Tag: parsley

Categories
Main Dish Soup

Don’t leaf through your cookbooks for ideas, make this instead

Gumbo collard greens is a slightly spicy soup with tons of fresh flavor from leafy, fresh collard greens. It is delicious alongside a slice of cornbread and can be enjoyed all throughout the year.
Gumbo collard greens is a slightly spicy soup with tons of fresh flavor from leafy, fresh collard greens. It is delicious alongside a slice of cornbread and can be enjoyed all throughout the year.

My allergies are totally angry at me right now.

I don’t know what kind of plant is surviving well enough in this late-July heat to attack my sinuses, but something certainly has been.

So when I told you I was immediately attracted to a soup recipe, you’ll forgive my stuffy nose for wanting a hot meal when the mercury is about to burst out of the glass.

I will say that, considering this is a southern-inspired dish, it’s probably not really meant to be consumed in the middle of a Kansas winter, either, but if you can find the fresh collard greens to make it happen, I’d recommend this gumbo literally any time of the year.

I got this recipe from cook Daven Gates from his Instagram account, called “One Stop Chop.” I switched up the protein a bit and retooled the spices, based on what I had available at my local grocery store and my spice cabinet.

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Gumbo Collard Greens

Gumbo collard greens is a slightly spicy soup with tons of fresh flavor from leafy, fresh collard greens. It is delicious alongside a slice of cornbread and can be enjoyed all throughout the year.
Course Main Course, Soup
Keyword Andouille sausage, bay leaves, bell pepper, cajun seasoning, canola oil, celery, celery salt, chicken, chicken broth, chicken stock, collard greens, fresh garlic, fresh thyme, garlic, garlic powder, green bell pepper, gumbo, minced garlic, olive oil, onion powder, parsley, red pepper flakes, vegetable oil, Worcestershire, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 1 pound andouille sausage sliced into medallions
  • 1 cup oil canola, vegetable, olive or avocado
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 1 large green bell pepper diced
  • 3 celery stalks diced
  • 8 to 10 cloves garlic minced
  • 10 to 12 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon celery salt
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • black pepper to taste
  • 3 large bunches collard greens stems removed and roughly chopped (wash it really well)
  • 2 pounds chicken cooked, deboned and shredded

Instructions

  • Heat a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat, and add the andouille sausage.
  • Saute until the sausage is lightly browned on all sides, and remove it to a plate to the side.
  • Add the oil and flour to the Dutch oven, stirring constantly and breaking up any lumps, until the roux mixture is chocolate brown in color. (This may take anywhere from seven to 10 minutes.)
  • Add the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic, and stir to coat the veggies in the roux you made.
  • Pour in the chicken broth, and stir, making sure to get any browned bits up from the bottom of the pot. Add in all of the seasonings, and continue stirring until everything is well combined.
  • Let the gumbo come to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
  • Add the collard greens, a handful at a time, stirring to wilt it, until all of the greens are in the pot.
  • Add the sausage back in, along with the shredded chicken, and stir to combine. Once the meat is heated through, serve this alongside some fresh cornbread.
  • Store the leftovers in the fridge or freezer. (It’s better the next day.)

This was amazing. The flavors melded fabulously, and the slight spice of the sausage, combined with the freshness of the greens made for a hearty meal.

You will likely be a little intimidated by the amount of collard greens I am telling you to include in this. I will just say to trust the process. It’s amazing how much it wilts down once it hits the hot broth. The entire time I was cooking this, I was afraid I was going to max out the room in my Dutch oven, but it just kept reducing into more deliciousness.

This also reheated really well, which is always nice if you’re in the midst of a summer cold, when cooking isn’t always your favorite.

Or, just save this one for when fall hits and the temperatures go down instead. If you’re like me, you’ll be “lucky” enough to have another round of allergies hit about then, too.

This piece first appeared in print July 30, 2026.

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

Categories
Main Dish

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

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.
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.

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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

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.

Categories
Main Dish

‘Tuscan’ play at this shrimp pasta game

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

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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.

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

Categories
Main Dish

Everyone will polish off their plates with this sheet pan meal

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

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

I have never heard the same advice for beer.

