Ricotta Smothered Mushroom "Burgers" with Sweet Onion-Olive Topping, Prosciutto, and Arugula

There's a large portobello mushroom cap hiding under all that ricotta cheese!

That recipe title is a mouthful and so is this mushroom burger. There are so many flavor players in this burger that it's hard to even put into words. On a toasted kaiser roll is a portobello mushroom cap that is marinated in balsamic vinegar and olive oil then roasted in the oven and then smothered with a ricotta cheese and pesto topping. The sweet onion-olive topping is red onions and kalamata olives in a tomato paste. You'd think that would be where someone would stop adding to this burger but not Rachael Ray! Layered on top of the ricotta smothered portobello mushroom cap is two slices of prosciutto and then a handful of arugula.

Heads up: Don't mash the burger down in hopes of "thinning" it out to fit your mouth around this. The ricotta will ooze out of the sides. In fact, Mr. Sideline Chef and I agree that half the amount of ricotta topping could be made since so much of it ends up on your plate instead. Double the sweet onion-olive topping instead, you'll thank me later for that suggestion. If you're looking for a "Meatless Monday" meal you could even leave out the prosciutto but it does add another layer of flavor. The peppery arugula is a must! So much flavor play going on sandwiched between one kaiser roll.

This is one hefty burger and made a meal all on it's own. Adding a salad as a side dish would have been overkill seeing as how I almost had to be rolled to the couch after eating this.

For a quick and easy meal give this mushroom burger a try!

Ricotta Smothered Mushroom "Burgers" with Sweet Onion-Olive Topping, Prosciutto, and Arugula

Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Makes 4 Servings



Stars of the Show:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• salt and black pepper
• 4 portobello mushroom caps
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 rounded tbsp tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese - I used fat free ricotta cheese.
• 3 tbsp store bought pesto sauce - I laughed at the fact that she wants you to use store bought pesto sauce. If you make it yourself I promise I won't call you out for it. I used a basil with nuts pesto.
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
• 4 crusty Kaiser rolls, split in half, and toasted
• 8 slices prosciutto di Parma (optional)
• 1 small bunch arugula, washed and trimmed of any thick stems

And Action:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large Ziploc bag combine the balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add the portobello mushroom caps. Zip the bag completely and then shake the bag to coat the mushrooms. Arrange the mushrooms on a baking sheet gill side up. Roast the mushrooms for 12 minutes or until tender and cooked through. While the mushrooms are roasting prepare the caramelized onion topping.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add the sliced red onions, garlic, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Cook the onions, stirring frequently for about 8 minutes, or until nice and brown. While the onions are caramelizing prepare the ricotta cheese topping for the mushrooms.

In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese and pesto well. Once the mushrooms are done roasting for 12 minutes remove them from the oven and divide the ricotta mixture evenly among the 4 mushroom caps onto the gill side. Return to the oven for about another minute just to heat the cheese.

Add the chicken stock and chopped olives to the onions. Turn the heat to high and continue to cook until the stock has reduced almost completely.

Arrange one cheese topped mushroom on the bottom of each split roll. Top the cheese with some of the caramelized onions. Top that with two slices of prosciutto and some arugula. Place the top of the roll on, roll up your sleeves, brace yourself with elbows on the table, lean over your plate, and enjoy!

Marking #10 off of my "Stir the Pot" page. 5 down 19 more to go!

For a chance to win Tru-Kid Cool Conditioner, Silly Shampoo, and Bubbly Body Wash check out Smart Girl Reviews and tell her the Pretend Chef sent you!

Spring Chicken with Leeks and Peas Served with Lemon Rice

"Feel free to make this dish in all four seasons. I just call it 'Spring Chicken' because it tastes light and crisp, like spring air, and because 'Spring Chicken' sounds more appetizing than 'Leeky Chicken,' which was what I called an earlier version of the recipe." - A side note from Rachael Ray's cookbook. 

