dinner Archives - The Tasty Fork

Bacon, Pear & Smoked Gouda Panini

April 29, 2013 by admin · 12 Comments

There aren’t too many things that make me excited for a Monday. After the beautiful weather and fun weekend I had, the Monday morning alarm came too quickly. Especially since the only grocery store trip I made was to pick up ingredients to make brownies for my Monthly Pinterest Party. So there wasn’t much in the fridge Sunday evening when I was trying to come up with dinner.

I took a peek into my fridge and wondered, “What in the world can I eat right now??” I’m rummaging through the shelves and just when I think I’ll have to eat carrots and cheese, I came across bacon. Angels start singing. How did I not remember using bacon earlier in the week?? How did I not use all of it in one meal? Bacon hardly lasts more than one day in our house.

Working with what I have in my kitchen, I scanned the area to find good matches for my bacon. Of course, EVERYTHING goes well with bacon, so at least I was off to a good start. I had some pears which finally ripened, a bag of baby arugula and some leftover ciabatta bread from the bakery. And then there was the smoked Gouda cheese I had bought just because there are times in my life when I want cheese, crackers & wine for dinner. Looks like I had all of the ingredients to make a Bacon, Pear & Smoked Gouda Panini.

I love a good sandwich but I wanted to take this panini up a notch. Have you ever made flavored oils? I LOVE to mince up some garlic, add it to warm olive oil and let it seep for a few minutes. Brush the garlic oil all over the inside of your sandwich bread – it’s a sure way to get extra flavor depth into a super easy meal.

Easy & tasty – that’s how I like my recipes. This panini falls into that category. The bacon and smoked gouda are the savory stars of the sandwich. I like how the pear adds a sweet flavor and lightens up the meal. Arugula is a peppery green and works well with the savory & sweet elements in this sandwich. Some kind of rustic, crusty bread is required for a panini. I had ciabatta on hand, but use whatever kind of bread you like…just make sure it’s “strong” enough to keep the panini together.

I hope you guys liked my on the fly panini. I truly believe in making recipes your own. So if you don’t have pears, use apples. Or if you’re looking for a lower calorie option, dismiss the bacon and use deli turkey instead. Feel free to make substitutes to fit what you like!

So why was I looking forward to Monday?? Because I’m totally making this sandwich again for lunch…and maybe even dinner.

Bacon, Pear & Smoked Gouda Panini

Ingredients

(Makes 2 hearty sandwiches)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 slices of your favorite artisan bread, such as ciabatta
8 slices of bacon, cooked
1 pear, thinly sliced
¼ cup shredded smoked gouda
½ cup baby arugula

Instructions

To make Garlic Oil – In a small sauce pan, add olive oil & garlic. Bring it up to a boil and remove from heat. Let the garlic sit for 10 minutes. The garlic can be strained or just leave it. It’s up to you!
On the ciabatta bread, spread the garlic oil on both sides. Start to layer the sandwich by adding bacon, pear slices, smoked gouda and baby arugula. Top with the other piece of bread and place in a preheated skillet or grill pan. (Or a panini machine if you have one!) I put my cast iron skillet on top of the sandwich so it would press the sandwich.
On a medium-low heat, cook the sandwich until cheese is fully melted; 3 to 5 minutes per side. Serve immediately while cheese is still warm.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

http://thetastyfork.com/2013/04/29/bacon-pear-smoked-gouda-panini/

Portobello Sandwich with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. Recipe at The Tasty Fork #vegetarian

Portobello Sandiwch with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

mediterranean-turkey-sandwich-the-tasty-fork

Mediterranean Turkey Sandwich

Five Ingredient Slow Cooker Ranch Seasoned Beef I thetastyfork.com #5ingredients #slowcooker #dinner

5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Ranch Seasoned Beef

Filed Under: Entree, Pork, Sandwich · Tagged With: bacon recipes, dinner, easy meal, easy recipe, easy recipes, recipe, sandwich

Double Decker Beef Tacos

April 18, 2013 by admin · 12 Comments

I know I have expressed this before…when it comes to guilty pleasures, I’m embarrassed to share Taco Bell is my list. A few months ago I made one of my favorite Taco Bell inspired recipes at home. I had fun trying to make it a healthier option and it tastes better than Taco Bell.

