Tag: onion

It’s OK to wing it, even with classic French chicken dishes

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date June 18, 2026

Dijon roasted chicken and vegetables is a play on a classic French dish, known as poulet à la moutarde. It creates decadent crispy skin, juicy chicken and perfectly roasted vegetables for dinner.

When I go to try a recipe I think sounds tasty, I often follow the directions pretty closely, only deviating here and there to kick some of the flavors up a notch.

When Joey is inspired by a recipe, he looks up a few more versions of the same dish and then goes completely rogue, creating his own, unique interpretation.

That was the case recently, when he announced we were going to figure out our own path to making a French dish, poulet à la moutarde (or mustard chicken).

He volunteered to spatchcock the chicken (one of my least favorite kitchen chores) and told me to grab pen and paper, as he already watched several videos on making the classic French recipe and had ideas on how to do it his own way in our Kansas kitchen.

So, while I normally give you a source for these recipes, this one is a Joey Young creation. He was certainly inspired by the French, but if you look at their recipes and what we ended up making, you’ll see he improvised quite a bit.

The best part, though, was the experiment was absolutely delicious.

Dijon Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

Dijon roasted chicken and vegetables is a play on a classic French dish, known as poulet à la moutarde. It creates decadent crispy skin, juicy chicken and perfectly roasted vegetables for dinner.

Course Main Course

Cuisine French

Keyword celery, chicken, dijon mustard, fresh garlic, garlic, garlic salt, milk, onion, onion powder, paprika, parsley, potatoes, rosemary, whole chicken, yellow onion

Ingredients

1 whole chicken spatchcocked
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
leaves from one sprig fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried
about 1/4 to 1/2 cup dijon mustard
2 large potatoes cut into one-inch pieces
1 medium onion thinly sliced
3 stalks celery diced
1 bulb garlic cloves separated and peeled
1 tablespoon dried parsley
black pepper to taste

Sauce Ingredients

1/4 cup milk I used skim
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
garlic salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the spatchcocked chicken on a cutting board while you prepare it.
Combine the garlic salt, paprika, onion powder and rosemary leaves in a small bowl, and then rub it evenly under the skin of the breast and along the bottom of the chicken.
Now, coat the entire outside of the chicken in a thin layer of dijon mustard.
Put the prepared potatoes, onion, celery and garlic, along with the parsley and black pepper into the bottom of a nine-by-13-inch baking dish, and stir to combine.
Add the chicken on top, breast side up.
Put the chicken in the oven and check the internal temperature after 45 minutes.
Let the chicken cook to 160 degrees, and then remove it from the oven. Carefully place the chicken on another dish or cutting board to rest while it up-cooks to 165 degrees.
While the chicken rests, mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, and then pour over the vegetables in the baking dish. Give it a stir and then place it back in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the oven, and give them another stir.
When the chicken has reached 165, slice and serve it, along with the roasted vegetables.

This was moist and tender, and while Joey and I both expected the mustard to overpower the entire meal, it was actually just a really nice supporting character to the overall dish.

Plus, the mustard created a beautiful, crispy skin on the chicken, which was a great texture and flavor addition.

Everything also reheated well, which was nice, as we ate on this for leftovers.

And, luckily, I did manage to keep up with Joey as he explored our spice cabinet and added ingredients, or we’d never know exactly how to recreate this awesome dinner.

But who needs a recipe when you are this good at making it up as you go along?

This piece first appeared in print June 18, 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.

Tags celery, chicken, dijon mustard, fresh garlic, garlic, garlic salt, milk, onion, onion powder, paprika, parsley, potatoes, rosemary, whole chicken, yellow onion

Appetizer Crockpot Side Dish Snack

Your guests will go hog wild for this amazing bean dip

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date May 14, 2026

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.

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.

Crockpot Main Dish

This kick-butt crockpot recipe should be on your list

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date April 23, 2026

Crockpot mushroom pork butt is a home-y, simple dinner that is awesome over a big pile of mashed potatoes.

After finding a huge, eight-pound pork butt on sale a few weeks ago, our first inclination was for Joey to throw it on his smoker, as he normally would.

Instead, we debated a bit back and forth about what kind of new recipe we could try, and it turned into what we deemed to be a “pork butt face off.” (Which doesn’t sound very nice, but when you’re creating a weird competition in your own kitchen, you can call it whatever you like.)

