Mini Meatloaves

Ingredients:
1 lb gr turkey OR 1 lb gr beef
6 oz package stuffing mix
1 cup water
1 tsp garlic powder
BBQ Sauce
3/4 c cheddar cheese to taste

Mix gr meat, stuffing mix, water and garlic powder. Press into 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray. Make indentations in the center of each loaf with the back of a spoon; fill each evenly with BBQ sauce. Bake 30 minutes or until meat loaves are done. Top with cheese, bake 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted.

This recipe came from our dear friend Kara Van Kooten. Its become a favorite. Can be made with ground beef or ground turkey.

Anytime Turkey

1 slightly beaten egg
1/2 c. milk
1 c. herbed seasoned stuffing mix, crushed
1 lb gr turkey
2 T cooking oil
16 ounce can whole cranberry sauce
1/2 c dry white wine
2 t chicken bouillon
2 c hot cooked noodles, or rice

Combine egg & milk. Stir in stuffing. Add turkey and mix well. Shape mixture into 8 4×1 inch logs. Heat oil in 12 inch skillet. Brown meat logs, drain. Combine cranberry sauce, wine, & bouillon. Pour over meat. Boil, reduce heat, simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover, cook for 5 minutes or until sauce is desired consistency. Serve over noodles.

This meal is like Thanksgiving dinner in 20 minutes! So absolutely delicious. Another great recipe from Bill.

Bill’s Chicken & Biscuits

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 small onion
2 sticks celery chopped
1 can cream of celery or cream of chicken soup
1/2 can of milk
poultry seasoning (to taste)
thyme (to taste)
sage (to taste)
Bisquick mix for biscuits

Make biscuits according to Bisquick directions. Cut up chicken into bite size pieces and fry with butter. Add onion and celery and additional 4 Tbs butter as needed. When chicken is cooked, add can of soup. Add milk and keep stirring. If needed, add more milk until desired thickness. Add spices and serve over biscuits.

This recipe is from Brian’s bachelor days. It is so delicious we had to keep it in the rotation.

Indian Inspired Chicken

Ingredients:
1 medium onion chopped
1 – 2 garlic cloves, minced or chopped
1 – 2 chicken breasts, chopped (or I use leftover chicken picked off a chicken roast)
1 med sweet potato, cubed
2 cups chicken broth
1 can chickpeas
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (or 1 – 2 fresh tomatoes, diced)
1/2 bag frozen spinach
1 t cumin
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t coriander
salt and pepper to taste.

Add some oil to pan and cook onions and garlic until softened. If using raw chicken, add cubed chicken now and cook until mostly done (if using leftover cooked chicken, can add toward the end as it just needs to be warmed up). Add sweet potatoes, chicken broth, tomatoes, and spices. Simmer until sweet potatoes are mostly done – 15 minutes or so. Can add additional liquid if needed. Add chickpeas (drained and rinsed) and spinach. Cook until spinach and chickpeas are warm and sauce is desired consistency. Can add 1 t cornstarch to thicken sauce if needed. Serve over desired grain (rice, cous cous, quinoa, noodles…)

For awhile I was calling this recipe chicken marsala, and then my mom told me that it is nothing like chicken marsala. I created this recipe when I had some leftover chicken and a can of chickpeas. I made it with a few friends and they added their own additions — Jaclyn added coconut milk, and Brooke added chicken soup. All three options are excellent!

Chicken with 40 cloves of Garlic

Ingredients:

3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves
2 (3 1/2-pound) chickens, cut into eighths
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
3 tablespoons Cognac, divided
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel. Set aside.

Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, saute the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don’t want to pierce the skin with a fork. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to saute all the chicken in batches. Remove the last chicken to the plate and add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of Cognac and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste; it should be very flavorful because chicken tends to be bland. Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

This recipe, another of Ina Garten’s which was introduced to us by the Bunsters has become a favorite. So much so that Brian asked for it for his birthday dinner this year. It is surprisingly sweet. We usually serve it with cous cous and green beans.

Roast Chicken with Vegetables

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
1/2 stick butter
salt and pepper
dry or fresh rosemary
5 – 6 red potatoes, quartered
3 – 4 carrots, peeled and quartered
1 green pepper, cut into bite size chunks
1 medium onion, corsely chopped
1 lemon, sliced
3 – 4 cloves garlic

Rinse chicken and take out innerds. Pat dry. Place rosemary sprigs and lemon wedges inside chicken cavity along with salt and pepper. Melt butter and rub over chicken generously. Season skin with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Place chicken breast side down in large roasting pan. Crush garlic cloves and place underneath chicken (so they don’t burn). Mix vegetables, and toss with melted butter, salt, pepper, rosemary, and lemon slices. Cook in oven at 400 for 30 minutes, then cover and cook 45 minutes longer at 350, basting occasionally.
When chicken is done, let set 10 minutes. Slice, pour all juices over vegetables. Serve.

This recipe came from a recipe book we received for our wedding called The Newlyweds Cookbook. I love making this meal, because it actually is more like 4 or 5 meals. Although it is great for dinner parties, in which there wouldn’t be many leftovers, Brian and I make this for just the two of us, and then have enough leftover meat for another dinner and for lunch sandwiches. I also pick the bones and use the picked chicken in my Indian-inspired chicken dish, and then use the bones to make about 10 cups of chicken stock, which I use in all my meals. So, that turns out to be:
1. Roast Chicken for 2 nights
2. Chicken Sandwiches
3. Indian-inspired chicken
4. Chicken Stock

Sounds like a great deal to me. And did I mention it is delicious? Goes great with fresh baked bread or Pillsbury crescent rolls.

Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Vegetables

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
1 package fully cooked sausage (we like chicken & garlic sausage)
1 tomato, diced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced (we love baby bella)
1 clove garlic
1 small onion chopped
1 cup frozen or fresh spinach
1/2 t cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Cut spaghetti squash in half, remove seeds, and brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place flesh side down on cookie sheet and bake in oven at 400 for 30 – 45 minutes (until flesh can be scooped out with a fork).

While squash is cooking, chop veggies and sausage. Saute onions and garlic in pan. Add sausage and brown. Add spinach, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. When spaghetti squash is cooked, pull out of oven and let cool enough to handle. Scrape out strands with fork into large bowl. Add onion and sausage mixture. Add tomatoes and toss until mixed. Serve hot.

The inspiration for this dish was my mom who makes a variety of delicious spaghetti squash recipes and other low-carb meals.

Sweet Potato Chili

Ingredients:

1 Tbs canola oil
2 minced garlic cloves
1 cup diced small onion
1 1/4 lbs ground turkey
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained/rinsed
1 medium sweet potato, diced
1 cup water
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs ground cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat the oil. Add garlic and cook till golden. Add onion and cook until soft.
Add turkey and cook. Stir in tomatoes, beans, potato, water, corn, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and salt. Cover, bring to boil, Reduce heat and cook at low boil till potatoes are tender. 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy with Fresh Baked Bread.

This recipe is from my sister-in-law, Melissa, who got it from her sister-in-law, Dyane. Guess I need to pass it along to my sister-in-law…