Dinners | Stephanie's Slice Of Life

Category: Dinners
- Chicken Piccata
  
  Posted at 11:48 am by StephMo
  
  Mar 4th
  
  This recipe is delicious, there was nothing to change in my opinion, just yummy. I have had Chicken Piccata many a times over the years, whether at an Italian restaurant, or on my mother’s dinner table. However, I realized recently while looking at a restaurant menu that I had never cooked it myself. I also realized I have never made Chicken Marsala which will be my next chicken dish to cook.
  
  If you aren’t familiar with Chicken Piccata, it is a fried chicken breast topped with a lemon butter sauce. I probably had you at butter, right? Let me just say that there is a lot of butter in this recipe, so of course it is going to be good. Butter makes it better! The chicken was tender, and the combination of sauce with capers was perfect.
  
  Unfortunately, I had two hungry men waiting for their dinner and didn’t have the time to get the nicest photos. My son always tells me it’s not how the photos looks that is important, it is how the food tastes. He’s a wise young man.
  
  Ingredients:
  
  3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (it may have called for 2 but I used 3)
  
  Salt and pepper
  
  Flour
  
  6 tbsp butter
  
  5 tbsp olive oil
  
  1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  
  1/2 cup chicken broth
  
  1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
  
  I trimmed the chicken breasts and cut them in half. Between plastic wrap I pounded the chicken with a mallet until slightly thin. Next time I think I will pound them a little thinner.
  
  Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour until coated.
  
  In a large skillet over med/high heat add 2 tbsp. butter and olive oil. When the mixture is sizzling add 3 pieces of chicken to the pan and cook for 3 minutes.
  
  Flip the chicken and cook for 3 minutes, the chicken should be brown.
  
  Remove the chicken from the pan onto a plate.
  
  Add 2 more tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil to the pan. Once it begins to sizzle, cook the other three pieces of chicken the same way. Remove from the pan onto the plate with the other chicken.
  
  Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon juice, chicken broth, and capers. Return to the stove and heat to boiling while scraping the pan and stirring. Add the chicken back into the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. I flipped the chicken half way through so both sides would be simmering in the sauce.
  
  Remove the chicken from the pan. Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the pan and stir vigorously until butter has melted.
  
  Plate the chicken and spoon the sauce and capers over the chicken. Pairs well with a side of pasta.
  
  Yum, yum, yum!
  
  Posted in Chicken Piccata, Dinners | Tagged chicken piccata, Chicken piccata recipe, chicken recipe, food blog, food blogger, italian food, lemon butter sauce, Recipes, stephanie's slice of life
- Buffalo Chicken Pot Pie
  
  Posted at 1:59 pm by StephMo
  
  Jan 31st
  My family is a huge fan of buffalo chicken everything, so I decided to give my Chicken Pot Pie recipe a buffalo sauce spin. I had to make a few adjustments to the recipe to get it the way I wanted as the added buffalo sauce made the “gravy” too loose. A little added flour and less chicken broth did the trick and my second try was perfect and absolutely delicious! I did not use homemade crust for this recipe as you can probably tell, but if you are looking for a pie crust recipe here is the link to the crust I use:
  
  https://stephaniessliceoflife.com/category/recipes/pies/vodka-pie-crust/
  
  I am a little bit of a wimp when it comes to spicy food and my family always laughs at me while I struggle through foods that they don’t even find remotely spicy. With that said if you like your food more on the spicy side you may want to use the higher end of the buffalo sauce measurement in the ingredients.
  
  Ingredients:
  
  Pie crust
  
  2 tbsp. butter
  
  1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots
  
  1 large stalk of celery, chopped
  
  2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
  
  1/2 cup flour
  
  1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  
  1/4 cup half and half
  
  Salt and pepper
  
  Onion powder
  
  1/4 – 1/3 cups buffalo wing sauce
  
  2 tbsp. (or more) crumbled blue cheese
  
  1 egg
  
  In a large saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the peas, carrots, and celery and cook for 3-4 minutes stirring frequently.
  
  Add the chicken and cook for another minute.
  