We each chose a recipe, and we went to the grocery store to get our ingredients.

Thanks to our love of hosting, we have two large crockpots, so we each claimed one and got to work.

We chose distinctly different dishes for our respective halves of the pork butt.

For mine, I decided I wanted something that was in the comfort food genre—something that was filling, belly-warming and made for great leftovers.

So I landed on a recipe from the blog “The Kitchen Magpie.” You can find the original post at https://fastandslowcooking.com/mushroom-gravy-slow-cooker-pork-butt. This was simple enough that I didn’t do much outside of swapping out the kind of mushrooms and onion the recipe called for.

Crockpot Mushroom Pork Butt

Crockpot mushroom pork butt is a home-y, simple dinner that is awesome over a big pile of mashed potatoes.

Course Main Course

Keyword baby bellas, crockpot, fresh mushrooms, mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy mix, onion, pork butt, pork gravy mix, pork roast, slow cooker, vegetable broth, vegetable stock, yellow onion

Ingredients

3 to 4 pounds pork butt roast
2 pounds large whole mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
1 large onion sliced (I used yellow)
2 cups vegetable broth or stock
21- gram packet mushroom gravy mix
21- gram packet pork gravy mix
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch
mashed potatoes for serving

Instructions

Add the pork butt to a crockpot, and place the mushrooms and onion on and around the meat.
In a bowl or mixing cup, whisk the vegetable broth with the two gravy packets until it is well combined.
Pour the mixture on and around the pork in the crockpot. Add salt and pepper, to taste. (Don’t forget that the gravy will likely have some built-in sodium, too.)
Cook on low for eight to 10 hours or on high for four to five hours, until the pork butt is tender and easy to shred.
When you’re ready to serve, transfer the pork to a separate plate or dish and cover to keep it warm, and then add all of the liquid from the crockpot to a saucepan. Heat it over medium-high heat.
Whisk the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water, and slowly whisk it into the drippings in the pan.
Once the gravy reaches your desired consistency, taste it and add more salt and pepper, if desired, and remove it from heat.
Shred the pork and serve it with the mushrooms and onions over top of mashed potatoes and drenched in the gravy.

This recipe was exactly what I wanted to create. The mushrooms added a great, meaty flavor to the pork, and adding creamy mashed potatoes with a really flavorful gravy was absolutely perfect.

So, did I win the face-off?

Well, yes and no.

Joey and I both really, really liked this, but we both really, really liked his recipe, too. (Don’t worry; I’ll be sharing it with you later.)

I guess a tie, when it comes to homemade dinners, is a pretty great outcome, too.

This piece first appeared in print April 23, 2026.

Tags baby bellas, crockpot, fresh mushrooms, mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy mix, onion, pork butt, pork gravy mix, pork roast, slow cooker, vegetable broth, vegetable stock, yellow onion

Main Dish

This week’s dish is ravi‘whole’i made for someone with spare time

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date April 2, 2026

Beef and spinach ravioli can be made completely from scratch at home, and while it is a lot of work, the freshness and flavor are definitely worth it.

Something I love about Joey is that he is often quite willing to jump into a grand kitchen experiment with me.

Recently, that was when I pulled out my pasta roller, and instead of merely making noodles, as I have so far since I bought it, I proposed creating ravioli from scratch.

He was totally on board.

We did some troubleshooting together, trying to hone our technique, and by the end, we had some pretty nice looking stuffed pasta, ready to be made into dinner. (It might have also been after 8 p.m. by the time we finally accomplished this, but that’s not the point.)

This recipe is a combination of a beef ravioli recipe from the blog “Josie and Nina” (you can find their original post at https://josieandnina.com/italian-beef-ravioli/) and from “Easy Italian Cookbook” by Jennifer Donovan.

Beef and Spinach Ravioli

Beef and spinach ravioli can be made completely from scratch at home, and while it is a lot of work, the freshness and flavor are definitely worth it.

