Stuffed Tomatoes

I have used this side dish for YEARS. It's the one dish my husband asks for again and again. So it must be good! Super easy and tastes so good!

You will need:

• 6 beefsteak tomatoes

• 1 bag of minute rice, cooked according to package directions

• 5 cloves of garlic, minced

• olive oil

• 3 tablespoons of fresh, diced basil

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• salt and pepper

• balsamic reduction or store made glaze

Preheat the oven to 350. 

Start by cutting the top off the tomatoes and hollowing out the inside. Reserve the  flesh and juices, discard the core. 

Salt the inside of the tomatoes, turn upside down to drain. 

Add the rice to the insides, salt, pepper, cheese, and basil. 

I'm a small pan, sauté the garlic with a few teaspoons of oil until almost brown. About 1 minute.  Then add to the filling mixture. 

Stuff the tomatoes, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for 30 minutes on 350. 

Once removed from the oven, the tops will be cheesey and crunchy! Garnish with basil and drizzle with balsamic. Enjoy!!!

Shepherd's Pie

I've always liked the idea of Shepherds pie, but when I have had it at a few restaurants, it alway seems to be bland and tasteless. In this recipe, I added tons of flavor and it came out great! It's an easy meal to put together and great for cold winter nights :)

You will need:

For the filling:

• 1 1/2 lbs chop meat (I used 80/20)

• 1 cup frozen peas

• 1 cup frozen corn

• 1 cup frozen chopped carrots 

• 7-8 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

• 1 packet of dried gravy

• 1 cup water

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• 1 can tomato paste

• 4-5 cloves of minced garlic

• salt and pepper

• 1 medium onion, diced

For the topping:

• 10-12 medium white potatoes. 

( rinsed and diced)

• 8 cloves of garlic, whole

• 1 stick of salted butter

• 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 cup grated white cheddar

• salt and pepper

Start by cooking the potatoes. You are making mashed potatoes for the topping, so use whatever technique you usually use. I start by putting the diced potatoes in a large pot, add the whole garlic and cover with water. Put on medium heat on the stove and cover. One boiled, turn heat down, and cook about 15 more minutes until fork tender. 

While the potatoes are boiling, start the filling. 

In a large non stick pan on medium heat, start cooking the beef, onion, and garlic. 

Add salt, pepper and garlic powder. 

Next add the gravy packet and 1 cup water. 

Add the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. 

Cook the frozen vegetables in the microwave for 3-4 minutes until just thawed. Then add to beef mixture. 

Taste and determine if you want more salt and pepper. 

Time to get the potatoes ready!

Drain the potatoes, (keep the garlic with them), add the pepper, salt, sour cream and cheeses. Mix with a stand or hand mixer until smooth. To get a more creamy consistency, slowly add milk while mixing. 

 

To a baking dish or pie dish, add the filling and top with the mashed potatoes. 

Bake on 350 for 30-35 minutes on a foiled baking sheet. Trust me, the majority of the time, the filling will bubble over and it's better to catch it on the foil! 

Once done, let stand and cool for 15-20 minutes. Serve and enjoy! 

Rotisserie chicken soup

Have you ever wondered what to do with those store rotisserie chickens? I decided to experiment with it and make a soup. It came out great! It will definitely make a great Fall and Winter soup! And it was so easy!!!! The chicken was so moist and delicious! 

You will need:

• 1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed 

• 2 carrots, peeled and diced

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 5 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 can diced tomatoes

• 2 1/2 containers of 32 oz chicken broth

   (About 10 cups)

• 1 head of escarole, rinsed WELL and chopped

• 4-5 tablespoons olive oil

• salt & pepper to taste

• Parmesan cheese, grated

• 1/2 cup of orzo

Start by prepping. When cleaning the escarole, make sure you rinse it really well because it usually has dirt and grit inside the leaves. Chop it up and discard the white ends. 

On a medium flame, add olive oil to the pot, and sauté the onion and carrot until softened. Add salt and pepper. 

Then add the garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Add the whole can of diced tomatoes with juices. 

Cook for an additional 2 minutes, then add the chicken broth. 

Add the escarole. 

Start to take apart the chicken. Remove skin and dice the meat. 

Add the chicken to the soup. 

Optional : I added a dash of "all purpose seasoning" I had on hand. Which is salt, pepper, cumin, onion powder. But if you don't have something like this, just do salt and pepper to taste. Keep tasting as the soup cooks and check if you need more. 

Add 1/2 cup of orzo. 

Cook on low flame, covered, for 40 minutes and serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!