I thought this time I’d try to make my husband’s favorite Taco Bell item, a double decker taco. The past 5 years I’ve known Jim, there has never been a time when he hasn’t ordered a double decker taco when we’ve gone to Taco Bell. Lord knows his obsession for double decker tacos started long before I was in the picture.

Do you get Cooking Light? This months’ feature is tacos. I was so excited to dig in and see all of the yummy taco creations. When I saw they had healthified the Double Decker Taco, I knew what we would be having for dinner that night. I could eat tacos everyday, but I was extra excited to make Jim’s favorite taco of all time.

The recipe is healthy and easy! You create your own taco seasoning, which is great so you’ll be getting less sodium. Refried beans aren’t the best for you, but I picked a low-fat black bean variety and it was fabulous! It didn’t taste low fat and I love using black beans. Also, there isn’t much cheese. I used very little reduced fat shredded cheese, just enough to melt over the black beans and a light sprinkle of cheese over the meat in the taco. I’m sure you’re aware Taco Bell uses a ton of cheese. I was happy to control the amount in my taco.

Double Decker Beef Tacos is a fun weeknight meal and a creative way to spice up Taco night in your home. You can feel good about this healthified recipe and skip getting tacos at the drive-thru.

Double Decker Beef Tacos

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp canola oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 ounces 90% lean ground beef
2 tbsp unsalted tomato sauce
1/2 cup fat-free refried beans (I found a black bean kind, it was awesome!!)
4 (6-inch) flour tortillas
2 ounces preshredded reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese or cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup)
4 hard taco shells
1/2 cup thinly sliced iceberg lettuce
1/2 cup diced tomato
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt

Instructions

Set your broiler to high.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. Add onion; sauté and stir for 4 minutes. Add garlic and next 6 ingredients (through black pepper); sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add beef; cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove beef mixture from pan using a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Wipe out oil in the skillet. Return beef mixture to pan; stir in tomato sauce. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Spread 2 tablespoons beans over 1 side of each flour tortilla; sprinkle each with cheese. Place tortillas on a baking sheet; broil 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Carefully wrap 1 tortilla around 1 hard taco shell, pressing gently until cheese sticks to shell. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas and shells. Spoon beef mixture into each shell; top each with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream/Greek yogurt.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

http://thetastyfork.com/2013/04/18/double-decker-beef-tacos/

Recipe inspired by Cooking Light.

Filed Under: Beef, Entree, Recipes · Tagged With: copy cat recipe, dinner, easy recipe, Healthified Recipe, recipe, taco bell, Taco Bell Double Decker

Skinny Spinach & Artichoke Dip Stuffed Shells

March 4, 2013 by admin · 26 Comments

Happy Monday! Sorry I’m getting this post up a little late. My Sunday was on the non-productive side. Lots on laying around and watching TV. It was a great way to end the weekend because I feel so well rested and excited about my week.

Since it’s Monday, let’s start off with a healthified recipe. I always try to eat healthy but it always seems to be easier to do in the beginning of the week. The March Issue of EveryDay Rachael Ray has several skinny recipes! I came across her recipe for Skinny Spinach & Artichoke Dip and I was very intrigued to try it. Instead of mayo, the recipe calls for Greek yogurt, which is now becoming a very popular healthy substitute. The thing that made me go “hhmmmm” with Rachael’s recipe was adding pureed edamame. I sampled the dip before stuffing it into pasta shells and the edamame adds a creamy texture. Not to mention tons of protein!

If you just want to try the skinny dip, it can be baked for 15 minutes in a baking dish with the oven set to 350 degrees. I decided to take a step further and use the dip as a filling for stuffed shells. It was amazing as a filling and was a healthy alternative to the usual stuffed shells filling.

I hope all of you have a great week! Give this recipe try as a healthy alternative to the everyday classic!

