Tag: easy recipe

This Pasta Carbonara Recipe is the perfect pantry meal for a romantic night at home or a family friend get together.

Carbonara

This Pasta Carbonara Recipe is the perfect pantry meal for a romantic night at home or a family friendly get together. It has been a staple in our house for years. Carbonara is a great comfort food recipe and is very easy to make. Basically, it’s a simple bacon and egg pasta that never fails to impress. Paired with a nice glass of wine it is the ultimate pasta dish for a romantic night of watching TV, dinner with friends, or a midweek meal with the family.

When a recipe card is as old and worn as this one, you know it’s a favorite. Although I’m not sure where I originally got the recipe, it has certainly earned its place in our home. At my bridal shower, many years ago, guests contributed recipes, and this might be one of those cherished contributions. My recipe box is filled with these well-loved treasures. This Pasta Carbonara stands out as the ultimate pantry meal.

I split this recipe in two and make half with regular pasta and half with gluten free to accommodate my whole family. It is great both ways!

This Pasta Carbonara Recipe is the perfect pantry meal for a romantic night at home or a family friendly get together

Life is a combination of Magic and Pasta

– Federico Fellini

Tempering the eggs with a little pasta water so they do not scramble is essential. When the eggs scramble it ruins the whole dish and you do not want that. I have also used other pasta styles. I have found Rotini is a hit and even ziti, but I prefer the traditional spaghetti. This Pasta Carbonara Recipe is the perfect pantry meal and a great go to in a pinch. I love the fact that is is so allergy friendly and easy to do. My current favorite gluten free pasta is Rummo. Give it a try, you will not be disappointed.

If you are interested, please check out the Recipes page of my blog Sunday Chefs for more tried and true family recipes and restaurant reviews.

This Pasta Carbonara Recipe is the perfect pantry meal for a romantic night at home or a family friend get together.

Pasta Carbonara

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Course: dinner, lunch
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 1 lb. Spaghetti cooked regular or gluten free
  • 1/3 lb. Bacon cut into small pieces (Pancetta or Guanciale is used also)
  • 4 cloves Garlic diced small
  • 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes I tend to use more.
  • 1/2 cup White wine or Chicken Stock
  • 2 large Egg Yolks
  • 1/4 cup Reserved pasta water
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 Handful of chopped fresh parsley 1 tsp. of dried parsley would substitute
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Method
 

  1. Cook Pasta Al Dente. Reserve a cup of the pasta water in case needed for sauce
  2. In large skillet over medium high heat. Saute bacon until it browns. Remove bacon and put aside. Drain the bacon oil and then add two tbsp. olive oil, garlic and red pepper. Saute two minutes. Add wine and reduce by half.
  3. Beat eggs vigorously and stir in a ladle of pasta water. Drain the pasta and to bacon pan and remove from heat. Add egg mixture, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper and toss until well combined and cheese has melted. Serve with extra cheese.

Notes

Allergy Information: Contains Dairy, Egg, Wheat (can make gluten free). Nut free, peanut free, shellfish free.
Banana Bread is a staple in most homes and this recipe is one of the best

Banana Bread

Banana Bread is a staple in most homes and is a wonderful comfort food recipe. Our family makes this Banana Bread Recipe at least once a month in either bread or muffin form. Never throw away old bananas, just freeze them and save them for this wonderful bread recipe. I make a great one these days but my first attempt is something that I am teased about still to this day.

There are days when cooking is just not my thing and the first time I made banana bread was one of them. Even now…… twenty five years later, I still feel the sting of humiliation.  I was newly married and wanted to make it for my husband.  My sister had given me one of those homemade cookbooks, that you buy at church fairs and school fundraisers, and it had a recipe I thought I would try.  As I was reading it, even I thought maybe 5 tbsp. of baking powder was a little much, but hey, what did I know?  I am alone in my apartment experimenting and at the exact moment I add the baking powder, it begins to rise like Mt. Vesuvius into some strange, freaking, elementary school science project! As it overflows the bowl, onto the counter and then the floor, the front door opens and who walks in… my husband and is brother!  I must have looked like a deer in the headlights, because they saw their prey and pounced. These are the two most hilarious, sarcastic men I know and they had a field day.  This is one of the many cooking disaster stories that they tell and even I have to say, if it was anyone else but me, it would be hysterical.

