Tag: mozzarella

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
Main Dish

Baking potatoes, kielbasa on a sheet pan makes for less ‘hassel’

The combination of kielbasa sausage, onions and hasselback potatoes, along with some delicious sauce ingredients and a generous sprinkling of sauerkraut, makes for a hearty dish with a big punch of flavor.
The combination of kielbasa sausage, onions and hasselback potatoes, along with some delicious sauce ingredients and a generous sprinkling of sauerkraut, makes for a hearty dish with a big punch of flavor.

In a blog post she entitled, “What’s the Deal with Hasselback Potatoes,” Nutritionist Tina Marinaccio explains that the dish, which features potatoes cut crosswise in thin slices that don’t quite cut the potato all the way through, hails from Sweden.

It received its name, she says, from the tavern that created it: Hasselbacken.

Regardless of its origin, if you haven’t tried hasselback potatoes, I highly recommend them. It’s like the goodness of a baked potato, combined with thinly sliced crispy taters.

I hadn’t tried making them until this week, because I was a little nervous they were hard to create, but honestly, they were really easy, and in combination with the rest of the recipe I’m sharing with you, they were a huge home run.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Street Smart Nutrition” by Cara Harbstreet. You can find her original post at https://streetsmartnutrition.com/kielbasa-sheet-pan-dinner-with-cheesy-hasselback-potatoes. I added garlic to my version, and I swapped out the cheese to what I could find locally.

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Sheet Pan Kielbasa and Potatoes

The combination of kielbasa sausage, onions and hasselback potatoes, along with some delicious sauce ingredients and a generous sprinkling of sauerkraut, makes for a hearty dish with a big punch of flavor.
Course Main Course
Keyword apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, dijon mustard, fresh garlic, garlic, hasselback potatoes, kielbasa, minced garlic, mozzarella, Polish sausage, potatoes, sauerkraut, sausage, sheet pan meal, yellow onion, Yukon gold potatoes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 1 pound Polish kielbasa
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup sauerkraut drained and squeezed out
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and set it aside.
  • The potatoes will be hasselback style, which means you will create thin slices crosswise along the potato but not cut all the way through. Leave about one-quarter inch at the bottom so that your the potato remains intact.
  • Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking sheet, and using one tablespoon of the olive oil, brush each one all over, especially letting it drip into the crevices you created on top. Then salt and pepper them, to taste.
  • Bake for 20 minutes.
  • While the potatoes bake, prepare the kielbasa and onion. Slice the sausage into one-quarter-inch coins and the onion into one-quarter-inch slices, and set them aside.
  • You can also prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, add the other tablespoon of olive oil, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar and brown sugar and stir until it’s well combined. Set that aside, too.
  • When your timer goes off, carefully remove the sheet pan from the oven, and add the sliced sausage and onions to the pan in as even of a layer as you can.
  • Bake for another 20 minutes.
  • While this part bakes, drain the sauerkraut really well, squeezing out the extra moisture as much as you can. (If it is cold out of the refrigerator, you might want to heat it up for a few seconds in the microwave so it’s at least a bit warm before adding it to the sheet pan at the end.)
  • Once that time has elapsed, carefully remove the pan from the oven again, and sprinkle about a tablespoon of cheese on the top of each potato. Also, brush the sausage and onions with all the glaze you made, and add the garlic. Then, use a spoon to stir the meat and veggies a bit to make sure everything has a bit of the glaze on it.
  • Bake for another five to 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown on top.
  • Remove the pan from the oven and stir the sauerkraut in with the sausage and veggies, letting it heat through on the pan.
  • Serve immediately with more cheese sprinkled on top.

This was really yummy. The sausage/onion/sauerkraut mixture was mustard-y and flavorful, and the potatoes were the perfect sidekick. They were a great combination of creamy and crisp, all in one dish. It was a nice meal for a cool evening.

And since I still have half a package of sauerkraut left, I may have to make this again, sooner rather than later, especially since I am no longer intimidated by hasselback potatoes.

I guess I can thank the Swedes for yet another great way to enjoy a tater.

This piece first appeared in print Nov. 14, 2024.

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 dishy pizza bake can really wow a crowd

Deep dish pizza bake is a new take on pizza, using dinner roll dough and lots of great pizza toppings in a large pan to create a meal with leftovers for days or a great crowd-pleasing meal.
Deep dish pizza bake is a new take on pizza, using dinner roll dough and lots of great pizza toppings in a large pan to create a meal with leftovers for days or a great crowd-pleasing meal.