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

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

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

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Polish Sheet Pan Dinner

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

Ingredients

Ingredients

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

Beer Cheese Ingredients

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

Instructions

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

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

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

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

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

Categories
Main Dish

Nothing about wine-braised ribs falls short

Braised short ribs are seared to perfection before being slow cooked in the oven with lots of vegetables and seasonings, along with wine and beef stock, to create a rich sauce.
Braised short ribs are seared to perfection before being slow cooked in the oven with lots of vegetables and seasonings, along with wine and beef stock, to create a rich sauce.

I am generally pretty useless when it comes to remembering the different cuts of meat.

If I’m ordering a steak, I know that a t-bone will have, well, a t-shaped bone in it, but I forget which cut has the best marbling or is the leanest, etc., etc.

But after this week’s experiment, I now understand a new one: the beef short rib. And I also know that I really enjoy eating them.

If you’re like me and have no idea what a short rib is, the easy answer is that it’s literally a short piece of rib.

According to a post from the Lake Geneva Country Meats website, short ribs come from the area between the chuck section of a cow (where we get chuck roasts and a variety of steak cuts) and the rib section. The pieces aren’t big enough for steaks, so they get to be their own cut.

They’re extremely flavorful and are a favorite of a lot of chefs. And now me, too.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Good Food Baddie” by Capri Lilly. You can find her original post at https://goodfoodbaddie.com/red-wine-braised-short-ribs/. I added extra seasoning in my version below and changed some of the directions around.

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Braised Short Ribs

Braised short ribs are seared to perfection before being slow cooked in the oven with lots of vegetables and seasonings, along with wine and beef stock, to create a rich sauce.
Course Main Course
Keyword beef broth, beef stock, black pepper, cabernet sauvignon, carrots, celery, dry red wine, fresh garlic, jalapenos, minced garlic, onions, oregano, parsley, short ribs, slow cooking, smoked paprika, thyme, tomato paste, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
  • 3 pounds bone-in short ribs
  • 1 medium onion diced (I used yellow)
  • 4 large stalks celery diced
  • 4 carrots diced
  • 2 to 4 jalapenos diced
  • 24 to 30 cloves garlic about two large heads, minced
  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 4 teaspoons fresh ground pepper plus extra for seasoning the meat
  • 2 teaspoons salt plus extra for seasoning the meat
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 750 ml dry red wine I used cabernet sauvignon
  • 3 to 4 cups beef stock or broth

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Heat the oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or pot with a lid. Meanwhile, sprinkle the short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper, to taste, and once the oil is hot, sear each rib on all sides. You will have to do this in batches.
  • Remove seared ribs to a plate on the side.
  • Add the onion, celery, carrots and jalapeno to the pot, and stir regularly, sauteing until the vegetables are starting to soften. Add in the garlic and saute for another couple of minutes, just until it starts to be fragrant, and stir in the tomato paste, parsley, pepper, salt, smoked paprika, rosemary and thyme. Continue stirring for about two minutes, letting the tomato paste brown slightly and incorporate with all the vegetables.
  • Pour in the wine, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get all of the browned bits incorporated.
  • Raise the heat to bring the mixture to a boil, and then lower it back to medium and simmer, stirring regularly, until the wine mixture reduces by about half. (This will take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.)
  • Pour in three cups of beef stock, and stir to combine. Return the ribs to the pot. You’ll want to make sure the meat is covered in liquid, so if it isn’t quite covered, add the other cup of the beef stock and supplement with some water until they are.
  • Let the liquid come back up to a simmer, put the lid on the pot and put it in the oven for about three hours or until the meat is falling off the bone.
  • For serving, the recipe author suggests straining out and discarding the vegetables, but we served ours as a part of the meal. Be sure to remove the bones, and then serve the meat, along with the sauce from the pot. We served ours over mashed potatoes.

This was heavenly. I love a good pot roast, and this was one step above that. The deep flavors of the wine paired perfectly with the tomato and beef to create a rich, fabulous dinner.

We ended up halving the recipe when we made it, so I was pretty bummed it was a single serving meal. I would have loved to have some leftovers.

