Parmesan Crusted Chicken with a Kick

I made this tonight and it came out so yummy, I decided to post it. I wanted to use bread crumbs, but didn't have any gluten free bread crumbs so I made my own by toasting two pieces of gluten free millet/chia bread and grinding them into crumbs.  You can do either. They sell gluten free panko bread crumbs, which I think would've worked really well with the moisture of the parmesan cheese.  So, if you aren't able to buy gluten free panko bread crumbs, just make them yourself!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken with a Kick

4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup gluten free bread crumbs (or homemade by toasting two pieces of gluten free bread and then putting them in a food processor to make crumbs)
1 cup Parmesan/Romano cheese (not shredded or shaved) I used grated.
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2-1 tsp cayenne (depending on how hot you want it. I used 1 tsp and it was YUMMY!)
2 tbsp mayonnaise


Mix bread crumbs, parm cheese, salt, pepper and cayenne in a mixing bowl.
Rinse Chicken breasts and pat dry with a paper towel.
I laid the chicken breasts in a 9x13 baking dish. One at a time, I spread a thin layer of mayo onto one side of the breast, then coated both sides with the parmesan/bread crumb mixture.Lay the breast mayo side up. Finish coating all the breasts and put into the baking dish.  I sprinkled the remaining bread crumb mixture onto the breasts in the pan and patted it down....just because..lol
Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes (or until juices run clear).  I found 20 minutes was perfect.  I let it sit about 5-7 minutes before serving.

Gluten Free Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf with Ketchup/Brown Sugar Glaze

I have seen a few posts of meatloaf "cupcakes"with mashed potatoes as the "frosting", so I decided to see if I could make a meatloaf that wasn't dry and had to be smothered in gravy or ketchup.  I think this meatloaf came out completely delicious and I was bummed I didn't put more of the glaze on it.

Gluten Free Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf with Ketchup/Brown Sugar Glaze

Meatloaf:

2 lbs ground beef

1 lb pork sausage (I used Jimmy Dean Regular Sausage)

1/2 white onion diced

6 garlic cloves, diced

1 carrot, shredded

1 stalk celery, finely diced

6 pieces  gluten free bread

1 cup milk

4 eggs, beaten

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp Season Salt (Lawry's")

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

6 strips of bacon

Glaze:

1/2 cup ketchup

4 tsp apple cider vinegar

5 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp dry mustard

a couple dashes of hot sauce (I used tapatio, but you could use any hot sauce)

a few dashes of worcestershire sauce

1 pinch ground cumin

 In a shallow dish, lay the bread in a single layer.  Pour the milk over the bread and let it soak at least 5 minutes.

Mix dry ingredients and set aside. To the meat, add the eggs. Take the bread out of the milk and squeeze most of the excess milk out of it and break it into the meat mixture.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix until everything is evenly distributed.  

Form into a loaf on a baking pan or put into a loaf pan. Lay the bacon strips across the top of the meatloaf and tuck into the sides of the loaf pan or under the loaf if you made it on a baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 10 minutes. Or until the internal temperature is 150 degrees.  If you are putting them into a muffin pan, they only need to bake for about 35 minutes.  The glaze can be put on half way through the cooking process.

If you're making the "cupcakes", just make mashed potatoes and add to the top of the meatloaf cupcakes.  I sprinkled cheese, bacon and green onions on top.  Delicious!

To make the glaze, just mix the ingredients together and pour over meatloaf half way through cooking time. 

Enjoy!!

Gluten Free Bolognese Lasagna with Bechamel

It took me a few tries to perfect this recipe, but I finally feel like it's post worthy.  The sauce is the key to this lasagna. I suggest letting it simmer all day.  The longer the better.  I made mine the night before and it rocked the next day in the lasagna.  If your sauce is already made, the lasagna is really pretty easy to assemble. The sauce is the most time consuming part. This recipe makes a lot of sauce, so you can freeze the leftover or use it in another pasta dish.

Gluten Free Bolognese Lasagna with Bechamel

Deliciousness happening :)

These are the best tomatoes to use!!!

