Zucchini Parmesan

I tried eggplant parmesan for the first time last week. It was delicious! I had a bunch of extra zucchini laying around so I decided to try my hand at a zucchini based recreation. I was very pleased with the way that it turned out.  Add this dish to my zucchini-harvest repertoire.  

Zucchini Parmesan
Source: Adapted from Handle the Heat

Ingredients:
3 large zucchini, sliced into 1/3-inch coins
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated and divided in half
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs (I used panko bread crumbs with italian seasoning)
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1 bottle marinara sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 package spaghetti linguine noodles, cooked & drained

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450. Coat a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Blot zucchini coins with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Place zucchini in a medium bowl and drizzle with olive oil, turning to coat each piece. In a separate bowl, combine half the parmesan, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Dip each zucchini coin into the parmesan mixture, turning to coat and pressing the breading slightly to ensure it sticks. Place breaded zucchini coins in one even layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until browned and crisp. 

Reduce the oven temperature to 400. Place noodles in bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and toss with half the marinara sauce. Place a layer of remaining marinara sauce over the top of the noodles. Layer one third of the crisp zucchini coins over marinara, overlapping if necessary. Sprinkle zucchini layer with mozzarella, cheddar and the remaining parmesan. Repeat the layers until the zucchini is gone, depending on the size of your baking dish, ending with a sprinkling of cheese.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.

Steak Bites

I had some leftover sirloin steak to use and I came across this recipe from the pioneer woman. Oh my good gracious. She calls them her gourmet steak bites and they taste better than the last 5 steaks I've bought at a restaurant put together. Melt in your mouth goodness. (I didn't even use A1 sauce when eating them if that tells you anything.) I paired this with some garlic mashed potatoes and you would have thought that David was in H-e-a-v-e-n.

Steak Bites
Source: The Pioneer Woman (check out her page for beautiful pictures and some great tips)

Ingredients:
1 pound sirloin steak
Salt & pepper, to taste

Season salt, to taste
2 Tablespoons Butter

Directions:
Cut steak into 1-inch cubes cutting off any fat or gristle as you go.Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and season salt. Toss the meat around a bit to thoroughly coat with the seasonings.

Heat a skillet over medium high to high heat. As the pan heats, add about 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Allow the butter to melt, then brown, before you add the meat.

Place some of the meat in the pan in a single layer. It should sizzle loudly when it hits the pan – if it doesn’t, the pan isn’t hot enough. Don’t stir or disrupt the meat for 30-45 seconds. You want it to sizzle and brown on one side. Scoop as many steak bites as you can with your spatula and flip them over. Repeat until all the meat is turned. Cook for an additional 30 to 45 seconds—just long enough to sear the outside of the meat but NOT cook the inside.

Remove the meat to a clean plate. Add a little more butter to the pan and repeat the cooking process with the next batch just as before. Lastly, when all the meat is nicely browned and removed to the plate, pour all that browned/blackened butter all over the meat.

Serve with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. 

Chicken & Zucchini (tex-mex)

I'm always looking for good zucchini recipes for our summer zucchini harvest (or in cases like this year, my parents zucchini harvest that they have been so generous to share with us). I like this one because most of my zucchini dishes are pasta-based, but this is a delicious & fresh use for that yummy zucchini.

Tex-Mex Chicken & Zucchini
Source: Adapted from iFoodReal

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb boneless & skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
1 tbsp cumin, divided
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup corn, frozen or fresh
14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp chili powder
1 large zucchini, diced
1 cup Tex Mex or cheddar cheese

optional, top with:

1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped

(The original recipe also calls for: 2 medium bell peppers, chopped and 14 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed. I didn't have these on hand when I made the dish, and it was still super yummy. But next time I think I'd definitely make sure to add in the black beans.) 

Directions:
Add olive oil to large skillet and heat to medium. Add onion and garlic, then saute until translucent. Add bell pepper and saute for a few more minutes. Move mixture to a side of the skillet and add chicken. Sprinkle with 1 tsp cumin, salt and black pepper. Saute until golden brown, about 5 -7 minutes.

Add corn, beans, tomatoes, chili powder and remaining cumin. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add zucchini and stir. Sprinkle with cheese, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Top with green onions and cilantro. Serve hot.

