Tag: one pan meals

Caprese-Style Chicken Flatbread

~ Spence's Girl ~ 1 Comment

Having just created a new twist on my flatbread-for-one recipes, I wanted to share it with my followers.

Caprese-Style Chicken Flatbread

  • 1 flatbread
  • 1/2 c chopped rotisserie chicken
  • 1/4 c spiced ricotta (see recipe below)
  • 1/2 c chopped heirloom tomatoes
  • fresh basil and parsley leaves – torn
  • 1/4 – 1/3 c shredded mozarella
  • aged balsamic vinegar – to drizzle

Heat oven to 400. I use my cast iron skillet and like to preheat it for 5 minutes while prepping the flatbread and toppings.* Brush the bottom of the flatbread with a little olive oil. Place it into the skillet and bake for 5-8 minutes. Remove from oven and spread the ricotta, followed by the chicken and tomatoes, basil, parsley and mozzarella.  Drizzle balsamic over the top and return to the oven for 5-6 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

*Flatbreads can be done on a grill pan – or right on the grill.

Spicy Ricotta – enough for 4 flatbreads

  • 1 c ricotta
  • 1 t garlic powder
  • red pepper flakes – to taste
  • 1/4 t Trader Joe’s Chili Lime Seasoning
  • 2 t olive oil
  • salt & pepper to taste

Mix ingredients together. Refrigerate for an hour….overnight (even better).

Kidney Bean Stew

~ Spence's Girl ~ Leave a comment

I’m sharing a family recipe from my paternal Grandma.  A favorite of mine, it’s very simple and I’ve changed it only slightly over the years as it was damn near perfect to begin with.  I lost this Grandma just after my 12th birthday, before I’d ever cooked it or discovered my love of cooking.  If I had my best guess, this recipe was born out of the Great Depression when meat was expensive and stretching a dollar was critical.  All I know it that the crunch of the celery, the sweetness of the onion, the creaminess of the beans, the salty crispness of the bacon and the spice and heat of the pepper and pepper flakes makes this a delicious and treasured family recipe.

KIDNEY BEAN STEW      

Serves 2-4

IMG_5817

1 1/2 – 2 c chopped celery

1 1/2 – 2 c chopped sweet white onion

1 c dark red kidney beans – rinsed & drained

red pepper flakes – to taste

coarse ground black pepper – to taste

1 lb cooked, crispy bacon – reserve 2 T bacon drippings in the pan you’ll use to assemble this meal

Using a deep frying pan, start by cooking your bacon until crisp, remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

With the reserved bacon drippings, saute your celery, onion, red pepper flakes and black pepper until the celery becomes brighter green and the onions are just starting to soften.

IMG_5838

Add the kidney beans and stir together, until they are heated through.

IMG_5840

After you dish up this mixture, crumble crisp bacon over the top and dig in!

IMG_5844

For more of my family recipes (think comfort food) go to the RECIPE menu above but I’ll make it easy and link you to another favorite by clicking here:

Grandma’s Corn Beef Casserole