For Sauce:

5 cans San Marzano Tomatoes

1 large white onion, diced

4 carrots, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

6-8 cloves garlic, diced

2 cups sliced mushrooms

30-35 Fresh Basil leaves (I just tear them and put them in the sauce)

4 Bay Leaves

1 1/2 cups Red Wine

2 tbsp salt

2 lbs ground beef

1 lb ground pork

Bechamel

4 sweet italian sausage links

2 tbsp Olive Oil

For Bechamel:

5 tbsp butter

5-6 tbsp gluten free flour

5 cups warm milk

2 tsps salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp nutmeg

Gluten Free Lasagna Noodles

These noodles are the best to use! I don't know why this pic is sideways, sorry.

Shaved or shredded Parmesan/Romano Cheese 

In a large saucepan on medium high heat, add olive oil.  Add onions, carrots, garlic and celery. Saute about 5 minutes.  Add the beef and pork and cook through.  Once the meat is cooked, add the mushrooms.

Add the tomatoes. They are whole, so I use my hands to squish them into the pan.  It's the best way to do it.  If you don't want to do that, you can put them in whole and break them up as they cook.  Add the basil leaves, bay leaves, salt and wine.  

Bring sauce up just to boiling, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Add the sausage links whole into the sauce.  Simmer uncovered for at least two hours. The time really does make a huge difference in the end result.

To make the bechamel, put milk into the microwave for a few minutes until it's warm. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium high heat.  Add the flour and whisk to make a roux.  Cook for about a minute. Add warm milk and whisk continually. As it warms up, it will thicken. Be patient, the bechamel takes a few minutes to thicken, especially with the gluten free flour.  Add salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Cook lasagna noodles as directed and rinse with cold water.  

Start with a layer of sauce in a 9x13 baking dish.

  Add a layer of noodles. Spoon a layer of the bechamel, then sauce, then a generous amount of parmesan/romano cheese. Continue layering.

 

For the top layer, I just covered the noodles with sauce, then more cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.  Let the lasagna sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. 

Enjoy!!! 

Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce (Gluten Free)

This is my "go to" recipe when I don't have a lot of time or when I haven't been grocery shopping in a while and the cabinets are looking sad...lol....I It's super easy and always a hit with the fam!

Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

2 chicken breasts (cut into strips)

1 tbsp oil (I actually used bacon grease, which makes it yummier!)

1/4 cup diced white onion

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 can Progresso Cream of Mushroom Soup (GF)

1 tsp Bells Seasoning

1 tsp Pappys Garlic Herb Seasoning

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp Herbs de Provence

1 tsp cornstarch

Saute the garlic and onion in a hot skillet with the oil or bacon grease.  Saute until onions are translucent. Add chicken and cook until almost completely cooked through. Add mushroom soup and all the seasonings, except the cornstarch. Simmer for about 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, put 1/4 cup of water and the cornstarch and stir until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Add to the cream of mushroom/chicken mixture and continue simmering another few minutes. 

Serve over gluten free pasta! It's delicious! You could also serve over rice......I've done that too and it's also really yummy!

This picture doesn't do the dish justice......

P.S. If you are not gluten free, you can use Cambell's Cream of mushroom soup diluted with some water and omit the cornstarch. 

Shrimp Tacos

I was going to post the recipe for my fish tacos, but the day after I made those, we made these....and these ROCKED! You could actually put any type of fish inside these tacos....with the slaw and the sauce, of course!  I'm making them today, so I will update if I find a way to make them even yummier!

Shrimp Tacos

 For the Shrimp:

3 lbs fresh shrimp, de-veined (and de-pooped..lol)

1 cube butter

Juice from half of one lemon

4 cloves of garlic, minced

(I added about  1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder the last time I made these and I was NOT disappointed! This is totally optional, of course, but I suggest you give it a try!)

Slaw:

1pkg Cole Slaw

Juice of 2 limes

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/3 red onion, grated

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Sauce:

2 cups plain yogurt

1 1/2 tsp cayenne

Juice of 2 limes

1/4 cup cilantro

1 clove garlic

salt to taste

 Put ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

  Make sauce and slaw, chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Melt butter, add garlic, lemon juice and parsley. Dip shrimp into the butter mixture before you put onto the grill. Grill on both sides until shrimp is fully cooked. (I used a grill pan on the bbq, but you could also do this inside in a cast iron skillet)

Warm corn tortillas. Add shrimp, slaw and sauce.......enjoy!



P.S. I had left over shrimp, cole slaw and sauce the next day...going to Easter and decided to make an appetizer out of it. So, I fried some corn tortillas that I cut into squares....topped them with the slaw, then the shrimp, then the sauce......everyone loved them!

