Category Archives: Meat Entrees

Low Calorie Meals, Meat Entrees

Baked Chicken, Topped with Ham, Turkey Bacon, and Provolone Cheese, with Roasted Red Potatoes and Green Peas *Low Calories*

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Baked Chicken, Topped with Ham, Turkey bacon and Provolone Cheese
2 Organic Chicken Breasts (4oz per piece)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste
4 pcs, thin sliced honey ham (hillshire brand)
4 pcs, thin sliced provolone cheese
1 tbsp ground, turkey bacon (halved)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Combine extra virgin olive oil, paprika, garlic powder and parsley (salt & pepper if using) in a large, zip-loc bag or medium size bowl. Mix ingredients together and add chicken; coating chicken breasts evenly with spices. (I let mine marinate for about an hour but it’s not necessary.)
Place chicken breasts on a broiler pan and bake for 15 minutes. Flip chicken and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Chicken should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit at the thickest part of the chicken.
If topping chicken with ham, turkey bacon, and cheese, add toppings and broil on high until cheese is fully melted.
***If making the red potatoes in this recipe, you will want to put the potatoes in 10 minutes before the chicken, as it takes the potatoes 10 minutes longer to cook than the potatoes.***

Red Potatoes
2 C peeled and diced red potatoes, raw
1/2 C sweet onion, minced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a non-stick, medium baking dish, add extra virgin olive oil, diced red potatoes, and minced onion. Mix the potatoes and minced onion, coating them completely with the olive oil. Add the garlic powder, paprika, and parsley. Add salt and pepper if using. Mix the potatoes and onions again to evenly coat with spices. Cover and bake for 40 minutes.

Green Peas
1 C frozen peas
3/4 C water
1 tbsp “Can’t believe it’s not butter”
1 tsp sea salt

In a small pot, add frozen peas, water, butter and salt; bring to a boil over medium high heat. Frozen peas normally cook in about 4 minutes, however, Chris and I like ours a little “more done”. (I cook mine until the water has completely cooked out). Once peas have cooked thoroughly, drain excess water and serve hot.

Calorie Count:

Chicken topped with Sliced Ham, Turkey Bacon and Provolone= 294.5 cal per person
Baked Red Potatoes with minced, Sweet Onion= 255 cal per person
Peas= 88.5 cal
Total= 638 calories per person **If all food is separated evenly and eaten in total.**

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Meat Entrees

Scalloped Potatoes with Ground Chicken and Mozzarella

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The other day, I was sitting at home trying to decide what I could make from the ground chicken I had originally thawed with the intentions of making chicken burgers on the grill.  I know what you are thinking, why not the chicken burgers?  Was it the fact that I had no hamburger buns,

Potatoes: 8 medium red potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 of an inch 2 c heavy cream 3 bay leaves 1 Full sprig of fresh rosemary 1.5 tbsp minced garlic 1 tbsp parsley 3 tbsp butter salt and pepper 1.5 c mozzarella 1/3 c parmesan Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel and slice red potatoes an 1/8 inch and place in a large bowl. In a sauce pan, bring heavy cream, bay leaves, rosemary, parsley, garlic, parsley, and 2 tbsp butter to a simmer. Once the cream has simmered for about 3-5 minutes over medium heat, add the mixture to the bowl with the potatoes. Remove the bay leaves and rosemary. Add the cooked chicken and coat potatoes and chicken with the heavy cream mixture. Coat a large baking dish with 1 tbsp of butter. Layer potatoes to coat the bottom of the baking dish. Add some of the meat and then a little bit of the mozzarella. Repeat these steps until all potato slices and meat have been used. Pour the rest of the cream throughout the entire mixture and top with the parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and cook for 45 minutes, leaving a corner of the aluminum foil open in order for some of the steam to be released. Uncover and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until top has browned. ***It took mine a little longer to cook because I baked the dish at 400 degrees. I highly recommend cooking it at 425 degrees for 45 minutes, removing the foil, and using your own discretion as to how brown you would like the dish.*** Hope you enjoy as much as we did!!! :-)
Potatoes:
8 medium red potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 of an inch
2 c heavy cream
3 bay leaves
1 Full sprig of fresh rosemary
1.5 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp parsley
3 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
1.5 c mozzarella
1/3 c parmesan
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel and slice red potatoes an 1/8 inch and place in a large bowl. In a sauce pan, bring heavy cream, bay leaves, rosemary, parsley, garlic, parsley, and 2 tbsp butter to a simmer. Once the cream has simmered for about 3-5 minutes over medium heat, add the mixture to the bowl with the potatoes. Remove the bay leaves and rosemary. Add the cooked chicken and coat potatoes and chicken with the heavy cream mixture.
Coat a large baking dish with 1 tbsp of butter.
Layer potatoes to coat the bottom of the baking dish. Add some of the meat and then a little bit of the mozzarella. Repeat these steps until all potato slices and meat have been used. Pour the rest of the cream throughout the entire mixture and top with the parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and cook for 45 minutes, leaving a corner of the aluminum foil open in order for some of the steam to be released. Uncover and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until top has browned. ***It took mine a little longer to cook because I baked the dish at 400 degrees. I highly recommend cooking it at 425 degrees for 45 minutes, removing the foil, and using your own discretion as to how brown you would like the dish.***
Hope you enjoy as much as we did!!! 🙂

