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Blog Chef dinner recipes take center stage at your table. We specialize in simple, delicious dinners with a comfort-food slant.

Breaded Italian baked chicken with cheese and tomato sauce beside pasta

Italian baked chicken recipe

    During the colder months an excellent recipe to prepare in the oven is Italian baked chicken. This recipe consists of chicken coated with breadcrumbs and topped with marinara sauce, ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese. You can use your favorite brand of marinara sauce or even make your own if you want. This dish is very similar to chicken parmesan with the addition of ricotta cheese. The ingredients can easily be doubled if you want to make enough to serve 4 people. I like to serve this recipe with extra heated marinara and linguini noodles. Enjoy.

    Breaded Italian baked chicken with cheese and tomato sauce beside pasta
    ©BlogChef/Speak LLC.
    Italian baked chicken topped with melted cheese and marinara served with spaghetti
    ©BlogChef/Speak LLC.
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    Chicken strip grilled cheese recipe

      Chicken Strip Grilled Cheese
      I came up with the idea for this chicken strip grilled cheese recipe from the menu at Perkins restaurant. I have not actually tried this grilled cheese at Perkins but the idea sounded delicious. This sandwich is loaded with two crispy chicken strips, bacon, pepper jack cheese, ranch dressing and sour dough bread. The grilled cheese gets a nice kick from the pepper jack and the flavors of chicken, bacon and ranch go perfectly together. The type of bread that is used in this recipe is sourdough but you can experiment with other types of bread if you choose. For the chicken strips you can either use store bought or you can make your own. Using frozen chicken strips from the store will save a lot of time and they can either be deep fried or baked—it’s your choice. Serve with French fries. Enjoy.
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      Brown sugar pork chops recipe

        brown sugar pork chops
        If you are looking for a delicious baked pork chops recipe this might be perfect for you. What is great about these brown sugar pork chops is how easy they are to prepare. The pork chops are rubbed with garlic and brown sugar, drizzled with butter, sprinkled with paprika and then are baked. Once the pork chops are almost finished in the oven, they are topped off with shredded Colby-jack cheese. The baking time only takes about 20-25 minutes so these pork chops can be ready in no time at all! I like to serve this dish with wild rice and/or a salad. Enjoy.
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        Dijon chicken grilled cheese sandwich cut in half

        Dijon chicken grilled cheese recipe

          This grilled cheese is a great tasting combination of honey Dijon mustard chicken, bacon, and mozzarella cheese. This grilled cheese uses whole wheat bread but you can really use whatever type of bread that you would prefer such as French bread or white bread. The chicken is first marinated in a honey mustard mixture and then grilled. If you do not want to grill the chicken, it can be fried in the pan or baked in the oven as well. This recipe will make two sandwiches but the ingredients can easily be doubled to make more. If you wish to make additional sandwiches you will not need to increase the marinade ingredients. The marinade is enough to marinade about 2lbs of chicken. If you want to save a little time you can use precooked bacon. I like to serve this recipe with a salad or French fries on the side. Enjoy.

          Dijon chicken grilled cheese sandwich cut in half
          ©BlogChef/Speak LLC.
          Crispy dijon chicken grilled cheese on a plate
          ©BlogChef/Speak LLC.
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          Slow cooker turkey meatballs recipe

            Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs
            Preparing turkey meatballs in the slow cooker is so easy and delicious you may never want to go back to pan frying or baking again. There is no browning of the meatballs involved in this recipe, the meatballs are just rolled and then added into the crock pot with the sauce. Using ground turkey is a healthier alternative from ground beef. The only use of a frying pan in this recipe is to brown the garlic. If you want more sauce you can add an extra can of crushed tomatoes. This recipe uses standard Italian meatball ingredients such as egg, breadcrumbs, parsley, parmesan cheese and seasonings. When you roll the meatballs, try and roll them softly. You do not want to pack the meatballs too tight because they will become tough while cooking. These meatballs go great served over pasta. Enjoy.
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            Steak fajita pizza recipe

