One Pot Shrimp and Spinach with Orzo

I love it when we find a weeknight recipe that everyone likes and is easy to make. This particular one fits the bill in all those ways. From prep to table, this delicious shrimp dish took about 30 minutes, and I can't say enough about how yummy it was--for me, Hubby, and our girls. We will be including this one in our weekly meal plan over and over again, I have no doubt!

This started as a recipe on Buzzfeed. When I looked over the ingredient amounts, I felt like they were definitely off--especially if I wanted to feed my entire family, so I adjusted accordingly. The method is exactly the same, but this will feed 4 people easily. 

One Pot Shrimp and Spinach with Orzo

*Adapted from Buzzfeed 

4 tablespoons water

2 sticks butter, cut into pieces

3 teaspoons lemon zest (from 2 small lemons)

2 sprigs thyme

1 1/2-2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 shallots, diced

2 cups orzo

4 cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 cups spinach

Chopped parsley, for garnish

Over low heat, add water to a Dutch oven and slowly add the butter, a few pieces at a time, whisking constantly to make sure the water and butter combines and doesn't separate. Add the lemon zest and thyme springs and stir. Add the shrimp and poach for 8-10 minutes, until shrimp is fully cooked. Remove the shrimp and set aside. Discard thyme sprigs.

Add garlic, shallots, and orzo to the remaining liquid in the Dutch oven. Salt and pepper to taste and stir until all the liquid has been absorbed (this will only take a minute or two). Increase heat to medium-high and pour in the chicken stock. Cook, stirring frequently so it doesn't stick, until the orzo is al dente, about 9 minutes. Once the orzo is al dente, add the spinach and stir until just wilted. 

Remove from heat and serve the spinach and orzo topped with the shrimp and garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Skillet Chicken Pot Pie

I am a huge fan of meals that can be made in one (or two) pots. The fewer dishes, the better! My least favorite kitchen chore is doing the dishes. In fact, when Hubby is on his weekend, the dishes are his job. He knows I hate doing them, but when he works, it's on me since he leaves right after we finish eating. One more reason I really, really look forward to his weekends!

This skillet chicken pot pie is a wonderful, one pot dish that is a huge crowd pleaser. When it comes out of the oven, it looks so yummy and amazing, you really feel like you've got a handle on the whole cooking thing. Look what I made! Look how pretty! It looks delicious and smells like heaven! Yep, it's a good one.

Skillet Chicken Pot Pie

12-inch cast iron skillet
3-4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
6 sage leaves, finely chopped
1/3 cup flour
4 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup half and half
4 cups frozen veggies, thawed (I like a mix of carrots, peas, and corn)
Salt and pepper
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 425 º. Heat oil and butter in the cast iron skillet on medium-low heat. Add shallots and sauté for 3 minutes, then add garlic and sage and cook for 30 seconds. Add flour, stir to coat. (You can add a drizzle of extra oil here, if necessary). Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broth 1/2 cup at a time, whisking as you go. Whisk in half and half and season with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium high and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken. Add the veggies and chicken and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt and/or pepper, as needed.

Unroll the thawed puff pastry onto the top of the skillet. Carefully pinch down the edges (the skillet is warm!) and brush with the beaten egg. Cut a few lines in the pastry sheet to vent. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 375º and bake for 5-7 minutes longer until the top is nicely browned. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve. Enjoy!

Chicken and Dumplings

I love my family, especially my mom, who is one of the best cooks in the world, I swear. Nothing compares to some of her dishes for comfort and deliciousness. That said, because my dad wasn't an adventurous eater when we were growing up, my mom had a meat and potatoes philosophy when it came to dinner and had a number of meals that were on a permanent rotation. We didn't have onions or garlic in our food, unless it was the powdered form. Fortunately, Hubs and I are the exact opposite and really like to try new recipes with all kinds of ingredients-especially garlic and onions!

