Tag: garlic powder

Categories
Main Dish

‘Rice’ to the occasion with tasty caramelized pork

Caramelized pork with rice is slow-cooked on the stove top, along with onions and plenty of Asian-inspired seasonings to make a hearty dinner, along with plenty of leftovers.
Caramelized pork with rice is slow-cooked on the stove top, along with onions and plenty of Asian-inspired seasonings to make a hearty dinner, along with plenty of leftovers.

Until I really started exploring some Asian recipes during the pandemic, the ginger in my spice cabinet was pretty much only for baking sweets.

If you would have asked me, I would have said it was there merely for projects like pumpkin bread and ginger snaps.

Boy, was I missing out on an entire, delicious genre of ginger-filled recipes.

I was thinking about that recently when I made this week’s recipe for some delicious, Asian-inspired pork.

This comes from the blog “Berry & Maple.” You can find the original post at https://berrymaple.com/sweet-caramelized-pork-rice/. I added extra onion and soy sauce and added more seasonings in my version.

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Caramelized Pork with Rice

Caramelized pork with rice is slow-cooked on the stove top, along with onions and plenty of Asian-inspired seasonings to make a hearty dinner, along with plenty of leftovers.
Course Main Course
Keyword brown sugar, dried ginger, fish sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, pork butt, pork shoulder, rice, soy sauce, white onion, white rice, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small yellow or white onion diced
  • 2 pounds pork butt cut into one-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 4 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons dried ginger
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • prepared white rice and sesame seeds for serving

Instructions

  • Heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
  • Add the onions and saute until they are almost cooked through.
  • Add more oil, if necessary, and saute the pork in batches until it’s browned on all sides.
  • Add one cup of water to the skillet, along with the onion, pork, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, dried ginger and onion powder. Stir to combine well.
  • Bring the mixture to a low boil, and then let the mixture simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring regularly, until the sauce reduces and becomes thick. Give it a taste, and add salt and pepper, if needed.
  • Serve the pork over white rice and topped with some sesame seeds.

In the past, I would have never thought to add ginger to a recipe like this, but it adds a lot of great flavor, so I highly recommend it.

It’s amazing how many applications different spices have, especially ones like ginger, cinnamon or even cayenne, when it comes to both sweet and savory dishes.

Something I take pride in is continuing to explore the entire grocery store aisle of herbs and spices. The good news is I don’t think I’ll ever get bored or actually conquer them all.

The better news is there’s always good old ginger snaps to come back to, as well.

This piece first appeared in print May 21, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Appetizer Crockpot Side Dish Snack

Your guests will go hog wild for this amazing bean dip

Frijoles puercos, or “piggy beans,” are made with five pork products, along with some fresh veggies and plenty of cheese. It’s good on tacos or other dishes or just as a bean dip, served with tortilla chips.
Frijoles puercos, or “piggy beans,” are made with five pork products, along with some fresh veggies and plenty of cheese. It’s good on tacos or other dishes or just as a bean dip, served with tortilla chips.

It’s the time of year that Joey’s bowling team comes for their end-of-season cookout at our house.

That means Joey throws something on the grill or smoker, and I figure out some tasty sides and desserts to make them all happy.

The guys are always gracious enough to put up with new experiments from me every year, and when Joey decided he was going to do pulled pork tacos this year, I knew I had a bean dip that needed to be made.

It’s one of those recipes that is absolutely terrible for you, so you only make it when you can spread it out amongst a ton of people and spare yourself the leftovers.

This comes from creator Arnie “ArnieTex” Segovia. He has a cookbook out, and he makes his own seasonings, so you can buy his if you don’t want to measure out what I have below. You can find the video where he make it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18tlP5AM5YQ. I added chicken broth, sussed out the seasonings and added extra chipotle peppers to my version below.