We have homemade pizza night most weeks at our house.

At this point, it’s down to a science. I mix up the dough while Joey sautes some veggies or debones a rotisserie chicken, and then we work together to assemble the pie before popping it in the oven.

It’s a quick, delicious meal, and with plenty of options out there for sauces and toppings, we never get bored with it.

That being said, Joey sent me a video not long ago of another type of pizza he wanted to try. It was from a creator online who often has to cook for a crowd, and since I was just gifted a very large baking pan, it was the perfect time to see if the recipe was as good as it looked.

This comes from Kevin Ashton, who is on Instagram @oldscoolkevmo. I changed his method a little on my version below.

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Deep Dish Pizza Bake

Deep dish pizza bake is a new take on pizza, using dinner roll dough and lots of great pizza toppings in a large pan to create a meal with leftovers for days or a great crowd-pleasing meal.
Course Main Course
Keyword basil pesto, breakfast casserole, crowd-pleaser, deep dish, easy dinner, fresh mushrooms, frozen rolls, green bell pepper, marinara sauce, meal for a crowd, mozzarella, onion, pepperoni, pizza, vegetarian

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 1 48- ounce bag frozen yeast dinner roll dough
  • 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1-2 cups pizza sauce we used pesto
  • Your favorite pizza toppings precooked
  • 32 ounces shredded cheese we used a combo of mozzarella and Mexican blend

Instructions

  • Spray a large 12-by-18-by-2-inch pan with cooking spray. Spread the entire package of frozen dough evenly over the bottom and spray them with more cooking spray. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set it aside for the dough to thaw and rise. This will take about three hours.
  • In the meantime, cook any toppings that are raw (ex. hamburger, sausage, etc.) that you’ll want to add to your pizza bake, and set those aside.
  • When the dough is about doubled in size, remove the plastic wrap. Drizzle the rolls with olive oil, and then gently squish the dough to flatten it and eliminate seams. Add salt and pepper, to taste, since the bread has not been seasoned at all to this point.
  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
  • Spread the sauce over the top of the dough. (You don’t have to avoid the edges. There is no “crust” with this.)
  • Add your toppings and any additional seasonings you like on your pizza, and finish off with a healthy layer of cheese.
  • Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the bread is completely baked and everything is heated through.
  • Let the pizza bake rest for five to 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

This was really good. It was also a lot of bread, so if that’s not really your jam, I’d suggest only using half of the dough from the package instead of the whole thing. You can easily adjust all of this for a smaller pan, too, if you don’t want a huge one to eat on for several days. (Or, keep this in your recipe box for when you need to feed a big crowd.)

I can tell you, though, this reheated really well and was very nice for a week where we were meeting ourselves coming and going. Leftovers are a blessing for times like that.

It was kind of a deep dish pizza/casserole hybrid, which I really liked. We packed ours with sauteed onions and peppers, chicken, turkey pepperoni, fresh mushrooms and lots and lots of cheese, along with a pesto base.

I think this recipe will make it into the “pizza night” rotation every so often, although I’ll probably make a smaller version in the future. While I don’t really mind eating the same thing for several meals in a row, it’s better to mix things up. After all, variety is the spice of life.

This piece first appeared in print on June 6, 2024.

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

Italian comfort dish ‘gnocchi’ed dinner out of the park

Gnocchi alla sorrentina is an Italian comfort dish that features gnocchi, lots of fresh basil and fresh mozzarella in a yummy tomato sauce.
Gnocchi alla sorrentina is an Italian comfort dish that features gnocchi, lots of fresh basil and fresh mozzarella in a yummy tomato sauce.

Joey and I received an amazing opportunity last week to speak at the Kentucky Press Association’s winter conference.

We had a fabulous time with some really great people. My only complaint was the weather for our drive there and back heavily featured thick fog and switched between torrential downpours and drizzles.

By the time we came home over the weekend, I was thankful for some Kansas sunshine, but I also found myself really craving some comfort food to get the last bit of that dreary weather feeling out of my system.

I poked through some recipes for a bit and landed on a popular comfort meal from Italy, and even better, the version I decided to try comes together a lot quicker than more traditional versions of the recipe, which was a win-win after being away from home for several days.

