Today is my birthday! While semi-patiently awaiting dinner and dessert this evening with my favorite person, I decided to share this chowder I made this weekend with you guys. After all, the amazing people that read this blog (and those who write their own!) have inspired me so much within the last year. I have befriended some amazing women and men thanks to Dining With Dani. I am spending today reflecting on how much I have to be thankful for at the start of this year, and that includes every single one of you.

One of my roommates favorite things about living with her is that I cook and bake almost every day. Some of it is for the blog, but some of it is just for fun. So when she asked me to make her corn chowder, I happily obliged. Actually, I crinkled up my nose at first. Mashed corn? Gross. But then I remembered that I’ve had corn chowder before — at Whiskey Cake back in December. Remember how much I raved about it? After thinking about that amazing afternoon, I was thrilled to try to recreate it for Ashley. The best part though was when I got a text telling me how amazing it was and that she planned to eat the whole crockpot in one sitting. That’s my girl.

Recipe: Chunky Jalapeno Corn Chowder

What You Need:

• 1 bag frozen corn kernels
• 4 small potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 fresh jalapeno, diced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

   

  What To Do:

  1. Combine all ingredients except for the heavy cream in a crock pot and cook on HIGH for 8 hours.

  2. Stir in the heavy cream and use a potato masher to lightly mash the remaining chunks of potato.

   

I would like to sincerely apologize to the couple that watched me pace back and forth in the dairy section at Central Market for over a half over while trying to decide what dairy goodness would go into this recipe. Ultimately I ended up picking up some asiago and mozzarella. While I love the way it came out, if you really love a different cheese then use that instead. What makes this recipe special is how you incorporate the seasoning, not the cheese. Go crazy. Make it your own. Or just come over and eat the leftovers I have. I need help.

Recipe: Everything Bagel Macaroni & Cheese

Makes 8 servings

For the Everything Bagel Seasoning:

• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic dried
• 1 tablespoon miced onion dried
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the pasta:

• 16 oz. corkscrew pasta
• 1 & 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup asiago cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

What To Do:

1. Heat the oven to 350 F.

2. Mix together all ingredients for the seasoning in a small bowl and set aside. Cook the pasta according to the package directions and drain.

3. In another bowl, mix together all three of the cheeses.

4. While the pasta is cooking, mix together the eggs, milk, sour cream, black pepper, and half of the bagel seasoning.

5. In a 9 x 13 baking dish, layer the pasta, egg mixture, and the cheeses. Top with the remaining bagel seasoning.

6. Cook for 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe: Sausage and Pepper Flatbread Pizza

What You Need:

• 1 pre-made flatbread pizza crust
• 1 jar pizza sauce
• 1 & 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halfed
• 1/4 cup basil leaves
• 2 turkey sausage links, cooked
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
•  

  What To Do:

  1. Pre-heat oven to whatever the pizza crust package calls for.

  2. Assemble your pizza. Put a light coating of sauce on the crust. Don’t go to crazy, or it will soak through the crust and forever stick it to the pizza pan. Believe me. Sprinkle generous amounts of cheese on the sauce. Add peppers, tomatoes, and sausage. Finally, top the pizza with the basil.

  3. Cook for 10 minutes and enojy!

Every morning when I get up, I can hear my aunts downstairs in the kitchen. I love to listen to the two of them talking about their plans for the day or where they should go to pick us sleepy girls up some breakfast. My favorite times, though, are when Grandma Rose is over too. You see, Grandma Rose isn’t my actual grandmother. My maternal grandmother passed away when I was little and she just kind of took over from there. There was never any discussion. I was one of “Grandma’s Girls” and she would happily tell anyone who asked. I do the same for her. Who is that woman? She is my grandma and she’s about to ask you if if she can make you a “nice sauce” to take with you on your two-day roadtrip back to Texas. This recipe isn’t hers, although I hope to be re-creating some of her creations when I get back from my trip. It is just a recipe that reminds me of my Italian heritage and the immense love I get from my family, blood-related and otherwise.

Recipe: Italian Meat Sauce

What You Need:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound crushed tomatoes, canned
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 tablespoons oregano
• 4 tablespoons garlic
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon EVOO

What You Need:

1. In a large skillet, heat EVOO and cook beef until it browns.

2. Add in garlic and onions and cook until they brown as well.

3. When the onion and beef mixture is cooked, add in crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 30 minutes.

4. Remove the lid and add in the tomato paste and the sugar. Mix until the paste is no longer visible. Replace the cover and let the sauce simmer for two hours.

