Name: Ground Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/3 cup sour cream; 1/3 cup salsa; 1 pound ground turkey; 2 cup diced sweet potatoes (1 large); 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded; 3 green onions, sliced; 1 tomato diced

Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet

March 21, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt 8 Comments

This easy to make healthy Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet meal is one to save for a quick weeknight meal. Full of fresh delicious flavors from black beans, sweet potatoes, spices, tomatoes, ground turkey, and I can’t forget that easy 2 ingredient sauce. This is a perfect meal for when you are short of time but looking for full flavor!

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Cast iron skillet holding ground turkey and sweet potato skillet with black bean garnished with diced tomatoes, sliced green onions, and a drizzle of sauce.

Sweet Potato Ground Turkey Skillet

This is one of those winner dinners. Like when you have 30 minutes until you have to leave the house to be somewhere you can still get this one made and have 10 whole minutes to sit and eat it (for real this is a true story that happened to me).

This recipe truly comes together because of one special ‘cheat’, the microwave oven. The microwave is used in this recipe to help speed up the cooking process of the sweet potatoes. The diced potatoes are added to a plate and pre-cooked before adding them to the skillet. This ensure that everything is done at the same time and ready to eat!

Besides the sweet potatoes we are using heart heathy ground turkey, black beans, and spices for the main portion of the dish.

Over the top of the dish cheese is melted at the very end to get all melty and delicious. Then it is topped with diced tomatoes and green onions.

Lastly comes to what my husband refers to as the ‘super sauce’. Amply named because it was the “cherry on top” that really helped our kids eat up this meal. I mean what kid doesn’t love a fun sauce?! In reality it is the simple combination of salsa and sour cream, which is really good on anything? But it takes 1 minute to make and definitely elevates this whole meal!

A gold serving spoon in a turkey and sweet potato skillet with black beans and garnished with diced tomatoes and a drizzle of sauce.

Ingredients

Ground Turkey – At the base of this dish, use whatever fat content you would like, any will work here!
Sweet Potatoes – You should just need one large sweet potato, it should come out to about 2 cups. If you are using little sweet potatoes you might need 2.
Black Beans – Adding the black beans both add extra texture to this dish but also a power house of nutrients. You will want to make sure the can is drained and well rinsed before adding to the skillet.
Kosher Salt – I recommend kosher salt (or sea salt) for all cooking but if all you have available is table salt start by using half of the amount and then taste test from there towards the end before adding more if needed.
Chipotle Chili Powder – Now I would like to point out that this is Chipotle Chili Powder, not regular Chili Powder. The Chipotle Chili Powder has that lovely smokiness flavor that you think of when you think of Chipotle peppers. A little goes quite a long way in this dish. And if you hate buying a single spice for one meal no worries I have your back, it is also in my Crockpot Carnitas, Southwest Sauce, or my Southwest Chicken!
Cumin – To go along with the southwest flavors of this dish the cumin is a great companion to the chipotle chili powder.
Cheddar Cheese – I always like to recommend getting a block of cheese and grating it yourself because it gets a better melt. The pre shredded cheese comes with anti-caking powder which makes the cheese less melty. You can also feel free to use a different cheese as you wish, if I was just making this for myself (and no kids) I would totally use pepper jack on top!
Green Onions – These add a bit of freshness! My kids don’t care for them too much so I just include them on the adult plates.
Tomato – Just one medium to large tomato diced, this is for some added freshness. It contrast beautifully with the southwest flavors.
Sour Cream – One part of the sauce. You will use equal parts. You can also use greek yogurt or plain yogurt in its place.
Salsa – The second part of the sauce. You whatever salsa your family enjoys best. I use Mild Pace Salsa for my family. If you are a family that doesn’t like chunky salsa or sauce try using taco sauce instead.

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients needed to make turkey sweet potato skillet laid out on a table top.

Instructions

Add diced sweet potatoes to a microwave safe plate. Cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Carefully remove and set aside until you are ready to use.

Collage showing the before and after of diced sweet potatoes being cooking in the microwave.

Make sauce by combing the sour cream and salsa in a small bowl. Set aside for serving.

Collage showing making the salsa and sour cream sauce for on top of turkey sweet potato skillet.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat (I like to use my cast iron). Add the ground Turkey. Cook and crumble for about 5 minutes until just a little pink remains. Drain the skillet if necessary.

Add in the hot sweet potatoes, black beans, salt, chipotle chili powder, and cumin. Cook stirring occasionally 5 minutes until sweet potatoes are soft and turkey is fully cooked. Remove from heat and sprinkle on the cheese to melt. Top with the green onions, diced tomatoes, and sauce for serving. Serve immediately.

Collage showing cooking ground turkey sweet potato skillet showing ground turkey, sweet potatoes and black beans.

Sweet potatoes and turkey skillet with black beans covered with melted cheddar cheese and topped with diced tomatoes and sliced green onions.

Tips, Tricks, and Questions

If you are in a situation where everyone eating this dish loves thier food spicy you can add an extra 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of the chipotle chili powder!
If you don’t have a microwave oven available to you you can pre-cook the potatoes in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400º F. Add the potaotes to a sheet tray and let them cook until the are slightly soft about 10 to 15 minutes.

Is this turkey sweet potato skillet spicy?

Sort of. I know that isn’t the best answer. The Chipotle Chili powder does have a slight kick. But it isn’t so spicy that when the sauce is put on top my kids will still eat it. If you have a person particularly averse to spicy this dish might not be for them. I will say my 6 year old is a big ‘not spicy’ kid and he will eat it with the tomatoes and sauce on top and he thinks it is okay!

Close up of a cast iron skillet with ground turkey, sweet potatoes, and black beans, topped with diced tomatoes, green onions, and a sauce drizzle.

If you like this Ground Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet you might also like?

Yield: serves 4

Ground Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet

This one dish skillet meal is full of flavors and made fast! With help of the microwave oven this turkey sweet potato skillet is ready to serve in 20 minutes. And with healthy ingredients like ground turkey, black beans, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes it will have you feeling good too!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey
2 cup diced sweet potatoes (1 large)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3 green onions, sliced
1 tomato diced

Sauce

1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup salsa

Instructions

Add diced sweet potatoes to a microwave safe plate. Cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Carefully remove and set aside until you are ready to use.
Make sauce by combing the sour cream and salsa in a small bowl. Set aside for serving.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground Turkey. Cook and crumble for about 5 minutes until just a little pink remains. Drain the skillet if necessary.
Add in the hot sweet potatoes, black beans, salt, chipotle chili powder, and cumin. Cook stirring occasionally 5 minutes until sweet potatoes are soft and turkey is fully cooked. Remove from heat and sprinkle on the cheese to melt. Top with the green onions, diced tomatoes, and sauce. Serve immediately.

Notes

For the sauce use a salsa that will fit your family best. I use Mild Pace Salsa for my family. If you are a family that doesn't like chunky salsa or sauce try using a taco sauce instead.

If you are in a situation where everyone eating this dish loves thier food spicy you can add an extra 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of the chipotle chili powder!

If you don't have a microwave oven available to you you can pre-cook the potatoes in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400º F. Add the potaotes to a sheet tray and let them cook until the are slightly soft about 10 to 15 minutes.

Easy Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Breasts

February 28, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Tender and delicious these Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Breasts only take minutes to prep. Perfect as a main dish, on a salad, or even meal prepping, the possibilities are endless!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

A great meal to add to you repertoire, tender and juicy chicken breasts baked with sweet and savory homemade honey mustard sauce.

This baked chicken is perfectly paired with some roasted or steamed veggies for a perfectly balanced dinner that is just bursting with flavor.

The chicken is gently pounded so that you get a perfectly juicy result.

A quick sauce is made from two different types of mustards and of course honey.

Then baked together the result is a delicious dinner!

Close up of a white casserole dish with four chicken breasts covered with honey mustard sauce and garnished with fresh thyme.

What You Need

This recipe doesn’t call for anything crazy for supplies you will need:

9×13 Baking Dish – or similar sized baking dish
Measuring Spoons & Cups
Whisk
Meat Tenderizer – or rolling pin or heavy pan, honestly I find that using my heavy marble rolling pin works best for tenderizing chicken, no need to buy a tenderizer
Spoon or Spatula – something small to get the sauce all out of the bowl on to the chicken
Aluminum Foil – for covering the chicken to rest once it is out of the oven
Meat Thermometer – piece of mind that the chicken has hit 165ºF
Other Typical Kitchen Items – like knifes, small bowls, ect.

Ingredients

Olive Oil – A little goes into the sauce to not only to help the flavor but to also ensure that the chicken doesn’t stick to the dish or each other.
Honey – Obviously the first part of honey mustard
Whole Grain Mustard & Dijon Mustard – A good balance of two type of mustards really helps the sauce come together. The whole grain gives a more upfront mustard flavor while the dijon brings a creaminess into the sauce.
Salt – I always recommend using kosher salt when cooking due to the structure the salt blends into the food better, if you don’t have kosher salt sea salt also works well!
Garlic – If you like a good garlic presence then I suggest you use freshly minced garlic. If too much garlic bothers you feel free to half the minced garlic amount.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – 4 trimmed chicken breasts, you will be pounding them to get them extra juicy. See my Tips, Tricks, and Questions section to read about how I pick out my chicken for this recipe.
Fresh Thyme (optional) – If available a toss of a few fresh spring of thyme will amplify this recipe!

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients needed to make baked honey mustard chicken breasts laid out on a table top.

How to make Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

Preheat oven to 400º F.

Add oil, honey mustards, salt, garlic together in a bowl.

Collage showing the steps of mixing all of the ingredients together to make a honey mustard sauce for the chicken.

Add the chicken breasts in between two sheets of plastic wrap on top of a cutting board. Pound the chicken gently until about 1 inch thickness using a meat tenderizer, rolling pin, or heavy pan.

Collage showing the steps of placing the chicken breasts in plastic wrap and tenderizing with a rolling pin.

Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish. Evenly add the honey mustard sauce over top the chicken breasts. Add the thyme to the dish around the chicken.

Collage of adding the chicken breasts and homemade honey mustard sauce to the white 9x13 casserole dish.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake 15 minutes covered. 10 minutes uncovered until temp reaches 165º F. Cover and Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

A white baking dish showing the fully cooked honey mustard chicken.

Tips, Tricks, & Questions

Choosing and Buying Chicken Breasts

The size of chicken breasts can vary greatly at the store. A typical pack of chicken breasts at any given grocery store can contain anywhere from 2 large chicken breasts weighing 2 pounds to 4 smaller chicken breasts weighing 2 pounds. This difference has a lot to do with what brands and if it is organic/natural or not. Now I recommend buying natural chicken breasts that are naturally about 4 breasts in a 2 pound package (this won’t be exact but close). Now if this isn’t an option for you and you can only find large chicken breasts, no sweat! To keep the chicken properly portioned you can butterfly-cut your chicken breasts in half. Typically when I am at the grocery store for a recipe like this I look for a 2-ish pound package of breasts with 4 small breasts, if I can’t find that I look for 2 large chicken breasts I can cut in half to make 4.

What to Serve with Honey Mustard Chicken

Typically at our house I will serve it with a side salad and a vegetable side. Here are some of the recipes I use:

Angled white baking dish with four baked chicken breasts, covered with honey mustard sauce and garnished with fresh thyme.

If you like this Baked Honey Mustard Chicken you might also like:

Yield: 4 servings

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Breast

Tender and delicious these Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Breasts only take minutes to prep. Perfect as a main dish, on a salad, or even meal prepping, the possibilities are endless!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, (4 trimmed chicken breasts)
4 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400º F.
Add oil, honey, mustards, salt, and minced garlic together in a bowl.
Over top a cutting board add the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound the chicken gently with a meat tenterizer, rolling pin, or heavy pan until about 1 inch thickness.
Remove the chicken from the plastic wrap and place the chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Evenly add the honey mustard sauce over top the chicken breasts. Add the thyme to the dish around the chicken.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake 15 minutes covered. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes uncovered. The chicken will be done when it hits an internal temperature of 165º F. Cover and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Baked Turkey Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

February 14, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

This versatile Baked Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce recipe is a great fresh and family friendly option to make for dinner tonight! Made with heart heathy oats these turkey meatballs bake in marinara sauce for an easy meal.

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White casserole dish with baked turkey meatballs in sauce covered with cheese and fresh parsley.

Turkey Meatballs with Oats Baked in Marinara Sauce

This recipe for turkey meatballs is not your nana’s meatball recipe. These turkey meatballs were developed with a busy adult in mind, one who wanted a healthier option and ease of baking and not standing over a stove to brown the meatballs.

Simple ingredients like oats, milk, cheese, and more are mixed with ground turkey. And then formed into meatballs.

A casserole dish is then lined with marinara sauce where the turkey meatballs will be added and baked in the sauce. I found that baking in the sauce helps keep the meatball nice a moist and tender! Plus the meatballs are already sauced, it makes it easy to simply plop them on the plate once it is time to eat!

A white casserole dish at an angle filled with baked turkey meatballs in sauce and covered with mozzarella cheese and topped with parsley.