Omit the chicken and you've got a quick and easy meal to put together for "Meatless Monday". The rice is refreshing with the lemon peel stirred in and is then topped with the chicken, leeks, and peas with white wine. The white wine and veggies with the lemon rice is what really stands out in this meal. The chicken is bland and adds nothing more than a lean protein to this meal. I think that shrimp would do much better in this dish.

This dish came together in less than 30 minutes making it an ideal meal for a weeknight. The prep time and clean up was just as quick.

The dish is light and well balanced with reasonable taste. Chicken tends to be our go-to protein of choice in our household since it tends to be lighter on our grocery budget. Whichever way you choose to make this: meatless, with chicken, or shrimp this will not disappoint.

Spring Chicken with Leeks and Peas Served with Lemon Rice

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats: A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Makes 4 Servings



Stars of the Show:

• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup white rice
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 to 2 lb chicken breast cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 medium leeks, trimmed of tough tops and roots, slice in half lengthwise then into half moons - Be sure to rinse the leeks well since dirt and grit gets in between the layers.
• 1/2 cup dry white wine - You may also substitute chicken broth is you don't have the wine on hand. I recommend the wine though since I feel this gave the dish an incredible amount of flavor.
• 10 oz frozen peas
• salt and black pepper
• handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped - I used dried parsley.

And Action:

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a small pot. Stir in the rice, lemon zest, and 1 tbsp olive oil. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook for 17-18 minutes or until tender.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil and the butter. Once the butter melts into the oil add the chicken to the pan and saute until lightly golden on both sides for about 4 minutes.

Cook the leeks with the chicken until they wilt down, 3 minutes. Add the white wine to the pan and scrape up any pan drippings. Add the peas and heat through, another minute or two. Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the lemon juice over the chicken and leeks.

Fluff the rice with a fork. Add the parsley and toss the rice to combine.

Pile the chicken and leeks on dinner plates and top with a small mound of lemon rice. Rachael Ray suggested using an ice cream scoop to serve the rice which is a novel idea but when you've got a hungry guy and toddler ready to eat presentation normally goes by the wayside.

This recipe was a great alternative to the standard sauteing of chicken in olive oil for a quick protein for dinner. Another "Stir The Pot" item on the list gets to be marked off, number six, chicken. Although not anywhere as good as the Chicken Francese with Wilted Spinach it was delicious enough to fit the bill. 2 items down 22 to go!

Don't forget about the Culinary Smackdown Battle! Check it out to link your recipe and for a chance to win a prize! Best of luck!

Ricotta Pasta with Sausage

Saturday was Game Day! Game Day is a holiday in our household. Our day revolves around football and all things Steeler Nation. Don't you dare walk into our home without wearing your badge of honor. Black and Gold or get the hell out. Okay. That's not exactly how it is. You can get away wearing whatever you want as long as it's not our opponents gear.

Case in point, Mr. Sideline Chef's mother came by for a visit and since she does not follow sports and we enjoy her company we cut her some slack and welcomed her into the craze that becomes Game Day. Before her arrival I made the executive decision that I would prepare a meal for all of us but with Mr. Sideline Chef's help. After pulling out a cookbook and reading a few titles and a few "Not feelin' that," we finally settled on a recipe for Ricotta Pasta with Sausage.

Off to the supermarket dressed in head to toe Steeler's gear we made our purchases and raced home to get the meal ready before his mom's arrival. Just as the pasta was being tossed into the ricotta cheese, butter, and Parmigiano-Reggiano mixture his mom knocked at the door.

We were able to sit down and enjoy our meal before kickoff. I'm sure she was overwhelmed with the f-bombs being dropped and the hollering at people who can't hear us. She kindly excused herself after thanking us for a delicious meal and a full belly and stepped back into the real world as she exited our home... where life doesn't revolve around football and all things Steeler Nation.

This pasta was so hearty and comforting and made for a perfect meal for Game Day. It's quick and easy to prepare and the clean up was a breeze. I've had macaroni and cheese a number of times but have never had a "mac n cheese" like this with ricotta cheese. I didn't even know if I would like the ricotta cheese. Let me tell you... it's a winning combination with the sweet Italian sausage... although... I would recommend using hot Italian sausage for more of a flavor boost and a kick.