After all these years, and lots of practice, I make a great banana bread and they both will agree.

Don’t be afraid to take whisks – Unknown

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    The bananas need to be ripe….not pretty, just over ripe.  I actually freeze the bananas, so I always have some available.  The skin will turn black, but they are perfect inside. Sift all dry ingredients. (Hint: if you don’t have a sifter, use a whisk and very carefully whisk the dry ingredients together). Add in all the other ingredients. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for at least an hour.  Check with toothpick and if it comes out clean, it is done.

    Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for at least an hour.  Check with toothpick and if it comes out clean, it is done.

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    This can also be made gluten free, I have used the King Arthur Gluten Free Flour in the past and it worked wonderful. You can add chocolate chips or nuts too, it would be a great addition. If you would like to see more, check out the Recipes page on my blog Sunday Chefs.

    Allergens: Eggs, Gluten 

    Print

    Banana Bread

    Sometimes the simple recipes are the best. This Banana Bread Recipe is easy enough for everyone and is sure to impress.
    Prep Time1 hour 30 minutes
    Active Time15 minutes
    Course: Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Yield: 2
    Cost: $5

    Materials

    • 2 cups all purpose flour Can substitute whole wheat flour
    • 1 tsp. baking soda
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1/4 tsp. salt
    • 2 eggs beaten
    • 1/2 cup canola oil
    • 3 bananas very ripe (brown skins)

    Instructions

    • The bananas need to be ripe… not pretty, just over ripe. They can even be previously frozen.
    • Sift all dry ingredients. (Hint: if you do not have a sifter, use a whisk and very carefully whisk the dry ingredients together)
    • Add in all the other ingredients. (Mix until just combined and no dry lumps)
    • Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for at least an hour.
    • Check with toothpick and if it comes out clean, it is done.

    Beef Cubes in Sherry – Comfort Food Meal

    Do you enjoy comfort food? Looking for a warm, comforting meal on a cold, rainy day? Then this Beef Cubes in Sherry over egg noodles recipe is the perfect choice. I was not a big meat eater back then (still not so much) but that gravy over the egg noodles alone is amazing. Putting it in the crock pot makes this meal even more appealing. It has been cooking all day and it is cold, rainy, and thundering out and this stew-like meal is going to be perfect.

     The stove is the shrine where I convene with my ancestors

    -Unknown

    With the price of groceries lately, this is a very economical meal. The stew beef has been very expensive lately, so I bought a London Broil steak that was on sale and it worked wonderfully. You need to be flexible these days. You can also use the store-bought Cooking Sherry instead of the original alcoholic version and it will still be wonderful. Leftovers the next day are just as excellent. With cold weather coming, comfort food is on the menu everyday if I have anything to say about it.

    This was one of my late mother’s favorite meals to make and she made this all the time when I was a child. I’ve been thinking about her today, so off to the store I went. Because if you know me, you know that food is memories for me. I get emotional eating a meal that someone I love has made for me. I will leave these recipes here for my daughters and hopefully, they will make them someday for the people they love and think of me and those that came before me. 

    This recipe would be great over rice or mashed potatoes. It can also be made gluten free, if you buy the gluten free option of the soup. The key is to cook it low and slow for a long time. So the crock pot is perfect for this, but a Dutch oven would work also.

    If you are interested in more, check out the Recipes page of my blog Sunday Chefs.

    Do you enjoy comfort food? Looking for a warm, comforting meal on a cold, rainy day? Then this Beef Cubes in Sherry over egg noodles recipe is the perfect choice.