Ingredients

Oats – These should be the Old Fashioned/Rolled Oat type (these are the same, it really just depends on labels). These types of oats are the type that appears whole and flat. In a pinch using instant/quick cooking oats will work as a sub. But do not use steel cut oats, that type will not work for this recipe.
Milk – I recommend using cow’s milk here. For flavor I also recommend whole milk but any milk really will do.
Egg – Used to help hold the meatballs together.
Parmesan Cheese – For flavor and to help keep the meatballs together. I prefer to grate the parmesan from my own block to avoid any anti-caking additives, but you can definitely use the pre-grated for convince!
Minced Garlic – Okay so I use like A LOT of garlic in these meatballs, sorry not sorry. As most of us might know ground turkey has a reputation for being a little bit flavorless. So the best way to combat that is by adding some reliable flavors. You would think that with a lot of garlic these would seem like they come out super garlicky but honestly I all during testing I did not find them to be over garlicky. If you find yourself not being able to handle garlic very well feel free to back off the amount a little bit.
Fresh Parsley or Dried Parsley – I tested both. I will admit I prefer the fresh parsley, but that might not always be in your fridge right? So use what you have.
Salt – For cooking I always recommend using Kosher Salt over Table Salt. The structures of the actual salt is different and kosher salt will dissolve better and more evenly into your food.
Ground Turkey – If you aren’t overly picky I did find that the ground turkey that is 85/15 works a little better for meatballs because the fat content helps keep the balls together. If you want to use a ground turkey with less fat content that is okay but just note the meatballs might not keep their shape as well.
Marinara Sauce – When picking out a marinara sauce I like to really read the ingredients list, it is one of those foods that can vary a lot on ingredients. For example some brands are going to be full of additives, sugars, and gross oils. I like to grab Rao’s (not sponsored) because they have a pretty clean ingredients list with simple things like tomatoes and olive oil. Although most, but not all labeled ‘organic’ are more likely to have a simpler ingredients list as well! Just read the back of a few to help you make the best choice for your family!
Shredded Mozzarella – For topping the meatballs to add some cheesy goodness!

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients needed laid out on a tabletop to make turkey meatballs baked in tomato sauce.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400º F.

Add the oats and milk to a mixing bowl. Let rest 2 to 3 minutes.

With the oats and milk add the egg, parmesan cheese, garlic, parsley, and salt to the bowl. Stir a few times to lightly mix everything.

Add the ground turkey to the top and gently mix everything together until it just holds together. Don’t over mix. I find that using your hands works best for this step.

Steps showing the first steps of mixing together baked turkey meatballs with oats.

Steps showing adding ground turkey to the other ingredients to make a mixture for baked turkey meatballs.

Layer half the sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Use a tablespoon to scoop and roll the turkey mixture into meatballs. Add meatballs in the dish.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 10 minutes.

Steps showing adding marinara sauce to a casserole dish along with a tablespoon of the ground turkey mixture.

Steps showing all the meatballs rolled and added to the baking dish and then baked and covered with cheese.

Uncover and add the remaining marinara sauce in top of the meatballs, followed by sprinkling the shredded mozzarella over the meatballs. Cook uncovered another 10 minutes until the dish is bubbly and the meatballs hit a internal temperature of 165º F. Serve over pasta, on thier own, or with veggies.

Overhead view of a white casserole dish filled with baked turkey meatballs covered in Mozzarella cheese.

Tips, Tricks, & Questions

Why are my turkey meatballs rubbery?

Rubbery Meatballs will happen if you over-mix the meatball mixture before forming it into meatballs. You will want all the ingredients to be just mixed so that it holds a shape, once you have achieved that stop mixing!

What can you serve with turkey meatballs?

These turkey meatballs are super versatile. I personally have served these to my family a couple different ways. First with some spaghetti, I used the remainder of the jar of marinara for the sauce. Second I served the meatballs as is along side some broccoli and a side salad. If you are looking for some side dish to serve with the meatballs you could check out:

I will also note that this is a great recipe to make for meal prep! The meatballs can easily be transferred into containers and reheated throughout the week!

Close up of baked turkey meatballs in a white casserole dish with marinara sauce and covered in cheese and garnished with parsley.

If you like Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce you might also like:

Yield: serves 4

Baked Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

This versatile Baked Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce recipe is a great fresh and family friendly option to make for dinner! Made with heart heathy oats these turkey meatballs bake in marinara sauce for an easy meal you can add on top of pasta, have on their own, or with veggies.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

¼ Cup Oats, old fashioned/rolled
¼ Cup Milk
1 Egg
½ Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
1 Teaspoon Fresh Parsley (or ½ teaspoon dried)
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Pound Ground Turkey
12 Ounce Marinara Sauce (1 ½ Cups)
1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400º F.
Add oats and milk to a mixing bowl. Let rest 2 to 3 minutes.
Add egg, parmesan cheese, garlic, parsley, and salt to the bowl. Stir a few times to lightly mix everything. Add the ground turkey to the top and gently mix everything together until it just holds together. Don’t over mix.
Layer half the sauce on the bottom of casserole dish.
Use a tablespoon to scoop and roll the turkey mixture into meatballs. Add meatballs in the dish.
Cover with tin foil and bake for 10 minutes. Uncover and add the remaining marinara sauce followed by sprinkling the shredded mozzarella over the meatballs. Cook uncovered another 10 minutes until the dish is bubbly and the meatballs hit a internal temperature of 165º F. Serve over pasta, on thier own, or with veggies.

Notes

A typical jar of marinara is 24 ounces, so you will be using half for this recipe.

Chicken Sausage Tortellini Soup

October 11, 2021 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

This Tortellini Soup with Chicken Sausage is a crowd pleaser with easy prep and a ton of flavor! With easy ingredients like Chicken Sausage, Cheese Tortellini, Diced Tomatoes, and Fresh Spinach this meal comes together in just 30 minutes!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Overhead view of a large teal dutch oven full of chicken sausage tortellini soup with tomatoes and spinach.

Easy Chicken Sausage Tortellini Soup

A good tortellini soup is a good recipe to have for a busy cold night. Not a lot of prep, quick to cook, and a crowd pleaser!

This particular version was made to surpass some other recipes because it is packed with flavor. Not hating on other tortellini soups but some don’t seem to add enough seasonings for my taste. So we are using salt, garlic, Italian Seasoning, and pesto to give this soup all the flavor you can handle!

Then add in the healthier option of chicken sausage, not to mention it is precooked and basically ready to go!!

And let’s not forget the vegetables with onions, tomatoes, and spinach you are sure to get your vitamins!

All of this ready to be on the table in 30 minutes!

Tabletop with bowls of tortellini soup with chicken sausage and spinach surrounded by bread and spoons.

Ingredients

Onion – A small yellow onion diced up to start the base of the soup.
Olive Oil – As a base to cook the onions and garlic in, the olive oil will also help flavor this soup.
Garlic – You will want minced garlic, if you want to use the pre-minced jar for this recipe that’s okay!
Canned Diced Tomatoes – I like to use the no salt added variety, that way I can have full control over the saltiness of my soup but if you don’t have that on hand that is okay!
Italian Seasoning – I highly recommend hoping over to my Homemade Italian Seasoning Recipe and whipping up a batch to use for the soup. Also feel free to use an Italian Seasoning you already have or look down in the recipe card for a substitution.
Kosher Salt – Make sure to taste the soup at the end to see if you need more salt, add more if you think you do!
Pesto – Not gonna lie, the addition of a little pesto in this soup might be my favorite part! It definitely helps elevate the soup!
Chicken Broth – To Note: this is a packed soup where the ingredients are thick in the broth. If you like you soup to have more broth free to add more, I would recommend starting with 2 additional cups and tasting to see if you need more seasonings.
Chicken Sausage – Slice up a package of your favorite chicken sausage to add to the soup.
Cheese Tortellini – I call for 20 ounces which is the family size found at most grocery stores. It is okay to use less in this recipe!
Baby Spinach – The amount of spinach is going to seem like way to much at first but I promise you it wilts down so much, it will be just the right amount.

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients needed to make tortellini soup laid out of a countertop.

Instructions

Heat a Dutch Oven or large Pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil, diced onion, & garlic. Sauté to sweat the onions 1-2 minutes.

Add in the diced tomatoes (no need to drain), Italian seasoning, salt, pesto, sliced sausage, and chicken broth. Stir and cover. Cook 20 minutes.

A collage of the first steps to making tortellini soup including dicing onions, add the seasonings, sausage, and broth.

Add the tortellini and cook 3 to 4 minutes (or to package instructions).

Next stir in the spinach until it becomes wilty and turn the heat off. Serve hot.

A collage showing the steps to making tortellini soup showing cooked chicken sausage, adding cheese tortellini, and letting it cook.

Collage showing the steps of making tortellini soup showing adding the spinach and stirring it in so the soup is ready to serve.

White bowl with chicken sausage tortellini soup with tomatoes and spinach.

Tips, Tricks, and Questions

No Italian Seasoning or no time to make your own? In it’s place sub in ½ teaspoon dried basil, ½ dried oregano, and ½ teaspoon dried parsley.
The Chicken Sausage dosn’t have to be exactly 11 ounces, it can generally be about that size, different brands might differ slighty.
The Chicken Sausage also can be the flavor you want, although I suggest a flavor the will blend well with the soup like Roasted Garlic, Italian, Spinach & Feta, or Sun Dried Tomato just to name a few options you might see.

Overhead view of a few white bowls of chicken sausage tortellini soup with spinach and diced tomatoes.

If you like this Chicken Sausage Tortellini Soup you might also like:

Yield: 6 servings

Chicken Sausage Tortellini Soup

The most flavorful Tortellini Soup you can make! With simple ingredients like diced tomatoes, pesto, chicken sausage, spinach, and tortellini you will have a perfect easy soup ready to feed a hungry family!

Prep Time 6 minutes

Cook Time 24 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 small yellow onion, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning*
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pesto
4 cups chicken broth
11 ounce chicken sausage, sliced (1 precooked pack)
20 ounces cheese tortellini
5 ounce bag baby spinach

Instructions

Heat a Dutch Oven/Pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil, diced onion, & garlic. Saute to sweat the onions 1-2 minutes.
Add in the diced tomatoes (no need to drain), Italian seasoning, salt, pesto, sliced sausage, and chicken broth. Stir and cover. Cook 20 minutes.
Add the tortellini and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the spinach until it becomes wilty and turn the heat off. Serve hot.

Notes

*No Italian Seasoning or no time to make your own? In it's place sub in ½ teaspoon dried basil, ½ dried oregano, and ½ teaspoon dried parsley.

The Chicken Sausage dosn't have to be exactly 11 ounces, it can generally be about that size, different brands might differ slighty.

The Chicken Sausage also can be the flavor you want, lthough i suggest a flavor the will blend well with the soup like Roasted Garlic, Italian, Spinach & Feta, or Sun Dried Tomato just to name a few options you might see.

Note that this is a packed soup where the ingredients are thick in the broth. If you like you soup to have more broth free to add more, I would recommend starting with 2 additional cups and tasting to see if you need more seasonings.

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

September 20, 2021 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Nothing is more comforting than a bowl of warm homemade chicken noodle soup. This Easy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe uses fresh ingredients like split chicken breasts, carrots, and celery. This soup method is way easier than spending half a day making homemade broth but not hard enough from keeping you from making it on a weeknight. With extra vegetables and flavorful broth from the chicken bones this is a version of the beloved classic that you are going to want to bookmark!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Countertop with four white bowls of easy chicken noodle soup showing off chewy egg noodles, big chunks of chicken, and vegetables garnished with fresh parsley.

Stovetop Chicken Noodle Soup

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup, not only an American comfort food but different versions of chicken soup are enjoyed all over the world. It is hard to resist the comfort that this soup brings!

My version of this soup is a perfect middle ground between boiling a whole chicken all day to make your own broth and using a rotisserie chicken to make a cheater version…

This soup starts with split chicken breast, the one with the bones still attached. This chicken is then cooked with the usual vegetables until everything is tender and then the noodles gets added.

By taking the middle ground we take advantage of the skin and bones with the split chicken breasts to add extra flavor that using precooked chicken won’t provide. The best part is you get a super flavorful soup but at the fraction of the time of making your own chicken stock from scratch!

So easy enough to make whenever and super delicious and comforting, let’s get cooking!

Flatlay photo of four white bowls of soup filled with easy chicken noodle soup with everything garnished with fresh parsley and served with saltine crackers.

Ingredients for Chicken Noodle Soup

Unsalted Butter – I like to use unsalted butter in all my recipes because that way you are in full control of the sodium and saltiness of your dish. At the end taste the soup and then start adding salt in. If you don’t have unsalted butter it is totally okay to use salted butter or olive oil in this situation just keep that in mind when adding salt in at the end.
Split Chicken Breasts – Split breasts are the chicken breasts that come with the rib bones attached and skin still on. We are using the skin and bones to add extra flavor to our soup and to keep the chicken from overcooking. And while it does a great job doing all that it will take a little longer to cook than a boneless, skinless chicken breast. (And don’t worry we will be taking the bones and skin out later)
Kosher Salt – You will use it to salt the chicken before it cooks and then you will want more for salting the soup at the end of cooking.
Yellow Onion – A classic part of the chicken soup, you will dice it for this recipe.
Celery Stalks – You will notice in my recipe I use a tad more celery and carrots than other recipes, I believe that they shouldn’t be hidden in this soup, they are good for you after all.
Carrots – Just like the celery we aren’t going to shy away from these healthy vegetables in this recipe!
Chicken Broth/Stock – Traditional chicken noodle soup in made with a broth but what is even the difference between broth and stock? Chicken Broth is a lighter colored broth made from chicken, whereas Chicken Stock is usually darker in color because it is simmered down with chicken, chicken parts, vegetables, and aromatics. Honestly either work just great in this soup!
Minced Garlic – Just a little to add flavor
Bay Leaves – A classic aromatic of chicken noodle soup, just remember to remove them at the end
Dried Parsley – It will seem like you are adding a lot in the recipe, it is not a typo, it seems like a lot at first but you will see by the end it is just the right amount.
Dried Dill – I find a bit of this is just what the soup needs to elevate it to that next level.
Egg Noodles – I am partial to using egg noodles in my chicken noodle soup, the wide chewy noodles are amongst one of my favorites BUT you really can use any noodle you have. Fettuccine and rotini noodles are also good options.

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients needed to make easy chicken noodle soup including split chicken breasts, veggies, and egg noodles.

Instructions

Grab a large dutch oven or pot that has a lid and heat it over medium-high heat. Add in the butter and let it melt.

