller household, you get the added bonus of leftovers! Pro tip: leftover baked pasta makes the best breakfast!

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I love using Carando® Italian Meatballs for this recipe because not only are they delicious, but they’re ready to use right away! I’m using the Abruzzese meatballs in this pasta bake, they’re packed with authentic Italian flavor. Fun fact: my family on my dad’s side comes from the Abruzzo region of Italy!

For this recipe, I used half of the meatballs crumbled into the sauce, and the other half on top of the pasta bake. That way, you get different textures and you’re also getting all that delicious meatball flavor throughout the pasta.

But of course, it wouldn’t be a good pasta bake without good cheese! I used Galbani® Ricotta and Mozzarella Cheese for this recipe. The whole milk ricotta gives the pasta a rich creaminess, similar to lasagna, and hand shredding the mozzarella will bring that classic baked pasta taste—and the cheese pulls!! Galbani is another one of my favorite Italian brands to buy, their products are authentic and delicious—they’ve been making cheese since 1882!

I bought both the Galbani cheese and the Carando Meatballs at my local Kroger store. You can save $2 when you purchase one Galbani Ricotta (15 oz) or Mozzarella Cheese (16 oz.) AND Carando Abruzzese Italian Meatballs (16 oz). So if you’re making this recipe, it’s the perfect time to head over to your Kroger store!

This recipe is easy to make and there are just a few simple steps, starting with the sauce! Because the pasta is baked, I didn’t want there to be too much work for the sauce. This sauce comes together fast and has all your favorite classic Italian flavors.

You’ll start by browning half of the meatballs in some olive oil, and breaking them up into crumbles. Next add some onion, garlic and fresh rosemary followed by tomato paste and a can of whole peeled tomatoes. Make sure to buy the whole tomatoes that are in tomato puree, you’ll need that puree for the sauce! Then season your sauce with salt, dried oregano and red pepper flakes and let it simmer for a bit to meld the flavors. While the sauce is simmering, cook your pasta.

I like rigatoni for this recipe because the sauce and pieces of meatball get stuck inside the rigatoni, making the ultimate bite! You can use other short pasta shapes like ziti or penne if you prefer. Since the pasta is going to be baked after it’s boiled, you want to slightly undercook it during the boiling step. Check the package directions for “al dente” and then cook the pasta for 1-2 minutes less than that.

Layering the pasta, sauce, and cheeses is the perfect way to make sure you get sauce, meatballs and cheese in each bite.

The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for it to be ready! It only takes about 35 minutes in the oven, but you have to let it rest for about 10 minutes before cutting into it. Longest 10 minutes ever!

I usually distract myself in that 10 minutes by chopping up some fresh parsley, and grating some Pecorino Romano. I love using Pecorino as a finishing cheese because of it’s salty bite, but if you prefer Parmigiano Reggianno, you can definitely use that. Feel free to use fresh basil in place of parsley as well. The finishing touches are up to you!

When the pasta has cooled down a bit, it’s time to dig in to that meaty, cheesy goodness. Who doesn’t love a good cheese pull?!

I hope you guys love this recipe as much as I do. It’s definitely a favorite of mine and hard to beat in the comfort food category! I can’t wait for you to give it a try.

Baked Pasta with Meatballs

Cheesy, saucy pasta with meatballs, baked to bubbly perfection.

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 50 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 8

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Package Carando Abruzzese Meatballs divided
½ Yellow onion diced
3 Cloves garlic minced
2 Sprigs fresh rosemary finely minced
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 28 Ounce Can whole peeled tomatoes in tomato puree crushed by hand
1 Teaspoon kosher salt
½ Teaspoon dried oregano
¼ Teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 Pound rigatoni
1 Cup Galbani whole milk ricotta
16 Ounces Galbani mozzarella cheese shredded by hand
Pecorino Romano grated
Fresh parsley roughly chopped