Not only is the kale in this pasta delicious, but the whole-wheat penne and the kale are both high in fiber. I amped up the flavor by adding some smoked sausage, but kept it light by leaving out the milk, parmesan, and ricotta from the original recipe. That is a little too heavy for a meal on a hot summer night! Don’t worry; I didn’t skimp on the mozzarella. You’ll still get all the cheesy goodness you deserve.

Recipe: Smoked Sausage and Kale Pasta Bake adapted from “Baked Pasta with Kale” in Woman’s Day Magazine

Makes 8 servings, 517 calories each

What You Need:

•  1 package smoked sausage, sliced
• 1 box whole-wheat penne
• 1 bunch kale, leaves chopped into 2 inch pieces
• 15 oz canned and diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon EVOO
• 6 oz. mozzarella cheese
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves minced garlic

  What To Do:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F.

  2. Cook penne according to the package directions. Add kale in the last few minutes of cooking. Drain.

  3. While the pasta is cooking, heat EVOO in a large skillet. Add sausage slices and cook until they begin to brown. Ladle the sausages into a small bowl and set aside.

  4. Add onions and garlic to the oil and cook until the onions begin to brown, stirring occasionally. Add in the red pepper flakes and diced tomatoes.

  5. Add the pasta and kale back into the pot they cooked in. Add in onion mixture and toss to coat. Mix in 4 oz. of the mozzarella.

  6. Pour the pasta into a 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

1.) Man Pizza – A BBQ chicken, bacon, and mushroom pizza that my best friend and I ate far too often in college.

2.) Zesty Veggie Pizza from Cici’s – Who knows why? It’s different and I pretend it’s healthy.

3.) The Sun-Dried Tomato & Arugula pizza from Studio Movie Grill.

In case you don’t know what Studio Movie Grill is, SMG is a movie theatre that serves you food while you watch your film. They also have nights where they have food and drink specials, my favorite being All You Can Eat Pizza Wednesdays. Alas, my 3rd exception to the no-pizza rule is on their menu so I shamefully eat as much of it as possible. A few weeks ago I realized I didn’t have to wait until Wednesdays to cram all of this doughy goodness into my mouth. I tried it out at home but added grilled chicken on top for some extra protein. I was impressed with how spot-on it tasted since I was just going off of sense memory.

Recipe: Grilled Chicken and Arugula Pizza

What You Need:

• 1 cup sliced grilled chicken, cooked 
• 1 cup arugula
• 4 oz feta cheese
• 4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 pizza crust
• What To Do:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 425 F.

  2. In a small saucepan, heat balsamic vinegar and sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and glaze begins to thicken.

  3. Lightly spread glaze on pizza crust.

  **It is very important to only do a thin layer. Even though you’ll probably have glaze left over, if you put it on too heavily, it will soak through the crust and make your pizza permanently stick to your pizza pan — I know from experience**

  4. Top the glaze with feta, tomatoes, and arugula.

  5. Evenly distribute your chicken pieces onto the pizza.

  6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

This weekend I took my first-ever trip to Whole Foods on a quest for some rhubarb to make Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie. Of course I couldn’t just pick up the rhubarb and check out. I had to mill all around the store inspecting everything else. That’s how I came across their boxes of “Cheese Under $3”, which I dug through for several minutes like a child going through a toy box. I then came across this Habanero Cheddar, which I got to sample. It is a sweet cheddar with a tiny kick — until you’re done. Then it really hits you. It was perfect. I also found this Rosemary Sourdough with a mouth-watering aroma. That’s when I decided it was time to share this sandwich with all of you.

You know when you were little and people asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up? Most of my friends said they wanted to be teachers or veterinarians. I wanted to be a sandwich maker at Subway. That was my life’s one true purpose. My calling. Of course I eventually found bigger (and frankly, better) goals, but I still loved Subway. That’s why when my friend told me about his favorite sandwich creation – Jalapeno Tuna — I had to try it out. It sounded bizarre and semi-awful, but I wanted to see what all of his hub-bub was about. When I ordered it, the sandwich maker even gave me a look of confusion. I bit in with hesitation and it was delicious. I don’t know why I never thought of it before. Now I order it semi-frequently to warm my heart and to clear my sinuses. With my Whole Foods find, I decided to create a warm version of one of my favorite sub sandwiches that you could make at home.