Skinny Spinach & Artichoke Dip Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

For the Dip:

1 cup shelled edamame
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 10 ounce package thawed frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
1 9 ounce package thawed frozen chopped artichoke hearts
1 1/4 cups plain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
Salt and pepper

For the Pasta:

12 oz jumbo shells
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup your favorite white wine
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt & Pepper

Instructions

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor or blender, puree the edamame. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
2. In a large nonstick skillet set at medium heat, pour the extra virgin olive oil and add onion & garlic. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the spinach and artichoke hearts; cook & stir for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat - add in the yogurt and lemon juice.
3. Add half of the spinach mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Fold into the remaining spinach along with the edamame, cheese, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.
4. Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and spread jumbo shells on 2 baking sheets. Let them cool before stuffing.
5. For the pasta sauce - Add oil to a heated pan. Saute onions and garlic until onions are translucent. Deglaze with white wine; cook until wine has evaporated. Add both cans of tomatoes, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Bring to boil and lower to simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt & pepper.
6. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray. Cover the bottom of the dish with tomato sauce. Start to stuff the shells with the dip and line them up in the baking dish. When the dish is full, drizzle pasta sauce over the shells. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

http://thetastyfork.com/2013/03/04/skinny-spinach-artichoke-dip-stuffed-shells/

Dip recipe was inspired by Rachael Ray

Filed Under: Dip, Healthy, Pasta, Vegetarian · Tagged With: dinner, meatless monday, pasta recipe, Rachael Ray Recipe, recipe, skinny dip, Vegetarian

Lasagna Bolognese Pasta Toss

February 6, 2013 by admin · 16 Comments

Hi Everyone!! What is the first thing you think of when someone says – Valentine’s Day. I’m sure a lot of you think chocolate, flowers or romance…but for me, I think Italian food. I’m not sure why but I’m guessing it has to do with a certain spaghetti scene from a dog loving Disney movie…. And I guess there is something about Italian food which is kinda sexy. (I blushed when I typed that!) Twirling pasta, drinking wine, low lighting….meow!

Since I love to cook, my hubby & I will celebrate Valentine’s Day by staying in. In Chicago, if you don’t book your reservation weeks in advance, good luck at getting something that isn’t super early or late.

Making a special meal is a great way to show someone you love them, but you don’t need to stay in your kitchen all evening to prepare a spectacular meal. Lasagna is amazing, but it takes FOREVER to actually eat it. You have prepare everything, assemble the lasagna and then bake it for 60 minutes. There is a time and a place for lasagna, just not on Valentine’s Day.

To give you more time with your honey, I created a Lasagna Bolognese Pasta Toss. It has all of the elements of a lasagna — meat sauce, bechamel sauce, cheese and pasta — but you don’t have to bake it in the oven. And that means you’ll get to eat a lot sooner!

Bolognese sauce is one of my favorite meat sauces. It’s filled with veggies, garlic, pancetta, ground pork, red wine and tomatoes. This meat sauce recipe is doubled. I like to let it sit for a few days, so the flavor even builds and toss it with spaghetti. Or freeze the sauce and use it at a later date.

If you’re still scanning the Internet for the perfect Valentine’s Day meal, give this Lasagna Bolognese Pasta Toss a try! You can make a sexy Italian meal and spend more time with the one you love.

Lasagna Bolognese Pasta Toss

Serving Size: 6 people

Ingredients

* 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* 1 Onion, diced
* 3 Celery stalks, diced
* 4 Carrots, diced
* 5 Slices of Pancetta, sliced
* 4 Garlic cloves, minced
* 1 lb Ground pork
* 2 tbsp Parsley
* A few dashes of Red Pepper flakes
* 1 cup Red Wine
* 28 oz canned Crushed Tomatoes
* 28 oz canned Diced Tomatoes
* Salt & Pepper, to taste
* 13.25 oz Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
* 2 tbsp Butter
* 2 tbsp Flour
* 1 cup Skim Milk
* 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
* Salt & Pepper, to season
* 1 1/2 cups of your favorite Italian Style Cheese Blend
* Shredded Parmesan Cheese, garnish
* Parsley, for garnish

Instructions

Pour oil into a warm large skillet. At a medium heat, add onions, celery & carrots. Stir and cook until soft. Stir in pancetta and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes and keep stirring. Add pork and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until pork starts to brown. Stir in parsley and red pepper flakes. Cook for an additional minute.
Pour wine into the skillet and cook until wine is evaporated. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan and get the brown bits. Add both cans of tomatoes. Bring to simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Taste and add salt & pepper, if needed.
In a pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
To make bechamel - In a sauce pan, add butter and flour. Stir consistently and cook until the color turns to a deep blonde color. Stir in one cup of milk, using a whisk. When sauce starts to thicken, add Dijon mustard, salt & pepper. Turn off heat and add in the 1.5 cups of the cheese blend. Stir until there are no clumps.
Remove half of the meat sauce and set aside. (Use at a later date!) Add drained pasta & bechamel sauce to the meat sauce. Stir until well combined.
To serve, top each portion with shredded Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

http://thetastyfork.com/2013/02/06/lasagna-bolognese-pasta-toss/

Filed Under: Entree, Pasta, Pork, Recipes · Tagged With: bolognese sauce, dinner, lasagna bolognese pasta toss, lasagna toss, pasta recipe, romantic dinner, skillet pasta, The Tasty Fork, valentine's day, valentine's day recipe