Course Main Course

Keyword baby spinach, breadcrumbs, fresh pasta, fresh spinach, ground beef, nutmeg, onion, panko, parmesan cheese, ravioli, ricotta cheese, white wine, yellow onion

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion diced
6-8 cloves garlic minced
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup white wine
16 ounces fresh spinach
1 cup breadcrumbs I used panko
1/2 rounded cup parmesan cheese grated
garlic salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 ounces ricotta cheese
batch of fresh pasta dough

Instructions

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
Add the onion and saute until it is cooked through. Add in the garlic and saute for about a minute or until it just starts to be fragrant.
Add the ground beef to the pan and saute, breaking it apart as it cooks, until it’s cooked through. Remove any excess fat from the pan, and then pour in the wine, being sure to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the spinach, and let everything cook for about two minutes, stirring to wilt the spinach into the mixture.
Add the meat mixture to a food processor and process for a bit, just to get things incorporated, and then add in the bread crumbs, parmesan, garlic salt, pepper and nutmeg, and process until the mixture is kind of a paste.
Mix the ricotta into the meat mixture.
Assemble your ravioli by rolling out the dough into long strips. Using the utensil you’ll use to cut the ravioli (I used a two-inch scalloped cookie cutter), gently make impressions along the dough where you’ll want to cut out each ravioli (you’re just marking it, not cutting the dough), and then scoop about one teaspoon of filling (or more, if your ravioli are larger) into the center of each of the spots. Using a pastry brush, brush a thin layer of water around the edges of each spot. Cover with another sheet of dough and press around each mound of filling with your fingers to seal them, working out as much air as possible, and firmly press your cutter to cut out each individual ravioli.
Set the finished ones off to the side.
To freeze, place them on a baking sheet lined with waxed or parchment paper, and place them in the freezer until they are frozen through. Then place them in a freezer-safe container or bag until you’re ready to cook them.
To cook them, fresh or frozen, boil a large pot of salted water, and carefully drop the ravioli in. Let them boil for a couple minutes until they float to the top and are warmed through. (You don’t need to thaw the frozen ones before cooking them.)
Serve with your favorite sauce.

We ate our ravioli with pesto, and they were really tasty. I did learn that it’s imperative to really flour your surface when you’re cutting out the ravioli so that you can get them to release without tearing.

These were a lot of work, and I’m sure many people would think it’s a waste of time to make your own ravioli, when there are excellent ones in the freezer section at the grocery store. But Joey and I had a great time cooking—and eating—together, and that made it worth it.

This piece first appeared in print April 2, 2026.

Tags baby spinach, breadcrumbs, fresh garlic, fresh pasta, fresh spinach, garlic, ground beef, minced garlic, nutmeg, onion, panko, parmesan cheese, ravioli, ricotta cheese, white wine, yellow onion

Main Dish

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

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date March 12, 2026

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.

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.

Tags 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

Breakfast Main Dish

Oh, baby, are you going to love this Mexican-Dutch fusion

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date March 5, 2026

A Mexican Dutch baby combines the traditional puffy pancake with lots of great south-of-the-border flavors, like chorizo and salsa, to make a meal that’s great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Sometimes I feel like I must try a recipe, just because it sounds too ridiculous or strange to ignore.

In this case, it was finding a guy online making a “Mexican Dutch baby.”

If you’re not familiar with a traditional Dutch baby, it’s basically a large, puffy pancake made in an already preheated pan in the oven.

I have generally only seen Dutch babies filled with fruit and powdered sugar once they come out of the oven, so the idea of a savory one—and a Mexican one, at that—intrigued me.

Now, I will warn you that I probably ruined this from being a true Dutch baby, because I beefed it up quite a bit, making it pretty impossible to puff up as much as a traditional one would, but just trust me that having this as a hearty, filling meal is totally worth whatever puffiness sacrifice you’re making.

I found this recipe on the YouTube channel @yaydadcooking. I doubled the recipe for my version, increased the amount of chorizo and paprika and also added garlic, onion and bell pepper.