Instructions

Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees and bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add half of the meatballs, breaking them apart with a wooden spoon. Brown the meatballs and continue breaking them up into crumbles. Add the onion, garlic and rosemary, stir and cook until the onions have started to soften; about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes along with the tomato sauce. Add the salt, oregano and red pepper flakes. Lower the heat to medium low and simmer the sauce for 5-10 minutes.
Salt the boiling water and add the pasta. Cook the pasta to 2 minutes less than package directions for al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain.
Add a bit of the sauce and a splash of reserved pasta water to the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Layer half the pasta, followed half of the sauce and half of the ricotta. Give it a stir to make sure each piece of piece of pasta has some sauce on it, but leave some of the ricotta in chunks for texture. Layer half of the mozzarella on top. Repeat these steps with the second half of the ingredients. Cut the remaining meatballs in half and arrange them on top of the pasta.
Loosely cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes then broil for 10 minutes uncovered or until the cheese is bubbly, the meatballs are browned on top, and the edges are crispy.
Let the pasta rest for about 10 minutes before cutting into it. Garnish with fresh parsley and Pecorino Romano and serve!

Keyword Baked Pasta, meatballs, Rigatoni

January 11, 2022 Classic Italian

Penne all’Arrabbiata

Penne all’Arrabbiata, which means “angry” in Italian, is a traditional dish from the Lazio region of Italy—Rome, more specifically. In this dish, penne is tossed with a spicy sauce and served with fresh parsley. So simple and so delicious!

I like using a combination of fresh and dried peppers in this sauce for added flavor and kick! You can easily adjust how spicy you want your sauce to be. Peppers range quite a bit in spiciness, so your best bet is to taste one! I cut a thin slice of the pepper and taste it before using. If it’s super spicy, I’ll ease up on the red pepper flakes. If it’s more mild, I’ll add more! Tasting and adjusting is the name of the game for this recipe.

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Arrabbiata is typically served with penne, but any short pasta shape will do. The sauce gets caught in the hole of the pasta, making the perfect bite! An important tip for pasta is to finish cooking the pasta in the sauce. Boil the pasta to just shy of al dente and then transfer it to the pan with the sauce. Add a bit of the pasta cooking water and toss it together until the pasta and sauce are well combined. Add your fresh parsley to the pan and you’re ready to serve! I like to serve this pasta with more red pepper flakes, in case anyone wants to kick it up a notch, and some grated Pecorino Romano.

It’s not traditional, but I like to add a tablespoon of unsalted butter to the sauce with the pasta. The butter adds a silkiness to the sauce and also helps the pasta and the sauce come together. That, and the starchy pasta water. Pssst, most restaurants add a “knob” or two of butter when they’re finishing the pasta in the sauce. That’s why restaurant pasta is so slurpable!

This recipe is one of my favorites, not only because of how delicious it is, but because of how easy it is to make! It’s the perfect meal for busy weeknights, but also special enough for a dinner party. I love a good simple pasta!

Spice up your next dinner with this Penne all’Arrabbiata—I promise you will not be “angry” while eating it!

Penne all’Arrabbiata

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons olive oil
4 Cloves garlic minced
1 Fresh red chili pepper thinly sliced
1 28 Ounce Can whole peeled tomatoes in puree crushed by hand
½-1 Teaspoon red pepper flakes to taste
¼ Teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
1 Pound penne
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)
Fresh parsley roughly chopped, to taste
Pecorino Romano grated (optional)

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the garlic and the fresh chiles and cook, stirring, until the garlic has started to turn golden at the edges; 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, salt and pepper flakes, lower the heat and simmer until the flavors have melded and the sauce has thickened; 15-20 minutes. Taste the sauce and add more salt if needed.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to 1 minute less than package directions for al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain.
Add the pasta to the sauce along with the butter, if using, and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce, adding more pasta water as needed to loosen; 1-2 minutes. Stir in the parsley.
Serve with grated Pecorino Romano and more pepper flakes. Enjoy!

Keyword Arrabbiata, Pasta, Spicy pasta, Spicy tomato sauce

October 11, 2021 Appetizers

Leftover Turkey Taquitos

Got leftover Thanksgiving turkey? Of course you do! These Turkey Taquitos are one of my favorite ways to use up leftovers and they’re so easy to make!

First of all, taquitos are just fun. I mean that’s just a pure fact. But also, they’re really really tasty. This version calls for leftover turkey (obviously) but you could make them with chicken too. The turkey get’s tossed in delicious adobo sauce and then rolled up and fried to crispy perfection. Read through this post for tips on how to make the best taquitos!

