Main Dishes – Page 44 – The Pajama Chef

Not Your Summer Camp’s Sloppy Joes

October 19, 2010December 14, 2015 Sarah

Up until this past spring, I had a strong dislike for Sloppy Joes. I liked them well enough growing up, but working at a summer camp for two years–aka two summers’ worth of kid food–kind of killed any liking I had for childhood staples like Sloppy Joes. I had visions of salty, goopy, ketchup-y, messy sandwiches that came out of an industrial food service can. Don’t get me wrong, not all food at Camp T was bad. Some was pretty darn good! Others though, I chose to load up on the salad bar and PB&J and pray it was my night off so I could get some real food for dinner.

However, my distaste for Sloppy Joes changed after my mom mentioned she was making them and my sister said how good they were. After getting over the initial shock [if you knew my mom you’d be surprised to know she was making Sloppy Joes], I promptly got the recipe, made it for myself, and was hooked.

This Sloppy Joe recipe is sweet and savory and fast, perfect for a busy night. I love the slight crunch of the green pepper, and think this could be veggied-up some more… I just haven’t tried yet. Ben loads it up with extra hot sauce; I like mine as is. This is a great base recipe for Sloppy Joes that works as is or can be adjusted to meet your tastes. Enjoy!

Not Your Summer Camp’s Sloppy Joes

Servings: 6
Time: 30 minutes
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from The Neelys

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 green or red pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
salt
pepper
1 pound ground beef
4 ounces tomato sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup BBQ sauce [I use Sweet Baby Ray’s original–different kinds of BBQ sauce would give it a different flavor profile.]
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions:

In a large skillet on medium heat, cook peppers and garlic in oil for about 3 minutes or until they are just getting soft. Season with a dash of salt and a generous amount of pepper. Add beef and cook through. Drain well. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Stir to combine. Simmer about 10 minutes or until thickened. If needed, add a pinch of flour or cornstarch to thicken sauce to your liking.

Question of the Day: What was your favorite school lunch growing up? I bought lunch a few days a week, and breakfast for lunch day was always one of them! Sloppy Joes was not. In fact, I would always bring my lunch on Sloppy Joes day. If my school made Sloppy Joes this way, there would have been no contest. 🙂

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Pumpkin Chicken Tacos, or My Misadventures with Spicy Food

October 11, 2010December 11, 2015 Sarah

First of all, my misadventures with these Pumpkin Chicken Tacos was entirely my fault, not the fault of the recipe. It’s really great and I will make it again. My husband enjoyed this dinner immensely; I just had some bad luck and didn’t really consider the effects of spice on my not-so-spice-loving palate. It was really disappointing because I had so been looking forward to this dinner… but alas, it was not meant to be!

This is what happened after a taste test…

Sarah — After taking a bite of the pumpkin chicken mixture while it was cooking, my lips and mouth started burning really badly! I think I got ate a straight jalapeno seed or something, and not much else. Ice helped a little but not much… partially because I probably had juice on my hands, which melted onto the ice cube, and partially because it was only AFTER I started this ice cube regimen that my husband remembered that water makes the burning sensation worse… 😦 But milk was good and aided in my recovery! I must say, I did not try the final product but Ben thought it was so good that he wanted me to share it here. So here goes!

However, despite that incident, my husband really enjoyed his dinner and says that you should definitely try this recipe. He thought that the pumpkin gave the meat a unique and creamy texture and flavor. He loved the contrast of the pumpkin with the spice, and felt that the pumpkin really melded well with the veggies and chicken. He also loved the spiciness of this dish, and even going so far as to say that it was one of the spiciest dishes he’s ever eaten, aside from wing sauces. This was even after I discarded about 2/3 of the seeds of the jalapenos!Ben also liked how pumpkin was savory, instead of sweet as it tends to be in most recipes. Initially, that was what drew me to the recipe. Pumpkin is so versatile, and I love finding atypical ways to use my favorite ingredients.

pumpkin chicken tacos... spicy & delicious — This is the deliciousness that is pumpkin chicken tacos.

To sum it up, if you like spicy food and pumpkin, you will love this! If not, you can still make this but definitely tone it down. In no way do I blame the recipe or the We are not Martha girls for my plight… it was all my fault! I should have been more careful with the level of heat in this. Oh well! Our kitty made it up to me during clean up by being so darn cute and pulling on my apron strings… literally!

Sheba pulling on my apron strings. — Playful Sheba

Pumpkin Chicken Tacos

Servings: 4
Time: 30 minutes
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[from We are not Martha]

Ingredients:

1 cup red onion, chopped
2 cups sweet peppers, chopped [I used some green, red, and yellow peppers]
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt
pepper
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup pumpkin
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
2 tomatillos, papery skin removed and diced
2 cups frozen corn
tortillas
Mexican cheese
lettuce
salsa
sour cream
cilantro
olive oil
1/4 cup water

Directions:

In a medium skillet, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil and then add the peppers and onions to sautee over medium-high heat. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder, and mix in the water. Cook until the veggies are soft, then turn down heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add chicken and season with a dash of ground pepper. Once the chicken has cooked through, add the chopped jalapenos and diced tomatillos. Stir and then add the pumpkin. Turn heat down and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through.

