Dinner Ideas

Orange Chicken

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This Orange Chicken is quick and easy, but full of flavor. I often cook rice or quinoa on the weekend so I have it ready just to be heated up during the week to finish off a meal at some point during the week.

Try cooking Rice in the Slow Cooker.

First whisk your sauce ingredients together. Be sure to whisk the cornstarch in with a clear liquid, like chicken stock or soy sauce. Cornstarch tends to cling to chunky things which could make for a lumpy sauce. After whisking in the cornstarch, add the rest of the ingredients. It doesn’t matter if you use dark or light brown sugar. I always have dark on hand because I like the stronger flavor of dark brown sugar.

Next prep your veggies and chicken. You will want everything ready because this cooks fast.

Now heat up a large saute pan on medium heat and add the peanut oil. You could use vegetable oil instead. Then add the chicken and saute for about 5 minutes until the chicken starts browning.

I use a stainless steel pan because it browns chicken and mushroom better than a non-stick pan. But if you prefer non-stick, by all means, go ahead and use that.

When the chicken is browned, add the bell pepper, broccoli, mushrooms, and onions to the pan and sauté for a few minutes until the broccoli start to soften.

Add the bok choy and sauce, and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens and the bok choy softens.

Serve this on some rice and top it with a couple tablespoons of chopped roasted peanuts and Naan Bread.

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Orange Chicken

This quick chicken dinner has a touch of orange and a touch of heat, served on a bed of rice, makes for a wonderful lunch or dinner.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Asian
Keyword: Chicken, Dairyfree, Glutenfree, Orange Chicken, Whats for Dinner
Servings: 6 cups
Calories: 103kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • Cutting board and knife
  • Large saute pan

Ingredients

  • 1 each chicken breast cubed
  • 2 tbsp peanut oil

Sauce

  • 1 each orange juice and zest
  • ¼ cup soy sauce or wheat-free tamari
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tsp garlic fresh, minced
  • 2 tsp ginger fresh, minced
  • 1 tsp sambal Oelek or 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Veggies

  • 1 each red bell pepper chopped
  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • 2 cups mushrooms sliced
  • ½ each yellow onion
  • 1 1/2 cups snap peas chopped
  • 1 each baby bok choy shredded

Instructions

  • Whisk cornstarch in chicken stock then whisk in orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and sambal oelek. Set aside.
  • On medium heat, sauté chicken in peanut oil until brown, about 5 minutes.
  • Add bell pepper, broccoli, mushrooms, and onion to pan. Sauté until broccoli starts to soften but remains bright green, about 5 minutes.
  • Add sauce and bok choy. Simmer until sauce is thickened – about 5 minutes.
  • Serve on cooked rice topped with some chopped, roasted peanuts.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 585mg | Potassium: 298mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 475IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg

Kung Pao Chicken (in the Slow Cooker)

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Kung Pao Chicken

I make Kung Pao Chicken in a sauté pan on the stove top or in a slow cooker, it all depends on the time I have to prepare the meal. The slow cooker method allows me to be able to put all the ingredients in the slow cooker crock the day before and put it in my slow cooker the next day for a no fuss meal.

For the sauce, I whisk every thing together in a 4 cup measuring cup, that way I don’t have to dirty any other measuring cups and bowls. 

Be sure to mix the cornstarch in with just liquid, like water or soy sauce. Cornstarch likes to adhere to solids and you risk creating a lumpy sauce in the end. Once the cornstarch is dissolved in the liquid, mix in the rest of the ingredients.

Get the rest of the ingredients ready. If using fresh broccoli or bok choy, have that ready to go now too. This time around I’m using frozen broccoli so I need to add it later, and I have some frozen chard from my garden that I’m using instead of bok choy, so that is going in later too. You could use fresh spinach or napa cabbage instead.

Now just put it in the crock of the slow cooker and stir it up a bit. If I’m going to cook this the next day or later the same day, I put the lid on it and put it in my refrigerator.

If using frozen broccoli or another green other than bok choy, after about 2 1/2 hours of cooking, stir it in and cook for another half hour or so.