Sprinkle the salt over the skin of the chicken breasts. Add the split breasts skin side down in the hot butter. Cook 4 to 5 minutes until the chicken skin has browned. Once they chicken is browned enough to easily come off the bottom of the pot it is time to move onto the next step.

Now add in the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic in around the chicken. Sweat out the vegetables around the chicken 2 to 3 minutes or until the onions have just started to become soft.

Three photo collage showing the steps of making chicken noodle sou including melting butter, searing the chicken, and adding the vegetables.

Slowly pour in the chicken broth scraping the chicken and brown bits off the bottom as you add it so that the chicken isn’t stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add in the bay leaves, dried parsley, and dried dill.

Cover and bring to a boil. Cook for 30 minutes.

Check the doneness of the chicken, the internal temperature should reach 165º F. Having a reliable meat thermometer is really helpful here (I use this one). Continue to cook if needed. When the chicken is done remove and set aside to cool.

Three photo collage showing the steps of making chicken noodle soup including adding broth, adding the dried herbs, and cooking the chicken.

Add the egg noodles to the soup and cook according to the package instructions, on avergae they usually take 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat once the noodles are done.

Once the chicken has cooled enough to handle remove the skin and bones and discard. Dice (or shred) the chicken into bite sized pieces. Add back into the soup. Taste the soup and see if you need to add salt, this will depend on what kind of broth you use, whether it is homemade, low-sodium. or storebought. I usually will add at least ½ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt but add more if you think it needs it, this is a lot of soup so don’t be stingy with the salt. Remember to remove the bay leaves and serve.

Three photo collage showing the steps of making chicken noodle soup including adding egg noodles, adding the cut chicken, and the final product.

Overhead view of three white bowls filled with hearty stovetop chicken noodle soup garnished with fresh parsley and served with saltine crackers.

Tips, Tricks, & Questions

What can you add to chicken noodle soup to make it taste better?

Besides adding a ton of herbs and butter… Try serving with a lemon wedge for a burst of fresh acidity in the soup soup! You can also add in other herbs such as dried thyme, black pepper, dried basil, or dried oregano!

What are some side dishes for a chicken noodle soup?

Try making a Simple Spinach Salad, a Perfect Baked Potato, Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, or serve with saltines, biscuits, bread, or rolls!

I can’t find Split Chicken Breasts, what else can I use?

Split chicken breasts are best in this soup but in a pinch you can use any other piece of bone-in chicken. I would recommend using bone-in chicken thighs using the same method as a substitute. If you make changes on the cut of chicken just watch the cooking time it might change slightly.

Overhead view of a bowl of easy chicken noodle soup showing off egg noodles, chunks of chicken, and fresh vegetables.

If you like this Simple Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe you might also like:

Yield: 4 servings

Easy Stovetop Chicken Noodle Soup

Quick enough for a weeknight but still made from scratch this warming and comforting Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup is certain to warm your soul. Packed with vegetables, chicken breast, dried herbs, and noodles this is seroiously a meal that everyone will love!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 split chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 yellow onion, diced
3 celery stalks, sliced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
8 cups (64 ounces) chicken broth/stock
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried dill
6 ounces egg noodles

Instructions

Add a large dutch oven/pot over medium-high heat. Add butter and melt. Salt the skin of the chicken breasts. Add the split breasts skin side down in the butter. Cook 4 to 5 minutes until the chicken skin has browned.
Add the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic in around the chicken. Sweat out the vegetables around the chicken 2 to 3 minutes.
Slowly pour in the chicken broth scraping the chicken and brown bits off the bottom as you add it so that the chicken isn't stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add in the bay leaves, dried parsley, and dired dill. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook for 30 minutes.
Check the doneness of the chicken, the internal temperature should reach 165º F. Continue to cook if needed. When the chicken is done remove and set aside to cool.
Add the egg noodles to the soup and cook according to the package instructions, on avergae they usually take 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat once the noodles are done.
Once the chicken has cooled enough to handle remove the skin and bones and discard. Dice (or shread) the chicken into bite sized pieces. Add back into the soup. Taste the soup and see if you need to add salt, this will depend on what kind of broth you use, whether it is homemade, low-sodium. or storebought. I usually will add at least ½ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Remember to remove the bay leaves and serve.

Notes

Split breasts are the chicken breasts that come with the rib bones attached and skin still on. We are using the skin and bones to add extra flavor to our soup and to keep the chicken from overcooking.

I believe that bay leaves are a must for chicken noodle soup and I am a huge fan of the parsely and dill combo but the dried herbs can be switched or more added, try adding in dried thyme, black pepper, dried basil, or dried oregano

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

2.5 cups
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 506Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 964mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 3gSugar: 11gProtein: 44g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

Black Bean Quinoa Tacos

September 15, 2021 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Looking for great black bean taco meat? These Black Bean Quinoa Tacos are easy to make, plant-based, and taste delicious wrapped up inside a tortilla!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Overhead view of a white plate filled with black bean quinoa tacos garnished with cilantro, pickled onions, and avocado.

Black Bean Taco Recipe

Over the years I have been playing with different black bean taco recipes. Once I mixed the black beans with quinoa to make the meat base I knew I had a winner.

The black beans and quinoa together make a great texture combo that soaks up all the taco seasoning and is hearty to really make you feel full and focused.

So when you are ready to give your family an awesome plant-based taco option, look no further you have found it!

The quinoa gets cooked with an onion and then gets mixed with the black beans and taco seasoning and simmered down to make a great vegan taco meat.

It is perfect for Taco Tuesday, Meatless Monday, Meal Prep, and more!

close up of black bean quinoa taco meat in a corn tortilla showing the saucy quinoa and black beans.

Ingredients

Onion – I have been using a yellow onion for the flavor but a white or even red onion will totally work in this recipe.
Oil – Olive oil or any neutral oil like avocado or vegetable oil.
Quinoa – You can use the plain or red or tricolored quinoa.
Black Beans – Two cans, you can drain the extra liquid but in this recipe there is no need to rinse them unless you really want to.
Taco Seasoning – I highly recommend using my Homemade Taco Seasoning, it has no preservatives in it like the store bought varieties will!

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients for making black bean quinoa taco meat.

Instructions

Start by heating a skillet (that has a lid) over medium-high heat add oil and diced onion. Cook 2-3 minutes or until beginning to tender.

Add to the skillet the quinoa and 1 cup of water, stir. Cover and reduce to low, cook for 10 minutes.

A skillet on a stovetop with onions and quinoa.

Now uncover and add the black beans, taco seasoning, and 1 more cup of water. Bring back to medium-high heat. Stir occasionally until the mixture thickens and most of the liquid is gone but it is still saucy, about 10 to 15 minutes.

A skillet on the stovetop with quinoa, black beans, and taco seasoning being cooked down with water to make taco meat.

A skillet with cooked black beans and quinoa to be used as a flavorful taco meat.

How to Serve Black Bean and Quinoa Tacos

I like to serve these tacos with corn tortillas, although you can certainly use flour tortillas! Then as I always says, with tacos the more garnishes the better:

to keep it vegan…

Lime Wedges
Cilantro
Avocados
Pickled Red Onions
Pico de Gallo
Hot Sauce
Homemade Restaurant Style Salsa
Lettuce

but otherwise for vegetarian friendly feel free to add:

Sour Cream/Greek Yogurt
Cheese
Greek Yogurt Southwest Sauce

Plate with a bunch of black bean quinoa tacos in corn tortillas topped with pickled onions and avocado.

Tips, Tricks, and Questions

Looking for a few Tweaks? Try these:

Make it spicier! Add in more heat! Add a diced jalapeño with the onions, add in crushed red pepper flakes with the taco seasoning, add some splashes of hot sauce!
Add in more aromatics! Add in minced garlic or tomato paste.
Make it more hearty! Add in corn kernels, diced tomatoes, or chunks of sweet potato.

TIP: This black bean taco meat reheats really well!

Overhead view of a close up of a corn tortilla filled with black bean quinoa taco meat garnished with cilantro, pickled red onions, and avocado.

If you like these Black Bean Quinoa Tacos you might enjoy some of my other meatless meals:

Yield: Serves 4

Black Bean Quinoa Tacos

A super simple 5 ingredient plant-based dinner that will keep everyone full and focused. These Black Bean Quinoa Tacos are a weeknight vegan meal that are ready in 30 minutes that everyone will love!

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 28 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup quinoa
2 14-ounce cans black beans, drained
2 tablespoons taco seasoning

Instructions

Over medium-high heat add oil and diced onion. Cook 3 minutes or until beginning to tender.
Add quinoa and 1 cup water, stir. Cover and reduce to low, cook 10 minutes.
Uncover. Add black beans, taco seasoning, and 1 cup water. Bring to medium-high heat. Stir occasionally until the mixture thickens, most of the liquid is gone, and the mixture is saucy about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve.

Notes

This recipe can easily be halved but watch cooking times, it might take less time to cook.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 263Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1072mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 15gSugar: 2gProtein: 14g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

Ground Pork Banh Mi Bowls

August 30, 2021 by Lauren Schmidt 1 Comment

This easy weeknight bread-free version of this popular Vietnamese sandwich is sure to become a new meal in your rotation, Banh Mi Bowls! With quick pickled vegetables, ground pork, brown rice, and sriracha mayo this is a flavor packed meal that you can also feel good about!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

A black bowl filled with brown rice, ground pork, and pickled vegetables making a Banh Mi bowl garnished with sriracha mayo and cilantro.

Banh Mi Rice Bowls

The Banh Mi has always been one of my favorite sandwiches, I mean I even have two recipes for them my Shrimp Banh Mi and my Grilled Pork Banh Mi! If you aren’t familiar with a Banh Mi it is simply a Vietnamese sandwich typically with marinated meats and crispy pickled vegetables served on a French baguette. In this version we are ditching the bread with brown rice to make a fast, easy, and healthy weeknight version!

I will give fair warning that this is one of those recipes that when you look at it seems harder than it is. I honestly am always surprised by how quickly it really does come together. A lot of the same ingredients are used for different aspects of the meal for a flavor packed dinner!

You can also easily prep most of the meal ahead of time or even make it and use it more meal prep for throughout the week!

Overhead view of four black bowls filled with brown rice, ground pork, and quick pickled carrots and cucumbers.

Ingredients

Ground Pork
Rice Vinegar
Fish Sauce
Minced Garlic
Sriracha
Brown Sugar
Carrots
English Cucumber
Mayonnaise
Quick (Minute) Brown Rice
Cilantro

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

All the ingredients needed to make Banh Mi bowls including ground pork, veggies, and rice.

Instructions for Ground Pork Banh Mi Bowls

You want to start by preparing the quick pickled vegetables. In a large bowl combine 1/4 cup of the rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and 2 teaspoons brown sugar. Whisk to combine. Grate the carrots with the large holes of a box grater (If you don’t have a box grater you can either buy pre-shredded carrots or cut the carrots into small matchsticks) and slice the cucumber in half the long way and then slice creating half circles. Add the grated carrot and cucumbers to the rice vinegar mixture. Use a spoon to stir. Keep the quick pickled vegetables on the counter so that you can stir them every few minutes while preparing the rest of the meal.

A bowl containing the quick picked veggies, carrots and cucumbers in rice vinegar.

Next prepare the brown rice according the the box. I highly recommend using the Minute Rice because it should only take about 15 minutes. If using traditional brown rice you’ll need to take that into consideration because it will take about 45 minutes.

The next thing to prep is the sriracha mayo. Combine 2 teaspoons of sriracha with the 1/2 cup of mayo, add less or more to taste. Keep in the fridge until you are ready to use.

Two photo collage showing the before and after of mixing sriracha and mayo.

To prep the ground pork add 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon sriracha, and 1 teaspoon brown sugar to a bowl and whisk to combine.

Preheat a skillet on medium-high heat. If necessary lightly grease the pan. Add the ground pork and crumble cooking 3 to 4 minutes until most of the pink is gone. Drain the pork if needed.

Add the sauce to the pork and continue to cook another 5 to 6 minutes until the ground pork begins to brown. Remove from the heat.

Different containers holding the different parts of the Banh Mi bowls, ground pork, brown rice, quick pickled veggies, sriracha mayo, and cilantro.

To build the banh mi rice bowls add a scoop of brown rice, quick pickled vegetables, and the ground pork. Garnish with the sriracha mayo and cilantro. Enjoy!

Photo of four bowls filled with brown rice, ground pork, and quick pickled vegetables.

Tips, Tricks, & Questions

If time permits you can prep many things ahead. For example the quick pickled vegetables can be made up to as early as the night before and store in the fridge. The sriracha mayo can also be made ahead of time for convince. And you may prep the sauce to add to the pork ahead of time as well.

If you like Banh Mi Bowls you also might like:

Yield: serves 4

Ground Pork Banh Mi Bowls

This easy weeknight bread-free version of this popular Vietnamese sandwich is sure to become a new meal in your rotation, Banh Mi Bowls! With quick pickled vegetables, ground pork, brown rice, and sriracha mayo this is a flavor packed meal that you can also feel good about!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound ground pork
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, divided
2 tablespoon fish sauce, divided
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 1/2 teaspoon sriracha, divided
3 teaspoon brown sugar, divided
2 carrots
1 English cucumber
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cups quick (minute) brown rice
handful of cilantro

Instructions

Prepare the quick pickled vegetables. In a bowl combine 1/4 cup of the rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and 2 teaspoons brown sugar. Whisk to combine. Grate the carrots with the large holes of a box grater* and slice the cucumber in half the long way and then slice creating half cirlces. Add the grated carrot and cucumbers to the rice vinegar mixture. Use a spoon to stir. Keep the quick pickled vegetables on the counter so that you can stir them every few minutes while preparing the rest of the meal.
Prepare the quick cooking brown rice according the the box.
Prepare the sriracha mayo by combining 2 teaspoons of sriracha with the 1/2 cup of mayo. Keep in the fridge until you are ready to use.
To prep the ground pork add 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon sriracha, and 1 teaspoon brown sugar to a bowl and whisk to combine.
Preheat a large skillet to medium-high heat. If necessary lightly grease the pan. Add the ground pork and crumble cooking 3 to 4 minutes until most of the pink is gone. Drain the pork if needed.
Add the sauce to the pork and continue to cook another 5 to 6 minutes until the ground pork begins to brown. Remove from the heat.
To build the banh mi bowls add a scoop of brown rice, quick pickled vegeteables, and ground pork. Garnish with the sriracha mayo and cilantro.