This recipe is one that I created because, although I didn't have chicken and dumplings growing up, Hubby did. Coming from a Ukrainian family meant that dumplings were a staple, according to him, and he really wanted chicken and dumplings a few weeks ago, so I obliged. We had a rotisserie chicken from Costco (the best kind of chicken for just about any dish) and Hubby didn't want carrots, so I used peas and celery and then chopped up the celery tops to add to the dumplings because I love, love, love the flavor of celery leaves. I've made this a couple of times since and I love it even more each time. It's even better the next day, which is really nice! The best part of the recipe is that it's easy to change it up. Add carrots or diced potatoes or any other veggies you like. We won't be changing it up much because we love it so much as is. Another permanent recipe dish, for sure!

Chicken and Dumplings

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (or one large rotisserie chicken, shredded)
1 bunch of celery, with the tops
2 shallots or 1 yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock (1 1/2 boxes)
1/3 cup milk
Salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
2/3 cup frozen peas

For the dumplings:
1 1/4 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup milk
1-2 tablespoons minced celery tops

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Chop up four ribs of celery and add to the pot with the onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for about 6 minutes, or until softened a bit. Whisk in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly. Add stock and bring to a boil, whisking to remove all the yummy bits from the bottom of the pot. Boil for 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low and add milk, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste and cook an additional 5 minutes. Make a slurry with the cornstarch and water and whisk into the broth, then add chicken and peas. Heat through for a few minutes while you make the dumplings.

For the dumplings: Mix Bisquick, milk, and chopped celery tops together in a medium bowl. Gently spoon the mixture by tablespoonfuls on top of the chicken stew. Cover the pot and gently steam the dumplings on the stovetop on low heat for 20 minutes until firm and puffed. Spoon into bowls and enjoy!

Sweet Potato, Caramelized Shallot, and Goat Cheese Tart

Oh, so good. So, so good!

 Hubby and I are on a healthy, whole foods kick. We purchased a quarter of a cow from one of his co-workers, who has a beef farm, which resulted in 175 pounds of organic, grass-fed beef filling our freezer. We are splitting it with my parents, but I can't tell you how excited I am to see all that wonderful meat! It was really cost-effective too, when you broke it all down.

In addition to our beautiful quarter beef, we have started using Full Circle produce. They deliver a box of certified organic produce to our front door once a week. Now, I am NOT one of those it-must-be-organic-or-I'm-going-to-freak-out types, but it is really exciting to get such good, local produce (I am a big proponent of eating local!) at such a great price. And delivered to our door, no less! The best thing about it is that we are being forced to cook outside the box, figuratively speaking. Just this week, we got a pie pumpkin, a bunch of kale, yams, an avocado, shallots, valencia oranges, persimmons, and fuji apples. We found out that persimmons are yummy! And I sautéed some kale with red pepper flakes, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. It was delicious!

The best thing I've made with some of this amazing produce was a sweet potato, caramelized shallot, and goat cheese tart. I actually cheated and made it the day before we got the box of produce because I had a bunch of sweet potatoes, but I'm sure it will be just as good when I make it again with the yams! This is my favorite thing I've made in a long time. Hubs enjoyed it, but he's a meat lover, so this vegetarian dish wasn't in his top 5. It was definitely in mine though! I can't even begin to describe how yummy it was, and although a bit labor intensive, the results are SO worth it. Thank you to Full Circle for posting this recipe, which I will be using for the rest of my life. I swear. The only change I MIGHT make would be to sprinkle some crumbled bacon on top. Because everything is better with bacon. Maybe.

Oh, and I apologize for the poor quality of the photos. It was 7:30 when I started it, so it didn't get done until around 9. 9pm in the fall=crummy light!

Sweet Potato, Caramelized Shallot, and Goat Cheese Tart
*From Full Circle

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 1/4 pounds (2 medium) sweet potatoes or garnet yams, peeled and thinly sliced (we used a mandolin)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup goat cheese, crumbled
2 strips cooked bacon, crumbled (optional)

Preheat oven to 400º.  In a medium saucepan, heat oil oer medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Spray a 10-inch tart pan with non-stick spray (we used our Misto) and place it on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Place sweet potatoes or yams in overlapping layers, starting at the outer edge and spiraling inward to make one layer. Sprinkle some shallots, thyme, Parm, goat cheese, salt and pepper, and repeat the process to create 3 layers.

Cover the top of the tart with crumbled bacon, if you're using it (I'm still on the fence about the bacon), and any remaining cheese (I set aside some Parm so I had plenty to sprinkle on top), then very lightly salt.