 

I like this on rice, try making Rice in the Slow Cooker, or serve it on cooked Udon or Hokkien noodles, topped with roasted peanuts, sliced green onions, and toasted sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

Kung Pao Chicken
Print Recipe

Kung Pao Chicken (Slow Cooker)

Kung Pao Chicken is a saucy and spicy stir fry dish with vegetables. It can be done on the stove top, but for added convenience, I like to put it together the day before, store it in my refrigerator, and put it in the slow cooker the next day for an easy dinner.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 15 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: Chicken, Dinner Ideas, Kung Pao
Servings: 6 cups
Calories: 100kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • 4 to 6 quart slow cooker
  • Cutting board and knife
  • 4 cup measuring cup and whisk

Ingredients

Chicken and Veggies

  • 1 each large chicken breast cubed
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • ½ each red bell pepper bite size pieces
  • ½ each green bell pepper bite size pieces
  • 1 each small leek sliced, or ¼ yellow onion, diced
  • 10 each button mushrooms quartered
  • 2 cups broccoli florets fresh or frozen
  • 1 each baby bok choy or 2 handfuls fresh spinach or shredded napa cabbage

Sauce:

  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp mirin or brown rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp fresh garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp Sambal Oelek
  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger minced

Garnish

  • Roasted peanuts
  • Roasted sesame seeds
  • Sliced green onions or chives

Instructions

  • For sauce, whisk together soy, water, oil, mirin, and cornstarch. Then add honey, garlic, sambal oelek, and ginger and set aside.
  • Cube chicken breast and put it in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper
  • Add bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli (if using fresh), bok choy (if using), and sauce.
  • Turn on cooker to low and cook for 2 ½ hours, stirring once or twice. If using frozen broccoli or spinach or napa cabbage, stir in now. Cook for another ½ hour.
  • Serve over rice or udon or hokkien noodles and garnish with peanuts, green onions (or chives), and sesame seeds.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

You can replace the honey with brown sugar.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1169mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 219IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

Kielbasa Skillet

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Kielbasa Skillet with Egg

In recent years I have come to appreciate the versatility of Kielbasa sausage, and realize it isn’t just for grilling.

Kielbasa is milder than Andouille or Chorizo, comes in a long u-shape form, usually isn’t smoked, and is full of garlic. It works great in a variety of soups, stews (try it in Kielbasa Stew), and even chili, as well as sautéed with potatoes and vegetables, or used as a breakfast meat. Or grill it and put it on a bun with your favorite toppings.

Kielbasa Skillet Ingredients

This skillet kielbasa meal is great for any time of the day and can be adapted to whatever you like. You could certainly add broccoli, or another vegetable of your choosing. I like to make this in the fall when I have a fresh garden harvest of potatoes, snap peas, bell peppers, tomatoes, spinach, and onions or chives.

Microwave the potatoes first to cut down on cooking time, then put them in the refrigerator to cool a bit before cutting them up. While the potatoes are cooling, I prepare the rest of my ingredients.

Kielbasa Skillet Potatoes

Use a nonstick pan when cooking potatoes since they tend to stick to stainless steel quite well. Medium heat seems to crisp them up perfectly in about 5 minutes, but you might need to turn it down to medium low after adding the sausage and other vegetables to prevent things from burning.

Kielbasa Skillet Spuds and Veg

When adding the sausage and veggies there is no need to add more oil since the sausage will render out fat.

It is also important to season in layers, so I add about half of the seasonings with my potatoes, and the other half with the sausage and veggies, as well the mustard with the sausage and veggies.

Kielbasa Skillet Greens and Kraut

In the last couple of minutes, stir in the greens and sauerkraut. If it’s not summer or fall, I have power greens from Earthbound Farm in my fridge, so I use that. The power greens mix has baby spinach, kale, and chard. But using just spinach or kale works too.

I also make my own sauerkraut using purple cabbage, so I have purple sauerkraut. But regular sauerkraut is just fine. Make sure you drain the sauerkraut first.

Now you are ready to eat. This is great as is, but you can top it with whatever you desire, cheese, avocado, a fried egg, fresh tomatoes…

Enjoy!