BBQ Pasta

Okay. I will be the first to admit that this doesn't sound all that appealing. I don't know why, but the thought of barbecue sauce on pasta doesn't make us jump up and down with excitement. But I've made this dish several times and it's always super delicious. I'm telling you, even as I type this up - it doesn't sound amazing, but it really is good!

BBQ Pasta
Source: The Peaden Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 package campanelle pasta (I've also used spaghtetti or linguine noodles for this and it was great.)
2 cups shredded pork
1 cup corn
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 bottle BBQ sauce
Cheese

Directions:
Cook pasta, drain, and place in 9x13 pan. Add in corn, tomatoes, pork and mix. Toss with BBQ sauce and top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until dish is heated through and cheese is melted on top.

Middleton Tacos

Our friends the Middletons make the most amazing tacos. We begged for their recipe so we could add it to our repertoire. Toasted corn tortillas, melted cheese, tender marinated meat, and a avocado pico for the top. Mmmmm. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. When the Middletons invited us over for dinner, they didn't know that their name would forever live on in our dinner rotation - because we call this dish "Middleton Tacos." (Chicken tacos doesn't seem to do the dish justice.) 

Middleton Tacos

Source: Mike and Ali Middleton

Ingredients: 

Chicken

Marinade - equal parts, garlic powder, cumin, season salt, pepper, paprika, coriander, chili powder, and Caldo de Tomate, and lime juice + enough vegetable oil to coat/cover the chicken. 

Corn tortillas

Cheese

Lettuce

Avocado Pico - equal parts diced tomatoes, onion, avocado, and cilantro

(For three chicken breasts, I used about one teaspoon of each spice for the marinade and about 1 1/2 -2 cups of oil. I also used 2 tomatoes, 2 avocados, and one onion.) 

Directions: 

The night before, slice chicken breasts into tenders (allowing more of the meat to come into contact with the marinade). Combine marinade spices and oil.  Pour marinade over chicken in a tupperware container and thoroughly coat chicken. Let sit overnight. 

Grill chicken until cooked through. Slice into thin strips (or you could shred). 

Place corn tortillas on a griddle, toast on one side (abt. 1 minute) then flip and cover with cheese. When cheese is melted, add chicken, pico mixture, and lettuce - and serve! 

*When making this for a group of people, you can start crisping up the tortillas and melting the cheese right before serving, then place the tortillas on a cookie sheet. You can cover them with parchment paper and then add a second layer of tortillas for people to grab as they start making their tacos. But don't use wax paper or the cheese will stick. It's also good to have someone manning the griddle to keep the warm tortillas coming. 

Breakfast Casserole

David and I ate a breakfast casserole at a ward function a while back and talked for days about how delicious it was. Unfortunately, we didn't know who made it and considering the fact that there were approximately 20 potato/egg casseroles there, we didn't think that it would be the easiest route to ask for the recipe on the ward facebook page.  So we started scouring the internet for a recipe that looked similar and we found this one. Potatoes, eggs, sausage, cheese. Mmmm. We'll definitely make it again. 

Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Source: Adapted from The Best Blog Recipes

Ingredients:
1 lb sausage
1 cup onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 20-oz bag of frozen potato cubes, thawed
5 eggs
½ cup milk
2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

⅓ cup sour cream

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375° degrees.
Place frozen potato cubes in a large mixing bowl and set aside. In a large skillet heat the butter, then add onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add to bowl of potatoes.
Place sausage in the hot skillet and cook until it's browned. Add sausage to your bowl of potatoes.

In a small mixing bowl combine salt, black pepper, eggs, and milk. Pour egg mixture into bowl of potatoes. Add sour cream and stir well.

Top your casserole with the remaining ½ cup of cheese.

Place in a 9 x 13 casserole dish and bake for about 20 minutes with the top covered with foil. Remove foil and continue to bake for about 15-20 minutes and check to see if your eggs are set in the middle of the casserole. Cook until eggs are set and casserole is completely cooked through. 

Italian Parmesan Oven Potatoes

These yummy potatoes are a little bit crispy with super soft insides and a simple (but yummy) flavor that pairs well with a variety of dishes. Meatloaf, pork roast, BBQ chicken, etc... The panko bread crumbs add just a tiny bit of an extra crunch.

