Category Archives: Main Dish

Buffalo Chicken Wings

Posted in Chicken, Football Food, Main Dish, Sides by

Wings are a staple during football season. I’ve made them several different ways and found Ina’s way to be the easiest. I am not a big fan of fried chicken wings and have always baked them. But I found with baking them they don’t crisp up like you would get with fried. Ina’s recipe calls for broiling the wings which gives it a nice crispy outside. When it came time to flipping the wings, I decided to put them on a new baking sheet due to all the fat that was on the first sheet. That helped with really crisping them up. I suggest putting on more sauce then you think it needs. I didn’t get a huge amount of the hot sauce flavor and ended up making some extra to dip them into. Overall they turned out great. Serve them with celery and blue cheese dressing (or ranch).

Buffalo Chicken Wings:

    • 16 chicken wings (about 3 pounds)

    • 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter

    • 4 teaspoons Frank’s Hot Sauce

    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  1. Preheat the broiler.
  2. Cut the chicken wings in thirds, cutting between the bones. Discard the wing tips.
  3. Melt the butter, hot sauce, and salt. Put the wings on a sheet pan and brush them with the melted butter.
  4. Broil them about 3 inches below the heat for 8 minutes. Turn the wings, brush them again with the butter, and broil for 4 more minutes or until cooked.

Source: Ina Garten via Food Network


Football Sandwiches aka Ham and Cheese Yumminess

Posted in Football Food, Main Dish, Pork, Sides by

A few years ago one of my best friends, Kali, was telling me about these sandwiches her mother makes for football season, Christmas Eve and just about any other time of the year. Her mother, Patty, has been making them for as long as Kali can remember. They sounded interesting and I asked her to please get the recipe from her mom. I’m so happy that Patty gave me the recipe. These sandwiches are sooooooo good (yes I used more than one o cause that’s how good they are).

The sauce is what takes the sandwiches from plain ole’ ham and cheese to ham and cheese yumminess! It’s made with butter, horseradish mustard, grated onion and poppy seeds. Doesn’t get any better than that! The other great thing about these sandwiches is that you can make them ahead of time and pop them in the oven when you are ready. Kali says they can be put in the freezer. I have yet to try that because they are gone before I need to think about freezing. The sandwiches are great to take to tailgates parties. They are individually wrapped in foil so they stay nice and warm in an insulated bag.

Patty, my family and I thank you for this recipe. It’s become a staple on game days. And when Penn State starts playing Nebraska again after they join the Big Ten; we will be thinking of you as we are eating the sandwiches and watching the Lions run all over the Huskers. 🙂 GO STATE!

Note: I doubled the sauce recipe because I love slathering on a lot of sauce. Also, when using Kaiser rolls, they tend to be a bit bigger than regular hamburger buns and need the extra sauce.

Football Sandwiches:

  • 12 Kaiser rolls or regular buns
  • 1 1/2 – 2lbs sliced ham
  • 1 lb swiss cheese

Sauce:

  • 2 sticks of butter, softened
  • 6 tbs horseradish mustard
  • 2 tbs grated onion
  • 2 tbs poppy seeds
  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  2. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce. Split the rolls and spread the sauce on the inside of both sides of the buns.
  3. Place a slice or two of ham and a slice of cheese on the buns and replace the top of the bun.
  4. Individually wrap each sandwich in tin foil. At this point you can refrigerate the sandwiches till you need them.
  5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is nice and melted. Serve hot.

Source: Patty and Kali Johnson

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Ham, Cheddar and Thyme

Posted in Chicken, Main Dish by

A few weeks ago I was in State College, PA doing a little shopping and ran across a special fall issue of Cooks Illustrated magazine. I love Cook Illustrated and with fall coming, I had to have it. In the issue was a stuffed chicken recipe that sounded so good I had to make it right away. The recipe calls for fresh bread crumbs and I decided to use fresh and dried to see if there was a difference. There really wasn’t a huge difference so if you don’t want to make the fresh bread crumbs, dried will work just fine. I didn’t pound the chicken breasts thin enough and wished I had. Some of the cheese mixture did end up leaking out of the chicken while it was baking. Make sure to pound the chicken thin so you can get a good seal on the filling. The cheese filling is really tasty and you don’t want to waste any of it.

What’s nice about this recipe is that you can make it ahead of time up to stage 4. When ready to cook you can continue stage 5-6.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Ham, Cheddar and Thyme

Chicken:

  • 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5-6 oz each), tenderloins removed and reserved for another use
  • 4 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into 1 inch pieces. (or 3 cups of dried bread crumbs)
  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup plus 1 tbs vegetable oil

Filling:

  • 2 tbs butter
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 1 medium-garlic clove, minced or pressed through garlic press (1 tsp)
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 8 oz chedder cheese, shredded (2 cups)
  • salt and pepper
  • 8 slices (about 8 oz) thin-sliced cooked deli ham
  1. Place each chicken breast in a large ziplock bag or on a large sheet of plastic wrap, cover with second sheet and pound with meat pounder or rolling pin till 1/4 inch thick throughout. Each pounded breast should measure roughly 6 inches wide and 8 1/2 inches long. Cover and refrigerate while preparing filling.
  2. Heat butter in medium skillet over low heat until melted; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer; set aside.
  3. In medium bowl using hand-held mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Stir in onion mixture, thyme, and cheddar; season with salt and pepper and set aside.
  4. Place breasts skinned side down on work surface; season with salt and pepper. Fill with cheese and ham, roll and wrap each breast tightly in foil, twisting the foil ends in opposite directions. Refrigerate at least for 45 minutes or more.
  5. If not using dried bread crumbs: pulse bread in food processor until evenly textured, 8-10 one second pulses ( you should have 3 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs). Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread flour in pie plate or shallow baking dish. Beat eggs with 1 tbs vegetable oil and 1 tbs water in second pie plate or shallow baking dish. Spread bread crumbs in third pie plate or shallow baking dish. Unwrap chicken breasts. Roll 1 stuffed chicken breast in flour; shake off excess. Using tongs, then roll breast in egg mixture; let excess drip off. Transfer breast to bread crumbs; shake dish to roll breast in crumbs, then press with fingers to adhere crumbs. Place breaded chicken breast on large wire rack set over baking sheet. Repeat with remaining breasts.
  6. Heat 3/4 cup oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add 4 chicken breasts to skillet, seam side down, and cook until medium golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn each breast and cook until medium golden brown on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Return chicken breasts, seam side down, to baking sheet. Add remaining 1/4 cup oil to skillet and repeat with remaining chicken breasts. Once all chicken breasts have been fried, place baking sheet in oven and bake breasts until deep golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center of each breast registers 160 degrees, about 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through cooking. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing each breast crosswise diagonally into 4 to 5 medallions; arrange on individual dinner plates and serve.

Source: Cook’s Illustrated Special: Fall Entertaining

Sushi- Tampa Roll

Posted in Gina Marie Original, Main Dish, Misc, Starters, Sushi by

Sushi has been apart of my families life for close to 20 years. My parents first got the taste of it back when I was in High School and the parents of one my friends brought some to the big football game. They let my parents try some and that is where it all began. We started going to the local Japanese restaurant to get our new addiction taken care of. Soon after that my dad realized it’s much cheaper to make sushi at home. It’s still nice to go out and get some really good sushi but making it at home can be fun.

When my kids were born and were at the age that fish and solids foods were ok, I introduced them to sushi. They LOVED it and it became their favorite food. They love having sushi making parties, it’s fun letting them pick out what they want in their rolls. That’s what is great about sushi, there are NO rules! You can put whatever your little heart desires into it. Fried Chicken? Why not? I personally haven’t done that, but don’t see why you couldn’t.

My husband never had sushi till he met me. He enjoys sushi, but he likes sushi with cooked ingredients. My kids and I are more of the the raw sushi (sashimi) type. When we lived in Tampa my husband wanted to try the Tampa Roll. It’s made of fried grouper, mayo and scallions and it became a favorite of ours. When we moved away from Florida we missed the Tampa Roll and I thought it would be easy enough to make. I found that grouper is harder to come by when you don’t live in Florida. I tried different types of frozen fried fish, and you will be surprised at what tasted closest to the original. Frozen fish sticks! If you can’t find fresh or frozen grouper in your grocery store, the fish sticks make a great alternative.

The items you need to get started…

Bamboo Rolling Mat, Nori (package of seaweed paper), sushi rice, fried grouper (or fish sticks), mayonnaise and scallions. Optional: wasabi paste and pickled ginger.

I like to tape plastic wrap around the bamboo rolling mat. It helps with keeping it clean. You can make your own sushi rice at home but that is a process and I will plan on posting that down the road. If you do not want to make the rice at home you have some options. I found that if you have a Chinese buffet that does sushi, they will sell you sushi rice. You could also try a Japanese restaurant. How much you get depends on how much you want to make. A couple pounds of rice will make quite a few rolls.

*Keep a bowl of water near you when making these rolls. You want to keep your hands wet while working the rice or else it’ll stick to you.

Lay the Nori down on the bamboo mat, shiny side down. With wet hands, put about a cup of rice on the paper and spread it out. When I make an inside roll (rice on the inside) I don’t put it all over the nori, as you can see above. Next, spread about 1 tbs of mayo on the rice in a thin strip going from one end to the other. Layer the grouper and scallions (see above picture). Work with the ingredients facing you and slowly start rolling the nori over the fish. You will continue rolling it up and when you get to the end, wet your finger and run it across the end of nori so it’ll stick to the roll and the seam won’t open. Slice into about 8 pieces and enjoy!

Fried Grouper:

  • 4 grouper fillets
  • 5 cups peanut oil
  • tempura batter

Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pot till it registers 350 degrees. Slice the grouper fillets into long thin strips and dip into the tempura batter. Place a few strips of battered fish into the hot oil. Cook until lightly browed and place on paper towel to soak up the grease.