Notes

*If you don't have a box grater you can either buy pre-shredded carrots or cut the carrots into small matchsticks.

Inspired by the recipe in the cookbook Healthyish.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1/4 the dish
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 662Total Fat: 45gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 30gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 1067mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 33g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

Slow Cooker Gumbo (Red Creole Style Gumbo)

January 25, 2021 by Lauren Schmidt 49 Comments

Soon to be a new family favorite this flavor packed Slow Cooker Gumbo recipe is an easy ‘dump and go’ meal. This Gumbo is easy to assemble in the crockpot with an optional roux for an authentic Creole taste!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

A large white bowl with a large scoop of gumbo on top of a bed of white rice with a fork.

Crockpot Gumbo Recipe

I am a little hesitant to post this recipe because I don’t want people with Cajun and Creole roots to yell at me…

I am a complete northern girl so because I don’t have a family recipe for Gumbo or Jambalaya passed down to me I had to make my own up.

I stuck to tradition for most of this dish but also wanted to make it delicious and easy, so hopefully you will find this Gumbo fits all of that

What is the difference between Jambalaya and Gumbo?

Both come from Creole and Cajun roots and have vast similarities but the main difference is how the rice is cooked.

Gumbo is a stew served along with rice cooked separate, and depending on Creole or Cajun it is either brown with no tomatoes (Cajun) or with tomatoes (Creole).

Jambalaya is cooked with the rice, think of it as a distant cousin of the Spanish paella, with the rice in the pot.

Both typically use a roux, the ‘holy trinity’ of vegetables (bell pepper, onions, celery), and proteins such as chicken, shrimp, and sausage.

Now I will point out that both Gumbo and Jambalaya have a lot to do with how each family prepared it, so these recipes might look quite different to everyone.

But in the spirit of being a huge fan this northern girl has made her own crockpot gumbo…

Ingredients placed in a black crock of a slow cooker including chicken thighs, andouille sausage, and shrimp.

I have heard it said many time Cajun and Creole cuisine, they say “start with a roux”.

When I went to work on this Slow Cooker Gumbo Recipe I didn’t want to stray too far from its Creole roots, so in this spirit I put a roux in my crockpot.

STOP, before you leave because that sounds complicated don’t.

First off, the roux I put in this recipe is very simple and only adds about 5 minutes. Second, you don’t have to do the roux, so much so that I wrote it as ‘optional’ in the instructions.

BUT you should totally put the roux in. Not only does it add flavor to the dish but it also adds as a thickening agent.

AND at this point if you still aren’t sure what a roux is, a roux is a mixture of fat (in this case butter) and flour used in making sauces.

Beyond the roux this recipe is a great ‘dump and go’ option. Besides making the rice and throwing in the shrimp during the last 15 minutes you really just dump and stir everything into the crock and let it works its magic.

Close up of a bowl of red gumbo on top of a bed of rice with a fork.

So here is what you need…

Supplies

Crockpot/Slow Cooker
Cutting Board & Knife
typical Kitchen Accessories such as measuring cups/spoons, can opener, and large spoons
for the Roux, a Skillet and Whisk

Ingredients

You will need:

Red Bell Pepper – diced into small pieces
Onion – yellow or white onion works, the onion will be diced
Celery Stalks – chopped up
Diced Tomatoes (the big can) – a large can of diced tomatoes (or 2 of the regular size), if you aren’t a fan of chunky tomatoes you can use crushed tomatoes
Chicken Thighs – Boneless and Skinless, try to not to substitute for chicken breasts here as they probably will get mushy and not hold up to the rest of the ingredients
Andouille Sausage – you can find them in a package usually somewhere near the package meats, sizes will probably vary slightly but anything around 12 to 16 ounces should work
Shrimp – a pound of medium sized RAW shrimp, I suggest leaving the shells in tact during cooking because it will add more flavor to the final dish, you can simply peel the shrimp during eating (also heads up I took a little artistic liberty and took the photo of the shrimp in the crockpot with everything else, the shrimp will get added during the last few minutes)
Cajun Seasoning – or Creole Seasoning, I have a hard time finding anything called Creole Seasoning where I live but have an easy time finding Cajun, I figured this might ring true to others as well
Kosher Salt – or sea salt, if using table salt, use half the amount
Dried Thyme – if using fresh use twice the amount
Chicken Broth
Minced Garlic
Cooked Rice for Serving – I recommenced checking out my post of How to Make Rice on the Stovetop, you will make the rice as you add the shrimp
Butter + Flour – if you are making to roux

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

All of the ingredients needed to make gumbo in the crockpot on a table top in bowl and on plates.

NOTE – In a lot of traditional Gumbo recipes you will see Okra, it is not easy to find fresh okra where I live, keeping in step with the Cajun/Creole seasoning above I did not use it in this recipe. If you have okra plentiful use some!

Instructions for Making Gumbo in the Crockpot

First up the ‘optional’ roux. To make the roux for this dish add a skillet to the stovetop and add the butter bring to medium heat.

Once the butter is fully melted and starting to bubble add the flour. Whisk to combine, it might seem hard and chunky at first but just keep whisking. Continue to whisk until the mixture becomes smooth, keep whisking slowly until the roux becomes a dark brown color about 4 minutes.

Remove from the heat, set aside until you are ready to add the the crockpot.

To make the Gumbo add the diced red bell pepper, onion, celery, diced tomatoes, chicken thighs, sliced andouille, cajun seasoning, salt, thyme, broth, and minced garlic to the crock. And if you made a roux add that in. Do NOT add the shrimp yet.

Add a dark brown roux to the crockpot before stirring it in.

All the ingredients except shrimp stirred together in a crockpot ready to be cooked.

Stir together to combine and cook on LOW 6-7 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours.

During the last 15 minutes of cooking stir in the shrimp. I recommend leaving the shells on for maximum flavor but it isn’t absolutely necessary.

When you add the shrimp make sure you also make your rice for serving!

Overhead view of a crockpot filled with cook gumbo including cooked shrimp on the top.

Please note:

ADD THE SHRIMP AT THE END, for artistic purposes I took the ingredients photo with them in the crockpot, they will turn out better if you add them at the end.

Close look inside a crockpot filled with cooked gumbo with shrimp and andouille sausages on the top.

tips, tricks and questions

While the shrimp is cooking is a good time to make the rice, use my Foolproof Stovetop Rice Recipe HERE.
You can use the traditional green bell pepper in place of red. I use red because I think the sweetness adds to the dish a lot although a green bell pepper might be more traditional.
The roux can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

What do I serve with Crockpot Gumbo?

Most would consider this a ‘one-pot’ meal but you could certainly serve with French bread or biscuits to soak up any extra sauce on the plate!

Flatly looking down at two large bowls of rice topped with saucy shrimp gumbo.

If you like this Slow Cooker Gumbo Recipe you might also like:

Yield: 6 servings

Slow Cooker Gumbo

A delicious crockpot gumbo that is easy to 'dump' and cook. With an optional roux base for a more authentic flavor this traditional Creole dish can now be a weeknight favorite.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 6 hours

Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 red bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
28 ounce can diced tomatoes (the big can)
1 ½ pounds chicken thighs, boneless skinless
1 package andouille sausage, sliced
1 pound raw shrimp (add at the end)
1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups cooked rice for serving

optional:

4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons flour

Instructions

Optional: Make a roux using the optional butter and flour. On the stovetop add the butter to a skillet over medium heat. Once melted and starting to bubble add the flour to the butter. Whisk to combine and continue to whisk until the mixture becomes a dark brown color about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, set aside until you are ready to add the the crockpot.
Add the diced red bell pepper, onion, celery, diced tomatoes, chicken thighs, sliced andouille, cajun seasoning, salt, thyme, broth, minced garlic, and if you are using it the optional roux from step one. Do NOT add the shrimp yet.
Stir to combine and cook on LOW 6-7 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours.
During the last 15 minutes of cooking stir in the shrimp. I recommend leaving the shells on for maximum flavor but it isn't absolutely necessary. Once the shrimp is pink and no longer translucent the gumbo is ready to eat. Shred the chicken thighs into bite size pieces. Serve over a bed of rice.

Notes

ADD THE SHRIMP AT THE END, for artistic purposes I took the ingredients photo with them in the crockpot, they will turn out better if you add them at the end.

The package of andouille sausage I used was 13 ounces, anything from about 12-16 ounces should work perfectly fine here.

While the shrimp is cooking is a good time to make the rice, use my Foolproof Stovetop Rice Recipe HERE.

You can use any color bell pepper in place of red. I use red because I think the sweetness adds to the dish a lot although a green bell pepper might be more traditional.

The roux can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

Recommended Products

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Hamilton Beach 6-Quart Slow Cooker

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

about 1.5 cups over rice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 501Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 327mgSodium: 2443mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 50g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

Pork Loin Roast with Apples, Onions, & Potatoes

October 20, 2020 by Lauren Schmidt 1 Comment

A delicious fall inspired dinner Oven Roasted Pork Loin with Apples, Onions, and Potatoes. Easy enough for a simple family dinner but fancy enough for a dinner with guests this Roast Pork Loin comes out juicy and flavorful complete with its own side dish!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

A sliced open pork loin on a serving platter with two sliced cut and showing of the center inside showing a slight pink center.

Roast Pork Loin with Apples

I will be the first one to admit at first glance a pork loin can seem intimidating. Pork Loin’s are a large cut of meat that if you don’t know what or how to cook it quite right can come out dry or rubbery.

But this recipe keeps it SIMPLE, because that is all a pork lion really needs, a simple recipe to cook it properly. This pork loin will come out super juicy and tender. It will turn non-pork believers into pork believers, trust me on this one because it definitely made me fall in love with this cut of meat.

A roasted pork loin sliced laying on a serving platter, the front slice showing a little pink color in the center.

Pork Loin Versus Pork Tenderloin

Before we get any further I want to acknowledge that although they might sound like they are the same these are two very different cuts of meat and they cannot be substituted for each other in this recipe.

At a glance…

A pork loin is a wide and flatter cut of pork, and it can be boneless or bone-in (although I mostly see it as boneless). You may sometimes see it labeled as a center loin roast or a pork center rib roast. It is a leaner cut of meat with a large cap of fat on the top. Pork chops are actually pork loin ‘steaks’ if you will, and are simply a pork loin cut into pieces.

A pork tenderloin is a long, skinny, boneless cut of meat that comes from the muscle that runs along the backbone. It may occasionally be referred to as a pork filet or pork tender. The tenderloin tends to be a smaller cut of meat usually weighing around 1 pound and it is lean and tender.

So for this recipe we are talking about a PORK LOIN, good?

Supplies

Like stated before this is actually a pretty simple recipe. Using regular kitchen items like measuring spoons and knifes.

You will also want a nice baking dish for this one. I recommend a 9×13 or larger size.

Ingredients

pork loin
granny smith apples – or any other baking apples, nothing soft though, a crisp apple works best for this recipe since the apples will be in the oven for so long
baby potatoes – I use the cute little yellow ones but you can really use any variety/color of baby potato you would like here
onion – a sweet yellow or white onion
butter – since we are adding salt unsalted works best here
minced garlic
fresh rosemary – you will chop it up, you could also use other herbs if you are feeling bold, thyme or sage might also be really good here
kosher salt – I highly recommend using kosher salt for this recipe, it does the best job of sticking to food and salting the pork

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

All the ingredients needed to make a roasted pork loin with apples.

Instructions

Begin by preheating the oven to 400ºF. We will start with a high heat for a few minutes and then turn the oven down for the remainder of cooking.

In a small bowl mix together the melted butter, garlic, rosemary, and salt. Set aside.

a small white bowl holding the melted butter mixture with garlic and chopped rosemary.

Lightly grease a baking dish (9×13) and add the prepared potaotes, apples, and onion.

Pat the pork dry with paper towels.

Create a little nest in the center of the dish for the pork and add the pork fat side up to the top of the potatoes, apples, and onions. If you have a really large cut you might have to place it at an angle. Drizzle the butter mixture overtop the pork as well as a little over the apples, potatoes, and onions.

A large white baking dish holding halved baby potatoes and sliced onions and apples.

Unseasoned pork loin fat side up sitting in a baking dish with apples, potatoes, and onions.

Butter mixture with fresh rosemary being poured over top of a pork loin in a baking dish.

Overhead view of the pork loin ready to go in the oven with the apples and potatoes with the garlic butter mixture drizzled on top.

Transfer to the oven and bake at 400ºF for 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350ºF. Bake an additional 55-65 minutes until the thickest part of the pork reaches 145ºF. Cover and rest 3 minutes. Slice pork to serve, inside should be light pink in the center.

It is important for this recipe that you really target the temperate of 145ºF. Getting the center to that temp will result in a really juicy and succulent piece of meat. If the pork loin gets overcooked they tend to dry out very quickly.

So for a pork loin closer to 4 pounds check around the 50-55 minute mark. For a pork loin closer to 5 pounds check closer to the 65 minute mark. For best results use a good instant read meat thermometer. I highly recommend a ThermoWorks Thermapen to anyone and everyone!

The pork roast freshly out of the oven, with a juicy brown crust next to browned potatoes and apples.

Pork loin roasted sliced up and fanned out on a serving platter next to potatoes and apples.

Tips, Tricks, & Questions

If your cut is large and you don’t seem to have enough butter to cover everything, feel free to add more butter or some olive oil to the dish
If you are looking for more sides than what is included I would recommend Garlic Mashed Potatoes or my Spinach Side Salad.
I like to use a serrated knife to cut the pork into slices to serve

Close up of sliced pork loin on a white serving platter resting next to cut potatoes ad sliced onions and apples.

