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    Home » Recipes

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    Roasted Chicken Broth

    March 24, 2013

    Flavorful homemade Roasted Chicken Broth, lower in sodium than store-bought. Made with freshly roasted bones, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs, homemade broth is easy to make and great to freeze for use anytime!

    Flavorful homemade Roasted Chicken Broth, lower in sodium than store-bought. Made with freshly roasted bones, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs, homemade broth is easy to make and great to freeze for use anytime!

    Flavorful homemade Roasted Chicken Broth, lower in sodium than store-bought. Made with freshly roasted bones, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs, homemade broth is easy to make and great to freeze for use anytime!

     

    I've been making homemade chicken broth for many years now. I used to call it "stock" but I have since discovered that because I make it with the chicken meat and not just the bones it is considered broth. Broth is also normally seasoned with salt, and stock is not. Stock is more of a base to be used in another recipe, which would then be seasoned. Broth is more of a finished product, because of the use of the meat giving it a richer flavor. I guess technically the way I made it this time is more of a stock than the other way I make it...Ok, I'm obsessing. For the most part you can use either interchangeably. Either way, homemade is much better than store-bought, and much less salty! In fact, I don't add salt at all, I think it's flavorful enough without it.

    Roasted Chicken Broth

     photo RoastedChickenBroth_zpsc21ab889.png

    I'm updating this post a few years after it was first published. Back then, this was the first time I ever made roasted chicken broth, I've done it this way ever since. Before that I would just simmer the chicken with the carrots, celery, etc, but I found out many years ago that my turkey broth is MUCH better roasted, so I wanted to try it with chicken. I made a roasted chicken a few days before, so I had the bones right on hand, but you can also freeze a carcass with some leftover chicken meat in a freezer bag to make into Roasted Chicken Broth at a later time.

    Print Recipe
    No ratings yet

    Roasted Chicken Broth

    Flavorful homemade Roasted Chicken Broth, lower in sodium than store-bought. Made with freshly roasted bones, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs, homemade broth is easy to make and great to freeze for use anytime!
    Prep Time30 minutes mins
    Cook Time3 hours hrs 40 minutes mins
    Total Time4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
    Course: All
    Cuisine: All
    Servings: 12 cups
    Calories: 86kcal
    Author: Bernadette Martin

    Ingredients

    • 1 Carcass whole wings and legs ( meat and skin still on) of a 5-6 pound roasted chicken
    • 3 carrots peeled with the tops cut off and cut in half
    • 3 stalks celery with some leaves
    • 1 whole yellow onion unpeeled
    • 4-5 cloves garlic unpeeled
    • small handful fresh parsley stems on
    • 5 black peppercorns
    • 2 bay leaves
    • cold water enough to cover everything in the pot

    Instructions

    • Put the carcass, legs, and wings on a roasting pan and put in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 40 minutes, turning after 20 minutes.
    • Remove from the roasting pan, letting the grease drip off, and put in a large stock pot along with the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, parsley, peppercorns and bay leaves. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 2-3 hours, or longer. You can skim the foam that rises to the top with a spoon over the simmering time. The longer it simmers the more flavorful the finished broth will be!
    • When it is done simmering, strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth into another pot. Discard the vegetables. Reserve and remove the chicken from the bones if you are planning on making chicken soup with the broth. To cool the broth quickly, fill your sink with ice water, adding more ice as the water warms and stir the broth often. The easiest way I have found to skim the fat that rises to the top is to put the broth in containers and refrigerate until the fat hardens, but if you need the broth right away skim the top of the cooled pot with a spoon. You won’t be able to remove as much fat this way, but it's fine in a pinch. Once you have skimmed the fat, the broth can be frozen for up to 9 months.

    Notes

    Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with each batch.  

    Nutrition

    Calories: 86kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 252mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2595IU | Vitamin C: 2.2mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.1mg

     

     

    Linked to:

    Home Cooking Memories Weekend Link Party #10

    Processed Foods and Why I Sometimes Use Them

    March 16, 2013

    The other day (ok, a few weeks ago now) on my Facebook page I asked how many meals a week my readers make that are homemade. I was a bit surprised at the large number of people who responded that all of their meals are homemade, from scratch! The truth is about 4 meals a week here are from scratch. By meals I mean dinner. My daughter eats cereal for breakfast and I don't usually eat it. Lunch is normally leftovers from dinner. Then dinner is normally homemade without prepackaged foods on Mondays, Tuesdays,Wednesdays, and Fridays.