Kielbasa Skillet with Egg
Print Recipe

Kielbasa Skillet

A quick skillet meal that can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. Full of vegetables and flavor!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Keyword: kielbasa, Kielbasa Skillet, Skillet Meals
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 237kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • Cutting board and knife
  • Large nonstick sauté pan and heat resistant spoon

Ingredients

  • ½ pound kielbasa sausage sliced in ½ moons
  • ½ each red bell pepper diced
  • ¼ each yellow onion diced
  • 8 each button mushrooms sliced
  • 2 each russet potatoes
  • 1 cup sauerkraut
  • 4 cups fresh spinach or 4 handfuls
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard or brown mustard
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp granulated garlic
  • ¼ tsp chipotle pepper

Optional Toppings

  • Fried Egg
  • Avocado slices or Guacamole
  • Shredded cheese
  • Fresh diced tomatoes
  • Sour cream

Instructions

  • Wash the potatoes and stab several times with a fork. Microwave for 2 minutes, turn over and microwave for 2 more minutes. Put in the refrigerator.
  • Gather and prepare the rest of the ingredients, then dice the potatoes.
  • In a large nonstick sauté pan, heat over medium heat and add oil. Stir in the potatoes and abut half of the seasonings, and sauté for about 5 minutes to start crisping them.
  • Add the kielbasa, the vegetables, except the spinach and sauerkraut, Dijon mustard, and the rest of the seasonings.
  • Sauté for 5 minutes or so to soften the vegetables and crisp the sausage.
  • Stir in the spinach and sauerkraut and cook until it wilts, another 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Serve as is or top with your favorite skillet toppings.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 1089mg | Potassium: 390mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2836IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 2mg

Pepper Burgers

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Nothing says summer like the smells coming off the barbecue. I will grill all year round – I’ve grilled filet mignon steaks for Christmas.

Of course hamburgers are one of the most often grilled item and with just a little bit of prep and a tip with the seasonings, you can have a gourmet burger at home.

I usually double my burger recipes, cook off what is needed and freeze the rest of them (flat on a lined sheet tray, then bag them up when frozen) so I can pull one out when I am in the mood.

Start by gathering all of your ingredients. I used some cilantro the day before. I chopped up the whole bunch so it was ready for the next time I had use for it.

Chop your peppers, onion, and cilantro if you already have not. Put all of your ingredients in a bowl.

Mix it all together (no salt and pepper yet), and divide into how many burgers you want.

A note about mixing: mix only until the ingredients are all incorporated. Over mixing ground beef tends to make it tough.

Start making your burger patties. When you form your patties, make sure the middle is thinner than the edges. When ground beef cooks, it pushes the juices to the middle, plumping up the middle of the patty. So, if your patties start out perfectly even in thickness all the way across, you will end up with swollen burgers in the middle.

Once your patties are formed, it is time to add the salt and pepper to both sides of the patties. By adding it to the outside of the meat, you get that really good restaurant grilled taste.

As I mentioned, I generally make double the amount of burgers I need and freeze what don’t get eaten for easy grilling later. Usually I will lay the burgers that I’m not going to cook on a lined sheet tray and freeze them until frozen, then bag them up.

This time I cooked all 8 burgers. Plus I made them the day before. To save space in my refrigerator, I decided to put these on a plate, but I needed to stack them. In order for them not to stick to one another, I put a piece of parchment paper in between the layers.

Ok, you are ready to cook your burgers. I will use a grill any day over a pan on the stove or in the oven. I prefer charcoal over gas, it just gives it a much better flavor. But use what you have available to you.

Today was really windy and cool and I have a small gas grill on the front patio that blocks the wind, so that’s where I cooked them.

Depending on how thick you made your burgers and how hot your grill is, depends on how long it will take to cook them. Generally it’s about 5 to 7 minutes per side with the lid closed.

Ok, I have to throw in the bit about food safety. Your burgers need to reach a minimum of 155 degrees to kill E-coli, which means your burgers will be cooked to medium.

If you are adding cheese, now is the time. Some people want cheese, some don’t, some are allergic to dairy. Some like pepper jack cheese, some like co-jack, mix it up and have fun with them.