  Add the flour and stir until it is absorbed into the chicken and vegetables. Cook for another minute then add the chicken broth and stir well.
  
  Bring to a boil and cook until it starts to thicken, about 3 minutes or so.
  
  Add the half and half and cook for another few minutes until it starts to thicken. Add the salt, pepper, and onion powder to taste and stir well.
  
  Stir in the buffalo sauce and remove from the heat.
  
  Of course if we are adding buffalo sauce we need to add blue cheese right? You can use as much or as little as you like.
  
  Scoop half of the chicken mixture into a pie plate, top with half of the crumbled cheese. Add the second half of the mixture and the rest of the cheese.
  
  Top with the pie crust and brush on an egg wash. To make the egg wash beat one egg and combine with 1 tbsp. of water.
  
  Bake at 375 degrees until bubbly and crust has browned, approximately 30-35 minutes. I put the pie plate on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil in case there is any spilling.
  
  Let cool for a few minutes before serving.
  
  Yum, yum! Enjoy!
  Buffalo Chicken Pot Pie
  
  Print Recipe Pin Recipe
  
  Ingredients
  
  1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots
  1 large stalk of celery, chopped
  2 tbsp. butter
  2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
  1/2 cup flour
  1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  salt and pepper
  onion powder
  1/4 cup half and half
  1/4 – 1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce
  2 tbsp. blue cheese, crumbled
  1 pie crust
  1 egg, beaten
  
  Instructions
  
  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  In a large saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add peas, carrots, and celery and cook for 3-4 minutes while stirring frequently. Add chicken and cook for an additional minute.
  Add flour and stir until absorbed into vegetables and chicken. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil and cook until it begins to thicken, approx. 3-4 minutes.
  Season to taste with salt, pepper, and onion powder.
  Add half and half and boil until it begins to thicken, approx. 3-4 minutes. Stir in buffalo sauce and remove from heat.
  Scoop half of the chicken mixture into a pie plate and top with half of the blue cheese. Repeat with remaining chicken mixture and cheese. Top with pie crust.
  Make an egg wash by combining 1 tbsp. water with the beaten egg. Brush over crust. Bake until bubbly and crust has browned, approx. 30-35 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
  Posted in Buffalo Chicken Pot Pie, Dinners | Tagged buffalo chicken pot pie, buffalo chicken recipes, chicken pot pie, food blog, food blogger, pot pie recipes, Recipes, stephanie's slice of life
- Prosciutto Lamb Burgers
  
  Posted at 11:29 am by StephMo
  
  Jan 20th
  Often when I am taking pictures for my Blog I am actually cooking dinner for my family. When these burgers were done my family was sitting patiently at the table waiting for them to be served. I quickly snapped a few pictures of the burger before handing them off and not realizing how strange the colors look on the blue plate. Ugh. By the time I realized it the burgers were long gone, so I apologize if they look a little off. I am not a chef with a commercial kitchen and a camera crew, I am just a woman with an iPhone sharing my favorite recipes.
  
  Now let’s talk about this burger. It is so good! The prosciutto gets a wonderful crisp texture and the flavors are fantastic together. I used to use balsamic vinegar, but I have become a huge fan of balsamic glaze. If you have never tried it, I highly recommend getting some the next time you are at the grocery store. These burgers are very easy to make, and look and taste impressive.
  
  Ingredients:
  
  1 lb. ground lamb
  
  1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
  
  1 tbsp. parsley
  
  1 egg, beaten
  
  2 tbsp. milk
  
  1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  
  1/2 tsp. salt
  
  1/2 tsp. pepper
  
  1/4 lb. sliced prosciutto
  
  1-2 tomatoes, sliced
  
  Basil
  
  Olive oil
  
  Balsamic vinegar or glaze
  
  Mix together the breadcrumbs, parsley, egg, milk, parmesan, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
  
  Add the ground lamb and mix well.
  
  Shape into four burgers and wrap each with prosciutto.
  
  Heat about 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the burgers and cook for approx. 6-8 minutes on each side until cooked through.
  
