Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake!

  

 

If you are like me and love hot wings or anything with buffalo sauce on it, you are going to love this pasta.  It's easy to put together and you could even use some leftover chicken breasts.  It bakes up in no time and it makes enough to feed a good sized family.  Here is what you will need:

3 cups diced chicken breast
1/2 -3/4 cups hot wing sauce, depending on your tastes
1 lb. box of penne pasta (can use rotini or any other type you might have on hand)
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened
1 can evaporated milk  (12 oz,)
2 cups milk
2 Tbs. butter
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup bleu cheese crumbles (optional)
2 Tbs. Ranch dressing mix
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. celery salt


Cook the pasta in salted water as directed on the package.  Under cook by about 1 minute or 2 to get al dente pasta.  Drain well, but do not rinse.  

Chop the chicken in to bite size pieces and then toss with 1/2 cup buffalo sauce.  Use more buffalo sauce if you like more spice. I used some chicken breasts I had baked the day before. You could also use a rotisserie chicken for convenience.

Place the cream cheese, cubed in the warm pan you cooked the pasta in.  Add the canned milk, the 2 cups milk, the butter and the seasonings, including the ranch dressing mix.  Whisk together over low heat. Stir often because this will stick.  Bring it up to almost a boil, but don't let it boil.  Turn the heat down and whisk in 2 cups of the cheddar cheese. Blend until it melts.  Also stir in 2 Tbs. of additional buffalo sauce.  At the very end add in the bleu cheese if you using it.  The bleu cheese is optional, because so many people do not care for it. Once this all bakes, you don't really taste it that much though. Fold in your pasta and the buffalo chicken and toss until it is all well coated. 

                                                

Pour the mixture into a large baking dish or casserole that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.  A 9"x13" works well for this.  Sprinkle the top with the 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese you have left.   Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes until hot and bubbly and starting to brown.   Garnish the top with sliced green onions or chives.

 



Oven Fried Chicken!

  

  

I have tried a lot of different recipes and techniques for oven 'frying' chicken.  Some have been good...some could have been better.  It seems that with some recipes, if you cook it at a high enough heat and long enough to crisp the crust, the chicken itself ends up dry.  Others I have tried, the chicken is moist and tasty, but the crust is lacking in crispiness and ends up a little soggy and falling off.  

This recipe is the best, so far, I have tried.  The chicken is so moist, it's unreal and the crust is very crispy and tasty.  It also doesn't take all afternoon to prepare.   Here is what you will need:

 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (if you prefer other pieces use those)

2 cups buttermilk

1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed fine

2 cups Panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix

1/2 tsp. Black Pepper

6 Tbs. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

  

Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and cover with the buttermilk. I cut my breasts in half because they were very large and I like more crust. You can also cut them in nuggets or strips.  Kids like the smaller pieces better.  Place the top on your bowl and refrigerate for about an hour.   It's best if it has time to marinate in the buttermilk.

Place the Ritz crackers in a gallon size Ziploc bag.  You can crush them with a rolling pin or in a food processor.   Add the Panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, dry Ranch dressing mix, and black pepper.  Mix it all together well.  Add the chicken pieces, two at a time to the crumb mixture.  Shake the excess buttermilk off of them.  

These are Panko Bread Crumbs in case you aren't familiar with them.  The texture is very different than other bread crumbs, very crispy.



Remove from the crumb mixture and place them on a cookie sheet or pan you have lined with foil, preferably nonstick Reynolds wrap, which I think is one of the keys to this crust crisping up like it does, that has been liberally sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. /Drizzle each piece with the melted butter. Place in oven for 40 - 45 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken pieces.

Oven Fried Chicken





Teriyaki Pork Chops!

 

 

We love anything that is flavored with Teriyaki and especially pork.  These "Teriyaki Pork Chops" are really very easy, but the flavor is just wonderful.   

There is a Japanese restaurant in our city that we love to eat at and one of the chefs told me the key to good teriyaki sauce is pineapple juice.  They make their own and it's really the best.  Any time I make anything 'teriyaki' I add some pineapple juice to it.  The acid in it is also a natural meat tenderizer.   