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Obviously the taquitos themselves are delicious, but the toppings are what take them to the next level. Specifically, the crema and the cotija cheese. I live in an area in Chicago where I have access to a lot of hispanic grocery stores so finding Mexican crema is no problem for me. If you can’t find crema where you live, you can use sour cream or crème fraîche and mix it with a bit of water or lime juice to thin it out. I also like to make an adobo crema with the leftover adobo sauce from the can mixed with crema. So good!

The great thing about this recipe is that it’s really hard to mess up and you can customize it to your liking! You can add more peppers if you want spicier taquitos, switch up the cheeses, use chicken instead of turkey, switch up the spices. Whatever you want! The real trick is to get the taquito technique down. Once you get the hang of it, rolling the taquitos is easy, but there are a few important tricks to keep in mind.

The corn tortillas need to be pliable in order to roll the taquitos—you don’t want any tears! To make the tortillas pliable, I like to wrap a damp paper towel around them and microwave them for about 20 seconds. Then, while you’re rolling your taquitos, keep the tortillas under the paper towel and only take one out at a time. Make sure to have your filling mixed and your oil heating up before you microwave the tortillas.

Speaking of the oil, it needs to be between 350 and 375 degrees to achieve perfect, crispy taquitos. I use my instant read thermometer to check the temp. You can use a candy thermometer as well. These taquitos are shallow fried, not deep fried, so the oil shouldn’t take too long to heat up. Make sure to use a neutral oil like canola for frying.

Frying the taquitos in batches (3-4 at a time) helps keep the taquitos crispy. I know it can be tempting to just load them all in there, but don’t! If you add too many at a time, it will lower the temperature of the oil and the result will be a soggier, oilier taquito. No thanks to that. They only need about 1 minute on each side and then you can transfer them straight to a cooling rack or a paper towel lined plate. I like to give them a little sprinkle of salt right when they come out of the oil.

Once you’ve fried all your taquitos, plate them up, load up the toppings, and start eating! I promise, you’ll want to make a whole Thanksgiving turkey again just to have more of these taquitos.

Leftover Turkey Taquitos

These Turkey Taquitos are one of my favorite ways to use up leftovers and they're so easy to make!

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Ingredients

For the Taquitos

3 Cups cooked turkey shredded
1 Teaspoon cumin
1 Teaspoon ancho pepper
½ Teaspoon garlic powder
8 Ounces cream cheese at room temperature
3 Chipotes in adobo chopped
3 Tablespoons adobo sauce from the can
2 Cups shredded cheese such as Chihuahua, Cheddar, Monterey Jack or a blend
kosher salt to taste
16-20 6 Inch corn tortillas
Oil for frying

For the toppings

Cotija cheese
Mexican crema
Lettuce, shredded
Salsa
Guacamole
Lime wedges

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, peppers and adobo sauce, cumin, ancho pepper, garlic powder and cheese. Fold in the shredded turkey. Season with salt to taste.
Put the tortillas on a plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave for 15-20 seconds so they become pliable. Working with one tortilla at a time and keeping the rest under the damp paper towel, add about 2 tablespoons of the filling to the tortilla in a line and roll up tightly. Place the filled tortillas on a plate or baking sheet, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
In a cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet, heat ½ inch of oil to 350 degrees. Fry the taquitos in batches starting with the seam side down, and then flipping; about 1 min on each side. Transfer the fried taquitos to a cooling rack or a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat with the remaining taquitos.
Just before serving, drizzle the taquitos with Mexican crema and sprinkle Cotija cheese on top. Serve with shredded lettuce, salsa, guacamole, and lime wedges.
Enjoy!

Keyword Appetizers, Game Day, Main Dishes, Party Food, Thanksgiving

September 15, 2021 Appetizers

Fried Pumpkin Goat Cheese Balls

These Fried Goat Cheese Balls have a very special guest star: Pumpkin! These fall flavors come together perfectly for an easy and delicious bite sized appetizer. Perfect to serve from fall through the holidays!