    If I had the time I would love for all my meals to be homemade and from scratch, but for me a least, it isn't realistic. I'm a mother of a 3 ½ year old bold, beautiful, and stubborn little girl. We got a puppy last September, and we don't have the type of yard that I can always let her out by herself, so taking the dog out 6-9 times before by husband gets home right at dinner time uses up the time I could spend cooking. Then there's the housework, and just spending time with my family, and this blog and the Facebook page that goes along with it! There just isn't enough hours in a day to do everything I want to or need to. Some of you know that I have two of my recipes from this blog published in a cookbook by Jodi Ambrose called Darn Good Eats, The Cookbook for Creative Chefs and Reluctant Cooks. Jodi has her cookbook divided into two sections, the creative chefs section and the reluctant cooks section. The creative cooks section is the homemade recipes with one of mine in this section, and the reluctant cooks section features store-bought prepackaged foods some of which are "doctored up" to look like they are homemade. Jodi wouldn't mind me telling you that, she knows she doesn't like to cook and does as little as possible 😉 One of my recipes is in that section, because it's all store-bought ingredients and easy! The cookbook is actually on sale right now, click on her highlighted name above to find out how to get one now!

    Now, a bit about the prepackaged and processed foods I do use.

    1: Boxed or frozen pastas. I bought a pasta maker over a year ago and haven't used it yet. I want to learn to make homemade raviolis, but I need the time, and nobody home to bother me 😉

    2: Jars of pasta sauce and gravies. I know how to make both, I have several recipes for pasta sauces posted on here using fresh ingredients, including my favorite summertime sauce, Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce. I freeze leftover homemade sauce to use again. But, spaghetti is no longer a fast meal when you need to make a sauce from scratch, and sometimes it just isn't worth defrosting the homemade.

    3; Stove Top Stuffing. Why? Because it's Stove Top Stuffing. That is all.

    4: Canned soups. My daughter Amanda loves my homemade chicken noodle soup with the homemade stock and all, but she also loves Campbell's noodle soups, and wants it several times a week. I just can't make chicken soup for her several times a week from scratch.

    5: Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Again, my daughter. I have tried many times to get her to even try several different kinds of homemade, and she will not touch it! Yes, I am aware that the powdered cheese has artificial flavorings and colors in it. I know it's not the healthiest for her, but I don't believe that once or twice a week is doing that much damage. The child barely eats, I'm going to let her have something she actually likes sometimes.

    6: Canned beans, tomatoes, and artichokes. Fresh artichokes are scary looking, and I've heard they are hard to prepare. I really only use them in my Mozzarella, Tomato and Artichoke Salad anyway, so I'm going to stick with canned.

    I went so far as to organize my cabinets to take these pictures. You should be scared. I'm scared.

     photo IMG_0173_zps9af99ac3.jpg

     photo IMG_0177_zps83fb2b05.jpg

    And a bit about what I stay away from....

    1: Canned vegetables, other than canned tomatoes and artichokes. They are full of salt and don't even taste anything like fresh. I do use frozen along with fresh. Frozen vegetables are often better than fresh, which lose vitamins quickly after being picked.

    2: Foods with ingredients I can't pronounce that are a mile long. I'm a label reader. I know what's in everything I feed my family, then I decide whether it's ok or not.

    3: Artificial sugars of any kind. Some low sodium foods. Did you know that when they leave out the salt companies sometimes add artificial flavorings to make it taste better? Diet products with them in. Actually, any type of diet product.

    4: Margarine. I use butter in everything. I like butter. Margarine is oil, added chemicals, and coloring. I prefer cream.

    5: Recipes with too many processed ingredients. Kind of hard to explain, so I'll give you an example. I once saw a recipe for a soup. This soup "recipe" called for 3 CANS OF DIFFERENT SOUPS IN IT!!! That to me isn't a recipe, it's dumping three cans in a pot and adding some frozen veggies. Get what I'm saying?

    There is more, both of what I use and don't, but I'm probably boring you already and I'm sure you get the point. I have one more thing I need to mention, and that is...

    A word about fast food and restaurants.

    When I asked the question on Facebook, I wasn't thinking about eating out, or ordering in, just what I and my readers make at home, but a few answered with "We never eat fast food" or "We eat at a restaurant once a month or less." so I thought I'd mention it. I'm ok with fast food occasionally ( once a week or less). It's not going to kill anyone. I'm a strong believer in moderation, one bad meal isn't going to kill you, just like that one salad isn't going to make you healthy. Now comes the part where I may lose all credibility as a foodie forever. Something I have never mentioned on here or on my FB page, so only my friend's that follow me know. Are you ready? I used to be a manager for McDonald's. There, I said it. It was never something I was particularly proud of, but it was a job. I even ate it on a daily basis and lived to tell about it, with a very low cholesterol level, too! There are healthy options available in fast food, you just have to choose carefully. Read the nutritional chart posted on the wall. Many restaurants have a "lighter" menu. Most people know what's healthier and what's not, and make the choice to eat the not healthy. And you know what, not healthy is ok sometimes. Just don't do it all the time!