Bake until the top is golden brown and the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 40-45 minutes. Remove and cut into wedges to serve. It also reheats really well the next day. Enjoy!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I used to hate broccoli. Like I had a true, honest, complete HATRED for broccoli. It's nasty, I can't stand the taste, I don't want to eat mini trees . . . and on and on and on. It was pretty dramatic-and ridiculous. I have since seen the error of my ways and now I LOVE broccoli. We buy the giant bags of florets from Costco and use it up within two weeks. Broccoli in everything! This soup, in particular, is a family favorite. I wrote down the recipe and have reworked it over and over again until it is perfect-at least in our opinion. The notebook page it's on is covered with mashed broccoli bits, dried cheese, and splashes of milk-all signs of a well-used recipe! My husband is a huge fan and claims that it is just as good as Chili's, which is really, really high praise coming from a self-proclaimed broccoli cheese soup aficionado.

I know that 8 cups of chopped broccoli is a lot, but that is the way we like it--with lots and lots of broccoli! We have made it with 5 cups of chopped broccoli, 2 cups of half and half, 3 cups of chicken stock, and 3 cups of shredded cheese, but my family likes it as written below. My 6-year-old is so excited to take the leftovers to school for lunch in her thermos. She inhaled two huge servings tonight! If you ask her, she will tell you that Mom's broccoli cheese soup is her favorite meal. That's a win in my book!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 shallots, finely diced (or one small yellow onion)
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
5 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 cup flour
3 cups half and half
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
8 cups chopped broccoli florets (from about 7 broccoli crowns)
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (sharp or extra sharp is best)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Melt the butter in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add onion and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté on medium heat about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add flour and cook 2 minutes.

Slowly whisk in half and half, milk, and chicken stock. Simmer on medium low heat for 20 minutes.

Add broccoli and nutmeg and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer on medium low heat for 30 minutes or until broccoli is fork tender.

Using an immersion blender, blend the soup for a few minutes to your desired consistency, or, alternately, use a blender and purée half the soup, then add it back to the pot. Bring the soup back up to temp and add the cheese. Once the cheese is melted, it's ready to serve with some extra cheddar sprinkled on top. Let's face it, this is not a healthy recipe, so go nuts with the cheese! Enjoy!

Steak and Mushroom Pot Pie

Hubs has been working a lot of overtime lately, so he decided to take a few days off last week. We had 6 glorious days in which I didn't have to worry about him or do the mostly-single parent thing; it was amazing. We spent lots of family time together, which was great. We went hiking, garage sale-ing, and checked out a few of the local street fairs. Our area also boasts the largest Scottish Highland Games this side of the Mississippi, which just happened to be on the weekend Hubs took off.

If you've never gone to a Highland Games event, you should. It was so much fun! There were bagpipers, dancers, dogs, clan booths, and yummy food. I mean REALLY yummy food. Hubs tried haggis (here's an explanation of what haggis is). Em tried it too, and really liked it. Because all 21-month-old toddlers like haggis. She's an odd little duck! I tried it too, but I was much more excited about my steak and mushroom pot pie. Fall-apart meat and mushrooms in a rich, hearty gravy topped with a puff pastry crust. Yep, doesn't get much better than that! I promised Hubs that I would try to replicate it as soon as possible. It was that good. Well, today I found a recipe that seemed very promising and with just a couple of very small tweaks, I made something that we absolutely loved. This one goes in the permanent recipe file, for sure. And, all in all, it was pretty darn easy too!

Steak and Mushroom Pot Pie

*Very slightly adapted from Simply Delicious

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

3 1/2 pounds stew beef (or cut chuck steak into chunks, bone removed)

2 shallots, diced

3 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

3 cloves garlic, diced

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt and pepper

2 bay leaves

2 cups beef stock

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 cup milk

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed

1 egg, beaten

Melt butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches, making sure not to crowd the pot; season each batch with salt and pepper. This takes between 3-5 minutes total, per batch.

In the same pot, sauté the carrots, celery, and onion until soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes, making sure to scrape up all the yummy bits from the bottom of the pan. 