You might also like:

Yield: 6 servings

Roasted Pork Loin with Apples, Onions, and Potatoes

A delicious fall inspired dinner Oven Roasted Pork Loin with Apples, Onions, and Potatoes. Easy enough for a simple family dinner but fancy enough for a dinner with guests this Roast Pork Loin comes out juicy and flavorful complete with its own side dish!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

4-5 pound pork loin
3 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced
1 pound baby potatoes, halved
1 onion, sliced
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400ºF.
In a small bowl mix together the melted butter, garlic, rosemary, and salt. Set aside.
Pat dry the pork loin with paper towels. Lightly grease a baking dish (9x13) and add the prepared potaotes, apples, and onion.
Create a little nest in the center of the dish for the pork and add the pork fat side up to the top of the potatoes, apples, and onions. Drizzle the butter mixture overtop the pork, apples, potatoes, and onions.
Transfer to the oven and bake at 400ºF for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to 350ºF. Bake an additional 55-65 minutes until the thickest part of the pork reaches 145ºF. Cover and rest 3 minutes. Slice pork to serve, inside should be light pink in the center.

Notes

A pork loin and pork tenderloin are different cuts of meat and cannot be substituted for one another.

Easy Spaghetti Puttanesca Recipe

May 19, 2020 by Lauren Schmidt 2 Comments

Made from pantry staples this recipe for Spaghetti Puttanesca is an easy and convenient dinner for the whole family! Made from mostly canned goods this comfort food can be on your table in about 20 minutes!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

skillet on a table full of puttanesca pasta garnished with olives and parsley

Easy Pantry Puttanesca Pasta

Pasta Puttanesca is one of those perfect pantry meals that you are able to make in a pinch. So much so in fact I always ensure I have the ingredients some where in my pantry, and once I make it I make sure to restock!

The origins of puttanesca are humble, the story goes that it was invented by an Italian chef who was asked by a wealthy patron to make a dinner after the restaurant’s kitchen was already closed for the evening. So the chef took simple pantry ingredients to whip up a quick yet delicious pasta for his guest.

I think that story yes relates well to when I usually make spaghetti puttanesca for my family…

I usually haven’t been to the store so the fridge is empty, I am tired, and don’t feel like working to hard to get dinner on the table.

So my version of pasta puttanesca varies just slightly off tradition but not a lot! I did just a few tweaks to make the dish ‘saucier’ and a more rounded out flavor.

Basically I just switched out the traditional white wine for red wine, giving it a more rounded and not as sharp flavor. And I prefer using kitchen ready tomatoes aka ground tomatoes to give it a more saucy flavor instead of the traditional diced tomatoes.

My family basically inhales this dinner! So let’s get cooking and see what else you need in this delicious pantry pasta!

a fork spiraling some spaghetti puttanesca in a large skillet garnished by parsley

Pasta Puttanesca Recipe

For this recipe you will need:

Tinned Anchovies Fillets in Oil – These come in little 2oz tins in the canned fish/meat section of the grocery store. I like to use the oil that comes with the anchovies for cooking but you can always just add more of your own olive oil if you don’t want to do that. You can use a big squeeze of anchovy paste if that’s what you have!
Garlic – Probably the item most likely not to be in your actual pantry. You can use fresh minced garlic from cloves or pre-minced garlic from a jar. In a pinch I have also used a dash of dried minced garlic from my spice cabinet when I wanted to make this but didn’t have fresh garlic (but if you do this only used about half of the amount as you wold fresh garlic).
Olive Oil – The higher quality the better in a dish like this!
Black & Green Olives – You can sub out Kalamata olives for one of the varieties if you would like! I half mine to make it easier to eat.
Capers – If you haven’t cooked with capers before, capers are actually immature flower buds from a caper bush. They are pickled in a brine and bring out such a fun pop of lemony salty goodness. They are often found next to the olives in grocery stores in small jars. You will want to drain the liquid from the jar before using.
Kitchen Ready Tomatoes – You will want the large 28oz can for this recipe. Kitchen ready tomatoes are stone ground tomatoes which are a perfect consistency for a quick sauce, they are chunky enough for good texture but also ground down enough to make a good sauce. In a pinch you can used other types of canned tomatoes like diced tomatoes or even whole canned tomatoes squished into pieces.
Red Wine – Any variety here will do, so use what you like. I often will use a red blend for a nice rounded out flavor. Plus bonus you will know exactly what wine to pair with dinner! (Also for those of your concerned the alcohol does boil out)
Spaghetti – I use a whole one pound box, it is just the right amount for how much sauce is made.

I will note that if you like a little heat in your dishes a dash of red pepper flakes would be a good addition!

Layout of all of the ingredients needed for Spaghetti Puttanesca including wine, spaghetti, tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies, oil, and garlic

Making Spaghetti Puttanesca

First you will prep the water for the spaghetti. In a large pot bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling add a few dashes of salt and add the spaghetti. Cook to al dente about 8 minutes.

Now while the water is heating up start the sauce.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat drain the oil from the tin of anchovies and add the olive oil, heat until shiny and hot.

Roughly chop the anchovies. Add the anchovies and garlic to the skillet. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until super fragrant but making sure not to burn the aromatics.

Next you will deglaze your skillet with the wine (make sure there are no yummy brown spots on the bottom).

Add in all the olives, capers, and tomatoes. Cook over medium-high heat stirring occasionally until sauce thickens. About 8-10 minutes while the pasta cooks.

When pasta is done reserve about a cup of the pasta water just in case the sauce is too thick, then drain pasta.

In the large pot you used for the spaghetti toss the sauce and pasta together. (It is was cleaner to do it in the pot than the skillet!) Add in a little of the reserved pasta water if needed (it doesn’t always need it).

Serve immediately! Garnish with parmesan cheese and parsley if desired.

a large skillet with spaghetti Puttanesca garnished with parsley

Does the anchovies make Puttanesca taste fishy? What does puttanesca taste like?

Nope! Not fishy. Puttanesca is strong on the Unami and salty flavor profile. The anchovies definitely bring a Unami flavor to the dish but it does not taste fishy, so even people who don’t care for fish would still like this dish!

What to serve with pasta puttanesca? What can I eat with pasta besides salad?

My first instinct is obviously salad with pasta like a Ceasar Salad or my Simple Spinach Salad.

But if you are looking for something else I would recommend roasted vegetables. My Oven Roasted Broccoli would are great with this pasta dish as well as my Roasted Baby Potatoes!

Does Puttanesca keep well? How do I reheat it?

Because this does makes such a large quantity it is likely you might have some leftover. And it does reheat well if you know the best trick to reheating pasta!

Add liquid! Before you reheat any pasta dish in the microwave always add in some water, even better if you have enough foresight save some of the reserved pasta water.

Now you don’t want to saturate the pasta in water but get a good coat over the pasta noodles and the spaghetti will heat up without drying out!!

So I usually will splash a plate with water give it a little stir and microwave it 2-3 minutes depending on the amount. Hopefully this hack will change your life! (maybe a bold statement but you should definitely try it)

close up of pasta twirled into nests inside of a large skillet garnished by olives and parsley

Looking for more pasta dishes? You might like these:

Yield: 8 servings

Pasta Puttanesca

Made from pantry staples this recipe for Puttanesca is an easy and convenient dinner for the whole family! Made from mostly canned goods this comfort food can be on your table in about 20 minutes.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 2oz tin fillet anchovies + oil
4 teaspoons minced garlic OR 8 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup black olives, halved
1 cup green olives, halved
1 3.5oz jar capers, drained
28oz can kitchen ready tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
1 16oz box spaghetti

Instructions

In a large pot bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling add a few dashes of salt and add the spaghetti. Cook to al dente about 8 minutes.
While the water is heating up start the sauce. In a large skillet over medium-high heat drain the oil from the tin of anchovies and add the olive oil, heat until shiny and hot. Roughly chop the anchovies. Add the anchovies and garlic to the skillet. Cook 2 to 3 minutes.
Deglaze your skillet with the wine (make sure there are no yummy brown spots on the bottom). Add in all the olives, capers, and tomatoes. Cook over medium-high heat stirring occasionally until sauce thickens. about 8-10 minutes while the pasta cooks.
When pasta is done reserve about a cup of the pasta water just incase the sauce is too thick, then drain pasta.
In the large pot toss the sauce and pasta together. Add in a little reserved water if needed (it doesn't always need it). Serve immediately, garnish with parmesan cheese and parsley if desired.

Easy Broccoli and Cheese Baked Potatoes

March 31, 2020 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Easy to make Broccoli Cheese Baked Potatoes make a delicious and easy meatless meal your family will love. Super easy to prep these baked potatoes with roasted broccoli and a quick 10 minute cheese sauce is a dinner you will be making regularly!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

easy to make Broccoli Cheese Baked Potato on a plate with cheddar cheese sauce dripping down the side

Broccoli And Cheese Stuffed Baked Potatoes

You all have to put up with a very brief personal story about broccoli cheese baked potatoes from me for just a sec.

When I was pregnant with my oldest my first trimester was nightmare. Sick all the time, no energy, weird food cravings. You see where this is going?

At the time we lived in Columbus Ohio which happens the be the headquarters of the restaurant chain Wendy’s, so naturally the metro area of Columbus was full of Wendy’s, there seemed to be one on every corner.

Now Wendy’s might be the only fast food to carry baked potatoes on their menu, correct me if I am wrong. And during that first rough pregnancy Wendy’s Broccoli and Cheese Baked Potatoes were MY LIFE.

It is all I ever wanted. Matt will even tell you this ‘cute’ little antidote about that one time he accidentally drove past a Wendy’s without stopping to get me a Broccoli and Cheese Potato and I STARTED CRYING. Pregnancy hormones man…

Now to this day a good Broccoli Cheese Potato is still something I crave quite frequently. And in the last 5 years since my early pregnancy cravings I have become really good at making them at home.

So for you lucky folks I finally actually wrote down the recipe and I am sharing it with you today.

Now you don’t have to be obsessed with baked potatoes like me, but I am pretty confident your family with love this meal and you will love how easy it is to make!

flatly of two dinner plates with broccoli cheese baked potatoes and a sheet pan with roasted broccoli and baked potatoes

Ingredients:

A few simple things needed for these potatoes:

Russet Potatoes: When shopping try to get the potatoes all the same size so they all cook evenly. The nice thing about the recipe is you can scale it really easy, so if you want s few extra potatoes (or less) you can totally do that.
Broccoli: The most common form of broccoli is see in stores is the crowns, so grab a few crowns, or a large head and cut it into bite sized florets. Or just grab a bag or two of the pre-cut florets!
Olive Oil: You can use really use any oil you like here but I like the taste of olive oil on my potatoes. The oil is used for the vegetables for the oven for cooking, it keeps the outside of the baked potatoes crispy!
Butter: Preferably unsalted but if you only have salted, use less salt for the sauce. You will use the butter as part of a Roux to make the cheese sauce.
Flour: The thickening agent for the cheese sauce, you will mix the flour and butter together to make the roux and then add the cheese.
Milk: A main component of the cheese sauce. I used whole milk but any variety should do.
Spices: Paprika and Salt. Just a little bit of each.
Cheddar Cheese: Freshly Shredded, the sauce will be much more creamy if you shred your own cheese from a block. As far as variety of cheddars choose the one that suites you, for the most classic version use a mild cheddar cheese, but if you like the sharp varieties use that!

a sheet pan containing all of the ingredients needed to make broccoli cheese baked potatoes

Instructions for Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Baked Potatoes:

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Clean potatoes. Carefully with a fork poke little holes all over each of the potatoes, about 9-12 times, this lets stem escape from the potatoes.

Using about 1 ½ tablespoons of the olive oil, rub oil all over the potatoes until covered. Arrange potatoes on a sheet pan, season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and bake 45 minutes.

Just before the 45 minutes are up toss the broccoli florets in the remaining olive oil. When the time is up carefully add the broccoli florets to the sheet pan around the potatoes. Transfer back to the oven. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender and broccoli is cooked.

baked potatoes and roasted broccoli on a sheet pan

While the sheet pan finishes cooking make the cheese sauce, you are basically making a roux and then adding the cheese.

In a medium saucepan add the butter and bring over medium heat. Melt the butter, once the butter starts to bubble add the flour and whisk together, it okay if it is clumpy.

Very slowly add about 1/4 of the milk to the saucepan, whisk together with the butter/flour mixture until smooth. It should start to thicken. Slowly whisk in the remaining milk, make sure there are no clumps of flour remaining. As the milk warms it should thicken, let it continue to heat up, stirring every so often until the milk is hot and starts to steam. Do NOT let the milk boil, it can take about 6 to 8 minutes for the milk to heat up and start to thicken.

step by step photos of making a roux for the cheese sauce

Once it has started to thicken stir in the paprika and salt.

Turn off the heat. Add half of the cheese to the top of the milk, let it begin to melt, 10 to 20 seconds then whisk in until combined. Repeat with the rest of the cheese to finish making your cheese sauce.

adding spices and cheese to the milk to make a creamy cheese sauce

To serve, slice open the potatoes, add broccoli to the middle and drizzle with the cheese sauce. Eat immediately.

cheese sauce being fired over a baked potato stuffed with broccoli

Tips & Tricks:

For a better sauce use fresh shredded cheese from a block instead of pre-shredded cheese, but the pre-shredded cheese can work if needed, it just might take longer for it to melt into the sauce.

You can scale this recipe as needed. Love the cheese, double the sauce! Make more or less potatoes as needed. You can even add in more veggies if you like, I think cauliflower and carrot are a good addition to the broccoli.