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Frijoles Puercos

Frijoles puercos, or “piggy beans,” are made with five pork products, along with some fresh veggies and plenty of cheese. It’s good on tacos or other dishes or just as a bean dip, served with tortilla chips.
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snacks
Keyword bacon, bean dip, chicken broth, chicken stock, chili powder, chipotle peppers, chorizo, cumin, fresh jalapenos, garlic powder, hot dog, Monterrey jack cheese, onion, oregano, pickled jalapenos, pinto beans, pork rinds, restaurant bean dip, Roma tomatoes, salt pork, white onion, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dry pinto beans rinsed
  • 7 cups chicken stock or broth
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 10 ounces chorizo divided
  • 4 ounces salt pork diced
  • 2 strips bacon diced
  • 1 hot dog diced
  • 6 to 8 pork rinds broken into smaller pieces
  • 1 small white or yellow onion roughly chopped
  • 2 Roma tomatoes roughly chopped
  • 2 fresh jalapenos roughly chopped
  • 7 ounces chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
  • 3 ounces pickled jalapenos
  • 8 ounces Monterrey jack cheese freshly shredded

Instructions

  • Add the beans, chicken stock, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper to a large crockpot, and stir to combine.
  • Turn the heat on high and let cook for about 30 minutes.
  • Once the stock is heated through, add four ounces of the chorizo and all of the salt pork, bacon, hot dog and pork rinds to the crockpot, and give it another stir.
  • Cover and cook for another 30 minutes.
  • Add in the onion, tomatoes and fresh jalapenos and continue to cook on high for another three hours or until the beans, meat and vegetables are all cooked through.
  • When the beans are almost done, add the rest of the chorizo to a skillet and saute until it is cooked through, breaking it apart as you do. Add the cooked chorizo, along with the chipotle peppers in adobo and pickled jalapenos to the crockpot and stir. Turn the crockpot to low or warm.
  • Now, using an immersion blender (or a regular blender, going in batches), blend the entire mixture until it is completely smooth.
  • When no more chunks remain, stir in the cheese, and keep stirring until it is completely melted. Serve with tortilla chips or along with your favorite Mexican dishes.

I was told I made a friend look at restaurant bean dip totally differently after knowing what all was in these beans. That tells you two things: one, these were definitely restaurant-quality and super delicious, and two, bean dip is decidedly not a health food.

It’s not very spicy, despite including the jalapenos and chipotle peppers, and the combination of the fattiness of the pork, along with the fresh veggies and beans is fabulous. Frijoles puercos translates to “piggy beans,” and that’s pretty much what it’s made out of and how you feel when you enjoy it.

And, thank goodness, I was able to load up leftovers and send most of the remaining bean dip off with others to be enjoyed, so Joey and I didn’t have to worry about raising our collective cholesterol through the roof.

It’s great to have friends; it’s even better when they help you eat something that’s a bit over the top.

This first appeared in print May 14, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Crockpot

Get your mojo going with this citrus-forward pork recipe

Slow cooker mojo pork has a bright flavor, thanks to plenty of fresh citrus, that makes it the perfect dinner over some yellow rice and black beans.
Slow cooker mojo pork has a bright flavor, thanks to plenty of fresh citrus, that makes it the perfect dinner over some yellow rice and black beans.

I’ve said before that trying to figure out measurements while Joey cooks is pretty much a herculean feat.

He’s a man who always measures with his heart. And, boy, does his heart love our spice cabinet.

That’s perfectly fine with me, though, because he is great at combining flavors, and he’s also the person you want in the kitchen when you know the dish you made still needs “something,” but you can’t quite figure out what that is.

That’s enough compliments for him, though, because as I mentioned last week, he and I decided to have a face-off on who could prepare the best pork butt, and the recipe I’m sharing this week is the one he decided to try.

The good news is I was hovering behind him, writing down measurements as he cooked so that you can re-create it, too.

