Tag: paprika

Categories
Main Dish Soup

Don’t have time to get ’round to dinner? Make meatball soup.

Italian meatball soup makes for a really quick and hearty dinner. It would be a great companion to a grilled cheese sandwich or a thick slice of garlic bread.
Italian meatball soup makes for a really quick and hearty dinner. It would be a great companion to a grilled cheese sandwich or a thick slice of garlic bread.

I was in such a hurry this week, trying to toss together a quick dinner for Joey and I before we headed back out the door for more commitments.

In the moments before I headed home, I popped into the grocery store, a new recipe on my phone, grabbing quick ingredients before trying to get food on the table.

But being me, I strayed a bit from the ingredient list, adding this and that to my basket and internally planning the spice mixture I would throw into the soup I was going to make.

Even for a quick dinner, I just couldn’t keep myself from playing with the recipe.

The one I tried comes from the blog “Girl Gone Gourmet” by April Anderson. You can find the original post at https://www.girlgonegourmet.com/italian-meatball-soup/. I changed it quite a bit from the original, adding quite a few ingredients to my version.

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Italian Meatball Soup

Italian meatball soup makes for a really quick and hearty dinner. It would be a great companion to a grilled cheese sandwich or a thick slice of garlic bread.
Course Main Course, Soup
Keyword basil, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, frozen meatballs, fusilli pasta, garlic powder, grated parmesan cheese, Italian meatballs, marinara sauce, onion powder, oregano, paprika, parsley, quick dinner, quick soup, red pepper flakes

Ingredients

  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 24 ounces marinara sauce I used a roasted garlic version
  • 26 ounces frozen Italian-style meatballs
  • 8 ounces fusilli pasta
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • grated parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

  • In a large pot with a lid, add the broth, diced tomatoes (don’t drain them) and marinara sauce, over high heat.
  • Stir to combine the ingredients, and when they come to a boil, stir in the meatballs. Once the mixture comes back to a boil, add the pasta, parsley, oregano, basil, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and stir well.
  • Turn the heat to medium and place the lid on the pot, letting it simmer for five minutes.
  • Remove the lid and stir, and continue to let the soup cook at a slow boil for six to seven minutes or until the noodles are cooked to your liking.
  • If the soup is too thick, add additional broth or water until the soup reaches your desired consistency. When the soup is heated back through, serve topped with parmesan.

This turned out really well. It was thick, hearty and full of great Italian flavor. It was perfect for dinner, but it would have been a great option for lunch with a small cup of soup alongside a grilled cheese sandwich or a big slice of garlic bread, too.

I ended up leaving my soup a bit on the thick side, and as it cooled, it turned into more of a pasta sauce than a soup, so my leftovers will be getting more liquid when I reheat them.

But the main thing is that I managed to quickly get a hot meal on the table that we both enjoyed, even while I kept tossing improvised ingredients into the pot. Sometimes being in a hurry means eating something terrible for dinner, but every once in awhile, it makes for a great meal.

This piece first appeared in print on Feb. 15, 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
Air Fryer Main Dish Side Dish

It’s time to sprout a new opinion of the old Brussels

Parmesan Brussels sprouts are a great side dish or vegetarian main dish, with a great combination of herbs and spices and a lightly salty cheese.
Parmesan Brussels sprouts are a great side dish or vegetarian main dish, with a great combination of herbs and spices and a lightly salty cheese.

As a child, I remember Brussels sprouts as being held up as the epitome of gross vegetables on every kids’ show I watched. The mere mention of the little green vegetable made actors and cartoon characters wrinkle their noses in disgust.

As an adult, I love Brussels sprouts. I figured it was just due to kids not liking vegetables and me having a better palate now that I’m grown up, but then I came across a 2019 report from National Public Radio that explains that Brussels sprouts actually are tastier than they were when I was in grade school.

According to the story, a seed producer in the Netherlands set out to breed a much less bitter version of the plant in the 1990s, and once they perfected the new sprouts, consumers couldn’t get enough. Demand for Brussels sprouts have reached an all-time high.