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Ground Chicken: 1 lb ground chicken 1 tsp garlic 1 tsp rosemary 1 tsp parsley 1/2 tsp thyme salt and pepper to taste 1 tbsp olive oil In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the ground chicken, separating it, as you can, into small pieces. Add the garlic, rosemary, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper to the chicken and continue to cook on medium high heat for 10-15 minutes. I like my meat to have a bit of brown, so I let it simmer and cook until I reach my desired "brownness". Set the chicken to the side.
Ground Chicken:
1 lb ground chicken
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the ground chicken, separating it, as you can, into small pieces. Add the garlic, rosemary, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper to the chicken and continue to cook on medium high heat for 10-15 minutes. I like my meat to have a bit of brown, so I let it simmer and cook until I reach my desired “brownness”.
Set the chicken to the side.

imageno tomatoes, or any of the other wonderful toppings that makes a burger a “burger”?  No; I don’t mind going to the store.  It was actually the thought of standing out in the cold weather to grill the burgers that made my decision for me; chicken burgers were not happening.

As I looked through the refrigerator, my attention immediately fell on a bag of medium red potatoes.   I love potatoes, so it was not a hard decision as to what my side would be.  I would attempt creating a scalloped potato recipe (something I have been scared of for some reason?).  But what to do with the ground chicken?!?!

I washed and peeled the potatoes and deduced that I would be having wonderful, homemade scalloped potatoes with not-so-wonderful pan-fried chicken patties…blah 😦   I continued on, slicing the potatoes, letting my thoughts and mind drift as they often do when I am cooking.  Most of the time, my drifting thoughts get me a cut finger or a missing ingredient that is crucial for a recipe.  Yes, chicken can accidentally be left out of chicken pot pie.  Anyway, this time, my thoughts did not fail me, but instead, created the recipe below.  I hope you enjoy!

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Meat Entrees

Fresh, Sausage Hash: One Stuffing=Five Meal Options

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imageThis one batch of “sausage hash” inspired FIVE DIFFERENT meal options!  It’s quick, easy and great for busy families that need make ahead

meals.

**If you are in the Greenville or Anderson Area of South Carolina, I highly recommend purchasing your fresh ground sausage or ground beef from The Riddle Farm.  I’ve tried a lot of places in the area, but their meat has been the best so far (all organic, pasture raised livestock).  The farm has gotten so busy that Chad Riddle sells his meats at the Anderson Jockey lot.  Pork: pork chops, roast, ribs, fatback, and sausage $4lb. Beef: ground beef, cube steak, roast $5lb.**

 