This was a combination of a recipe from the website “AllRecipes.com,” which you can find at https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/281144/slow-cooker-mojo-pork/ and from an Instagram creator, Nicole Nelson McLaughlin, who posts under @nicolemcmom. Plus, Joey had some adjustments of his own, of course.

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Slow Cooker Mojo Pork

Slow cooker mojo pork has a bright flavor, thanks to plenty of fresh citrus, that makes it the perfect dinner over some yellow rice and black beans.
Course Main Course
Keyword bay leaves, cilantro, cumin, fresh cilantro, fresh garlic, fresh lime, fresh oranges, garlic powder, lime juice, lime zest, minced garlic, orange juice, orange zest, oregano, pork butt, pork shoulder, yellow onion, yellow rice

Ingredients

  • 4- pound pork butt roast
  • 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
  • zest from two large oranges
  • zest from two large limes
  • 3/4 cup orange juice freshly squeezed
  • 1/2 cup lime juice freshly squeezed
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped, plus more for serving
  • 8 to 10 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • prepared yellow rice for serving
  • 15- ounce can black beans rinsed, for serving

Instructions

  • If there’s quite a bit of fat on your pork butt, you may want to trim and discard some of it (leave a little—fat is flavor).
  • Add the pork butt to a crockpot, and then sprinkle the rest of the ingredients around it. (You can stir a bit to combine things, if you want, but it’ll combine as it cooks, too.)
  • Cook, covered, in your crockpot for seven to eight hours on high or four to six on low until the pork is cooked through and easy to shred.
  • Discard the bay leaves.
  • Shred the pork in the crockpot, and serve the shredded pork and onions on top of the yellow rice and black beans. Top with some of the juice from the crockpot, as well as some fresh cilantro.

The delicious smell of this recipe just completely took over our kitchen. The citrus came through in a really pleasant way to highlight the pork and give it some brightness.

We just ate this in bowls over the rice and beans, but you could put this into tortillas, too, if you wanted to or scoop it up with tortillas chips.

So, I do think our pork butt competition fully ended in a tie. But the good news is that we ended up with two very different kinds of leftovers over the next week or so.

And I definitely had to refill several of my spice containers afterwards, but that’s the price of a great meal.

This piece first appeared in print April 30, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

This classic casserole is entering a new school of ‘tot’

Chicken alfredo tater tot casserole puts an Italian twist on a classic casserole concept. It’s a creamy, delicious dinner that’s easy to make and easy to customize.
Chicken alfredo tater tot casserole puts an Italian twist on a classic casserole concept. It’s a creamy, delicious dinner that’s easy to make and easy to customize.

Back before my married days, one of my favorite dishes to make for myself was a big nine-by-13-inch pan of good, old-fashioned tater tot casserole.

Of course, being one person, that also meant I was dedicating one meal a day for the next week to eating plenty of leftovers.

I’m a sucker for leftovers, though, so while that might have driven some of you crazy, I always loved it.

When Joey and I married, I learned that he wasn’t against a tater tot casserole. It was just on his “it’s fine” list of foods, so I don’t make it too often these days. (Plus, with needing to try a new recipe every week, sometimes the old favorites take a backseat to something experimental.)

That means, when I found a recipe that is a big twist on tater tot casserole this week, you know I had to give it a try.

This comes from the blog “Inspire Spire.” You can find the original post at https://inspirespire.com/2025/07/18/chicken-alfredo-tater-tot-casserole-recipe/. I added extra seasonings and some veggies and mushrooms in my version.