Pumpkin and goat cheese go perfectly together. The tangy goat cheese is balanced out by the creamy, slightly sweet flavor of the pumpkin. Add in some sage, garlic and a pinch of nutmeg, and it all comes together beautifully. Then the best part, they get rolled in panko breadcrumbs and fried to crispy perfection!

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These goat cheese balls are easy to make, but they do take a bit of time because you have to freeze them—twice! Okay, not actually a full freeze, but you do have to put the goat cheese mixture into the freezer for a bit, just so that it becomes firm enough to roll into balls. Then, after you've rolled and breaded the goat cheese mixture, you'll pop them back into the freezer before frying them. I know these may seem like annoying steps, but they are so important! If the goat cheese is too warm when it goes into the hot oil, it'll melt everywhere and become a mess. Don't skip the freezing steps!!

So how do you make these pumpkin goat cheese balls? Easy! First you'll mix the pumpkin, goat cheese, garlic, sage, nutmeg and salt together in a bowl. I like to use a fork to mash the goat cheese with the pumpkin more easily. Make sure the mixture is well combined and then put the whole bowl in the freezer for about 30 minutes to firm up before rolling. I like to set up the "breading station" during this time.

Next, roll the goat cheese mixture into balls a little smaller than a golf ball and then bread each one. Remember, you've got to freeze these before frying them, so line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and put the goat cheese balls on the baking sheet as you bread them. Start by rolling the ball through the flour, then the beaten eggs, and then the panko breadcrumbs. Repeat with the rest of the goat cheese mixture and then put the baking sheet with the breaded balls into the freezer for another 30 minutes.

Now it's time to fry! Heat about 3 inches of canola oil in a saucepan until it reaches 350 degrees. You want to stay in the 350-375 range for frying, so adjust the heat to maintain that temperature as needed. Fry the goat cheese balls in batches (I like to do 4-5 at a time) until they're golden brown and crispy, then remove them with a slotted spoon or spider to a paper towel lined plate. They only take about a minute to fry, so keep an eye on them! Make sure to sprinkle the goat cheese balls with a bit of salt as they come out of the fryer. After all of the goat cheese balls have been fried, I like to quickly fry a few sage leaves for garnish.

Finally, drizzle the goat cheese balls with a little hot honey before serving. I LOVE this one, and always have it at home. If you prefer, you can use regular honey instead. I just love the little kick from the hot honey.

Fried Pumpkin Goat Cheese Balls

These fall flavors come together perfectly for an easy and delicious bite sized appetizer. Perfect to serve from fall through the holidays!

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Prep Time 1 hr 10 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 1 hr 20 mins

Course Appetizer

Servings 15

Ingredients

1 8 Ounce log goat cheese
¾ Cup pumpkin puree
1 Large garlic clove finely minced
1 Tablespoon fresh sage finely minced, plus more for garnish
½ Teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ Teaspoon nutmeg
2 Cups panko breadcrumbs
1 Cup all purpose flour
2 Large eggs at room temperature, beaten
Canola oil for frying
Flaky sea salt for serving
Hot honey for serving

Instructions

In a bowl, mix the goat cheese, pumpkin, garlic, sage, nutmeg and salt until well combined. Put the bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes for the goat cheese mixture to harden up.
Meanwhile, prepare the breading station. Place the flour, beaten eggs, and panko breadcrumbs in 3 shallow bowls.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and spray lightly with oil. Roll the goat cheese mixture into small balls (a little smaller than a golf ball) and bread them by coating them in the flour first, then the eggs, and finally the panko breadcrumbs. Repeat with the rest of the goat cheese mixture and place each breaded ball onto the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for another 20-30 minutes before frying.
Heat a saucepan with 3 inches of canola oil to 350-375 degrees. Fry the goat cheese balls in batches, 4-5 at a time, until golden brown and crispy; 1-2 minutes. With a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the goat cheese balls to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat with the remaining goat cheese balls. Add a few sage leaves to the oil and fry for 30 seconds, until crispy for garnish.
Drizzle the pumpkin goat cheese balls with hot honey and serve. Enjoy!

September 4, 2021 Recipes

Spiced Zucchini Bread

This zucchini bread is so flavorful and so easy to make! It's perfect to make during the summer, when zucchini is in abundance, but you can definitely make it year round as well. If you grow your own zucchini, I can't think of a better way to use it all up than to make this bread!