So, if you’re wrinkling your nose at this week’s recipe, thanks to bad childhood memories, don’t. It’s time to give Brussels sprouts a try once again.

The recipe I tried this week comes from the blog “TropRockin.com” by Tammy Camp. You can find the original post at https://www.troprockin.com/air-fryer-brussels-sprouts/. I tripled the spices and doubled the cheese in my version. I also added oven directions in addition to the author’s air fryer directions.

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Parmesan Brussels Sprouts

Parmesan Brussels sprouts are a great side dish or vegetarian main dish, with a great combination of herbs and spices and a lightly salty cheese.
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Keyword air fryer, Brussels sprouts, garlic powder, paprika, parmesan cheese, thyme

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts halved
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated

Instructions

  • Clean and trim your Brussels sprouts, and then dry them as much as you can with a paper towel.
  • In a bowl, stir the oil, paprika, garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper until everything is well combined. Add your halved Brussels sprouts to the bowl and stir until they are evenly coated in the seasonings.
  • If you want to make these in an air fryer, preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees. Place your sprouts in a single layer and cook for eight to 10 minutes, stirring halfway through, until they reach your desired tenderness. Drop the temperature to 320 degrees, sprinkle the parmesan cheese on the sprouts, and cook for another two minutes to melt the cheese.
  • If you’re making these in the oven, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and place your sprouts in a single layer on the sheet. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until they reach your desired tenderness. Sprinkle the parmesan over the top of the sprouts, and cook for another couple of minutes until the cheese is melted.
  • Serve immediately.

These were delicious. I like to roast my Brussels sprouts until they’re starting to get a little crispy around the edges and are fork tender.

And, after this great meal, I’d like to personally thank the Dutch horticulturist who saved Brussels sprouts’ reputation and put them back on menus all over the world. Generations of children (and adults) are in your debt.

This piece first appeared in print on Dec. 21, 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 Pressure Cooker

You can cook a whole chicken—even under pressure

A whole chicken can be cooked quickly, along with sliced onions and bell peppers, to create a delicious, slightly spicy bird, perfect over rice, mashed potatoes or served inside a tortilla.
A whole chicken can be cooked quickly, along with sliced onions and bell peppers, to create a delicious, slightly spicy bird, perfect over rice, mashed potatoes or served inside a tortilla.

Last weekend, Joey attended a day-long bowling tournament.

The day before he left, he lamented that he didn’t think he would have time to throw a whole chicken we bought on the smoker and may have to toss it back in the freezer.

Instead, I offered to put it in the oven on my day alone and have it ready for dinner when he came home.

When he stepped in the door at the end of the day, I was happily putting fresh bedsheets on our mattress, feeling accomplished with my day of laundry.

“Did you decide not to do that chicken,” Joey asked, after we talked about his tournament.

Oops. I totally forgot about the chicken!

Joey waved off my mistake, but I immediately started searching online. I still had an hour or so before dinner time, and I knew just the appliance that could save me: my pressure cooker.

So, this week’s recipe isn’t about a deliciously slow-roasted chicken, basting in its own juices in my oven. Instead, it’s a quick, delicious and slightly spicy bird that managed to save dinner and give us plenty of leftovers for the week.

The recipe I used came from the blog “Chew Out Loud” by Amy Dong. You can find the original post at https://www.chewoutloud.com/instant-pot-whole-chicken/. I doubled every spice in my version and added bell peppers.

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Spicy Pressure Cooker Chicken

A whole chicken can be cooked quickly, along with sliced onions and bell peppers, to create a delicious, slightly spicy bird, perfect over rice, mashed potatoes or served inside a tortilla.
Course Main Course
Keyword bell pepper, black pepper, cayenne, chicken broth, chicken stock, garlic powder, Instantpot, paprika, pressure cooker, thyme, whole chicken, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 5 to 6 pound whole chicken
  • 3 teaspoons salt
  • 4 teaspoons paprika
  • 3 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons thyme
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 medium yellow onion sliced
  • 2 bell peppers any color, sliced
  • 1 cup chicken broth I subbed in a bouillon dissolved in water