              Steak Fajita Pizza
              The ingredients of a fajita go perfect on top of a pizza crust. This recipe was originally for a grilled steak fajita pizza but I decided to make it on the oven instead. This pizza is topped with a spicy tomato sauce, Mexican cheese blend, seasoned steak, red onion, poblano peppers and cilantro. The spicy tomato sauce is a simple combination of diced tomatoes, oregano, salt, pepper, and chili powder. You can cook the steak according to the method of your choice. You could leave the steak whole, season it, grill it and then slice it. What I did was first sliced the steak into thin strips, then seasoned it and fried it in the pan. You can also sauté the pepper and onions in a little olive oil if you would prefer instead of putting them on the pizza raw. Enjoy.
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              California club grilled cheese recipe

                California Club Grilled Cheese
                What makes this California club grilled cheese sandwich special is the mashed avocado. The avocado helps to create an excellent flavor in this sandwich. This sandwich is loaded with black pepper turkey, bacon, mozzarella cheese, tomato and mashed avocado. Any type of sliced deli turkey meat will work for this recipe if you do not want to use the black pepper turkey. I like to save time by using pre-cooked bacon for these sandwiches. I like to have chips or French fries on the side. Enjoy.
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                Jack Daniel’s grilled pork chops recipe

                  Jack Daniel's Grilled Pork Chops
                  It’s time to fire up the grill again for these Jack Daniel’s grilled pork chops. The pork chops are marinated in a Jack Daniel’s sauce and then grilled to perfection. This recipe is perfect for summer cookouts. The marinade consists of ingredients such as Jack Daniel’s whiskey, molasses, chili pepper paste and soy sauce. If you have a problem finding the chili pepper paste, a well-known brand is Gourmet Gardens and it can be commonly found in the refrigerators in the product section of Wal-Mart. For this recipe you can either use bone-in pork chops or boneless pork chops, either will work fine. If you use boneless pork chops you will only need about 2lbs. I like to reserve a little bit of the marinade before adding the pork chops to use for basting while they are on the grill. These go great served with onion rings or a cold salad. Enjoy.
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                  Rolled enchiladas covered in sauce with green onions

                  Easy enchiladas recipe

                    If you are looking for an easy way to prepare chicken enchiladas, this recipe may be just what you need. This recipe uses store bought enchilada sauce and a mixture of sour cream and cream of chicken soup to create the sauce. The chicken is shredded and then mixed with ingredients such as green onion, taco seasoning and lime juice. You can use leftover cooked chicken or cook it yourself and then shred it. Another good option would be to use the meat from a cooked rotisserie chicken. There are various types of cheeses that will work in this recipe such as cheddar, Monterey jack or Mexican cheese blend. Toppings include black olives and green onions. Some other good choices for toppings would be sour cream, salsa, lettuce and tomato. Enjoy.

                    Easy enchiladas topped with cheese and sliced olives
                    ©BlogChef/Speak LLC.
                    Rolled enchiladas covered in sauce with green onions
                    ©BlogChef/Speak LLC.
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                    Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich recipe

                      Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich
                      This is a copycat recipe for the spicy chicken sandwich from Wendy’s restaurant. I have never had this sandwich at Wendy’s but this recipe was delicious! This sandwich consists of a spicy fried chicken fillet, lettuce, tomato and mayo on a bun. The chicken is dipped into a water and hot sauce mixture and then rolled in a mixture of seasoned flour. Most of the heat in this recipe comes from the hot sauce and the cayenne pepper. The hardest part of this recipe is breading the chicken, which does require a little bit of work but these sandwiches are so good, it is well worth the effort. You can adjust the toppings on this sandwich any way you like, adding pickles may be a good option. Enjoy.Read More »Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich recipe

                      Mexican pasta bake recipe

                        Mexican Pasta Bake
                        What I really enjoy about this Mexican pasta bake is how easy that it is to prepare. Most of the flavor in this recipe comes from green salsa. For the green salsa you can choose whichever brand that you prefer. The spiciness of the salsa you select is what is going to provide the heat in this recipe. If you are not a fan of spicy foods, I would recommend getting a mild salsa. The salsa is mixed with cooked pork sausage to give this dish even more flavor. The casserole is layered with noodles, the meat mixture and then Monterey jack cheese before being placed into the oven. After the casserole is done baking it is topped off with tomato wedges, sliced jalapeno peppers, and cilantro. The toppings really add a good amount of flavor to this recipe and the jalapenos provide a nice crunch. Enjoy.
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                        Chili con queso pasta bake recipe