    I really have no point with this, just putting out there how I feel about it all. I understand the whole food argument. I know it's healthier. I try to counter the not-so-healthy stuff with healthy stuff the next time.

    If you like what you find here,and throughout this blog whether you agree or disagree with this post, I would LOVE if you would follow me directly by clicking the follow button on the top of this post.

    Homemade Ramen Noodle Soup

    March 11, 2013

    When you're faced with a cold or a case of the flu, nothing works faster at making you feel better than a hot bowl of this homemade ramen noodle soup.

    When you're faced with a cold or a case of the flu, nothing works faster at making you feel better than a hot bowl of this homemade ramen noodle soup.

    This hasn't been the best week. My mother-in-law got the flu or some kind of bronchitis, and she's one of those types that refuses to go to the doctor so she just got worse and worse, until my husband convinced her to go to urgent care. Once there they suggested she go to the ER, where she was finally admitted for dehydration and low oxygen levels. Come to find out that not only hadn't she been eating, the only thing she was drinking for days was diet soda! Diet soda has no nutritional value whatsoever, at the hospital they have told her WATER, juice, Gatorade, even regular soda if she must. She's still there, but getting better.

    Before she ended up in the hospital, I caught the same flu or something. I had a fever for a day, sore throat, my ears hurt, and it's since turned into a cough. The day I had the fever I decided to make homemade ramen noodle soup. I just happened to have the ingredients on hand, and since the only chicken I had was a whole frozen chicken, regular chicken noodle soup wasn't happening. I needed something like it, though. I wouldn't have been able to eat anything else I had available, or feel good enough to make it

    Keep in mind I was sick and didn't exactly measure everything, but I'm sure what I remember will be good 🙂 Also keep in mind I wanted this done as quick as possible.

    Print Recipe
    3.13 from 8 votes

    Homemade Ramen Noodle Soup

    Quick, easy and HOMEMADE Ramen Noodle Soup! Less sodium and more healthy vegetables than the packages!
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time3 minutes mins
    Total Time13 minutes mins
    Course: Soup
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 160kcal
    Author: Bernadette

    Ingredients

    • 8 ounces package Chinese Noodles (1 package)
    • 12 cups chicken broth
    • 2 carrots peeled and large diced
    • 2 stalks celery large diced
    • 2 scallions ends removed and sliced fine including the green and white parts
    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

    Instructions

    • Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large pot.
    • Add the carrots, celery, scallions, and garlic. Reduce heat to medium ( it will still be boiling, just not as hard) and cook until vegetables are soft, then add in the noodles, soy sauce, and sesame oil. You can break up the noodles into bite size pieces or leave them long and eat them with a fork.
    • Continue cooking, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 2924mg | Potassium: 739mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 5260IU | Vitamin C: 53.1mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2.6mg

     

    Ok, it's not the fanciest, best soup I ever made, but when you're not feeling good and still need to make dinner, this was pretty good! My husband liked it, and even my daughter who doesn't eat much ever loves long noodles, so she liked it!

    I linked this recipe to http://hunwhatsfordinner.blogspot.ca/2013/03/simple-supper-tuesday-9.html

    Crispy Kale Chips - A Recipe Swap

    March 3, 2013

    Crispy Kale Chips - Get the recipe at Rants From A Crazy Kitchen

    A month from today I will have been blogging for a full year! I have "met" so many great people in the food blogger community and beyond. Some of them I even consider my personal friends now, even though we have yet to meet in person. These "recipe swaps" I've been doing have been a good way to get to know those friends and their cooking style a little better and for those that have swapped with me to get to know me and my cooking style.

    One of the close friends I have made is Monica from Sweet Heat Chefs. She made my Spicy Guacamole with Bacon recipe and I'm making her recipe for crispy kale chips.

    Crispy Kale Chips - Get the recipe at Rants From A Crazy Kitchen

    Now, a little bit about kale, and kale chips.

    Kale is a member of the cabbage family, along with broccoli and cauliflower.

    If anything but well cooked broccoli bothers your stomach, you might want to stay away from these, just ask my husband 🙁

    My only experience with kale is from my years working in the food service of a local private boarding school where we used it as a garnish for EVERYTHING. I had never eaten it, nor did it even really occur to me that I could, until right around the time I started this blog and I started seeing recipes with it all over.