Ricotta Pasta with Sausage

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

This is the most I have EVER paid for a single ingredient... $14.99 for 13 oz

• 1 lb penne or ziti rigate
• salt
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped - I only ended up using half the onion since Mr. Sideline Chef doesn't prefer to have a lot of onion in his dishes and I second guessed myself. I think it would have been delicious with the full amount.
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• generous handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped - I used dried parsley.
• black pepper
• 20 fresh basil leaves, shredded or torn - I used dried basil leaves since that's what I had on hand.
• 1 lb sweet Italian sausage

And Action:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the pasta and salt the water. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Place the ricotta, butter, and Parmigiano or Romano in a large bowl.

Pillowy clouds of ricotta cheese, butter, and Parmigiano-Reggiano

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and brown the sausage before adding the onions. Cook the onions for 5 minutes. Add the parsley and cook for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Drain the pasta. Add to the bowl with the cheeses. Toss to melt the butter and evenly coat the pasta with cheeses, then season with salt and pepper. Top the pasta with the basil and season with a little bit of salt. Toss and serve at the table.

Cacciatore Burgers

I've heard of Cacciatore but have never had it. To tell you the truth I don't even know what goes into it. My saving grace, YAHOO!, and a quick search and I was on the path to knowledge. I found out that Cacciatore implies that something is cooked with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, herbs, and sometimes wine. The etymology is Italian, from cacciare, meaning to hunt.

In Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners cookbook she offered up a recipe for Cacciatore Burgers. After a quick scan of the ingredients list and deeming this a "might-like" for Mr. Sideline Chef I added this to our menu lineup.

Her burgers don't include tomato or wine. She missed the mark on this one being Cacciatore-esque. Although I did have to "hunt" for the ingredients since I went shopping at Krogers since I needed fresh fish this week and I am not a regular there. I had to back track quite a few times trying to find all of the items on my shopping list.

Getting to eat a burger, even a turkey burger, makes me giddy. I love the indulgence of a burger. Sinking my teeth into a meaty patty and the flavors from all of the toppings and the grease that may or may not drip down to my elbows. This Turkey Cacciatore Burger is unlike anything I have ever had. The aroma that filled the house is reminiscent of a Philly cheesesteak. My mouth was watering and stomach growling the entire preparation. The final product looked like heaven between a bun.

On top of a broiled bun brushed with butter and garlic laid the turkey burger that had Worcestershire sauce, garlic, red pepper flakes, onions, parsley, basil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. The burger was topped with sauteed sliced portobello mushrooms, onions, cubanelle peppers, and hot cherry peppers then topped with the broiled bun top.

A spring salad mix with an olive oil-lemon dressing was served as a side dish with roasted garlic bagel chips as well. The burger was the only star. "Pretty good." This coming from Mr. Sideline Chef is saying something. He had seconds and thought it could have even had more of a kick. He told me, "It was even heat to tease me." Finally! Another recipe that can be inserted in the "Mr. Sideline Chef's Favorites". This is a must try burger!

Cacciatore Burgers

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Makes 4 servings



Stars of the Show:

• extra virgin olive oil, for liberal drizzling, plus 4 tbsp
• 1 lb ground turkey breast or ground chicken - I used ground turkey.
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4 garlic cloves (2 cloves chopped, 2 cracked from skins and reserved)
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 medium yellow onion (1/4 of the onion finely chopped and the other 3/4 of the onion thinly sliced)
• handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley - I used dried parsley since that is what I have on hand.
• 10 fresh basil leaves, shredded - Once again I used dried basil.
• generous handful of grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and ground black pepper
• 2 portobello mushroom caps, thinly sliced - I scraped out the gills. They gross me out.
• 2 cubanelle pepper, seeded and sliced - I used Anaheim peppers.
• 2 hot red cherry peppers, chopped, plus a splash of their juice
• 4 slices Provolone cheese
• 4 crusty rolls, split
• 3 tbsp butter
• 12 oz mixed baby greens
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped - I used dried thyme.
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 sack of fancy chips such as olive oil and rosemary flavor or Terra's garlic and onion Yukon golds - I used New York Style Roasted Garlic Bagel Chips.