Here is what you will need for these yummy pork chops:

 

5-6 boneless pork loin chops (1/4 -1/2 inch is best)

1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil

1/4 tsp. seasoned salt

1/4 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning

2 tsp. minced garlic

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1/3 cup teriyaki sauce (I use Kikkoman)

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 cups water

 

Sprinkle the chops on both sides with the seasoned salt and lemon pepper.   In a heavy skillet with  lid, brown the chops on both sides in the olive oil.  

 

In a bowl, whisk together the minced garlic, pineapple juice, teriyaki sauce and brown sugar.  Pour over the chops.  Pour 2 cups of water around the sides of the skillet.   The liquid should just cover the chops, so if you need a bit more add some water.  Bring to a boil and as soon as it boils, turn down to a simmer and cover. 

 Cook for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chops.  Turn the chops over half way through to get that glazed look on both sides.  If your sauce seems to be getting too thick, add a tad bit of water.   The pork chops should be fork tender.

 

These are great served with fried rice or rice pilaf or Twice Baked Potato Casserole!

 

 





No Peek Chicken!

This is a variation on a recipe that has been around for a while now.  It's such an easy dinner to put together  and even though it needs some time to bake, once it's in the oven you can sort of just set your timer and forget about it.   Add a salad or vegetable and rolls and dinner is finished. This is a recipe that kids really love also and it's very budget friendly. 


I have adapted this recipe from the first version I originally posted, because a few who tried it said their rice didn't get tender enough.  The first version called for Rice a Roni.  I never had that problem myself, but anytime I get more than a few comments about a recipe not turning out just right, I like to go back and see if I can make it better.  This time I used Uncle Ben's Chicken flavored Long Grain and Wild Rice and it was perfect.  I don't think anyone will have a problem at all.


Here is what you will need:

4 boneless chicken breasts cut into thirds or 12 chicken tenders
2 (6 oz.) boxes Uncle Ben's chicken flavored wild rice, uncooked and use the entire contents (seasoning packets)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 (12 oz.) can of evaporated milk
1  1/2 cups water
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. curry powder (optional)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 Tbs. butter


Place rice mixes in a 9"x13" baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. You DO NOT cook the rice mixes beforehand and you do use the seasoning packets.  In another bowl combine the soups, milk, water, celery, green pepper, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, curry powder, and black pepper. 

Lay the chicken pieces over the rice.  Pour the soup mixture evenly over all.  Dot the top with the butter cut in pats. 

Cover tightly with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours (depending on your oven).  DO NOT PEEK for the first hour and 30 minutes, then check it to see if the rice is tender.  If not, recover and cook for about 30 more minutes.

  At the end of the time, remove foil and sprinkle with a little paprika or seasoned salt for color and place back in oven for about 10 minutes. 

Serve with a vegetable and salad and dinner is served!





Aunt Ann's Salisbury Steak and Gravy!

My Aunt Ann hosted my mother's birthday lunch this month.  For those who have not been with us long, my mother has five sisters and "The Sisters" as we affectionately call them,  have a lunch or dinner to celebrate each of their birthdays throughout the year at each other's homes.  They are all wonderful southern cooks, so the food is always delicious and plentiful!    This "Salisbury Steak" was one of the main dishes served this time and the recipe is a little different, but it was so good.  I will be using this one for sure.  Everyone loved it.   Aunt Ann is an excellent cook and not only is her food good, it's always presented just perfectly!

This recipe makes enough for a crowd, so if your family is smaller, you can cut the recipe in half, freeze half of it or have some really good leftovers for the week!    This is what you will need:

3 lbs. ground chuck

2 eggs

1 cup dry bread crumbs

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2  (10.5 oz.) cans condensed French Onion soup divided

2 Tbs. flour

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. prepared yellow mustard

2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional)

In a bowl beat the eggs, stir in 2/3 cup of the soup, bread crumbs, salt and  pepper.   Add the beef and mix gently.   Shape into 12 oval shaped patties.

Brown in a skillet over medium heat for about 3- 4 minutes per side.  Remove from skillet and set aside.  Discard the drippings.

Combine the flour and water in the skillet until smooth.  Add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, the rest of the soup, and the mushrooms.  Bring to a boil and cook for a couple of minutes. 

Add the patties back to the pan.  Cover and simmer on low for 30-40 minutes or just until the meat is cooked through and not pink and the gravy is good and thick.