    So, when I found these while searching Monica's recipes to find something for the swap, I knew it was time to try it. The first time I made them they burnt really fast, so I asked Monica what I did wrong and after talking to her she updated her recipe to better explain how to cut the leaves, and the second time I was able to make them much better, with just a little modification.

    Honestly, you NEED to try these kale chips.

    They're REALLY delicious, but they are also addicting! Don't eat all of them yourself, because they WILL give you gas! Just saying.....

    Print Recipe
    No ratings yet

    Crispy Kale Chips

    Healthy kale is rubbed with oil and spices, then baked up until crispy. It's a healthy snack that you can enjoy any time of the day.
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time15 minutes mins
    Total Time20 minutes mins
    Course: Snack
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 108kcal
    Author: Bernadette

    Ingredients

    • 1 bunch kale washed and dried thoroughly
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • sea salt and ground white pepper to taste.

    Instructions

    • Make sure kale is thoroughly washed and dried. Preheat oven to 300*F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
    • Cut off the stems off the kale and remove the ribs from the middle of the leaves, keeping the veins of the leaves intact. Cut the leaves into larger bite size pieces, keeping in mind that they will shrink as they bake and they will burn if cut too small! I cut each leaf in half lengthwise and then in half again crosswise.
    • Put the leaves on the lined baking sheets, drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Mix to coat well, then make sure they are as spread out and flat as possible so they crisp up nicely. Bake for 12-24 minutes*. Watch carefully to make sure they don't burn and turn over half way through.

    Notes

    * I know that's a wide range for the baking time. Monica's recipe calls for 24 minutes, turning over after 12. The first time I made them I cut them way too small and some of them burnt after only 12 minutes. The second time I made them and cut the leaves much bigger, they were still almost crispy after 12, so I turned them and put them back in for 3 more minutes. None were burnt and all of them were crisp. Basically your going to have to watch them and adjust your time accordingly. Is it worth standing there and watching? Absolutely!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 159mg | Vitamin A: 3245IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 0.5mg

     

    Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

    February 26, 2013

    This Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf is made with crumbled blue cheese and your favorite wing sauce. It makes a great change from traditional meatloaf.

    This Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf is made with crumbled blue cheese and your favorite wing sauce. It makes a great change from traditional meatloaf.

    This Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf is made with crumbled blue cheese and your favorite wing sauce. It makes a great change from traditional meatloaf.

     

    I know I've said before that I'm thin and so is my daughter. I know I shouldn't use that as an excuse for not eating healthy, but the truth is I sometimes do. I do eat healthy sometimes, although clearly not evidenced by the recipes I've shared so far! When I do eat healthy it's along the lines of a salad, or steamed veggies, or baked plain fish, and I just haven't made anything special enough to share with you since I started blogging.

    Even though, one of my favorite TV shows for years now has been The Biggest Loser. Simply because I love watching the contestants transform themselves! I think it's amazing how different they all look at the end of the season.

    Sliced This Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf is made with crumbled blue cheese and your favorite wing sauce.

     

    Among my somewhat large cookbook collection is The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. I've made several of the recipes in it over the couple of years that I've had it. Yes, I do occasionally like recipes with things like lean ground turkey or chicken instead of beef.

    When I saw this Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf recipe in The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook it sounded like something I and my husband would love, only with a few modification to better suit my tastes. The original recipe calls for old-fashioned oats in place of bread crumbs, fat-free milk, egg whites instead of whole eggs, and reduced fat blue cheese. You can, of course, use those instead of my recipe below if your watching your diet. I honestly don't mind! To each their own, right?

    Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

    Plated Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf with ground chicken, celery, shredded carrots, blue cheese, and wing sauce.

    I've made this many times with ground turkey instead of chicken, and both are just as good!

    Looking for more meatloaf recipes? This is my only full meatloaf, but might I suggest Mini Italian Meatloaves or Mini Turkey Meat Loaves topped with barbecue sauce and bacon.

    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!

    Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

    Print Recipe
    4 from 6 votes

    Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

    Chicken Meatloaf with buffalo wing sauce and blue cheese
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time40 minutes mins
    Total Time50 minutes mins
    Course: Entree
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 182kcal
    Author: Bernadette

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound ground chicken
    • ⅔ cup plain breadcrumbs
    • ½ cup finely chopped celery
    • ¼ cup shredded carrot
    • ¼ cup finely chopped yellow onion
    • ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
    • 2 ½- 3 tablespoons buffalo wing sauce or more if you want it spicy
    • 2 eggs
    • ¼ cup milk
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350*F. Spray a 9 x 5 x 3 or slightly smaller nonstick loaf pan with cooking spray.
    • In a large mixing bowl combine the ground chicken,bread crumbs, celery, carrot, onion, eggs, salt, milk, and wing sauce. Mix well using clean hands, then fold in the blue cheese and gently mix again.
    • Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan and spread flat. Bake for around 40 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked.

