For the chicken:
2 medium chicken breasts, sliced thin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
For the butter sauce:
½ cup unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (plus more for garnish)
Salt and pepper, to taste
For the pasta:
12 oz linguine pasta
1 tsp salt (for boiling water)
In a small bowl, mix the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.
Coat the chicken slices evenly with the spice mixture.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Sear the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the linguine and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water before draining the rest.
Using the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant.
Stir in the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and parsley.
Let the sauce simmer for 1-2 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the cooked linguine to the skillet with the sauce, tossing to coat thoroughly.
If the sauce is too thick, gradually add the reserved pasta water until you reach the desired consistency.
Slice the cooked chicken and add it to the pasta, tossing everything together until evenly distributed.
Garnish with additional parsley and, if desired, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Roasted and Creamed Corn Casserole
The hardest part of this recipe is the roasting of the corn….super easy!!! Enjoy!
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, beaten
1 8.5-ounce package dry corn bread mix
2 cups grilled corn, cut off the cob, I used 4 ears and that was good
1 14.75-ounce can creamed corn
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
I added a few slices of chopped bacon for a little something something
Directions
Heat oven to 350 F.
Lightly grease a 9″ x 9″ baking dish.
In a bowl, gently mix together the butter, eggs, dry corn bread mix, corn, creamed corn, sour cream, bacon and sugar until blended. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes until the top of the casserole is golden brown.
Serve warm
4th of July Cheesecake Swirl
For the Cheesecake
16 oz (450 g) cream cheese, softened
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 prepared graham cracker pie crust
For the strawberry swirl
1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
2 tbsp granulated sugar
In a small saucepan, add chopped strawberries and sugar.
Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until berries soften and release juice (about 5–7 minutes). Use a blender or immersion blender to puree. Pass through a fine mesh sieve for a smoother swirl. Let cool completely.
For the blueberry swirl
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 tbsp granulated sugar
Repeat the process with the blueberries and sugar:
Simmer, mash, puree, and strain.
Set aside to cool.
Make the cream cheese filling
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, beat again until incorporated. In a separate chilled bowl, whip cold heavy cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in 2–3 batches until smooth and airy. Pour cream cheese mixture into prepared graham cracker pie crust. Dot spoonful’s of red strawberry sauce and blueberry sauce on top. Use a skewer or knife to gently swirl the colors into the filling. Don’t overmix — you want distinct streaks. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
Summer Orzo Salad
(Note from Dick Daniels: This makes a lot!! I cut the recipe in half)
1 package (16 ounces) orzo pasta
1/4 cup water
4 ears fresh corn, cut off the cob
24 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1 medium cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh mint
2 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional)
Cook orzo according to package directions for al dente. Drain orzo; rinse with cold water and drain well. Transfer to a large bowl. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 cup water over medium heat. Add corn; cook and stir until crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes. Add to orzo; stir in tomatoes, feta cheese, cucumber, onion, mint and, if desired, capers. In a small bowl, whisk oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper until blended. Pour over orzo mixture; toss to coat. Refrigerate 30 minutes. (optional) Just before serving, stir in almonds.
Bang Bang Chicken Skewers
4-5 wooden skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes to prevent skewers from burning on the grill
2 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into 1″ pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp seasoned or black pepper
For the sauce
1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
2 tsp Sriracha
2 tbsp honey
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, oil and spices. Mix to coat evenly. Skewer the chicken. In a small bowl combine sauce ingredients and mix well. Reserve some of the sauce to serve with the cooked chicken. Set the grill to medium heat and oil the grates. Grill the chicken, basting with sauce, about 6-8 minutes per side until done. Serve skewers over rice with reserved sauce for dipping or drizzling.
Chili Pimento Cheese Jalapeno Burgers with Pickled Red Onions
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup water
11-ounce container Pimento Cheese
1 4-ounce can green chiles, drained
2 lb ground beef, 80% lean
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
hamburger buns
Combine rice vinegar, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Remove from heat and submerge the onions. Let stand 15 minutes then cover and refrigerate. In a small bowl, combine Pimento cheese and chiles. In a larger bowl combine, ground beef, jalapeno, garlic, salt and pepper. Form into 6-8 patties. Lightly spray with spray oil. Grill over medium high heat 6 to 8 minutes turning once. Top evenly with pimento cheese mixture. Serve on buns with pickled red onions and any other toppings you like.