Serve with mashed potatoes, egg noodles or rice!  

    



Peachy Barbequed Pork Chops!

 

These pork chops are cooked in a peachy sauce that is sort of a cross between a barbeque sauce and a teriyaki sauce.  The use of peaches really goes well with the flavors in the barbeque sauce.   I like to use fresh peaches in this because they cook down and right into the sauce better, but you could use canned or frozen peaches in a pinch. 

 Here is what you will need for these:

6-7 thick center cut pork chops (at least 1/2 inch thick and boneless or bone-in work for this)

seasoned salt

black pepper

garlic powder

3 Tbs. oil

3 Tbs. butter

1 Tbs. garlic, minced

3-4 fresh peaches, pitted, peeled and diced

1 cup peach jam or preserves

2 Tbs. soy sauce

2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1 cup of your favorite barbeque sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

1 cup water

Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat.  Sprinkle the chops with the seasoned salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Brown well on both sides.   If you have an ovenproof skillet with a lid, it works well for this because they will be moved to the oven to bake.  Remove the pork chops to a plate after browning.  Melt the butter in the skillet and then add the minced garlic and diced peaches.  Saute until soft.  Stir in the all of the other ingredients and bring up just to a bubble. 

Add the pork chops back into the pan and spoon the peaches and sauce up over the top  of the chops.  Place the lid on the pan or place the chops in a baking dish you have sprayed with nonstick spray, cover with foil and place in a 350 degree oven.

 

Remove from oven after 45 minutes and check to see if they need a bit more water.  They might not need any, just depends on how tightly you have them sealed with the lid.  Baste the sauce back over each pork chop, cover and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until tender.  The thicker your chops, the longer you will need to bake them.  If they aren't as thick as these, you might not need any more baking time.  

Theses pork chops are so tender and full of flavor!

Country Swiss Steak!

This is a recipe I always get asked about a lot.  It seems so many grew up eating it, but not many make it anymore.   It has always been one of my favorites.

 I am fairly sure it has nothing to do with Switzerland or the Swiss.  I doubt they even know what this is all about.   I am not sure where the name came from, like so many of our recipes that seem sort of out of place here in the South that are nonetheless delicious. 

I do know that this takes a fairly inexpensive and usually less tender cut of beef and turns it into a mouth watering piece of meat you can cut with your fork.   Also, even though it's does take time to cook, it's not a difficult recipe.

 Here is what you need:

1.5 to 2 lbs. of round steak, cut in serving size pieces
1 cup flour (You won't use all of this, but need it to dredge each piece in to cover)
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 medium size sweet onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 32 oz. can of diced stews tomatoes
1-2 cups water
1 Tbs. beef bouillon granules

Dredge each piece of round steak in a the flour.   Heat the oil in a heavy deep skillet with a lid or if you have a cast iron Dutch oven, that is perfect for this.   Place the round steak in the oil.  Sprinkle with the seasoned salt, garlic salt and black pepper.  Brown on both sides.  Remove to a plate when brown.  The steak won't be cooked, just browned. 

Add the onion and bell pepper to the pan and sauté in the drippings from the meat, loosening any pieces of flour that have stuck to the pan.  When they are slightly tender, add the steak back to the pan.  Pour the tomatoes, undrained over all.  Add 1 cup water and the beef bouillon.  Bring up to a bubble and then reduce to simmer.  Cover and simmer for at least 1  1/2 hours. 

 About every thirty minutes, stir this from the bottom of the pan, because it does tend to stick....especially if you are cooking it on too high heat.  It needs to cook low and slow.  Add the other cup of water as needed as it cooks and thickens.  The flour from the meat will thicken the tomato gravy that meat cooks in as it simmers. 





Easy Hamburger Stroganoff!

This easy version of beef stroganoff is so quick and convenient, you can have it on the table in less than thirty minutes.  Rachel Ray would definitely approve!   It also tastes much better than those boxed versions. 

Although, I have to admit there is one flavor of Hamburger Helper that my son has always loved, but it's not the stroganoff, and if I have plenty of time I like the real Beef Stroganoff, but in a pinch this one is pretty dang good and kids like it even better!  