    Notes

    Adapted from The Biggest Loser Cookbook

    Nutrition

    Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 542mg | Potassium: 396mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 835IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 1.1mg

     

    I've made this many times with ground turkey instead of chicken, and both are just as good!

     

    Whole Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

    Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

    Bacon Burger Stuffed Peppers- A Recipe Swap

    February 17, 2013

     photo BaconBurgerStuffedPeppers_zpsfa9dc8d2.png

    As I mentioned in my last post, I've been a bit bacon obsessed recently! My lovely friend Becca from http://www.itsyummi.com/ is the same way, she loves it! Just a quick search of her site turned up 10 recipes with bacon, and at this rate, I'm not far behind!

    These stuffed peppers caught my eye during my Bacon party on Facebook (you can find the links to all the recipes shared HERE). I've never really liked stuffed peppers at all, but I've been seeing some yummy looking one's recently, so I'd been thinking of trying to make my own. Yep, I never made them before! My mother and grandmother made them when I was younger, but I'd long ago stopped even trying them.

    So, the whole point of my doing these recipe swaps is for me to make foods I normally wouldn't, and since I never made them or liked them before these were perfect. And, guess what? I liked them!

    Here is Becca's exact ingredient list for her Bacon Burger Stuffed Peppers, and then I'll tell you what I had to change because I'm an idiot sometimes and don't pay attention very well 🙁 The printable recipe follows at the bottom of this post.

    Bacon Burger Stuffed Peppers

    • 4 to 6 large green bell peppers
    • ¾ pound ground beef
    • ¼ pound ground bacon
    • 4 to 6 bite sized mozzarella cheese balls ( she used a local Wisconsin cheese made by BelGioioso, which is the brand I always use!)
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 1 can (14 oz.) Italian diced tomatoes
    • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    • Salt and pepper, to taste
    • 1 to 1 ½ cups cooked rice
    • 1 can (8 oz.) tomato or marinara sauce
    • 2-3 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese

    Ok, the part I didn't pay attention to before I planned on making them, GROUND BACON. Unfortunately, my grocery shopping normally happens at night around 7-9 PM and the only person in the meat department couldn't grind bacon, which I just knew he was going to say. So, instead I chopped up around ¼ pound of bacon as fine as I could before I cooked it. I also accidentally grabbed the smaller cheese balls, so I put around 4-5 in the bottom of each pepper. THEN, I accidentally bought Italian stewed tomatoes instead of diced. Acckkk!!! I love tomatoes and will eat them any other way, but for some reason stewed tomatoes freak me out!! Too late once I already started making them, so I diced the stewed tomatoes ( I drained them first) and hoped I wouldn't die 🙂 The mozzarella cheese I used was some that my neighbor had smoked and given to use. I loved the smoked favor of the cheese in these peppers, so I will suggest using smoked mozzarella.

    How to make:

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the tops off of each pepper and remove the seeds and membranes. Fill a large mixing bowl with ice and water. Blanch the peppers in salted, boiling water for 4 minutes, then shock in the ice water, drain and let cool.

    Brown the ground beef, bacon, and onions in a skillet over medium high heat, drain off the fat. Add the tomatoes, Worcestershire, cooked rice, and salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes.

    Place a mozzarella ball ( or balls) into the bottom of each pepper and stand them up in a casserole dish. Add the meat filling to each pepper and top with some tomato sauce and ½ slice of mozzarella cheese.

    Bake for around 30 minutes or until the peppers are tender, then top with some more tomato sauce and another ½ slice of cheese and bake for 5 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.

    Since Becca makes terrific peppers ( and everything she makes sounds so terrific!) I would love it if you would check out her blog ( link above) and her Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ItsYummilicious Trust me you won't be sorry!

