Chili Cheese Meatloaf

Meatloaf.  The word typically does not drum up joy and excitement.  For this reason, I figured I would try to spice up (pun intended) a new meatloaf recipe.  Chili with beans and ground beef is a great flavor combination, and it transfers very well to meatloaf.  This recipe uses our Pastamore Fresh Jalapeño Oil and our Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar.

Ingredients:  servings - 6
1 lb - 85/15 ground beef
1 15 oz can - chili beans
3/4 cup - bread crumbs (or instant oatmeal)
1/2 cup - shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 Tbsp - Pastamore Fresh Jalapeño Oil
1 Tbsp - Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 tsp - salt
1/4 tsp - black pepper
1/4 tsp - garlic powder
1/2 tsp - your favorite BBQ seasoning  (or 1/8 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp chili powder, 1/8 tsp garlic powder)
1 egg - lightly beaten
As needed - ketchup

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375ºF.

1.  Open the beans, and drain them over the sink using a colander.  Leave them to drain for at least 5 minutes but do not rinse the beans.  Crack an egg in to a large mixing bowl and lightly beat.  Add all of the ingredients except the Patamore Fresh Jalapeño Oil to the bowl.  Use your hands to mix the meat until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed.  Form into a 'loaf' shape, and place into a large baking dish.  Do not use a meatloaf or bread pan!  Cooking in a baking dish allows the meat to cook evenly, for the entire exterior to get a crust, and for excess fat to drip off.

2.  Place the meatloaf in the oven.  Cook for twenty minutes.  While cooking, combine ~2 Tbsp of ketchup with the Pastamore Fresh Jalapeño Oil.  After the twenty minutes has been reached, brush or spoon the ketchup on top of the meatloaf.  Return to the oven and continue cooking for another 5-15 minutes.  The meatloaf is done when the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.  Be sure to temp in the thickest part of the meatloaf in the middle.

3.  Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting.  Serve with a baked potato and enjoy!

Breakfast Burger

Breakfast for dinner, breakfast for lunch, breakfast for breakfast.  I can't get enough breakfast, and finding new ways to incorporate breakfast foods almost always ends up in tasty creations.  I went out on a bit of a limb here trying new flavors added to the burger, and the results were a success!  This recipe uses our Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar and maple syrup.

Ingredients:    serves 4
1 lb - 80/20 ground beef
1 Tbsp - Pastamore Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp - maple syrup
1/2 tsp - salt
1/4 tsp - black pepper
1/4 tsp - red pepper flake
1/8 tsp - garlic powder
4 - buns
4 - frozen potato patties (hashbrown patties)
4 - eggs

Directions:
1.  Combine ground beef, Pastamore Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar, maple syrup, and spices into a large mixing bowl.  Using your hands, mix the ingredients until they are evenly distributed.  Form the meat into 4 patties.

2.  Heat a large frying pan on the stove over medium-high heat (or heat up your grill).  Once hot, cook the burgers, turning once during the cooking process.  Cook until the desired doneness has been reached.  If cooking in a pan, the heat may have to be reduced because the vinegar and syrup may cause the meat to brown too quickly.

3.  While the burgers are cooking, cook the potato patties according to the package directions.  Cook according to package directions.  Cook the eggs individually in a small frying pan, either sunny side up or some doneness of over-easy.

4.  Place the cooked potato patty on the bottom bun.  Top with the burger, and add the egg last.  Top with ketchup, bacon, or cheddar cheese.

Chicken and Butternut Squash Sauce

It is still that time of year where winter squash are cheap and readily available.  I've always been a fan of butternut squash, as it makes amazing soups and sauces.  This is a recipe for a simple and tasty butternut squash sauce that great on chicken.  This recipe uses our Pastamore Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil that gives the sauce a great texture and flavor.

Ingredients:     serves: 4-5
1.5 lb - chicken breast
1 Tbsp - Pastamore Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil
1/2 - butternut squash
1/4 tsp - dried rosemary
1 dash - cinnamon
1 pinch - nutmeg
1/4 cup - water (if needed)
To taste - salt and black pepper

Directions:
1.  Heat a large pot of water on the stove over high heat.  Bring to a boil.  While the water is heating, peel the butternut squash and remove the seeds.  Chop into 1/2" cubes.

2.  Add the squash to the water and cook until fork tender.  Remove from the water and drain using a colander.  Place to the side.

3.  Heat a large frying pan on the stove over medium/medium-high heat.  While the pan is heating, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Spray the pan with cooking spray, and add the chicken to the pan. Season with salt and black pepper.

4.  While the chicken is cooking, place the butternut squash into a food processor or blender.  Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and rosemary and blend until a smooth texture has been reached.  Slowly add the Pastamore Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil while blending.  Add the water if needed if the sauce is too thick.

5.  Cook the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165º F.

6.  Serve the chicken over brown rice and top with the butternut squash sauce.

Creamy Prosciutto Chicken

The best way I can describe this recipe is a sophisticated, crustless chicken pop pie.  With that being said, it is a little more work than a lot of our recipes but it is worth the time and effort.  This recipe takes fresh peas and mushrooms and combines it with a creamy sauce and prosciutto to deliver a really tasty and comforting flavor.  This recipe uses our Pastamore Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil to help make a roux and add a nice subtle flavor.

Ingredients:    serves - 4
1.5 lb - chicken breast (4 breasts)
4 oz - fresh peas (frozen also acceptable)
3 slices - prociutto
8 oz - sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp - unsalted butter
1 Tbsp - Pastamore Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil
1.5 Tbsp - flour
2 cups - warm water
12 oz - milk or heavy cream
1/4 tsp - dried rosemary
To taste - salt and black pepper

Directions:
1. Place a large frying pan on the stove over medium/medium-high heat.  Once the pan is hot, add the butter and allow it to melt.  Once melted, add the mushrooms to the pan.  Cook for 4-5 minutes.