Italian Parmesan Oven Potatoes
Source: Adapted from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

Ingredients:
4-6 russet potatoes
¼ cup olive oil, divided 

1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray an 8x10-inch casserole dish with Pam/oil. Peel and cut the potatoes in half lengthwise then lay each half flat and slice into ½-inch wide semi-circles. Place in pot of boiling water for 5 minutes to soften. Remove from water and let cool 2-3 minutes.  In a separate bowl, combine the italian seasoning, garlic, salt, pepper, panko crumbs and half the Parmesan.

Place the potatoes in a mixing bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of oil.  Add seasoning/bread crumb mixtures and toss well. Pour into the casserole dish cover with any mixture left in the bowl. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan over the top and drizzle with a tablespoon of oil.

Bake 45-55 minutes. 

Parmesan Baked Pork Chops

I like pork chops, even if they aren't as inexpensive as they once were. They are still a good change up from our regular chicken and I like to find different ways to prepare them. I made these for dinner and they were absolutely a success. I liked them, they were pretty easy and they went great with our potatoes and corn on the cob. (But really, what doesn't go great with corn on the cob? Yum!) 

Parmesan Baked Pork Chops
Source:  Janet's Appalachian Kitchen

Ingredients:
4 boneless pork chops
1 T. olive oil
1 C. parmesan cheese
1 C. Italian bread crumbs
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder

Directions:
On a plate combine the last 4 ingredients. Rub the pork chops with olive oil and then dip (coat) each one in the cheese mixture. Press the mixture over the pork chops to make sure they are well covered in it. Line a pan with tin foil and spray with cooking spray. Place the pork chops on the pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Naan - Indian Flatbread

I've had Naan before and it was delicious. I decided to try my hand at making it at home and I was surprised at how easy it was! It wasn't as bubbly as I had hoped it would be, but it was still light and fluffy and super yummy. I served it with this Indian Chicken Curry. Yum!

Naan - Indian Flatbread

Source: AllRecipes, by Mic

Ingredients:
1 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

Note: I added 1/2 tsp baking soda because my yeast didn't seem to activate correctly. I also opted not to use a grill, but just used a grill pan on my stovetop instead. 

Indian Chicken Curry

This summer our local library is holding a Summer Reading Program for both kids and adults. It's been fun to branch out a bit to read some different books and do some different activities. One of the items to check off is "Check out a Cookbook and try a new recipe". I was excited, and ended up with "The Convenience Cook" (I will say that flipping through cookbooks is not the easiest thing of the world when trying to handle a baby and 3-year-old). It was interesting to read through the authors comments about her recipes. I ended up choosing to try the Chicken Curry and I'm glad that I did! I had an awesome experience at an Indian restaurant back in my college days and I've wanted to try to replicate that, but none of the curry recipes I've come across have really done it for me. This one was SO simple, came together really quick, and was delicious! I like feeling like I'm introducing different flavors to my kids, and I think that this is something that is a nice change in our normal flavor profile while still being yummy, affordable, and easy. 

Indian Chicken Curry
Source: The Convenience Cook, page 109, slightly adapted. I would definitely recommend getting this cookbook - there are a lot of good recipes and great cooking tips.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup diced onion
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 tsp curry powder
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups cubed, chicken
S&P

Hot white rice
Naan, Indian Flatbread

Directions:
In a skillet, heat 1tbsp oil over medium heat. Cook chicken until golden brown, dump onto plate and set aside. Heat remaining oil in skilled, then add onion and cook until softened. Add flour and curry powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add stock and cook, stirring, until thickened. Add chicken. cover and simmer until chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve over hot rice and with warm Indian bread. Naan recipe HERE.

Hot Ham and Cheese

I picked up some hoagie bun rolls at my favorite Sara Lee Bread Outlet for super cheap and I was looking for something to do with them that was yummy and a bit more than just regular deli sandwiches. I had an idea of what I wanted and, with a few adjustments, this fit the bill! The ham and cheese, sautéed onions, and bacon combine together to create a delicious flavor profile. (I've been watching cooking shows with David, can you tell?)

Hot Ham & Cheese Sandwiches
Source: Adapted from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients:
6 hoagie buns

6 slices bacon
1/2 yellow onion
6 tablespoons salted butter, divided
1 heaping Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
12 slices deli ham (or more- depending on how much meat you like)
12 slices cheddar cheese

Directions:
Place bacon on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil. Bake in oven at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. Slice onion into thin strips. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet; add onions and cook over very low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions should turn a deep golden color and taste sweet. 