Sausage Hash 1 lb fresh sausage 1 small, sweet onion, diced 1/2 c diced mushrooms 3 medium, white potatoes (boiled for 15 minutes and then diced) 2 tbsp minced garlic 2 tbsp parsley salt and pepper to taste (generous amount of pepper, light salt) olive oil In a large skillet, coat bottom with olive oil and warm over medium high heat. Add diced sweet onion and let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add salt and pepper, minced garlic, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Continue to cook onions for about 5 more minutes. Add mushrooms and 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to pan with onions. Let the mushrooms and onions cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now, add the sausage, potatoes, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Cook sausage thoroughly. ***Once sausage has completely cooked, I lightly mashed the mixture to the bottom of the pan in order to get a light crust on the mix. And there you have it!!! One Hash mix that can be used as a stuffing for numerous items...or to eat by itself!!!
Sausage Hash
1 lb fresh sausage
1 small, sweet onion, diced
1/2 c diced mushrooms
3 medium, white potatoes (boiled for 15 minutes and then diced)
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste (generous amount of pepper, light salt)
olive oil
In a large skillet, coat bottom with olive oil and warm over medium high heat. Add diced sweet onion and let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add salt and pepper, minced garlic, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Continue to cook onions for about 5 more minutes. Add mushrooms and 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to pan with onions. Let the mushrooms and onions cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now, add the sausage, potatoes, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Cook sausage thoroughly. ***Once sausage has completely cooked, I lightly mashed the mixture to the bottom of the pan in order to get a light crust on the mix. And there you have it!!! One Hash mix that can be used as a stuffing for numerous items…or to eat by itself!!!

 

Appetizers, Meat Entrees

Roasted and Stuffed Hash Bell Peppers

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Option Number 1: Stuffed Bell Peppers 1 red bell pepper 1 yellow bell pepper 2 tsp parsley salt and pepper olive oil Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a non stick baking pan (if you don't have one, use parchment paper-I like to use it because there is no worry of anything sticking) coat the bottom with olive oil. Place the halved, deseeded bell peppers on the baking pan. Put a little more olive oil on the bell peppers. You are going to coat each side with the parsley and salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, flip, and then cook for 10 more minutes on the other side. Once the peppers are thoroughly roasted, the hash stuffing can be added to each pepper. I topped my stuffed peppers with Sargento, 6 cheese italian and broiled the tops. And there you go! One idea for the Hash :) **Sausage Hash** 1 lb fresh sausage 1 small, sweet onion, diced 1/2 c diced mushrooms 3 medium, white potatoes (boiled for 15 minutes and then diced) 2 tbsp minced garlic 2 tbsp parsley salt and pepper to taste (generous amount of pepper, light salt) olive oil In a large skillet, coat bottom with olive oil and warm over medium high heat. Add diced sweet onion and let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add salt and pepper, minced garlic, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Continue to cook onions for about 5 more minutes. Add mushrooms and 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to pan with onions. Let the mushrooms and onions cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now, add the sausage, potatoes, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Cook sausage thoroughly. ***Once sausage has completely cooked, I lightly mashed the mixture to the bottom of the pan in order to get a light crust on the mix. And there you have it!!! One Hash mix that can be used as a stuffing for numerous items...or to eat by itself!!!
Option Number 1:
Stuffed Bell Peppers
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
2 tsp parsley
salt and pepper
olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a non stick baking pan (if you don’t have one, use parchment paper-I like to use it because there is no worry of anything sticking) coat the bottom with olive oil. Place the halved, deseeded bell peppers on the baking pan. Put a little more olive oil on the bell peppers. You are going to coat each side with the parsley and salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, flip, and then cook for 10 more minutes on the other side.
Once the peppers are thoroughly roasted, the hash stuffing can be added to each pepper. I topped my stuffed peppers with Sargento, 6 cheese italian and broiled the tops. And there you go! One idea for the Hash 🙂
**Sausage Hash**
1 lb fresh sausage
1 small, sweet onion, diced
1/2 c diced mushrooms
3 medium, white potatoes (boiled for 15 minutes and then diced)
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste (generous amount of pepper, light salt)
olive oil
In a large skillet, coat bottom with olive oil and warm over medium high heat. Add diced sweet onion and let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add salt and pepper, minced garlic, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Continue to cook onions for about 5 more minutes. Add mushrooms and 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to pan with onions. Let the mushrooms and onions cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now, add the sausage, potatoes, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Cook sausage thoroughly. ***Once sausage has completely cooked, I lightly mashed the mixture to the bottom of the pan in order to get a light crust on the mix. And there you have it!!! One Hash mix that can be used as a stuffing for numerous items…or to eat by itself!!!

