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Barbecue Country Style Ribs

Boneless barbecue country style ribs with a homemade sweet and spicy barbecue sauce. Making delicious ribs at home is easier than you think!

Barbecue Country Style Ribs 

Boneless barbecue country style ribs with a homemade sweet and spicy barbecue sauce. Making delicious ribs at home is easier than you think!

 

I hate mentioning sad things in recipe posts, but I also have always been open about my life outside of recipe creation. My cat, Macy Gray (yes, named after the singer) passed away yesterday while we were sleeping of liver failure. We knew it was happening, and tried everything we could. At first the vet wasn't sure it was liver failure, it was just that she wasn't eating and she was crying, so we were feeding her anything she would eat. Basically just little pieces of cheese and deli turkey. She would not touch her cat food. The final thing we could try was a steroid shot, which she was given on Monday morning. Unfortunately, she just got worse throughout the day. She was just under 14 years old.

Macy

 

I don't want to think about it anymore, let's get back to these barbecue country style ribs, and the homemade barbecue sauce.

How do you spell it, barbecue, barbeque, or BBQ? I've never used BBQ, I'm just not a fan of abbreviations, or something. However you spell it, this sauce is made with no preservative ketchup, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper. It's sweet and spicy. It's not as dark red as many barbecue sauces, because I honestly forgot to add Worcestershire sauce at first, but it doesn't matter what the color, all that matters is the flavor!

Boneless barbecue country style ribs with a homemade sweet and spicy barbecue sauce made with no preservative ketchup, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper.
These barbecue country style ribs are tender, melt in your mouth ribs! Boneless ribs give you more meat with less fat, made tender by simmering before topping with the sauce and baking. They take a little bit of time to cook, but they are totally worth the wait!

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Barbecue Country Style Ribs

Boneless barbecue country style ribs with a homemade sweet and spicy barbecue sauce. Making delicious ribs at home is easier than you think!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 20 minutes
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Course: Entree
Servings: 4
Calories: 920kcal
Author: Bernadette

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ pounds boneless country style pork ribs
  • 1 20 ounce bottle Hunts 100% Natural ketchup or your favorite brand
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional) I forgot it at first, but added it to the additional sauce I brushed on
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

  • Place the ribs in a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
  • In a large bowl combine the ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper; whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spread enough aluminum foil across a large baking sheet to wrap the ribs. Place the drained ribs on the lined baking sheet and brush or spoon enough of the sauce to cover over the ribs. Wrap in the foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
  • After 1 hour, carefully open the foil (watch for steam!), brush with additional sauce as desired. Place back in the oven, uncovered, and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the ribs are fork tender, 10 to 20 minutes longer.

Nutrition

Calories: 920kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 209mg | Sodium: 1586mg | Potassium: 1488mg | Sugar: 86g | Vitamin A: 890IU | Vitamin C: 6.7mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 3.6mg

 

Fall Favorite Recipes That Aren't Pumpkin

Let's enjoy some Fall Favorite Recipes That Aren't Pumpkin! Here you will find Fall dinner recipes, soup recipes, chili's, Fall salads, and easy Fall dessert recipes.

I've been focusing on savory pumpkin recipes a lot so far this Fall, and while I love them, there are so many more Fall Favorite Recipes to enjoy like apple recipes, carrot recipes, sweet potato recipes, cranberry recipes, and all other kinds of squash recipes.

 Fall Favorite Recipes That Aren't Pumpkin!

15 Fall Favorite Recipes That Aren't Pumpkin! Includes recipes for pear salad, roasted carrot and sweet potato soup, bourbon pork tenderloin, apple strudel muffins, spiced apple cider cranberry muffins and more!

Pear Salad with Goat Cheese, Candied Pecans, and Maple Balsamic Dressing from Two Healthy Kitchens - This fall favorite salad is perfect for Thanksgiving, yet easy enough for a weeknight dinner!

Roasted Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup from Peas and Crayons - Flavorful, rich, and velvety, this healthy soup will warm you up this Fall.

Roasted Walnut and Bourbon Pork Tenderloin from Blackberry Babe - Falls favorite flavors abound in this easy, simple to make bourbon pork tenderloin roasted with delicious spices and a bourbon walnut glaze.

Caramel Apple Streusel Muffins from The Redhead Baker - Autumn means apples are in season. Enjoy them in these decadent apple filled muffins with a caramel streusel topping that are great for breakfast.