    Print Recipe
    No ratings yet

    Bacon Burger Stuffed Peppers

    Bell peppers stuffed with ground beef and bacon, then topped with cheese. Like a bacon cheeseburger in a pepper!
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time45 minutes mins
    Total Time55 minutes mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Italian/American
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 535kcal
    Author: Bernadette

    Ingredients

    • 4 large green bell peppers
    • ¾ pound ground beef
    • ¼ pound ground bacon
    • 4 bite sized mozzarella cheese balls
    • 1 small onion finely chopped
    • 14 ounces Italian diced tomatoes
    • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 cup cooked rice
    • 8 ounces tomato or marinara sauce
    • 2-3 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the tops off of each pepper and remove the seeds and membranes. Fill a large mixing bowl with ice and water. Blanch the peppers in salted, boiling water for 4 minutes, then shock in the ice water, drain and let cool.
    • Brown the ground beef, bacon, and onions in a skillet over medium high heat, drain off the fat. Add the tomatoes, Worcestershire, cooked rice, and salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes.
    • Place a mozzarella ball ( or balls) into the bottom of each pepper and stand them up in a casserole dish. Add the meat filling to each pepper and top with some tomato sauce and ½ slice of mozzarella cheese.
    • Bake for around 30 minutes or until the peppers are tender, then top with some more tomato sauce and another ½ slice of cheese and bake for 5 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 535kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 1172mg | Potassium: 1087mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 900IU | Vitamin C: 112mg | Calcium: 210mg | Iron: 4.5mg

     

    Spicy Guacamole with Bacon

    February 12, 2013

    Creamy, Spicy Guacamole with Bacon, made with fresh avocado, sauteed onions, crumbled bacon, and jalapenos makes a perfect dip for chips or spread for topping your favorite sandwiches. Appetizers| Game Day Snacks

    Creamy, Spicy Guacamole with Bacon, made with fresh avocado, sauteed onions, crumbled bacon, and jalapenos makes a perfect dip for chips or spread for topping your favorite sandwiches.

    Creamy, Spicy Guacamole with Bacon, made with fresh avocado, sauteed onions, crumbled bacon, and jalapenos makes a perfect dip for chips or spread for topping your favorite sandwiches. Appetizers| Game Day Snacks

     

    Okay, I'll admit I've been on a bacon kick recently. From 58 Recipes with Bacon to Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs, I've developed a bit of an obsession. Even the next recipe I'm going to post after this one has bacon in it. But, it's SO good!! So good in fact, that this happened tonight....I don't think I have ever made anything and just had to blog it immediately after eating it until now. Today is Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday in the Catholic Church. Many people know all about Fat Tuesday, and Mardi Gras, and the many different foods associated with it. Well, I'm home and wasn't really going to do anything special, just make tacos for dinner. Then I started thinking about what else I could do and knew I had an avocado in the fridge, but also knew my husband doesn't usually like guacamole. But, he loves bacon, and since eating this Spicy Guacamole with Bacon an hour ago must have told me 5 times "I told you years ago that bacon makes everything better, but you didn't want to listen to me!" Um, I don't know what he's talking about! I knew that decades ago!

    Spicy Guacamole with Bacon

    Creamy, Spicy Guacamole with Bacon, made with fresh avocado, sauteed onions, crumbled bacon, and jalapenos makes a perfect dip or spread. Appetizer| Sandwich Spread| Burger Topping| Party Foods

     

    I only made a small amount of Spicy Guacamole with Bacon since it was just for my husband and myself, but the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled or even quadrupled for a crowd. Although I made it to eat with tortilla chips, it would be great as a sandwich or burger topping.

    WANT EVEN MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES FROM MYSELF AND MY FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS? FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST,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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    Spicy Guacamole with Bacon

    Creamy, Spicy Guacamole with Bacon, made with fresh avocado, sauteed onions, crumbled bacon, and jalapenos makes a perfect dip for chips or spread for topping your favorite sandwiches.
    Prep Time45 minutes mins
    Cook Time7 minutes mins
    Total Time52 minutes mins
    Servings: 3
    Calories: 171kcal
    Author: Bernadette

    Ingredients

    • 1 avocado
    • 2 slices center cut bacon
    • ¼ cup purple onion diced fine
    • ¾ tablespoon jalapeno diced fine (leave seeds out for less heat, add some for more)
    • 1 tablespoon medium salsa
    • a few drops each lemon and lime juice
    • a couple dashes each of salt and pepper

    Instructions

    • Over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until just beginning to crisp; add the onions and continue to fry. Remove the onions with a spoon if they start to brown before the bacon is crisp, drain on paper towels. Continue to fry the bacon until crispy; place on the paper towels with the onions. Cool and crumble the bacon.
    • In a small bowl combine the avocado,diced jalapeno, salsa, lemon juice, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mash with a potato masher or a fork. Stir in the bacon and onion, cover tightly with plastic wrap pressed right on top of the guacamole and refrigerate for at least ½ hour before serving.