                          Chili Con Queso Pasta Bake
                          Baked pasta dishes are one of my favorite casseroles to prepare because they usually always turn out good. This chili con queso pasta bake combines Mexican ingredients with penne pasta and hamburger in a casserole dish. This is sort of like a macaroni and cheese recipe. The noodles are mixed with a cheese and tomato sauce. I really enjoyed the flavor that the fire roasted tomatoes added to this recipe. The dish gets additional flavor from seasonings such as ground coriander, garlic, cumin, and chili powder. You can use other types of pasta as well if you do not have any penne—ziti or elbow macaroni are good options. Enjoy.
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                          BBQ crunch dogs recipe

                            bbq crunch dogs
                            These BBQ crunch dogs are basted with homemade BBQ sauce, and loaded with romaine lettuce and crushed chips. This is a great recipe for summer grilling. The best part of these hot dogs is the homemade BBQ sauce which is a simple combination of just a few ingredients that you probably already have on hand. The sauce gets a lot of its flavor from ketchup and honey. The sauce can also be prepared in advance, cooled and refrigerated until needed. For the chips, you can use whatever type of chips you would prefer, I used kettle cooked BBQ chips. The romaine lettuce can be replaced with cabbage if you choose. Enjoy.
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                            Honey mustard ham grilled cheese recipe

                              honey mustard ham grilled cheese
                              I really enjoy the flavor of ham served with honey mustard. This recipe takes black forest ham, Swiss cheese, a honey mustard sauce and adds these ingredients into a delicious grilled cheese sandwich. I like to prepare all different types of grilled cheeses for dinner because they are so easy to make. The sandwiches are best prepared on a griddle or in a skillet. I prefer a griddle because I can cook several of the sandwiches at once instead of in batches. This recipe uses sliced French bread but you can experiment with different types of bread if you would prefer. These honey mustard ham grilled cheese sandwiches are very easy to prepare and make a great lunch or dinner. Enjoy.
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                              Close-up of salisbury steak meatballs on buttered egg noodles

                              Salisbury steak meatballs recipe

                                These meatballs combine the ingredients of Salisbury steak to make a delicious and filling meal. The meatballs get a lot of flavor from ingredients such as Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and mustard. This recipe is easy to prepare and the most work that is involved is rolling the meatballs. The meatballs are served in a brown gravy that is a basic combination of beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup. The ingredients can easily be doubled if you want to serve a lot of people. These meatballs go great served over egg noodles or mashed potatoes. Enjoy.

                                Salisbury steak meatballs served over egg noodles with gravy
                                ©BlogChef/Speak LLC.
                                Close-up of salisbury steak meatballs on buttered egg noodles
                                ©BlogChef/Speak LLC.
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                                Pulled pork grilled cheese recipe

                                  pulled pork grilled cheese
                                  The addition of pulled pork and macaroni and cheese to a grilled cheese might just create one of the best sandwiches ever. Pulled pork on a grilled cheese is great by itself but adding homemade macaroni and cheese onto the sandwich makes it incredible. The flavor of this grilled cheese is going to depend a lot on what type of BBQ sauce you use. You can either use your own homemade recipe, my recipe, or your favorite store brand. The pulled pork is prepared in the slow cooker and the macaroni and cheese is prepared on the stovetop. This recipe does require a little bit of work preparing the ingredients but the end result is delicious. Unless you are making a lot of sandwiches, chances are you will probably have a bit of leftover pulled pork and macaroni and cheese. You might want to save it for another use or serve them on the side. If you are looking for a different type of grilled cheese sandwich, be sure to give this one a try. Enjoy.
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                                  Bacon meatballs recipe

                                    bacon meatballs
                                    These meatballs are loaded with great tasting ingredients such as applewood smoked bacon and cheese. What is really great about these meatballs is that they have a different flavor than most meatballs that I have tried. The meatballs get a lot of their flavor from the onion soup mix that is mixed into them. These meatballs are baked in the oven so no pan-frying is required. To make things even better, this recipe includes a homemade marinara sauce. The marinade sauce gets a lot of its flavor from fresh basil and oregano and a little heat from the crushed red pepper flakes. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to serve a large crowd. Enjoy.
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                                    Meatballs with gravy recipe