  Look how good that prosciutto looks!
  
  Serve topped with slices of tomatoes and fresh basil. Drizzle with olive oil and either balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze.
  
  Delicious!
  Prosciutto Lamb Burgers
  
  Print Recipe Pin Recipe
  
  Servings 4
  
  Ingredients
  
  1 lb. ground lamb
  1/4 lb. sliced prosciutto
  1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
  1 tbsp. parsley
  1 egg, beaten
  2 tbsp. milk
  1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  1/2 tsp. salt
  1/2 tsp. pepper
  olive oil
  balsamic vinegar or glaze
  1-2 tomatoes
  basil
  
  Instructions
  
  Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
  Combine breadcrumbs, parsley, egg, milk, parmesan, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add lamb and mix well.
  Shape into four burgers and wrap each with prosciutto.
  Cook in pan for approx. 6-8 per side until meat is cooked through.
  Serve topped with tomato slices and basil. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar or glaze.
  Posted in Dinners, Prosciutto Lamb Burgers | Tagged food blog, food blogger, lamb burgers, lamb recipes, prosciutto lamb burger recipe, prosciutto lamb burgers, Recipes, stephanie's slice of life
- Baked Pork and Apples
  
  Posted at 9:34 am by StephMo
  
  Jan 18th
  Pork and apples are two flavors that go hand in hand. Growing up my mother would always serve pork chops with applesauce, wasn’t there even a Brady Bunch episode about that? I think I’m dating myself. Anyway, if pork with applesauce goes together then why not pork with apple slices. I personally like having a nice chunk of cinnamon sugar apple along with my bite of pork.
  
  I typically use boneless pork chops, but today I had a pork tenderloin in the house and decided to use that cut into slices. You can also use bone-in pork chops if you prefer as well. The preparation is the same but the cooking time will vary.
  
  Ingredients:
  
  Pork tenderloin or chops
  
  1 tbsp. butter
  
  3-4 apples, peeled and sliced
  
  Brown sugar
  
  Cinnamon
  
  Salt and pepper
  
  Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Season both sides of the pork with salt and pepper and place in the pan. After one side has browned flip and brown the other side, it only takes a few minutes. You aren’t trying to cook the pork through, just to give it a quick browning before baking.
  
  While the pork is cooking peel and slice the apples and place in a greased baking dish.
  
  Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. I didn’t have that many apples so I think I may have used about 2 tbsp. of sugar, maybe a little more, and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. I purchased four apples for this meal but apparently never informed my family the apples were for me. At least they are eating fruit lol.
  
  Sprinkle evenly over the apples.
  
  Top with the browned pork and cover with aluminum foil.
  
  Bake at 350 degrees until pork is done, which is when the meat is at 145-150 degrees. These thin slices of tenderloin took about a half hour, but when I have used boneless pork chops it has taken a little longer. I don’t cook bone in pork but I believe that may be even longer.
  
  Sometimes I serve with mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower, or brussels sprouts. You can serve with whatever you wish! Enjoy!
  Baked Pork and Apples
  
  Print Recipe Pin Recipe
  
  Ingredients
  
  Pork tenderloin or chops
  1 tbsp Butter
  Salt and Pepper
  4 Apples
  Brown Sugar
  Cinnamon
  
  Instructions
  
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Season both sides of the pork with salt and pepper and place in the pan. Brown each side.
  Peel and slice the apples and place in a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. For four apples use approx. 1/4 cup brown sugar mixed with 1 tsp. cinnamon.
  Top apples with browned pork and cover with aluminum foil.
  Bake until meat temperature reaches 145-150 degrees. Tenderloin slices take approx. 30 minutes while other cuts of pork may take longer.
  Posted in Baked Pork and Apples, Dinners | Tagged baked pork chops, baked pork chops and apples, dinner recipes, food blog, food blogger, pork chop recipe, pork chops, pork chops and apples, Recipes, stephanie's slice of life
- Mustard Chicken Salad
  
  Posted at 9:07 am by StephMo
  
  Jan 12th
  
  As I have said before in some of my Blogs, I am a huge fan of make ahead meals. Not only because there are days where I just don’t have the time to prepare a meal, but sometimes I’m just kind of tired around dinnertime and prefer to just sit and eat. So if you are like me and have more energy early in the day or also just prefer to sit and eat, you too will love this meal.
  