This is from the blog “Girl Gone Gourmet.” You can find the original post at https://www.girlgonegourmet.com/gnocchi-alla-sorrentina/#tasty-recipes-13873. I added onion, red pepper flakes and extra basil, mozzarella and garlic in my version.

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Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina

Gnocchi alla sorrentina is an Italian comfort dish that features gnocchi, lots of fresh basil and fresh mozzarella in a yummy tomato sauce.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword basil, easy dinner, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, fresh garlic, fresh mozzarella, garlic, gnocchi, mozzarella, olive oil, parsley, potato gnocchi, red pepper flakes, tomato puree, vegetarian, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil I used extra virgin
  • 1/2 small yellow onion diced
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 cups tomato puree I ended up using twice that, since I let my sauce reduce
  • 1/2 cup basil leaves loosely packed and torn into pieces
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 16- ounce packages gnocchi
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella sliced
  • parsley flakes for plating

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the onion and saute until it is cooked through.
  • Add in the garlic and saute for just a couple minutes until it is lightly browned.
  • Stir in the tomato puree, basil leaves, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Turn the skillet to medium-low and let the sauce simmer, stirring regularly.
  • Bring a stockpot of water to a boil. Cook the gnocchi until it rises to the top of the water.
  • Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to the skillet, and stir to incorporate all the ingredients.
  • Lay the sliced mozzarella spaced evenly on the top of the gnocchi.
  • Turn the broiler in the oven on high and place the skillet in the oven, leaving it for a few minutes until the cheese is melty and the sauce is bubbling.
  • Let the gnocchi cool slightly, and serve, topped with parsley flakes, along with a thick slice of crusty bread.

I loved this one. It’s a vegetarian dish, but it doesn’t feel like it. The gnocchi and all the melty mozzarella kind of make you forget that there isn’t any meat on your plate, and the addition of fresh basil really kicks this up a notch to taste homemade, despite the main part of the sauce coming from a can.

Paired with a big slice of garlic bread, this was exactly what I needed to clear the rainy day doldrums out of my mind.

I hope we get a chance to go back to Kentucky again soon. It’s a beautiful state with lots of neat people. I’ll just keep my fingers crossed for a little better weather the next time around.

This piece first appeared in print on Feb. 1, 2024.

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

Lighten up and try a new lasagna recipe this week

This lightened up version of homemade lasagna still packs in tons of great flavor, despite using lower-fat ingredients.
This lightened up version of homemade lasagna still packs in tons of great flavor, despite using lower-fat ingredients.

I know that most of the recipes I share with you in this space are “sometimes” foods.

From pasta-laden, full-fat casseroles swimming in cheese to decadent desserts with more sugar than a bag of Pixy Stix, I know the temptation is real.

But we all need some recipes that look and sound a bit sinful but actually aren’t as bad as they seem. That’s where this week’s dish comes in. As soon as I saw a lightened version of lasagna, I knew I needed to try it and hoped it would be as good as it looked.

Good news: it was.

This comes from the blog “You Brew My Tea” by Katie Hale. You can find the original post at https://www.youbrewmytea.com/lightened-homemade-lasagna-dish. I added way more herbs/spices and changed the amounts of some of the other ingredients in my version.

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Lightened Homemade Lasagna

This lightened up version of homemade lasagna still packs in tons of great flavor, despite using lower-fat ingredients.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword basil, cottage cheese, garlic, green bell pepper, ground turkey, lasagna, light recipe, low-fat, mozzarella, onion powder, oregano, oven-ready lasagna, red bell pepper, red pepper flakes, ricotta cheese, tomato paste, tomato sauce, turkey sausage

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground turkey breast
  • 1 pound Italian turkey sausage
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 3, 15- ounce cans tomato sauce
  • 6 ounces tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
  • 1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
  • 2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese shredded, divided
  • 12 oven-ready lasagna noodles

Instructions

  • Heat a stock pot or Dutch oven with a lid over medium heat. Add the turkey and sausage and saute until it is fully cooked, crumbling the meat as you go.
  • When the meat is almost totally cooked, add in the bell peppers and onions and saute for another five minutes or so.
  • Add the garlic, tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, oregano, salt, onion powder, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir well.
  • Leave the burner on medium and place the lid on the pot. Let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • While the sauce simmers, combine the cottage cheese, ricotta and one cup of the mozzarella into a bowl. Stir to combine.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray a deep nine-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray.
  • Remove the sauce from the heat, give it another good stir, and start assembling your lasagna.
  • Place four noodles on the bottom of the casserole dish. (I had to break one of mine to get fill coverage. It doesn’t have to be perfect.) Spread one-third of the sauce over the noodles, and then dollop one-third of the cheese mixture on top of the sauce.
  • Repeat twice more.
  • After the final layer, add the final cup of shredded mozzarella.
  • Bake for 45 minutes. Serve hot with some crusty bread.