Red Curry Yogurt Chicken

February 5, 2013 by admin · 25 Comments

Sorry this post is a little late. I like to have a new recipe up on Monday but my weekend got away from me. Does that ever happen to you??

When I attended culinary school, I’d always get super excited when Yogurt Chicken was for dinner in the cafeteria. Yogurt Chicken sounds kinda gross, so I steered clear of it until one of my friends told me it was delicious and a must try. So with hesitation, I tried it. I was expecting I’d try a bite, spit it out and get something else to eat… but I was wrong. Yogurt Chicken was amazing! The yogurt kept the chicken breast from drying out and there was a Parmesan cheese crust on top which I could’ve eaten in spoonfuls.

It’s been awhile since my culinary school days. I found myself thinking about that Yogurt Chicken, but I wanted to make it my own way. To give the yogurt base more flavor, I mixed in red curry paste, garlic powder and lime juice. As much as I loved the Parmesan cheese crust, I wanted something a bit healthier. I made a panko bread coating, which still gave the crusty topping I was looking for but with less calories.

Having a side of sauteed vegetables is the perfect way to round out the meal. I boiled and blanched green beans & then added them to a hot pan with red peppers and garlic. I love the burst of color! (and the taste was on point, too!)

Yogurt Chicken is something I never would of eaten if I wasn’t told to try it. Is there something you were pushed to taste and you loved it??

Red Curry Yogurt Chicken

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Greek Yogurt
2 tbsp Red Curry Paste
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 lime, juiced
Salt, to taste
2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
2 lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Cilantro, for garnish
12 oz French Cut Green Beans
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Red Peppers, sliced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
Red Pepper Flakes, a dash
Salt, to taste
Cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, add yogurt and the next 4 ingredients. Stir until well combined. In a shallow dish, combine panko bread crumbs and red pepper flakes. Dunk one chicken breast into the yogurt mixture, both sides of the chicken should be covered. Next, place chicken in the panko. Press chicken into the panko to cover the chicken. Put chicken in baking dish and repeat steps with each chicken breast. Bake for 35 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.
In a sauce pan filled with water, add french green beans and bring water to a boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Immediately drain green beans then plunge them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain again and set aside.
In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and toss and stir for about 1 minute. Add the beans and saute for 1 minute longer. Add the red pepper flakes and garlic and stir for 1 minute. Season with salt if needed. Turn off heat and sprinkle cilantro. Serve immediately.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

http://thetastyfork.com/2013/02/05/red-curry-yogurt-chicken/

Filed Under: Chicken, Culinary School, Entree · Tagged With: chicken dinner, dinner, recipe, red curry chicken, The Tasty Fork, vegetables, yogurt chicken recipe

Sriracha Turkey Meatloaf

January 10, 2013 by admin · 4 Comments

For all of my Sriracha and spice lovers, you’re gonna love this recipe…

I’ve been making my version of this meatloaf recipe for a couple of months. Sorry I’ve been greedy and not sharing it with you. This isn’t your everyday meatloaf recipe but trust me, it’s really good!! It’s a bit healthier — I used ground turkey instead of beef & pork. I know ground turkey can get dry pretty easily but I’ve added sauteed onions and mushrooms to the meatloaf mixture to keep it juicy. By adding soy sauce and sriracha to the mixture and the glaze on top, it gives this meatloaf a great Asian flare.

If you don’t like spicy foods or can’t find sriracha, you can leave it out. I think the recipe will still provide a lot of flavor and you won’t have many leftovers.

If you do have leftovers, it warms up great! I can only imagine what a wonderful spicy turkey meatloaf sandwich this would make. I would’ve tried that for lunch today but we’re all out of bread in our house. DOH!

Tomorrow’s blog post will be back to my usual Friday thing — #followfriday. I can’t wait to share with you one of my favorite blogging buddies recipes AND crafts. (Yes, crafts!!)