Melt 4 T butter and whisk with the mustard and Worcestershire sauce.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Brush the inside of each bun with mustard mixture. Top with ham, onions, bacon, and cheese. Brush the top of the bun with remaining butter. Repeat for remaining sandwiches. Bake for 20 minutes or until warmed through and cheese is melted. Serve hot! 

*Note: I added spinach to my sandwich after baking and it was super yummy. I'd definitely recommend it. 

BBQ Pork & Pineapple Quesadillas

The original recipe for this is a crock pot and chicken recipe. However, I had some extra shredded pork in my freezer that I was wanting to use - and when I found this I loved that it was a different take than what I usually do with our shredded pork. You could use chicken (and I probably will in the future because I like to keep shredded chicken on hand as well) - and you could put it in the crock pot, but I've written the recipe to reflect how I made (and will make in the future) this yummy dish. I love how easy it was, how I could leave the pineapple out of David's (crazy boy), and how yummy it turned out. 

BBQ Pork & Pineapple Quesadillas
Source: Adapted from Krafted Koch

Ingredients:
8 10" flour tortillas
1 lb. pork roast, cooked and shredded
1 c. BBQ sauce
1 c. onion diced
1 T oil (for sautéing onions)
4 c. fresh pineapple sliced thinly (or substitute a large can of pineapple tidbits)
2 c. shredded cheddar
½ c. BBQ sauce for spreading on tortillas
cilantro - optional garnish

Directions:
Sauté onions in a medium to large skillet until soft and starting to turn translucent. Add the cooked = and shredded pork and 1 c. BBQ sauce. Cook until warm through.

On each tortilla half, spread ½ c. meat mixture. On the other half, layer 1 Tbsp. BBQ sauce, ¼ c. cheese and ½ c. pineapple slices. Fold the quesadillas together and place quesadillas in a hot George Forman griddle for 2-4 minutes until crispy. (You could also place on a hot griddle or frying pan if you wanted to cook more than one at a time, cooking on each side for 1-2 minutes.)

Remove from heat, and slice in three sections. Serve immediately.

Overnight Sandwiches

A friend posted these sandwiches on her facebook wall as a recommendation for a meal when feeding a large group of people (i.e. baptism, blessing, etc..) They were originally called Funeral Sandwiches, but I felt that was a bit morbid and because I've never had them at a funeral, I changed them to Overnight Sandwiches - because I love that you can prepare them ahead of time and just have them ready to cook. I made a few other modifications because we didn't love the soggy bread - but we loved the sauce-soaked bread when it was crispy.

Overnight Sandwiches
Source: Clever House Wife

Ingredients:
1 package (12 ct) of King's Hawaiian Rolls

12 slices ham deli meat
Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
½ cup butter, melted
3 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs mustard
2 Tbs brown sugar
dash of onion powder

Instructions
Cut each roll in half and place bottom halves on the bottom of a baking pan. Layer with ham slices and cheese and place the top half back on.
Mix together the butter, Worcestershire, mustard, brown sugar and onion powder. Pour sauce over sandwiches, making sure to coat each top. It's okay if you drip over the edges - but don't pour so much that the bottoms become super-soggy. Cover tightly and marinate anywhere from 4-24 hours. Overnight works best!

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake for 15 minutes uncovered, or until cheese is melted and bun tops are a bit golden and crispy.

Easy Beef Stroganoff

I have to admit, our very very favorite stroganoff is this Beef Stroganoff. Almost always, I'd rather take the time to make that if I'm going to plan stroganoff for dinner. But every once in a while when I need a quick meal, or I have leftover hamburger and am not feeling any of my mexican dishes - this is a great option. Another Peaden family recipe, although I believe this one is a more recent addition to their meal rotation (I think Amy found it and they all loved it). It's yummy and filling, and oh-so-easy.

Easy Beef Stroganoff
Source: Sue & Amy Peaden

Ingredients:
1/2 lb hamburger (the original recipe calls for a whole pound, but we like more sauce in our sauce:meat ratio)
1/2 C diced onions
1 C sour cream
2 T ketchup
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
2 cans cream of chicken soup
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a large frying pan, brown hamburger. When almost finished cooking, add onions and cook until translucent. (If using leftover hamburger, cook onions first and then add in hamburger to reheat.) Add in remaining ingredients and heat through. Serve over noodles or rice.