We really, really enjoyed this. It wasn’t as decadent as making a full-fat lasagna (especially because I love making Paula Deen’s version), but it was still really good, and just like with regular lasagna, we thought it was even better when we reheated the leftovers the next day. I loved the bell pepper flavor in the sauce.

We also put several pieces in the freezer for quick meals down the road, and those have defrosted and reheated well, too.

I’m still going to keep normal lasagna directions in my recipe box for special occasions, but this one is going to go on a card right next to it. I can never give up my “sometimes” foods, but recipes like this certainly help in between.

This piece first appeared in print on Aug. 3, 2023.

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

Cap off this week with a yummy spinach mushroom lasagna

Spinach mushroom lasagna is a filling, flavorful dinner while being completely vegetarian. Paired with a thick slice of bread, this dinner is a crowd pleaser.
Spinach mushroom lasagna is a filling, flavorful dinner while being completely vegetarian. Paired with a thick slice of bread, this dinner is a crowd pleaser.

I bought so many mushrooms this week.

And when I tell you that even the cashier at our local grocery store asked me what was up with the mushrooms, you know I definitely bought more than a normal person does.

What can I say? I love a good sale. And this sale included big, beautiful portabella mushroom caps. Who can resist?

I felt like the find was serendipity, considering I just purchased a clearance container of ricotta cheese earlier in the week. The universe was telling me to make lasagna, and who am I to deny divine providence when it comes to my dinner menu?

So the recipe I tried comes from one of my absolute favorite food blogs, “Damn Delicious.” It’s written by Chungah Rhee, and I have seriously never tried one of her recipes that failed. She makes really, really good food. You can find the original post for this recipe at https://damndelicious.net/2015/03/07/creamy-spinach-and-mushroom-lasagna/. I added more garlic and doubled the seasonings in my version.

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Spinach Mushroom Lasagna

Spinach mushroom lasagna is a filling, flavorful dinner while being completely vegetarian. Paired with a thick slice of bread, this dinner is a crowd pleaser.
Course Main Course
Keyword baby bellas, basil, cremini mushroom, garlic, lasagna, mozzarella, mushrooms, oregano, parmesan cheese, parsley, portabella, portabello, ricotta cheese, spinach, vegetarian, yellow onion

Ingredients

Sauce Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 pound mushrooms thinly sliced (I used portabellas)
  • 1/4 cup flour might need more
  • 3 cups milk I used skim
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • pinch nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste

Other Ingredients

  • 9 lasagna noodles
  • 15 ounces ricotta
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 20 ounces frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella divided
  • 3/4 cup grated parmesan divided (use fresh or the bottled stuff)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Start with the sauce. In a Dutch oven or stock pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until it is getting soft. Add in the garlic and mushrooms, and continue sauteing for a few minutes until the mushrooms reduce down and soften a bit.
  • Stir in the flour, making sure to soak up any butter or juices from the vegetables. (If there is still liquid in the pot, add more flour, a little at a time, until it’s all soaked up.) Continue stirring to cook the flour taste out of the mixture for about two minutes.
  • Gradually add in the milk while stirring. Continue stirring constantly, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot, until the sauce thickens slightly. That should take around five minutes or so.
  • Stir in the basil, oregano, parsley and nutmeg, along with salt and pepper. Remove the sauce from the heat.
  • In another large pot, boil the lasagna noodles according to package directions.
  • While the noodles cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Stir the dried parsley, along with some salt and pepper into the ricotta. Also add salt and pepper, to taste, to the chopped spinach.
  • When the noodles are done, spread about one cup of the sauce in the bottom of a deep nine-by-13-inch baking dish.
  • Lay three lasagna noodles over the sauce. Top that with half of the ricotta cheese, then half of the spinach, then one cup mozzarella and one-quarter cup parmesan.
  • Repeat those layers.
  • Finish the lasagna off with a layer of noodles, the rest of the sauce and the rest of the cheese.
  • Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes or until the lasagna is bubbling. Turn the broiler on high for about two minutes to brown the top.
  • Let the lasagna sit 10 to 15 minutes before serving, and refrigerate any leftovers.