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Chicken Alfredo Tater Tot Casserole

Chicken alfredo tater tot casserole puts an Italian twist on a classic casserole concept. It’s a creamy, delicious dinner that’s easy to make and easy to customize.
Course Main Course
Keyword Alfredo sauce, baby bellas, basil, bell pepper, chicken, easy casserole, fresh mushrooms, garlic powder, mozzarella, onion, onion powder, oregano, parmesan, red pepper flakes, shredded chicken, tater tots, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion diced
  • 1 small bell pepper diced (any color)
  • 1/2 cup diced mushrooms I used baby bellas
  • 2 cups cooked chicken shredded
  • 15 ounces alfredo sauce
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 32 ounce bag frozen tater tots
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a nine-by-13-inch baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray, and set it aside.
  • Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and mushrooms, and saute until everything is cooked through.
  • Add the chicken, alfredo sauce, and seasonings to a bowl and mix it well. (If your alfredo sauce is already seasoned the way you like, you don’t need to add all the extras. Just follow your heart.)
  • Evenly spread the chicken mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan.
  • Cover the top with a single layer of tater tots, and then top evenly with the cheese.
  • Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned on top.

This was creamy and delicious, and the leftovers were fabulous. I will say that if you put a little extra cheese on it like I did, you might want to layer that under the tater tots so they get nice and crispy.

I definitely made this more complicated than the original, which honestly just included the sauce, chicken, tots and cheese, but I couldn’t resist adding the extra veggies and mushrooms to the mix, and they were really good.

I think Joey secretly knew I was trying to trick him into moving tater tot casserole up on his list with this twist, but he just has too many other meals he likes a lot more. He did like it, though.

Regardless, if I’m ever going to be at home by myself for several days, I might need to opt for this new tater tot casserole to sustain me through the week.

This piece first appeared in print March 12, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Easy garlic pasta recipe is too ‘shrimp’le to fail

These easy garlic shrimp noodles features a sweet sauce, punctuated by fresh garlic and ginger, along with lots of tasty pasta to soak it all up.
These easy garlic shrimp noodles features a sweet sauce, punctuated by fresh garlic and ginger, along with lots of tasty pasta to soak it all up.

The pantry clean-out continues this week.

Thanks to a stir-fry dish I shared with you back in June, I still had half of a package of lo mein noodles hanging out in the cupboard.

When Joey plopped a bag of shrimp in our cart on a recent grocery trip, I decided I needed to find something to make that could use both ingredients.

Then our week got really, really busy. There was no time to make anything fancy.

But the good news is that both shrimp and lo mein noodles are crazy quick to make.

So when I found a recipe for garlic shrimp noodles that promised to be done in 15 minutes, I jumped on it, and it wasn’t just great because it was a quick meal; it was great all on its own.

This comes from the blog “Lena’s Kitchen” by Lena Gladstone. You can find her original post at https://lenaskitchenblog.com/15-minute-garlic-shrimp-soba-noodles/. I added several spices and extra garlic in my version.

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Easy Garlic Shrimp Noodles

These easy garlic shrimp noodles features a sweet sauce, punctuated by fresh garlic and ginger, along with lots of tasty pasta to soak it all up.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Keyword 15-minute meal, dried ginger, easy dinner, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, garlic powder, ginger, hoisin sauce, honey, lime juice, lo mein, minced garlic, red chili flakes, sesame oil, sesame seeds, shrimp, soba noodles, soy sauce

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger
  • 10 ounces soba or lo mein noodles
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound shrimp peeled
  • salt to taste
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Prepare a sauce by adding the soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, hoisin sauce, honey, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and dried ginger to a small bowl, and whisk until everything is well combined. Set it aside.
  • Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the package instructions.
  • While the noodles cook, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with salt, and then saute in the shrimp in the hot skillet. When the shrimp is nearly cooked through, toss in the minced garlic and grated ginger, and saute until the shrimp is finished.
  • Decrease the heat to low, and add the noodles and sauce to the skillet, stirring to coat everything in the sauce.
  • When everything is heated through, serve, topped with sesame seeds.

I added the hoisin sauce and some extra honey above, because I didn’t think the sauce had quite the sweetness that I wanted it to have. Otherwise, the sesame oil was a bit overpowering. If you don’t have hoisin, you could add a bit more honey or a bit of brown sugar, instead, until you get the sauce how you want it.