And Action:

Preheat a large nonstick skillet or grill pan to medium high heat.

Drizzle some olive oil in a bowl and add the ground turkey or chicken, Worcestershire, chopped garlic, red pepper flakes, chopped onions, parsley, basil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Combine to form 4 large patties and add to the hot skillet. (I had to turn my heat down to medium because it was starting to burn the burgers.) Cook for 6 minutes, then flip the burgers. Cook for 5 minutes on the other side.

Heat a second skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the mushroom caps with the sliced onions and cubanelle peppers. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn the heat off. Add the hot cherry peppers and a splash of their juice.

Place the Provolone over the burgers and turn off the heat in the pan. Tent the pan with foil to melt the cheese.

Preheat the broiler to high. Toast the crusty rolls until golden. (This happened within a minute and I actually burnt some of the edges.) Melt the butter with the remaining cracked garlic in the microwave. Brush the garlic butter on the rolls.

Place the turkey or chicken burgers on the buns. Top with the peppers and onions and replace the top halves of the buns.

Toss the spring salad greens with the thyme, lemon juice, 2 tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve the greens alongside the Cacciatore Burgers with the chips of your choice.

Fancy-Pants Bangers 'N' Mash

You know when you get blackout drunk after chugging a fifth of After Shock your first time drinking and the next day you spend with your best friend, the toilet? Then how the scent of cinnamon makes you want to vomit for years after? Me neither. Sorry mom for getting drunk on a school night when I was 16.

How does the above story relate. Mashed potatoes. You know how you stuff yourself on mashed potatoes and get that incredibly achy-need to unbutton your pants feeling after doing so? Anytime I think of mashed potatoes my stomach turns and I remember that uncomfortable feeling and how disgusting I feel every time I eat them. I'm sure you can now understand my hesitation of making mashed potatoes for Mr. Sideline Chef whenever he requests them with every meal.

His work sent him back on the road and because I had already done the menu planning and a recipe out of Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners was on the lineup I set about making the meal for just the itty bitty and I. I cut the entire recipe in half to minimize leftovers and even portioned myself out a half serving of both the beef sausages and mashed potatoes.

After eating the perfectly portioned half serving I was left satisfied and not overly stuffed in that disgusting roll me through my bedroom door sort of a way. I even settled for an abnormally early dinner time, 4:30 p.m., in order to let the food settle before bedtime. Well played Pretend Chef, well played.

Bangers are a mild British pork sausage. I have never heard of bangers before this recipe. They can easily be substituted with any kind of mild pork sausage, beef, or chicken sausages. I chose a smoked beef sausage since our local market doesn't keep great stock of products.

The sausages are browned and then removed from the skillet while a red onion sauce is made with red wine and chicken stock and then added back to the skillet. The mashed potatoes have chives mixed in and are a creamy and delicious accompaniment to the sausages.

No need to unbutton your pants after eating this unless you over do it and in that case it most definitely is worth the achy belly. When will you ever learn?

Fancy-Pants Bangers 'N' Mash

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Makes 4 servings

Stars of the Show:



Milk is not set out since I am weird about leaving it out for longer than need be.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 8 bangers or other sausages - I used Eckrich's smoked beef sausages. They were fulled cooked sausages.
• 2 pounds small red potatoes, cut into quarters
• salt
• 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped - I used dried thyme since that was already in my spice cabinet.
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry red wine - I used Shiraz.
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp cream cheese
• 3 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped - I used dried parsley.
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon

And Action:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Add the sausages and brown on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes.

While the sausages are browning, start the mashed potatoes by covering the quartered potatoes in water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, salt it, and cook the potatoes until fork-tender for about 10 minutes.