    Beef Cubes in Sherry

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour
    Course: dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine: American, British, spanish
    Ingredients Method

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 tbsp. Shortening I suppose butter, avocado oil or canola oil would work fine also.
    • 2 lbs. Stew Beef Cubed
    • 1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
    • 1 cup Sherry Wine Cooking version (non-alcoholic) will work here also.
    • 1 15oz can Cream of Mushroom Soup
    • 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
    • 8 oz. Package of white mushrooms sliced
    • Salt and Pepper to Taste
    • 1 lb. Bag of Egg Noodles Prepared

    Method
     

    1. Heat shortening in a heavy pot or frying pan if you are using a crock pot.
    2. Brown the beef cubes on all sides.
    3. This is where you can transfer to the crock pot or leave in the heavy pot.
    4. Add remaining ingredients in order given and stir well. Cover pot and simmer mixture for at least an hour.
    5. Alternative: Add to crockpot and heat on low for 4-6 hours.
    6. Serve over egg noodles.

    The Best Chicken Pot Pie

    This Chicken Pot Pie is the best that I have ever had. My family and friends have been constantly asking me to make it again. This recipe is easy, but a bit time consuming. The best part is you can make it in bulk and it freezes fabulously.

    Recently a friend and her family were going through some difficult times and I wanted to make them dinner. I needed something to make in bulk, because I wanted to get three meals out of it. One for my family and two for them. I needed something that would travel well and would also freeze well if they wanted to eat it at a later date. After many hours of contemplation.. Chicken Pot Pie was the answer.

    I haven’t made one in years, but I was willing to give it a try. I told everyone if it doesn’t come out good, don’t tell me! Let’s be serious when it comes to comfort food and home cooking, chicken pot pie is in the top ten of all recipes, so I figured it was a good choice.

    The most indispensable ingredient of all good home cooking:

    Love for those you are cooking for.

    Sophia Loren

    My thought process was to go to the store and buy some rotisserie chickens and use them to speed up the process (Next time I will do that), but because it was so early in the morning the store did not have any. So I needed to go in a different direction. Therefore, I bought one whole roaster chicken and two large split breasts. I came home and rubbed them with olive oil and salt and pepper and put them in the oven at 375 degrees until they were cooked through. While this was going on, I prepped the vegetables. For the carrots, I decided to roast them instead of blanching them. This was a great idea and they came out great. I will do this again. But you could blanch them or even use frozen if you are in a pinch. I sauteed the diced onions until translucent and add the chopped celery later. That is what I love about this recipe, it is so adaptable to whatever your needs are.

    With the pie crusts that I bought (Yes, I bought them, I know my limitations and pie crusts are not my thing. No matter how hard I try) I had enough for 4 pies. My advice is to be prepared for this and have extra on hand. This recipe would also work as a one crust pie. You could put the filling in a casserole dish, cast iron pan or even little individual ramekins and top it with the pie crust, phyllo dough sheets or even biscuit mix. Any of these would work and you could also use a gluten free option to make it gluten free friendly.

    Because this recipe made four pies instead of three, I froze one uncooked for a later date. We had it yesterday and it was wonderful. I will be making this recipe again. I served it with rice pilaf and cranberry sauce. It is a perfect home-cooked meal for any day of the week. I would love to hear back if you make it, so feel free to reach out.

    Check out my other pages here on my Recipes page of my blog Sunday Chefs.

    The Best Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

    My most requested meal to make. Easy to make in bulk and freezes fabulously!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 7 hours 30 minutes
    Cook Time 45 minutes
    Servings: 6 people
    Course: dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine: American, english
    Ingredients Method Notes

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 6 lb Roaster Chicken You could use a rotisserie chicken already cooked, boneless chicken breasts or split chicken breasts
    • 3 tbsp. Olive Oil
    • 1 32 oz. Chicken Broth I use the low salt version.
    • 2 or 3 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
    • 1 stick Butter
    • 1 large White or yellow onion Chopped
    • 3/4 cup Flour
    • 1/4 cup Heavy cream
    • 2 cups Carrots Roasted in oven whole with olive oil, salt and pepper, then diced
    • 3 stalks Celery Diced
    • 1-2 Potatoes (Optional) Peeled and Diced
    • 1 10 oz Package of frozen peas Not defrosted
    • 1/4 cup Parsley Minced
    • 1 tsp. Thyme
    • 1 Egg For egg wash
    • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
    • 2-4 Pre-made pie crusts (regular or deep dish) You need both a top and bottom for both pies.

