Buffalo Meatballs!!!

   I've noticed that buffalo anything has been a huge hit! So I came up with this recipe that's super fast and easy for you guys when you have a buffalo craving. It's just a little bit of a different take on it for you guys. 

By the way I've made this twice this week trying to perfect it for you guys. My husband already wants me making it again! 

Here's what you'll need:

1 pound ground turkey

2 large cloves garlic

1/4 cup fresh grated parmasen

1 egg

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp dry mustard

1/4 grated red onion

Salt and pepper

Some sort of non stick spray (I use extra virgin olive oil) 

Your favorite buffalo sauce

Let's start out my adding everything to the meatballs! Grate in your garlic and Parmesan. Add all of the rest of your ingredients. (Except your spray and buffalo sauce) 

Side note: you don't have to use red onion. Any onion you prefer is fine. Same with your Parmesan cheese. If you don't want to grate it in you can use any type you like. Remember you can substitute or change anything to your needs or preference. I think that's what cooking is all about.

   After you add everything to your turkey mix it all up. It will be a little sticky but I found that I preferred these without breadcrumbs in them. (I love breadcrumbs in my beef meatballs.) I also found that ground chicken was WAY to sticky for me. 

Now roll them into walnut sized balls and put on a baking sheet that is sprayed down with your non stick cooking spray. I usually spray the tops of the meatballs with the spray too. Just to help them brown up a bit. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes ( cook time depends on the size of your meatball.). Make sure you check them frequently because you don't want to overcook them. If you do they will be super dry. 

   When your meatballs are almost done heat your buffalo sauce up in a sauce pan. (or microwave) As soon as you pull your meatballs out of the oven toss them in your hot buffalo sauce. 

This is the point in the recipe that you will clear your sinuses. :) 

Toss until completely coated. 

That's it's! It's that easy. Now serve however you like. You can serve these as an appetizer with some ranch dipping sauce or you can serve them for dinner like we did. 

I served these tasty little puppies with some roasted carrots. First off this is one of the easiest side dishes ever!! 

Peel your carrots. 

Chop up to desired size.

Toss with extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. 

Roast at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Yes they shrink. But that's ok because they are delicious!! 

How simple was all that?? 

We served our meatballs in pita pockets with some red onion and sour cream. I know sour cream sounds weird. You can use ranch or blue cheese of course! :) 

NOTE: my nana just posted something to my Facebook that I can't believe I didn't think of. She said "blue cheese would be good too". If you love blue cheese with your buffalo wings then replace the Parmesan cheese in the meatballs with blue cheese. Oh man I may have to make these again very soon to eat that deliciousness. Thanks Nana! :) 

Well I hope you guys enjoyed! Let me know what you guys think! 

Buffalo Chicken Casserole!

   As you all know (since I tell you all repeatedly) we LOVE spicy food in my house. When I first made this casserole I thought my husband was going to keel over he loved it so much. I only make this every once in a great while so I better show you guys. It was definitely a great find. 

   We love spicy! If you love spicy you love buffalo spicy too. Well if you are as obsessed with buffalo hot wings like I am than you are definitely going to want to make this!! My mouth is watering again just thinking about it. (Good thing I still have leftovers.) 

   This is one of those recipes that I don't measure. I just eyeball everything. 

We are going to prep everything first. This makes it SO much easier!

Start out by slicing some red potatoes pretty thin. If you have a slicer use that for quicker more efficient work. 

I ended up having to slice some more while I was assembling the casserole. Better than wasting any I suppose. ;)

Let your potatoes sit in a bowl of water so they don't turn brown on you. 

Now shred up that rotisserie chicken. 

*Side note- I almost ate this thing in the car on the way home. Rotisserie chickens smell and taste so dang good!!! 

Discard the skin and bones or freeze them and use them in a homemade chicken stock later. Mmmmm. 

But save the drippings in the bottom of the container for a little later. 

   Now use a box grater to grate up a large (16oz) block of pepper jack cheese. This is so much easier if you stick it into the freezer for about 10 minutes. 

(I made my husband do this. He said to make sure and tell you guys he helped!)

    Now that all of your prep is done we are going to make a bechemel. 

Start out with about 3 tablespoons butter. Melt that in your pan and add about 3 tablespoons flour and whisk around. Let that cook out for about a minute. Add about 2 teaspoons dry mustard. After you combine all that start to slowly add your half and half. (Or whole milk.) About 2 1/2 cups. Whisk until it starts to bubble and thicken and season it. 

   Now here is the best part! Choose your favorite wing sauce. We absolutely love Franks. Add your desired amount of hot sauce to your bechemel. 

Let's just say I used about half of my bottle! :)

   Now add your rotisserie chicken juice to your sauce. Yum!!!

 

  

   Mix that into your sauce. Now heat your oven to 350 degrees. 