 Remove the sausages from the pan and place on a platter. Drain half the fat from the skillet (I skipped this step entirely.) then return the skillet to the stove top. Add the red onions, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until nice and brown. Actually didn't burn them like my other night's mishap. Add the red wine and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add the sausages back to the skillet and cook until the sauce is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and return to the hot pan to dry the potatoes out. Add the butter, cream cheese, chives, and milk to the potatoes and mash. Season with salt and pepper.

Finish the sausages with the chopped parsley and the lemon juice. You can either top the mashed potatoes with the sausages or lay them to the side.

Three Color Salad

In Rachael Ray's cookbook she had suggested a Three Color Salad (Insalata Tre Colore) to serve with Tuesday night's Bel Aria Chicken and Pasta.

While this salad is nothing more than a blend of different lettuce(s)...aw crap... another one of those instances when I'm not sure if lettuce even has a plural form. Aw shucks! Back to what I was saying. While this salad is nothing more than three different types of lettuce (why not lettuces?) and topped with a shallot balsamic vinaigrette it was a nice blend of flavors compared to it's dinner co-star.

Since I didn't make a new recipe yesterday since we had leftovers to finish up, which we didn't, I was left with nothing else to post today. Being that I don't want to leave any of my readers hangin' and missing me deeply this just had to make it's way on the blog.

Three Color Salad (Insalata Tre Colore)

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Makes 4 servings

Stars of the Show for the Salad:

Since the local market didn't have a head of radicchio or a bulb of endive I opted for what they did have, a bag of Dole Field Greens salad mix. Easy just feels so good.

• 2 romaine hearts, chopped
• 1 bulb endive, chopped
• 1 head radicchio, chopped

Stars of the Show for the Shallot Balsamic Vinaigrette (My made up name for the dressing not hers.)

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt and black pepper

And Action:

Heat olive and shallots in the microwave for 30 seconds. Let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in the balsamic vinegar and sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste. Keep the dressing separate from the greens until time to serve. Pour over the salad greens. Enjoy!

Today is the LAST day for entering the Gorton's / Ortega Giveaway! With as few entries as there are your chances of winning are pretty good. Just click HERE, leave a comment and your email address! Simple.

Happy Veterans Day Mr. Sideline Chef and thank you for your years of service in the United States Marine Corps!

Bel Aria Chicken and Pasta

Looks like we are riding the roller coaster of ups and downs that we call Rachael Ray's recipes. Tonight was a down compared to Sunday night's Chicken Francese with Wilted Spinach. The ingredients list sounded like a meal that both Mr. Sideline Chef and I would enjoy.

As I was laying out the ingredients I just wasn't getting that "I'm so excited to make this my taste buds are in overdrive" feeling. I had thought about just calling it a night and having Mr. Sideline Chef run to Taco Bell and pick me up a fresco bean burrito with guacamole. After eating this I really wish I would have gone with that idea.

Rachael Ray had put in a side note on this recipe about how this is her take on a dish prepared at an opera cafe in New York City, Caffe Taci. If I was deciding on whether or not to visit their cafe off of her take on their dish I would most definitely have to pass.

Bite-sized chicken pieces are browned in a pool of olive oil and butter and once cooked set aside until after the mushrooms get done browning. To the mushrooms hot peppers are added and a splash of their juice. Dry white wine was added to create a sauce with the addition of the starchy water from the pasta. The rigatoni is added to the skillet and it is tossed with the Parmesan cheese blend and parsley. Served alongside a piece of crusty Italian bread and a three-color salad, insalata tre colore.

Mr. Sideline Chef and I agree that this dish was like eating the hot peppers straight out of the jar because none of the flavors from the chicken or garlic sauteed mushrooms came through. What a disappointment. The highlight of the meal was the salad that Mr. Sideline Chef wouldn't eat because the dressing didn't sound like something he wouldn't like, because it wasn't ranch dressing, and then dipping my bread in the dressing that settled to the bottom of my salad bowl.