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Meat Entrees

Roasted and Stuffed Hash Squash

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Option Number 2: Roasted and Stuffed Squash 2 small squash 1/2 c hash stuffing 1/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese olive oil salt and pepper 2 tsp parsley Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half and hollow out the inside (I just use a small spoon). On a non-stick pan, coat with olive oil. Add the hollow squash to the pan, skin side up. Drizzle the squash with olive oil, 1 tsp of parsley and generous amount of salt and pepper. Flip the squash so it is now skin side up. Add 1 tsp of parsley to skin and coat with a generous amount of salt and pepper (the skin should already be coated with olive oil). With the skin side still up, we want to roast the inside of the squash first. Cook for approximately 5 minutes; we don't want them to get to mushy, as we will need to add stuffing and cook for a little longer. Once the inside of the squash has been roasted (5 minutes), remove them from the oven. Flip them over so that they are now skin side down. Add the hash stuffing, top with cheese, and let bake for about 8 minutes or until cheese has browned.
Option Number 2:
Roasted and Stuffed Squash
2 small squash
1/2 c hash stuffing
1/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tsp parsley
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut squash in half and hollow out the inside (I just use a small spoon). On a non-stick pan, coat with olive oil. Add the hollow squash to the pan, skin side up. Drizzle the squash with olive oil, 1 tsp of parsley and generous amount of salt and pepper. Flip the squash so it is now skin side up. Add 1 tsp of parsley to skin and coat with a generous amount of salt and pepper (the skin should already be coated with olive oil). With the skin side still up, we want to roast the inside of the squash first. Cook for approximately 5 minutes; we don’t want them to get to mushy, as we will need to add stuffing and cook for a little longer. Once the inside of the squash has been roasted (5 minutes), remove them from the oven. Flip them over so that they are now skin side down. Add the hash stuffing, top with cheese, and let bake for about 8 minutes or until cheese has browned.

 

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Appetizers, Meat Entrees

Roasted and Stuffed Hash Zucchinni

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Option Number 3: Roasted and Stuffed Zucchinni 1 large zucchinni 1 c hash stuffing 3/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese olive oil salt and pepper 2 tbsp parsley Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut zucchini in half and hollow out the inside (I just use a small spoon). Coat a non-stick pan with olive oil. Add the hollow zucchini to the pan, skin side up. Drizzle the zucchini with olive oil, 1 tbsp of parsley and generous amount of salt and pepper. Flip the zucchini so it is now skin side up. Add 1 tbsp of parsley to skin and coat with a generous amount of salt and pepper (the skin should already be coated with olive oil). With the skin side still up, we want to roast the inside of the zucchini first. Cook for approximately 8 minutes; we don't want them to get to mushy, as we will need to add stuffing and cook for a little longer. Once the inside of the zucchini has been roasted (8 minutes), remove them from the oven. Flip them over so that they are now skin side down. Add the hash stuffing, top with cheese, and let bake for about 8 minutes or until cheese has browned. **Sausage Hash** 1 lb fresh sausage 1 small, sweet onion, diced 1/2 c diced mushrooms 3 medium, white potatoes (boiled for 15 minutes and then diced) 2 tbsp minced garlic 2 tbsp parsley salt and pepper to taste (generous amount of pepper, light salt) olive oil In a large skillet, coat bottom with olive oil and warm over medium high heat. Add diced sweet onion and let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add salt and pepper, minced garlic, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Continue to cook onions for about 5 more minutes. Add mushrooms and 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to pan with onions. Let the mushrooms and onions cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now, add the sausage, potatoes, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Cook sausage thoroughly. ***Once sausage has completely cooked, I lightly mashed the mixture to the bottom of the pan in order to get a light crust on the mix. And there you have it!!! One Hash mix that can be used as a stuffing for numerous items...or to eat by itself!!!
Option Number 3:
Roasted and Stuffed Zucchinni
1 large zucchinni
1 c hash stuffing
3/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tbsp parsley
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut zucchini in half and hollow out the inside (I just use a small spoon). Coat a non-stick pan with olive oil. Add the hollow zucchini to the pan, skin side up. Drizzle the zucchini with olive oil, 1 tbsp of parsley and generous amount of salt and pepper. Flip the zucchini so it is now skin side up. Add 1 tbsp of parsley to skin and coat with a generous amount of salt and pepper (the skin should already be coated with olive oil). With the skin side still up, we want to roast the inside of the zucchini first. Cook for approximately 8 minutes; we don’t want them to get to mushy, as we will need to add stuffing and cook for a little longer. Once the inside of the zucchini has been roasted (8 minutes), remove them from the oven. Flip them over so that they are now skin side down. Add the hash stuffing, top with cheese, and let bake for about 8 minutes or until cheese has browned.
**Sausage Hash**
1 lb fresh sausage
1 small, sweet onion, diced
1/2 c diced mushrooms
3 medium, white potatoes (boiled for 15 minutes and then diced)
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste (generous amount of pepper, light salt)
olive oil
In a large skillet, coat bottom with olive oil and warm over medium high heat. Add diced sweet onion and let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add salt and pepper, minced garlic, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Continue to cook onions for about 5 more minutes. Add mushrooms and 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to pan with onions. Let the mushrooms and onions cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now, add the sausage, potatoes, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Cook sausage thoroughly. ***Once sausage has completely cooked, I lightly mashed the mixture to the bottom of the pan in order to get a light crust on the mix. And there you have it!!! One Hash mix that can be used as a stuffing for numerous items…or to eat by itself!!!