This was very, very good, and it was filling, too. I paired it with a loaf of Italian bread, and there was no way we were even considering dessert after dinner. The mushrooms make this meatless meal feel substantial, and using the portabellas (you could also use creminis or baby bellas or another meatier mushroom) gave a depth of flavor to this that didn’t make you even think about the lack of animal protein.

Plus, it ended up making a ton of leftovers that Joey and I have been enjoying throughout the week, and it reheats really well. And the good news is I still have a few more big mushroom caps to use this week. Shopping the grocery sales is often an adventure and rarely a disappointment.

This piece first appeared in print on Nov. 10, 2022.

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

Spicy, wing-inspired casserole is ‘Buffalo’-key delicious

Buffalo chicken casserole combines alfredo sauce and pasta with Buffalo wing sauce and chicken to create a cheesy, spicy dish that comes together quickly for dinner.
Buffalo chicken casserole combines alfredo sauce and pasta with Buffalo wing sauce and chicken to create a cheesy, spicy dish that comes together quickly for dinner.

I was gone for a few days last week, and while Joey and I were catching up on our respective adventures from when we were apart, I learned that he made homemade Buffalo wings. Without me.

Now, I’ll forgive him his betrayal, because in his defense, I am normally not a huge fan of eating meat off the bone. But chicken wings tend to be a bit of an exception.

I love the spiciness of Buffalo sauce along with some crispy celery or some cool ranch dipping sauce. Wings are just pretty darn great all the way around.

I kept thinking about how I missed out, when I remembered I had a recipe featuring Buffalo sauce that I’ve been meaning to try. I hoped it would be just the trick to finally kick my craving.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Back For Seconds.” You can find the original post at https://backforseconds.com/buffalo-chicken-alfredo-bake/2/. I changed up the amounts of several ingredients and used breaded chicken instead of rotisserie in my version.

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Buffalo Chicken Casserole

Buffalo chicken casserole combines alfredo sauce and pasta with Buffalo wing sauce and chicken to create a cheesy, spicy dish that comes together quickly for dinner.
Course Main Course
Keyword Alfredo sauce, Buffalo sauce, chicken, easy dinner, mozzarella, penne pasta, quick dinner

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces pasta cooked (I used penne)
  • 1/3 cup buffalo sauce plus more for drizzling
  • 2 cups cooked chicken diced (I used frozen chicken patties)
  • 16 ounces alfredo sauce
  • 12 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • While you boil your pasta, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a three-quart baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray and set it aside.
  • When draining your pasta, reserve about one-third cup of the cooking liquid.
  • In a bowl, combine the buffalo sauce and chicken and stir to coat evenly.
  • In another bowl, combine the alfredo sauce, pasta and about one-fourth of the cheese. Pour the reserved pasta water into the empty alfredo jar, put on the lid, and shake it to loosen any leftover sauce in the jar. Pour it into the bowl, as well. Add salt and pepper, if desired. Stir to mix it well.
  • Spread half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Evenly spread the chicken over that, and then finish off with the other half of the pasta mixture.
  • Top with the remaining cheese.
  • Cover the baking dish with a lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the covering and bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned.
  • Let the casserole sit for about five minutes, drizzle with a little Buffalo sauce, and serve.

I was really happy with how this turned out. It was a bit spicy with lots of good cheesy flavors mixed in. I also was happy with my decision to cut up chicken patties to use in this instead of deboning a rotisserie chicken. It took way less time, and I liked the added flavor of the breading in the casserole.

It’s not quite a complete substitute for Buffalo wings, but it definitely did a good job of featuring the main flavors.

Joey will probably still have to make it up to me by cooking some wings again sometime in the near future, but I think this will hold me over for now.

This piece first appeared in print on June 30, 2022.

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 Salad Side Dish

Customizable pasta dish is worth every ‘penne’

Greek pasta salad is extremely customizable for all kinds of diets and preferences, with lots of fresh vegetables and a light, flavorful dressing.
Greek pasta salad is extremely customizable for all kinds of diets and preferences, with lots of fresh vegetables and a light, flavorful dressing.

I’ve written before that I have some random, mostly mild food allergies that make certain recipes difficult for me.

Specifically, tomatoes cause me trouble, and I have to limit how often I include them in my diet, no matter how much I love them.