Mexican Dutch Baby

A Mexican Dutch baby combines the traditional puffy pancake with lots of great south-of-the-border flavors, like chorizo and salsa, to make a meal that’s great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Main Course

Keyword bell pepper, chorizo, Dutch baby, fresh garlic, garlic, minced garlic, oaxaca cheese, paprika, potatoes, queso fresco, Russet potato, salsa, yellow onion

Ingredients

9 ounces chorizo
1 large Russet potato diced
1 small yellow onion diced
1 bell pepper diced
6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter
Oaxaca cheese or queso fresco to taste
Your favorite salsa for serving

Instructions

Place a large, cast iron or oven-safe deep skillet in the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. (Mine is a 13-inch pan.)
While it preheats, heat a skillet over medium heat, and add the chorizo. Saute until it’s cooked through, and remove it from the pan, setting it aside.
In the leftover grease from the chorizo, saute the potato, onion and pepper until everything is cooked through (if there isn’t enough oil in the pan, add a little canola or vegetable oil to supplement). Add the garlic and saute for just a couple minutes or until it’s fragrant. Remove it from heat and stir the chorizo back into the mixture.
Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk or fork, and then stir in the flour, milk, paprika and salt and pepper. Whisk it some more until the mixture is lump free.
If the oven is preheated, carefully remove the hot pan and add the butter, letting it melt and swirling it to coat the bottom of the pan. Pour in the chorizo/veggie mixture and spread it evenly over the bottom of the pan, and then pour the batter mixture over the top of that.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the batter is golden brown and set.
Top the Dutch baby with cheese and salsa, slice and serve immediately.

This was really tasty, and it reheated extremely well out of the fridge the next day.

This would make for a good dinner or breakfast, either one, and the neat thing is you can really control the spice level, based on what salsa you choose. We went with a spicy green salsa, and it was delicious.

And I’m pretty excited to see this Dutch-Mexican fusion. It combines the best of both types of recipes into one, and that’s the kind of culinary world I want to live in.

This piece first appeared in print March 5, 2026.

Tags bell pepper, chorizo, Dutch baby, fresh garlic, garlic, minced garlic, oaxaca cheese, onion, paprika, potatoes, queso fresco, Russet potato, salsa, yellow onion

Main Dish

I’ll give this recipe my ‘stamppot’ of approval

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date February 26, 2026

Stamppot is a traditional dish from the Netherlands, featuring creamy mashed potatoes, fresh kale and smoked sausage to create a hearty, but simple, meal.

I love finding recipes that claim to be “national dishes” or “traditional” ones.

But I will also confess that, more often than not, when I declare that something is “traditional,” there is someone who will email me (very nicely, mind you) to let me know that, actually, the recipe I found wasn’t quite right.

Inevitably, the person I found making that dish online or in a cookbook somewhere doesn’t quite live up to the food one of my readers grew up enjoying.

So, I am very cautiously introducing you to what is supposedly the Dutch national dish: stamppot.

Stamppot is a mashed-potato meal that is mixed with some vegetables and served with sausage. It’s hearty and simple, and while Joey swore it could really have benefitted from a bit of gravy, it’s delicious, too.

Plus, while you’re eating a big plate of mashed potatoes, you’re also getting a huge serving of veggies along with it. That seems like a win to me.

This comes from the blog “Gypsyplate” by Jason Beiser. You can find the original post at https://gypsyplate.com/stamppot/. I added extra kale and garlic in my version and substituted an onion in place of shallots.

Stamppot

Stamppot is a traditional dish from the Netherlands, featuring creamy mashed potatoes, fresh kale and smoked sausage to create a hearty, but simple, meal.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Dutch, Netherlands

Keyword bay leaves, comfort food, fresh garlic, garlic, kale, mashed potatoes, minced garlic, nutmeg, onion, smoked sausage, stamppot, yellow onion

Ingredients

3 pounds potatoes cubed
2 bay leaves
6 tablespoons butter divided
16 ounces kale cut into strips (a big bunch)
6 cloves garlic minced
1 small yellow onion diced
1 1/2 cups milk warmed
pinch nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound smoked rope sausage cut into bite-sized pieces

Instructions

Add the potatoes to a large stock pot and just cover them with cold water. Add the bay leaves and add a large pinch of salt.
Bring the water to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the water and discard the bay leaves.
While the potatoes cook, heat two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until it’s tender. For the last couple of minutes, add the garlic and give it a quick saute until it’s fragrant.
Remove the onion and garlic and place it on a plate or bowl to the side, and add the kale to the skillet, along with one-half cup of water. Place the lid on the skillet to wilt the kale. Check on it after a few minutes and stir to help the kale cook down. Add more water if all of it evaporates, and continue that process until the kale is cooked to your liking.
Meanwhile, mash the potatoes with four tablespoons butter, the milk, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. (This made a slightly looser mash than I would normally make, but it had a great consistency once it was combined with everything else.)
Add the kale and sauteed onions and garlic to the mashed potatoes and stir to combine.
Set the potatoes aside, keeping them warm.
In the same skillet as before, saute the sausage until it’s cooked through and has a little color on it.
Serve the stamppot by placing a layer of the mashed potato/kale mixture on the bottom and topping with some sausage.

