BBQ ONION MEATBALL BOMBS

BBQ ONION MEATBALL BOMBS
There are just not enough good things to say about these barbecue onion meatball bombs.  Why are they called "bombs" you ask?  They are called that because each one is a giant, loaded, glob of deliciousness that will explode with flavor when you eat it!

These can be served alone as a meat entree or you could serve them with a side of pasta dressed with olive oil and your favorite seasonings, or you could even slice them and put them in a bun.  You decide how you want to eat them, but eat them you must!  These meatballs stuff beautifully seasoned and flavorful meat inside an onion and wrap it all up in bacon slathered with barbecue sauce.  What is not to love?  Olivia made these beautiful and tasty meatballs.  She was pleased to say the least.  I think even kids would enjoy "unpacking" the layers of these beauties.
-Nanette

MEATBALL BOMBS ready to go into a hot oven 

MEATBALL BOMB right out of the oven

MEATBALL BOMB sliced into...super moist and delicious!

BBQ Onion Meatball Bombs

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 egg
• ½ cup bread crumbs 
• ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 3 yellow onions 
• salt to taste
• pepper
• dash worchestshire sauce
• garlic powder
• 1 package bacon
• ½ c. Favorite BBQ sauce

Instructions

1. Mix meat, egg, crumbs, cheese, worchetshire sauce, garlic powder, pepper, and salt.
2. Cut top and bottom off onion, cut in half and peel off skin. Then separate the onion into layers. Use the larger outside layers.
3. Take a small handful of your meatloaf mix and put it inside one onion layer.
4. Gently press another layer on top of the mixture. You are making an onion seal around your large meatball.
5. Continue with the rest. I made 4 but amounts can vary based on onion sizes.
6. Wrap each "bomb" with 3 slices bacon and secure with toothpicks.
7. Bake in a dish with sides (to catch grease) at 425 for approx 40 minutes or until internal temp 165.
8. Add BBQ sauce all over and bake an additional 5 minutes!

ROASTED CHICKEN AND POTATOES WITH LEMON, GARLIC, AND HERBS

ROASTED CHICKEN AND POTATOES WITH LEMON, GARLIC, AND HERBS
Looking for a slightly difference chicken recipe? One that is full of flavor with a little zing?  This is it!  The rosemary, thyme, garlic, pepper, and lemon combine to make the perfect savory, zesty combination.  The potatoes, carrots and onions make this a perfect meal with lots of flavor.  Your home will smell amazing when this is done cooking too!  Olivia made this yummy dish and it was a hit.

The best part about a great meal like this is the possibility of leftovers that may make it into my work day lunch.  Hope you enjoy it.
-Nanette

ROASTED CHICKEN AND POTATOES WITH LEMON, GARLIC, AND HERBS

INGREDIENTS

• Ingredients for the chicken
• 6 medium bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• finely grated zest of 1 medium-size lemon
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Ingredients for the potatoes:
• 1 ½ pounds small yellow potatoes, halved (or quartered if they are large)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon sliced in ⅛-inch slices

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Early in the day (at least 4 hours in advance) mix the rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil together in a small bowl. Rinse the chicken breasts and pat them dry.
2. Press the herb mixture into the flesh of the chicken on all sides. Place chicken on a sheet pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-8 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Lightly grease a sheet pan with oil.
4. Combine potatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper in a medium-size bowl. Toss to coat. Turn potatoes out onto prepared sheet pan in an even layer.
5. Place in oven and roast for 15 minutes. Remove from oven.
6. Add the chicken breasts to the pan, skin side up in between the potatoes. Tuck lemons around chicken and potatoes. Roast for about 30-45 minutes longer, or until the breasts reach 160˚F* in the thickest part. If breasts vary greatly in size, you may need to remove the smaller ones 5 minutes before the larger ones. (If you're using skin-on, boneless breasts, baking time will be about 5-10 minutes less, so just add them after the potatoes are in for 20 minutes and check the temperature after 25 minutes.)
7. Remove from oven and cover chicken loosely with foil. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

CINNAMON FRENCH TOAST

CINNAMON FRENCH TOAST
If you are like me, your idea of french toast is sprinkling a little cinnamon in the egg wash before you dip the regular sandwich bread in it.  That works, but Olivia made this recipe that takes it to a little higher level.  In addition to the cinnamon, it adds nutmeg and vanilla.  The recipe calls for brioche, but Olivia used some Amish egg bread (rich and dense).  Experiment with breads you like or breads you end up with leftovers of that you need to get used.  Using real butter and real maple syrup also helps enhance the experience.  This makes a great breakfast or if you are one of those people who enjoy breakfast for dinner, this is a great choice.
-Nanette

CINNAMON FRENCH TOAST

Ingredients

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons butter
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 slices challah, brioche, or white bread
1/2 cup real maple syrup, warmed


Directions

In a small bowl, combine, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar and set aside briefly.

In a 10-inch or 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk together cinnamon mixture, eggs, milk, and vanilla and pour into a shallow container such as a pie plate. Dip bread in egg mixture. Fry slices until golden brown, then flip to cook the other side. Serve with syrup.

LASAGNA SOUP

LASAGNA SOUP
I would love to tell you salad season is officially here and Spring is in full regalia, but the truth is it is not.  Yesterday it snowed sideways due to the wind and left a dusting of snow behind.  For that reason, we are still enjoying soup like this one.  If you like the flavor of lasagna, you will like this soup.  The tomato, basil, garlic, and pepper flakes make this a yummy and savory treat.  You will probably find it is a meal in itself.  If you want more, a nice crisp salad or crusty bread would be just the thing.  Enjoy!
-Nanette

LASAGNA SOUP

1-1/2 lbs Italian sausage
3 cups chopped onions (about 1 1/2 large onions)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
28 oz petite-diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock
8 oz fusilli pasta
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I didn’t add any salt because the sausage, tomatoes, broth and cheese were salty enough )

8 oz. ricotta
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
pinch of freshly ground pepper

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

1. Sauté meat in a large pot over medium-high heat until browned, about five minutes. Adding oil to the pan wasn’t necessary because the sausage gives off enough fat on its own.
2. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and cook until the onions have softened, about five minutes.
3. Stir in the dried oregano, crushed red pepper and the tomato paste. Cook the tomato paste until it has browned slightly and evenly coated the meat and onions, 3-4 minutes.
4. Add in the diced tomatoes, bay leaves and chicken broth, then turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer 30 minutes.
5. Crank the heat back up to medium-high and bring to a boil before adding the pasta. Cook until al dente according to the package directions (probably 8-10 minutes).
6. While the pasta is cooking, mix the ricotta, parmesan and pepper together in a little bowl.
7. Once the pasta is al dente, spoon a little of the ricotta mixture in each serving bowl, then ladle the soup over. Sprinkle with chopped basil and the shredded mozzarella.

*Note: if you’re not eating all of the soup right away, you might want to cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl when you serve it so the noodles don’t soak up too much of the broth. Pasta will keep absorbing liquid as long as it’s available, so you’ll find that the leftovers the next day will have turned into more pasta than soup.

Serves 6-8 as a main dish.