  This was a frequent “go to” dinner when my children had late day activities or games. I would prepare it when they were in school and it was not only ready for us right when we got home, but it is healthy and they loved it. It’s a win win! It also goes really well with a nice loaf of bread.
  
  I have been making this recipe for many years and I believe it is originally one of Ina Garten’s recipes so you know it is going to be fantastic. You can leave out the wine if you prefer or don’t have any in the house, but it does add a nice flavor.
  
  Ingredients:
  
  4 – 6 bone in chicken breasts
  
  Olive oil
  
  Salt and Pepper
  
  2 cups broccoli florets
  
  1 1/2 cups mayonaise
  
  2 tbsp. white wine
  
  1/4 cup dijon mustard
  
  3 tbsp. stone ground mustard
  
  1 cup grape tomatoes
  
  Prepare the chicken by placing it on a large cookie sheet and rubbing each breast with a little olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken to taste.
  
  Cook at 375 degrees for about an hour or until the chicken is cooked. Let cool.
  
  Once cool remove the skin and cut the chicken into bite size chunks.
  
  Blanch the broccoli for 3-4 minutes in boiling water, then remove from the pot and transfer to a bowl of ice water, this will stop the broccoli from cooking. Drain and set aside. I squeeze the broccoli because it really does hold the water.
  
  Cut the tomatoes and half and also set aside.
  
  Whisk together the mayonaise, mustards, and wine in a large mixing bowl.
  
  Add the broccoli, tomatoes, and chicken to the mixture and combine well.
  
  Look at the beautiful color of the broccoli from blanching!
  
  Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
  
  And that’s it! So delicious and easy!
  
  Posted in Dinners, Mustard Chicken Salad | Tagged chicken salad, chicken salad recipe, food blog, food blogger, healthy meals, make ahead dinners, make ahead meals, mom life, mustard chicken, mustard chicken salad, mustard chicken salad recipe, Recipes, stephanie's slice of life
- Chicken Pot Pie
  
  Posted at 7:14 pm by StephMo
  
  Dec 14th
  
  Pot pie is such a classic comfort food isn’t it? I’ve made it a few different ways over the years and this is the way I have made it the most, and most recently. This pie is actually a turkey pot pie with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving that I had in the freezer. Normally I would cook chicken breast for this, but since I had the turkey why not make it into a pot pie.
  
  Let me just come clean right now and say that I cheated and used a pre-made pie crust for this pot pie. And I don’t feel bad even though my family always teases me when I use pre-made crust. As I have mentioned before, pie crust is not my favorite thing to make and after a busy day I just prefer to use something already made. Still tastes delicious!
  
  Ingredients:
  
  Pie crust
  
  2 tbsp. butter
  
  1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots
  
  2-3 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey
  
  3 cups chicken broth
  
  1/3 cup flour
  
  1/4 cup half and half
  
  Salt
  
  Pepper
  
  Dried thyme
  
  Onion powder
  
  Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the peas and carrots and cook for about 2-3 minutes stirring frequently.
  
  Add the chicken and cook for another minute.
  
  Add the flour and stir well, then cook for another minute.
  
  Add the chicken broth and bring to a low boil for about 3 minutes until it starts to thicken.
  
  Add the salt, pepper, onion powder, and thyme to taste. I don’t measure it out, I just shake some in the pot.
  
  Add the half and half and continue cooking at a low boil until it thickens.
  
  Remove from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes before pouring into a pie dish.
  
  Top with your pie crust, homemade or store bought.
  
  If you would like, brush the crust with an egg wash. To make an egg wash mix a beaten egg with 1-2 tbsp. of water and brush over the crust. Use a knife and put a few slits in the crust as well to let the steam escape.
  