Spiced Apple Cider Cranberry Cupcakes from American Heritage Cooking - Soft, melt in your mouth, apple cider cinnamon cake filled with an apple cider cranberry sauce then topped with cinnamon cream cheese frosting, cinnamon sugar pie crust leaves, and apple cider syrup. These will be a new Fall favorite dessert!

15 Fall Favorite Recipes That Aren't Pumpkin! Includes recipes for turkey habanero chili, slow cooker apple cranberry chicken, acorn squash and apple soup, slow cooker sweet potatoes, and more!

 

Turkey Habanero Chili from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen -  Spicy chili with the sweetness of crushed tomatoes, healthy vegetables, and cannellini beans. This chili is for the spicy lovers!

Slow Cooker Apple Cranberry Chicken from The Lean Green Bean - The perfect one-dish meal for Fall, not only is it delicious, but it's freezer friendly, too! Just pull it out, put it in the slow cooker, and dinner cooks itself!

Slow Cooker Acorn Squash and Apple Soup from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen - Savory acorn squash and sweet apples blended together with a creamy finish, made completely in the slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes from The Magical Slow Cooker - If you love sweet potatoes, you will love this easy holiday or anytime side dish!

Sweet Spiced Roasted Butternut Squash from Valerie's Kitchen - Butternut squash tossed in an aromatic blend of spices and brown sugar and roasted in the oven until caramelized. A beautiful addition to your holiday menu or a tasty side dish for any night.

15 Fall Favorite Recipes That Aren't Pumpkin- Includes recipes from the slow cooker, desserts, dinners, side dishes, and more!

 

Caramel Apple Pound Cake from 365 Days of Baking and More - A Sara Lee pound cake, chopped Granny Smith apple, salted caramel, melted chocolate and peanuts make this an easy and delicious dessert.

Slow Cooker Spiced Pear Butter from Renee's Kitchen Adventures- Slow cooked pears and spicy simmered for hours making an excellent homemade pear butter.

Stuffed Pepper Soup from Diethood - Hearty, comforting, warm and incredibly flavorful Stuffed Pepper Soup!

Orange Gingerbread Cake with Cranberry Cream Cheese Frosting from It's Yummi - This light and fluffy gingerbread cake is accented with sweet orange zest then topped with a decadent cranberry cream cheese frosting.

Slow Cooker Cheesy Beer and Potato Soup from Baked By Rachel - This creamy and flavorful slow cooker soup is loaded with tender potato chunks, cheese, and beer to create the perfect cold weather soup.

Of all of these Fall favorite recipes, which will be your new favorite? Let me know in the comments!

Just in case you ARE looking for pumpkin recipes, here are my favorite pumpkin recipes:

Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes

Pumpkin Habanero Salsa 

Pumpkin Soup 

Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Cream Sauce

WANT EVEN MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES FROM MYSELF AND MY FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS? FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST, FACEBOOK,TWITTER, OR INSTAGRAM,  WHERE I SHARE NEW RECIPES DAILY. YOU CAN ALSO SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL TO GET NEWLY POSTED RECIPES FOR FREE! 

This post, Fall Favorite Recipes That Aren't Pumpkin, originally appeared on Parade's Community Table  on October 2, 2015.

Slow Cooker Stuffing with Bacon Onions and Sage

This Slow Cooker stuffing loaded with bacon, sautéed onions, and sage is great for saving room in your oven.  An easy to prepare slow cooker stuffing is great for Thanksgiving or really, anytime. 

 

Slow Cooker stuffing loaded with bacon, sauteed onions, and sage. Save room in your oven by making your stuffing easily in your slow cooker.

 

Last year on Thanksgiving I made a really good slow cooker stuffing that had bacon and onions in it. Even as I was making it, I was planning on sharing it here. In the hustle of Thanksgiving preparation I didn't take any photos or write down my changes, so I planned on making it again right away.  I had gotten the recipe from...somewhere. But, where? A search of my cookbooks turned up nothing, there were slow cooker stuffing's but not with bacon and onions. There was a bacon and onion stuffing I had pinned, but it wasn't slow cooker. Today, almost a year later, I still have no idea where the original recipe came from.

Bacon, Onion, and Sage Stuffing in the slow cooker.