Add your cheese and close the lid for the cheese to melt.

Now the fun part, the toppings. Get creative and add toppings that your really enjoy.

You can also wrap it in some lettuce for a bun-free (gluten-free) version. It’s a little more messy but a lot less filling.

I used my Sweet Pepper Sauce as my condiment on these Pepper Burgers.

Print Recipe

Pepper Burger

If you like peppers and burgers, this one is for you! They have a well balanced pepper flavor and you control the heat by removing the seeds and ribs from the jalapeno pepper.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Tex-Mex
Keyword: Burgers
Servings: 4 Burgers
Calories: 303kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef 80/20
  • 3 tbsp onion fine diced (sweet yellow or red works great)
  • ½ each bell pepper fine diced (whatever color you have on hand works)
  • ½ can diced green chilies
  • ½ each jalapeno minced, remove seeds and ribs
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire
  • Sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

  • Chop onion, bell pepper and jalapeno.
  • In a large bowl, add the beef, chopped peppers and onions, green chilies, and Worcestershire. Mix until combined.
  • Split mixture into 4 and patty. Make sure the center of the patty is thinner than the edges.
  • Sprinkle both sides of the patties with sea salt and black pepper.
  • Grill patties until done to your prefered doneness (no less than medium is recommended). If desired, add cheese and melt.
  • Top with your favorite toppings.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Topping ideas:
Pepperjack or Co-jack cheese
Tomatoes
Pickled Jalapenos
Greens
Avocado slices
Pickles
Sweet Pepper Sauce

Nutrition

Calories: 303kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 123mg | Potassium: 448mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 3mg

Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers

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Chicken Cordon Bleu Burger

Spring is here, but because the weather isn’t cooperating, there haven’t been many days that I’ve wanted to go outside and grill yet. I’m craving grilled burgers but still wanting some of the colder weather comfort food.

Making Chicken Cordon Bleu is a process, but a tasty dinner that’s well worth it. To make it a lot easier, I turned it into a burger that you can cook in a pan on the stove top with the wonderful flavors of Chicken Cordon Bleu and satisfies my burger and comfort food cravings.

This is a great burger to make in the spring, fall, or winter when you aren’t using your grill. The patties are a little soft and won’t hold up well on an outdoor barbecue.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers Ready to MIx

This is a very quick meal. Just mix the burger ingredients together and make 4 patties. Put those on a plate and collect your buns and toppings.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers Ready to Cook

You could prepare everything the day before and come home to a dinner almost ready to eat.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers Cooking

When you are ready to cook these, heat up a large, nonstick pan over medium low heat and add a little olive oil.

Cook on each side about 4 to 5 minutes with a lid on the pan. The chicken patties should reach and internal temperature of 165 degrees.

When your chicken patties are cooked, remove them from the pan and set aside for a minute or 2. Put your ham in the pan and cook on both sides for about 1 minute to heat through.

Put the ham on top of the chicken patties and return them to the pan. Top with cheese and put a lid on the pan. You can turn off the burner. It’ll only take a minute or so to melt the cheese.

I set this aside and toast the burger buns and heat up the marinara sauce in the microwave.

Build your burger and Enjoy!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Burger
Print Recipe

Chicken Cordon Bleu Burger

This recipe combines my love of Chicken Cordon Bleu and Burgers. Perfect to make in the winter since it works best to cook these in a pan on the stove top.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time22 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Burgers, Chicken, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Cordon Bleu
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 388kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • Large nonstick sauté pan and spatula

Ingredients

Burger Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • ¼ cup bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup marinara sauce
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1 tsp sage
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

For Cooking:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Toppings:

  • 4 slices mozzarella
  • 4 slices ham thin sliced
  • 4 each burger buns
  • 8 tbsp marinara sauce warmed up
  • Fresh spinach