 One thing that bothers me more than her hit or miss recipes is that the serving sizes are for men of the Pittsburgh Steelers stature. If you're a calorie counter I'm sure you wouldn't even want to see how many calories are in a serving. Sure wasn't worth eating rabbit food the whole day to save my calories for this.

If you think you'd have better success or an inventive way to recreate this by all means knock yourself out!

Bel Aria Chicken and Pasta

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Makes 4 servings

Stars of the Show: These stars must be on the "D List" with Kathy Griffin.

• salt
• 1 pound rigatoni pasta
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins, cut into large bite-sized pieces
• black pepper
• 1/2 pound cremini (baby portobello) mushroom caps, thinly sliced, or 4 portobello caps, gills scraped out, halved and thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 Italian hot red cherry peppers, drained and chopped, plus a splash of the pickling juices from the jar - They did not have these in our local market so I just substituted it with Tabasco hot peppers.
• 1/2 cup dry white wine - I used sauvignon blanc.
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more to pass at the table
• handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• crusty Italian bread

And Action: I should have stopped before I began.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. When it comes to a boil, salt it and add the rigatoni. Heads up... you'll need two ladles full of the cooking water to be added to the sauce just before the pasta is drained.

While the pasta is boiling, heat a big, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 1/2 tbsp of butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the chicken to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and brown for 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a plate. It will finish cooking through when added back to the sauce later. (My chicken cooked completely through after the 6 minutes.)

Return the pan to the heat and add another tbsp of olive oil, the remaining butter, then the mushrooms and garlic. Cook until the mushrooms are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Salt and pepper the mushrooms after they brown. (If you salt them when they are first added to the skillet, the salt will draw out the liquids and slow the browning process.) Add the hot peppers and a splash of the pickling liquid to the pan. Add the white wine and scrape up the pan drippings with a wooden spoon. Cook the wine down for a minute, then place the chicken back into the pan and cook for a couple more minutes.

Before draining the pasta add 2 ladles of the starchy water to the skillet. The starchy water will help the sauce form and adhere to the pasta. (This seems like a joke since this doesn't even have a sauce that adheres to the pasta.) Add the drained rigatoni to the skillet. Turn off the heat and toss the chicken, mushrooms, and pasta together for a minute or two sprinkling in the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve with the crusty Italian bread and if you choose the Three-Color Salad. (Recipe to come tomorrow.)

Just a reminder: You only have 2 days left to enter the Gorton's / Ortega Giveaway! All you need to do is click HERE and leave a comment and your email address. So simple and who doesn't love free?

Chicken Francese with Wilted Spinach

If doing a complete 180 is having "Girl's night in" and having a meal like this... I'll never choose going out again. This meal was on the menu lineup as one I thought Mr. Sideline Chef would have enjoyed it. He received a phone call late on Saturday night informing him he had to pack his bags for Dallas, TX for Sunday morning. I wasn't going to let this recipe roll around in my head any longer than Sunday night. A good girl friend as company would be equally nice and much needed.

That morning I spent a good three hours cleaning the house top to bottom and then when the hunger monster hit I stood in the kitchen 2 1/2 hours making Potato Pierogies thinking that would make a great snack. After that project was over it was time to make myself presentable for my guest. That only entailed throwing on a pair of jeans and a shirt without any bleach spots on it and what the hell, I straightened my hair. No makeup thanks to good genetics a giant zit. Now that I had a clean house, looked halfway decent, and had a snack in my system I was ready to begin dinner.

After the 2 1/2 hours already spent preparing something, Rachael Ray's Chicken Francese with Wilted Spinach, sounded like more work than it actually turned out to be. 20 minutes! The entire meal was prepped, prepared, and plated. I am a notorious non-mise en place kinda girl and it was still an under 30 minute meal like her cookbook says. Just what I needed after a busy day of "homemaking".