                                      meatballs with gravy
                                      Preparing meatballs with gravy for dinner is a nice change up from the Italian-style meatballs. These meatballs use a homemade beef gravy instead of pasta sauce. The meatballs get a lot of their flavor from garlic and seasoned breadcrumbs. The gravy is just a simple combination of butter, flour, and beef bouillon and beef broth. There are a couple of different ways in which the meatballs can be prepared—you can either cook them on the stove-top or bake them in the oven. I prefer a combination of both. I like to brown the meatballs in the pan and use the brown bits to help flavor the gravy. These meatballs go great served on top of pasta or mashed potatoes. Enjoy.
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                                      Slow cooker carnitas recipe

                                        slow cooker carnitas
                                        Making carnitas in the slow cooker is a great idea for a Mexican dinner. If you are not familiar with carnitas, carnitas are basically a Mexican pulled pork that is put under the broiler until the edges are crispy. This dish gets a ton of flavor from the juices that is it cooked in. The pork roast is very seasoned and then lime juice, orange juice, beer and salsa are poured over the roast. Once the roast has finished cooked it is shredded and then placed onto a baking sheet with some of the sauce. Once the pork has finished cooking in the oven it is ready to serve. You can use whatever type of beer you like, I used a good locally brewed dark beer for this recipe. You can serve this with tacos, burritos or just eat it by itself… it is that good! Enjoy.
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                                        Chicken sandwich with lettuce and curly fries

                                        Fried chicken sandwich recipe

                                          Why go to a fast-food restaurant when you can make a fried chicken sandwich at home? This fried chicken sandwich tastes much fresher and has greater flavor than any fast-food restaurant could produce. The best part about this sandwich is the dill pickle sauce. The dill pickle sauce consists of just four ingredients that blend perfectly to create an amazing flavor. The chicken patties are extra crispy due to a method of mixing the flour with a little bit of water. The chicken patties also have a great deal of flavor from seasonings such as cayenne pepper, sage, and thyme. Sage and thyme can be strong flavors and if you choose, you can leave them out of the seasoning mixture. These sandwiches go great served with French fries. Enjoy.

                                          Chicken sandwich with lettuce and curly fries
                                          ©BlogChef/Speak LLC.
                                          Fried chicken sandwich with lettuce and curly fries
                                          ©BlogChef/Speak LLC.
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                                          Slow cooker Sunday gravy recipe

                                            slow cooker Sunday gravy
                                            This recipe for slow cooker Sunday Gravy might just be one of the best Italian recipes ever. This dish can be a little expensive and time consuming to make but it is well worth it in the end. There are three different types of meats that are in this dish—meatballs, boneless ribs, and Italian sausage. The slow cooker does most of the work but you will still have to brown the meat in the pan. You will notice that there are not many seasonings included in the ingredients list for the sauce because most of the flavor comes from the meat while it is being slow cooked. The pork really helps to give this dish a unique and delicious flavor. If you are looking to feed a large crowd this recipe will serve many people. The gravy goes great served on top of just about any type of pasta. Enjoy.
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                                            Provolone stuffed meatballs recipe

                                              pProvolone Stuffed Meatballs
                                              This is a copycat right for the provolone stuffed meatballs at Applebee’s restaurant. The meatballs are simmered in marinara sauce and then placed on top of alfredo noodles to serve. I thought the combination of both alfredo and marinara sauce kind of creates a flavor that is similar to a tomato cream sauce. The meatballs use 3 different types of meats—ground beef, ground pork and ground veal. If you would prefer you can use all ground beef. If you do not want to brown the meatballs in the pan you can brown them in the oven at 350 degrees F. and then finish them in the sauce. You could also fully cook them in the oven if you want. It should take about 25-30 minutes to bake them at 350 degrees F. Make sure that the internal temperature has reached 160 degrees F. before removing them from the oven. Serve with garlic bread. Enjoy.
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