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Meat Entrees

Hash Tacos

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Option Number 4: Hash Stuffing Tacos 2 medium, soft tortillas 3/4 c hash stuffing 1/4 c mozzarella, shredded 1/4 c cheddar, shredded Preheat oven to 375 degrees. We are basically going to take each tortilla, add the hash stuffing, top with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, roll the tortillas up and take toothpicks to hold the tortilla in place while it bakes. Add the tacos to a non stick pan (I like using parchment paper for these) and bake for approximately 14 minutes. **Sausage Hash** 1 lb fresh sausage 1 small, sweet onion, diced 1/2 c diced mushrooms 3 medium, white potatoes (boiled for 15 minutes and then diced) 2 tbsp minced garlic 2 tbsp parsley salt and pepper to taste (generous amount of pepper, light salt) olive oil In a large skillet, coat bottom with olive oil and warm over medium high heat. Add diced sweet onion and let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add salt and pepper, minced garlic, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Continue to cook onions for about 5 more minutes. Add mushrooms and 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to pan with onions. Let the mushrooms and onions cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now, add the sausage, potatoes, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Cook sausage thoroughly. ***Once sausage has completely cooked, I lightly mashed the mixture to the bottom of the pan in order to get a light crust on the mix. And there you have it!!! One Hash mix that can be used as a stuffing for numerous items...or to eat by itself!!!
Option Number 4:
Hash Stuffing Tacos
2 medium, soft tortillas
3/4 c hash stuffing
1/4 c mozzarella, shredded
1/4 c cheddar, shredded
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. We are basically going to take each tortilla, add the hash stuffing, top with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, roll the tortillas up and take toothpicks to hold the tortilla in place while it bakes. Add the tacos to a non stick pan (I like using parchment paper for these) and bake for approximately 14 minutes.
**Sausage Hash**
1 lb fresh sausage
1 small, sweet onion, diced
1/2 c diced mushrooms
3 medium, white potatoes (boiled for 15 minutes and then diced)
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste (generous amount of pepper, light salt)
olive oil
In a large skillet, coat bottom with olive oil and warm over medium high heat. Add diced sweet onion and let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add salt and pepper, minced garlic, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Continue to cook onions for about 5 more minutes. Add mushrooms and 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to pan with onions. Let the mushrooms and onions cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now, add the sausage, potatoes, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Cook sausage thoroughly. ***Once sausage has completely cooked, I lightly mashed the mixture to the bottom of the pan in order to get a light crust on the mix. And there you have it!!! One Hash mix that can be used as a stuffing for numerous items…or to eat by itself!!!