Since there's zucchini in this bread, it's a health food, right? Basically, this bread is a salad. More salads should come in bread form, if you ask me. This one is especially delicious, because it's spiced!

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Sure, there's usually cinnamon in zucchini bread, but what makes this zucchini special (and mored spiced) is the addition of allspice and a little bit of cayenne pepper. The allspice gives this bread a warm, cozy flavor that's reminiscent of fall (hey, it's almost fall!) and the cayenne gives it a nice little kick. You wouldn't think that the small amount of cayenne in this bread would do much but really, it's not called a spiced bread for nothing! It's not spicy per se, but you can definitely taste that little kick of pepper and for lack of a better word, it's just fun! I also love adding some chopped walnuts to this bread but that's totally optional—up to you!

Somehow, this zucchini bread tastes even better the next day, if it lasts that long. It can be stored easily in an airtight container, left out on the counter. If you're like me, you'll be sneaking slivers of this bread all day. I just can't help it!

The goal for this bread is to make sure that it stays moist, but not undercooked. Using applesauce in the bread helps to keep the bread moist, but the real trick is checking the bread to see if it's done starting at the 45 min mark. The bread can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour but that depends on your oven (no two ovens are alike!) and the amount of moisture in your zucchini. Test the bread with a toothpick starting at the 45 minute mark and when the toothpick comes out clean, it's done!

Now the hardest part: you have to let the bread rest! I know it can be tempting to slice into the bread right away, but you have to resist! Let the bread rest for 15-20 minutes on a cooling rack before slicing.

I like to eat this zucchini bread on it's own, but it's great with butter too. I hope you love it!

Spiced Zucchini Bread

This zucchini bread is so flavorful and so easy to make! It’s perfect to make during the summer, when zucchini is in abundance, but can be made year round as well.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 50 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Servings 8

Ingredients

2 Cups all purpose flour
1 Teaspoon kosher salt
1 Teaspoon cinnamon
½ Teaspoon allspice
½ Teaspoon cayenne
1 Teaspoon baking soda
½ Teaspoon baking powder
2 Cups grated zucchini tightly packed
1 Cup brown sugar
¾ Cup granulated sugar
½ Cup unsweetened applesauce
½ Cup vegetable oil
2 Large eggs
2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ Cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne, baking soda, and baking powder.
In another bowl, combine the zucchini, applesauce, eggs, vanilla extract, and oil.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on your oven and the moisture content of the zucchini. Test the bread with a toothpick starting at 45 minutes, when the toothpick comes out clean, the bread is done.
Let the bread cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Keyword baking

August 18, 2021 Pizza

Simple Pizza Sauce

The only pizza sauce you'll ever need! This is how I make the sauce for 99% of the pizzas I make at home. It's simple, flavorful and so easy to make!

This sauce is similar to the sauce you would find on a Neapolitan style pizza. It's made with just tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt and dried oregano. A true Neapolitan pizza wouldn't have the oregano (or garlic) in there, but I love the classic "pizza" flavor it gives to the sauce.

The real key to this sauce is the tomatoes. You need, need, NEED to use good quality tomatoes! I promise it makes a huge difference. I always choose whole tomatoes (I'll link some faves below!) and break them up by hand. If you don't want to use your hands, you can add the tomatoes to a food processor and pulse them until you get to the desired consistency. In my opinion, a sauce with a little chunkiness has a better texture for pizza.

So here's what I do: I place a strainer over a bowl and pour the can of tomatoes, along with their juices, into it. The juices will go into the bowl and you'll be left with the whole tomatoes in the strainer. Working in the strainer, I crush the tomatoes by hand until I get a bunch of little pieces of tomato. Transfer the hand crushed tomatoes to a separate bowl and then add a few spoonfuls of the strained tomato juice from the other bowl. Separating the whole tomatoes from the juice and then adding the juice back in lets you control the consistency of the sauce.

Once you've got the tomato portion of the sauce, you'll add in one clove of finely minced garlic. Yes, only ONE clove. I know it can be tempting to load up the garlic but this is an uncooked sauce—too much raw garlic will overpower the tomatoes! Then add olive oil, salt and dried oregano.