Instructions

  • Mix all burger ingredients together, divide into 4 patties.
  • Heat a large nonstick sauté pan on medium low heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add the 4 patties, top the pan with a lid, and cook on each side about 4 minutes, make sure patty reaches 165 degrees.
  • Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Add the ham to the pan and cook on both sides a minute or 2.
  • Put ham on top of the burger patties and return to the pan. Top with a slice of mozzarella, cover the pan, turn off heat and melt the cheese for a minute or 2.
  • Time to build the burgers.
  • Toast the burger buns and smear 1 tablespoon of marinara on each side of the bun.
  • Put the burger on the bottom bun, top with fresh spinach and the top bun.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 388kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 137mg | Sodium: 1015mg | Potassium: 862mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 390IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 176mg | Iron: 2mg

Italian Meatloaf Wrapped with Prosciutto

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I really like meatloaf as long as it isn’t topped with ketchup. I won’t even do that to a hamburger. Recently I was going through a bunch of my recipes and found at least a dozen different meatloaf recipes. I had some prosciutto leftover from my Chicken Cordon Bleu Fingers and decided to make this prosciutto-wrapped meatloaf. It takes a while to bake, but it can be thrown together in about 10 minutes.

As usual, you start out by gathering all your ingredients. You can put them directly in the same bowl and you go, I just separated them out so it was easier to see.

When you have everything in your bowl, except the prosciutto, mix until just combined. Over mixing will create a tougher, less juicy meatloaf.

Divide the mixture into 4 and form each into a mini loaf. Take 1 slice of prosciutto and place it over the top and sides of the loafs. It should stick fairly easily. Time to bake.

It takes about 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven for the meatloaf to reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees. If you decide to do 1 large loaf, plan on at least an hour of cooking time.

Slice it and top it with a little warm marinara sauce, serve it with Asparagus and Mushrooms in a Garlic Balsamic Reduction and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes.

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Italian Meatloaf Wrapped with Prosciutto

Italian seasoned mini meatloafs wrapped in slices of prosciutto and baked for a crispy outside and tender, juicy inside. Top of with some marinara sauce for a quick and delicious dinner.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian American
Keyword: Meatloaf, Prosciutto
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 312kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • Lined sheet tray
  • Large bowl

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 each roma tomato fine diced
  • ½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
  • 1 each egg
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese shredded (1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes for dairy-free)
  • 1 tbsp parsley fresh, chopped
  • ½ tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tbsp granulated garlic
  • ½ tsp dry mustard
  • ½ tbsp red pepper flakes optional
  • 4 slices prosciutto

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Combine all ingredients except prosciutto.
  • Portion into 4 mini meat loafs. Wrap 1 slice of prosciutto over the top and around the edges of each mini loaf.
  • Put loafs on a parchment lined pan. Bake for 45 minutes (until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees).
  • Top with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 589mg | Potassium: 548mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 528IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 208mg | Iron: 4mg

BBQ Chicken Thighs (Air Fryer)

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BBQ Chicken Thighs with Pepperoncinis

The flavor of charcoal barbeque is one of my favorites, and I will grill all year round. I have added a little bit of liquid smoke to the marinade and cook the chicken in my air fryer to make for a great barbeque-tasting chicken that can be made any time of the year.

Chicken Thighs Marinating

This is a fairly simple process, just mix the mayonnaise, ketchup, and liquid smoke together in a bowl, and rub the chicken thighs all around in it. Then mix together the dry seasoning and walk away for an hour or prepare any side dishes you are going to have with the chicken.

You can use whatever liquid smoke flavor you like. I happen to really like hickory, but mesquite or apple works great too.

Chicken Thighs Ready to Season

When it’s been about an hour, you are ready to season the chicken. Remove the chicken from the bowl and leave whatever excess mayonnaise mixture there is in the bowl.

Seasoned Chicken Thighs

Sprinkle the seasoning mixture on both sides of the thighs. The mayonnaise will help it stick. Let this sit for about 15 – 30 minutes.

Now they are ready for the air fryer.

Chicken Thighs in Air Fryer

With a non-aerosol cooking spray, spray the bottom of the basket. Place the chicken in and spray the top of the chicken.

For some models of air fryers, aerosol spray will damage the coating of the basket and will cause it to flake off over time.

BBQ Chicken Thighs Ready

It takes about 20 minutes to cook at 350 degrees (15 minutes if using boneless chicken thighs). You will want to flip them over after 10 minutes.