You can honestly make this recipe about 15 different methods. In a hurry, use your pressure cooker to make the potatoes and quickly steam the broccoli while making the cheese. Feel free to mircowave your potatoes and broccoli if needed. I have used many different methods to make this but this is the one I find EASIEST with time permitting.

If you have leftover cheese sauce it definitely can be refrigerated but it will thicken A LOT, when you reheat it the sauce will thin out again.

broccoli stuffed inside a baked potato topped with a creamy cheese sauce on a plate

Other recipes you may like:

Yield: 4 servings

Broccoli Cheese Baked Potatoes

Easy to make baked potatoes with roasted broccoli and a quick 10 minute cheese sauce that makes the perfect weeknight dinner!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

4 russet potatoes
2 broccoli crowns, cut into florets
2 tablespoon olive oil

for the cheese sauce:

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
dash paprika, about 1/8 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cheddar cheese, freshly shredded

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Clean potatoes. Carefully with a fork poke little holes all over each of the potatoes, about 9-12 times, this lets stem escape from the potatoes.
Using about 1 ½ tablespoons of the olive oil, rub oil all over the potatoes until covered. Arrange potatoes on a sheet pan, season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and bake 45 minutes.
Just before the 45 minutes are up toss the broccoli florets in the remaining olive oil. When the time is up carefully add the broccoli florets to the sheet pan around the potatoes. Transfer back to the oven. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender and broccoli is cooked.
While the sheet pan finishes cooking make the cheese sauce, you are basically making a roux and then adding the cheese. In a medium saucepan add the butter and bring over medium heat. Melt the butter, once the butter starts to bubble add the flour and whisk together, it okay if it is clumpy.
Very slowly add about 1/4 of the milk to the saucepan, whisk together with the butter/flour mixture until smooth. It should start to thicken. Slowly whisk in the remaining milk, make sure there are no clumps of flour remaining.
As the milk warms it should thicken, let it continue to heat up, stirring every so often until the milk is hot and starts to steam. Do NOT let the milk boil, it can take about 6 to 8 minutes for the milk to heat up and start to thicken. Once it has started to thicken stir in the paprika and salt.
Turn off the heat. Add half of the cheese to the top of the milk, let it begin to melt, 10 to 20 seconds then whisk in until combined. Repeat with the rest of the cheese to finish making your cheese sauce.
To serve, slice open the potatoes, add broccoli to the middle and drizzle with the cheese sauce. Eat immediately.

Notes

For a better sauce use fresh shredded cheese from a block instead of pre-shredded cheese, but the pre-shredded cheese can work if needed, it just might take longer for it to melt into the sauce.

You can scale this recipe as needed. Love the cheese, double the sauce! Make more or less potatoes as needed. You can even add in more veggies if you like, i think cauliflower and carrot are a good addition to the broccoli.

You can honestly make this recipe about 15 different methods. In a hurry, use your pressure cooker to make the potatoes and quickly steam the broccoli while making the cheese. Feel free to mircowave your poatoes and broccoli if needed. I have used many different methods to make this but this is the one I find EASIEST with time permitting.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 422Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 419mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 5gSugar: 2gProtein: 14g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

Family Friendly Cuban Picadillo Recipe

February 18, 2020 by Lauren Schmidt 10 Comments

Perfect for a family dinner this Cuban Picadillo Recipe is easy to make with only a handful of ingredients. Made with ground beef, ground pork, tomatoes, raisins, olives, and more it is served with rice for the ultimate comfort food dish.

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

bowl of Cuban Picadillo with white rice on a table with forks

Cuban Picadillo Recipe

Picadillo is such a classic Cuban dish, a total comfort food. Likened to Sloppy Joe’s in the United States Cuban Picadillo is a family food that makes the perfect dinner to sit down with at the table.

This version of Cuban Picadillo keeps it simple and traditional yet full of flavor.

I think it is best served with white rice but it can also be used as a filling in dishes like empanadas or tacos. It is also traditional to serve Cuban Picadillo with black beans.

My dish skips the potatoes which are sometimes seen in Picadillo, if you feel so inclined add some to the dish!

And this recipe is a part of my Kid’s Plate Series, so make sure you scroll down to see some variations of kid plates!

white bowl filled with rice and cuban picadillo full with tomatoes, olives, and raisins

How to make Cuban Picadillo

Ingredients needed are:

Green Pepper: Diced, I only use 1/2 pepper in this recipe because I didn’t want it overpowering the texture but if you are a huge green pepper fan feel free to use a whole one.
Onion: Diced, do you know how to properly dice an onion? Let Gordon Ramsay show you how to chop an onion if you don’t know how!
Olive Oil: For cooking the onion and pepper, any neutral oil will work in its place.
Ground Beef & Pork: I recommend using a lean beef and pork for this recipe since there is not a chance to drain off any fats. I use two different kinds of ground meat for maximum flavor, the combination of the two does wonders for taste!
Spices: Oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Traditional spices used in Cuban cuisine.
Garlic: I use the pre-minced garlic to save on time.
Diced Tomatoes: I always recommend the ‘No Salt Added’ variety, if you find the dish needs salt at the end of preparation you can always add more salt. If you want you could also get creative and use a flavored diced tomato variety.
White Wine: One sip for you and then some in the dish! Using wine really balances out the flavors of the meal, and no worries about alcohol being left in the dish since you simmer it away for 20 minutes! If you don’t use wine in your house you can use beef or chicken broth as a substitute.
Raisins: I love the pop of sweet that raisins add! You add them at the end of cooking just to get them warmed and starting to plump, if you add them any earlier they will get too plump to be enjoyable.
Green Olives: Just like the raisins but in the opposite taste, the olives add a pop of saltiness and texture to the dish! Use just traditional Spanish green olives, half them for easy eating (especially if you have young kids)

Lastly you want to serve this dish with rice, so you will want to make sure you have rice cooking simultaneously on the stove or a rice cooker for serving!

all of the ingredients needed to make picadillo laid out on a counter

Picadillo Recipe

In a large pot heat olive oil over meaduim-high heat. Once oil is shimmering and hot add diced onions and green peppers. Cook 3 to 4 minutes until onions become translucent.
Add the beef, pork, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and garlic to the pot. Cook crumbling the meat and stirring occasionally 8 to 10 minutes until only a little pink is left in the meats.
Add diced tomatoes, wine, water/broth, and bay leaves to the pot. Bring to simmer, cook 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add raisins and olives to the pot, cook 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat. Take out the bay leaves. Serve immediately with rice.

steps 1, 2, & 3 shown as the picadillo simmers away on the stovetop

Picadillo in a dutch oven with a wooden spoon and bay leaves

How to serve Cuban Picadillo to kids!

2 plastic kids plates showing two different ways to serve picadillo to kids

My kids adore this dish just how I serve it to my husband and I but obviously, smaller proportions. My kids enjoy it this way because the LOVE olives.

So if you have olive loving kids in your house GREAT, I suggest serving this how you would serve yourself, with a pile of delicious white rice!

blue kids plate with a small portion serving of cuban picadillo with rice just like an adult would eat it

Got olive haters? Raisin haters? (Are there any kids that hate raisins?? I seriously would like to know if yours do, they are so sweet so most kids love them) Kids who you have a hard time getting them to try something new?

Guess what this meal works perfect for them too! One word…

TACOS

Since the olives and raisins get added in in just the last few minutes you are able to scoop out some ‘taco meat’ before they go in!

Simply grab a scoop or two and simply use that as taco filling! Keep it plain or dress it up with your kid’s favorite taco garnishes! Isn’t that easy!?

Once the ‘taco meat’ is out simply add in the raisins and olives and finish cooking for everyone else!

I have even served leftovers (with olives and raisins) as tacos to my sons before and they LOVED IT. It was a great way to mix up leftovers!

orange kids plate with a taco made from the meat of the picadillo as an option to serve this meal to kids

I hope your family gives this recipe a try! Let me know if you do in the comments below!

teal dutch oven with freshly made cuban picadillo with bay leaves

close up of cuban picadillo in a white bowl with rice

two bowls with rice and picadillo and a dutch oven filled with picadillo

Looking for more Latino Inspired recipes? Check these out:

Yield: 6 servings

Cuban Picadillo

Perfect for a family dinner this Cuban Picadillo Recipe is easy to make with ground beef, ground pork, tomatoes, raisins, olives, and more it is served with rice for the ultimate comfort food dish.

Prep Time 4 minutes

Cook Time 36 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 green pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup water or broth
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup rasins
1/2 cup green olives, halved
*cooked white rice for serving

Instructions

In a large pot heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering and hot add diced onions and green peppers. Cook 3 to 4 minutes until onions become translucent.
Add the beef, pork, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and garlic to the pot. Cook crumbling the meat and stirring occasionally 8 to 10 minutes until only a little pink is left in the meats.
Add diced tomatoes, wine, water/broth, and bay leaves to the pot. Bring to simmer, cook 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add raisins and olives to the pot, cook 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat. Take out the bay leaves. Serve immediately with rice.

Notes

Ensure you have cooked rice for serving, 2 cups uncooked rice should be more than enough, follow my Stovetop Rice Recipe if needed.

I recommend a dry wine like a Chardonnay, if you don't want to use wine use broth instead.

I recommened using no salt added tomatoes, you can always add salt to the dish if you want it saltier.

I used lean ground beef and pork.

How to make Heart Shaped Pizza with Cheese Stuffed Crust

February 11, 2020 by Lauren Schmidt 1 Comment

Nothing says “I Love You” more than a homemade heart-shaped stuff crust pizza. Surprisingly not that hard to make, this post will show you How to make Heart Shaped Pizza with a cheese stuffed crust and pepperoni hearts! The ultimate Valentine’s Day meal!

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a freshly baked heart shaped pizza on a pizza paddle with heart shaped pepperoni

Valentine’s Day Heart Shaped Pizza

The entirety of Matt and I’s relationship we have never gone out to eat for Valentine’s Day, always opting to stay at home and make something instead, usually homemade pasta or pizza.

Well this year a vision of this pizza came into my head which in my opinion is the epitome of what a Valentine’s Day date at home should look like.

A delicious pizza with stuffed crust, shaped into a heart, topped with simple sauce, Italian seasonings, melty cheese, and heart shaped pepperoni. This dish really does say “I Love You”.

The best part while there is a few different components to make this pizza if you follow the recipe step by step I think that you really will find it quite easy to make!

warm mozzarella stuffed pizza crust being pulled apart showing a long cheese pull

Ingredients Needed to make a Heart Shaped Pizza

Pizza Dough: For 1 pizza (although you will have enough other ingredients to make a 2nd regular pizza if you wish). I tested this will both a store bought dough found in the refrigerator section and my homemade pizza dough, both worked great but I definitely recommended store bought dough for convince.
Kitchen Ready Tomatoes: Found with the rest of the canned tomatoes, look for a large can that says ‘Kitchen Ready’ usually also will say plum tomatoes. These canned tomatoes work perfect as an instant sauce. Feel free to use your own favorite pizza sauce if you want instead of the kitchen ready tomatoes.
Low-Moisture Mozzarella Cheese: In a BLOCK, for the best pizza you do not want the pre-shredded stuff it does not melt as well. Look for an often square package that says it is low-moisture (not to be confused this the fresh mozzarella that comes in the tube shape and in a water solution). The low-moisture mozzarella usually comes in both whole fat and low-fat varieties, whole fat tastes better and melts better but both will work. Lastly it almost always comes in a 16oz (1lbs) package, you will only need at most half of this for the heart-shaped pizza.
Pepperoni: I put exactly 11 on my pizza the first time I tested and the I fit 16 for the photographed version. Each pizza you make will have a slightly different size. So you probably want at least 20 slices of pepperoni on hand. The pepperoni can then be cut into a heart shape, which really isn’t too hard since you can make stacks and get a bunch cut at once.
String Cheese: MORE CHEESE! While yes you could technically use the other mozzarella to stuff the pizza’s crust you just cannot beat the convince of the cheese stick. So grab a pack, you will probably need 7 to 9 though depending on size.
Salt: You will use the salt and the following spices to make a quick Italian seasoning to flavor the pizza.
Oregano: A classic Italian spice to add flavor.
Basil: Another classic Italian spice to add flavor, often found in pizza sauces!
Olive Oil: To really make this stuff crust amazing and not boring we will brush a little olive oil on the crust and then dust it with the Italian seasoning, trust me you don’t want to skip this step.
Cornmeal: This isn’t actually going in or on the pizza but it is used for the crust on the prep surface and cooking surface so it doesn’t stick.

Now that you have everything lets make pizza!

all the ingredients needed to make homemade heart pizza

How to make Heart Shaped Pizza

Begin by preheating your oven to 425ºF. If you have a pizza stone (which you should because it makes this 1000% better if you do) add the pizza stone to the oven while preheating so it can get hot.

Don’t have a pizza stone? That is okay I recommend using a sheet pan if that is the case!

You will start by prepping the seasoning, cheese, and pepperoni.

To make the seasoning simply mix together the salt, oregano, and basil in a small bowl. Set aside until needed.

Next shred the cheese. I have found that mozzeralla isn’t the easiest cheese to shred. But a few things to note: it seems to shred easier when cold straight from the fridge (opposed to sitting on the counter for a few minutes) and when it doubt if you are having trouble grating it, it pulls apart into small chunks really easily (like string cheese) so it can be used that way (I noticed it really varies by brands).

You can also prepare the string cheese, unwrap 7 of the cheeses and have 2 more on stand by incase your pizza is big enough to fit them, one of the string cheeses needs to be cut in half to make 2 short pieces.

Next thing to prepare is the heart pepperoni. If you happen to have a heart cookie cutter that is the correct size or close to the correct size use that! Otherwise you have 2 other options. First, stack about 6 pepperoni at a time, carefully using a sharp knife to cut a heart shape. Second, fold a pepperoni in half and cut a half heart shape to make a nice heart! Don’t stress if they don’t look absolutely perfect, the oven shrinks the pepperoni hiding some of the imperfections.

a small heart cookie cutter cutting pepperoni into a heart

a paring knife cutting a stack of pepperoni into a heart

a kitchen scissors cutting a folded pepperoni into a heart shape

Now to get building your pizza.