Instructions

  • Prepare your whole chicken by removing the giblets, and patting it dry—inside and out—with paper towels.
  • In a small bowl, combine the salt, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, thyme and black pepper, and stir to mix them together.
  • Using a knife, loosen the skin around the breast, back, legs and thighs of the chicken so you can slide a spoon or your hands inside, and evenly distribute about two-thirds of your spice mixture under the skin all over the bird. Press the rest onto the top of the skin and inside the bird, coating it as evenly as you can. Set the bird aside.
  • In your pressure cooker, line the bottom with the sliced onions and peppers and pour in the chicken broth. Place the prepared bird on top of the vegetables (it doesn’t matter which direction is up or down). Secure the lid and cook the bird on high pressure for 25 minutes, letting the steam naturally release for at least 15 minutes afterwards.
  • Temp the chicken. It should read at least 165 degrees in its thickest spots. If not, do another 15 to 20 minutes of high pressure cooking until it does.
  • Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing or shredding it. Serve it with the vegetables over rice, mashed potatoes or in tortillas.

This was moist and tender, and we ended up making burritos, along with some Mexican rice. The chicken had just a bit of a kick to it, but it wasn’t so spicy that it knocked our socks off. If the heat scares you a little or you don’t think your tablemates are up to it, just decrease or eliminate the cayenne pepper.

Thanks to my pressure cooker this weekend, dinner was saved in the Young household. Now if I could just find the laundry equivalent to quick cooking, my future weekends might really be set.

This piece initially appeared in print on Nov. 16, 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

Cook up all the ‘gourd’ things for fall weather

Fall chicken and vegetables features all the flavors of the season with sweet butternut squash, earthy Brussels spouts and plenty of garlic, along with cheesy tortellini and paprika-seasoned chicken.
Fall chicken and vegetables features all the flavors of the season with sweet butternut squash, earthy Brussels spouts and plenty of garlic, along with cheesy tortellini and paprika-seasoned chicken.

Early to mid-October is one of the harder times of year for me to decide what to cook.

Since the Kansas weather can’t make up its mind, I’m never sure if it will be a day where I’m happy to heat up my kitchen by firing up the oven or if I’ll regret raising the temperature in our house.

Despite that, I’m never wishy-washy about all of the fall vegetables that start to hit the grocery store shelves. I could subsist almost completely on squash and sweet potatoes, and I’m always excited to get to cook with them again each year.

So, on a day this past week when I was pretty sure it was going to be an “oven day,” I grabbed some squash and Brussels spouts and hurried home to whip up my first official fall meal so I could share it with all of you.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Julia’s Album.” You can find the original post at https://juliasalbum.com/autumn-chicken-dinner-roasted-vegetables/. I added extra spices and garlic to my version.

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Fall Chicken and Vegetables

Fall chicken and vegetables features all the flavors of the season with sweet butternut squash, earthy Brussels spouts and plenty of garlic, along with cheesy tortellini and paprika-seasoned chicken.
Course Main Course
Keyword autumn recipe, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cheese tortellini, chicken breasts, chicken thighs, fall recipe, garlic, minced garlic, paprika, thyme

Ingredients

  • 3 cups butternut squash peeled and cubed
  • 12 ounces Brussels spouts halved
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 9 ounces cheese tortellini
  • 1 pound boneless/skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into strips
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons thyme
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy clean up.
  • Add the squash and Brussels sprouts to the baking sheet, and then pour on two tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Mix the vegetables with a spoon or your hands until everything is evenly coated. Spread the vegetables out as evenly as possible, and bake for 30 minutes or until fork tender. (Stir them around a bit after about 20 minutes in the oven.)
  • While the vegetables are roasting, cook the tortellini according to package instructions, drain and set aside.
  • For the chicken, place the strips into a bowl and season with the paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir the chicken with a spoon or your hands until the spices are evenly distributed onto all the chicken.
  • In a large skillet (go big; you’re adding the vegetables and pasta later), heat the other two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the chicken and saute for about five minutes on each side until the chicken is browned to your liking and has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside for now.
  • Add the butter to the skillet. When it’s melted, add in the garlic. Saute for about two minutes, until the garlic is lightly browned a fragrant.
  • Add the tortellini to the skillet and toss to coat it in the butter/garlic mixture.
  • Add in the chicken and any accumulated juices and the roasted vegetables and toss again to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Add more salt and pepper, if desired, and serve hot.