I still wanted to make it again. Badly. So, I made my own version a few weeks ago. This slow cooker stuffing is full of crumbled reduced sodium bacon (low-salt diet for my husband, I've found one that is yummy and only has 5% of a daily value of sodium), making it delicious without being overly salty. I used reduced fat butter, better for you than margarine. I added no salt added chicken stock. Basically, I took something I love and made it as healthy as I could. I didn't sacrifice taste one little bit! I'm pretty sure you will agree!

Slow Cooker Stuffing with Bacon, Onions, and Sage- save room in your oven and make stuffing in your slow cooker this Thanksgiving.

This Slow Cooker Stuffing only takes fifteen minutes to prepare, and is done in two and a half hours. It's great for the Thanksgiving Day rush, or anytime! What is your favorite stuffing? Do you make the same one every year, or try something new?

WANT EVEN MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES FROM MYSELF AND MY FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS? FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST OR ON FACEBOOK, WHERE I SHARE NEW RECIPES DAILY. YOU CAN ALSO SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL TO GET NEWLY POSTED RECIPES FOR FREE! 

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4.15 from 7 votes

Slow Cooker Stuffing with Bacon Onions and Sage

Slow Cooker stuffing loaded with bacon, sauteed onions, and sage. Save room in your oven by making your stuffing easily in your slow cooker.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time2 hours 45 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Servings: 10
Calories: 305kcal
Author: Bernadette

Ingredients

  • 10-12 cups day old bread cubed (I buy a package of cubed bread)
  • 10-12 slices lower sodium hardwood smoked bacon ,cooked and crumbled
  • 3 cups chicken stock (I used no salt added)
  • 2 ½ cups chopped yellow onion
  • 2 eggs ,lightly beaten
  • ½ cup light butter
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 teaspoons ground sage
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until softened, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the cubed bread to a large mixing bowl. Mix in the crumbled bacon, parsley, sage, poultry seasoning, and pepper. Pour the chicken stock over the mixture, followed by the beaten eggs, and sauteed onions with the butter. Mix until well combined and moist.
  • Transfer to a large slow cooker, cover, and set to HIGH. After 10 minutes, reduce to LOW and cook for 2 ½ hours, stirring once half-way through the cooking time.

Nutrition

Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 517mg | Potassium: 202mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 385IU | Vitamin C: 5.1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2.5mg

Cheesy Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #YesYouCAN #CollectiveBias

Cheesy, flavorful, and healthy Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers! These stuffed peppers are filled with ground chicken, traditional Sloppy Joe MANWICH  sauce, pumpkin puree, carrots, celery, and Gouda cheese, then topped with cheddar cheese. The result is a delicious, cheesy, and healthy dinner that is simple to make, and great to eat!

Cheesy Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers 

Cheesy, flavorful, and healthy Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers! These stuffed peppers are filled with ground chicken, traditional Sloppy Joe MANWICH sauce, pumpkin puree, carrots, celery, and Gouda cheese, then topped with cheddar cheese.

A lot of what I've been cooking recently has been savory, Fall themed, while staying as healthy as possible. Most days I also need my recipes to be fast and easy to make, since by the time my daughter gets off the bus I have under two hours to do dishes and make dinner while dealing with household things (dogs) at the same time. That's why I like to make my dinners fast and easy with ConAgra products like MANWICH, along with seasonal produce I can easily pick up at Walmart.

MANWICH-Isle

Bell-Pepper-Isle

 

The printable recipe is below, but I'd love to show you step-by-step how I made these awesome Cheesy Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers.

First, gather up the ingredients:

Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, cut bell peppers in half length-wise, remove seeds and membranes, then place them in a baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Cut bell peppers in baking dish.

Bake the peppers for 15-20 minutes, or until they are just starting to soften. Meanwhile, prepare the Sloppy Joe filling.

Brown the ground chicken, along with finely diced carrots and celery in two tablespoons canola oil,

Browning ground chicken, carrots, and celery.

Then add one can of MANWICH, one cup of pumpkin puree, 2 cups of shredded Gouda cheese, and ⅔ of a cup of water. Mix the water in the emptied can of MANWICH so you get every bit of sauce out. Stir the chicken/MANWICH mixture up, and simmer for a minute or two.

MANWICH and pumpkin puree added to ground chicken.

Once the peppers are done pre-baking, fill them with the mixture just to the top of each pepper.

Sloppy Joe filled bell peppers.