But now that I am firmly aware of what a short rib is, I’ll be on the lookout for it in our local grocery store and butcher shop. This is definitely worthy of a permanent place in the recipe box.

And hopefully, by the next time I end up at a steakhouse, I can educate myself on the difference between a filet and a strip, too. If not, I may just have to order the chicken instead.

This piece first appeared in print Sept. 18, 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

Cajun pasta shapes up to be an excellent, quick dinner

Creamy Cajun sausage pasta is made with a cream cheese sauce and plenty of fresh onion and bell pepper to create a satisfying meal that is also reheats really well for leftovers.
Creamy Cajun sausage pasta is made with a cream cheese sauce and plenty of fresh onion and bell pepper to create a satisfying meal that is also reheats really well for leftovers.

I recently watched a video that explained why there are so many different shapes of pasta out there.

I always assumed it probably had a practical purpose and it wasn’t just because of ancient pasta makers’ boredom and creativity. And it does. If you’re wondering, it all comes down to the sauce.

Have a thinner sauce? Use a thin pasta.

Have something thick and meaty? Use a wider pasta.

It’s all about making sure that whatever pasta you choose is a good vehicle for whatever you’re pouring over top of it.

I thought about that video when I grabbed ingredients for this week’s recipe. Its only direction was to use “pasta,” but knowing that it would have plenty of sausage and veggies, along with a thick, cheesy sauce, I wanted to choose something that could stand up to all of that.

After looking over the choices at our local grocery store, I landed on bowties. Why not? They’re wide and they’re fun—perfect for a spicy pasta dish.

This recipe is from the blog “Skinny Spatula.” You can find the original post at https://skinnyspatula.com/cajun-sausage-pasta/. I increased the amounts of several ingredients in my version below.

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Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta

Creamy Cajun sausage pasta is made with a cream cheese sauce and plenty of fresh onion and bell pepper to create a satisfying meal that is also reheats really well for leftovers.
Course Main Course
Keyword 30-minute meal, bowtie pasta, cajun seasoning, cream cheese, fresh garlic, grated parmesan cheese, ground sausage, minced garlic, onion, oregano, parsley, quick dinner, red bell pepper, red pepper flakes, spicy sausage, tomato paste, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces pasta
  • 1 pound ground sausage
  • 1 medium onion diced (I used yellow)
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 4 to 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 8 ounces low-fat/fat-free cream cheese
  • 1/3 cup parmesan freshly grated
  • red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Boil the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve two cups of the pasta water when you drain it.
  • Heat a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add in the sausage, onion and bell pepper, and saute, breaking apart the sausage as you go, until the sausage is cooked through and the vegetables are soft.
  • If there are pools of grease in the pan, spoon as much of it out as you can before the next step.
  • Add in the garlic, Cajun seasoning, oregano and parsley, and saute until the garlic becomes fragrant.
  • Stir in the tomato paste, along with one cup of the reserved pasta water.
  • Stir in the cream cheese until it’s completely melted. Do the same with the grated parmesan.
  • Dump in the pasta, and stir everything to coat it well. Add more pasta water if the sauce isn’t as loose as you’d like, and add red pepper flakes (if desired) and salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Serve immediately.

I used hot ground sausage for this, and I ended up adding quite a few red pepper flakes, too, which gave this a fabulous kick. It was creamy and flavorful. And the leftovers were awesome. They reheated really well.

And the bowtie pasta was great for this. A rigatoni or ziti would have been good, too, but there’s something about the fun pasta shapes that I really like.

There’s no reason your dinner can’t be practical and pretty all at the same time.

This piece first appeared in print Aug. 21, 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

You’ll ‘loaf’ this lightened-up classic dish for dinner

It isn’t a fancy meal, but turkey meatloaf is a lighter version of the down-home classic, and with some added garlic, onions and herbs, it makes for a tasty dinner.
It isn’t a fancy meal, but turkey meatloaf is a lighter version of the down-home classic, and with some added garlic, onions and herbs, it makes for a tasty dinner.

There are a few dishes that feel specifically American.

Meatloaf is one of those, despite it also being the butt of many sitcom jokes over the years.

