Dinners | STEPHANIE'S SLICE OF LIFE

Category: Dinners
- Black Bean Burger
  
  Posted at 11:00 am by StephMo
  
  Sep 28th
  
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  Gone are the days of veggie burgers being just for vegetarians. They are a delicious alternative to your “normal” burger. This open faced Black Bean Burger my husband and I had for dinner was not only low fat and healthy, but it was quite filling and really good. You can top it with any of your favorite burger toppings, and use a bun if you so chose as well.
  
  Since I decided not to use a bun for this burger, I used a cauliflower sandwich thin as a base. Have you tried these? They are made by Outer Aisle and they’re a great low carb way to avoid bread. They don’t hold together like bread, however, and wouldn’t have worked as a bun with this burger. Hence, why I only used the one.
  
  For this particular burger I decided to top it with tomatoes, guacamole, a fried egg, and a chipotle mayo. It was so good! I have also included the ingredients for the mayo under the burger ingredients.
  
  Burger ingredients:
  
  1 – 14oz can of black beans
  
  2 tbsp finely chopped onions
  
  1 tsp minced garlic
  
  1 tbsp chili powder
  
  1 tsp cumin
  
  Salt and pepper to taste
  
  1 egg, beaten
  
  2/3 cup plain bread crumbs
  
  Chipotle Mayo ingredients:
  
  1/2 cup mayonaise
  
  2 1/2 tbsp chipotle sauce, I used Cholula
  
  1 tsp minced garlic
  
  1 -2 tsp lime juice
  
  For mayo –
  
  Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate for a 1/2 hour to an hour before serving. I didn’t feel like dirtying a squeeze bottle I use for baking, so I just put the sauce in a sandwich bag and cut off the tip. It wasn’t as neat as a squeeze bottle, but the end result was the same.
  
  For the burgers –
  
  Rinse and drain the black beans. Place in a medium bowl and mash, while still keeping some bean chunks. I used a potato masher, but you can also use a fork.
  
  After chopping your onion, squeeze as much liquid as you can from it in strainer. Keep pushing on the onion against the side of the strainer. If the patty is too moist it won’t hold together.
  
  Combine the onions, garlic, chili powder, and cumin with the black beans.
  
  Add the beaten egg and mix well.
  
  Add the bread crumbs and mix well.
  
  Shape into patties and refrigerate for about an hour before cooking. You could make these into four patties, but since we were forgoing the buns I decided on two fat burgers.
  
  When ready to cook, spray a frying pan with cooking spray and cook the burgers over medium heat for 4-5 minutes per side.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  Posted in Black Bean Burger, Dinners | Tagged black bean burger, burger, burger recipe, food blog, food blogger, healthy dinner, Recipes, stephanie's slice of life
- Mushroom Risotto
  
  Posted at 9:35 am by StephMo
  
  Sep 6th
  
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  If you have never made risotto, it is nothing like cooking rice. When cooking regular rice you kind of “set it and forget it”, which is not the case with risotto. Risotto is a labor of love type of food that needs to be tended to constantly. You cook it by adding small amounts of warm chicken broth in intervals until the rice gets a creamy texture. It isn’t hard to make, it just takes a little time and is so worth the effort. Yum!
  
  This was not something I was able to make often as my children did not enjoy mushrooms. Since my youngest just went off to college, sniff sniff, it seemed like a perfect time to make this delicious dish. I decided at the very end to add some shredded rotisserie chicken as well, not shown in photo. You can eat this as a meal, use it as a side dish, or top it with a piece of fish. However you serve it you will absolutely love it.
  
  Now crack open the bottle of white wine and let’s start cooking!
  
  Ingredients:
  
  1 1/2 cups arborio rice
  
  6 cups chicken broth
  
  3 tbsp olive oil
  
  Mushrooms, at least 6 oz., thinly sliced.
  
  Shallot, chopped
  
  1/2 cup white wine
  
  4 tbsp butter
  
  1-2 tbsp chives, finely chopped
  
  1/3 cup parmesan cheese
  
  Salt and pepper to taste
  
  Heat the chicken broth in a saucepan over low/medium heat. Keep the broth heated the entire time you are making the risotto. It doesn’t need to boil, just warm.
  
  In a large skillet heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat, add the mushrooms. I used Baby Bella mushrooms, but you can use whichever you prefer. I wanted to use two kinds, but there were slim pickings at the store. Cook while stirring frequently for about 3 minutes until tender.
  
  Transfer the mushrooms and juices from the pan to a bowl. Set aside.
  
  Heat the additional tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet and add the shallots. Cook for about a minute while stirring.
  
  Add the rice and stir until it is coated with the oil/shallot mixture. Continue cooking while stirring for 2 minutes. This step is important in making risotto as you want the rice to be toasted.
  
  Add the wine and stir until it is completely absorbed into the rice.
  
  Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth, stir. Continue stirring about every 20-30 seconds until it is absorbed. Continue with another 1/2 cup of broth until absorbed, etc.
  
  I found that the rice really slowed down absorbing the broth after about 5 – 5 1/2 cups of broth. It was very creamy and looked done so I did not use the full 6 cups.
  
  Remove from the heat and add the mushrooms with juices, butter, chives (my husband didn’t know the difference between chives and scallions so I used scallions), and cheese.
  
  Stir well until the butter is melted. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
  
  So good! Enjoy!
  
  Posted in Dinners, Mushroom Risotto | Tagged blogger, food blog, food blogger, mushroom risotto, Recipes, risotto, risotto recipe, stephanie's slice of life
- Chicken Piccata
  
  Posted at 11:48 am by StephMo
  
  Mar 4th
  
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  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
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  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
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  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
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  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
  
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  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
  
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  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
  
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  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
  
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  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
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