Put the dish back in the oven, and bake for 20-25 more minutes. Remove from the oven and top with cheddar cheese,

Cheese topped Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers

Put them back in the oven just until the cheese melts.

Baked Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers

Garnish with chopped green onions, and serve.

Cheesy Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers

Do you need more recipe inspiration? Check out all the great #YesYouCAN recipes here! Do you make un-traditional stuffed peppers? I would love for you to tell me how you make them, and if you need another stuffed pepper idea, how does Bacon Burger Stuffed Peppers sound?

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Cheesy Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers

Cheesy, healthy Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers made with ground chicken, MANWICH, pumpkin puree, carrots, and celery.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Entree
Servings: 8
Calories: 471kcal
Author: Bernadette

Ingredients

  • 4 bell peppers any color, various sizes
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 2 cups finely shredded applewood smoked Gouda cheese
  • 2 cups finely shredded mild Cheddar cheese
  • 15- ounce can MANWICH Original Sloppy Joe Sauce
  • 1 cup finely diced carrots
  • 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup diced celery
  • ⅔ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • diced scallions for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Cut the bell peppers in half length-wise, remove seeds and membranes. Place in the baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until just beginning to soften.
  • Meanwhile, in a large rimmed pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken, carrots, and celery, and cook; breaking up the chicken and stirring often, until the chicken is cooked through; drain and return to the stove over medium heat.
  • Add the MANWICH, pumpkin puree, Gouda cheese and water to the pan, stir well. Simmer for 1-2 minutes.
  • Spoon the mixture into the pre-baked peppers. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the peppers are soft and hot.
  • Remove from the oven, top evenly with cheddar cheese. Bake for 5 minutes more, until the cheese is melted.
  • Remove from the oven

Notes

Note: Baking time and amount of ground chicken filling needed will vary depending on the size of the peppers. Leftover filling can be frozen for later use.

Nutrition

Calories: 471kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 976mg | Potassium: 639mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 10060IU | Vitamin C: 80.4mg | Calcium: 574mg | Iron: 1.5mg

 

Shrimp and Bell Pepper Skillet Recipe

Quick and easy Shrimp and Bell Pepper Skillet with scallions, parsley, and black pepper in a butter sauce served over brown rice.

Shrimp and Bell Pepper Skillet

Quick and easy Shrimp and Bell Pepper Skillet with scallions, parsley, and black pepper in a butter sauce served over brown rice.

 

It is so rare for me to serve something new for dinner that my daughter, Amanda, ends up loving, that when it happens I feel like I need to share it with the world immediately. She's had shrimp for dinner before, and asked for it  last night, but somehow she thought I was going to make shrimp cocktail like we have for holiday dinners. I thought she was going to have a fit when she found out I was cooking the shrimp.

My original plan was for a crunchy baked shrimp, but the dogs and Amanda distracted me and I ran out of time, so I changed plans to shrimp and peppers over rice at the exact time I would normally have dinner ready. It was okay, though, this shrimp and bell pepper skillet was ready about 20 minutes later.

Quick and easy Shrimp and Bell Pepper Skillet with scallions, parsley, and black pepper in a butter sauce served over brown rice.

 

This easy sauteed shrimp was a hit with all of us, even my daughter. Loved it, yes, she loved it! She didn't eat the sauteed bell peppers because she thought they were spicy peppers. No amount of explaining could convince her otherwise, but other than that, this was a winner all around. I love easy shrimp dinner recipes.

I used boil-in-a-bag brown rice, and started the shrimp skillet cooking at the exact same time the water with the rice started to boil so they were both done at the same time. If you don't like rice this would be good over thin spaghetti, or serve as sauteed shrimp and peppers with a salad on the side.

Here are some more skillet dinners to try this week:

Shrimp Asparagus Bacon Skillet

Skillet Meaty Shells and Cheese

20-Minute Italian Chicken Skillet

Skillet Chicken with Spinach and Avocado

WANT EVEN MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES FROM MYSELF AND MY FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS? FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, OR FACEBOOK, WHERE I SHARE NEW RECIPES DAILY. YOU CAN ALSO SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL TO GET NEWLY POSTED RECIPES FOR FREE!