According to an article by Erica Martinez for “Food Republic,” meatloaf has been on recipe cards since the 1870s, but it may be even older than that.

“[F]ood historians believe that the concept of meatloaf has been in existence since the fifth century, when medieval Europeans would dine on a dish made of diced meat scraps combined with fruit, nuts, and spices,” she writes.

Regardless of its origins, I still think we can claim it as our own here.

Unfortunately, it needs to be a “sometimes food” for most of us, considering its higher fat content, which is why this week’s recipe, which subs in ground turkey, is a great meatloaf to try.

This comes from the blog “Recipes by Lucy.” You can find the original at https://www.recipesbylucy.com/turkey-meatloaf-2/. I added extra garlic and seasonings in my version. I also rounded up the amount of ground turkey to two pounds, since I thought that made more sense.

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Turkey Meatloaf

It isn’t a fancy meal, but turkey meatloaf is a lighter version of the down-home classic, and with some added garlic, onions and herbs, it makes for a tasty dinner.
Course Main Course
Keyword basil, black pepper, catsup, dijon mustard, fresh garlic, ground turkey, ketchup, light recipe, meatloaf, minced garlic, onion, oregano, panko, parsley, tomato paste, Worcestershire, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground turkey
  • 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup yellow onion finely diced
  • 4 to 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 rounded teaspoons dried parsley
  • 2 rounded teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 rounded teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper (hang some over the edges for easier removal), and set it aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, basil, pepper and salt.
  • In a small bowl, beat the milk and egg together with a fork or whisk until they are well combined, and pour those into the bowl with the other ingredients. Mix with a large spoon or your hands until everything is just incorporated. (Don’t over mix, or you could end up with a less-than-awesome texture.)
  • Add the meat mixture into the prepared loaf pan, and spread it out evenly.
  • Prepare the glaze in a small bowl by adding the ketchup, tomato paste, dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until it is well combined.
  • Spread about half of the glaze mixture over the top of the meatloaf, and put it in the oven to bake for 45 minutes.
  • Spread the rest of the glaze on top, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches at least 165 degrees.
  • Let the meatloaf sit for five to 10 minutes before carefully removing it from the pan, slicing and serving.

This was pretty darn good. I felt like I could have thrown even more herbs in there, if I wanted to, but this meatloaf certainly didn’t lack flavor. The glaze was especially good.

It was also the perfect companion to some homemade mashed potatoes. It was definitely a great nostalgia meal. And, if you’ve ever been accused, as Rodney Dangerfield’s wife was, of making a meatloaf that was so bad that it glowed in the dark, then it’s time to try a new recipe.

Honestly, I think Dangerfield should have been happy his wife was making him such a time-honored recipe. No wonder that guy didn’t get any respect.

This piece first appeared in print June 26, 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

Put some pep(per) in your step with a tasty, cheesy casserole

Stuffed pepper casserole is an easy crowd-pleaser with bell peppers and Italian herbs that also makes for great leftovers.
Stuffed pepper casserole is an easy crowd-pleaser with bell peppers and Italian herbs that also makes for great leftovers.

Throughout the winter months, Joey and I make a lot of soups, chowders and chilis, which I still firmly believe are perfectly great recipes to pull out of the box any time of the year.

But sometimes I find myself in the mood for a casserole—something with a ton of flavorful ingredients, all nestled beneath a layer of gooey, melty cheese.

According to an article from “Medium,” the term “casserole” was first used in 1708 and is believed to have its origins in either the French or Greek language. It basically just refers to a communal pot of food.

It was in the 1950s that Americans really got excited about casseroles, according to the article, thanks in part to Campbell’s condensed soups and Pyrex becoming a household name.

No matter where it started, I’m just happy for these comfort meals in nine-by-13-inch pans, and this week’s recipe fit that bill for me.

This comes from the blog “GrandmaRecipesFlash.” You can find the original post at https://grandmarecipesflash.com/easy-stuffed-pepper-casserole/. I added a lot more seasoning in my version.