This was delicious. I definitely went back in for another helping, and it made a lot of food. I will say it was not quite as good when reheated as it was the first night we had it, but the leftovers were still pretty tasty.

The flavor profile for this is quintessentially fall, which I was excited to experience.

And even if the weather keeps dipping back and forth on the temperature gauge, I’ll keep this recipe around and ready for the rest of October and November.

I’m ready for some autumn flavors, even if Mother Nature is not.

This piece first appeared in print on Oct. 19, 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
Side Dish

You have my ‘parmesan’ to treat yourself to potatoes this weekend

Crispy Mexican potatoes feature lots of traditional Mexican flavors, making them just a little spicy with a crispy, cheesy bottom and a creamy interior. They are a great side dish for a variety of meals.
Crispy Mexican potatoes feature lots of traditional Mexican flavors, making them just a little spicy with a crispy, cheesy bottom and a creamy interior. They are a great side dish for a variety of meals.

“What makes them Mexican potatoes?” a friend asked as he scooped my latest food experiment onto his paper plate in our backyard.

“I think it’s just the spices that put it in that category,” I told him.

He looked at me quizzically and only grabbed a few.

But after finishing off that first spoonful and going in for a second, I think it was safe to say he didn’t really care if there was a national origin to this side dish or not—they were a hit.

It was a couple weekends ago that Joey fired up his smoker and we invited some people over to eat with us and enjoy the truckload of food we prepared. It’s always more fun to enjoy meals like that with friends, and this one was no exception.

And this potato side dish was a great addition to the meal.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog, “Bites with Bri” by Brianna May. You can find the original post at https://biteswithbri.com/mexican-potato-recipe/. I added extra spices in my version below.

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Crispy Mexican Potatoes

Crispy Mexican potatoes feature lots of traditional Mexican flavors, making them just a little spicy with a crispy, cheesy bottom and a creamy interior. They are a great side dish for a variety of meals.
Course Side Dish
Keyword barbecue side dish, black pepper, chili powder, cumin, easy side dish, garlic powder, Mexican, onion powder, oregano, paprika, parmesan cheese, yellow potatoes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds small yellow potatoes halved
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese use the real stuff, not the stuff in a can

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside (I tried using foil, and it was tough to remove the potatoes. I think parchment is a better way to go.)
  • Make sure the potato skins are dry after washing them before proceeding with coating them in seasonings. Just pat them with a paper towel.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the potatoes, oil and spices. Stir well to completely coat the potatoes.
  • Press the cut side of each potato into the shredded parmesan and place it, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat, spacing the potatoes just slightly apart.
  • Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
  • Transfer hot potatoes to a serving dish and serve immediately.

I wish I could tell you how these reheated for leftovers, but we didn’t have any of those. These taters went quickly, and if I do this side for another barbecue where we’re expecting more people, I will definitely double the recipe.

These were just a little spicy. You can always decrease or cut out the chili powder if that’s not your thing, but we really enjoyed them. The crispy cheese, creamy potato and Mexican spices all go together perfectly and were perfect along with the smoked chicken Joey made as the main course.

I still can’t tell you if they really qualify as a “Mexican” dish, but I can tell you nobody will care much once their mouths are full.

This piece first appeared in print on July 20, 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
Appetizer Snack

No need to ‘Harp’ about this amazing pub cheese

Irish pub cheese is a fantastic party dip that goes especially well with salty snacks like pretzels but can also pair with vegetables and even apple slices.
Irish pub cheese is a fantastic party dip that goes especially well with salty snacks like pretzels but can also pair with vegetables and even apple slices.

At least 10 years ago, I first tried making homemade soft pretzels for this column.