2.  Season the chicken with salt and black pepper.  Place the chicken into the pan smooth side down.  Cook until a nice sear has been achieved, and then turn the chicken over and cook until the second side has a nice color.

3.  Add the water and rosemary to the pan.  Bring to a simmer.

4.  While the chicken is cooking, heat the Pastamore Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil in a small pan over medium heat.  Once warm, use a whisk to add the flour and mix until an even consistency has been reached.  Remove from the heat and place to the side.

5.  Cook the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.  The water should almost be completely evaporated by the time the chicken is done.  If needed, add more water into the pan to prevent the chicken from sticking and and the pan from burning if it becomes dry.  Once the chicken has reached the correct temperature, remove from the pan and place to the side.

6.  Add the milk to the pan.  Heat until the sauce starts to simmer.  Add the roux you previously made, and begin to reduce the sauce.  Cut the prosciutto into 1/2" square pieces.  After a few minutes add the peas and prosciutto to the pan.  Cook until the desired sauce consistency has been reached (at least 2 more minutes).  Add more milk if necessary if the sauce becomes too thicken.

7.  Immediately serve the sauce over the chicken.  Serve with baked potatoes or brown rice.

Jalapeño Cream Cheese and Bacon Wings

Regardless of how healthy or unhealthy you think wings are, they are delicious and hard to avoid.  While I do like Buffalo wings, I find using different homemade sauces makes things are little more interesting and a little less vinegary.  Making wings at home is a little bit of extra work, but the taste difference is genuinely worth it.  In this recipe I fried the wings, and that is the best bet for a crispy wing.  Other options for baking them are available, and you can find them on multiple places online.

Ingredients:
1.5 lb - fresh chicken wings
6 oz - whipped cream cheese
3 strips - cooked bacon
1 Tbsp - Pastamore Fresh Jalapeño Oil
1/4-1/3 cup - water
To taste - salt and black pepper
As needed - flour
As needed - sunflower or peanut oil

Directions:
1.  Chop or rip bacon into half inch pieces.  Add cream cheese, bacon, and water into a food processor or blender.  Blend until smooth.  Slowly add the Pastamore Fresh Jalapeño Oil while blending.  Stop once completely mixed.  Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

2.  Cut off the flapper portion of the wing (after last joint) and dispose of.  Cut the wings between the wing and drum portion.  Place 1 cup of flour into a medium-sized baking dish.  Generously season the flour with salt and pepper.  Place the wings into the flour mixture.

3.  Place a large pot or high-sided frying pan on the stove over medium heat.  Fill the pot with oil until there is approximately 1.5-2 inches of oil in the pot.  Heat until the oil reaches 375º F.  This should be checked with a high temperature or sugar thermometer.  Slowly increase the heat on the burner if the oil is not hot enough.

4.  Shake the excess flour from half of the wings/drums and place them into the hot oil.  Cook for 5 minutes and then flip over.  Total cook time will be around 10 minutes, and internal temperatures of the thickest piece should be checked.

5.  Remove the cooked wings from the oil and place on a towel.  Allow the oil to reheat for a few minutes, and then add the remaining wings.  Cook in the same fashion.

6.  Combine The cooked wings and the sauce into a large mixing bowl.  Mix until the wings are evenly coated.  Serve immediately with celery and carrots.

Pizza Burger

Pizza and burgers.  Almost everybody likes them so why not put them together in a single dish?  This recipe uses our Pastamore Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar and our Pastamore Pizza Sauce.  If you don't have the time or resources to make a pizza, this is a tasty substitute.

Ingredients:   serves 3-4
1 lb - ground beef
4 oz - shredded mozzarella cheese
1 Tbsp - Pastamore Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 tsp - salt
1/4 tsp - black pepper
1/8 tsp - garlic powder
3-4 - buns
3-4 oz - Pastamore Pizza Sauce

Directions:
1.  Combine ground beef, spices, and Pastamore Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar in a large mixing bowl.  Mix by hand until all ingredients are evenly distributed.  Form the mixture into 3 or 4 patties.

2.  Heat a large frying-pan on the stove over medium-high heat.  Once the pan is hot, add the patties to the pan.  Cook until the first side has gotten a nice sear and color.  Turn over, and continue to cook.  When the burgers are 2-3 minutes away from reaching your desired doneness, top each burger with 1 oz of shredded mozzarella cheese.

3.  Heat the Pastamore Pizza Sauce in a small pan or in the microwave.

4.  Place the burger on the bottom half of the bun, and top each burger with 1 ounce (2 Tbsp) of sauce.  Add a little extra sauce if you like a saucy burger or pizza. Top with the top bun and serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Pastamore Pizza Sauce

This is a quick and tasty pizza sauce recipe that can be used for a variety of uses.  Look for this recipe being used in our pizza and pizza burger recipe.  This recipe uses our Pastamore Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil and Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar.  This recipe makes quite a bit of sauce, and it freezes well for future use.

Ingredients:
1 28oz can - plum tomatoes (with salt and packed with basil if available)
1 6 oz can - tomato paste
1 Tbsp - Pastamore Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil
1 Tbsp - Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 tsp - thyme
1/2 tsp - black pepper
1/2 tsp - oregano
1/4 tsp - red pepper
To taste - salt

Directions:
1.  Combine all ingredients into a food processor or blender.  Mix until a pizza sauce consistency has been reached.  Do not over mix, as it will be too thin and difficult to use for pizza making.

2.  Season to taste with salt.  Refrigerate unused portions, and freeze portions that will not be used within one week.