Even though the sauce is super quick and easy, I like to make it in the beginning of the pizza making process, and let it sit while I pre-heat the oven, shred the cheese and stretch the dough. That way, the flavors will have time to meld. You can make the sauce a day in advance but it will have a much stronger garlic flavor from the raw garlic.

This recipe is also a great base for jazzier pizza sauces! You can make the recipe as stated and then add in chopped Calabrian chiles for a spicier sauce or capers for a Puttanesca-esque sauce. Play around and see what you like! This simple pizza sauce is always a great jumping off point.

You might be wondering what to do with that leftover tomato juice after making this sauce, and to that I say: make a Bloody Mary.

Simple Pizza Sauce

The only pizza sauce you’ll ever need! This is how I make the sauce for 99% of the pizzas I make at home. It’s simple, flavorful and so easy to make!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 0 mins

Total Time 10 mins

Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

1 28 Ounce Can whole Italian Tomatoes
Clove garlic finely minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ Teaspoon kosher salt
¼-1/2 Teaspoon dried oregano to taste

Instructions

Place a strainer over a large bowl and pour the tomatoes into it, separating the whole tomatoes from the juice. Working in the strainer, crush the tomatoes into small chunks by hand. Transfer the crushed tomatoes to a separate bowl. Stir spoonfuls of the strained tomato juice into the crushed tomatoes until you've reached the desired consistency for your sauce. Store the remaining tomato juice for another use.
Add the olive oil, garlic, salt and oregano to the sauce. Stir and adjust seasoning to taste.
Make a pizza!

Keyword pizza, pizza sauce, sauces

August 18, 2021 Burgers

Elote Burgers

Say hello to your new favorite summertime burger! These Elote Burgers are bursting with fresh, summer flavors and juicy delicious beef. You're definitely going to want to try these!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of BUBBA burger. All opinions are 100% mine.

*This post may contain affiliate links. See disclosure for further details.

The best part about these burgers is how easy they are to make! The elote topping is quick and easy to whip up and it works so well with the juicy burgers. I love using BUBBA burgers because they're quick and delicious! They are cooked from frozen and are ready in under 10 minutes, so easy! I always keep a few boxes in my freezer. I used the Original burgers for this recipe, but you could use the Angus burgers as well! I cooked the burgers in my cast iron pan and they were perfect—juicy on the inside with a nice crust on the outside. Of course, you can grill them too if you prefer!

For the cheese, I went with brick cheese and it melted perfectly! Chihuahua or Monterey Jack would also be great for this recipe.

Now, let's talk about the topping! You've probably heard of elotes before. If not, elote is the name for a popular Mexican street food where corn is grilled and then slathered with mayo, cotija cheese, chili powder and lime. It's served on the cob. The burger topping is my spin on elotes, but off the cob and on the burger!

First you'll cook the fresh corn in a cast iron pan until it's softened and slightly charred. Then, remove the corn to a mixing bowl to combine with the rest of the ingredients. Then add the burgers to the same cast iron pan to cook. Bonus: you only have to clean one pan!

To cook the burgers, you'll add them (from frozen!) to the cast iron pan and cook the first side for about 5 minutes, then flip. You'll know it's time to flip the burgers when you see the juices forming on the patty. Once flipped, add your cheese and cook on the second side for another 5 minutes. That's it! Next, put the burgers on the buns and load up the elotes! You can add some avocado if you want, too. So good!

I know you're going to love these burgers as much as I do! Find more inspiration here!

Elote Burgers

Say hello to your new favorite summertime burger! These Elote Burgers are bursting with fresh, summer flavors and juicy delicious beef.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Servings 4

Ingredients

For the Elote topping

3 Cups fresh corn kernels (from about 4 ears of corn)
1 Tablespoon avocado oil
kosher salt to taste
½ Cup mayonnaise
1 4 Ounce can green chiles
3 Tablespoons cotija cheese
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
¼ Teaspoon ancho chile powder
2 Green onions green parts only, thinly sliced
Fresh cilantro roughly chopped (optional)
Jalapeño finely minced (optional)