They were messy, extremely tricky to knot and delicious.

Since that first foray into pretzel-making, I have made the recipe again several times, but I have always opted to make pretzel bites instead of going through the arduous process of knotting dough. It’s hard to have patience when you have freshly baked pretzels in your immediate future.

I made those pretzels again recently, but not just because I had a hankering for pretzels. Instead, I had what promised to be a delicious pub cheese recipe that I wanted to try, and what better way to enjoy a thick, tasty cheese dip than with a warm, homemade pretzel?

And let me tell you, this dip did not disappoint.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “A Spicy Perspective” by Sommer Collier. You can find her original post at https://www.aspicyperspective.com/irish-pub-cheese/. I changed the amounts of several ingredients in my version below.

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Irish Pub Cheese

Irish pub cheese is a fantastic party dip that goes especially well with salty snacks like pretzels but can also pair with vegetables and even apple slices.
Course Snack
Cuisine Irish
Keyword beer cheese, cheese dip, cream cheese, easy snack, garlic, ground mustard, Harp lager, Irish cheese, paprika, pub cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, spicy brown mustard

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces Irish or sharp cheddar shredded or block
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup Harp lager or another pale lager, like Heineken
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons ground or spicy brown mustard
  • 1 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

  • Place the cheddar into a food processor (break it into chunks first, if you’re using a block), and process until the cheese is in small crumbles.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the mixture is smooth and all the ingredients are well incorporated.
  • Give it a taste and add ingredients as desired.
  • Transfer the pub cheese to a bowl for serving and serve alongside pretzels, crackers or whatever else sounds good for dipping.

There is a pronounced beer flavor to this cheese dip, but it compliments the taste of the sharp cheese really, really well, so it’s definitely worth adding to the mix. I wouldn’t say a non-drinker would immediately be turned off by the flavors here, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re serving snacks to someone who has a major aversion to the flavor of beer.

You could easily use a non-alcoholic beer in this, too, if you’d rather. Heineken should be a good substitute for Harp’s, and they have a non-alcoholic version.

As I expected, this pub cheese paired great with some salty soft pretzels. It was also fantastic with good, old-fashioned crunchy pretzels, though. Honestly, you might be able to make cardboard taste good if you dip it in this (not that I’m advocating eating cardboard…).

And, if you’re wondering, I didn’t go for knotted pretzels for my snack table this time around, either. No one seemed to mind the lack of effort, though, as we demolished this bowl of dip with pretzel bites. It was still a huge crowd pleaser on the snack table, believe it or…knot.

This piece first appeared in print on April 13, 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

Stop, chop and (hoagie) roll into this week’s fabulous sandwich

The chopped cheese is a regional favorite in New York, and although this version is far from perfect as an “authentic” recreation, it’s still an easy and delicious sandwich, with perfectly cooked ground beef and veggies and lots of melty cheese.
The chopped cheese is a regional favorite in New York, and although this version is far from perfect as an “authentic” recreation, it’s still an easy and delicious sandwich, with perfectly cooked ground beef and veggies and lots of melty cheese.

I inadvertently jumped into the middle of a food controversy this week.

Well, really, it was Joey’s fault. He found a video recently of someone making a sandwich called a “chopped cheese,” and because it looked delicious, we decided we needed to give it a try in our own kitchen.

Upon doing some digging, I came upon a 2016 New York Times article by Eli Rosenberg, outlining the debate amongst some New Yorkers about the traditional dish and specifically whether you can make a gourmet version of the sandwich and still call it a true “chopped cheese.”

“The sandwich, also called a chop cheese—ground beef with onions, topped by melted cheese and served with lettuce, tomatoes and condiments on a hero roll,” Rosenberg writes, “has long been a staple of bodegas in Harlem and the Bronx.”

At a normal price point of $4 to $5, that’s a great, cheap meal in New York City.

Now, regardless of any controversy, and knowing we skipped some of the traditional ingredients, Joey and I pushed forward with making our own version of a chopped cheese sandwich. These were so good, we’ve already made them twice.

