Articles from August 2017

Chicken & Spinach Stuffed Shells

Chicken, Pasta
Posted on 2 Comments on Chicken & Spinach Stuffed Shells

Again, I’ve found myself with an excess of chicken in my freezer. Thank God for the overflow! However, this chicken’s gotta go. I barely have room for my frozen pineapple emergency stash. So, today, we’re making some Chicken & Spinach Stuffed Shells!

I’m using cream cheese instead of ricotta. Because, everything’s better with cream cheese. And i’m not a fan of ricotta. If you’re with it then use it. It all works. Just don’t skip that Ranch seasoning. BOMB! It adds a certain touch of flavor to it. 

You can shred the chicken if you’d like as well. I wanted to cube it today. I felt cube-ish. Just make sure you season it well. You know how I feel about seasoning every element of the dish. So, cooking the shells in chicken base or broth is mandatory for me. This also keeps us from over doing it with the salt in the stuffing. We don’t need it. The flavor with be there.

Love,

B. Coop

Chicken & Spinach Stuffed Shells
Serves 5
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
50 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
50 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 lb jumbo shells
  2. 1 T chicken base or 3 chicken bouillon cubes
Alfredo Sauce
  1. 3 T butter
  2. 1 T minced garlic
  3. 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  4. 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  5. 1 tsp onion powder
  6. salt and pepper to taste
Stuffing
  1. 2 cups cooked chicken
  2. 8 oz package of cream cheese (softened)
  3. 1 cup spinach (chopped)
  4. 1 T Ranch seasoning mix
  5. 1/2 tsp onion powder
  6. 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  7. 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella
  8. 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan
  9. 1 beaten egg
Topping
  1. 1/3 cup Mozzarella cheese
  2. 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  3. chopped basil or parsley to garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Bring a large pot of water to boil
  3. Add in chicken base or cubes and the shells
  4. Cook according to package instructions
  5. Stir often to keep from sticking
  6. Drain.
Sauce
  1. Melt butter and saute garlic
  2. Pour in heavy cream
  3. Once sauce comes to a low simmer add in cheese and season to taste
  4. When the cheese melts and sauce thickens, remove from heat
Stuffing
  1. Mix all ingredients together well.
  2. Stuff each shell with one tablespoon of the stuffing.
Assembly
  1. Ladle one scoop of sauce to the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish and spread it out
  2. Place shells on top of the sauce in the dish
  3. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the shells.
  4. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 mins.
  5. Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese and bake, uncovered, until cheese melts.
  6. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil.
  7. Enjoy!
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Chicken Parm Pizza

Chicken, Recipes
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Facebook made me so hungry last week I completely changed my recipe plans. I saw a video of a restaurant that combined two of my favorite dishes. Chicken Parm and Pizza! OMG! I had to have it! And the fun part is that the chicken is the crust! I knew I had to make my version and share it with my Cookies.

I chose to make two personal sized pizzas to make it easier to fry. But, if you have a large fryer, feel free to make one big pie! I suggest freezing the chicken crust for at least 4 hrs. You can even make extra and freeze them until you’re ready to use them. 

I absolutely love Chicken Parmesan. I have to make sure that every component of the dish is well seasoned. This pizza version is no different. I season the chicken and grind it up in my food processor. You can also just buy ground chicken. I like to do my own. I also season the eggs. We want a super flavorful pizza!

And the cheese!! Do NOT forget to use Parmesan cheese!!! So, many Chicken Parmesan recipes load up on the mozzarella, but forget the Parm. Don’t do it! If you can, please buy fresh cheese and shred them yourselves. I can’t stress how much better the quality is. I think this is my new favorite pizza! I hope you enjoy it too.