Gluten Free Salmon Patties

My boys love these salmon patties! Typically, these are made with saltines or bread to hold them together, but I use left over mashed potatoes and they are magically gluten free! I always make extra mashed potatoes just so I can make these the next day. My youngest is one of the pickiest eaters ever and he loves these! That in itself speaks volumes! Try them out!

Salmon Patties

1-14.75oz can pink salmon

1 1/2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

1 tsp Bell's Seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 egg

1/4 cup chopped green onions (optional. I don't put them in all the time because my son won't touch the patties if there's 'green' in them. Lol)

Drain the liquid from the salmon. 

Try to get all the bones and skin out of it. The bones are small, so if you miss some, it won't hurt. 

Add the rest of the ingredients and use your hands to mix.

Form into patties and fry using the oil of your choice. You want them to be browned and crispy. If they seem to fall apart, add a little more mashed potatoes.

GF Coconut Shrimp

My son loves coconut shrimp and has been begging me to make some. So, the other day, I decided to go for it. They came out so amazing, I had to share!!

Gluten Free Coconut Shrimp

20-30- Raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1/2-3/4 cup Gluten Free Flour

1/4 cup Gluten Free Bread Crumbs

1/8 tsp cayenne

1-2 cups Vanilla Coconut Milk

2 1/2 cups coconut (unsweetened, shredded)

2 eggs, beaten

Peel and de-vein shrimp. Pour vanilla coconut milk over shrimp and let soak at least 30 minutes.

In one bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour and cayenne

In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs and coconut

In another bowl, beat eggs.

Take shrimp out of coconut milk, dredge in flour mixture, then egg, then coconut/bread crumb mixture.  Lay on parchment paper.

Heat oil in deep fryer or cast iron skillet to 350 degrees.

If you're using a deep fryer, put four shrimp in at a time for 1 minute 30 seconds...drain on paper towel.

If you are using a cast iron skillet, cook shrimp 30-45 seconds on each side, until golden brown.

Drain on paper towels.

Sauce:

1 cup orange marmalade
3 Tbsp Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice

Microwave for 1 minute until bubbly, then add lemon juice and stir.


ENJOY!!!

Stuffed Jalapenos

Stuffed Jalapenos with Bacon Crumbles

 18-20 jalapenos,  cut in half , stem, core and seeds taken out.
1/2 T
bsp Pappy's Garlic Herb Seasoning ( if you don't have Pappy's, use garlic salt and pepper 1/4 tbsp each)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp italian seasoning

10 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled (you can fry the bacon or put it on paper towels in the microwave for 5 minutes)


Mix cream cheese with Pappy's, garlic powder and italian seasoning.Set aside.
Put jalapenos on the grill until browned and softened.
Take off the grill and let cool for a few minutes.
Put cream cheese mixture into the jalapenos and top with bacon crumbles.

Steak Pizzaiola

This dish can be served over pasta or for someone who is not gluten free,  on a french roll as a sandwich....I serve mine over gluten free pasta, but sometimes make sandwiches for my husband....It's delicious and really pretty simple to make. The sauce is my basic marinara, which is also on my blog.  This sauce recipe may be different, because I rarely put exactly the same things in my sauce...lol...but this is the one I used for this dish....This is definitely a dish you want to make when you have a day to cook.  The longer the steak simmers in the sauce, the more tender it becomes.  I know it's time consuming, but it is definitely worth it. It's absolutely delicious.

Steak Pizzaiola

For the sauce:
2 cans San Marzano Whole Tomatoes (smashed by hand into a saucepan)
1 whole onion peeled and cut in half
1 cube butter
3 bay leaves
8 basil leaves
1 1/2 garlic powder
1/4 cup red wine
1 tsp sugar

 For the Steak:
one chuck roast, cut into 1"steaks...
Mozzarella cheese


Make sauce by putting all the ingredients into a saucepan and simmering for at least an hour, if not a couple of hours.

After you slice the roast into steaks, place them onto a cutting board and tenderize them by smashing them with a meat tenderizer....I let my 8 year old do it...lol...he loves to take his aggression out on the meat!
Heat about 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet. When hot, brown meat on both sides in hot oil.  Just until brown.  Place browned meat into a strainer to get rid of the blood that will drip out.  You don't want that blood in the sauce.