Recipe: Jalapeno Tuna Melt

Makes 1 sandwich

What You Need:

• 2 slices sourdough bread
• 1 can (5 oz.) light chunk tuna in water
• 2 tablespoons mayonaise
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup jalapeno slices (I used canned)
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 slice cheddar or swiss cheese, broken into pieces **

What To Do:

1. Drain your can of tuna. Place it in a bowl with the spices, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon mayonaise. Blend well.

2. Spread tuna on 1 slice of your bread.Evenly distribute jalapenos onto the tuna. Cover with half of your cheese.

3. On the other slice of bread, spread the remaining mayo. Top with tomato and the remaining cheese.

4. Place both halves of your sandwich on an ungreased baking sheet and broil until the cheese melts and begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.

** I used the Habanero Cheddar I found at Whole Foods. The cheddar taste was delicious, but the extra peppers made the sandwich fiery. It was not messing around. I went through 3 glasses of water. It was still delicious, but if you can’t handle your mouth feeling like it’s engulfed in flames you might be better sticking to a normal cheese.

Potatoes are, clearly, the best vegetable.  I know that potatoes are a carb and that if I want to be skinny by summer I should probably steer clear of them, but I just can’t help myself. Baked, scalloped, mashed, it doesn’t matter. I. Love. Potatoes.

Besides carby goodness, I also love couponing. Sunday morning are my favorites because I sit down with the inserts from the paper and cut coupons while looking for the best deals in the local ads. It’s an addicition. My cousin Lexi, who I talk about a lot in this blog and who is the #1 fan of my culinary talents, often teases me about my love of coupons but then loves to go with me and watch me use them to get stuff for totally free. I read blogs about it as well and a few weeks ago I discovered a program called Ibotta. Ibotta is an app you can download for FREE on your phone that will give you dsicounts on items you purchase at the grocery store. You simply do the tasks on that item like answer polls or watch short videos. Then you take a picture of the receipt and scan the barcode of your item to make sure it matches. If it does, Ibotta rewards you the money into an account that you can transfer to PayPal. So essentially they act like coupons. So when I saw an Ibotta offer for Tyson’s Grilled and Ready Chicken strips, which were on sale at Target and I had regular coupons too, I bought a ton of them. It’s a win win because now I’ll be making a ton of grilled chicken recipes! You don’t need the strips to make these. Just cut up a chicken breast into chunks. Easy weeknight dinner!

Wanna check out Ibotta? Go here.

Recipe: Cheesy Tomato and Grilled Chicken

Makes 4 large potatoes

What You Need:

• 4 large baking potatoes
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 pound chicken breast, cooked cut into chunks

What To Do:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F.

2. Using a fork, poke holes into the potatoes. Place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.

3. Let the potatoes cool for 5 minutes. Slice each potato down the center. In a small bowl, scoop out the insides out each potato. It’s easier to do one potato at a time, that way you have even proportions for what goes back inside each one.

4. Mix the potatoes with cheese, tomatoes, and chicken.

5. Sprinkle the top of each potato with a little extra cheese.

6. Set your oven to broil. Place potatoes back in the oven until the cheese melts. This should take about two minutes.

Today Reese, our family labrador, turns 9 years old. This is a huge deal because only last week we were all positive that Reese probably wasn’t going to still be around when today finally arrived. She had suddenly lost the will to get up from her bed and whimpered whenever anyone, including my 1 year old spaniel mix, tried to give her a consoling pat.  I am not telling you this to sadden you, in the last few days she has been bumbling around the backyard and running for treats.  I am telling you this because when I realized the 4-legged best friend I have had since middle school might not be around much longer, I started spending my days off laying with her on the floor and watching tv and that’s when I discovered “Giada at Home”.