    Method
     

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
    2. Place your chicken on a cooking sheet. Rub with olive oil and add a generous amount of salt and pepper and roast for: About 40 minutes for split breasts with bone in, 30 minutes for boneless breasts and about an hour at least for roaster chicken. Once the chicken is cool, remove the meat and diced into 1/2 cubes. (Save the bones to make stock!)
    3. If you bought a rotisserie chicken, you can skip ahead to this and just remove the meat from the bones and dice.
    4. I liked to roast the carrots. Peal and coat in a little oil, salt and pepper. Use a roasting pan and cook in a 350-400 degree over for about 30 minutes.
    5. If I am adding potatoes to this (It is optional, but we really like it). I would peel and dice.
    6. The potatoes should be par cooked a little bit. You can roast them in the oven with the carrots or put them in a little water and boil or microwave for a bit.
    7. In a saucepan heat the Chicken Broth/Stock and add the bouillon cubes. Heat until bouillon cubes dissolve.
    8. In a large pot with a heavy bottom, melt the butter over medium/low heat and sauté the onions until translucent. (About 10 minutes).
    9. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly (this is very important) for about 2 minutes.
    10. Add the chicken broth and stir until smooth and thick. Add 2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper and the cream.
    11. Now add the vegetables, herbs and chicken and mix well.
    12. Let it cool down a bit and divide evenly into pie crusts. I found with the pie crusts that I used it made more than 2. Add the top crust, crimp the edges and brush with the egg wash (In a pinch, milk will work in place of the egg wash).
    13. Cut three slits in the top of the pie to release the steam as it is cooking.
    14. Cook for an hour at 375 degrees.
    15. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the interior is at least 165 degrees.

    Notes

    There are so many ways to adapt this recipe. My original intention was to use rotisserie chickens (I was making a lot), but there were none. It would cut out a lot of time if you used them. 
    You could also make it a one crust pie and add the filling to a casserole dish or a cast iron pan or even little ramekins and top with pie crust or puff pastry which would be wonderful. 
    ALLERGY TIPS: As far as allergies are concerned, you could use gluten free flour or substitute some corn starch for the flour. I have also recently seen gluten free puff pastry, which I am dying to try. I have a family with carrot allergies, so you could leave that out also. I like recipes that are easily adaptable and this is one of them. 

    Summery Chicken Pasta Salad with Red Grapes

    This Summery Chicken Pasta Salad with Grapes is the perfect dish for cookouts, hot summer nights, easy lunches or any day you want something quick and wonderful

    This Summery Chicken Pasta Salad with Grapes is the perfect dish for cookouts, hot summer nights, easy lunches or any day you want something quick and wonderful

    What I love about this recipe is it is so easy and very different from your usual pasta salad. It is very lemony so the red grapes are needed to balance it out. There is nothing better on a hot summer night then this. It is so cool and satisfying. This summery pasta salad is the perfect one dish meal for any occasion. A pasta salad this easy is something you need in the rotation. Get a rotisserie chicken, break it apart, add it to your favorite pasta with chopped spinach and chopped grapes along with the wonderful dressing in the recipe below and you are good to go. A warm summer night just calls for this cool and satisfying Summery Chicken Pasta Salad with Grapes/

    My good friend Pam has always made this summery pasta salad and I finally convinced her to share the recipe with me. So she will get full credit for her culinary prowess.

    Check out my other products here on the RECIPES page of my blog Sunday Chefs.

    Summertime is always the best of what might be

    Charles Bowden

    Summery Chicken Pasta Salad with Red Grapes

    Print Recipe
    Course: dinner, Salad
    Ingredients Method Notes

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 12 oz box Pasta Bowties or Rotini work well
    • 3 cups Cooked Chicken Breast rotisserie chicken works great here
    • 3 cups red grapes sliced in half
    • 3 cups Baby Spinach coarsely chopped
    • Zest of 2 lemons
    • 1/2 cup Fresh lemon juice
    • 1/2 cup Olive oil
    • 1/2 cup Red wine vinegar
    • 1.5 tsp garlic powder
    • 1.5 tsp onion powder
    • 1 tbsp honey
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Method
     

    1. Cook the pasta as directed and rinse under cool water.
    2. When the pasta is cooled, add the chicken, grapes, and chopped spinach
    3. For the dressing. Mix lemon juice, zest, olive oil, red wine vinegar and spices.
    4. Mix the dressing well. Add to the dry ingredients and mix well.
    5. Refrigerate for about a half hour and enjoy.

