chicken parm grilled cheese

 I used a whole loaf of Schar white bread and made these in the oven on a sheet pan for ease. It was an easy dinner with no complaints thanks to What's Gaby Cooking!

Ingredients

• GF Schar white bread
• red sauce (I used Rao's)
• 10 slices sliced mozzarella
• 1 lb deli sliced chicken
• salt and pepper
• olive oil and/or butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Generously butter or oil one side of each slice of bread.
3. Place half the bread, butter side down, on a sheet pan.
4. Spread red sauce on each slice of bread
5. Layer slices of cheese on each piece of bread, followed by sliced turkey and an additional slice of cheese. Add top slice of bread, buttered side up.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the bread is toasted. Flip sandwiches and bake another 3-5 minutes until both sides are toasty
7. Remove from the oven and carefully and serve.

cheesy pizza tortellini

 We didn't make this Cooking in the Midwest recipe on the griddle, but boiled the tortellini as normal assembled in a large skillet. Everyone was happy with this one!

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
• 1 tsp each of onion powder and Italian seasoning
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1 24 oz jar of marinara sauce
• 19 oz frozen tortellini (Taste Republic)
• Pepperoni
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Brown 1 lb of ground beef on a griddle over medium heat and season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and Italian seasoning.
2. Add some pepperoni (I used half of a pack - 2.5 oz). Let that cook until pepperoni are getting browned. Drain any grease from the ground beef or pepperoni. Add the minced garlic and stir everything together well.
3. Lower the heat on the griddle to low and add one bag of frozen tortellini to the griddle and pour some water over the tortellini. Cover with a griddle dome and let cook for about 5 minutes or until the tortellini is tender.
4. Stir together the tortellini and ground beef. Top with one jar of marinara sauce and stir well. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover with a griddle dome for just a minute to melt the cheese. Top with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

saucy chicken tikka meatballs

 Our first Defined Dish recipe and it's a keeper!

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

• 2 pounds ground chicken preferably dark meat
• 1 egg
• ½ cup almond flour 
• 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup minced cilantro leaves and tender stems
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the Tikka Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup finely diced yellow onion ½ onion
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or 1 lemon
• ¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro
• Prepared Rice or Cauliflower Rice for serving
  

Instructions

Make the Meatballs:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°Fand line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, egg, almond flour, salt, pepper, cilantro, garlic powder, and cumin. Using your hands, mix until well combined.
3. Roll the meatballs into 1-inch rounds and place on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, and transfer to the oven and let bake until just about cooked through and lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Make the Tikka Sauce:

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne pepper and toss, toasting the spices until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomato paste until well combined with the spices. While whisking, slowly stir in the coconut milk until it is well combined and there are no lumps. Add the broth and salt and bring to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced slightly. Taste and add more salt and/or cayenne, if desired.
4. When the meatballs are cooked through, transfer them to the sauce and carefully toss to coat fully. Reduce to medium-low heat, cover, and let the flavors meld for about 5 minutes.
5. To finish, stir in the lemon juice and top with fresh cilantro. Serve over rice or cauliflower rice, and enjoy!

tortellini with sausage and marscapone

 A simple yet delicious recipe from What's Gaby Cooking that the entire family enjoyed-- no leftovers! The only requested change is that I dice the shallot versus slicing. 

Ingredients

• 12 ounces spicy Italian sausage, crumbled
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cups of your favorite red sauce (I used Rao's)
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup mascarpone cheese
• 1 9-ounce package refrigerated tortellini (I used Taste Republic GF)
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste

Instructions

1. Take the sausage meat out of the casings and crumble it into a skillet. Cook it over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until it's browned. Drain most of the fat and leave the sausage in the pan.
2. Add the garlic, shallot, and red pepper flakes to the same pan and saute for 60 seconds. Add the red sauce, cream, and mascarpone. Cook for 5-7 minutes until saucy.
3. Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Save ¼ cup of the pasta water and add it to the sauce along with the drained pasta. Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve with fresh parmesan sprinkled over top.