Carefully roll out your crust into a large circle, the bigger the better but make sure the crust doesn’t get too thin, this pizza is heavy so it needs support. The nice thing is that since this piece is bring folded over an absolute perfect circle doesn’t matter, heck if it is a little triangle shaped that is good!

Next you need to prepare the work surface with a sprinkle of cornmeal. You will need to transfer this to the prepared pizza to the hot stone so a pizza paddle or an inverted sheet pan work best, get plenty of cornmeal underneath the dough so it can easily slide.

If you don’t have a pizza stone you can prepare the pizza right in the sheet pan you are planning on baking it on, so just a little sprinkle of cornmeal is necessary so keep it from sticking when done.

Now transfer the dough to the center of the prep area. Grab 4 or 6 of your cheese sticks, depending on your pizza dough size to make a ‘V’ starting at the bottom of the dough leaving just enough room at the bottom to pull the dough over the end of the ‘V’.

Grab 2 more of the whole string cheeses and make the top ‘V’. Now take the two halves that are left and connect the top ‘V’ and bottom ‘V’ on each side. Now you should have a heart shape!

photos showing the first steps to make a pizza heart, rolled out dough and string cheese in a heart shape

Now to start the ‘stuffing’ you want to start at the top of the heart since it is the trickiest spot. Using a pizza cutter (or kitchen scissors) carefully cut from the center top down to about 1 inch below the top ‘V’. Now to successfully stuff this area of the pizza you will grab the top section of the section you just cut and pull it up and down onto the whole string cheese on that side of the small ‘V’, do the same for the other side. Next carefully pull the outside dough up and over the rest of the string cheese heart.

pizza dough on the outside of the cheese heart being pulled over the string cheese

dough being folded over string cheese to make the heart shaped stuff crust pizza

Now to make sure that cheese doesn’t leak out use your fingers to press the dough together, looking for any holes to cover with dough if needed.

Now it is time to getting topping. Start by brushing the Olive Oil onto the stuffed crust.

dough being prepped for toppings and olive oil being brushed onto the crust

Next add the tomatoes to the inside of the pizza dough, spreading evenly.

Now sprinkle the Italian seasoning mixture on the olive oil and tomato sauce.

Next add cheese to the pizza, if you don’t use all of the cheese that is okay use just enough to cover the pizza.

tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, mozzarella cheese being added to the pizza dough

pepperoni hearts being added to the pizza dough and a photo of the pizza ready for the oven

Last add your heart pepperoni to on top of the cheese.

If you are keeping your pizza on the sheet pan transfer to the oven. Otherwise very carefully remove the hot stone from the oven. Top stone with a little sprinkle of cornmeal. Carefully transfer the prepared pizza to the stone. Once the pizza is on the stone transfer back to the oven.

unbaked pizza on a paddle ready to be transferred to the oven

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and starting to darken.

Remove from oven and let rest 2-3 minutes before eating.

side angle of the heart shaped pizza freshly out of the oven with puffy crust and browned cheese

How To Cut Heart Shaped Pizza?

Great question.

I don’t think there is a correct way.

BUT I suggest cutting it in half (like a broken heart) and then slicing it from there into triangle-ish shapes.

Anyway you cut slice it it will be GREAT!

heart shaped pizza just pulled out of the oven on a pizza paddle with a pizza cutter and a couple of beers

heart shaped pizza cut in half like a broken heart

the pizza cut into pieces with hands puling apart a stretch of cheese between two slices

What to serve with my Heart Shaped Pizza Recipe:

Yield: 4 servings

Heart Shaped Pizza with Stuffed Crust

Nothing says 'I love you' like a homemade heart shaped pizza with heart shaped pepperoni and cheese stuffed crust. Learn how to make heart shaped pizza here!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes

Total Time 34 minutes

Ingredients

pizza dough for 1 pizza
1/4 to 1/2 cup kitchen ready tomatoes
8 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
15 to 20 pepperoni
7 to 9 sticks of string cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
cornmeal for the crust

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425ºF. If you have a pizza stone add the pizza stone to the oven while preheating so it can get hot. Don’t have a pizza stone? That is okay I recommend using a sheet pan if that is the case!
Start by prepping the seasoning, cheese, and pepperoni. To make the Italian seasoning simply mix together the salt, oregano, and basil in a small bowl. Set aside until needed.
Shred the cheese, if you are having trouble grating it, it pulls apart into small chunks really easily (like string cheese) so it can be used that way. You can also prepare the string cheese, unwrap 7 of the cheeses (with 2 more ready if needed), one of the string cheeses needs to be cut in half to make 2 short pieces.
Prepare the heart pepperoni. If you happen to have a heart cookie cutter that is the correct size or close to the correct size use that! Otherwise you have 2 other options. First, stack about 6 pepperoni at a time, carefully using a sharp knife to cut a heart shape. Second, fold a pepperoni in half and cut a half heart shape to make a nice heart with a kitchen scissors. Don’t stress if they don’t look absolutely perfect, the oven shrinks the pepperoni hiding some of the imperfections.
Carefully roll out your crust into a large circle, the bigger the better but make sure the crust doesn’t get too thin, this pizza is heavy so it needs support. Since this pizza is being stuffed an absolute perfect circle doesn’t matter, heck if it is a little triangle shaped that is good!
Now prepare the work surface with a sprinkle of cornmeal. You will need to transfer the prepared pizza to the hot stone so a pizza paddle or an inverted sheet pan work best, get plenty of cornmeal underneath the dough so it can easily slide. If you don’t have a pizza stone you can prepare the pizza right on the sheet pan you are planning on baking it on, so just a little sprinkle of cornmeal is necessary so keep it from sticking when done.
Transfer the dough to the center of the prep area. Grab 4 of your string cheese sticks to make a ‘V’ starting at the bottom of the dough leaving just enough room at the bottom to pull the dough over the end of the ‘V’, if your crust is large enough add 2 more to the sides for a larger pizza. Grab the 2 remaining whole string cheeses and make the top ‘V’. Now take the two halves that are left and connect the top ‘V’ and bottom ‘V’ on each side. Now you should have a heart shape!
To start the ‘stuffing’ the crust you want to start at the top of the heart since it is the trickiest spot. Using a pizza cutter (or kitchen scissors) carefully cut from the center top down to about 1 inch above the top ‘V’. Now to stuff this area of the pizza you will grab the top piece of the section you just cut and pull it up and then down onto the whole string cheese on that side of the small ‘V’, do the same for the other side. Next carefully pull the outside dough up and over the rest of the string cheese heart. To make sure that the cheese doesn’t leak out use your fingers to press the dough together, looking for any holes to cover with dough if needed.
Brush the olive oil onto the stuffed crust.
Add the tomatoes to the inside of the pizza dough, spreading evenly. Now sprinkle the Italian seasoning mixture on the olive oil and tomato sauce.
Add cheese to the pizza, if you don’t use all of the cheese that is okay use just enough to cover the pizza. Add your heart pepperoni to on top of the cheese.
If you are keeping your pizza on the sheet pan transfer to the oven. Otherwise very carefully remove the hot stone from the oven. Top the stone with a little sprinkle of cornmeal. Carefully transfer the prepared pizza to the stone. Once the pizza is on the stone transfer back to the oven.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and starting to darken. Remove from oven and let rest 2-3 minutes before eating.

Notes

Consider this a guide to make pizza rather than an exact recipe. Because where or what recipe you use for the dough the size will vary!

PLEASE NOTE: In my photos I used an extra large pizza dough so there was A LOT of extra dough folded into the middle. It is NOT necessary to make your dough do that, you just need enough dough to cover the cheese and seal the cheese.

Healthy Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps for the Whole Family

January 28, 2020 by Lauren Schmidt 2 Comments

Easy and Healthy these Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps are a great dinner that is ready to eat in 20 minutes! Using ground chicken, fresh vegetables, and served on lettuce this a flavorful yet fast dinner the whole family will enjoy! Plus check out my section on how to serve to kids!

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a white plate full of asian chicken lettuce wraps with sesame seeds and green onions

Asian Ground Chicken Lettuce Wraps

It is no secret I love Asian inspired recipes. So today’s recipe is another one I am proud to add to my collection, Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps.

I wanted these Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps to be easy, healthy, and delicious. So using ground chicken, a handful of fresh vegetables along with some standard Asian pantry items this meal came together quick.

Today I am also PUMPED to share with you a ‘kids plate’ version of this meal. I am in full support of dinners that feed the whole family but sometimes it isn’t always that easy to figure out how to do that. It is hard for a 2 year old to eat a lettuce wrap, I feel ya! So while my older kids adores this lettuce wrap style, serving the chicken mixture with rice is a great option for my younger child. Same meal just a bit different plating! So make sure you check that section out below!

overhead shot of a plate with 3 chicken wraps along with a glass of water and bowl of sriracha

Recipe for Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

So let’s check out the ingredients needed for this recipe:

ground chicken
carrot
celery
sliced shiitake mushrooms
canned water chestnuts
green onions (scallions)
bibb or butter lettuce

And for the sauce, some Asian pantry staples:

fish sauce
soy sauce
rice vinegar
sesame oil
honey
red pepper flakes

ingredients needed for asian chicken wraps including ground chicken, Bibb lettuce, and sauces

This dinner comes together fast so I make sure the sauce is mixed together and the veggies are all prepped before starting! While there isn’t a lot of veggie chopping for this recipe you can make it even simpler by buying pre-cut when available, items like sliced mushrooms are readily available.

So to start I make the sauce, in a bowl mix together the fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

Now to cook the chicken, in a large skillet brown and crumble ground chicken over medium-high heat 6 to 7 minutes. Drain any extra liquids from the skillet. I find that some brands of ground chicken can release quite a bit of water so make sure you drain that out.

Next add the sauce, carrot, celery, and shiitake mushroom to the skillet. Mix in with the chicken and cook 6 to 7 minutes stirring occasionally until vegetables have become tender and sauce has reduced.

Add the water chesnuts and green onion to the skillet. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

the chicken filling for the lettuce wraps in a skillet with a wooden spoon

To serve cut the lettuce leaves apart, I like to use a clean kitchen scissors to cut off each leaf at the stem. Then just add a scoop to the center of each leaf to make a lettuce wrap. Serve with garnishes like sesame seeds and sriracha if desired.

plate with three ground chicken lettuce wraps with a bowl of sriracha

Serving Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps to Kids

First thing to note is that you know your kids the best, so go off of what you think is best! Second is that infants 12 months and younger should not consume honey which is in this recipe.

When introducing a new recipe like this one there are a ton of options of how you can help your kids LOVE it!

The first thing to take into consideration is your Child’s age. Lettuce wraps like tacos can require fine motor skills to eat. So my 4 1/2 year old can handle them with slight assistance while I don’t even bother with my 2 year old. Each kid is different but keep in mind how much you want to assist them or if they are able to handle eating the lettuce wraps on there own!

Next some kids flat out refuse lettuce/green things, if this is your case I definitely wouldn’t serve the meal as a lettuce wrap but still offer the lettuce on the off chance they will try it…

Speaking of trying lettuce, Bibb and Butter lettuce are both a more mild flavored lettuce as well as a soft texture, maybe you can even turn this into a little learning lesson, they might actually like this lettuce compared to others they have tried!

So if your kid isn’t going to eat this meal as a lettuce wrap then what on earth should you do?

Great question!

I recommend serving it with something familiar and one thing that I am guess most kids are going to be familiar with is rice! This Asian Chicken Filling goes so perfect with rice! PLUS rice would also make a great side dish for all of the adults and older kids eating this meal.

Now the exact kind of rice is up to you but I am a sucker for white rice plus it doesn’t take long to make! Check out my post on how to make the Best Stovetop Rice!

As far as serving I recommend serving each item separately on a plate, the Asian Chicken Filling, the rice, and a piece of lettuce.

Now when it comes to them eating, let them go at it! If the kids go for the rice first, great! If they are picking the chicken out of the filling but not eating the mushrooms, good for them! If they want to try to eat it with the lettuce like mom & dad, help them!

Remember kids are learning, even when it comes to things like trying new foods. Did you know that kids can be offered something up to 10 times before they truly decide whether or not they like it!? It might seem dramatic but be patient!

So give it a try! Feed your family with just one easy skillet meal!? No short order cooks here!

a blue kids plate with a construction truck fork with a kid size serving of asian chicken wraps

Need more side dish ideas for this meal? Besides rice I like to serve these Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps with an easy roasted vegetable like my Oven Roasted Broccoli. You could also skip the white rice and go for a healthy alternative like cauliflower rice or quinoa!

When I am feeling like a nice mom and want a little treat I will grab a box of frozen egg rolls to make with this dish!

close up of the chicken filling on a lettuce wrap on a plate

Looking for more Asian Inspiration!? I have got you covered! Check these out:

Yield: 4 servings

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

A healthy dinner ready to eat in 20 minutes, these Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps are made easy with ground chicken, fresh vegetables, and served in lettuce leaves to make the perfect meal for the whole family.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound ground chicken
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
pinch red pepper flakes
1 carrot, grated
1 celery rib, minced
5oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced
8oz can water chestnuts, drained & roughly chopped
2 green onions (scallions), sliced
1 head of bibb or butter lettuce

Instructions

In a bowl mix together the fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and red pepper flakes to make a sauce. Set aside.
In a large skillet brown and crumble ground chicken over medium-high heat 6-7 minutes. Drain any extra liquids from the skillet.
Add the sauce, carrot, celery, and shitake mushroom to the skillet. Mix together with the chicken. Cook 6-7 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add the water chesnuts and green onion to the skillet. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
To serve cut the lettuce leaves apart and add a scoop to the center of each leaf to make a lettuce wrap. Serve with garnishes like sesame seeds and sriracha if desired.