Tempura Batter:

  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup ice water
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • Pinch of salt

Beat an egg in a bowl. Add ice water in the bowl. Be sure to use very cold water. Add sifted flour and salt in the bowl and mix lightly. Be careful not to overmix the batter.

Baked Ravioli

Posted in Gina Marie Original, Main Dish, Pasta by

As much as I love cooking there are some nights I just don’t want to think about dinner. I start thinking where do I want to get dinner from? What am I in the mood for? The other night I had that happen and thought about ravioli. I REALLY wanted baked ravioli and decided not to order anything and just go get the stuff and do it myself. Baked ravioli is fairly easy to put together and has the taste of lasagna without all the work. I have made a creamy marinara sauce and thought that would be nice to use for this dish. Boy was I right, it turned out fantastic. Served with a nice salad and some garlic bread and you have a great dinner.

Baked Ravioli

  • 2 large packages of frozen cheese ravioli
  • 2 jars of your favorite marinara sauce
  • 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • grated Parmesan cheese, about 1 cup
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the ravioli till they are almost done, about 6 minutes, and drain, saving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
  2. While the ravioli is cooking, heat up the marinara sauce in a large skillet. When the sauce is heated through, add the ricotta cheese and stir till it’s all combined. Add the reserved pasta water. Take off heat and add the basil.
  3. In a 13 x 9 baking dish or a lasagna pan, place several spoonfuls of the marinara sauce on the bottom. Start layering the ravioli and once you have one layer spoon enough sauce to just cover the pasta. Sprinkle a little bit of the Parmesan cheese and about 1/4-1/2 cup of the Mozzarella. Continue with the next layer of ravioli, sauce and cheese. Keep doing that process till you end with the sauce. Top it with as much cheese as you want on top and bake for 30-40 minutes.

BBQ Spare Ribs

Posted in Gina Marie Original, Grilling, Main Dish, Pork by

Most people have their own version on how to make great spare ribs. But for those who are a little scared of making them, take a deep breath, it’s going to be ok. You can do it! These are very easy but they do need a little bit of advanced preparation. That’s the key to making really good ribs. Letting the ribs sit overnight in a nice dry rub, helps get the flavors into the meat. The next step is cooking it low and slow in the oven and finishing it off on the grill.

I am going to unveil my top secret ingredient. You can find it in your local grocery store or Walmart. I use this in so many ways. I make potato salad, homefries, chicken salad, ribs and many other things with it. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning is amazing. I can’t even begin to explain the magic that happens when you put it in potatoes. I will post my potato salad recipe soon.

Before the grilling season ends, make sure to make some spare ribs

BBQ Spare Ribs

  • 1 package of Pork Spare Ribs
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar ( I use splenda brown sugar on these)
  • 1/4 cup Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning (use a little less if you don’t want it too spicy)
  • 1 bottle of beer
  • 1 1/2 cups of your favorite BBQ Sauce
  1. Rinse and pat dry the spare ribs. On the side of the ribs where you see the bones, there is a thin layer of skin, pull it off. (It might take you a few tries but it will come off. Key is getting it started at the sides)
  2. Evenly spread the brown sugar and Creole Seasoning on both sides of the ribs. Set in a baking pan, big enough to hold it. Place in the refrigerator, covered, and let sit overnight.
  3. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Take ribs out of refrigerator, add the beer and cover with tin foil. Bake for 4-5 hours, till the meat is tender but not yet falling off the bone.
  4. Heat your grill and when ready, place the ribs on the grill. Get a good sear on both sides of the ribs. Once you have the sides seared start putting on  your BBQ sauce. Continue flipping and adding the BBQ sauce each time you flip it. You will probably flip it 10-12 times.

Cheeseburger Macaroni

Posted in Main Dish, Pasta by

Hamburger Helper is a very popular dinner and kids love it. But the reason I don’t like it and don’t make it is because it has tons of preservatives and other things I can’t pronounce. I love the rule that if you can’t pronounce the ingredients, you should not be eating it. I love the ease that Hamburger Helper gives you, but you can make a version of that at home, from scratch! The benefits are you know exactly what is going in and the taste is so much better. My family loves this and I’m sure you will too.

Cheeseburger Macaroni

  • 2 pounds Ground Beef
  • 1 whole Small Onion, Diced
  • 1 Tablespoon Emeril’s Essence Original Spice Mixture*
  • Salt And Pepper, to taste
  • 1 box Elbow Macaroni, 16 Ounce Box
  • 29 ounces, Can Of Crushed Tomatoes
  • 2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  1. Add ground beef and onion to a large skillet or pot, along with Emeril’s Essence*, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Cook until meat is no longer pink. Drain meat mixture, if necessary, to get rid of any extra grease. Then put the meat back in the skillet and set aside.
  2. In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook macaroni according to package directions.
  3. When pasta is done, drain; then add it and the crushed tomatoes to the beef mixture. Turn temperature to medium-low and cook until sauce is heated. Add cheddar cheese and stir until melted and combined.

*I tried making this without the Emeril’s and used my own spices. When I made it again with the Emeril’s it made a HUGE difference! I would recommend using it.

Adapted from: The Tasty Kitchen