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Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Stuffed pepper casserole is an easy crowd-pleaser with bell peppers and Italian herbs that also makes for great leftovers.
Course Main Course
Keyword basil, beef broth, bell pepper, brown rice, casserole, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, easy dinner, freezer meal, fresh garlic, ground beef, ground turkey, kid-friendly, onion, oregano, paprika, parsley, shredded cheese, tomato sauce, white rice, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked white or brown rice
  • 1 pound ground beef or turkey
  • 1 medium onion diced (I used yellow)
  • 3 large bell peppers diced (any color)
  • 4 to 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 15 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1 cup beef or chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups shredded cheese I used Mexican blend

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a nine-by-13-inch baking dish, and set it aside.
  • Be sure to start your rice, cooking it according to package instructions. You’ll want to end up with two cups of cooked rice.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers and ground meat to the pan. Brown the meat, breaking it apart as you go. When the meat is done and the vegetables are cooked through, drain off any accumulated fat, and add the garlic to the pan.
  • Saute until the garlic is fragrant, about two minutes, and then dump in the diced tomatoes (don’t drain them), tomato sauce, broth, oregano, basil, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper and your prepared rice. Stir to combine.
  • Once everything is mixed together well, pour all of it into your prepared baking dish. Cover the pan with foil and bake it for 25 minutes.
  • Remove the foil, sprinkle the top with cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and is just starting to brown.
  • Let the casserole cool for 10 or 15 minutes before serving.

This was tasty and would be super kid friendly. If you wanted to kick it up a notch with some spice, adding some cayenne or red pepper flakes would be a good touch, too.

The flavor profile was decidedly Italian, with all of the herbs, and it made for a good, hearty meal. The leftovers reheated really well, too, which is always a good bonus.

And whether I have the French, the Greeks or a ’50s home cook to thank, I’m happy there are so many casserole recipes out there to try and plenty of canned goods and glass dishes to make them happen.

This piece first appeared in print March 13, 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 Soup

With fall ‘fest’ approaching, it’s time for some stew recipes

Oktoberfest stew includes all the flavors of the traditional celebration, from beer and sausage to cabbage and potatoes. Paired with a thick, crusty slice of bread, it makes for a cozy, warming dinner.
Oktoberfest stew includes all the flavors of the traditional celebration, from beer and sausage to cabbage and potatoes. Paired with a thick, crusty slice of bread, it makes for a cozy, warming dinner.

I’m constantly amazed at how quickly we transition from pasta salad to thick, warming stew weather in Kansas.

I can always tell when other parts of the country are starting to move into whatever the next season is, because my Pinterest suggestions suddenly begin showcasing a totally new genre of food. Right now, with Canadian Thanksgiving behind us, temperatures starting to dip and Halloween on the horizon, my feed is punctuated by lots of soups, pies and spooky treats.

I was glad for that shift this week, when I decided it was time to make my first soup of the season: an Oktoberfest-inspired stew that did not disappoint in the least.

This comes from the blog “The Cozy Apron” by Ingrid Beer. You can find her post at https://thecozyapron.com/oktoberfest-stew/. I swapped out the sausage and added extra garlic in my version below. I also doubled what is listed below, and that gave us plenty of leftovers to store in the freezer, too.

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Oktoberfest Stew

Oktoberfest stew includes all the flavors of the traditional celebration, from beer and sausage to cabbage and potatoes. Paired with a thick, crusty slice of bread, it makes for a cozy, warming dinner.
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine German
Keyword beer, beer brats, bratwurst, cabbage, caramelized onions, caraway seeds, dunkel, fresh garlic, garlic, German stew, lager, marzen, minced garlic, Octoberfest meal, Oktoberfest meal, onion, parsley, potatoes, Russet potato

