Category: Chef in Training

Easy Baked Ziti

Easy Baked Ziti

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I love pasta.  I mean, I really LOVE pasta. So, this recipe is one of my favorites-pasta, cheese, and Italian sausage… what’s not to love?!

Ingredients

  • 16 oz small pasta (I use whole wheat)
  • 1 lb mild ground Italian sausage
  • 1 package fresh baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
  • 24 oz (+) jar pasta sauce (I use tomato basil)
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh Basil

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions and brown Italian sausage until fully cooked.
  3. Once pasta is cooked and sausage is browned, mix jar of sauce (I used a little more than one jar to make sure the ziti didn’t dry out while baking), mushrooms, and sausage into pasta.
  4. Add half of the pasta mixture to a 9″x13″ baking dish.  Top with half of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and half of the fresh basil.
  5. Add remaining pasta mixture to top of cheese and basil.
  6. Add remaining mozzarella to pasta mixture and bake in oven 20-25 minutes until heated through.
  7. Add remaining Parmesan cheese and fresh basil to baked pasta and serve immediately.

I love this recipe because I can layer all of the ingredients in a baking pan, pop it in the fridge (or even freezer!) to be baked later.  It’s a hearty meal that feeds several people easily.  You can customize it however you like by using chicken instead of sausage or going meatless.  You can also leave out the mushrooms or basil for picky eaters.  This makes a great weeknight meal!

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.
Hash Brown Crust Quiche

Hash Brown Crust Quiche

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Hash browns and quiche. Yes, please! This is an Ore-Ida recipe and it does not disappoint! Our kids loved it and even asked for seconds. Yay for breakfast foods!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups ORE-IDA Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes, thawed
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 4 green onions, sliced

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 375ºF.
  2. Pat hash browns dry with paper towels; place in bowl. Add butter; mix lightly. Press onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate. 
  3. Bake 20 min. or until golden brown. Meanwhile, whisk eggs and milk in medium bowl until blended. Stir in sour cream, then cheese and onions.
  4. Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF. Pour filling into crust. Bake 30 min. or until center is set and crust is golden brown. Let stand 5 min. before serving.
Easy Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos

Easy Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I’ve always loved tacos… who doesn’t? However, I’m picky about seafood tacos. This recipe is a winner! If you’d like to see the original recipe, check it out over at Tasty Air Fryer Recipes.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • Pinch salt
  • Pinch pepper
  • Flour tortillas
  • Green shredded cabbage
  • Sliced avocado
  • Crumbled cotija cheese
  • Cilantro
  • Lime

Directions

  1. Toss shrimp with oil, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, onion powder, salt and pepper. Preheat air fryer to 400ºF for 3 minutes. Transfer to greased air fryer basket.
  2. Air fry at 400ºF for 5-6 minutes or until shrimp are cooked through.
  3. Assemble tortillas with shrimp and cabbage. Place tacos in air fryer basket and air fry at 400ºF for 1 minute to warm tortillas.
  4. Remove tacos from air fryer, add the toppings and serve.
Easy Italian Dressing

Easy Italian Dressing

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Had I known making my own Italian dressing would be so easy I would’ve been making it ALL the time! This recipe is very easy and you likely have all of the ingredients on hand. I found this recipe from The Whole Cook, so check out the original here! I love using this recipe in my Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken Tenders recipe.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red or white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

Directions

  1. Add all ingredients to a jar, place the lid on the jar, and give it a good shake!
  2. Just like with all vinegar based dressings, you’ll need to shake it up again before pouring to eliminate separation.
Copycat Cracker Barrel Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloins

Copycat Cracker Barrel Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloins

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Cracker Barrel’s grilled chicken tenderloins have always been a favorite of mine. This easy air fryer recipe has all the flavor and little cleanup. You can find the original recipe at Love Bakes Good Cakes.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Italian dressing
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice, fresh squeezed
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 pound chicken tenderloins

Directions

  1. Place the dressing, garlic, honey, lime juice, salt, and pepper into a large bowl, whisk until combined. Add the chicken tenderloins and mix them in, so they are fully coated.
  2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it into the fridge for up to 1 hour to marinate.
  3. Once ready to cook, preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Spray the basket with olive oil spray and place the tenders, not touching each other into the basket. You may need to air fry in batches.
  4. Air fry for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Chicken is done cooking when the internal temperature reaches 165°F.