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Meat Entrees

Hash Taco Boats

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Option Number 5: Hash Stuffing Taco "Boats" 2 taco "boats" (these can be found with tortillas and other taco shells) 3/4 c hash stuffing 1/4 c mozzarella, shredded 1/4 c cheddar, shredded Preheat oven to 375 degrees. We are basically going to take each taco boat, add the hash stuffing, and top with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Add the taco boats to a non stick pan (I like using parchment paper for these) and bake for approximately 12-15 minutes or until cheeses have browned. **Sausage Hash** 1 lb fresh sausage 1 small, sweet onion, diced 1/2 c diced mushrooms 3 medium, white potatoes (boiled for 15 minutes and then diced) 2 tbsp minced garlic 2 tbsp parsley salt and pepper to taste (generous amount of pepper, light salt) olive oil In a large skillet, coat bottom with olive oil and warm over medium high heat. Add diced sweet onion and let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add salt and pepper, minced garlic, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Continue to cook onions for about 5 more minutes. Add mushrooms and 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to pan with onions. Let the mushrooms and onions cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now, add the sausage, potatoes, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Cook sausage thoroughly. ***Once sausage has completely cooked, I lightly mashed the mixture to the bottom of the pan in order to get a light crust on the mix. And there you have it!!! One Hash mix that can be used as a stuffing for numerous items...or to eat by itself!!!
Option Number 5:
Hash Stuffing Taco “Boats”
2 taco “boats” (these can be found with tortillas and other taco shells)
3/4 c hash stuffing
1/4 c mozzarella, shredded
1/4 c cheddar, shredded
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. We are basically going to take each taco boat, add the hash stuffing, and top with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Add the taco boats to a non stick pan (I like using parchment paper for these) and bake for approximately 12-15 minutes or until cheeses have browned.
**Sausage Hash**
1 lb fresh sausage
1 small, sweet onion, diced
1/2 c diced mushrooms
3 medium, white potatoes (boiled for 15 minutes and then diced)
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste (generous amount of pepper, light salt)
olive oil
In a large skillet, coat bottom with olive oil and warm over medium high heat. Add diced sweet onion and let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add salt and pepper, minced garlic, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Continue to cook onions for about 5 more minutes. Add mushrooms and 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to pan with onions. Let the mushrooms and onions cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now, add the sausage, potatoes, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Cook sausage thoroughly. ***Once sausage has completely cooked, I lightly mashed the mixture to the bottom of the pan in order to get a light crust on the mix. And there you have it!!! One Hash mix that can be used as a stuffing for numerous items…or to eat by itself!!!

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Meat Entrees

Pulled Pork and Potato Patties- A “Left Over” Meal

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Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my granny and watching her cook.  Because my granny comes from a generation that never wastes, she is always coming up with new ways to make meals from her leftovers.  One of my favorites is her potato patties.  Basically, it is mashed potatoes from the dinner before, a little egg, a bit of flour, and sometimes onions, mixed together, patted out and fried in a pan.  Yes, it is as simple as that.

This past weekend, I made a pork tenderloin with mashed potatoes for a few friends that helped my boyfriend and me move.  I overestimated the amount of food we would all eat, so I had leftovers of both the pork and mashed potatoes.  I boxed it all up and put it in the fridge with no specific plans of what to do with it, since I was as full as a tick.

