Classic Chicken Parmesan

We love comfort food in my house and this ranks right up there with all things warm and cheesy. It’s so simple, anyone can do it.

Begin with a couple of large chicken breasts and slice them horizontally. Make an assembly line of 1C of flour, 3 beaten eggs, and 2C Italian style Panko bread crumbs.

Salt and pepper your chicken and dredge them through the flour (pressing the flour in tightly), then the egg, and finally the breadcrumbs. Lay them onto a plate and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.

Now I like to prepare my homemade marinara that is super easy and about a million times better than the store bought variety. That recipe is also on this blog. If you are short on time, the jar variety is just fine.

Warm a few tablespoons of EVOO over medium heat in a sauce pan and add in the chicken. Cook 4-6 minutes per side until the chicken is cooked through.

Transfer the chicken into a prepared baking dish. Slice fresh mozzarella onto each piece.

Set oven to broil and cook until cheese is melted and bubbling.

Prepare the pasta of your choice – I like angel hair with this dish but anything is fine. Lay a spoonful of marinara on top and some shredded Parmesan cheese.

Now place a piece of chicken on top with more marinara, cheese, and parsley. Serve with garlic bread and a Caesar salad. Enjoy!

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Shrimp Enchiladas with Poblano Cream Sauce

Yes, clearly I am drawn to the same types of recipes. Modern, Mexican inspired meals are just the favorite in my house. We still have some stockpiled local shrimp (I mean, we did buy 60lbs in October🤪), so I wanted to try something new with those. Something totally fresh from all of the holiday “stuffing” that’s been happening since November.😁 Begin by melting 2tbl butter over medium heat. Now whisk in 2tbl flour and stir quickly for a couple of minutes. Slowly combine 1.5C chicken bone broth. Add in 3/4C plain Greek yogurt. Stir in 1 diced poblano (separate out 2tbl of the pepper that will be used in step 2) and 1/2tsp garlic powder. Allow mixture to thicken and then salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1C shredded Monterey Jack cheese, once melted remove from heat. Add in 2tbl chopped, fresh cilantro and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Toss 1.5lbs of peeled and deveined shrimp in EVOO, S&P, and roast on a lined baking sheet for 6-8 minutes (depending on the size of your shrimp). Cut into bite sized pieces and set aside.

Warm 2tbl EVOO over medium heat and add 1/2C chopped onion. Once translucent, add in 1tbl minced garlic and the 2tbl of diced poblano that you set aside. Sauté for a minute or so and then add 1.5C matchstick carrots and 3C baby spinach plus a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce. Once spinach wilts, remove from heat and add in your shrimp.

Using freshly cooked flour tortillas, wrap about 1/3C of your mixture topped with Monterey Jack cheese. Lay seam side down in a prepared baking dish. Cover enchiladas with about half of your sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Remove and cover with remaining sauce plus another tablespoon of chopped, fresh cilantro. Serve with avocado, hot sauce, fresh jalapeños, etc. Enjoy! Adapted From: Gimme Some Oven

Snowballs☃️

You know what makes shortbread taste even more delicious than it already does? Pecans and powdered sugar – LOTS of powdered sugar. I had never made these before but they have always been one of my favorite Christmas cookies. So easy and festive.

Using a Kitchenaid mixer: Begin by creaming together 2 sticks of softened butter and 1/2C powdered sugar. Once combined, add in 2tsp vanilla extract. Slowly add 1/4tsp salt, 2 cups of flour, and finally 1C chopped pecans.

Roll into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. This makes about 30 cookies.

Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Roll them immediately in powdered sugar while they are still hot, and then a second time after they cool. Enjoy!

Inspired By: Delish.com

Holiday Crack

I decided to try something besides my infamous white chocolate chip cookies this year. Cooking comes much more naturally to me than baking, so I tend to keep things simple. I knew combining butter, brown sugar, and chocolate was basically fool proof, and I was right. My boys delivered all but a tiny bit to our neighbors yesterday to keep my indulgence at bay. Next time you need to whip something up for a holiday party that’s quick, super easy, and most likely you already have all of the ingredients, try this.

Begin by generously coating a foiled-lined baking sheet with nonstick spray. Now layer the entire pan with saltine crackers.

Melt 2 sticks of butter and a cup of brown sugar over medium heat. Once melted, bring the pot to a boil and stir quickly for 2 minutes. Pour the mixture over the crackers and even out with the back of a wooden spoon.

Bake at 350 for 5 minutes. Remove and top with chocolate chips.

Pop back in the oven for 3 minutes. Remove and spread chocolate evenly over the crackers.

This is where you can let your Littles help by decorating with M&Ms, sprinkles, colored sugar, etc.

Run a sharp knife along the sides of the crackers and then refrigerate until the chocolate has hardened. Enjoy!

Spicy Beef Sliders

Between football season and holiday parties, there are so many occasions for good sliders. I’ve been making these particular ones for a few years and they never disappoint. You can even make them a day ahead of time and pop them in the oven right before serving.

Begin by generously spraying nonstick spray into a baking dish. Cut a dozen dinner rolls in half and lay the bottom half in your pan. I’ve used both plain and Kings Hawaiian rolls and both turn out perfectly.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat until it’s almost smoking. Add a pound of ground sirloin – don’t break it up, just let it sizzle for 2 minutes on each side until it begins to char. This adds amazing texture and flavor to the meat.

Now add a chopped onion plus 1tsp salt, 1tsp pepper, 1tsp cumin, 1tsp mustard powder, and 1/2tsp paprika. Break up meat and cook it through. Add a 1tsp minced garlic and cook for another minute before removing from heat. Drain off any excess grease and then stir in 1 drained can of Rotel.

Once combined, spoon your meat mixture over the bottom half of your rolls. Layer with 12 slices of sharp cheddar cheese and cover with the top halves of the rolls.

To make your glaze melt 1 stick of butter in a small sauce pan. Add in 2tbl brown sugar, 1tbl Worcestershire, 1tbl Dijon, and 1tbl sesame seeds. Pour over your rolls.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until tops begin to brown. Enjoy!!

Adapted From – Kevin & Amanda