When the browned steaks are done draining, place them into the sauce.  Bring to a simmer and simmer on low for at least an hour. ( I let mine simmer for 2 hours.  The longer, the better)

If you are going to serve it over pasta, cook corn pasta as directed. You can use corn spaghetti, penne, rigatoni...whatever you prefer!  Strain and put into a 9x13 baking dish.  Spoon sauce and steaks over the pasta. You can put more or less sauce, depending on your preference. Top with Mozzarella cheese and broil until the cheese is light brown.

If you aren't gluten free and want to serve over a french roll...........brush melted butter onto the roll and broil just until slightly brown.  Remove from broiler and take a steak from the sauce and place onto the roll.  Top with cheese and put back under the broiler.  Serve with a side of the sauce for dipping.

Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes

Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes

I have been making buttermilk pancakes for my family for a long time as part of our "Super Sunday Breakfasts". I haven't been able to eat them since I went gluten free and was really starting to miss them! So, the other night, I decided to try a recipe out and they came out so delicious! I can eat pancakes again! And they don't taste weird or have a funny texture!!! YAY!!!


2 cups buttermilk
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1.5-2 cups of gluten free flour (depending on how thick you want your pancakes)

Beat eggs, add oil, buttermilk and vanilla.  Mix ingredients together.  Add sugar, baking soda and salt. Combine. Add flour one half a cup at a time.  Don't worry about lumps, you want lumps! :)

This is the flour I used. I think I got it at Whole Foods.

Perfectly delicious gluten free pancakes!!!!

Meat Sauce with Mushrooms

Meat Sauce with Mushrooms

I make sauce almost every Sunday....sometimes Marinara, sometimes with meatballs...It's typically never the same. I put it into jars and freeze it to use during the week or whenever I need to. I posted a marinara sauce recipe on here before, which is usually the base for my sauce. I start with that sauce and add to it. This is the sauce I made last weekend.  It came out so delicious I had to share the recipe.

2 large cans Cento San Marzano tomatoes

1/2 white onion (cut in half)

3 bay leaves

1 cube butter

8 large, fresh basil leaves (torn)

1 cup red wine

(These ingredients make the base sauce.)

1 pkg mild sausage (I got the links and squeezed the sausage from the casing. It just tastes better in my opinion.)

1-8oz pkg sliced mushrooms

8 cloves of garlic, sliced or crushed, whichever you prefer

1Tbsp sugar

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp minced onion

These are the best tomatoes, but you can use any brand that you want. The San Marzano tomatoes really make a difference, but I have used plum tomatoes in a pinch.

So, for the base sauce, I smash the whole tomatoes by hand into a saucepan.  I add the onion, peeled and sliced in half, not diced or chopped. I add the butter, basil leaves and bay leaves.  When the sauce starts to simmer, add the wine.  Turn the heat down and slow simmer for at least half an hour.

While the sauce is simmering, squeeze the sausage from the casings into a saute pan with about 1 tbsp olive oil.  Add the mushrooms. 

When sausage is fully cooked, drain the fat from the pan.  

After your base sauce has been simmering for at least half an hour (my base sauce simmers at least 2 hours, but I realize that's not always possible) , add the sausage and mushroom mixture.  Add the remaining ingredients. I let my sauce cook all day, but you really don't have to.  I do think it should simmer for at least an hour. I simmer with a lid on because otherwise, it gets too thick. You can take the large onion pieces out before serving if you want. Sometimes I leave them in, sometimes I take them out...it's totally up to you and what you prefer.

I hope you all try this out! It really is yummy!

Gluten Free Linguine and Clams (Spaghetti and Clams)

Linguine and Clams (Gluten Free)

 Technically, this dish I made was spaghetti and clams because I couldn't find linguine that was gluten free.  You can really use any pasta you want......here's how I made it!

1/2 cube butter

6-6.5oz cans of chopped clams (I used 3 chopped, 3 minced because that was all they had. You can use less if you don't want as much clams, but my family likes it meaty!)

1- 8oz bottle clam juice

1 tsp chopped garlic

1/4 tsp dried basil

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsle

1/2 cup Chardonnay (or any white wine)

1 pkg gluten free corn spaghetti

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add the juice from the 6 cans of clams, reserving the clams to add later.

 Add the rest of the clam juice.

Now, add the garlic, wine, basil and half of the parsley. Simmer for 10 minutes. (While the clam mixture is simmering, cook your pasta.) 

Add the clams and heat through. Maybe about 5 minutes.  Serve over pasta and garnish with the rest of the parsley. :)