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Pork and Potato Patties 1 c pork, shredded 1 c mashed potatoes 1 c vegetables (mushrooms and onions), diced 1/2 c bread crumbs 1/4 c panko crumbs 1 tbsp parsley 1 c stock from pork tenderloin (red wine and beef broth) salt and pepper to taste (generous amount) Olive oil In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. You don't want the texture to be too dry or too moist; if the mixture seems dry, add little more stock...if the mixture seems to moist, add more panko crumbs until the texture dries up a bit. Once ingredients are thoroughly mixed and texture is consistent, you can make the patties. To do this, grab a small handful of the mix, make a little ball, and work with the ball of mix until it is patted out. ***I place the patties on parchment paper until they are all ready to be fried. In a large frying pan, coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil and heat on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add patties to the frying pan. **Be sure not to overcrowd the pan. If the patties touch, they will stick together...yes...I do know this from experience :) Cook the patties for 2-3 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. I flipped the patties twice to make sure they were cooked thoroughly without burning each side. I also added a drizzle of olive oil to each patty before I flipped them. With all of that said, the pork and potato patties should cook for a total of about 9-10 minutes. Viola! Your pork and potato patties are done. **To enhance the flavor, I always cook a little bit of fresh spinach in olive oil with salt and pepper and top the patties with this. I also make a Sriracha Ranch sauce to dip them in. Below are the ranch and Spinach Recipe. Sriracha Ranch: 3 tbsp Ranch 1 tbsp Sriracha 1 tsp parsley salt and pepper to taste Add them all to a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Spinach 3 c fresh spinach olive oil salt and pepper Preheat oven to 500 degrees. In a non-stick, baking dish, coat the bottom with olive oil. Add spinach. Coat the spinach with more olive oil and the salt and pepper. Cook in the oven for about 5 minutes. ***Pork Tenderloin Recipe can be found in the "meat" category. Mashed potato recipe can be found in the "meat" category with the pork chop recipe.
Pork and Potato Patties
1 c pork, shredded
1 c mashed potatoes
1 c vegetables (mushrooms and onions), diced
1/2 c bread crumbs
1/4 c panko crumbs
1 tbsp parsley
1 c stock from pork tenderloin (red wine and beef broth)
salt and pepper to taste (generous amount)
Olive oil
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. You don’t want the texture to be too dry or too moist; if the mixture seems dry, add little more stock…if the mixture seems to moist, add more panko crumbs until the texture dries up a bit.
Once ingredients are thoroughly mixed and texture is consistent, you can make the patties. To do this, grab a small handful of the mix, make a little ball, and work with the ball of mix until it is patted out. ***I place the patties on parchment paper until they are all ready to be fried.
In a large frying pan, coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil and heat on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add patties to the frying pan. **Be sure not to overcrowd the pan. If the patties touch, they will stick together…yes…I do know this from experience 🙂
Cook the patties for 2-3 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. I flipped the patties twice to make sure they were cooked thoroughly without burning each side. I also added a drizzle of olive oil to each patty before I flipped them. With all of that said, the pork and potato patties should cook for a total of about 9-10 minutes.
Viola! Your pork and potato patties are done.
**To enhance the flavor, I always cook a little bit of fresh spinach in olive oil with salt and pepper and top the patties with this. I also make a Sriracha Ranch sauce to dip them in. Below are the ranch and Spinach Recipe.
Sriracha Ranch:
3 tbsp Ranch
1 tbsp Sriracha
1 tsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Add them all to a small bowl and mix thoroughly.
Spinach
3 c fresh spinach
olive oil
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. In a non-stick, baking dish, coat the bottom with olive oil. Add spinach. Coat the spinach with more olive oil and the salt and pepper. Cook in the oven for about 5 minutes.
***Pork Tenderloin Recipe can be found in the “meat” category. Mashed potato recipe can be found in the “meat” category with the pork chop recipe.

image image image imageThe next day, we were pretty tired from the move, but I still wanted to make dinner.  I opened the fridge, saw the pork and mashed potatoes and immediately thought of my granny’s potato patties.  I didn’t want to waste the pork or the stock and vegetables, so I decided to just mix it all together.  And the end result; pork and potato deliciousness!

 

 