Add in the garlic and mushrooms and sauté for 8 minutes. Then add the paprika, thyme, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves, and salt and pepper, to taste. Stir well.

Add the beef back into the pot, juice and all. Pour in the stock and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low. Cover the pot and allow it to simmer gently for 1 1/2-2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 355º. 

When the meat is very tender (it falls apart easily with a fork), add worcestershire sauce and taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Turn up the heat to medium-high. Whisk together the cornstarch and milk, and pour this mixture into the pot. Simmer rapidly to thicken, about 10 minutes.

Butter the bottom and sides of a large baking dish. Press one sheet of puff pastry into the bottom of the dish and up the sides. Pour in the beef mixture. Top with the second sheet of puff pastry and pinch the edges together with the bottom sheet. Brush with beaten egg and cut two slits in the top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the pastry is browned. Enjoy!

Sourdough, Apple, and Shallot Stuffing-The BEST Stuffing Ever!

Hubby and I are very particular about our stuffing. We like lots of flavor and a bit of crispiness in our bread. For us, stuffing should be a wonderful side dish that can stand up to the rest of a holiday meal and be memorable in and of itself. This stuffing took me a while to perfect, but once I did, it became our favorite part of Thanksgiving. I make this dish all the time so that we get to enjoy it more than once a year because it's too good to eat just once. You can't go wrong with apples, shallots, herbs, and the delicious taste of sourdough bread!

Sorry for the picture; I never got a final one. But it's good and beautiful, I promise!

Sourdough, Apple, and Shallot Stuffing

2 large loaves sourdough bread (we use 2 large boules)
1 stick butter
1 or 2 shallots, diced
2 or 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2-3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt, to taste

Chop the bread into 1-inch cubes and set on cookie sheets to dry overnight or toast in a 350º oven for 3-45 minutes or until slightly crispy, but not browned.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When it's melted, add the shallot and apple and cook until the shallot is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 4 1/2 cups chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add in the herbs and stir to combine.

Place dried breadcrumbs in a large bowl and gently mix. Add in the broth mixture a ladleful at a time and gently toss to coat. Taste as you to adjust seasonings. Add in salt to taste. If the breadcrumbs are still a little dry once you've added all the broth mixture, add more broth and toss again.

Pour stuffing into a large baking dish and bake in a 350º oven for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Enjoy!

Pumpkin and Apple Soup

 Fall is my favorite season and I have a hard time giving up the flavors that go along with it. This soup is the perfect way to capture fall in a bowl and I loved the way it made the house smell. The best thing about this soup was that it tasted even better the next day. The hubby loved it too! It was also filling and easy to make, which makes this a great soup. This one is in our permanent file, especially considering the fact that I have most of these ingredients on hand all the time too!

Pumpkin and Apple Soup
*Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, diced
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup no sugar added applesauce
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 15-ounce cans pumpkin
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cream
Fresh ground black pepper for serving

Heat a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the diced shallot, apples, and salt. Sauté until shallot is translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the chicken stock, applesauce, white pepper, sage, thyme, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil and until apples are very tender, about 5 more minutes.

Add the pumpkin and brown sugar and cook for 10-15 minutes over medium heat. Use an immersion blender to blend soup until it's smooth or use a blender to blend the soup in batches. Add the cream to the soup and heat through over very low heat. Add more cream or water if necessary to thin it out. Remove from heat and serve with fresh ground pepper as desired.

Enjoy!

Chicken, Leek, and Shallot Pot Pie

Have you ever been intimidated by a certain fruit or veggie in the produce section of your grocery store? Well, that's how I felt about leeks until we had them in what felt like every dish while in France. Leeks are a staple there, so every time I eat them, I can close my eyes and pretend that we're back in a café eating quiche full of this mild onion-flavored veggie.

For Hubby and I, France means happiness, so I thought a dish with some French flavors would be perfect for our Valentine's Day dinner. We loved this turkey pot pie, so I adapted it using chicken, shallots, and leeks to make this delicious, filling, and slightly fancy main dish. It was a definite hit!

And it really did make us think of France, which made for a very romantic dinner. And then he went to work . . . Eh, the life of a cop's wife.

Anyway, bottom line: This dish is yummy! And it's a really lovely presentation, so it would make a great dish for a dinner party too!