I also left out green onions as a garnish, because Joey isn’t generally keen on raw onions, but that would have been a great addition, as well.

Luckily, Joey wasn’t upset that I hijacked his shrimp purchase with my own dinner plans—mostly because he’s a sucker for anything with plenty of garlic.

And now there’s a tiny corner of my pantry that is ready to be filled with another mystery ingredient sometime in 2026.

This piece first appeared in print Jan. 22, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Flavorful one-pan Middle Eastern dish is the ‘peas’ knees

One-pan beef, rice and peas is a simple dish that packs tons of flavor, with delicious caramelized onions, turmeric and other spices, along with fresh parsley to brighten the dish.
One-pan beef, rice and peas is a simple dish that packs tons of flavor, with delicious caramelized onions, turmeric and other spices, along with fresh parsley to brighten the dish.

People sometimes wonder how I manage to find a different recipe to try every week.

In the beginning of this column, over a decade ago, I thought I would source them from readers. I always assumed people would love sharing their favorites with me to try.

But I’ve found over the years that people like to keep their best recipes close to the vest.

The Internet is a wonderful resource for thousands of recipes, though, and one of my best resources of all is Joey, who sends me tons of videos he finds while scrolling in his spare time.

Recently, he discovered an online Israeli-American creator, and I found myself immersed in a pile of delicious-looking Middle Eastern dishes.

The recipe I tried comes from Ruhama Shitrit, who goes by “RuhamasFood” on several social media platforms. You can find the specific Instagram reel for this recipe at https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQo-rV7Dvxu/. I added more of the spices in my version.

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One Pan Beef, Rice and Peas

One-pan beef, rice and peas is a simple dish that packs tons of flavor, with delicious caramelized onions, turmeric and other spices, along with fresh parsley to brighten the dish.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Keyword basmati rice, black pepper, dijon mustard, fresh parsley, frozen peas, garlic powder, ground beef, honey, one-pan, one-pan dinner, one-pot dinner, onion, peas, spicy brown mustard, turmeric, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion sliced thinly
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 cups basmati rice rinsed and drained
  • 16 ounces frozen peas
  • about half a bunch of fresh parsley chopped
  • 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard I used spicy brown, since that’s what I had on hand.
  • 1/2 tablespoon honey
  • 4 cups water boiling

Instructions

  • In a large skillet or pot with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute. When they are nearly cooked through, add in the salt, turmeric and pepper and saute for several minutes.
  • Add the ground beef, and continue to cook, breaking it apart as you go, until it is cooked through.
  • Add in the rice, peas, parsley, mustard and honey, and mix everything well.
  • Pour in the boiling water, and stir.
  • Cover the pan with a lid. Cook for five minutes on medium heat, and then lower the temperature to low for 40 more.

This was amazing. It was different from anything I’ve ever made, but it was hearty and made for a fabulous meal. The leftovers were awesome, too.

This recipe also made a ton of food, so it would be great for a family dinner. And I would say it’s very kid-friendly.

And now that I have several of Ruhama’s recipes saved, I’m also discovering a whole new genre of spices and seasonings I’ll need to invest in to keep trying more of her dishes.

I’d still love to receive recipes from readers every once in awhile, but having access to amazing cooks from around the world online is a pretty good way to try new things, too, even if shopping for ingredients in rural Kansas can sometimes pose a challenge.

This piece first appeared in print Jan. 15, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Side Dish

I’m trying to get you on my side with this combo of classics

This green bean casserole macaroni and cheese is dense and decadent and definitely not healthy, but it would be a great addition to a holiday meal or potluck.
This green bean casserole macaroni and cheese is dense and decadent and definitely not healthy, but it would be a great addition to a holiday meal or potluck.

One of the iconic quotes in the movie “Jurassic Park” comes from Jeff Goldblum’s character, Dr. Ian Malcolm.

“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could,” he says, “they didn’t stop to think if they should.”