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion sliced thinly (I used white)
  • 16 to 19 ounces beer brats cut into half-inch rounds
  • 1/2 head cabbage thinly sliced or 10 ounces coleslaw cabbage
  • 1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds ground or whole
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup Oktoberfest style lager like a marzen or a dunkel
  • 2 large Russet potatoes cut into one-inch pieces
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven with a lid over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, and saute until it is soft and starting to caramelize.
  • Add the sausage, and saute until there is no pink left (no worries about internal temperature, it’s going to get plenty of cook time).
  • Stir in the cabbage, letting it cook until it’s wilted down and starting to lightly brown.
  • Add in the caraway seed, salt, pepper, and the garlic, letting the garlic saute for a few minutes, or just until it starts to smell nice.
  • Add in the lager and stir, letting the mixture marry for about five minutes to let the beer reduce just a smidgeon.
  • Add the potatoes and stock, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring regularly. Once the stew is boiling, turn the heat to low, and place the lid slightly askew on the pot, letting it cook for 40 minutes. Stir occasionally while it simmers.
  • When it’s done, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar and dried parsley. Serve alongside a slice of crusty bread.

This stew was delicious. The flavor combinations were out of this world, with the starchiness of the potatoes, the maltiness from the lager and the slight sweetness of the cabbage all complimenting the sausage. I baked a loaf of beer bread to go with our stew, and it paired beautifully.

And with the temperatures dipping just enough to let us turn off our air conditioner and open our windows, we enjoyed a great meal.

I can’t wait to savor this season of recipes for the next few weeks, at least until somebody somewhere starts posting about Christmas.

This piece first appeared in print on Oct. 17, 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 Appetizer Snack

Cap off your snack table with simple, air-fried mushrooms

Stuffed mushrooms are a fabulous appetizer that are quick and easy to create, with the help of an air fryer. They are creamy, flavorful and a real crowd pleaser.
Stuffed mushrooms are a fabulous appetizer that are quick and easy to create, with the help of an air fryer. They are creamy, flavorful and a real crowd pleaser.

An article by UCLA Health explains that mushrooms are considered a healthy addition to one’s diet.

In addition to being lower in fat and calories, there are studies that have linked them to decreased cancer risk, better brain health and even healthier immune systems, among other benefits.

That’s pretty neat for a fungus that many people would much rather avoid.

I am definitely not in the mushroom-hater club. I love them raw, cooked, stuffed, etc. And, luckily, I’m married to someone who shares my inclination toward them. We have a package of mushrooms in our refrigerator pretty much all the time these days.

Normally, we try to incorporate them into healthy lunches and dinners, but this week, I have to admit that I took them in a decidedly less healthy—but delicious—direction by making stuffed mushrooms in my air fryer.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Easy Low Carb.” You can find the original post at https://easylowcarb.com/air-fryer-stuffed-mushrooms. I added garlic, switched out the cheese, and played with the ingredient amounts a bit in my version.

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Air Fryer Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed mushrooms are a fabulous appetizer that are quick and easy to create, with the help of an air fryer. They are creamy, flavorful and a real crowd pleaser.
Course Appetizer
Keyword baby bellas, butter, cream cheese, fresh mushrooms, garlic, Monterrey jack cheese, onion, parsley, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 24 ounces baby bella or white mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 small onion minced (I used yellow)
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • about 1 cup Monterrey jack cheese shredded
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Clean the mushrooms thoroughly and remove the stems. Set the mushroom caps aside, letting them dry completely before filling them, and mince the stems.
  • In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
  • Add the minced stems and minced onion, sauteing until the onions are soft. Add in the garlic and saute for another two minutes or until it is lightly browned and fragrant. Remove the skillet from the heat.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the mixture from the skillet with the cream cheese, parsley, 1/2 rounded cup of shredded cheese, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
  • Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the mushroom caps. Start by just filling them to their tops. If you have extra filling, add more to the caps to create little mounds.
  • Finish the mushrooms off by pressing about a tablespoon of shredded cheese onto the top of each.
  • Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees. Place the mushroom caps so they’re not touching in the fryer basket and cook for seven to nine minutes or until the top is golden brown. You may need to cook these in batches.
  • Serve these immediately while still hot. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

These were decadent and really yummy. The combination of the cheeses with the sauteed onions and garlic was fabulous. They also looked great on an appetizer table to share with guests.

I’m sure UCLA Health would not endorse my mushrooms as being a healthy superfood, but I mean, there still had to be a few benefits around the edges, right? Maybe it was all still there, just tucked away under all that cheese.

This piece first appeared in print on July 25, 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.

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