Baked Rigatoni & Italian Sausage

Baked pasta dishes are one of my favorite comfort foods only second to pizza. What can I say? I really like carbs, gooey cheese, and marinara sauce.

Baked Rigatoni & Italian Sausage

1 lb. rigatoni pasta

1 lb. ground Italian sausage

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

24 oz. marinara sauce

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp Cajun seasoning

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9"x13" casserole dish by spreading a thin layer of vegetable shortening inside the dish or spray with cooking spray.

 In a stock pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and allow to boil for about 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain the cooked pasta in a colander. Set aside.

 While the pasta is boiling, brown the sausage over medium high heat. When the meat starts to brown, add the onions and allow to cook for about 8 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant. 

Add the marinara sauce, chili flakes, black pepper, and Cajun seasoning to the meat. Reduce the heat to medium and allow to simmer for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the pasta to the prepared casserole dish. Once the pasta sauce has simmered and is warmed through, add the sauce to the casserole dish with the pasta. 

Gently mix the sauce and pasta until everything is well distributed evenly in the dish. 

Sprinkle the cheeses over the pasta. 

Place the dish into the preheated oven and bake uncovered for about 15 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle parsley. Allow the pasta to cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve with some garlic bread.

NOTES:

I like to use spicy sausage AND spicy marinara.

ENJOY!

~ Asha Cole

Chicken Parmesan

Some nights, I just want a little taste of Italy at home. Of course, someone's Italian grandmother would definitely scold me for using store bought sauce. She'd probably also tell me that this isn't REALLY an authentic Italian dish. 

In any case, this Chicken Parmesan feature crispy chicken, some marinara, and gooey melted cheese. That enough to fulfill any craving I have for an Italian inspired comfort dish.

Chicken Parmesan

1/2 cup flour

2 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning, divided

1 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder, divided

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

3 eggs, beaten

2 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 tsp Italian seasoning

3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and sliced in half lengthwise

1 cup vegetable oil, for frying

2 cups marinara or spaghetti sauce, store bought is fine but homemade is best

2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a plastic storage bag, combine the flour, 1 tsp Cajun seasoning, black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne by sealing the bag and shaking it. Pour the flour mixture into a shallow bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and the remaining garlic powder. Set aside. In another plastic storage bag, combine the panko, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning. Pour the panko mixture into a shallow bowl. Set aside. 

Cover the chicken cutlets with plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken until it is about 1/2" thick. Use a paper towels to pat the chicken dry. Place the chicken onto a large plate and season both sides of the chicken with the remaining Cajun seasoning. Set aside. 

Dredge a chicken cutlet in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess flour. Next, dip the chicken in the egg mixture. Drain off the excess egg. Next, coat the chicken with the panko mixture, pressing the breadcrumbs into the chicken to ensure it adheres well. Set the breaded chicken cutlets onto a clean plate. Repeat these steps for each piece of chicken until all of the cutlets are breaded. Set aside. 

In a large deep skillet, heat the oil over medium high. Once the oil is glistening, add the chicken to the hot oil. Do this in batches. Do not overcrowd the skillet. I usually fry two pieces at a time. Fry the cutlets for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Feel free to adjust the heat, if needed. 

When the chicken is golden brown, remove them from the heat and place them on a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet. Repeat these steps until all of the chicken has been browned.

 Leaving the chicken on the wire rack, spoon some of the marinara sauce over each fried cutlet and top with mozzarella cheese and parsley. Place the chicken into the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. The cheese should be melty and bubbly. If you want the cheese a little more brown, on the top you can put the oven on broil for about 1-2 minutes. Watch it closely so it doesn't burn. Remove from the oven and serve warm. I typically serve this with spaghetti, a simple salad, and some variation of garlic bread like Garlic Pull Apart Rolls.

NOTES:

It is very important to watch the temperature of the oil to ensure crispy chicken. Adjust it as needed. If it isn't hot enough, you will end up with soggy chicken. If it is too hot, you'll end up with burnt breading and raw chicken.