This recipe was inspired by a video by online creator “Grillnation,” but Joey definitely tweaked everything into its final version.

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Chopped Cheese Sandwich

The chopped cheese is a regional favorite in New York, and although this version is far from perfect as an “authentic” recreation, t’s still an easy and delicious sandwich, with perfectly cooked ground beef and veggies and lots of melty cheese.
Course Main Course
Keyword bell pepper, black pepper, cheddar cheese, chop cheese, chopped cheese, fresh mushrooms, garlic salt, ground beef, hamburger, hoagie roll, hot sandwich, minced garlic, New York City, onion powder, paprika, provolone, red pepper flakes, sandwich, sliced cheese, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil we used canola
  • 1 bell pepper any color, sliced
  • 1 small yellow onion sliced
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms sliced
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • 4 to 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 to 8 slices cheese we used cheddar and provolone
  • 4 hoagie buns toasted

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add in the bell pepper and onion and saute until they are soft.
  • Add in the mushrooms, and continue to saute for a couple minutes until they start to cook down.
  • In a small bowl, combine the garlic salt, onion powder, paprika, black pepper and red pepper flakes.
  • Split your ground beef into four even parts and flatten each portion to around 1/4-inch thick. Season one side of the patties with half of your seasoning mixture.
  • Move your veggies to one side of the pan and place the four patties, seasoning side down, into the skillet. Season the patties with the remaining seasoning mixture.
  • Using your spatula, chop the patties so that they’re in large chunks but still mostly together. Once the patties are nicely browned (it should cook fairly quickly, since the patties are thin), carefully flip them over to the other side.
  • While the second side cooks, add the minced garlic to the veggies in the pan to give it just a little color.
  • When the patties are almost done, place one to two slices of cheese on each patty. Add an equal portion of the vegetables on top of the cheese, and then scoop the patties onto a toasted hoagie.
  • Serve immediately with your favorite burger condiments and fixin’s.

This does reheat pretty well, so if you don’t need four portions when you initially make the chopped cheese, you can always refrigerate the leftovers for later.

The New York Times notes that while the origins of the chopped cheese aren’t completely known, it likely got its start from someone trying to recreate a Philly cheesesteak with some slightly less expensive ingredients.

Regardless, this sandwich makes for a darn good meal, and it’s just enough different from a normal hamburger to break from the routine. Plus, it comes together quickly—and cheaply—which is a nice bonus.

I’m sure any New Yorker who might stumble upon my column would say that I in no way re-created the iconic sandwich in my own kitchen, and they’d probably be right. After all, there’s a lot of flavor that gets imparted from a well-used grill in a small restaurant, but until I manage to travel to the Big Apple to try the real thing, this will just have to do.

This piece first appeared in print on Feb. 23, 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

Creamy chicken and tortellini is ‘pasta’tively perfect for dinner this winter

Creamy chicken and tortellini is actually a pretty easy dish to make but it has lots of wow factor with an out-of-this-world sauce, perfectly cooked chicken and cheesy pasta.
Creamy chicken and tortellini is actually a pretty easy dish to make but it has lots of wow factor with an out-of-this-world sauce, perfectly cooked chicken and cheesy pasta.

I have officially reached the hibernation stage of winter.

Once I’m home from work, I am constantly clad in my fleece pants, thick socks and carrying a fuzzy blanket for our schnauzer and me to curl up under on the couch.

On top of that, I’m mostly attracted to meals that are warm and carb heavy.

This week, I finally gave into my temptation for a cheesy, high-calorie meal, and it was absolutely fabulous. It was the perfect thing to fill us up on a cold night, and it was easy, too.

This comes from an online video by Luke Brown. You can find him on reels on Facebook. I added extra seasoning to my version of his recipe below.