Love,
B. Coop

Chicken Parm Pizza
Serves 2
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Prep Time
4 hr
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
4 hr 30 min
Prep Time
4 hr
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
4 hr 30 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 lb chicken breasts (or ground chicken)
  2. 1 T Italian seasoning
  3. 1 tsp onion powder
  4. 1 tsp garlic powder
  5. 1 tsp salt
  6. 2 eggs
  7. 1 cup all purpose flour
  8. 1 cup italian style bread crumbs
  9. 3 T grated parmesan cheese
  10. 1 cup marinara or pizza sauce
  11. 2 cup fresh mozzarella cheese
  12. vegetable or canola oil for frying
  13. fresh basil
Instructions
  1. Cut chicken breasts into cubes and place into a food processor
  2. Add the onion and garlic powders, 1 basil leaf, and 1/2 of the Italian seasoning
  3. Blend until chicken is ground
  4. Line (2) 8 or 9 inch cake pans with plastic wrap
  5. Divide the chicken equally into the pans and press to flatten into the bottom of the pans
  6. Wrap tightly with the plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours
  7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
  8. Put the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs into 3 separate dishes
  9. Season the eggs with the remaining Italian seasoning and beat them
  10. Season the breadcrumbs with 1 T parmesan cheese
  11. Remove the chicken crusts from the plastic
  12. Coat the crusts in the flour, then the eggs, and lastly, the breadcrumbs
  13. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a frying pan or heat a fryer to 350 degrees F
  14. Fry each chicken crust until golden brown; about 3-4 mins per side if using a frying pan
  15. Transfer to paper towels after frying
  16. Place crusts on a baking sheet
  17. Top with sauce and all remaining cheeses
  18. Bake for 10 mins or until cheese is bubbly
  19. Garnish with fresh, shredded basil
  20. Enjoy!
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Golden Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes

Desserts, Recipes
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Who doesn’t love Oreos? They were on sale at the grocery store last week and I had to buy some. I immediately thought of you guys and decided to do a recipe with them. That’s the only reason that would keep me from eating them myself. I didn’t want to do the usual chocolate Oreo cheesecake recipe. I wanted to do something with the red velvet ones, but they were gone. So, Golden Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes it is!

Long recipe title right? Sheesh! But, these little things are good! I don’t like my cheesecake super silky. So, adding a little bit of flour gives it more of a NY cheesecake texture. If you can, please don’t skip serving these with fresh whipped cream. 

Love,

B. Coop

 

Golden Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes
Yields 12
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
35 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 family sized package Golden Oreo cookies (12 whole, 5-6 finely chopped)
  2. 2 8 oz packages of cream cheese (softened)
  3. 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  4. 2 T sour cream
  5. 1 tsp vanilla extract
  6. 1 T all purpose flour
  7. 2 large eggs (room temp)
  8. pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F
  2. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and place one, whole Oreo at the bottom of each liner
  3. In a bowl using an electric mixer, mix cream cheese and sugar together
  4. Add in one egg at a time mixing in between the addition of each egg
  5. Now, add in the flour, sour cream, and salt. Mix well
  6. Fold in the finely chopped Oreos by hand. Do not use the mixer. (Reserve some roughly chopped Oreo pieces to garnish later.)
  7. Divide the batter into the cupcake pan evenly
  8. Bake for 20-22 mins or until the filling sets.
  9. Allow to cool in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours
  10. Top with whipped cream (optional) and garnish with the remaining Oreo pieces
  11. Enjoy!
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Unstuffed Bell Peppers

Recipes, The Lighter Side
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I love stuffed bell peppers. My family enjoys them too. I make them often for holidays and gatherings. But, I always notice that very few of my family members would eat the whole pepper. I’d see empty pepper shells on almost every plate. After I’d parboiled and seasoned the peppers for these ingrates!! Who am I kidding? I don’t eat the dang pepper either. That’s why this recipe is ideal my crew and me!

All the elements you love about stuffed peppers without having to waste peppers! Genius, right?! Feel free to use ground beef if you prefer. And you can switch the cheese up to your liking as well. Wild rice works too. You can even omit the rice all together if you’re watching your carbs. Unstuffed Bell Peppers are a wonderful midweek meal. Great for meal prepping too. Try it.

Love,

B.Coop

Unstuffed Bell Peppers
Serves 5
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
35 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 lb ground turkey or beef
  2. 1 diced bell pepper
  3. 1 diced onion
  4. 1 T minced garlic
  5. 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
  6. 1 cup cooked rice
  7. 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
  8. 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
  9. 1 tsp onion powder
  10. 1 tsp garlic powder
  11. salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Brown meat in an oven safe skillet and drain excess fat
  3. Add in bell peppers and onions and saute for 5 mins or until tender and brown
  4. Add garlic
  5. Pour in tomatoes; do not drain
  6. Add in spices
  7. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 10 mins
  8. Add in rice
  9. Taste and adjust seasoning
  10. Stir in the parmesan cheese
  11. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top
  12. Bake, uncovered, until cheese melts
  13. Garnish with green onions
  14. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. If you don't have an oven safe skillet, just cook everything in a pan and transfer it to a baking dish.
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