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3.40 from 25 votes

Shrimp and Bell Pepper Skillet

Quick and easy Shrimp and Bell Pepper Skillet with scallions, parsley, and black pepper in a butter sauce served over brown rice.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Entee
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy shrimp and rice recipe, shrimp and peppers
Servings: 4
Calories: 390kcal
Author: Bernadette

Ingredients

  • 1 pound large raw shrimp peeled, veins and tails removed
  • 1 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 8 tablespoons reduced fat salted butter
  • 1 scallion ,thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 cups cooked brown rice ,prepared according to package directions

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.
  • Add the diced bell pepper and parsley, saute stirring often for 5 minutes.
  • Add the shrimp, scallion, and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes more, or until the shrimp are pink and opaque. Serve hot over cooked rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 315mg | Sodium: 1085mg | Potassium: 295mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2165IU | Vitamin C: 55.4mg | Calcium: 184mg | Iron: 3.5mg

Pumpkin Manicotti with Sage Cream Sauce

Who wouldn't love a filling meal of cheesy Pumpkin Manicotti with Sage Cream Sauce? Ricotta and Pumpkin filled manicotti in a creamy sage and garlic sauce. This will become your go-to Fall pasta dish!

Pumpkin Manicotti with Sage Cream Sauce  

Ricotta and Pumpkin filled manicotti in a creamy sage and garlic sauce.

Some people might call me a pessimist. I call myself a realist. I don't sugar coat things, say everything is wonderful all the time, or act happy when I'm not. I wanted to start blogging more regularly once my daughter went back to school, but in my heart I knew I would never be able to post three times a week like I'm "supposed to". Reality is it only took a few weeks before Amanda got strep throat and spent a few days home from school, and we ordered Chinese and McDonalds, and then when she was better we went to the fair. This is my life. So, until yesterday it had been a few days since I cooked anything new. In fact, it's been a week since I posted anything new.  I'm so glad I finally made these pumpkin manicotti, I loved them!

Cheesy, flavorful, and filling pumpkin manicotti with a delicious sage cream sauce.

For the most part, I prefer savory pumpkin dishes over sweet. I don't like pumpkin pie spice, so I don't like regular pumpkin pie (but I'm thinking of making a different version, watch for it!). I do love dishes like pumpkin ravioli, Pumpkin Soup, and a few other pumpkin dishes I've made over the years. Pumpkin manicotti just joined the list of savory pumpkin dishes I love. They are cheesy, flavorful, filling...oh my goodness, filling! You could eat one manicotti with a salad and make a full meal of it. Yeah, this isn't diet food, though I did make it as healthy as I could for my husband by leaving out some salt and using light butter. It's still not diet food.

I adapted this recipe from foodiecrush by changing the way I made the sauce. I suggest preparing the sauce up to three days in advance, it will save you a ton of time! This recipe makes enough filling for nine manicotti shells, while a box of shells contains fourteen shells. If you want to make the whole box prepare another half batch of the pumpkin/ricotta filling along with a extra half of the sauce, and bake in two pans. A 13 x 9 pan will nicely hold nine shells.

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Pumpkin Manicotti with Sage Cream Sauce

Ricotta and Pumpkin filled manicotti in a creamy sage and garlic sauce. This will become your go-to Fall pasta dish!
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Italian American
Servings: 4
Calories: 890kcal
Author: Bernadette

Ingredients

  • For the sauce:
  • 3 cups light cream (or milk)
  • 8 tablespoons light butter
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • ¼ cup flour
  • ⅛ cup thinly sliced fresh sage
  • For the manicotti:
  • 8 mancotti shells (one package) cooked until al dente according to package directions and cooled
  • 1 ½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese ,shredded (divided)
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese ,thinly shredded
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh sage

Instructions

  • For the sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes. SLOWLY add the flour while whisking constantly, then SLOWLY add the cream while continuing to whisk constantly. Bring to a simmer, add the sage, lower the heat and cook, stirring often, for ten minutes. If making ahead, cool completely before refrigerating, if using immediately allow to cool while you assemble the manicotti.
  • For the manicotti: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, ½ cup of the mozzarella cheese, pumpkin puree, egg, salt, and nutmeg. Spread ½ cup of the sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Using a pipping bag with a large tip or a plastic freezer bag with the bottom corner snipped off, pipe the ricotta/pumpkin mixture into each cooked and cooled manicotti shell. Place the filled shells on top of the sauce in the baking dish. Cover the filled shells with the remaining sauce, sprinkle with ½ cup mozzarella and the Parmesan. Sprinkle the top with the sliced fresh sage. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes more.