Notes

Using regular soy sauce gives this dish a lot of flavor but some might find it a bit salty, if sensitve to salt I recommend a low-sodium soy sauce.

In a pinch romaine lettuce would work in place of bibb or butter lettuce.

Easy Red Lentil Tacos Recipe

December 17, 2019 by Lauren Schmidt 15 Comments

This easy Red Lentil Tacos Recipe is the perfect weeknight meatless meal that the whole family will love! An easy Vegetarian Taco Meat is ready to eat in under 30 minutes, making it a simple, quick, and healthy meal.

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three red lentil tacos with vegetarian taco meat on a white plate with garnishes

Red Lentil Vegetarian Taco ‘Meat’

I am so excited to share this Red Lentil Tacos recipe with you today! It is the BEST meatless taco recipe I have ever made and the best part is it is unbelievably easy!

This easy red lentil recipe happened more by coincidence than anything else but I am so excited it happened.

I developed this recipe mostly because I didn’t feel like going to the store. I had a lot of taco garnishes and tortillas left from a few night prior and the only thing left I needed to figure out was the filling!

I had a bag of red lentils in the pantry that I hadn’t touched in a while and once I saw the bag sitting there I knew exactly what needed to be done! I sautéed some onions, garlic, and peppers, added in the lentils with taco seasoning and water, cooked them until ready and dinner was on the table in under 30 minutes!

Since then I have refined the recipe and made it countless times. It is a fast, easy, and healthy meatless dinner option that seriously everyone in the family will love!

Red Lentil Tacos Recipe

This recipe comes together fast with only a handful of ingredients, to make the filling you will need:

Onion, either white or sweet
Green pepper
Garlic
Taco Seasoning (Try my Simple Taco Seasoning Recipe)
Water
Red Lentils
And of course tortillas and all of your favorite taco garnishes

simple ingredients needed to make easy vegetarian red lentil taco 'meat'

To make the taco filling is simple and only takes about 20 minutes.

First you will want to finely dice the onion and green pepper. You can leave them a little bit chunkier if you wish but I preferred the texture when they were finely chopped/minced.

(Note: If you hate chopping vegetables you could totally mince the onion and green pepper in a food processor/chopper)

Now to start cooking lightly grease a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion & green pepper and cook until onions are slightly translucent and the vegetables are beginning to soften about 3-4 minutes.

Next add minced garlic and cook 1 additional minute until garlic is fragrant.

Mix in the taco seasoning, lentils, and water. Cover and cook 13-16 minutes, stirring occasionally until the lentils are cooked and no water remains in the taco filling. But keep in mind a few notes about cooking the lentils:

I used a few different brands when testing this recipe and note that different brands had slightly different cooking times. For example Trader Joe’s Brand lentils are slightly smaller and took less time to cook while Bob’s Red Mill Brand is larger and took a few minutes more to cook.
For the reason above make sure you are keeping an eye the last few minutes of cooking, stirring up the lentils from the bottom to ensure that the lentils don’t burn on the bottom if they happen to cook fast. If the lentils seem to be cooking to fast, uncover and stir more frequently.

Now that the lentils are cooked it is time to make some Red Lentil Tacos!

red lentil taco 'meat' in a large frying pan with a spoon

I preferred flour tortillas for these tacos but corn would work just as well, my one suggestion though either way you go warm those tortillas up!

Next use all of your favorite taco toppings as you would any taco! Some ideas are:

Lettuce
Cilantro
Salsa
Tomatoes
Cheese
Sour Cream/Plain Yogurt
Red Onion
Lime Wedges
Taco Sauce

The list of taco garnishes could literally go on and on!

AND you guys you don’t have to limit this vegetarian taco meat to just tacos. I used leftovers on Nachos, it would also be great in a quesadilla! The possibilities are endless.

red lentil taco filling in a flour tortilla

Questions about Red Lentil Tacos:

Can I use other color lentils or does it have to be red?

Unfortunately for this recipe other color lentils will NOT work. Red lentils are smaller and processed different (they are generally split). So if you tried to use other lentils the cooking instructions would be way off. Plus red lentils have a flavor better suited to a vegetarian taco meat.

Are Red Lentils good for you?

Yes. Red Lentils are high in fiber and protein while low in fat and calories. They are also a complex carb, high in potassium and folate, plus they are naturally gluten-free making this a meal you can feel good about!

Can I freeze the Red Lentil Taco ‘Meat’?

Absolutely! It freezes really well! I have made a couple double batches and froze half of the lentils for later meals.

three red lentil tacos sit-in non a white plate with colorful garnishes

hand holding a red lentil taco in a flour tortilla

Yield: 4 servings

Red Lentil Tacos

A simple recipe for Vegetarian Red Lentil Taco Meat, easy to make with just a few ingredinets these healthy meatless tacos will be ready to eat in under 30 minutes!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 19 minutes

Total Time 24 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1/2 green pepper, finely diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup red lentils
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
3 cups water

For Serving:

Tortillas
Lettuce
Salsa
Cheese
Sour Cream/ Plain Yogurt
Or any other of your favorite taco garnishes

Instructions

Lightly oil a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion & green pepper and cook until onions are slightly translucent and the vegetables are beginning to soften about 3-4 minutes.
Next add minced garlic and cook 1 additional minute until garlic is fragrant.
Mix in the taco seasoning, lentils, and water. Cover and cook 13-16 minutes, stirring occasionally until the lentils are cooked and no water remains in the taco filling.
Serve red lentil taco meat in warm tortillas with your favorite taco garnishes.

Notes

If you hate chopping vegetables you could totally mince the onion & green pepper in a food processor/chopper. You can leave them a little bit chunkier if you wish but I preferred the texture when they were finely chopped/minced.

A few notes about cooking the lentils:

I used a few different brands when testing this recipe and note that different brands had slightly different cooking times. For example Trader Joe’s Brand lentils are slightly smaller and took less time to cook while Bob’s Red Mill Brand is larger and took a few minutes more to cook.
For the reason above make sure you are keeping an eye the last few minutes of cooking, stirring up the lentils from the bottom to ensure that the lentils don’t burn on the bottom if they happen to cook fast. If the lentils seem to be cooking to quickly, uncover and stir more frequently.

Recommended Products

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Mealthy NonStick Pan

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 67Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 119mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 5g

NUTRITION IS FOR RED LETIL FILLING ONLY, TORTILLAS AND GARNISHES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN NUTRITIONAL DATA. Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

Halloween Mummy Meatloaf

October 1, 2019 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

This Halloween Mummy Meatloaf recipe is your newest fall family tradition. This easy meatloaf recipe is shaped and wrapped in bacon to look like a spooky mummy, complete with onion eyes! This is a halloween dinner idea for the family that everyone will love, make it part of your fall traditions this year!

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bacon wrapped meatloaf mummy on a sheet pan perfect for halloween dinner

Mummy Meatloaf

I have been making this halloween mummy meatloaf for my husband and I every year since before we were even married, and it hasn’t graced the blog until now!

I have never been much of a halloween person much to my husband’s dismay, and I felt a little bad. I don’t have anything really against halloween other than the fact that I don’t like costumes where you can’t tell who the person is (much like a mascot, so creepy, anyone else?)

So often I avoided leaving the house on halloween to protect myself from all of the creepy costumes. I traditionally would just chill at home, hand out candy to kids, and watch the old school black and white Arsenic & Old Lace with Cary Grant.

But I felt like I needed to do something for Matt who did enjoy Halloween. So even in my pre-blog days I did what I did best, went to the kitchen to create something fun! (some might say food is my love language)

So I made a Mummy Meatloaf and the rest is history. Now every year we make a Mummy Meatloaf, grab a couple of pumpkin beers, and watch Arsenic & Old Lace.

So might I suggest turning this Mummy Meatloaf Recipe into your own Halloween Tradition!

Mummy Meatloaf with Bacon

So let me show you how to make this favorite halloween dinner!

Preheat your oven to 350º F. For easier clean up line sheet pan with tin foil or parchment paper.

Start by making the sauce for the meatloaf, mix together the ketchup and apple cider vinegar until combined, set aside.

To make the meatloaf mixture in a large bowl add breadcrumbs, onion soup mix, worcestershire sauce, egg, salt, and milk.

Gently crumble the ground meatloaf mixture overtop the the other ingredients in the bowl. Using clean hands very carefully mix the ingredents together until everything is barely combined leaving chunks of meat, overmixing will cause a dense meatloaf, more like a meatball.

making the meatloaf mixture, combining all of the ingredients

Transfer meatloaf mixute to the sheet pan. Carefully pat and shape the mixture into a large oval shape about 1 inch tall (your cook time will depend on how thick the meatloaf ends up). Once the meatloaf is spread out shape the sides into a skull shape, leaving a large top for the brain, indents near the eyes, and a jawline.

making the meatloaf mixture in to a skull shape on a sheet pan

Now brush the ketchup mixture overtop the entire meatloaf, you might not need all of the ketchup mixture.

ketchup sauce ready to be put on the soul shaped meatloaf

Now prepare your eyes and teeth. Using one of the layers of onion, cut it in half creating two eyes, use knife to adujst size if needed. Place the eyes on the meatloaf pushing into the meat mixture slightly.

cutting eyes to place on the meatloaf mummy

Create the teeth from another layer, I find it easiest to make a strip out of one of the layers and gently cut the teeth in, cutting out a little space inbetween the teeth. Or just cut a handful of teeth sized pieces of onion out. Just like the eyes place the onion teeth in the appropriate area pushing gently into the meatloaf mixture.

cutting out onion teeth to place on the meatloaf mummy

Now to wrap your mummy in bacon, this part is where you defintely can be creative. Gently layer the bacon across the mummy face leaving spaces for the eyes and teeth. I recommened cutting bacon to a shorter length if needed and gently tucking extra bacon ends under the meatloaf. Have fun with this part, I always like to leave one or two flyaways of bacon to make it look like the wrapping is coming off. Depending on the size of your mummy face you might have a few slices of bacon leftover.

cutting bacon to prepare to wrap the meatloaf head

final steps to making the mummy meatloaf, wrapping bacon around the mummy's head

If you have extra ketchup mixture you can put a little more on parts of the bacon if you wish but it isn’t necessary.

Smile because you just made an awesome meatloaf mummy and that is pretty cool!

Transfer your meatloaf mummy to the oven. Bake 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 160º F. Because of the varying size of the meatloaf mummy cooking time can vary. Start checking it at 35 minutes and keep on eye on it, I highly recommend an instant read thermometer like this one!

Once done let the meatloaf rest for 5 minutes before serving!

halloween meatloaf mummy a tray with onion teeth and eyes

Serving up the Halloween Dinner

To go with the meatloaf there are a number of side dishes that go really well:

Variations & Tips

Feel free to use your own meatloaf recipe but still use the mummy idea! This meatloaf recipe is loosely based off of how my mom used to make it and I tried to keep it as simple as possible!
The bacon and meatloaf will shrink slightly in size as it cooks so keep that in mind. In addition to that I recommend tucking most of the bacon ends under the meatloaf so they stay in places as they cook.
Keep in mind you are cooking bacon so their will be quite a bit of bacon grease on the bottom of the pan when you take it out of the oven. After the meatloaf cooled slightly I was able to drain the grease out of the pan by carefully holding the meatloaf in place.

overhead shot of the coked meatloaf mummy on a sheet pan

Yield: 6 servings

Mummy Meatloaf

This bacon wrapped Mummy Meatloaf for dinner is sure to please kids and adults alike, made with an easy meatloaf recipes, onion eyes & teeth, and wrapped in bacon this recipe is sure to become a halloween tradition!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

1 to 1.5 pounds ground meatloaf mix*
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 packet Lipton onion soup mix
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 small onion (for eyes & teeth)
1 pound bacon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º F. Line sheet pan with tin foil or parchment paper for easier cleaning. Make sauce for the meatloaf, mix together the ketchup and apple cider vinegar until combined, set aside.
In a large bowl add breadcrumbs, onion soup mix, worcestershire sauce, egg, salt, and milk.
Gently crumble the ground meatloaf mixture overtop the the other ingredients in the bowl. Using clean hands very carefully mix the ingredients together until everything is barely combined leaving chunks of meat, overmixing will cause a dense meatloaf, more like a meatball.
Transfer meatloaf mixute to the sheet pan. Carefully pat and shape the mixture into a large oval shape about 1 to 1.5 inches tall. Once the meatloaf is spread out shape the sides into a skull shape, leaving a large top for the brain, indents near the eyes, and a jawline.
Brush the ketchup mixture overtop the entire meatloaf, because the size of the meatloaf might be different due to the shape you might not need all of the ketchup mixture.
Now prepare your eyes and teeth. Using one of the layers of onion, cut it in half creating two eyes, use knife to adujst size if needed. Place the eyes on the meatloaf pushing into the meat mixture slightly. Create the teeth from another layer, I find it easiest to make a strip out of one of the layers and gently cut the teeth in, cutting out a little space inbetween the teeth. Or just cut a handful of teeth sized pieces of onion out. Just like the eyes place the onion teeth in the appropriate area pushing gently into the meatloaf mixture.
Now to wrap your mummy in bacon, this part is where you defintely can be creative. Gently layer the bacon across the mummy face leaving spaces for the eyes and teeth. I recommened cutting bacon to a shorter length if needed and gently tucking extra bacon ends under the meatloaf. Have fun with this part, I always like to leave one or two flyaways of bacon to make it look like the wrapping is coming off. Depending on the size of your mummy face you might have a few slices of bacon leftover.
If you have any ketchup mixture left you can put a little more on parts of the bacon if you wish but it isn't necessary.
Transfer your meatloaf mummy to the oven. Bake 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 160º F. Because of the varrying size of the meatloaf mummy cooking time can vary, start checking it at 35 minutes and keep on eye on it, I highly recommend an instant read thermometor like the one below!
Once done let the meatloaf rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

*or ground beef

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