Now you have a tender, slightly smoky tasting chicken thigh to enjoy! If you want an extra little kick, try them with some pepperoncinis.

BBQ Chicken Thighs with Pepperoncinis
Print Recipe

BBQ Chicken Thighs (Air Fryer)

These super moist and delicious chicken thighs cooked in an air fryer brings the flavors of barbequing any time of the year.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Resting Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Air Fryer, Chicken, Dairyfree, Glutenfree
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 74kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • Air Fryer
  • Large bowl
  • Plate
  • Small Bowl

Ingredients

  • 4 each Chicken thighs bone-in, skinless
  • ½ tsp black pepper

Marinade

  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp ketchup
  • ½ tsp liquid smoke

Dry Seasoning

  • 1 tbsp brown sugar I prefer dark but it light is fine
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 1 tsp oregano

Instructions

  • In a bowl, mix together mayonnaise, ketchup, and liquid smoke. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken thighs with pepper and add to mayonnaise mixture. Marinate for 1 hour.
  • While marinating, mix together dry ingredients.
  • After about an hour, remove chicken thighs from the bowl, shaking off excess mayo mixture and lay flat on a plate.
  • Sprinkle dry ingredients on both sides of the thighs, using it all up. Let sit for 15 to 30 minutes.
  • Spray bottom of air fryer basket with non-aerosol cooking spray and add thighs. Spray tops of thighs.
  • Cook in air fryer at 350 degrees for 20 minutes turning over at 10 minutes. Internal temperature of chicken should reach 165 degrees, may need to cook another 3 – 5 minutes depending on size of the chicken thighs.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

If using boneless chicken thighs, it will only take about 15 minutes to cook.

Nutrition

Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 82mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 281IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

Chile Stuffed Chicken Breasts

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Chile Stuffed Chicken and Maize Picante

As far as meat proteins go, I probably use chicken the most. Trying to figure out new and exciting ways to prepare chicken has become a challenge for me that I have happily taken on.

I stuff these chicken breasts with roasted peppers, chiles, and cotija cheese and marinate them in a somewhat spicy, sweet, and tangy marinade to add a lot of flavor to the chicken.

2 larger chicken breasts can easily be cut in half for a meal for 4 people. Try serving this with Cilantro Lime Rice for a delicious meal.

I start by mixing my marinade ingredients in the pan that I’m going to cook my chicken in.

Slice the cheese, peppers and chiles, and butterfly the chicken.

Roll your chicken breasts around in the marinade, ensuring you get it all over and leave them cut side up.

Now it’s time to add the fillings. I like to put the cheese in between the peppers and chiles. Cotija cheese holds up well when baking. You can use a mild feta if you can’t find cotija cheese.

Now fold over the top. Try to stuff everything inside, but a little hanging out won’t really matter.

Cover the pan with a lid or foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and remove the foil or lid. Using a spoon, scoop up some of the liquid and baste the chicken. Return to the oven without a cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Make sure the internal temperature of your chicken reaches 165 degrees.

Now it’s time to eat. You could certainly top this off with a dollop of sour cream or guacamole or even some avocado slices, but it is so tender and delicious all on its own. Try this with Cilantro Lime Rice and Maize picante.

Enjoy!

Chile Stuffed Chicken and Maize Picante
Print Recipe

Chile Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Stuffing the chicken with moist chiles and peppers and baking in a marinade makes this chicken super moist and tender to eat. It has a little bit of spice, a little tang, and a little sweetness.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Keyword: Chicken, Chiles and Chicken, Stuffed Chicken
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 104kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • 1 8 x 8 baking dish
  • Cutting board and knife
  • Citrus Zester

Ingredients

Chicken and Stuffing

  • 2 each chicken breasts butterflied
  • 2 each whole green chiles cut into long strips
  • ½ each roasted red bell pepper cut into long strips
  • 2 ounces cotija cheese 4 to 6 thin slices