  Bake at 375 degrees on a foil lined cookie sheet for around 30 minutes or until the crust is brown and the pie is bubbly.
  
  Serve and enjoy!
  
  Posted in Chicken Pot Pie, Dinners | Tagged chicken pot pie, chicken pot pie recipe, food blog, food blogger, leftover turkey recipes, Recipes, stephanies slice of life, turkey pot pie, turkey pot pie recipe
- Lasagna
  
  Posted at 8:26 pm by StephMo
  
  Nov 24th
  
  Lasagna is one of those foods that I love but hardly ever eat. I absolutely love ricotta cheese on just about anything, pizza, lasagna, cannolis, whatever. Not to mention when it is combined with pasta and red sauce. Yum! Unfortunately only half of my family has the same love of ricotta as I do, so it isn’t really worth me making lasagna very often. Sadly. Every now and again I treat my daughter and myself to one and today was that day! And it was absolutely delicious!
  
  My mother didn’t make lasagna very often, but she did make what she called “lazy lasagna”. This was when you cook any type of pasta and mix it with the ricotta mixture and a little red sauce. It wasn’t baked so you really shouldn’t add the egg unless you are making a baked lasagna. It is also very yummy so I highly encourage you give it a try.
  
  Here are the ingredients you need to make lasagna:
  
  1 lb. lasagna noodles
  
  1 15 oz. container of ricotta
  
  2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
  
  1/8 – 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  
  1/8 – 1/4 tsp. pepper
  
  1 – 2 tsp. parsley
  
  1 egg
  
  Shredded mozarella
  
  Red Sauce – here is the link to my red sauce recipe https://stephaniessliceoflife.com/2019/12/30/feeling-saucy/
  
  Cook lasagna noodles as directed on package. If you have never cooked these, layer them in the pot of boiling water and give them a few seconds to soften and push them under the water. Once they are all soft then you can stir them.
  
  While the pasta is cooking mix the ricotta, garlic powder, parmesan, pepper, parsley, and egg together in a mixing bowl. As I mentioned, if you aren’t going to bake the pasta then omit the egg.
  
  Tonight I decided to add some spinach to the mixture. You can cook fresh spinach and chop it or use chopped frozen spinach. I used about 1 cup of spinach.
  
  In a glass baking dish spread a little of your sauce. Then lay down the first layer of noodles. Depending on the size of your dish you may need to trim the noodles which I did. I remember being a child and dipping those little cut off strips into the ricotta mixture and eating it while my mother was putting together the lasagna.
  
  Add a layer of ricotta over the noodles.
  
  Another thin layer of sauce, and some shredded mozarella.
  
  Keep repeating the layers until you get near the top of the dish. With your last layer of noodles, top with some sauce and mozarella.
  
  Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes or until the mozzarella is melted.
  
  Let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing. Mangia!
  
  Posted in Dinners, Lasagna | Tagged food blog, food blogger, homemade lasagna, lasagna, lasagna recipe, Recipes, spinach lasagna, stephanie's slice of life
- Meatballs
  
  Posted at 7:52 pm by StephMo
  
  Nov 24th
  
  One of the perks about growing up with an Italian mother and grandmother was the food. Whenever my mother or grandmother had a pot of sauce on the stove you could pretty much guarantee there was some meat cooking in there. My grandmother especially, you never knew what she would pull out of that pot, whether it was chicken, pork, sausages, or meatballs they were always delicious. So whenever I am making a pot of red sauce, I will often throw some meatballs into the sauce as well. Here is the link to my red sauce recipe https://stephaniessliceoflife.com/2019/12/30/feeling-saucy/
  
  This meatball recipe is pretty much the same recipe my mother always made, which means it is probably pretty similar to what my Grandmother used to make. She never measured her ingredients, nor do I, but I believe they are pretty similar. I make these homemade meatballs with ground turkey, but you can make them with ground beef too. Let me just say that I did not grow up on turkey meatballs. There was no way my Italian mother or grandmother would have ever made ground turkey anything lol.
  
  Here is my best guess of measurements.
  
