Month: July 2023

Stanley Tucci Inspired 20-Minute Fettuccini Bolognese

Stanley Tucci Inspired 20-Minute Fettuccini Bolognese

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

This recipe was so hearty and easy! It’s a great way to sneak some vegetables into your pasta recipe. Full of flavor and filling, this Stanley Tucci inspired recipe is a new favorite in our house! This recipe has no measurements… I know, I know, all you sciency people like me are freaking the heck out, but I promise if you follow your tastebuds it will turn out great, so don’t be intimidated!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef (high fat = more flavor for this recipe!)
  • 1 box fettuccini, cooked per package directions
  • Butter
  • Olive oil
  • Onion, diced
  • Celery, diced
  • Carrot, diced
  • Minced garlic
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • Chicken stock
  • Nutmeg
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Directions

  1. Sauté onion, celery, and carrots in olive oil and butter on medium heat until soft.
  2. Add meat and cook until browned. Drain any excess fat.
  3. Add tomatoes, chicken stock, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Simmer for a few minutes until all ingredients are well combined and creates a nice, thick sauce.
  4. Serve bolognese over favorite pasta and garnish with basil leaves if desired.
Chicken Cutlets with Red Enchilada Sauce

Chicken Cutlets with Red Enchilada Sauce

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

These chicken cutlets are full of flavor and are perfect if you have leftover enchilada sauce that you don’t know how to use, but can’t bring yourself to toss out like I did. Simmering in a cast iron skillet added so much flavor and the chicken cutlets turned out to be perfectly cooked through without drying. I adapted my recipe from one I found from Sip Bite Go, so you should check them out if you love this adaptation!

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken cutlets
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup red enchilada sauce
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (optional, for serving)
  • Crumbled cotija cheese (optional, for serving)

Directions

  1. Season chicken cutlets with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat a large cast iron skillet to medium high heat. Add olive oil and once olive oil is hot and shiny, add seasoned chicken. Sear chicken for 3 minutes.
  3. Flip chicken and add enchilada sauce and water. Reduce heat to medium and add a lid to the chicken cutlets in enchilada sauce simmering in the pan.
  4. Simmer chicken cutlets covered with a lid for 5-12 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. You can flip the chicken cutlets if they aren’t done at the 5 minute mark. This might help speed them along. The sauce should still be a little liquidy. If the sauce is getting too thick, reduce the heat to medium low and add a little water (1-3 Tbsp) to the pan. This will keep the chicken nice and juicy until they reach the right internal temperature. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of cilantro and cotija or make tacos.
Enchilada Stuffed Peppers

Enchilada Stuffed Peppers

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I love stuffed peppers, but didn’t have time to throw together the normal ingredients. I found this easy recipe from The Cookie Rookie and paired it with Mexican Corn and Potato Chowder. It was a great twist on traditional stuffed peppers with a lot of paper with minimal prep.

Ingredients

  • 4 large bell peppers
  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 oz taco seasoning
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 4.5 oz can diced green chiles
  • 1/4 cup medium red enchilada sauce
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
  • Sour cream, for serving
  • Fresh chopped cilantro, for serving

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.
  2. In a medium skillet, heat ground beef over medium high heat, crumbling as you cook. Drain grease and return to heat.
  3. Stir in the taco seasoning and stir until well coated. Toss in the onions and allow to cook with the beef.
  4. When beef is almost cooked through and onions begin to become transluescent, stir in the green chiles and enchilada sauce. Turn off heat. Set aside.
  5. Cut the top off each pepper and hollow out the inside; removing ribs and seeds. Place each pepper on the baking sheet.
  6. To stuff each pepper, start with several spoonfuls beef, then half cup cheese, then fill nearly to the top with beef. Top with another 1/2 cup cheese (depending on size of the pepper, 1/4 cup cheese would be enough. Whatever covers the top to your liking), and place the top back on the pepper. Repeat with remaining peppers.
  7. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until peppers are tender and cheese is melty.
  8. Serve immediately with sour cream and cilantro, if desired.
Mexican Corn and Potato Chowder

Mexican Corn and Potato Chowder

by Engineered Mama ♥ 1 Comment

I love potatoes from The Little Potato company. I usually just boil them as a side, but this time I decided to get creative after seeing a recipe on the bag that looked interesting while putting the little potatoes away. Well, this one was a hit with everyone, so it’s a keeper! You can find the original recipe from The Little Potato Company.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup red onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, diced (optional)
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1.5 lbs Little Potatoes (this recipe uses Little Duos™, but you can use any kind you like) halved, then cut into thirds
  • 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • 26 oz frozen corn, thawed
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • paprika, for garnish
  • Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Directions

  1. In a large pot, melt butter. Add onion, garlic, peppers, celery, and carrot. Cook until soft, around eight minutes.
  2. Add potatoes, vegetable broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 20 minutes.
  3. In the meantime, blend half the bag of frozen corn with the milk until it becomes thick.
  4. Once potatoes are cooked, add remaining corn and the milk and corn mixture to the soup. Simmer an additional 8 to 10 minutes.
  5. Garnish with cilantro and paprika, serve with tortilla strips or chips.
Simple Tomato and Smoked Sausage Pasta

Simple Tomato and Smoked Sausage Pasta

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I needed a quick meal one evening and while I love my usual go to (One Pot Cheesy Sausage Pasta), I wanted something a bit different. This pasta dish delivered! It was easy, had great flavor, and it received rave reviews from my family! You can find the recipe that inspired my version at Ready Set Eat.

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg 13 oz turkey smoked sausage, sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic & Oregano, undrained (I didn’t have this version on hand, so I used fresh basil, garlic, and oregano with a can of regular petite diced tomatoes)
  • 1 cup (8 oz) tomato Sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 8 ounces dry whole wheat penne pasta, uncooked (any type of pasta will do!)
  • 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Spray large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until sausage is browned lightly.
  2. Add bell pepper; cook 2 minutes more. Add undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, water and pasta; stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil.
  3. Reduce heat; cover and cook 15 minutes or until pasta is tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.