Nutrition

Calories: 890kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 37g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 254mg | Sodium: 1393mg | Potassium: 609mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 12215IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 769mg | Iron: 2.9mg

 

 

Southwest Chicken Pumpkin Chili

Southwest Chicken Pumpkin Chili made in the slow cooker with shredded chicken breasts, black beans, hot salsa, and pumpkin puree simmered in chicken stock. This chili is full of flavor, not too spicy, and healthy!

Southwest Chicken Pumpkin Chili

Southwest Chicken Pumpkin Chili made in the slow cooker with shredded chicken breasts, black beans, hot salsa, and pumpkin puree simmered in chicken stock. This chili is full of flavor, not too spicy, and healthy!

Once upon a time there was a food blogger who may or may not be named Bernadette. She made a chili, a really good Southwest Chicken Pumpkin Chili that she planned on sharing as soon as she could. Then, her husband invited his best friend over to watch the game and told him she would make her Award Winning Chili  (thanks for volunteering me, honey. I mean, I love you!!). The difference between the two is like night and day, and both are equally delicious!

Well, his best friend cancelled on us after I already bought everything I needed to make the chili. I decided to make it anyway, in order to take better photos than the ones that are on that post. Hey, I was a newbie! That was yesterday, and it took just long enough to put together that I didn't have time to finish writing this recipe. Then, today my daughter got sick (her first strep throat, great.). So, I'm late with things as usual. Such is my crazy kitchen.

Thick, slightly spicy chicken chili with black beans and pumpkin puree.

You can't really taste the pumpkin in this pumpkin chili, it's there more to help thicken the chili and make it healthier. A ½ cup serving of pumpkin puree has 200% of a days worth of vitamin A and 6% of a days worth of iron. The idea for it comes from a recipe I pinned to my "Healthy Recipes to Try" on Pinterest a year ago.  Plus, it is pumpkin season! Since I don't bake often, I get my pumpkin in savory ways, like Pumpkin Soup.

I used chicken that I simmered in chicken stock for one hour, then removed to a cutting board to shred. You can save time by doing this the day (or a few days) before, then save the chicken stock in the refrigerator along with the shredded chicken until needed. Make sure to skim the fat off the top of the stock before adding it to the soup.

Adapted from Heartbeet Kitchen Pumpkin & Black Bean Chicken Chili.

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Southwest Chicken Pumpkin Chili

Southwest Chicken Pumpkin Chili made in the slow cooker with shredded chicken breasts, black beans, hot salsa, and pumpkin puree simmered in chicken stock. This chili is full of flavor, not too spicy, and healthy!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 10 minutes
Course: Chili
Cuisine: Southwest American
Servings: 8
Calories: 225kcal
Author: Bernadette

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken breast cooked and shredded
  • 3 cups chicken stock (Kitchen Basics or homemade recommended) (or more for thinner chili)
  • 31 ounces canned black beans , drained and rinsed (two cans)
  • 15 ounce can pure pumpkin puree
  • 6 ounces hot salsa (I used Newman's Own)
  • ½ cup diced green bell pepper
  • 2 small cloves garlic ,minced
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Fresh chopped cilantro diced avocado, and shredded Mexican cheese blend, for serving

Instructions

  • Combine chicken stock, pumpkin, and salsa in a slow cooker. Stir in shredded chicken, diced green pepper, black beans, minced garlic, chili powder, and ground cumin. Mix until well blended.
  • Cover and cook on HIGH for 4-6 hours, on on LOW for 6-8. Ladle into soup bowls,and top with fresh chopped cilantro, avocado, and shredded cheese.

Notes

Nutritional information does not include toppings. 

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 777mg | Potassium: 843mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 8575IU | Vitamin C: 13.9mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 3.6mg

 

Clam Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

These Clam Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms are made like a copycat version of Olive Garden's Stuffed Mushrooms, only bigger and better!

Clam Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms 

These Clam Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms are made like a copycat version of Olive Garden's Stuffed Mushrooms, only bigger and better!

I love stuffed mushrooms. I love Olive Garden's stuffed mushrooms. I pretty much love every stuffed mushroom I've ever eaten! But, these Clam Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms are the bomb!! I know, I know, I sound like I'm trying to talk you into these, but I promise I'm not. If you don't want perfectly seasoned, clam filled mushrooms that taste just like Olive Garden's, only made with portabella mushrooms so big you could make a meal out of them, that's your business, not mine.