    Notes

    Great for a hot, summer evening!
    Allergy Friendly: Contains gluten but can be made with gluten free pasta.
     

    Simple Mango Salsa

    Simple Mango Salsa is the perfection addition to your summer menu. The versatility is endless. Add something here or subtract something there. It is all wonderful. Spring is here …. despite the 40 degree weather. And it is time to break out all the spring and summer recipes. This Simple Mango Salsa is the first one that I thought of. It is so wonderful and versatile. I first made this salsa years ago and it has been on regular rotation ever since. It is simple to make and elevates anything you put it on …. grilled chicken or fish, tacos, salad, chips or in any bowl now a days. This is especially good on my Crazy Good Fish Tacos.

    We have some food allergies here, so sometimes I leave out the beans and add the red peppers. Some like it spicy, so I add more jalapeno. You really cannot go wrong here. Chop all the ingredients and combine in a bowl. Good luck cutting the mango. I think mangos are my least favorite thing to deal with. I make a huge mess trying to cut them, but it is worth it. Well worth it.

    My advice is to let the salsa sit in the fridge for a few hours, but if you don’t the time, feel free to eat immediately.

    Life without Mexican food is like no life at all.

    -Unknown

    Simple Mango Salsa

    This mango salsa is great as an appetizer, condiment, side dish. Great on fish or chicken. Perfect to bring to a party as chips and dip also. So easy and fun to eat.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Course: Appetizer, condiment, dinner, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Ingredients Method Notes

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 Fresh Mango Peel, sliced and diced
    • 1 cup Black Beans Rinsed
    • 1/2 Red onion Diced
    • 1 Red Pepper Diced
    • 1/3 cup orange juice
    • 1 tsp cumin
    • 1 tbsp Fresh cilantro Chopped fine
    • Salt To taste
    • 1 Jalapeno De-seeded and diced fine. This is optional and you can add as little or as much as you want to.

    Method
     

    1. Peel and dice the mango into small pieces.
    2. Chopped the red onion fine and add to mangoes.
    3. Rinse the black beans and add.
    4. Chopped the Cilantro fine.
    5. Combine all the ingredients along with cumin and orange juice.
    6. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

    Notes

    This mango salsa is the perfect addition to any meal. It goes great as an appetizer or snack combined with tortilla chips as a chip and dip recipe. You can also serve on top of grilled chicken or fish or a side dish. 
    This fruity salsa is healthy and kid friendly. Mango salsa is also allergy friendly. 
    Allergens: Contains black beans which are a legume. DAIRY FREE, TREE NUT FREE, PEANUT FREE, EGG FREE, GLUTEN FREE, SOY FREE

    If you are looking for some other great recipes, check out the recipes page of my Sunday Chefs blog.

    Chocolate Muffins

    These seriously are the best muffins ever and so easy to make.  I cannot take credit for these, someone gave me the recipe and I am not sure of the origin. But thank you to whoever thought of it. The idea seemed strange but I quickly realized what a great way to get a vegetable into my child who seems to be allergic to almost every other vegetable except broccoli and cauliflower.  So here it is …. couldn’t be any easier and they will never even know there is pumpkin in them. Preheat oven to 400 degrees  Fahrenheit.

    It is always the simple that produces the marvelous – Amelia Barr

    • 1  15 oz can of pumpkin puree
    • 1 box devils food cake mix

    Spray the mixing bowl and all the utensils with cooking spray because the mixture sticks to everything without it.  Mix the two together, it will take a while, but don’t give up. ( I have tried to do this in my mixer and it doesn’t work… don’t bother).

    Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray (do not use paper muffin cup liners, it will not work) and use an ice cream scoop to split mixture evenly to make 12 muffins.

    Add to oven and cook for 15 minutes.  That’s it and they are the best muffins. They are so moist and are perfect for breakfast or a snack.

    Chocolate pumpkin muffins

    Allergens: Wheat, Check your cake mix for other allergens.