  Ingredients:
  
  1 lb. ground turkey or beef
  
  1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  
  1 tbsp. grated parmesan
  
  1/8 – 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  
  1/4 tsp. salt
  
  1/4 tsp. pepper
  
  1 egg
  
  Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium sized mixing bowl.
  
  Shape the meat into balls with your hands and either cook them in a frying pan or bake them. When I bake them it is at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. When using a frying pan you need to just make sure the meat is cooked through. Turn the meatballs every few minutes to get them brown on every side.
  
  Today I am cooking them in my pot of red sauce so I just wanted them browned in the pan, and then I will let them cook in the sauce for about 1 1/2 hours.
  
  Today in addition to meatballs, I browned a few Italian sausages and put them in a sauce as well. Yum!
  
  As my mother and grandmother would say, mangia!
  
  Posted in Dinners, Meatballs | Tagged food blog, food blogger, italian food, italian meatball recipe, italian meatballs, meatball recipe, meatballs, Recipes, stephanie's slice of life, turkey meatball recipe, turkey meatballs
- Chicken Croquettes
  
  Posted at 6:59 pm by StephMo
  
  Nov 15th
  
  This is a recipe my mother made when we had leftover chicken or turkey when I was growing up. If I remember correctly, she may have made them with ham as well. I don’t think I have had them since I lived at home many years ago. Once again, I got her recipe out of her beloved Betty Crocker cookbook. I did tweak it a little here and there, but it is pretty much the same as she used to make.
  
  I wasn’t able to cook them the night I prepared the croquettes and I wasn’t sure how they would come out a day later. They were perfect! So now I know you can make them a day ahead and keep them in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
  
  The original recipe calls for frozen peas in a cream sauce, does that even exist anymore? I am not sure what my mother did for this part of the recipe, I just remember there being a white sauce with peas. I went with the variation of using plain frozen peas and the Veloute Sauce that it gave as an option.
  
  I have to say, I didn’t expect them to be as delicious as they were. Very good!
  
  Ingredients:
  
  1/4 cup butter
  
  1/4 cup flour
  
  1 cup milk
  
  salt and pepper
  
  2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
  
  1 tbsp. minced onion
  
  1 tsp. parsley
  
  1 egg
  
  2 tbsp. water
  
  1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
  
  1 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
  
  8 oz. frozen peas
  
  Veloute Sauce (see below)
  
  The first thing you need to do is finely chop chicken and set aside. I did not have leftover chicken as my mother used to, so I cooked a few boneless chicken breasts. The next time I have leftovers I will think to make these.
  
  Melt the butter in a saucepan over low/medium heat. Add some salt and pepper, then whisk in the flour to create a roux. I actually used a little more flour than it called for.
  
  Add the milk while whisking and bring to a boil. This sauce thickened in no time so be prepared. It may be because of the additional flour that I used.
  
  Mix the chicken, onion (I didn’t use onion because my son doesn’t like onion), parsley, and salt and pepper in with the thick sauce.
  
  Spread into an ungreased dish and refrigerate for 2 hours.
  
  Divide the mixture into 12 equal parts and shape into balls. Beat the egg and water together. Combine the breadcrumbs and parmesan. Dip each ball into the egg mixture, then roll in the breadcrumb parmesan mixture. The parmesan wasn’t in the original recipe but I like to add a little cheese. Cover and refrigerate for another 2 hours.
  
  The original recipe calls for the croquettes to be fried in 3 to 4 inches of oil, which I did. Next time I think I might try baking them at 350 degrees to cut out some of the fat. You can do either and I would imagine they taste better fried. Doesn’t everything?
  
  It only takes about a minute or two until they turn brown.
  
  While they are cooking prepare the sauce.
  
  Veloute Sauce –
  
  Ingredients:
  
  2 tbsp. butter
  
  2 tbsp. flour
  
  1 cup chicken broth
  
  1/4 tsp. salt
  
  1/8 tsp. pepper
  
  1/8 tsp. nutmeg
  
  Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a few minutes creating a roux. Whisk in the chicken broth and heat to boiling while whisking constantly. Boil for 1 minute then stir in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
  
  Add the frozen peas and cook until warm.
  
