Chicken Madeira (just like the Cheesecake Factory!)

Have you ever been to the Cheesecake Factory? The menu is the size of a Harry Potter book. Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration. But it is well beyond Dr. Seuss in any case. And despite the endless menu options, I always- always- order the Chicken Madeira. Because it is that good (And it's a huge portion which means lunch for the next day too!). The sauce is sweet and savory and so full of flavor. 

Now, I didn't have any Madeira wine for my own dish so instead I used a balsamic vinegar mixture. It turned out just as tasty and still quite beautiful. If you do happen to have some Madeira on hand, just use that instead of the balsamic vinegar in this recipe and omit the brown sugar. 

The Cheesecake Factory dish is served with melted mozzarella over the chicken and grilled asparagus. However, I think the sauce is the real star and didn't want to take away any of its shining glory. But if you want to go completely copycat, then before adding the sauce to your chicken, place thin mozzarella slices to the cooked chicken breast and broil for a few minutes until just bubbly. I don't love asparagus so I didn't miss it but it would definitely add to the beautiful presentation of this dish! 

What You'll Need:(serves 4)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin 
salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
for sauce:
3 Tbsp. butter
2 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 c. balsamic vinegar
1 c. beef broth
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
pepper 

(optional) 1 tsp cornstarch

What To Do: 

Heat butter in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and saute for a couple minutes. Add remaining sauce ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until sauce thickens and reduces to about 1/2-1/4 of it's original volume. If your sauce is still a little runny, mix together 1 tsp cornstarch and 1 tsp water in a small cup and combine completely. Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into your sauce and stir quickly. 

While the sauce is simmering pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a separate skillet and cook chicken for five minutes on each side or until seared nicely on the outside and fully cooked on the inside. Right before serving, spoon some of the sauce over each piece of chicken. Serve with mashed potatoes. 

recipe adapted from favorite family recipes 

Quick Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry

What You'll Need:
(serves 2) 
2 tbsp olive oil
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, diced
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
two large handfuls of spinach
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup fresh green beans, ends trimmed

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup prepared brown rice 
• 
  

What To Do:

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Be sure chicken pieces are completely dry. Salt and pepper generously. Cook chicken and onion together until chicken is no longer pink and the onion is soft. Add spinach, mushrooms and green beans to the skillet and cook 2-3 more minutes or until spinach is wilted.

In a separate bowl, stir together cornstarch, cold water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and black pepper. Pour into skillet and stir all of the ingredients together. Cook together, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thickened. Let simmer five more minutes on low heat. Spoon over rice and serve immediately.

Adapted from Marian Collins

Skirt Steak with Balsamic Glaze

**I'm at camp with my students all this week! Hope y'all enjoy some of these yummy recipes while I'm away. I'll try to respond to comments/emails when I get back!**

This meal. It was ridiculously easy. But it looks all fancy schmancy, right? 

When I first saw this recipe I thought- 'What? Skirt steak is for fajitas. You don't eat it like a regular steak.' 

But it totally worked. Just like Martha said it would.

What You'll Need:

• 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak (cut into 2 or more pieces, if necessary, to fit in skillet)
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar

What To Do

·  Heat tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high. Season steak with salt and pepper; add to skillet. Cook, turning once, 6 to 8 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest, 5 to 10 minutes (reserve skillet).

·  Add vinegar to skillet, and boil over high until reduced to 1/2 cup, 5 to 7 minutes; stir in any juices from resting steak. Slice steak, and serve with balsamic glaze.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Crockpot Carnitas

If you follow along with me on Twitter or Instagram, you know that I could eat tacos

every

single 

day

and never tire of their deliciousness. 

This recipe was so low maintenance and I've been eating the leftovers for five days now. Seriously, what is there to not love about tenderized, flavorful pulled pork? This stuff never dries out and pairs well with so many different flavors!

I actually used a 3 lb roast and reduced the cooking time by a couple of hours. It still made enough to feed a small army. You can also substitute broth, ginger ale or cola for the beer.

What You'll Need:

5-6 pounds pork shoulder roast (or butt)

1 tablespoons canola oil

8 ounces of your favorite beer

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika

1/2 tablespoon cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

What To Do:

Combine seasonings together in a bowl and mix until combined. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. Once hot, add pork and sear on all sides until golden brown (about 2 minutes per side).

Add pork to the crockpot and sprinkle seasonings all over. Pour in beer, then cook on low for 10-12 hours. Check once or twice if possible and if needed, add more beer (I did not add any). Before serving, use forks or kitchen tongs to shred pork. Let sit on low or warm for another 20-30 minutes before serving.