The chicken took an egg bath and was fried in olive oil. As it was cooking I was hesitant since it looked like a chicken omelet being cooked. Pushing on. After they were done cooking a wine wine sauce was made which splattered all over the stove and then was poured on top of the chicken. Plattered and sitting under foil. The wilted spinach made for a quick and easy side dish. A little garlic added to hot oil and then the spinach wilted down, obviously why they call it wilted spinach. Popped a couple pieces of crusty Italian bread in the toaster and dinner was served. Family style. We dug in.

Both of us are "watching" what we eat and both plated what was 1/2 of a serving size to start. It was love at first bite. Neither of us talked. Who are we kidding? We just stuffed our faces. We ended up leaving Mr. Sideline Chef a meager portion of the spinach and two tiny pieces of the chicken. It was just too good to stop eating. The chicken was moist and flavorful and the sauce was mopped up with the bread. My chicken when cooked on a stove top has never turned out like this before. Thank god it was girl's night in and after the food coma set in after the kid was already in bed so I could crawl to my room for the night.

I would rate this recipe as being nice enough to serve to guests and elegant enough for a romantic sit down with your guy. Poor Mr. Sideline Chef had to listen to me rant and rave over the phone about how wonderful this dinner was only to take two bites of it reheated the next night for dinner. Looks like a dinner remake is in order.

Chicken Francese with Wilted Spinach

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Makes 4 servings, that is unless you have two ravenous women who claim it is their "day off" from "dieting".

Stars of the Show:

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cutlets - I cut 3 chicken breasts into 4 pieces each so 12 total pieces for easy portioning of serving sizes.
• 2 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour - Could even use half the amount.
• 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk - I think using one egg and the egg yolk would be enough.
• A splash of milk or half-n-half - I used half-n-half since it was sitting in the fridge getting close to it's 7 days since opening date.
• 4 tbsp butter
• 3 garlic cloves, 1 crushed, 2 chopped - Mine were all just minced since I buy it in the jar.
• 1/2 cup dry white wine - Sauvignon Blanc was used.
• A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley - I used dried since that was what I had on hand.
• 1 pound spinach, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
• crusty Italian bread for mopping up the sauce

And Action:

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper and the poultry seasoning. Dredge the chicken in flour. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolk with the splash of milk or half-n-half and season with a little salt. Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the skillet, then add 2 tbsp of butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the crushed garlic clove to the skillet. When the garlic sizzles in the oil, coat the chicken in the egg mixture, then add to the hot pan. Cook the chicken on both sides until golden, 6-7 minutes total. I did 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm. Add the wine, step back, and deglaze the pan by whisking up the drippings. Reduce the wine for 1 minute, then add the remaining tbsp of butter and the parsley to the pan. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Return the skillet to the heat. Add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, then add the chopped garlic and let it sizzle. Wilt in the spinach, turning it to coat, and season with the salt and pepper, and nutmeg. Serve the spinach alongside the Chicken Francese and the crusty Italian bread to mop up the sauce. Or after the guests have left lick the plate clean.

*In the cookbook Rachael Ray had added a tidbit about Limoncello being a great after dinner dessert on it's own or drizzled over lemon sorbet or vanilla ice cream. I had sent Mr. Sideline Chef to the liquor store to pick some up for me on Saturday night because I "had" to have it. I attempted to drink it on it's own and I guess I am what they refer to as "weak sauce" because I couldn't bring myself into my college partying days of throwing shots back. I've turned into a cheap date and thus don't drink unless we go to Hooters and the guys are buying me shots of Patron. Stories for another day.

Just a reminder: You have 3 days left to enter the Gorton's / Ortega Giveaway. Just click HERE and leave a comment and your email address! That easy!

Turkey (or Chicken) Croquettes with Spinach Mashers and Pan Gravy



Dinner gave this Mouse lots of energy!



After blowing off the dust from my Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners cookbook I found the first recipe I marked for "Mr. Sideline Chef might like" and decided that would be dinner. Reading the ingredients list reminded me of a spin off of Thanksgiving dinner.

What sounded like a labor intensive meal to make an hour before departure for trick or treating ended up being a snap to whip together. I thought I had picked an ambitious meal and was starting to panic with Mr. Sideline Chef's questioning every 5 minutes of, "How much longer Babe?"