    Notes

    Prep time includes refrigeration time.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 369mg | Fiber: 4g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Vitamin C: 11.1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.4mg

     

    This post is linked to Home Cooking Memories Weekend Kitchen Link Party.

     photo SpicyGuacamolewithBacon-1jpg_zps1c0cc277.png

    58 Recipes With Bacon

    January 30, 2013

    Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs

    For my weekly Facebook food party last week I asked which theme my readers would like to see, Mexican or Bacon. The response was overwhelmingly in support of Bacon! I mean, I completely understand, who doesn't love  bacon? If you don't, you can just ignore this post 🙂 But with such a great response to the party, I know most people do love it! Are you ready for tons of recipes, including Bacon Jam, Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers, Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin, and much, much more?!  Here we go!

    Breakfast

    The Best Egg I Ever Ate

    Bird's Nest Breakfast Cups

    Baked Eggs In A Hole WIth Bacon

    Bacon Cheese Strata

    Mexican Breakfast Casserole

    Skinny Bacon and Egg White Cups

    Bacon Jam

    Bread

    Cheese and Bacon Biscuits

    Appetizers

    Bacon Covered Dates

    Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

    Mini Bacon Cups with Edamame Dip and Red Onion Relish

    Bacon Wrapped Scallops

    Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs (my recipe, and the photo above 🙂 )

    Mini Bacon, Spinach and Cheese Quiches

    Chessy Bacon Dip

    Mini Bacon and Potato Frittatas

    Bacon Caramelized Onion Dip

    BLT in a Cherry Tomato

    Scallops Wrapped in Bacon with Sriracha Dipping Sauce

    Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

    Dinner

    Bacon Pot Roast

    Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs

    Low Carb Bacon Parmesan Broiler Avocado

    Cheddar and Bacon Meatball Sliders

    30 Minute Gnocchi

    Bacon Wrapped Apple Pork Tenderloin

    Meatloaf with Bacon

    Bacon Burger Stuffed Peppers (I made these a few days later, and will be reviewing them on my next post :))

    BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Flat Bread Melts

    Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin

    Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Chicken

    Chicken Bolgonese With Bacon

    Chicken Bacon Italian BBQ Pizza

    Bacon Roasted Pork Loin

    Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

    Shrimp Carbonara

    Tomato Pie

    Big Dude Sandwich

    Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin Stuffed with Walnuts and Rice

    Chicken Bacon Cheddar Toasted Subs

    Grilled Salmon BLT'S

    Soups

    Potato and Leek Soup

    Leek and Potato Soup with Serrano Ham and Carmelized Onions

    Baked Potato Soup

    Grilled Corn Chowder

    Side Dishes

    Cheddar Bacon Fries

    Red Potato Salad With Bacon

    Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots

    Crunchy Broccoli and Bacon Salad

    Bacon Wrapped Potatoes With Honey Scallion Sauce

    Orzo With Spinach, Mushrooms and Bacon

    Broccoli Bacon Pasta Salad

    Confetti Bean Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing

    Romaine Wedge Salad with Hot Maple Dressing

    Pear Bacon and Gorgonzola Salad

    Desserts

    Chocolate Dipped Bacon with Sea Salt

    Maple Pecan Banana Pudding With Bacon

    Chocolate Almond Bacon Clusters

    Chipotle Chocolate Bacon Cupcake

    Plenty of wonderful recipes here, don't you think? How many will you make? How many will I make?!

    Honey Herb Pork Chops

    January 27, 2013

    These Honey Herb Pork Chops are dipped in honey and then coated in crushed herb stuffing. Using thin, boneless pork chops, they are ready in less than an hour.

    Honey Herb Pork Chops

    I've been making these easy honey herb pork chops for years, and can't believe I haven't shared the recipe with you all yet! I first got the idea for these from a recipe in Better Homes and Gardens 75th Anniversary Edition (p 348) but I've since changed it to better suit my tastes. See, I don't usually like pork chops at all, I think they are too dry. But, like everything, it depends on how they are made. I have discovered I like thin, boneless pork chops much better, so that's what I use here, but if you would prefer thicker pork chops, just increase the baking time to around 30 minutes.

    This is one of my families favorite meals. Actually, it's my husband's favorite thing that I make of all time!