Here is what you need for this and I even give those of you who think a can of soup will kill you, another option for that:

1 lb. ground chuck

2 tsp. garlic, minced or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced or 1 small can, drained (optional)

1 pkg.  dry onion soup mix (I used Lipton Beefy Onion)

***1 can cream of mushroom soup  (optional directions below)

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

4 cups water

10 oz. wide egg noodles ( a little more than half of  a bag)

8 oz. sour cream

1 Tbs. dried or fresh parley for garnish

***If you don't want to use the cream of mushroom soup, sprinkle 3 Tbs. flour over the browned ground beef and brown it a little.  Add 1/2 tsp. salt and 2 cups milk and bring to a boil.  Continue on with the rest of the recipe as it is written.   It really does taste better with the soup though...lol.

Brown the ground beef in a skillet with the garlic.  If you are using mushrooms, add them in and sauté until they are just tender.   Add the onion soup,  cream of mushroom soup, seasoned salt, black pepper and water and bring up to a boil.  Stir in the noodles and stir to incorporate.  Reduce heat and cover, simmer for about 15 minutes.   The noodles should be tender and have absorbed much of the liquid.  If not, cook a little longer or if it's too dry add a little more water.  This is just according to how much pasta you used and is sometimes hard to judge.

  Stir in the sour cream.  After the sour cream is added do not let it boil or get too hot...just keep warm.  Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve! 



Slow Cooker Hoppin' John!

Ever since I was a little girl, my mother has always cooked black eyed peas and cabbage, along with corn bread on New Year's day.  She was always very adamant about us having to have this for health, wealth and good fortune.  I didn't realize until I got older that most folks in the south believed this bit of folklore or superstition.  Some actually cook some form of greens instead of cabbage...turnip greens, mustard greens or collards, but my mother always cooks cabbage.  If you go to any grocery store in our area the week before New Year's Day, there will be a big display of black eyed peas and plenty of heads of cabbage. If you wait until the night before New Year's Day, there won't be any left.

  The belief is that the black eyed peas represent good fortune and prosperity and the greens or cabbage also represent money...you know, because they are 'green'.   Some say this tradition with the black eyed peas came about during the Civil War, because the northern troops burned all of the crops and took everything from the southern folks that was good to eat, but because black eyed peas were only grown to feed to the livestock they left those alone.  The southerners had to eat them to survive.  Others say that the tradition started over 1500 years ago in Europe and was brought to this country.

I have a secret confession to make, I don't really like the taste of black eyed peas.  I know I am supposed to like them, they are a southern thing and I am writing about and trying to further southern foods and culture, but I just don't like black eyed peas.  Just cooked by themselves, they taste a little like dirt to me. I thought I might be odd in this thinking, but I have an aunt that says the same thing. 

Now if you dress the ugly little critters up some and give them enough spice, I can eat them up.  Needless to say, growing up in a family where you had to eat what was put in front of you, I have eaten plenty of them just plain.  However, when I started cooking them for my own New Year's good luck, I knew they had to be dressed up a little.  Otherwise, I was just going to have to do without luck. Hoppin' John was the perfect solution.   This is a thick soup of black eyed peas, rice, spices and some type of meat...pork mainly.   Here is what you will need for this:

1 lb. dried black eyed peas, washed
8 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cubes (I used Knorr)
1 Tbs. bacon drippings
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green pepper, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 Tbs. garlic, minced
1 lb. breakfast sausage,  crumbled and browned
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. Cajun Seasoning (I used Tony Cachere)
dash of Tabasco sauce (according to your taste)
2 cups rice, uncooked
jalapeno rings for garnish

Place all of the ingredients, except the rice in a slow cooker.  Cook on low for 8 hours or overnight.  Cook rice.  Place a scoop of rice in each bowl and ladle the Hoppin' John over all.  Now you have black eyed peas that most anyone will want to eat!

  Hoppin' John!



Kentucky Bourbon Brown Sugar Ham!

Baked ham is always good for a holiday meal or an anytime meal actually, but we think of it for holidays usually.  What I like about a ham, is that you not only get a wonderful meal out of it initially, you can get so many meals and uses out of the leftovers.  It's rare that you would ever eat a whole ham at any one meal, unless you have a really large crowd.  This is what is sometimes called 'city ham'...not by those of us that actually know what country ham is most of time, but they call it that at Cracker Barrel it seems and it does help to differentiate between the two.