That seemed to be the collective sentiment from family and friends this week when I told them what I was going to do with a bunch of leftover green beans I had in the fridge. Namely, I was going to make a hybrid green bean casserole/macaroni and cheese.

Well, the joke’s on them, because this was actually really good, and it was a fabulous way to use up my leftovers.

This recipe comes from the aptly named blog “This is not diet food.” You can find the original post at https://www.thisisnotdietfood.com/mac-and-cheese-green-bean-casserole/. I added a whole lot of extra ingredients and spices into my version below.

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Green Bean Casserole Macaroni and Cheese

This green bean casserole macaroni and cheese is dense and decadent and definitely not healthy, but it would be a great addition to a holiday meal or potluck.
Course Side Dish
Keyword cheese soup, crispy fried onions, fresh garlic, garlic powder, green beans, heavy cream, holiday side, mac and cheese, macaroni, minced garlic, mozzarella, mustard powder, onion powder, potluck dish, sharp cheddar cheese

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces macaroni noodles
  • 10.5 ounce can condensed cheese soup
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons mustard powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 14.5- ounce cans green beans drained
  • 8 ounces mozzarella freshly shredded
  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar freshly shredded
  • 6 ounces crispy fried onions

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a nine-by-13-inch baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray, and set it aside.
  • Cook the macaroni according to the package directions, and drain it.
  • While the pasta cooks, add the cheese soup and heavy cream into a large mixing bowl, and whisk to combine. Whisk in the garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, salt and pepper and minced garlic, as well.
  • Next stir in the cooked pasta and green beans to coat everything in the sauce. Finally, stir in about 3/4 cup of each kind of cheese, and pour all of the mixture into your prepared pan, spreading it out.
  • Sprinkle the rest of the cheese evenly over the top, and finish off with the crispy onions.
  • Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another five to 10 minutes or until the onions are browned and the cheese is melted to your liking.
  • Let the casserole rest on the counter for about five minutes before serving.

If you wanted to make this ahead of time to pop in the oven later, I’d recommend keeping the crispy onions off until you’re ready to actually heat it. I ended up freezing half of my casserole, so I’ll be interested to see how it does when I reheat it.

This is a decadent, heavy dish. It’s perfect for a holiday get together, a potluck or any meal where you’re not going to be stuck with all the leftovers, because it is definitely not good for you, even though the flavor profile is nostalgic and a true comfort food.

So, at the end of the day, should you make a combination of two of the heaviest side dishes on the planet? Probably not. But you certainly can, it’s delicious and it won’t lead to rampaging dinosaurs, so why not?

This piece first appeared in print Nov. 27, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Crockpot Main Dish

Easy crockpot dinner will make you think spice

Pollo in Valhalla is an easy crockpot meal that takes some spicy elements and combines them with chicken to create a hearty dinner. It can also easily be modified for those who prefer a milder meal.
Pollo in Valhalla is an easy crockpot meal that takes some spicy elements and combines them with chicken to create a hearty dinner. It can also easily be modified for those who prefer a milder meal.

I’ve read that one of the reasons podcast advertising tends to work well is because listeners grow to really trust hosts of those shows over time.

I have several shows I listen to regularly, and I refer to the hosts as “my friends I’ve never met.”

Having someone’s voice in your ear on a regular basis makes you feel like you know them.

Such is the case for one of Joey’s longtime listens, a show that started on the radio and has since transitioned to a podcast.

Over the years, even I have begun to recognize the cast of characters as they discuss everything from sports to the newest flavors of Oreos.

So it wasn’t much of a surprise when Joey recently sent me a recipe from the host of said podcast, and I will say, the guy apparently has good taste—at least when it comes to posting crockpot recipes.

This came from Chad Dukes. You can find him on Instagram @dukesthedj. I specified amounts on the seasonings and added black beans to my version.

