• Recipes

    Pizza Topped Pasta

    January 17, 2018 - By 

    You know I was thinking the other day when I was cooking some pasta about back when I was growing up. If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile you probably know, or you may not know, that my Dad’s parents raised me. Now my Granddad absolutely hung the moon for me. I was a Granddad’s girl for sure. I loved so many things about Granddad. One thing was that he enjoyed cooking and he was pretty darn good at it. However, Grandmother did not relish the act of cooking and probably for that very reason, wasn’t very good at…

  • Beef - Recipes

    Italian Meatball Burger

    February 18, 2016 - By 

    This is one of the best burgers I’ve ever had/made! This meatball burger is to die for. The basil, cheese, and sauce gives this burger so much flavor. Servings: 4-5 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds ground beef 2 tbs. garlic powder 2 tbs. EVOO 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 cup of finely chopped bell pepper 2 heaping tbs. dried basil 2/3 cup of shredded parmigiano-reggiano cheese 1/3 cup of powdered parmesan cheese 1 bottle of spaghetti sauce (I use Classico or homemade) 4 hamburger or ciabatta rolls Directions: 1. Preheat oven to…

  • Recipes

    Crockpot Meatballs with Ragú #simmeredintradition #ad

    November 8, 2015 - By 

    Being married to an Italian decedent, I’ve heard stories of Rob’s great grandparents who came over “on the boat” from Italy to New York. With little money and lots of hope, the one thing they were armed with was tons of delicious recipes passed down from their family. This is much like the story of Assunta Cantisano, Ragú’s originator, who left Naples, Italy to immigrate to America in the early 1900’s. After arriving in the U.S. and getting settled in Rochester, New York, she planted a garden and began using those fresh vegetables to make her family’s pasta sauce. With…

  • Beef - Dinner - Pork - Recipes

    One-Pot Pasta Bake

    May 25, 2015 - By 

    Hope y’all have had a lovely Memorial Day weekend. Even though it’s a long weekend, I’m still going to need a quick and easy dinner resolution for this week. This One-Pot Pasta Bake is an awesome recipe. Dirty up one pan and have dinner ready in about 30 minutes! I’m also going to be having a frozen dinner I made last week, which was this easy peasy Lasagna. Servings: 6-8 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 8 oz. of pasta 1 lb. of hamburger meat or Italian Sausage 3 tbs. of Oregano 1 can of tomato sauce…

  • Beef - Dinner - Pork

    Lasagna

    April 27, 2015 - By 

    Lasagna has been one of those dishes that I have struggled with and finally quit trying. Drew gave me a cookbook for Christmas called Gooseberry Patch 5 Ingredient Family Favorites and it has the recipe in there, so I decided to give it a try again. I did have to improvise, because I didn’t have any pasta sauce on hand. I am so glad I decided to give Lasagna! It turned out amazing. I’m not sure what my hang up was before, but whatever it was it seems this recipe resolved it. I’m curious to know what dishes you avoid…

  • Dinner - Recipes

    Spicy Sausage and Potato Soup {Crockpot}

    March 2, 2015 - By 

    Looking for an easy soup? This Spicy Sausage and Potato Soup is cooked in the crockpot and will be ready to eat when you get home from work. Servings: 8 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 6-8 hours Ingredients: 1 diced onion 1 cup diced celery 1 tbs. minced garlic 1/2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes 1 tsp. dried basil 1 tsp. dried oregano 1 large can of pureed tomatoes 1 can fire roasted tomatoes 1 small can of green chilies 5 links hot Italian Sausage 8 cups chicken stock 4-5 large potatoes; diced Directions: 1. Remove sausage from the…

  • Cajun Chicken Pasta
    Chicken - Dinner

    Cajun Chicken Pasta

    February 25, 2015 - By 

    Servings: 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast halves cut into bite size pieces 4 tsp. Cajun seasoning (I used Slap Ya Momma) 4 tbs. Olive Oil 2 cups heavy cream (more if needed) 1/2 tsp. dried basil 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper 1/4 tsp. garlic powder 1 box Penne pasta Grated Parmesan cheese Directions: 1. Cook pasta as directed. 2. While the pasta is cooking, place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl and coat evenly. 2. In a large skillet…

  • Chicken - Dinner - Recipes

    Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken

    February 7, 2015 - By 

    Today is National Fettuccine Alfredo Day! Whaaa??? With that being said, I thought I’d share my recipe for this Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken. This sauce is smooth and creamy. I think the key to making this meal a step above this dish is to marinate the chicken! I simply marinate the chicken in Italian dressing. This give it a nice flavor that’s goes nicely with the Alfredo sauce and it’s not too overbearing. If you prefer shrimp in your Alfredo, those can be marinated as well. Servings: 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes + marinating time Cooking Time: 15 minutes Ingredients:…

  • Chicken - Dinner

    Pizza Smothered Chicken

    January 21, 2015 - By 

    Servings: 4 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 12 oz. box of pasta (I used Penne) 1 large jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce Parmesan cheese Italian seasoning Garlic Pepperoni (your favorite pizza toppings)

  • Appetizers & Snacks - Recipes

    On-The-Go Pizza Bites

    September 30, 2014 - By 

    Here’s another easy recipe to whip up before your next tailgate or party. These Pizza Bites are very versatile and can be thrown together at the last minute. Simple finger foods are always the best when your standing around cheering on your favorite team. Servings: 24 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 1 jar of pizza sauce (I used my homemade sauce) mozzarella cheese pepperoni (or any of your favorite pizza toppings) basil (optional) refrigerated dough (I used my homemade dough) Mini-muffin tin

  • Beef - Pork - Recipes

    Homemade Meatballs and Pasta Sauce

    January 10, 2010 - By 

    Servings: 6-8 Prep Time: 45 minutes Cooking Time: 3 hours + Ingredients: For sauce: 1 lb. of Italian Sausage links (we use Hot) 2 country style ribs (optional – but add a lot of flavor) 1 large can of tomato sauce 1 large can of crushed tomatoes 1 can of tomato paste Italian seasonings (Oregano, Basil, Red pepper flake) Garlic powder For Meatballs: 2 lbs of ground beef 2 cups of Italian Bread crumbs 1 egg Directions: 1. Put Italian Sausage links in large pot with a 2 tablespoons of EVOO 2. Brown sausage on both sides 3. Drop in…