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Creamy Chicken and Tortellini

Creamy chicken and tortellini is actually a pretty easy dish to make but it has lots of wow factor with an out-of-this-world sauce, perfectly cooked chicken and cheesy pasta.
Course Main Course
Keyword 30-minute meal, chicken, chicken breasts, chicken broth, easy dinner, garlic, garlic powder, heavy cream, oregano, paprika, parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, sun-dried tomatoes, thyme, tortellini

Ingredients

  • 2 large chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons garlic minced
  • 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes mostly drained and chopped
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 19 ounces frozen tortellini

Instructions

  • In a large plastic bag, combine the flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss in the chicken, seal the bag, and shake until the chicken is well coated in the flour mixture.
  • Heat a large skillet with a lid over medium heat and add in the olive oil and butter. Add the chicken and saute until it is golden brown and the internal temperature of the largest piece is 165 degrees.
  • Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside for now.
  • Add the minced garlic and sun-dried tomatoes to the pan and saute for about one minute. Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan a bit as you stir to get all the good bits off the bottom.
  • Add in the parmesan, red pepper flakes, oregano and thyme, and stir until the cheese is melted and everything is well combined.
  • Add in the frozen tortellini (Don’t bother stirring at this point. The frozen pasta will just make your parmesan clump back up.), and place the lid on the pan. Turn the heat down to low, and let the pasta cook for about five minutes.
  • Stir to coat the pasta in the sauce, and then add in the chicken. Give the whole dish a good stir to coat everything in the sauce, and serve immediately.

This was amazing. It was cheesy, creamy and definitely filling. It could have benefited from a big piece of garlic bread to go along with it, too.

The only problem with it was that it immediately made me want to go take a nap—I’m pretty sure it counted as carbo-loading.

As much as I wish I could eat these big heavy meals all winter, I know I’ll need to stick to healthier options most of the time. But that doesn’t mean this fantastic pasta dish won’t make another appearance at some point while I still have my cold-weather blanket in tow.

This piece first appeared in print on Jan. 26, 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

Seize the ‘carne’ with a summer-friendly chili recipe

Chili con carne is an easy recipe that just simmers on your stove until you're ready for dinner. With tons of spices and several types of peppers, it's a great meal for a crowd or one that provides plenty of leftovers.
Chili con carne is an easy recipe that just simmers on your stove until you’re ready for dinner. With tons of spices and several types of peppers, it’s a great meal for a crowd or one that provides plenty of leftovers.

There is an in-depth article that appeared back in 2017 in Texas Monthly by John Nova Lomax about the origins of chili con carne in the United States.

It’s a great read, if you get the chance, and apparently there’s a lot of controversy about the recipe’s origins from historians, but I did love a quoted section from a Kansas newspaper reporter who visited Texas in the late 1800s.

“Speaking of hot things, at San Antonio they have a dish called chili con carne,” he wrote. “[…] It is awful seductive looking […] They always have enough to go around, for no stranger, no matter how terrific a durned fool he is, ever calls for a second dish. He almost always calls for a big cistern full of water, and you can’t put the water in him fast enough with a steam engine hose.”

Let me assure you that although I did decide to try this Texas staple this week, it is not spicy enough to call for cisterns of water. Instead, the recipe I tried has great depth of flavor and is easy to adapt, based on your own favorite spices.

This comes from the blog “Chili Pepper Madness” by Mike Hultquist. You can find the original post at https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/chili-con-carne/. I added lots of extra spices in my version. And, yes, despite the strong opinion of many Texans, I added beans, too.

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Chili con Carne

Chili con carne is an easy recipe that just simmers on your stove until you're ready for dinner. With tons of spices and several types of peppers, it's a great meal for a crowd or one that provides plenty of leftovers.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword ancho peppers, beef, chili con carne, chuck roast, coriander, cumin, garlic, guajillo peppers, jalapeno peppers, kidney beans, oregano, paprika, Tex-Mex, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces dried guajillo peppers
  • 2 ounces dried ancho pasilla peppers
  • 4 to 6 pounds chuck roast cut into one-inch pieces
  • 4 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 2 tablespoons oregano
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 4 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons coriander
  • salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 2 jalapeno peppers diced
  • 20 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 to 4 cups beef stock optional
  • 2 15.5- ounce cans light red kidney beans rinsed and drained