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Pollo in Valhalla

Pollo in Valhalla is an easy crockpot meal that takes some spicy elements and combines them with chicken to create a hearty dinner. It can also easily be modified for those who prefer a milder meal.
Course Main Course
Keyword black beans, chicken, chicken breasts, chili powder, crockpot, cumin, diced green chiles, easy meal, garlic powder, onion powder, pickled jalapenos, salsa, slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 4 large chicken breasts
  • 2 heaping teaspoons cumin
  • 2 heaping teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 heaping teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 heaping teaspoons chili powder
  • 16 ounce jar spicy salsa
  • 15.25 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 cans diced chile peppers
  • 1 cup pickled jalapenos drained
  • prepared Mexican rice for serving

Instructions

  • Add the chicken to the bottom of the crock pot and sprinkle the seasoning over top.
  • Pour in the entire jar of salsa, along with the black beans, diced chiles (you don’t need to drain them) and the jalapenos.
  • Cook on low for six hours.
  • Shred the chicken and mix into the sauce, and serve over Mexican rice.

This was really good, and if you’re not much for spicy foods, I’d recommend you try it anyway. Just leave out the jalapenos and choose a milder salsa. It was really easy for a quick dinner.

We’ve actually made it twice already. One of the times, Joey threw in some bone-in chicken thighs instead, and he deboned them when everything was ready. It made for a tasty meal.

So, I guess there’s something to trusting those podcast hosts out there, although I’m not sure Joey would be enthusiastic to try out food recommended on one of my regular true crime listens.

He’s convinced I listen to them for research purposes—and not the kind that includes finding recipes.

This piece first appeared in print Nov. 20, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Everyone will polish off their plates with this sheet pan meal

A Polish sheet pan dinner is easy to make in short order, with fresh cabbage and onions, along with frozen pierogi and smoked sausage. It’s all topped off with a freshly made beer cheese sauce and some bacon to make a real crowd-pleaser for supper.
A Polish sheet pan dinner is easy to make in short order, with fresh cabbage and onions, along with frozen pierogi and smoked sausage. It’s all topped off with a freshly made beer cheese sauce and some bacon to make a real crowd-pleaser for supper.

While watching random cooking shows over the years, I picked up the advice from several chefs that if you’re cooking with wine, you should choose a bottle you would actually want to drink, or it isn’t worth using in your recipe.

I have never heard the same advice for beer.

I have used some of the lowest quality, icky beers I’ve ever tasted in baking and cooking over the years, and it’s never seemed to mess up the recipe. In the end, the breadiness of the beer remains, and whatever bitter nonsense that was there before seems to evaporate.

That was the case for this week’s recipe, as well, as I used a cheap domestic lager to create some darn good beer cheese sauce.

The recipe I tried comes from the Instagram account “foodcreationsforyou” by Ryan Pauly. You can look him up there; he has a ton of recipes. I added lots of extra seasonings and also an onion into my version below.

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Polish Sheet Pan Dinner

A Polish sheet pan dinner is easy to make in short order, with fresh cabbage and onions, along with frozen pierogi and smoked sausage. It’s all topped off with a freshly made beer cheese sauce and some bacon to make a real crowd-pleaser for supper.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Polish
Keyword 30-minute meal, bacon, basil, beer, beer cheese, cabbage, chicken broth, cream cheese, easy dinner, frozen pierogi, garlic powder, lager, onion, onion powder, oregano, parsley, pierogi, rope sausage, sharp cheddar cheese, smoked paprika, smoked sausage, yellow onion

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 small head cabbage chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion sliced
  • 14 ounces smoked sausage sliced into bite-sized pieces
  • 16- ounce package frozen pierogi
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Olive oil to coat ingredients

Beer Cheese Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup lager- or ale-style beer
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 4 ounces cream cheese cubed
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 slices bacon cooked and chopped, divided