Start layering your casserole. 

Start off with a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of your 9x13 pan. 

Now a layer of potatoes.

   Now chicken.

   Now cheese.

   Now back to the beginning. Sauce, potato, chicken and cheese.

On your very top layer do sauce then cheese. You want your cheese on the very top so it can turn bubbly and brown.

   Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake another 30-45. Or until cheese starts to brown. Let it rest about 10 minutes before serving. It's so pretty when it's done!

 

   It was hard to take a good picture of it on the plate. But here you go anyway! :)

  If you love hot wing or anything spicy then this is a must try recipe! I hope you all enjoy!! 

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Spicy Chipotle Beef Stroganoff!

   We are moving very soon (fingers crossed everything goes well) and I will be able to cook more! I'm so excited. I have the cooking itch bad!!! It will be a lot less stressful and way more organized in our new place so I can actually enjoy cooking again. 

   Last night the itch got so bad I went to the grocery store at 10pm and got some stuff to make this amazing Spicy Chipotle Beef Stroganoff. First off I absolutely adore beef stroganoff. I remember being so happy when mom was making it for dinner. This just has a spicy kick to it that amps the dish up to the next level. 

  I fell in love with this recipe after finding it on a Rachael Ray website. This is my second time making it and it was just as good as I remember. I even made it a little more spicy than last time. You can make this recipe to your spicy liking. So if you like your food more mild it's easy to adjust the heat. Well let's get started!!

  As you all know I am famous for changing recipes. In this recipe the only thing I really changed was the cut of beef used. You can choose any type you like. (Especially if it's on sale!) I ended up using a ribeye. It turned out fantastic! 

I started out my sticking the ribeye in the freezer for about 10 mins so when I was slicing it I could get thin strips more easily. While your slicing your meat heat some vegtable oil in your pan so it can get HOT! You can use any high temperature oil. 

Make sure you start boiling water for your pasta. 

   Now brown your beef until it starts to get a deep brown color then take it out of the pan and set aside. While your meat is browning slice up about 8 oz of mushrooms. I used baby bellas. Make sure you wipe them off with a damp paper towel to get all the dirt off them. (I don't buy mine pre-sliced so they are easier to clean.) Do not rinse them in water because they will soak up the water and will turn rubbery when cooked. Plus they won't brown up well if they are "waterlogged".

   Now add a little more oil to your pan and get it hot again. Do not salt the mushrooms until they are browned up. Salt draws moister out and they won't brown well like that either. Man mushrooms are finicky arn't they?

  Make sure you don't burn them. While they are cooking slice up a softball sized onion and chop a few sprigs of fresh thyme up. (Remove the leaves from stem first!) If you have never used fresh herbs please please try it! You will never go back to dried after smelling the fresh! Especially thyme. The aroma is AMAZING! 

Add the onion, thyme and a few grated cloves of garlic to your browned mushrooms. Reduce heat and salt the veggies. You are just softening the onion not browning them. 

Now is the time to drop your pasta into salted boiling water. I used 3/4 pound of egg noodles. (If you use the whole pound make sure you make a tad extra sauce.)

   

   While your onions are softening now would be a good time to purée your chipotle in adobo. I had done it beforehand but at this point in the recipe is probably the most convenient time since the onions take a few minutes. Just add a splash of beef stock to help it purée smooth. 

   Now your onions should be softened up and ready for the next step. Deglaze the pan with a cup to a cup and a quarter of beef stock. Add about three huge tablespoons of sour cream or Creme fresh and one tablespoon of your puréed chipotle in adobo. (I used 2 heaping tablespoons of the chipotle and adobo but we like spicy!) Adjust it to your family's taste. 

   Mix it all together and add your beef. Season and taste. Let simmer for a minute or two then add your pasta. 

   Toss your noodles and sauce vigorously until well combined. 

Plate up and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. This garnish really brings an amazing finish to the dish. It probably helps that I'm a huge cilantro fan. :)

   This dish is so incredibly easy and fast. It should only take about 30 minutes to make. My husband and I love spicy food but remember you can adjust the heat of your dish. You can even remove the seeds from the peppers in the adobo before puréeing to give the dish more of a smoky flavor than spicy. I hope you guys enjoy!

I hope you come back to visit because as soon as we move I will be cooking up a storm!!! Stay tuned! :)

Shopping list:

• 1 pound beef of your choice
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1/2 pound mushrooms
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1-1 1/4 cup beef stock
• 1-3 tablespoons pured chipotle in adobo sauce 
• 1/3 cup sour cream or creme frache
• 3/4 pound dried egg noodles
• Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Update:

   I forgot to tell you guys after I purée the chipotle and adobo I put it in a zip lock bag and freeze it. That makes it so much easier for the next time I need it. Just break and peice off the size you need!! 

:)