Giada De Laurentiis is an Italian cook who has two programs on the Food Network. She’s also the prettiest woman I have ever seen. On this episode of “Giada at Home”, De Laurentiis was cooking a three-course meal to share with her Aunt Raffy, including these beautiful Mini Lasagnas with Sweet Corn and Mascarpone. I was so excited about what the end result would look like, and possibly too used to watching things on the DVR, that I anxiously tried to fast forward through the commercials. The lasagnas were gorgeous, and what a great idea to bake them in ramekins to make personal versions of the full-sized meal. I knew right away I wanted to make them too, but the local grocery store does not carry mascarpone and I do not know how I feel about corn being anywhere near my pasta. So I decided to use ricotta and mix it with some sun-dried tomato and mild italian sausage. I was worried since every single ingredient was different that it wouldn’t work, but they were great and SO cute. I even spoiled myself and bought brand new ramekins to use.

Recipe: Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomato Mini Lasagnas heavily adapted from Giada at Home

Makes 6 personal lasagnas

What You Need:

• 1 box lasagna sheets
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/8 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 package (5 links) mild Italian sausage
• 4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 cup basil, dried and chopped
• 8 cloves garlic
• EVOO, for drizzling

What To Do:

1. Cook lasagna sheets according to package, drain.

2. Pre-heat oven to 375 F

3. In a large skillet, cook sausage until there’s no longer any pink. It does not have to brown, as it will cook again in the oven.

4. In a food processor, blend together sausage, tomatoes, ricotta, mozzerella, and basil.

5. Spray cooking oil into each other your ramekins and lay two lasagna sheets criss cross on to it, so that they make an X.

6. Put one heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture onto the lasagna sheets and fold one of them over the mixture, closing it like a present.

7. Place another heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture onto the top of the newly folded sheet, then fold the other one onto it. Place a little of the mixture on top of your now closed lasagna. Sprinkle a little parmesan on top and drizzle with olive oil.

8. Repeat until all of the ramekins are done. Place them onto a baking sheet so they are easier to retrieve from the oven once they are cooked.

9. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Lately I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic. That may seem pretty silly considering I am only 23, but I get caught up in old memories and (luckily for you) wrapped up inside the food that went alongside them. The first of which is this ridiculously named pizza. I did not name it though, dear reader. Like every other food I hold dear to my heart, this magical pizza — The Man Pizza — has a story.

My junior year of college, I was in a 4 hour long Holocaust musical called Ghetto. It was a bizarre and unique experience considering I traumatically got to shave someone’s head live on stage one night. I am thankful for the show though because it introduced me to my best friend Andrew. Andrew loves food just as much as I do and we would cook all sorts of stuff up in his tiny apartment kitchen. However, when it came time to watch movies we would call up Dominos and order this pizza. The first time Andrew made the order, I laughed as he told the person on the other end what we wanted. A pizza with no marinara? What kind of Italian did he think I was? Yes, this pizzas sauce-filled layer isn’t red, it’s BBQ sauce. Sweet, tangy barbecue sauce accompanies chicken, mushrooms, and bacon.  I still to this day have little idea why Andrew refers to it as Man Pizza. All I know is that it is disgustingly awesome and I am so glad I was adventurous enough to grab a slice the first night the delivery boy brought it to our door.

To re-create this pizza, I decided to use rotisserie chicken because I thought it would amp up the flavor. I also bought store bought pizza crust because I have not mastered yeast yet. I know, what kind of food blogger am I that I am scared of a little yeast? I found this delicious crust called Mama Mary’s. The crusts come two to a package and I probably will eat the other one by itself because it’s pretty delicious on its own. No guilt.

Recipe: Man Pizza

Makes 8 slices

What You Need:

• 1 store-bought pizza crust
• 1 rotisserie chicken
• 2/3 cup original BBQ Sauce
• 2 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
• 2 cups mozzarella, shreddedWhat To Do:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 425 F.

  2. Take the skin off your rotisserie chicken. Using two forks, shred the chicken, being careful to remove any bones. Place in a large bowl.

  3. Pour 1/4 cup of the BBQ onto the shredded chicken and mix until chicken in completely coated.

  4. Place the pizza crust you will be using onto a 9 in. pizza pan. Spread remaining sauce evenly onto the crust.

  5. Top the sauce with sliced mushrooms. Cover evenly with cheese.

  6. Top your cheese with chicken and bacon.

  7. Bake for 18 minutes.

  Disclaimer: Mama Mary’s did not compensate me for mentioning them in this post. I just really liked the product and wanted to share it with you.