Because of that, I’m sympathetic to readers who sometimes email me and ask if I’d be willing to throw something gluten free or dairy free into the paper so they can try a new recipe, too. I definitely sympathize with people who have much more serious food intolerances than I do; it’s tough to keep food interesting.

With that said, the recipe I included this week can easily be made gluten free, dairy free and vegan, if you so desire. You’ll only need to do a few quick swaps or deletions to make it happen, and it’s all ingredients that you can easily find in your local grocery store.

This comes from the blog “Strength and Sunshine” by Rebecca Pytell. You can find the original post at https://strengthandsunshine.com/gluten-free-greek-pasta-salad-vegan/. I changed up the ingredients and proportions a bit and added extra garlic, too.

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Greek Pasta Salad

Greek pasta salad is extremely customizable for all kinds of diets and preferences, with lots of fresh vegetables and a light, flavorful dressing.
Course Salad
Keyword black olives, English cucumber, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, gluten-free, green bell pepper, Kalamata olives, mozzarella, oregano, penne pasta, red bell pepper, red onion, red wine vinegar, vegan, vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces penne pasta
  • 1 English cucumber cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 1/2 small red onion thinly sliced
  • 6 ounces black or Kalamata olives halved
  • 16 ounces mozzarella cheese cubed
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Prepare all of the vegetables and cheese and add to a very large serving bowl.
  • While you prepare the veggies, boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain it and run cold water over the pasta.
  • Add the cold, drained pasta to the bowl and stir to combine the ingredients.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, garlic and salt and pepper with a fork, and then pour it over top of the pasta mixture.
  • Toss to evenly coat all of the ingredients with the oil mixture, cover, and let the salad marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
  • Serve cold or at room temperature, and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

If you go to the original recipe author for this, you’ll notice that I left a pint of tomatoes out of my version (for obvious reasons). I also decided to use whole grain pasta in mine, which made me feel like it was a bit healthier, too.

This was a great lunch, and it makes a ton of food. I’ve been eating on this salad all week long for lunch, and it’s been fabulous. It is lightly dressed and has lots of different flavors with all the vegetables.

I also hope it fits the bill for something new for those of you who have some food intolerances. With the weather warming up, a good pasta salad is a great recipe to have on hand, and nobody should have to miss out on a good lunch.

This piece first appeared in print on April 14, 2022.

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

‘Poutine’ all this in a taco is a little crazy

Poutine tacos are a strange twist on the Canadian classic but don't skimp in the calories the dish normally presents.
Poutine tacos are a strange twist on the Canadian classic but don’t skimp in the calories the dish normally presents.

I have had several people over the years tell me that this column is promoting bad eating.

I mean, yeah, I agree at least somewhat. If you eat many of the recipes I write about every day of the week, you’re probably not making your doctor or your bathroom scale all that happy.

But I also think reading about decadent desserts or calorie-laden meals is kind of fun. There’s a reason the Food Network doesn’t have a full slate of salad shows in its line up.

It’s not that I’m against eating healthy. Actually, Joey and I try hard to eat well regularly. I have a big bunch of asparagus in my fridge right now, along with some other fresh greens, ready to be cooked for dinner this week.

But sometimes I like to try out the dark side of the cookbook, and if you didn’t see it coming, this week’s recipe is way, way on the caloric dark side.

This recipe, a twist on the classic Canadian dish of poutine, which features cheese curds, French fries and brown gravy, comes from the website “Recipe Champions” by Josh Elkin. If you haven’t ever heard of his website, check it out sometime. He has some truly crazy recipes on there. You can find the original post at https://recipechampions.com/recipe/poutine-tacos/. I took out some steps in my version. Also, I used yellow cheese curds, although the classic uses white. I’d recommend just using what is available in your local grocery store.