Chicken, Leek, and Shallot Pot Pie
*By me!

3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 refrigerated pie crusts, thawed (let them sit on the counter while you make the filling)
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pinch of salt
Pinch of nutmeg
1 1/2 cups Southern style cubed potatoes, thawed and warmed in the microwave
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

Heat oven to 425º. Slice leeks and mince shallot.

 Melt a little bit of butter in a skillet and add leeks and shallots. Sauté for about 5 minutes on medium heat, until tender. Add in minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute longer, then remove from heat and set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt butter and whisk in flour to make a roux. Cook for 3 minutes, whisking frequently. Gradually add in milk and chicken broth, whisking to combine.

Stir in seasonings and cook until bubbly and thickened. 

 Add in chicken, warmed potatoes, leeks, shallots, and garlic. Stir to combine.

 Roll out one pie crust into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Press into the bottom of the dish and spoon the filling onto the crust.

 Top with the second crust, pinch and flute the edges. You can use any excess crust to decorate the top of the pie. Cut several slits in the top of the crust. Separate the yolk from one egg and discard. Brush the top of the crust with the egg white.

 Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. During the last 15-20 minutes cooking, cover the edges of the crust with foil to prevent excess browning. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

I've been a little under the weather lately, so cooking has taken a bit of a backseat. I made so much food for our SuperBowl party that Hubby was set for a few days, which was nice for me. However, a few nights ago, I had a major craving for creamy tomato-y pasta. Enter Pioneer Woman! Cravings for cream and pasta means that of course I would turn to her. And she didn't disappoint (although that is no surprise). We ate this recipe for days. Hubby said it was something you would happily order and devour in any nice restaurant. The flavors are deep, layered, and absolutely delicious. This is my number one pasta dish ever. And it's so simple to make! So what are you waiting for? Go make this now!

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce
*Slightly adapted from Pioneer Woman

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 whole medium onion, finely diced (I used a shallot, my favorite)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
Dash of sugar, to taste
1 cup heavy cream
Grated parmesan cheese, to taste (I used about 1/2 cup)
Fresh basil, chopped
1 1/2 pounds fettuccine (I only had 1 pound, which worked just fine)

Heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Pour in tomato sauce and add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. I used 1/2 teaspoon of salt, about 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, and reserve 1 cup of pasta water.

Remove sauce from heat and stir in cream. Add cheese to taste, then check seasonings. Thin with pasta water if necessary. I used about 1/2 cup of the water to thin mine. Stir in cooked pasta and chopped basil and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Chicken Breasts Diable

Hubby chose this recipe from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan and when I saw the title, I expected it to be spicy. This is delicious, but it's definitely not spicy. According to Dorie, diable, which means "devil" in French, means there will be mustard in the dish, and dijon is about as spicy as it gets in French cuisine. The lack of spice didn't mean a lack of flavor, however. This was very good and so easy. From skillet to plate it took less than 30 minutes and Hubby loved the dish. We will be making this one again and again!

Chicken Breasts Diable

*From Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan

4 chicken breasts, pounded lightly, at room temperature

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 medium shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1/3 cup dry white wine

*(I used chicken stock because we drank all the wine the night before . . . )

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons dijon mustard

1-2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 200º. Pack the chicken breasts dry. Put a large skillet over medium-high heat and add butter and olive oil. When the butter is melted, add chicken to the pan. Cook until well browned, about 4 minutes each side. Add a small amount of oil to the pan if it dries out. Cut a breast to make sure it's fully cooked, transfer to a baking dish or rimmed plate, season with salt and pepper, cover with a foil tent, and keep it warm in the oven while you prepare the sauce.

Lower the heat to medium, toss the shallot and garlic into the pan and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Cook, stirring, until just softened, about 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and stir it around to pick up the yummy bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for a few seconds.

Pour in the heavy cream. As soon as it reaches a boil, stir in the mustard and worcestershire sauce. Taste and add more pepper, mustard, or worcestershire sauce, depending on taste.

Remove chicken from oven. Pour any juices on the plate into the sauce and stir again. Serve the chicken with the sauce and enjoy!