Marinade

  • 2 tsp Sambal Oelek chili sauce
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ each lime juice and zest
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
  • 1 tbsp cilantro fresh, chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In the dish you are going to bake the chicken in, combine the Sambal Oelek, oil, lime juice, honey, ginger, and chopped cilantro.
  • Butterfly the chicken breasts.
  • Slice the cheese, roasted red pepper, and green chiles.
  • Rub both sides of the chicken breasts in the marinade mixture.
  • Place chicken breasts flat, cut side up. On one half of each breast stack half the chiles, half of the cheese, and half of the red bell peppers. Fold over tucking in the ingredients.
  • Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and use a spoon to baste the tops of the chicken with the sauce that is in the pan. Leave cover off, return to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Check to ensure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
  • Cut each breast in half to get 4 servings.
  • Try this with Maize Picante.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Cotija cheese which is a Mexican Feta does not melt well and will hold up during baking. You can replace it with a mild feta if you cannot find Cotija cheese.
You can find roasted whole green chiles in the Mexican section of the supermarket.

Nutrition

Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 1mg

Ham and White Bean Soup

by
Ham and White Bean Soup

I love a good ham and bean soup and look forward to using up leftover ham in soup making. I’m not a runny soup type person, so I add mashed potatoes to a lot of my soups to thicken them up a bit. I also throw in broccoli, spinach and/or kale into a lot of my soups for added nutrients.

Ham and Bean Soup Ingredients

This is a quick soup to put together so make sure you have all your ingredients ready to go. If you don’t want to thicken it with mashed potatoes or add spinach, that’s ok.

I generally use navy beans because I like the size, but use whatever white bean you want. Just make sure you drain and rinse them well to get as much of the gases off of them as possible.

Sautéing Veggies

In a large stock pot, sauté the veggies for a few minutes to soften them. Then deglaze the pan with red wine or red wine vinegar, or a couple tablespoons of the chicken stock. Scrap the bottom of the pan to get all the stuck on bits of flavor up off the bottom.

Putting it Together

Now add the ham, beans, stock, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Final Ingredients

If you’re adding mashed potatoes and hearty greens like spinach, kale, or chard, now is the time to stir them in. Simmer for another 5 minutes or so to wilt the greens and heat everything thru.

It’s as easy as that, you have a delicious ham and white bean soup ready to eat.

Enjoy!

Ham and White Bean Soup
Print Recipe

Ham and White Bean Soup

Ham and white bean soup is a wonderful soup for the dreary fall and winter days. Adding mashed potatoes, thickens it a little bit, and spinach and kale adds some extra nutrients to this soup.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Keyword: ham and bean soup, soup
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 577kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • Knife and cutting board
  • 6 to 8 quart stock pot
  • heat resistant spoon

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil or canola oil
  • 1/3 cup yellow onion diced
  • 1 stalk celery chopped, about 1 cup
  • 1 each carrot chopped, about 1 cup
  • 2 cups mushrooms sliced
  • 2 tbsp red wine or red wine vinegar
  • ½ tbsp garlic fresh minced
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 2 cups ham diced
  • 2 cans white beans drained and rinsed well, 15 oz cans
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup mashed potatoes optional
  • 4 handfuls spinach and/or kale, optional
  • 2 tbsp parsley chopped, optional

Instructions

  • On medium heat, heat large stock pot and add oil, onions, celery, mushrooms, and carrots. Sauté for 3 minutes.
  • Deglaze pan with red wine, scrapping all the brown bits off the bottom.
  • Add ham, beans, stock and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
  • If adding mashed potatoes, spinach and/or kale, or parsley, stir in and cook for another 3 minutes or so until the potatoes are hot and the spinach is wilted.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 577kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 1524mg | Potassium: 1712mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3079IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 173mg | Iron: 7mg

Kielbasa Stew

by
Kielbasa Stew

Looking through the freezer I found some kielbasa sausage that didn’t end up on my grill this summer. In trying to figure out what to make with it, I looked through the pantry and found some lentils and quinoa and decided to make a hearty stew to stand up to the wonderful flavors of the kielbasa sausage.

This is a fairly simple stew to make and you can accomplish prepping the vegetables and kielbasa while the lentils and quinoa are cooking.

Quinoa and Lentils

First you want to rinse the quinoa. For some people quinoa can taste a bit soapy when it is cooked, so rinsing it is an important step prior to cooking.