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and prepare a large, rimmed baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
  • Dump the cabbage, onion, sausage, pierogi and spices onto the sheet, and drizzle olive oil over everything. Mix with a spoon or with your hands until the oil and spices are well distributed over all the ingredients.
  • Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until everything is cooked through and the pierogi are lightly browned.
  • While the sausage mixture cooks, add all of the beer cheese ingredients, except for the bacon, into a small pot and heat over medium heat, stirring regularly until the cheese mixture is melted and well combined. If you want a looser sauce, add a bit more chicken stock to the mixture.
  • Add in two of the chopped slices of bacon and remove it from the heat or set it to low.
  • For serving, scoop the sausage mixture into a bowl and top it with the beer cheese and more bacon.

This was a great dinner for a cooler evening, and the leftovers reheated well, too. There was also a decent amount of the cheese left over that we used up with other meals. It would be amazing with a freshly baked soft pretzel.

The meal itself had a great combination of flavors, from the smoked sausage to the roasted cabbage and onions and the pierogi. The beer cheese and bacon on top were excellent, and I was glad to once again prove that you can buy some pretty cheap, awful beer and end up with an excellent, delicious meal.

This piece first appeared in print Nov. 6, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Making this for someone special could create a ‘meat’ cute

Sunday casserole is extremely easy, roasting in the oven for a few hours and yielding a rich, delicious beef dish that creates its own gravy and tastes perfect over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.
Sunday casserole is extremely easy, roasting in the oven for a few hours and yielding a rich, delicious beef dish that creates its own gravy and tastes perfect over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.

I first met Joey when I was 19 years old, and even then, he was forced into being my recipe guinea pig.

I decided that I wanted to make a fancy meal for him one weekend, so I hunted for some ideas and came up with a brisket dish for two, and I decided to pair it with mashed potatoes and some veggies.

I was living at home still, and while I felt perfectly comfortable mashing potatoes, roasting some meat and cooking peas, I was terrified of making gravy.

I have to admit that my mom had to step in and give me an assist before she and Dad made themselves scarce and I was able to set the table with my big dinner, complete with candles for the ambiance.

At this point, I don’t know if Joey even remembers that night, but for me, it was formative, not only because it was the first time I put myself out there and cooked for someone I really, really liked, but also because that was the day I learned a gravy-making skill that I still use regularly.

Well, except for this week, because the recipe I tried was not only delicious, but it made its own gravy, too.

This recipe is one that my wonderful mother-in-law shared with me quite awhile ago. I’m officially mad at myself for not making it sooner. I did, however, add carrots and garlic and some seasonings in my version below.

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Sunday Casserole

Sunday casserole is extremely easy, roasting in the oven for a few hours and yielding a rich, delicious beef dish that creates its own gravy and tastes perfect over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.
Course Main Course
Keyword carrots, chuck roast, cooking sherry, cream of celery, dry sherry, fresh garlic, garlic powder, minced garlic, onion, onion powder, stew meat

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds beef stew meat or roast cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
  • 3 10.5- ounce cans cream of celery soup
  • 1 yellow onion sliced
  • 3 large carrots sliced into bite-sized coins
  • 3/4 cup cooking sherry
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • prepared mashed potatoes noodles or rice for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  • In a deep nine-by-13-inch pan, add everything but the last ingredient (the stuff for serving), and stir to coat the meat and vegetables.
  • Spread everything out evenly and bake for three hours or until the meat and vegetables are cooked through.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.

This was so flavorful and really good.

We opted for mashed potatoes, and like I said, the dish magically created a thick, tasty brown gravy in the oven that was perfect to pour over the top of everything.

It was like a Sunday roast, but it was all ready to serve straight out of the casserole dish.

And the leftovers reheated really well, too, which was nice.

Plus, it let me think back to the very start of my relationship with Joey. (This was pre-beard, if you can imagine it.) I still like cooking for him, and we cook together quite often, too.

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but honestly, it might just be all about the gravy.

This piece first appeared in print Oct. 16, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

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