The amount of kale was a bit intimidating at first, but it does cook down a lot, and the flavor actually melds in with the mashed potatoes really well. I was afraid it would take over, but it was just a nice compliment to the rest of the dish.

The leftovers also reheated nicely, which was nice later in the week.

And this recipe may or may not be exactly what someone from the Netherlands would expect, but regardless, it was a darn tasty meal.

This piece first appeared in print Feb. 26, 2026.

Tags bay leaves, comfort food, fresh garlic, garlic, kale, mashed potatoes, minced garlic, nutmeg, onion, smoked sausage, stamppot, yellow onion

Main Dish

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

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date January 15, 2026

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.

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.

Tags 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

Main Dish

‘Tuscan’ play at this shrimp pasta game

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date January 1, 2026

Creamy Tuscan shrimp features Italian seasonings, alongside pasta, mushrooms and more. It’s a great, filling dish for a cold night.

A few weeks ago, as one of my officemates, who shall remain nameless, glanced at my column, he remarked, “You’re really on a pasta kick right now, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” I told him. “I’m always on a pasta kick.”

I mean, it’s kind of a silly question. Pasta is amazing.

So, despite the judgement from the peanut gallery, I made yet another pasta dish this week—well, actually I added pasta to a dish—and it was delicious. It was perfect for an evening meal on a cold day.

This comes from the blog “Salt & Lavender.” You can find the original post at https://www.saltandlavender.com/creamy-garlic-shrimp-with-sun-dried-tomatoes-and-basil/. I added mushrooms, onion, and pasta, as well as extra seasonings in my version.

Creamy Tuscan Shrimp

Creamy Tuscan shrimp features Italian seasonings, alongside pasta, mushrooms and more. It’s a great, filling dish for a cold night.

Course Main Course

Keyword 30-minute meal, baby bellas, baby spinach, basil, fresh garlic, fresh mushrooms, fresh spinach, heavy cream, lemon juice, linguine, minced garlic, onion, oregano, parsley, pasta, shrimp, spaghetti, sun-dried tomatoes, yellow onion

Ingredients

8 ounces spaghetti or linguini
2-4 tablespoons butter
1 small yellow onion
8 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced (I used baby bellas)
1 teaspoon flour
6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes oil drained
1 pound raw shrimp peeled and deveined
2 cups fresh baby spinach packed
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Prepare your pasta according to the package directions.
While it cooks, melt two tablespoons of butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. When it’s melted, add in the onion and mushrooms, and saute until the onion is cooked through. (If the veggies soak up all the butter, you might add a tablespoon or two more to make sure there’s a little fat in the pan for the next step.)
Stir in the little bit of flour and add the garlic, sauteing until the garlic just becomes fragrant and the flour is all absorbed.
Stir in the cream, lemon juice, basil, oregano, parsley and sun-dried tomatoes, being sure to incorporate any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet.
Let the mixture come to a low simmer, and let it cook for two minutes.
Add the shrimp, letting them cook in the sauce for about five minutes or until they’re cooked through.
Finally, stir in the pasta and spinach, stirring to wilt the spinach into the sauce, and add salt and pepper to taste.

This was creamy and full of flavor. Adding all the extras meant that it wasn’t an overly saucy dish, but there was enough to give everything a good coating.

If you’re not much of a shrimp fan, just leave it out, and then serve this with some grilled chicken. It would be an excellent combination, too.

And yes, if you’re feeling like the pasta is a bit much, just leave it out, too. Just don’t tell me. I’m still on that kick.

This piece first appeared in print Jan. 1, 2026.

Tags 30-minute meal, baby bellas, baby spinach, basil, fresh garlic, fresh mushrooms, fresh spinach, heavy cream, lemon juice, linguine, minced garlic, onion, oregano, parsley, pasta, shrimp, spaghetti, sun-dried tomatoes, yellow onion

Main Dish

Everyone will polish off their plates with this sheet pan meal

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date November 6, 2025

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.

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

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.