Be sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F before serving. I always check it before turning the oven to broil. If it hasn't reach that temperature yet, I leave it in the oven for a little longer. 

Leftover chicken parmesan makes a great sandwich! 😉

ENJOY!

~ Asha Cole

Garlic Pull Apart Rolls

One of the biggest challenges in my life is saying no to carbs. I'm totally being dramatic (or "EXTRA" as my daughter likes to tell me). Seriously, though. I looovvve me some bread. It's an absolute weakness.

Garlic Pull Apart Rolls

1 can refrigerated large biscuits

4 tbsp butter, melted

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning

Pinch of red chili flakes

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

2 tbsp parsley, minced

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 12 cup muffin tin by smearing some vegetable shortening in a thin layer inside each of the cups. Cooking spray works too. 

Open the can of biscuits and cut each one into 6 pieces. Place the pieces into a large bowl. Set aside. 

In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the garlic, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, and chili flakes to the melted butter and give it a good stir. Pour the butter mixture over the biscuit pieces. Toss until the biscuits are evenly coated. You will most likely need to use your hands to break up the pieces that stick together to get everything coated well. 

Add the cheeses and parsley to the biscuits and toss again. Again, don't be afraid to use your hands!

Once the cheeses and parsley are evenly dispersed, place 4 pieces of the biscuits into each muffin cup. 

Bake for about 12 minutes. You want these to be a nice golden brown. Serve warm.

NOTES:

Try this with some yummy Chicken Parmesan.

ENJOY!

~ Asha Cole

Chicken Salad

We love us some chicken salad in this house. Usually,  we have a container in the fridge of some variation of this. No one gets tired of it because it is pretty versatile. Sandwiches, wraps, and salads...Oh My! Sometimes we just eat it with crackers. Hell! Try it on a pizza. Do you, boo boo.

When I made this particular chicken salad, I did so using a lemon pepper rotisserie chicken from the Wal-Mart deli. It was delicious and it works so well for a quick meal.

Chicken Salad

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

2 boiled eggs, peeled and diced

3 ribs celery, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1/3 cup carrot, diced

1/4 cup pickle, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp parsley, chopped

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup ranch dressing

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp hot sauce

1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning

In a large bowl, add the chicken, egg, and all of the veggies. Next, add the condiments, sauces, and seasonings. 

Mix everything together until you have a beautiful creamy chicken salad. Add more or less mayo, sour cream, or ranch dressing depending on how creamy you prefer it to be.

 Serve as a sandwich, in a wrap, over lettuce, or even on crackers or chips.

NOTES:

Don't be afraid to toss the pulled chicken pieces into a food processor if you prefer your chicken to have finer pieces similar to deli style chicken salads.

Be creative with the veggies and seasonings. You can really turn chicken salad into whatever cuisine you are craving. For example, add black olives, tomatoes, red onions, cucumber, feta, and Greek seasoning for a more Mediterranean spin. Craving something more Mexican? Add ingredients like corn, jalapenos, salsa, guacamole, cilantro, cumin, and a squeeze of lime. The possibilities really are endless.

Sometimes when I make this, I add 1/3 cup bacon, 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese, and an entire packet of powdered ranch mix. I've even made this with Buffalo wings as the inspiration using blue cheese dressing, buffalo sauce, and crumbled blue cheese. Did I mention "endless possibilities"?

Creamy Broccoli & Potato Soup

In my house, we enjoy soup year round. That's why air conditioned was invented, right? For soup eating purposes? No? Let's just roll with it for the sake of this post.