    Honey Herb Pork Chops 

    Honey Herb Pork Chops

     photo porkchops.png

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    4 from 1 vote

    Honey Herb Pork Chops

    Honey dipped pork chops with an herb stuffing coating. Quick and easy to make!
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time25 minutes mins
    Total Time40 minutes mins
    Course: Entree
    Servings: 7
    Calories: 415kcal
    Author: Bernadette

    Ingredients

    • 7 thin pork chops (there are usually 7 in a package)
    • 6 ounces stuffing mix crushed (one box)
    • ½ cup honey
    • 1 egg
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons butter melted

    Instructions

    • Pour the stuffing mix into a plastic gallon storage bag and crush using a meat tenderizer. I crush mine well, but not altogether fine, so that some of it is thicker breading. I tend to use the Stove Top Stuffing mix for chicken for this. You could also crush it in a food processor, but again, try to leave some not finely crushed. The box full gives you more than you need for these pork chops, I save the rest for the next time.
    • Preheat oven to 400*F. In one shallow bowl combine the egg with the honey. In another shallow bowl mix together about a cup and a half (maybe more, I never measured!) of the crushed stuffing mix and the pepper. Melt the butter and pour it into a baking dish large enough to hold the pork chops without touching.
    • Dip each pork chop into the honey, allow excess to pour off, and then into the stuffing mix, pressing the stuffing into the pork chops so the breading sticks. Allowing them to sit for about five minutes also helps the breading stick.
    • Bake, uncovered for 10 minutes, turn the pork chops, and bake for 10-15 minutes more or until 160 degrees with a meat thermometer.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 589mg | Potassium: 81mg | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 135IU | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1.9mg

     

    These have been my favorite pork chops for years, and I think you will agree! Let me know what you think 🙂

    This post is linked up to Simple Supper Tuesday.

    Perfect Meatballs

    January 20, 2013

    Perfect Meatballs, made with a mixture of ground beef, pork, veal, onions, garlic, and Italian seasonings. They are great on their own, for spaghetti and meatballs, or in a meatball sub.

    Perfect Meatballs, made with a mixture of ground beef, pork, veal, onions, garlic, and Italian seasonings. They are great on their own, for spaghetti and meatballs, or in a meatball sub.

    Perfect Meatballs, made with a mixture of ground beef, pork, veal, onions, garlic, and Italian seasonings. They are great on their own, for spaghetti and meatballs, or in a meatball sub.

     

    I've updated this post for Perfect Meatballs and the photos from the original. The recipe remains the same.

    I love meatballs, mostly with spaghetti, but really any way I make them. Unless I'm eating at a restaurant I always make my homemade perfect meatballs. I'm not trying to sound full of myself here, like the way I do it is absolutely the way you HAVE TO make them, it's just that to me they are perfect. Flavorful, just the right size, not at all dry.

    Perfect Meatballs, made with a mixture of ground beef, pork, veal, onions, garlic, and Italian seasonings. They are great on their own, for spaghetti and meatballs, or in a meatball sub.

     

    Did you ever purchase those frozen meatballs at the grocery store? Most of them suck. Most, but I'm sure not all! I haven't tried every brand out there, but some of the one's I have are really bad. They lack flavor and they are dry. I gave up buying them a long time ago and now I just make my own. I think the secret is using meatloaf mix ( a combination of ground beef, pork, and veal) instead of just ground beef. These meatballs are so good my daughter asked me to make them the other day, and then said "Oh, yummy!" when she saw her plate. She usually screams "I don't want THAT!!" at whatever we give her, even if she asked for it an hour before.

    Perfect Meatballs

    Perfect Meatballs, made with a mixture of ground beef, pork, veal, onions, garlic, and Italian seasonings. They are great on their own, for spaghetti and meatballs, or in a meatball sub.

     

    These meatballs would pair perfectly with Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce or Homemade Tomato Basil Sauce in the summer when garden tomatoes are available.

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

    Perfect Meatballs, made with a mixture of ground beef, pork, veal, onions, garlic, and Italian seasonings. They are great on their own, for spaghetti and meatballs, or in a meatball sub.
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    Perfect Meatballs

    Perfect Meatballs, made with a mixture of ground beef, pork, veal, onions, garlic, and Italian seasonings. They are great on their own, for spaghetti and meatballs, or in a meatball sub.
    Prep Time20 minutes mins
    Cook Time20 minutes mins
    Total Time40 minutes mins
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 415kcal
    Author: Bernadette Martin

    Ingredients

    • 1 ⅓ pounds meatloaf mix ( or ¾ pound ground beef, ⅓ ground pork, and ¼ pound ground veal)
    • ⅓ cup onion chopped fine
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • ¾ cup plain dry bread crumbs
    • 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
    • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
    • ¼ teaspoons salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • 1 egg beaten
    • 1 tablespoon milk

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350*F
    • In a large bowl mix together the meat mixture, chopped onion, garlic, bread crumb, parsley, oregano, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and lastly the milk and egg. Mix thoroughly using clean hands. Shape into balls a bit bigger than a golf ball. This will make about 20 meatballs.
    • Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until they reach 165 degrees and are just slightly crispy on the outside.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 417mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 1.5mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 4.4mg

     

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