If you haven’t subscribed yet to The Tasty Fork, you’re going to want to so you won’t miss my 1st giveaway!! It’s going on next week, so sign up to get my blog updates via email or like me on facebook to stay up to date!

Sriracha Turkey Meatloaf

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & pepper
8oz sliced mushrooms
1 lb ground turkey
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1.5 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1.5 tbsp sriracha
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
Cooking spray

Glaze Recipe

2 cups ketshup
1.5 tbsp soy sauce
1 .5 tbsp sriracha
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp dijon mustard

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a saute pan, add oil and when it’s at a medium heat, add onion, garlic and mushrooms. Season with salt & pepper. Saute until onions are soft, about 8 minutes. Let the veggie mixture cool off for 5 minutes.
Add the veggie mixture, ground turley and the next 6 ingredients to a bowl. Mix the meatloaf with your hands. Spray a medium size casserole dish or broiler pan with cooking spray. Form meatloaf into a 9×5 inch rectangle.
To make the glaze, add all of the ingredients and stir until smooth. Taste and add more sriracha or soy sauce if needed. Top glaze over meatloaf. Cook in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatloaf is 180 degrees. Let the meatloaf set for 10 minutes before serving.

Inspired by Cooking Light

Filed Under: Entree, Healthy, Recipes · Tagged With: dinner, meatloaf, meatloaf recipe, spicy meatloaf, sriracha, turkey meatloaf

Brown Sugar Crock Pot Pork

December 13, 2012 by Miss Tasty · 18 Comments

Brown Sugar Crock Pot Pork The Tasty Fork

I only post recipes I love. And in this case I really really LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this pork recipe. There isn’t much to it. Excluding the pork, all of the ingredients I had on hand and you should too.

I’ve made it pretty clear how much I love using my crock pot. It makes my life so much easier. I like to put the meal together the night before so it hangs out in the fridge over night. In the morning after I walk the dog and make my coffee, it’s time to grab the crock pot and turn it on. I’m out of the house for the day but dinner will be ready when I get home.

crock pot brown sugar pork via The Tasty Fork

The first thing I do when I come home from work is take a deep breath — the smell coming from the crock pot fills the whole house. When I walked in on Tuesday, I was happily overwhelmed by the smell of brown sugar pork. I ran to the kitchen and took a little bite. I seriously almost melted. The pork was so tender! And the sauce, oh my… it’s a combination of brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard. All pantry items and it made the most divine tasting sauce. It’s sweet with a touch of acidity. Perfection!

To round out the meal, I whipped up some sweet potato mash. It’s super easy — peel and dice a couple sweet potatoes, boil for 15 minutes and drain, add some butter and brown sugar and skim milk, mash until you get the right consistency. This was an easy week night meal, but I’d make this any day of the week! It’s a great recipe to use if you have guests coming over for the holidays. It makes a lot and leftovers taste better the next day.

I really wanted to name this recipe “OMG Pork.” It’s all I could say when I was eating it. I hope you’ll love love love it as much as me.

Brown Sugar Crock Pot Pork

Brown Sugar Crock Pot Pork

4 lb pork loin (or your favorite cut of pork for a crock pot)
Salt & Pepper
1 onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 cups brown sugar
2-3 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Equal part cornstarch and cold water (slurry)

Directions

Remove excess fat from pork. Using a fork, stab/make holes through out the pork. Season with salt & pepper. Spray crock pot with cooking spray and add onions. Place pork on top.
In a bowl, combine garlic, brown sugar, mustard and vinegar. It will be a paste like consistency. Spread all over pork. Cook on low for 8 hours.
When the pork is done cooking, take out of the slow cooker and let it rest for 10 minutes. (cover pork with foil) Strain the liquid in the slow cooker into a sauce pan. Save onions. On a medium heat, cook and stir in slurry. The slurry will thicken up the sauce. You may need to repeat this step a few times to get the consistency you want.
Place onions on top of pork and cut into pieces. Serve with sauce drizzled on pork pieces.

Filed Under: Crock Pot, My Kitchen, Pork, Slow Cooker · Tagged With: brown sugar pork, crock pot, crock pot pork, dinner, easy meal, food blog, Holiday food, pork, recipe, slow cooker, The Tasty Fork

BBQ Meatball Sliders

December 5, 2012 by Miss Tasty · 11 Comments

BBQ Meatball Slider The Tasty Fork

I may have a slight obsession with meatballs…but can you blame me? I have yet to meet a meatball I didn’t like.