For the Burgers

4 Original BUBBA Burgers frozen
4 Burger buns
8 Slices Brick, Chihuahua, or Monterey Jack cheese
Avocado (optional)
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Make the elote topping. Heat the avocado oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the corn, season with salt, and cook until softened and well charred; about 10 minutes.
Transfer the corn to a large mixing bowl and add the mayo, green chiles, cheese, lime juice, green onions and chili powder. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
Add the BUBBA burgers to the same cast iron pan and season with coarse salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes on the first side or until juices start to form on the patties. Flip the burgers and top with two slices of cheese each, cook for an additional 5 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160F.
Place the burgers on the buns and pile on the elote topping.
Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Keyword Burger, cheeseburger, Elotes

August 16, 2021 Recipes

Summertime Turkey Sandwich

I've recently come to the conclusion that I need to share more sandwiches on the blog. I mean, people love sandwiches! This is a damn good sandwich and it deserves a spot on the blog, so here ya go!

What makes it a "Summertime" Turkey Sandwich, you ask? The tomatoes. And the basil. Of course, you can buy tomatoes and basil year round but summer tomatoes just hit different—so juicy and flavorful! You won't be able to buy that at the grocery store in the middle of winter. You CAN make this sandwich in the winter, sure. It's not like there is some sort of sandwich police force that's going to stop you. But you absolutely SHOULD be making these in the summer. That's all I'm saying.

Alright, so what's in this thing?! Smoked turkey, fontina, tomatoes, basil, mayo. Sounds pretty simple, eh? It is! But it's the quality of the ingredients, and how you treat them that make this sandwich unbelievable.

First, let's talk about the bread. It's sourdough. It's pan toasted with butter. It's rubbed with garlic. The bread is arguably the most important part of a sandwich so you've gotta treat it right. If you live in Chicago, I highly recommend getting your hands on Publican Quality Bread! I love the Spence Sourdough but this time I got the Sourdough Pullman which is perfect for sandwiches.

I like to add a little unsalted butter to a nonstick pan and toast the bread in there. You'll toast one side so that it's pretty well crispy and the other side will get a lighter toasting. The lighter toasting will be the inside of your sandwich! When you're done pan toasting the bread, rub the insides (lighter toasted sides) with a garlic clove. Next, spread a layer of mayo on one piece of the bread and pile the cheese on the other piece.

What cheese are we using? Fontina! Am I the only one who feels like fontina isn't appreciated as much as it should be? It's one of my go-to cheeses for sandwiches, melts and pizza! It's creamy, buttery and very delicious on this sandwich. If you can't find fontina, you can substitute brick cheese, butterkase, or havarti. Next, pile on the turkey! I used a slow smoked turkey and it was awesome.

About these summer tomatoes, you gotta season them! Slap those maters on top of the mayo and hit them with some salt and pepper. I like to use flaky sea salt like Maldon for tomatoes, but good old kosher salt is also great. Fresh cracked pepper is key. Don't be shy with the fresh basil, get all those summer flavors!

That's it—you're ready for an excellent sandwich!

Summertime Turkey Sandwich

Sourdough toasted and rubbed with garlic, mayo, fontina, smoked turkey, juicy summer tomatoes and fresh basil. So delicious!

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 5 mins

Total Time 10 mins

Course Main Course

Servings 1

Ingredients

2 Slices sourdough bread
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 Garlic clove
Mayonnaise measure with your heart
2 Slices fontina cheese
4 Slices slow smoked turkey
Summer tomatoes sliced
Fresh Basil torn
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Add half of the butter to a nonstick pan over medium high heat. Add the two slices of bread and toast, until golden brown and charred at the edges. Add the second half of the butter, flip the bread and toast the second side until lightly golden brown. Rub the lightly toasted sides of the bread with the garlic clove.
Smear mayo on the inside of one slice of bread and lay the cheese slices on the other slice so that the heat of the bread can lightly melt the cheese.
Lay the tomatoes on top of the mayo and season well with salt and pepper. Then pile the basil on top of the tomatoes. Add the turkey and close the sandwich up.
Cut the sandwich in half and enjoy straight away. Yay for summer tomatoes!

Keyword sandwich, sourdough, tomato basil, tomato season, turkey sandwich

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