Perfectly seasoned, clam filled mushrooms that taste just like Olive Garden's, only made with portabella mushrooms so big you could make a meal out of them!

All kidding aside, here's what happened. I bought a pack of five portabella mushrooms thinking I might make some kind of stuffed mushrooms, but then we had a cookout and my husband used two of them, so that's an odd amount, right? Well, it turns out that the amount of filling needed for 8 - 12 regular size mushrooms is just right amount for 3 portabella mushrooms. Keep in mind that you might have to adjust if your mushrooms are really big or make more if they are smaller. I adapted this recipe from CopyKat Recipes Olive Garden Stuffed Mushrooms. I didn't cover the mushrooms before baking, and now I think I would suggest that you do. It will keep the moisture in and leave them more buttery. Another note on that, I used reduced fat (light) butter which is salted (it's the only light butter my store carries), and since light butter has a higher water content than full-fat butter, it evaporates faster. So, I realized that if I make them uncovered again, I should increase the light butter to ½ cup.

These Clam Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms make a great vegetarian entree, served with a light salad. The stuffing is dense, so they are very filling!

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Clam Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

These Clam Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms are made like a copycat version of Olive Garden's Stuffed Mushrooms, only bigger and better!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 3
Calories: 234kcal
Author: Bernadette

Ingredients

  • 3 large portabella mushrooms cleaned, steams and gills removed, if desired
  • 1 6 ounce can clams ,drained (reserve ¼ cup clam juice for stuffing), finely minced
  • 1 scallion (green onion) chopped fine
  • 1 egg ,beaten
  • 2 cloves garlic ,minced
  • ½ cup dry Italian bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
  • 1 tablespoon cooled melted butter
  • 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup plus two tablespoons finely grated mozzarella cheese divided (I used reduced fat, which doesn't melt as well)
  • **¼ - ½ melted butter (see note)
  • fresh diced parsley ,for garnishing

Instructions

  • Clean mushrooms well, removing steams and also removing gills, if desired. Removing the gills isn't necessary, but if you don't the butter sauce will turn brown. Gills can be removed with the tip of a spoon lightly scraped against the mushrooms. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a mixing bowl combine clams, onions, garlic, oregano, and cooled melted butter. Mix well. Add the breadcrumbs, egg, and clam juice, stir well. Stir in grated Parmesan and 2 tablespoons grated mozzarella.
  • Fill the mushrooms with the stuffing. You should have enough to slightly mound the stuffing. Place the mushrooms in a square baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Pour melted butter over the mushrooms. Cover (suggested) and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle remaining mozzarella over the top of the mushroom, and bake for 5 more minutes, or until the cheese is just melted. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.

Notes

I used light butter, and did not cover the mushrooms before baking, which left them less buttery than normal. If you chose to do the same, increase the melted butter from ¼ cup to ½ cup.
Adapted from CopyKat Recipes Olive Garden Stuffed Mushrooms

Nutrition

Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 876mg | Potassium: 401mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 405IU | Vitamin C: 1.9mg | Calcium: 253mg | Iron: 2.6mg

 

 

Hoisin Chicken Stir-Fry

A quick and easy weeknight dinner, this Hoisin Chicken Stir-Fry is made with thin sliced chicken breast strips, broccoli, and onions in a delicious hoisin, peanut butter, and sriracha sauce.

Hoisin Chicken Stir-Fry 

A quick and easy weeknight dinner, this Hoisin Chicken Stir-Fry is made with thin sliced chicken breast strips, broccoli, and onions in a delicious hoisin, peanut butter, and sriracha sauce.

Let me give you a little advice, though if you have kids you probably already know this. Taking your children to the grocery store is a bad idea. You end up buying things they say they want, even if you're pretty sure that once you make it, they aren't going to want to actually eat it! This is what happened last Thursday when I let my daughter come with me. She's 6, with a 16 year old attitude. She decided she wanted me to buy rice noodles. I can't remember if she ever had them before, but one of her favorite dinners is "chicken and rice", which I change how I make it often, so I thought she might like them in a stir-fry. I decided to make a hoisin chicken stir-fry, mixing peanut butter in with the hoisin sauce along with some sriracha sauce to give it a little zing.