Meatballs are easy to make. You can mix & match ingredients and know it’s always gonna taste good. My favorite part about making home-made meatballs — they bake fast and clean up is easy as long as you remember to line your baking sheet with tin foil. (please don’t forget this step!)

BBQ Meatball Sliders @ The Tasty Fork

I made BBQ Meatball Sliders for dinner the other night, but sliders are the perfect party sized snack! All of the prep work can be done before guests arrive and the meatballs go under the broiler for just 12 minutes.. so they’re super quick to pass around when guests are getting hungry. Not to mention, I’m sure you’ll get a lot of enthusiastic “oohs and aahs” when offering this slider to party goers. Let’s give two scenarios – The Everyday Slider vs. BBQ Meatball Slider.

Scenario #1

You – “Hi Uncle Bob. Would you like to try this slider?”

Uncle Bob – “Oh sure. Thanks.”

Scenario #2

You – “Hi Uncle Bob. Would you like to try a BBQ Meatball Slider.”

Uncle Bob – “BBQ Meatball Slider??!! I love meatballs! Ooohh my!”

Obviously, scenario #2 will generate the praise every party host wants and you can be happy you’ve made an amazing party snack people will talk about for years. Ok, “for year”s might be slightly over exaggerated but I’m sure you’ll get requests to make BBQ Meatball Sliders again.

Or you can be like me and eat BBQ Meatball Sliders on a random Monday just because they taste good.

BBQ Slider The Tasty Fork

BBQ Meatball Sliders, makes 12 meatballs

For the meatballs:

1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 onion, cut into wedges
1/2 cup parsley
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 lb ground beef
1 egg
Salt & Pepper

Coleslaw Recipe:

2 cups shredded cabbage mix
4 scallions, sliced
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp celery seed
Salt & Pepper

Additional Ingredients:

Cooking Spray
You favorite BBQ Sauce
12 dinner rolls or slider buns (I used Hawaiian Bread Dinner Rolls. Perfect size for a slider!)

Directions:

For the Meatballs:

Combine the bread, onion, parsley, and garlic in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the milk and Worcestershire, and let stand for 5 minutes.
Add the beef, eggs, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and gently combine. Form into 12 meatballs (about 1.5 tablespoons each)
To cook immediately: Place the meatballs on foil-lined baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Broil for 10-12 minutes, or until no longer pink.

For the Coleslaw:

Toss the cabbage and scallions with the mayonnaise, cider vinegar, and celery seed; season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Set aside.

When you’re ready to assemble the slider, place meatball on the slider bun and top with BBQ sauce & coleslaw.

Inspired by Real Simple

Filed Under: Beef, Burger, My Kitchen, Sandwich · Tagged With: dinner, food, food blog, holiday, Holiday food, meatball slider, meatballs, party food, party snack, recipe, sliders, The Tasty Fork

Whole Wheat Penne with Triple Tomato Sauce

November 29, 2012 by Miss Tasty · 7 Comments

Every morning I ask my husband, “What do you want for dinner?” (Yes, I’m thinking about dinner at 7am. It’s a problem.) His response is always the same, “Something healthy.” I usually give him a face that says, “Gee, thanks for the imput,” as I rack my brain for meal options. Luckily, I have 11 hours to come up with something.

Yesterday’s recipe post was all about time-saving and short cuts. If a product tastes good and can save me sometime (meaning I get to drink wine and watch TV sooner), I’ll buy it. However, there is one item in a grocery I’ll never buy. Store Bought Pasta Sauce. It never tastes good. I’ve tried different brands but there isn’t one that can trick my taste buds. Making my own pasta sauce is the only way to go.

When I get a craving for pasta, I just go with it. I always buy whole wheat pasta but the sauce creations are endless. Taking into consideration my hubby’s healthy request, I thought a marina sauce would be our best bet. But instead of just using some tomatoes, garlic and basil as a sauce — I wanted to kick it up a bit. I knew we had some sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste in our pantry. 3 different tomato flavors in one sauce. This was gonna be good.

Just because I’m making my own pasta sauce doesn’t mean I’m going to spend a lot of time in my kitchen. This meal was ready in 20 minutes. Honestly, the pasta sauce was ready by the time the pot of water for the pasta started to boil.