Recipe from How Sweet Eats

Top your taco with your favorite toppings! My go to is avocado slices and sour cream but you could also mix and match the following:

• diced onion
• cilantro
• avocado slices
• pico de gallo
• diced mango 
• sour cream/ greek yogurt
• sliced jalapeno
• fresh squeezed lime 
• layer in bowl with rice, pinto beans, meat, and top with any of the above

Mini Turkey Bacon Meatloaf with Bacon Gravy

Meatloaf was one of those meals that my mom made maybe once a year, 

because my dad couldn't handle it more often than that. 

And that one time a year it was the typical beef in a loaf-pan, slathered in ketchup variety.

Well I got urge to attempt to make foods that don't sound appealing 

into a really delicious and appealing meal.

So when I found this recipe from Feeding My Temple,

I knew it was the perfect thing to pair with crispy roasted Brussels sprouts

The ground turkey cuts down on the heaviness of ground beef while still being completely filling and the muffin tin helps you control portion very simply!

But I wanted some added flavor

and have never been a fan of the ketchup topping

So we added bacon crumbles to the mixture and the top for added crunch and flavor. 

And then used the bacon drippings to make a pan gravy!

These guys almost resemble meatballs more than meatloaf and I think would also be complemented well with a marinara or vodka sauce. 

We served ours along with bacon gravy, creamy mashed potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts... and it was a big hit. I couldn't even finish three little loaves. 

What You'll Need:

1 large egg

3/4 cup milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp all purpose seasoning

1 lb ground turkey

6 slices bacon

2 tbsp flour

3/4 to 1 1/2 cup milk 

What To Do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin tin with non stick cooking spray.

Prepare bacon either in the oven or stovetop, until crispy. Reserve 2 tbsp of bacon drippings. Let cool on paper towels, then crumble 4 of the pieces. 

In a large bowl, combine egg, milk, cheese, oats, bacon crumbles and seasoning. Add the ground turkey, mixing well.

Fill each muffin cup with a large scoop of meat mixture, and top with remaining 2 pieces of bacon crumbled. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat bacon drippings. Mix in flour, creating a roux. Cook for 1-2 minutes over medium heat. Gradually add in milk, mixing well, to desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve meatloaves immediately smothered with gravy!

Recipe adapted from Feeding My Temple

Bacon Lover's Macaroni and Cheese

This quick photo does not do this dish justice.

I loved everything about this dish.

You can taste bacon in every part of it because of the use

of the bacon drippings for the mushrooms and in the roux for the sauce.

Plus it's easy to customize your own favorite mix-ins

and cheeses. I bet onions, broccoli or peppers would

also make delicious additions. 

I'll be eating this for lunch for a week, because it made a LOT!

What You'll Need:

12 oz. pasta shapes

5-6 oz. bacon, chopped

8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

¼ cup flour

2 cloves garlic, minced

2½ cups milk (low fat or whole milk)

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Pinch cayenne pepper

4 oz. Fontina cheese, grated

4 oz. white cheddar cheese, grated

3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped

What To Do:

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Once boiling, cook the pasta according to package directions until just shy of al dente.  Drain well and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat until crispy.  Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate with a slotted spoon.  (If desired, set aside 2 or 3 tablespoons of the cooked bacon for topping the baked mac and cheese.)  Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.  Return the pan to the heat and add the mushrooms.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5-7 minutes.  Remove from the heat.

To make the cheese sauce, add the reserved bacon grease to a medium saucepan with the butter.  (If there was not enough bacon grease to make 2 tablespoons, replace the missing amount by adding an equal amount of butter.)  Heat over medium-high heat until the butter is completely melted.  Whisk in the flour and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is golden and fragrant but not burned, 1-2 minutes.  Whisk in the milk.  Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, until it begins to bubble and thicken.  Whisk in the salt, red pepper flakes, pepper, and cayenne pepper.  Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the Fontina and white cheddar until completely melted and smooth.  (If necessary, you can return the pan to low heat to melt the cheeses.)  Return the drained pasta to the pot.  Mix in the cooked bacon and mushrooms, the cheese sauce and the chopped spinach.  Stir everything together gently until well combined.  Spread the mixture into a lightly greased 2-quart casserole dish.  Bake for 15-2o minutes or until the top is light golden and the cheese is bubbling.  Serve warm and top with reserved cooked bacon pieces, if desired.

From Annie's Eats