 What I am trying to say is this recipe is for 'city ham' not a country ham, which is a whole different process.  You can buy a fully cooked ham or a semi cooked ham, a boneless ham, semi boneless ham or bone in ham...doesn't matter one bit. This recipe is not really for a 'fresh ham' which requires different cooking times and is more like cooking pork loin. 

  Different brand hams will be available in different areas of the country, but I prefer a Kentucky Legend Ham (imagine that...lol).   I like to buy a whole ham if possible, but if you do bake a half ham that has been cut, put that cut side down in the pan to prevent the ham from drying out.

 That brings me to the spiral cut hams, I am not a big fan. I know they are really popular and Paula Deen sells the heck out of them and for a cook that doesn't really know what to do with a ham, they are a pretty good option.  You can put that packet of stuff they stick in there with them on it and warm it up (ewww) and it will be good to go, or at least edible.  I find that with this cooking method that I like to use,  they tend to dry out, because of being spiral cut.  They are just not as suitable for this long slow cooking method.

 Even when hams say "fully cooked" and you read things written by foodies and experts and such that say, "you can take that ham right out of the package and slice it and eat it"...please don't do that.  That would turn even me against ham and I love everything about a pig...well almost.  In my humble opinion, you also cannot simply warm those hams up in the oven to 160 degrees (which is also said a lot).  Now if you do, it won't kill you  or anything, but the flavor just won't be there and it won't be tender and juicy and succulent like a ham that is baked properly.

 Some people prefer a semi boneless or bone in ham over a boneless ham and the ones with the bone will be a little more flavorful, but the boneless ham gives you more bang for your buck, carves better and will feed more people...both, cooked this way are excellent.

Anytime I bake a ham, people always ask where did I buy it.  They always think it's from a ham store or something, which is funny to me.  I would never pay what those places charge for a baked ham...it's crazy.   You can bake a much better ham at home with the right method. 

Here is what you will need:

1 ham, fully cooked or semi cooked
whole cloves
1 can pineapple slices, juices reserved
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup good Kentucky bourbon
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs. prepared yellow mustard

With a sharp knife score your ham in about 1" squares.  It is probably already sort of scored somewhat, but just make those cuts a little deeper in squares.  Place a whole clove in every other square.  You don't have to do each one, cloves go a long way and can be overpowering. Place the pineapple rings over the ham. Reserve the pineapple juice.  The pineapple rings help hold the glaze on the ham and sweeten it.  You can also stick a maraschino cherry in the middle of each pineapple ring for a pretty presentation.

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix pineapple juice, brown sugar, bourbon, Worcestershire, and mustard and spread over the ham. Pour about 1 cup water in the bottom of the pan.  Cover tightly with heavy duty foil and bake for 1 hour.  Remove and baste the ham again with the pan juices.  Cover with foil again and cook for another hour. Turn the oven off.  DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN. Let the ham sit in the oven until it completely cools down.  This does wonderful things to a ham that you cannot do any other way.  When you take it out and uncover it, the ham will still be hot, unless you left if in there for a couple of days or something...lol.   Sometimes I put one in the night before a couple of hour before bedtime and then turn it off after the two hours and let it just hang out in the oven all night long.  Take it out in the morning and carve it.   It's just perfect!  There are two things that make this ham better than most, the bourbon and the cooking method.  Don't change either one and you will be pleasantly surprised!



Kentucky Bourbon Brown Sugar Ham

Crunchy Honey Garlic Pork Chops!

This is one of those recipes that was just all over Pinterest.  Almost everybody I follow on there pinned this one at one point or another.  Of course, this recipe involved pork chops pan fried and a honey garlic soy sauce glaze so you know I was immediately sucked in with everybody else.   I did change a few things about the recipe (imagine that) to suit our tastes a bit, but the basic idea came from this blog Rock Recipes.  I certainly want to give credit to the originator and I don't think they are southern, but in my opinion, they could be, because this recipe is really a southern winner. 