Sourdough and Cornbread Stuffing

Our Thanksgiving meal always consists of the slightly soggy and sometimes gluey standard stuffing. It tastes fine, but it is no one's favorite. I set out to change that when I found this recipe from the Pioneer Woman. I changed it a little bit to fit our tastes and came up with a delicious final result. Hello new stuffing recipe!

Sourdough and Cornbread Stuffing

*Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

1 pan of cornbread (I used an 8x8 pan of homemade cornbread)

1 loaf crusty sourdough bread

1 stick butter

1 shallot, diced

2 Granny Smith apples; peeled, cored, and diced

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon dried basil (I used 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil)

1/2 teaspoon thyme

2-3 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

Salt, to taste

Chop up the cornbread and sourdough bread into 1-inch cubes. Toast in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until slightly crispy, but not browned.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When it's melted, add the shallot and apple and cook until the shallot is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 4 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Add in the herbs and stir to combine.

Place dried breadcrumbs in a large bowl and gently mix. Add in broth mixture a ladleful at a time and gently toss to coat. Taste as you go to adjust seasonings. Salt carefully! You don't want to over salt your stuffing. If the breadcrumbs are still a little dry once you've added all the broth mixture, add more broth and stir.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Enjoy!

Herb Roasted Turkey

So this year I still feel like I'm not quite ready to host a huge Thanksgiving dinner at our house, but I really wanted to try some Thanksgiving-style recipes, so Nick and I had a dinner party for some friends instead. It was a LOT of work, but it was a lot of fun and we had a ton of leftovers, which is always a bonus when those leftovers are delicious!

For my first Thanksgiving recipe post, I decided on herb roasted turkey since, let's face it, what's Thanksgiving without turkey?

Herb Roasted Turkey

*From Stacy Snacks

5 pound turkey breast (I made two)

Handful of chopped fresh parsley

Handful of chopped fresh sage

Handful of chopped fresh basil

Handful of chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 onion, finely chopped (we used a whole shallot-better flavor in our opinion)

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Kosher salt and pepper

Olive oil

Chicken or vegetable stock

Combine parsley, sage, basil, rosemary, shallot, and garlic together in a bowl. You should have about 1 cup of the mixture. Lay your turkey in a roasted pan and rub the herb mixture under the skin and in the pocket fold of the breast. Rub the remaining mixture on the skin. Season with salt and pepper and rub with olive oil.

Pour about 1 cup of stock around the breast and roast in a 375 degree oven for 1 1/2-2 hours or until a meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees.

Let the meat rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

For gravy: Whisk a tablespoon of flour into the drippings in the roasting pan and simmer on the stove. Continue whisking the gravy until it reaches the desired consistency and pour over the turkey. Enjoy!

Lamb Chops with Balsamic Reduction

While we were in France, we had a lot of lamb. Nick has always been a fan, but I'd never tried lamb before. I didn't know what I was missing! Lamb is delicious and melts in your mouth, if it's cooked right. I really wanted to try it once we got home, and when I found this recipe, I knew it was a good step into the world of lamb. I'm so glad I chose it because it was delicious! This one will go into my permanent recipe file. I really want to try a rack of lamb, but I'm still a little intimidated. Maybe I will just go buy a rack and then I'll have to use it. I love lamb!

Lamb Chops with Balsamic Reduction

*From AllRecipes.com

3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

Salt and pepper to taste

4 lamb chops (3/4 inch thick)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup minced shallots

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon butter

In a small bowl, mix together rosemary, thyme, basil, salt, and pepper. Rub this mixture into the lamb chops on both sides. Place them on a plate, cover and set aside for 15 minutes so the lamb can absorb the flavors.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place lamb chops in the skillet and cook for 3 1/2 minutes, uncovered, per side for medium rare or cook longer to desired doneness.

Remove lamb chops from skillet and place on a foil lined baking sheet in the oven to keep warm.

Meanwhile, add the shallots to the skillet and cook for a few minutes, until just browned.

Stir in vinegar, scraping up any bits of lamb from the bottom of the skillet, then add in the chicken broth. Continue to cook and and stir over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes until the sauce has reduced by half.

Remove from heat and stir in butter. Pour over the lamb chops and serve. Enjoy!