Meat Entrees, Seafood

Surf and Turf: Baked Salmon, Filet Mignon, Asparagus, and Baked Potatoes

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Salmon: 1 lb Salmon Fillet 3 lemons, thinly sliced rounds 8 oz baby portobello mushrooms 2 tbsp butter 1 tbsp minced garlic 2-3 tbsp brown sugar 1 fresh rosemary sprig olive oil salt and pepper Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a baking dish, coat the bottom with olive oil (approximately 2 tbsp). On top of the olive oil, layer the sliced lemon rounds; the salmon is going to sit on top, so when spreading them out, keep them in the shape of the salmon fillet. Top the lemon slices with the salmon fillet. Coat the salmon with olive oil (approximately 1.5 tsp). Add the mushrooms around the salmon. Cover the salmon and mushrooms with a generous amount of salt and pepper, the minced garlic, and then top with butter...when adding butter, "break" apart the butter into little cubes. This will cover more area and allow the butter to melt and spread. Cut or tear the rosemary sprig into about 6 one inch pieces; top the salmon with the rosemary. Finally, add the brown sugar to the entire dish, sprinkling throughout. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes. **When I made this, the lemon flavor was stronger than I liked, so I added more brown sugar once it was finished baking and parmesan to the top of the salmon. I then covered the dish with aluminum foil allowing the brown sugar to infuse the salmon as it rested.
Salmon:
1 lb Salmon Fillet
3 lemons, thinly sliced rounds
8 oz baby portobello mushrooms
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
2-3 tbsp brown sugar
1 fresh rosemary sprig
olive oil
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a baking dish, coat the bottom with olive oil (approximately 2 tbsp). On top of the olive oil, layer the sliced lemon rounds; the salmon is going to sit on top, so when spreading them out, keep them in the shape of the salmon fillet. Top the lemon slices with the salmon fillet. Coat the salmon with olive oil (approximately 1.5 tsp). Add the mushrooms around the salmon. Cover the salmon and mushrooms with a generous amount of salt and pepper, the minced garlic, and then top with butter…when adding butter, “break” apart the butter into little cubes. This will cover more area and allow the butter to melt and spread. Cut or tear the rosemary sprig into about 6 one inch pieces; top the salmon with the rosemary. Finally, add the brown sugar to the entire dish, sprinkling throughout. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil.
Bake for 25 minutes.
**When I made this, the lemon flavor was stronger than I liked, so I added more brown sugar once it was finished baking and parmesan to the top of the salmon. I then covered the dish with aluminum foil allowing the brown sugar to infuse the salmon as it rested.
Baked Potatoes: 2 Baking/Russet Potatoes 2 tbsp Melted Butter Salt and Pepper Aluminum Foil Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt about 2 tbsp of butter. Lay baking potatoes in aluminum foil (we are going to wrap the potatoes with this foil, each one separately, so enough foil to cover the entire potato). Coat potatoes with melted butter, salt and pepper. Wrap potatoes with foil and bake for about an hour. **It may take more or less time depending on the size of the potatoes.
Baked Potatoes:
2 Baking/Russet Potatoes
2 tbsp Melted Butter
Salt and Pepper
Aluminum Foil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Melt about 2 tbsp of butter. Lay baking potatoes in aluminum foil (we are going to wrap the potatoes with this foil, each one separately, so enough foil to cover the entire potato). Coat potatoes with melted butter, salt and pepper. Wrap potatoes with foil and bake for about an hour. **It may take more or less time depending on the size of the potatoes.
Asparagus: 1 bundle baby asparagus 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp butter 1 tbsp minced garlic salt and pepper Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a nonstick baking dish, add the asparagus, olive oil, minced garlic, and generous amount of salt and pepper. Mix asparagus so that all pieces are coated with seasoning. Add butter (cubed into small pieces) to asparagus, cover and bake for about 10 minutes. ***Bake longer if a more tender asparagus is desired.
Asparagus:
1 bundle baby asparagus
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a nonstick baking dish, add the asparagus, olive oil, minced garlic, and generous amount of salt and pepper. Mix asparagus so that all pieces are coated with seasoning. Add butter (cubed into small pieces) to asparagus, cover and bake for about 10 minutes.
***Bake longer if a more tender asparagus is desired.

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2 filet Mignon 1 tsp parsley olive oil salt and pepper melted butter (for coating filets while they grill) **Filets are my favorite cut of meat, so I season lightly as to not lose the natural flavor. Coat the filets with olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper; make sure to evenly distribute ingredients to both sides. Let the filets rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. If using a gas grill, the temperature needs to be set on medium high heat. Cook filets for about 9 minutes per side (6-5 minutes for rare). To keep the integrity of the steaks, it is best to only flip them once. If using charcoal, heat coals to high heat. Cook steaks for 8 minutes per side (5 minutes for rare) flipping steaks only once.
2 filet Mignon
1 tsp parsley
olive oil
salt and pepper
melted butter (for coating filets while they grill)
**Filets are my favorite cut of meat, so I season lightly as to not lose the natural flavor.
Coat the filets with olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper; make sure to evenly distribute ingredients to both sides. Let the filets rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
If using a gas grill, the temperature needs to be set on medium high heat. Cook filets for about 9 minutes per side (6-5 minutes for rare). To keep the integrity of the steaks, it is best to only flip them once. If using charcoal, heat coals to high heat. Cook steaks for 8 minutes per side (5 minutes for rare) flipping steaks only once.