Have dinner ready in 30 minutes or less with this sweet and spicy Hoisin Chicken Stir-Fry.

Dinner is ready. She LOVED it!! I mean, really, really, really, loved it!! So much that she asked if she could have it again for dinner the next night. She ate the leftovers while we ate potato pancakes. Can't get the child to eat a potato pancake, nope. But a hoisin chicken-stir fry, that's like the best meal ever, Mom! I have to say that from first bite (mine) I thought she was going to say it was too spicy, but she didn't. I would suggest cutting the sriracha sauce in half if you or your kids don't like spicy at all. Or try this Chicken Stir-Fry with Broccoli.

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Hoisin Chicken Stir-Fry

A quick and easy weeknight dinner, this Hoisin Chicken Stir-Fry is made with thin sliced chicken breast strips, broccoli, and onions in a delicious hoisin, peanut butter, and sriracha sauce.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Entree
Servings: 4
Calories: 516kcal
Author: Bernadette

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds thin chicken breast ,cut into ½ inch thick strips
  • 3 cups frozen broccoli
  • ½ of a red onion ,sliced
  • ⅔ cup water
  • ¼ cup hoisin sauce
  • ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil ,for sauteing
  • Rice noodles or sticky rice ,cooked according to package directions

Instructions

  • In a wok or large rimmed saute pan, heat the sesame oil over high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring often, until cooked through,about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate with a slotted spoon, set aside.
  • Add the water, hoision sauce, peanut butter, and sriracha, stir well.
  • Add the sliced onion and broccoli to the pan, saute for 5 minutes,stirring often.
  • Add the chicken back to the pan and continue to cook, stirring often, until the broccoli is hot. Serve over rice noodles or sticky rice.

Notes

Nutritional information calculated without the noodles or rice for serving. 

Nutrition

Calories: 516kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 569mg | Potassium: 735mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 565IU | Vitamin C: 64.4mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 2.2mg

 

Whipped Nutella Dip with Strawberries

Creamy, chocolaty whipped Nutella dip with fresh strawberries! This dip is fabulous with cinnamon sugar pita chips, fresh apple slices, and more!

Whipped Nutella Dip with Strawberries

Creamy, chocolaty whipped Nutella dip with fresh strawberries! This dip is fabulous with cinnamon sugar pita chips, fresh apple slices, and more!

It's the day after Labor Day here in the U.S., so why am I sharing a summertime recipe? Simple, it's that good! I thought of making a whipped Nutella dip in the beginning of the summer, and finally made it for my friend's party in June. I didn't blog much this summer, and didn't get a chance to share this with you. I am SO sorry!! I did share the recipe on Community Table, where I have been contributing since April. The good news is it's really not to late to make it this year. At least here it's still in the 90's today, and you can still get strawberries grown in the states. See, it's not completely out of season!

This creamy, chocolaty dessert dip with fresh strawberries will be a summertime favorite!

This Whipped Nutella Dip with Strawberries is really easy to make, just Nutella, chopped strawberries, and sea salt. The hard part is waiting until it chills to eat it! You're going to want to chill the prepared dip for at least 4 hours in the fridge (or up to 24 hours), otherwise it will become watery. If you are serving it at an outdoor party when it's hot out, keep it on ice.

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Whipped Nutella Dip with Strawberries

Creamy, chocolaty whipped Nutella dip with fresh strawberries! This dip is fabulous with cinnamon sugar pita chips, fresh apple slices, and more!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 10 minutes
Course: Dip
Servings: 12
Calories: 410kcal
Author: Bernadette

Ingredients

  • 26 ounces Nutella 2 13 ounce jars
  • 8 ounces heavy cream
  • 1 pint fresh strawberries ,cored and diced
  • 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt

Instructions

  • Pour heavy cream into a mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer until it just begins to thicken.
  • Add Nutella and continue whipping until fully incorporated.
  • Stir in all but 4 tablespoons of the strawberries and 1 teaspoon sea salt.
  • Pour into a pie plate, smooth the top with a butter knife, then top with remaining strawberries and sprinkle with remaining sea salt.
  • Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours before serving.

Notes

Note: Cook time denotes chill time.

Nutrition

Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 420mg | Potassium: 324mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Vitamin C: 23.3mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 2.8mg

If you love Nutella as much as I do, you might want to check out this post, with 7 More Ways to Love Nutella.