The turkey croquettes were a mix of ground turkey, seasonings, celery, and onion rolled in breadcrumbs before frying. They sat on a bed of mashed potatoes with spinach mixed in and a pan gravy poured on top. I could have drank the gravy by the gallons. I did slurp two spoonfuls while putting dinner away. I had my back to the family so no one saw. No harm no foul. Rachael Ray recommended a side of whole-berry cranberry sauce for passing at the table. There was no passing. Mr. Sideline Chef won't touch it and the kid didn't even bat an eyelash at it.

The meal was ready in under a half hour, devoured in 10 minutes, and we were costumed and out the door before 6:45 p.m.

At the pumpkin patch a couple days before Halloween.

This was such a hearty meal and left us uncomfortably stuffed. I don't know what it is with Rachael Ray's recipes but everything is in abundance. Her ingredient amounts are often too much. Seasonings that overpower the food or too many breadcrumbs in this instance that end up being wasted. Don't get me started on her serving sizes or calorie counts. Let's just say... if you are calorie conscious this one might not be for you. I did lighten up our version by using a majority of fat free ingredients or healthier swaps.

The verdict was out and the one opinion that matters more to me about my cooking. Let's hear it Mr. Sideline Chef. "It's good but too much onion and next time, if there is a next time, I'd like to have a bite of mashed potatoes without the spinach."

There won't be a next time. This recipe didn't get the reaction from him that warrants this as a "he can't wait til the next time I make this meal." I would keep the recipe though because it is nice enough to serve to guests and was easy breezy to whip together.

Turkey or Chicken Croquettes with Spinach Mashers and Pan Gravy

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Makes 4 Servings

 Stars of the Show:



• 3 large starchy potatoes, peeled and cubed
• coarse salt
• 1 package (about 1 1/3 pounds) ground turkey breast or ground chicken - I used the turkey since it was cheaper than the ground chicken.
• 2 celery ribs and their greens, finely chopped - I did not use their greens.
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 tsp poultry seasoning
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh thyme - I used dried since that is what I had on hand. No need running up the grocery bill if I don't have to have it.
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley - Once again... read the above statement.
• coarse black pepper
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups plain bread crumbs - I think something more along the lines of 1/2 cup to start with and adding more if needed. I ended up throwing away what looked like the entire 2 cups. Like I said before... everything in her cookbook seems to be in abundance.
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1/2 cup cream or half-n-half 
• 1 pound baby spinach leaves - When adding this amount to the mashed potatoes it became too much. I only used about 1/3 pound.
• Prepared whole-berry cranberry sauce for passing at the table.

And Action:

1. Place potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Put a lid on the pot and bring water to a boil. Salt the water and cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes.
2. While the potatoes cook, make the croquettes. Mix the turkey or chicken in a bowl and add the celery, onion, poultry seasoning, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper, and egg yolk. Combine and form 8 patties. Coat both sides of the patties in the bread crumbs. Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Cook the patties for 5 minutes on each side. Remove the croquettes to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Reduce the heat under the skillet. Add 2 tbsp butter to the skillet and melt. Whisk in the flour. Cook the roux for a minute or two. Whisk in 2 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a bubble. Thicken for a minute or so and turn off the heat. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
3. Drain the cooked potatoes and return to the hot pot. Add the remaining 2 tbsp butter, the remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock (I actually think using half this amount would be better. The potatoes were a little too runny for my preference.), and the cream. Mash and season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Fold in the spinach leaves until they all wilt into the potatoes.
4. To serve: pile the spinach mashers on the plates and top each portion with 2 croquettes and a spoonful of gravy. Pass the cranberry sauce at the table.

He didn't want to go without his Steeler's jersey since it was Game Day! Everyone oohed and aahed over him! First time trick or treater. His Mickey Mouse bucket got so full and heavy but he refused to let us hold it for him. At every door he also refused to let the people put the candy in his bucket. He wanted to do it himself, haha! Such a fun night out with my guys!!!