Marry Me Chicken & Spaghetti Squash Casserole
1 (3½-pound) spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 tablespoons water
1½ cups half-and-half
1 clove garlic, grated
¾ cup julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped, divided
¾ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
¼ teaspoon salt
1 (8-ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed, at room temperature
1 cup shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons small fresh basil leaves
Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place spaghetti squash halves, cut-side down, in a baking dish. Pour 2 tablespoons water over the squash. Microwave on high, uncovered, until tender, about 12 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Scrape the squash flesh with a fork to create strands. Place in a large bowl. Place 1½ cups half-and-half in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; add grated garlic. Cook, whisking occasionally, until reduced to about 1 generous cup, 8 to 10 minutes, whisking as needed. Stir in ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, ½ teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt; remove from heat. Add cubed cream cheese; whisk until smooth. Gradually add ½ cup mozzarella, about ¼ cup at a time; whisk until smooth. Add 3 cups chicken to the bowl with the spaghetti squash. Add the cheese mixture; stir and fold to combine. Pour into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining ½ cup mozzarella, 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano and the remaining ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes. Bake until the cheese has melted, about 10 minutes. Increase oven temperature to broil; broil until the cheese on top is crispy and caramelized, 1 to 2 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes. Top with 2 tablespoons basil and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Make Ahead Manicotti
15 ounces ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of liquid
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 ½ tablespoons white sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
12 manicotti shells
1 (45 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
Mix ricotta cheese and eggs together in a medium bowl until blended. Stir in spinach, mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, sugar, salt, and pepper. Place in fridge for about 15 minutes to firm up. Spoon cheese mixture into a plastic baggie. Make a small cut at a bottom corner of the baggie and squeeze (pipe) cheese mixture into the uncooked pasta shells. Pour 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce into a medium baking dish; spread to cover the bottom. Arrange stuffed shells in a single layer over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over shells. Cover and chill in the refrigerator, 8 hours to overnight. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove shells from the refrigerator. Bake, covered, in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese, and bake for 15 more minutes.
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
1 package uncooked tri-color rotini pasta, cooked al dente per package instructions and drained
10 slices bacon
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons dry ranch salad dressing mix
1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 cup milk, or as needed
1 large tomato, chopped
1 english cucumber, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 (4.25 ounce) can sliced black olives
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Place bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook until evenly brown. Drain and chop. Mix mayonnaise, ranch dressing mix, garlic pepper, and garlic powder together in a large bowl. Stir in milk until smooth. Add more milk if mixture is too thick. Place rotini, bacon, tomato, cucumber, peas, black olives, and cheese in a bowl and toss to coat with dressing. Cover and chill at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. Toss with additional milk if the salad seems a little dry.
New England Steak Bomb Sandwiches
1 14 ounce package shaved steak
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
garlic powder, to taste
10-12 slices salami, sliced into strips
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1-2 tablespoons oil
4-6 slices provolone cheese
2 tablespoons mayonaise
4-6 sub rolls of your choice
hot pepper relish (I used Bell-View Hot Chopped Hoagie Spread)
Heat large skillet, add one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon olive oil. Cook shaved steak until browned, stir in Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Remove to a cutting board and finely chop. Set aside. Add the remaining butter and olive oil to skillet. Toss in the onion and peppers, cook until soft and caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. Add the salami slices and warm through. Return steak to pan, add salt and pepper and toss well to incorporate meat and veggies. Heat a smaller skillet. Cut rolls in half and spread with mayo. Cook rolls cut side down until lightly browned and heated through. Using a slotted spoon add meat mixture to rolls. Top each with a slice of provolone, cover briefly to melt cheese. Spread hoagie spread onto to bun and place of meat and cheese mixture. Serve immediately.