  I did alter the cooking time for the chops.  I have a thing about pork being done enough and I know that the new frou–frou she-she foodies say that now days you can serve pork slightly pink, but at my house, it ain't happening.  I know a little too much about pigs and pig farming...not much, but a little too much to eat underdone pork.  Anyhoo, I did alter the cooking time and method slightly and it worked out great. I also changed the seasoning slightly just to our tastes.  Here is what you need for these chops:

Ingredients:

6-9 pork chops (not too thick, I used boneless pork loin)

2 eggs

4 Tbs water

2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

Canola or vegetable oil for frying chops

Glaze:

1  1/2  cups honey

1/2 cup brown sugar (I added this)

1/2 tsp. ginger

dash of cayenne pepper (to your taste)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 Tbs chopped garlic

2 Tbs butter

Whisk the eggs and  4 Tbs. water together in a shallow dish.

Mix the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in another shallow dish.

Dip the chops in the flour, then over into the egg.

Then back over into the flour mixture once again.  This is what puts the extra crispy coating on the chops.  Be sure to get plenty of flour on in this last coating, then shake them a little and place in a pan with about a half inch of oil.  Be sure the oil is hot, but not too hot or the chops will cook too fast.  You need to get it good and hot and then turn to about medium. 

Cook for about 6 minutes on each side.  Try not to turn more than twice or your breading will come off.

 

Remove from the pan to a 9"x13" baking dish.

 Saute the garlic a little in the butter.

Add the honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, cayenne, and ginger.  Bring to a boil then reduce to low and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Watch this carefully because it will foam and might boil over.

Pour 1/2 of the glaze over the pork chops.  Flip them over and pour the other 1/2 over the other side.  Place uncovered in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes.  This sets the glaze and finishes them to be sure they are cooked through



Steak Pizzaiola!

I would say that next to down home southern food, Italian food is probably my second favorite and always has been.  I think it's because Italian food and southern food have a lot in common.  You are probably wondering what the two possibly have in common, but both types of cuisine take what you have available, season it really well and make the most out of it.  Both cultures also usually had really big families to feed with limited resources and knew how to stretch what they had to make that work.   A big Italian family has a lot in common with a big southern family.   Steak Pizzaiola always makes me think of the episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond" when Marie won't give Raymond's wife her Steak Pizzaiola recipe because it's Raymond's favorite and she wants to be the only one who can make that for him. That mother is so much like my own mother in a lot of ways, it's crazy. My mother doesn't like the comparison...lol.

Now, I do not have one drop of Italian blood in my heritage (that I know of), but I do love to cook and eat Italian food.   This steak pizzaiola is a bit of my own creation, because I didn't grow up eating this, so if you are Italian or have an Italian mother or grandmother who cooks authentic Italian food, you might want to stop reading this now.  I am sure it's far from what they called steak pizzaiola, but it is really good and it is at least similar to the authentic.  Here is what you will need:

4-5 steaks or about 2 lb.  (use a good cut like a strip steak, sirloin, or chuck eye) 

1 jar or can marinara sauce

1 medium sweet onion cut in rings (I used Vidalia)

1 green pepper cut in strips

1 cup sliced white mushrooms or a small can

1 Tbs. chopped garlic

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese

2 cups Mozzarella cheese

1 Tbs. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

garlic powder

2 Tbs butter

olive oil

1 lb pasta (spaghetti, angel hair, or egg noodles work best)

Saute onions, green pepper, mushrooms and garlic in a tablespoon of butter and a little olive oil until they are just crisp tender.  Sprinkle them with salt and pepper.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Use a pan that is safe for the oven because you will be running this in the oven at the end.

Add the rest of the butter and a little more olive oil to the pan, sprinkle the steak with salt, pepper, and a little garlic salt and cook them on each side for about 6-7 minutes.  Add the onions, peppers and mushrooms back to the pan on top of the steaks.   If you don't think your steaks are going to be tender enough or they are extra thick, you can cut them thin across the grain at this point and they will be really fork tender when this is done.  I used sirlion and they are better if you cut them thin across the grain before adding the sauce and cheese   A cut like a New York strip won't need this step though.

Pour the marinara sauce over the steaks. Add the fresh basil, oregano, and sugar.  Cover and cook for about 20 minutes on medium low heat.  Top with the onions, peppers, and mushrooms.

Sprinkle the Asiago, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese over all.  Run the pan in the oven preheated to 450 degrees until the cheese has melted and browned.





It will nice and brown an bubbly when it comes out of the oven.  Cook the pasta according to package directions and serve the steak pizzaiola over it.

Steak Pizzaiola!