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Poutine Tacos

Poutine tacos are a strange twist on the Canadian classic but don't skimp in the calories the dish normally presents.
Course Main Course
Keyword bacon, brown gravy, cheese curds, French fries, mozzarella, poutine, tacos

Ingredients

  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 12 ounces frozen French fries
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons corn starch
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups cheese curds
  • 6 strips bacon cooked and chopped

Instructions

  • Start by making the taco shells. Set out a taco holder or a cupcake pan, turned upside down. Heat a small skillet (about five inches wide) over medium heat. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese evenly into the bottom of the pan. Let it cook, undisturbed, for about three minutes. Then turn the heat to medium high, and when you notice the edges starting to turn brown, check to see if you can move the cheese, if it can move, it’s ready. Remove the circle of cheese from the heat.
  • While the cheese is still hot, carefully place it in the taco holder to create a taco shape or place it in a taco shape between two of the cups on the cupcake tin.
  • Repeat the process with the rest of the mozzarella.
  • As the shells cool and harden, cook the French fries in your preferred method.
  • Create a brown gravy by bringing the beef broth to a boil in a small saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk the cornstarch with about 1/4 cup cold water. Once the broth is boiling, turn the heat to medium-low and whisk in the garlic powder, onion powder, Worcestershire, dissolved corn starch mixture and salt and pepper. Let the gravy thicken, stirring regularly, and add more salt and pepper if desired.
  • To assemble the tacos, start with a layer of fries in the mozzarella shell, top with cheese curds, and then add gravy and bacon pieces. Serve immediately.

These were ridiculous. They were delicious, with lots of great texture, but they felt ridiculous to eat because of how bad for us they were. It was kind of like when you get something fried and delicious at the state fair.

I can’t say that we’ll be making them again any time soon, but it was definitely worth eating once, feeling bad about it, and ticking this off the life experience list.

I’m sure I’ll wound the egos of some Canadians for putting out this non-traditional version, and I’m also certain I’ll have some health professionals wagging their finger at me, but this was so, so good, and it was fun to make, too.

And to all my naysayers, don’t worry. I promise my asparagus will be made with no frying or bacon involved. I’m just not making any commitments for next week’s column.

This piece first appeared in print on May 13, 2021.

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

Spring is time to come out of your shell

Chicken Alfredo stuffed shells can be made easily with a rotisserie chicken and jarred Alfredo sauce.
Chicken Alfredo stuffed shells can be made easily with a rotisserie chicken and jarred Alfredo sauce.

With the weather finally warming up, it’s about the time of year when you begin meeting yourself coming and going, it seems.

There are so many activities outdoors, and staying inside after the harsh winter on top of a pandemic makes me want to spend every moment I can out in the yard or taking a walk instead of standing in front of the stove. If you’re a fan of a kiddo involved in spring sports, your life is about to get pretty busy, too.

This week’s recipe pays homage to that. You can make it as complicated or as easy as you like.

If you’re in a hurry, I’d definitely recommend using jarred sauce, shredding up an already-cooked rotisserie chicken and maybe even skipping the pasta shells and cooking some lasagna noodles to layer in there instead.

Regardless of how much time you spend, though, this dinner is a really yummy one.

I found this on the Julie Evink’s blog, “Julie’s Eats and Treats.” You can find her original post at https://www.julieseatsandtreats.com/chicken-alfredo-stuffed-shells/. 

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Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells

Chicken Alfredo stuffed shells can be made easily with a rotisserie chicken and jarred Alfredo sauce.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Alfredo sauce, basil, chicken, garlic, mozzarella, oregano, parmesan, stuffed shells

Ingredients

  • 30 large pasta shells cooked according to package directions
  • 1 pound chicken breasts cooked and shredded
  • 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella divided
  • 1 cup shredded parmesan divided
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • fresh Italian parsley optional
  • 15 ounces garlic Alfredo sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and prepare a 9-by-13-inch baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray.
  • While the shells are boiling, combine cottage cheese, 3/4 cup mozzarella, 3/4 cup parmesan, egg, garlic, oregano, basil and salt and pepper, stirring well. (If using the fresh parsley, dice up 1/4 to 1/2 cup and add it in, too.) Add in the chicken and stir until everything is well mixed.
  • In the prepared dish, add about one cup of the Alfredo sauce to the bottom.
  • Spoon the chicken mixture into the drained, prepared shells and place them, crowded tightly but in a single layer, in the dish.
  • Evenly distribute the remaining Alfredo sauce over the shells, along with the reserved cheese.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is slightly browned and the dish is heated through.
  • Serve garnished with more parsley, if using.

This is a great casserole to create ahead of time and slip into the freezer or fridge to bake later. While you’re busy cooking one, why not go ahead and assemble a second one, too?

I often love cooking from scratch and taking some time preparing food, but when the birds are chirping and the temperature is rising, sometimes it’s OK to just go easy on yourself.

Grab a plate, go eat outside, and enjoy the arrival of April.

This piece first appeared in print April 1, 2021.

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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