Here are some of the new recipes that I tried last week from my cookbook for the club. Phil was out of town on business, so I made a girlie meal for myself: Skillet Pasta Quattro Formaggi. Cheese + Carbs= a girlie meal. This dish is beyond delicious- I won’t even tell you how many times I went back for “seconds.” The gorgonzola added a very bold flavor that simply captivated my taste buds. YUM!
Meat loaf and Mac & Cheese- I apologize for not having any pictures for these two recipes, there was just too much going on & I was just trying to get food on the table before our nephew started eating his arms off. You’re familiar with these dishes so just pretend a picture is included in this post. I did get both of these recipes on the table in 45 minutes from start to finish. The mac & cheese was really creamy; I think I was the only one that didn’t like it (I still prefer my granny’s recipe). My mini meatloaves ended up looking like hamburger patties, but they still tasted & smelled like meatloaf. Everyone raved about the meatloaf sauce, which is probably the easiest sauce ever created. So if nothing else, I will use the sauce recipe again. Chicken Pizzaiola with Mozzarella & Pepperoni- This recipe certainly was the easiest & most simple recipe I have ever made for dinner. I had it on the table in about 20 minutes. Unfortunately, I don’t think speed is everything. Phil & I felt like we were eating a TV Dinner. The chicken was just..... kind of.....boring, I guess. It wasn’t a horrible flavor, we just thought it was really lacking something. In brainstorming how to make this a little more enticing, we thought maybe the chicken would be better on some French bread as a sandwich, or over some pasta, or mixed in with some spinach.
Un-stuffed chicken breasts with dijon, ham & gruyere- This similar to chicken cordon bleu dish was fantastic. Phil asked me to make this meal again, & I definitely will. I used parsley instead of dill in the sauce, & the sauce was actually our favorite part of the recipe.
Bistro-Style Mustard Vinaigrette- This was the spiciest salad dressing I have ever tasted! Well, I take that back, it wasn’t “spicy” as in heat; it was more like a burn (like wasabi). I think the combination of the vinegar & the mustard made this dressing almost unbearable. I followed the directions exactly, but ended up adding some water at the end to dilute the flavor a little bit. I made it, we tried it, & I dumped the leftovers down the drain.
Italian Sausage, Pepper, & Onion Hoagies- This recipe is featured in the photo section, which is exactly the reason why I made this dish. I have a hard time imagining what recipes will look like when they are finished, so I will most likely make everything in the photo section of this book. Despite my off-the-wall reason for making these hoagies, I really liked them! I used mild Italian sausage, fresh oregano, & omitted the vinegar (after the salad dressing we were not in the mood for any more vinegar). I toasted the sub rolls right before serving, & they were simply a hit! This dish will be repeated for sure!
Chicken & Rice with Broccoli & Cheddar- I was going to be out of the house at dinner time for several nights straight so I made this dish one night after dinner in an attempt to stock the fridge for my hubby. This was extremely fast to make with very few accompanying dirty dishes. Speed & minimal dirty dishes are just as attractive to me as taste (maybe more?). The only thing I did differently here was onion powder instead of onions. I forgot onions at the store so I used the next best thing. I will try my best to remember onions next time though.
Alright, the dinner bell has rung. After reviewing our meals from last week I’m hungry again. Are you? What new recipes have you tried lately? Any recipe suggestions for me? Hope you’re having a great week Hawley readers!