Instructions

  • Start by heating a large pot with a lid over medium heat. Drop in the dried peppers, turning them every so often, until they are warmed through.
  • Remove from the pot and remove the stems and seeds from the dried peppers and submerge them in very hot water (at least three cups) in a container with a lid. Let them sit for 20 minutes. When the peppers are done, combine them with three cups of the soaking liquid in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
  • While the peppers soak, place the cubed roast in a large bowl along with the paprika, smoked paprika, oregano, black pepper, brown sugar, cumin, coriander and salt. Mix well to coat the meat evenly.
  • Heat the oil in your large pot over medium heat and add the meat, onions and jalapenos. Saute for around six minutes or until the meat is nicely browned and the vegetables are softened.
  • Add in the garlic and pepper sauce. If you already have a decent amount of liquid in the pot from the meat and vegetables, bring the mixture to a boil. If there isn’t much liquid or not enough to your liking, add beef stock to the pot and then bring it to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat to a low simmer and place the lid on the pot. Let it cook for at least two hours or until the beef is tender.
  • If desired, shred the beef at this point. Add in the beans, and add more beef stock, if desired.
  • Serve in a bowl with rice, wrapped in tortillas, with chips or however you like it.

This was extremely delicious. We ate our chili con carne with some Mexican rice along with some corn chips on the side. When we ate the leftovers, we rolled it up in tortillas and ate it like burritos.

If you like peppers, you’ll love the flavors in this chili. It was fairly mild (I did deseed my jalapenos), if you’re not into something overly spicy.

And unlike the long-ago reporter from Kansas, we did go back for second helpings when we were finished. I guess that cements us as durned fools in our house.

This piece first appeared in print on June 23, 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
Side Dish

Roasted vegetables will be the ‘bell’ of the ball this summer

Southwest potatoes combines potatoes, bell peppers and onion with plenty of herbs and spices for a delicious summer side dish that's easy to make and looks pretty on the table.
Southwest potatoes combines potatoes, bell peppers and onion with plenty of herbs and spices for a delicious summer side dish that’s easy to make and looks pretty on the table.

Even though I try not to heat up the house with my oven too often in the summer, I am definitely willing to make an exception for the right recipe.

Last week, that exception came when I decided I didn’t want one of the typical cold summer sides like coleslaw, potato salad or a green salad to go with our dinner, and I stumbled on a delicious-looking recipe that combined potatoes and bell peppers. It sounded like a fantastic summer side, especially with all the brightly colored peppers included.

It fit the bill perfectly, and not only was I happy with the flavors but it also ended up being a great meal for leftovers later on.

This comes from the blog “Will Cook for Smiles.” You can find the original post at https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/southwest-roasted-potatoes. I added extra spices and vegetables in my version.

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Southwest Potatoes

Southwest potatoes combines potatoes, bell peppers and onion with plenty of herbs and spices for a delicious summer side dish that's easy to make and looks pretty on the table.
Course Side Dish
Keyword bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, potatoes, summer side dish, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 2 large Russet potatoes
  • 1 large red bell pepper
  • 1 large green bell pepper
  • 1 large yellow or orange bell pepper
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 heaping teaspoon cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a large, rimmed baking sheet by lining it with foil.
  • Cut potatoes and onion into about one-half-inch pieces. Cut the peppers into about one-inch pieces.
  • Add all of the vegetables to a large bowl or directly onto the baking sheet to combine with the other ingredients.
  • Add the oil, herbs and spices to your vegetables and mix well until they are evenly coated in the mixture.
  • Evenly spread out the coated vegetables on your prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Serve hot.

If you’re into something a bit spicier, you could easily toss in some hot peppers or maybe some cayenne pepper in the mix for this. But I will say this combination of spices was definitely flavorful while still being a crowd pleaser.

It was also super gorgeous on the table. I would highly recommend this one for a gathering if you need a good side dish this summer. We really enjoyed it.

And, in the grand scheme of things, heating up the kitchen was very much worth it. There’s something about roasted bell peppers that I absolutely love, even if I have to sweat just a bit to get them.

This piece first appeared in print on June 9, 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.

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