So if you’re like me and not a fan of store-bought pasta sauce, give this recipe a try. I think you’ll love all of the rich tomato flavor and you’ll be impressed by how easy it comes together!

Triple Tomato Pasta Sauce with Whole Wheat Penne

1lb whole wheat penne
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, drained and diced
1 tbsp tomato paste
Salt & Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
6 basil leaves, torn
Basil for garnish

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling water, cook penne until al dente. Save 1/2 cup of pasta water when draining cooked pasta. You may need it to thin out the sauce.
In a sauce pan with olive oil, add onions and garlic. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add sun dried tomatoes and tomato paste. Continue stirring to incorporate paste. Add Salt & Pepper and a dash of red pepper flakes.
In a blender, add canned tomatoes, basil and onion mixture. Blend until smooth. Wipe/wash clean the sauce pan if there is a lot of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. You don’t want a oily sauce. Add sauce back to the pan and keep warm until pasta is cooked. (If you have a Vitamix, just keep the sauce in the blender. The blades will warm it, so you can skip this step.) If the sauce is too thick, add a some of the pasta water to thin it out.
When the pasta is cooked and drained, add sauce and garnish with basil.

Inspired by Food & Wine

Filed Under: Healthy, My Kitchen, Pizza, Vegetarian · Tagged With: dinner, food, food blog, pasta, recipe, sundried tomatoes, tomato pasta sauce, triple tomato sauce, Vegetarian, vitamix pasta sauce, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat penne

{Trader Joe’s Inspired} Roasted Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onions & Bacon Pizza

November 28, 2012 by Miss Tasty · 12 Comments

I must admit, sometimes I’m all about the easy route. After working all day, the last thing I want to do is cook a time-consuming meal. By the time I get home, I’m really wishing I planned ahead and made a meal in my slow cooker so I wouldn’t have to do anything….but most days include me going to the store to get ingredients so I can feed myself that evening. For bad planners like me, I’m happy Trader Joe’s exists.

Trader Joe’s has a lot of things to make my busy life a lot easier! One of those items being premade whole wheat pizza dough. I know what you’re going to say, “Meghan, making pizza dough is super easy.” I know this buuuut I’m going for convenience. Since they make the dough, you still have the fun of rolling out the dough to the desired thickness (which I love) and their crust cooks up great! It tastes so good! (People will think you made it yourself, so we can keep this secret between friends.)

Another great item from Trader Joe’s is butternut squash cut into cubes. I hate hate hate peeling and cutting up butternut squash. Paying a little more for a bag like this is totally worth it for me.

As you can see from the title of this post, I made myself a pizza. The pizza – Roasted Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onions and Bacon – was inspired by ingredients bought at Trader Joe’s.

The first thing you need to do is set out the pizza dough for about 20 minutes. While you’re waiting for the dough, work on the prep steps for the pizza. Sprinkle the pre-cut butternut squash with brown sugar, salt, pepper and a little olive oil. Bake squash in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. While the squash is roasting, fry bacon pieces in a skillet. When the bacon is browned, remove bacon from the skillet but save the bacon fat. Put the onions in the skillet and cook in the bacon fat. Cook until caramelized.

If you time this right, all of your pizza prep work should be done within 20 minutes. Roll out your pizza dough and top with squash, onions, bacon, goat cheese crumbles and spinach. Pop pizza in the oven and 20-25 minutes later, you’ve got dinner!

Thanks to the time saver ingredients from Trader Joe’s, I spent little time in my kitchen and more time enjoying my evening! Do you have any time saver meals you love to make? If you do, share them in the comments section.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onions & Bacon Pizza

Pre-made pizza dough
2 1/2 cups butternut squash, cubed
1 tbsp brown sugar
Salt & Pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
6 strips of bacon, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles
Baby Spinach
1 tsp chives, chopped (garnish)

Directions:

Pizza dough needs to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Set oven to 350 degrees. On a roasting pan lined with foil, mix butternut squash, brown sugar, salt & pepper and olive oil. Cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
In a skillet, cook bacon pieces. Once bacon has browned, remove from skillet and set on a plate lined with a paper towel. In the same skillet, cook onions in the bacon fat for 8-10 minutes.
Roll out pizza dough on a floured surface. On a pizza stone or vented pizza pan, place pizza dough and top with butternut squash, bacon, onions, goat cheese and spinach. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Garnish with chives. Slice & serve!