  Serve sauce over the croquettes.
  
  Posted in Chicken Croquettes, Dinners | Tagged chicken croquettes, chicken croquettes recipe, chicken dinner ideas, croquettes, food blog, food blogger, leftover chicken recipes, leftover turkey recipes, Recipes, stephanie's slice of life, turkey croquettes
- Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
  
  Posted at 12:02 pm by StephMo
  
  Nov 9th
  
  Is there anything better than Mac and Cheese? The answer is no, there isn’t. It is the ultimate comfort food. I could eat mac and cheese every day and would not tire of it. If you are feeling a little spicy, why not give that heavenly mixture of macaroni and cheese a little kick with some buffalo sauce.
  
  This recipe is just a little spin off of the regular mac and cheese recipe that I normally make. It is also a recipe for baked mac and cheese, but if you prefer it unbaked just skip the breadcrumb topping and baking step. I always preferred it baked, but now I am starting to lean more towards unbaked. Either is delicious and I alternate back and forth.
  
  This is also one of those recipes that I make without measuring everything so please bear with the lack of accurate measurements.
  
  Now let’s get to that cheesy goodness!
  
  Ingredients:
  
  1 lb. pasta
  
  8 oz. block of cheddar cheese
  
  4 oz. block pepperjack cheese
  
  3 cups milk
  
  Pepper
  
  Ground mustard
  
  Shredded chicken
  
  1/4 cup – 1/2 cup Buffalo sauce
  
  3/4 cup breadcrumbs
  
  7 tbsp. butter, divided
  
  1 tbsp. crumbled blue cheese
  
  Shred the cheddar and pepperjack cheeses and set aside. I recommend using block cheese and shredding it yourself. You can use pre-shredded cheese, but using block cheese gives it better flavor.
  
  Shred some cooked chicken, you can use as much as you would like. I am guessing I used about a cup or a cup and a half.
  
  Start getting the pasta ready to cook. The sauce takes about 10 minutes so gear when to start the pasta based on that.
  
  Melt 4 tbsp. of butter in a saucepan. Add some pepper and some ground mustard and whisk together. I just sprinkle some in, maybe about two shakes of the ground mustard. You can also use about a tsp. of regular mustard if you don’t have ground mustard.
  
  Add flour and whisk to create a roux. I don’t measure the flour, I just add some and then add a little more until it becomes the consistency seen in the second photo below. It is really important to constantly whisk during this step.
  
  Add the milk while whisking well to really incorporate the roux into the milk. Add the buffalo sauce, use as much as you think you would like. I always tend to put less and then have it on the table for people to add more if they prefer. Bring to a low boil while continuing to whisk frequently.
  
  Once boiled reduce heat to a simmer and add the cheese. Whisk well until all the cheese is melted. As you can see I dropped some cheese on my stove, ooops.
  
  Keep simmering and whisking frequently until pasta is cooked.
  
  If you prefer an unbaked mac and cheese, just mix the pasta, chicken and cheese sauce together in the pan and serve.
  
  If you would like it baked, put half of the pasta and all the chicken into a greased casserole dish. Pour in half of the cheese sauce and stir it together. Look at that yummy cheese!
  
  Add the rest of the pasta and the rest of the sauce to the casserole. Stir.
  
  Mix together 3 tbsp. of melted butter with the breadcrumbs and blue cheese. If you like a lot of blue cheese, add more than the 1 tbsp.
  
  Sprinkle over the top of the casserole and bake covered with aluminum foil for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, and an additional 5-10 minutes uncovered until bubbly.
  
  Yum, yum, yum.
  
  So good! Enjoy!
  
  Posted in Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese, Dinners | Tagged buffalo chicken, buffalo chicken mac and cheese, buffalo chicken mac and cheese recipe, buffalo mac and cheese, Comfort Food, food blog, food blogger, mac and cheese, mac and cheese recipe, Recipes, stephanie's slice of life
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