Creamy Broccoli & Potato Soup 

1 lb. broccoli, divided

1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 tbsp butter

1 sweet onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and shredded

½ tsp Cajun seasoning, divided

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Parmesan cheese rind, cubed

6 cups vegetable broth

2 cups milk

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp celery salt

2 tsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp red chili pepper flakes

Cajun seasoning, to taste

French fried onions, for garnish

Bacon, cooked and crumbled for garnish

Green onions, chopped for garnish

 

Cut the florets off the broccoli and rinse in a colander. Set aside. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the thick outer layer of the broccoli stems. Dice up the stems. Set aside. In a 4-quart stock pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the broccoli stems and onions and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally until the onions are translucent. Stir in the carrots and ¼ tsp Cajun seasoning and cook for another 2 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the Parmesan rind and vegetable broth. Cover the pot and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the soup to a boil and stir. Then, uncover and reduce heat to medium. You want the soup to stay at a simmer. Reduce heat more if necessary. Add the broccoli florets and potatoes. Cook for about 30 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring gently. Heat until the soup returns to a simmer. Add the cheese into the soup. Stir until the cheese has fully melted. Stir in black pepper, celery salt, Dijon mustard, and chili flakes.

 Remove the soup from the heat. Remove about half of the broccoli and potato pieces and place them in a bowl and set aside. Carefully, puree the remaining soup using an immersion blender. Add the reserved broccoli and potatoes back to the soup. 

Return the soup to the heat and bring back to a simmer allowing it to cook for about 10 minutes more or until tender. Add Cajun seasoning, if needed. Garnish with French fried onions, crumbled bacon, and green onions. Serve immediately with some pieces of French bread.

NOTES:

 Depending on how thick you prefer your soup, you can substitute the milk with either half and half or heavy cream. Also, keep in mind if you use pre-shredded cheese it will thicken the soup due to the cellulose coating.

ENJOY!

~ Asha Cole

Lemon Chicken Meatballs with Orzo

Lately, I've been craving Chicken Picatta from the Cheesecake Factory I got used to having one located right down the street from me while I was in Kuwait. Now that I am back stateside, the closest one is over an hour away. Thanks to the Rolling Stones I know I can't always get what I want but I just leaned into it and used what I had on hand to make something that at least filled the craving for the yummy lemon buttery goodness.

Lemon Chicken Meatballs with Orzo

 1 lb. ground chicken

1/2 cup panko

1/3 parmesan cheese, grated

1 egg

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning, divided

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 tbsp butter

2 shallots, minced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/4 cup orzo, uncooked

2 tbsp capers

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided

1/4 tsp red chili pepper flakes

1 tbsp parsley, chopped

1/3 cup parmesan, shredded

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, panko, grated parmesan, egg, lemon zest, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, 1 tsp Cajun seasoning, and cayenne. 

Once the chicken mixture is well combined, roll it into small meatballs. I usually use roughly a tablespoon of the mixture for each meatballs. Place the meatballs onto a plate and set aside.

In a large, deep frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Place the raw meatballs in the hot oil and brown all the sides. Don't worry about the meatballs cooking all the way through. Just worry about browning the outside. They will finish cooking a little later. While the meatballs are browning, line the plate with some paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Once the meatballs are nice and brown, transfer them to the paper towel lined plate and set aside.

Add the white wine to the same pan over medium low heat. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to cook until it has reduced by about half. Transfer the wine to a small bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, melt the butter over medium low heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and remaining Cajun seasoning. Allow the garlic and shallots to sauté for 5 minutes.

Add the orzo and capers to the shallots and garlic. Stir to coat with butter, Allow to cook for about 3-5, stirring frequently so that the orzo doesn't burn.

Add the lemon juice and half of the chicken broth. Reduce the heat to low and bring the broth to a simmer. Stir in the chili flakes, remaining broth, reduced wine, and meatballs.

 Allow to simmer on low for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. You want the orzo to be cooked to your liking and almost all of the liquid gone without the orzo being dry.

To serve, scoop some of the orzo mixture into a shallow bowl and place a few meatballs on top. Garnish with shredded Parmesan and chopped parsley.

NOTES:

I like to use Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base for my chicken broth. I just stir about 3 teaspoons of it into 2 1/2 cups of water.

ENJOY!

~ Asha Cole