Also, sort through the lentils to ensure there are no any rocks.

You can put both in one pan to cook since they take about the same amount of time. I happened to have a quinoa and grain mix in my pantry so I used that.

Put this on the stove and simmer with a lid on the pan for about 20 minutes.

Kielbasa and Veggies

While the lentils and quinoa are cooking, you can gather and prep the rest of the ingredients. I found some bell peppers in my freezer from my garden this summer that had been roasted, so I used them instead of a fresh bell pepper.

I also kept the frozen broccoli on top of the peas and corn because when it thaws a bit, I chopped it down into bite size pieces.

The chipotle pepper was also in my freezer. When I open a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, I usually only use 1 or 2 at a time, so the rest I freeze individually in snack size bags for future use. That way I don’t waste most of a can of chipotle peppers.

At this point your lentils and quinoa are probably cooked. If there is a lot of liquid left, you can strain it, or just turn up the heat and boil it out. Just be careful not to burn the lentils and quinoa. If there is a little liquid left, its not a big deal to add it to the stew.

Sautéed Kielbasa and Veg

In a larger stock pot, saute the kielbasa, carrots, onions, celery, and bell peppers. Be careful not to add too much oil, the kielbasa has some fat, and you don’t want a greasy stew in the end. About 1 tablespoon or a little less oil is plenty.

Simmering Kielbasa Stew

Now add the canned tomatoes, chicken stock, chipotle pepper if you are using one, lentils, and quinoa. You only need to simmer this for about 10 minutes. Everything is cooked, you’re just combining the flavors.

This is when I rough chop the frozen broccoli. 

Kielbasa Stew Finished

Stir in the frozen veggies, parsley, and fresh spinach. I happened to have a baby spinach, kale, and chard mix that I used.

Simmer for about 5 minutes to heat everything up and wilt the greens, and it’s ready to eat.

Try this soup with some homemade Cornbread for that finishing touch.

Enjoy!

Kielbasa Stew
Print Recipe

Kielbasa Stew

A hearty, somewhat smoky and spicy stew to warm you on a cold winter day, filled with nutritious vegetables, quinoa, lentils, and kielbasa sausage.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Keyword: kielbasa, soup, stew
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 482kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • Cutting board and knife
  • 4 quart sauce pan
  • Fine mesh sieve
  • 6 quart sauce pan

Ingredients

Lentils and Quinoa

  • ½ cup lentils
  • ½ cup quinoa
  • 2 ½ cups chicken stock

Kielbasa and Vegetables

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ pound kielbasa chopped
  • 1 cup carrots diced
  • ¼ cup yellow onions diced
  • 1 stalk celery diced
  • 1 each bell pepper diced
  • 1 each chipotle pepper or jalapeno pepper, diced, optional
  • 1 cup corn frozen
  • 1 cup peas frozen
  • 2 cups broccoli frozen, chopped
  • 4 handfuls spinach
  • ¼ cup parsley fresh, chopped

Sauce:

  • 1 can diced tomatoes in sauce 15 ounce can
  • 2 cups chicken stock

Instructions

  • Put quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse well. Sort lentils to ensure there isn’t any rocks.
  • Add rinsed quinoa, lentils and 2 ½ cups chicken stock or water in a 3 to 4 quart sauce pan on the stove over high heat, Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until done. Strain if there is excess liquid.
  • Prepare kielbasa and vegetables. Open tomatoes and get chicken stock. Measure out frozen veggies and spinach.
  • In a 6 quart or larger sauce pan, heat oil. Add kielbasa, onions, carrots, bell pepper, and celery. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions become translucent.
  • Stir in chipotle or jalapeno pepper, tomatoes in sauce, chicken stock, lentils and quinoa. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Rough chop the frozen (thawing) broccoli to bite size pieces.
  • Stir in corn, peas, broccoli, spinach, and parsley. Simmer for another 3 - 5 minutes to heat the frozen veggies and wilt the spinach.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Makes about 10 cups.

Nutrition

Calories: 482kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 885mg | Potassium: 1286mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 7464IU | Vitamin C: 68mg | Calcium: 123mg | Iron: 6mg