Serve tacos with cheese, lettuce, salsa, cilantro, cheese, and sour cream. Enjoy!

Note:

You can make this milder by omitting jalapenos, and even decreasing the amount of spice in the veggies.

What has been a recent kitchen misadventure for you?

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Southwestern Pepperjack Baked Penne

October 5, 2010December 11, 2015 Sarah

One of my favorite dishes of all time is macaroni and cheese. It’s so easy, comfortable, and delicious. Not to mention inexpensive, which is always a plus for budget-conscious folks like myself! While I do love the one in the blue box, sometimes I’m in the mood for something a little more grown up and filling. I have several grown up mac and cheese recipes, but this one holds a special place in my heart because I made it the night we picked up our precious kitty from the animal shelter in May. I’ll never forget that night!

Sheba — one of our early photos of our new little girl!

I made this dish most recently over the weekend when my family came to visit, and it was just as delicious as I had remembered. I didn’t have any macaroni on hand, so I used penne [hence the name change from macaroni to penne], which worked just as well.

This version of macaroni and cheese [sorry, penne and cheese recipe… but that doesn’t have the same ring to it though. If it’s all the same to you, I’ll keep saying macaroni and cheese and you’ll know what I’m talking about, okay? Thanks. :)] is fabulous. Spicy, cheesy, gooey pasta. What more could you ask for? Not much, I’m sure.

Southwestern Pepperjack Baked Penne

Servings: 8
Time: 40 minutes
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modified from Carnation

Ingredients:

13.25 ounces whole wheat penne pasta
8 ounces pepperjack cheese
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/3 cups half & half [or evaporated milk–I’ve used both. Buttermilk should work too–you just want something more substantial than plain skim milk.]
10 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
freshly ground black pepper
crumbled tortilla chips
cilantro for garnishing, if desired
cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish or a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a large pot of salted and boiling water, cook the pasta to al dente. Meanwhile, grate the cheese [self-shredding is way better than the pre-shredded stuff, I think]. Reserve 1/3 cup of both pepperjack and cheddar. In a large mixing bowl, combine half & half, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and cheeses [1 2/3 cup of both types]. When pasta is done, drain and fold into mix. Season to taste with pepper, then pour into prepared dish. Top with remaining cheese and cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, covered, then remove foil, top with crumbled tortilla chips, and bake for 10 minutes uncovered. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Notes:

Can be prepared in advance [a day or so at most], then baked when ready to serve. Also, this dish is spicy so feel free to adjust the cheeses [more cheddar, less pepperjack] accordingly, or substitute regular diced tomatoes for the tomatoes with chilies.

Do you like spicy food?

Beef, Main Dishes, Recipes

A Different Kind of Meatloaf

September 30, 2010December 8, 2015 Sarah

Confession time: I like meatloaf.

I know, I know. Meatloaf isn’t exactly gourmet or pretty or anything like that. While it tastes good, it looks funny and kind of gross. I mean, it’s a lump of meat with some sauce. But once you get over that initial aversion and flashbacks to the elementary school cafeteria’s mystery meat… it’s not that bad. Just some meat, baked in a pan, with some flavorings thrown in. Not so bad, huh? And if you make it yourself, then you know exactly what is in it–no mystery at all!

I have several meatloaves [is that a word?] that I like to make–a classic recipe of my mom’s, and a BBQ bacon cheddar meatloaf that is tasty too! While my husband likes both meatloaves and inhales them because he loves meat, there is one thing he dislikes about my meatloaves: the inclusion of the onion.

Ben despises and hates onions with a passion. This hatred of onions was exacerbated when he lost a March Madness bet in college and had to eat an onion like an apple.

I didn’t know him at the time, but from what I’ve heard, this was not a fun night. Fortunately the girl [yes–a girl bet him on this one :)] was nice and let him off the hook pretty soon after these photos were taken. However, the damage was done. The hatred Ben had prior to this event has just grown. While he will tolerate onions in many dishes, he’ll pick them out most of the time. This happens a lot, because many of my favorite recipes include onions–and I love the flavor of onions. However, because I love him, I will decrease the amount of onion but if it’s there, it’s there, and Ben knows it.

So, what does all this talk of onion have to do with meatloaf? Well, recently we had meatloaf on the menu… and I decided to create an onion-less meatloaf. To do this, and do it well, I decided to avoid the traditional tomato-based flavor palate of meatloaf and branch out. The result? A dish made with a combination of Southwest and Indian-esque spices with just enough kick to remind you of their presence, paired with beef, bread crumbs, egg, and cheese to remind you that this is meatloaf after all.

Delicious.

Savory.

Spicy.

Satisfying… even when onion-less.

Finally, I apologize for this picture… meatloaf is ridiculously hard to photograph! This dish is really tasty, I promise, even if it doesn’t look it!

A Different Kind of Meatloaf

Servings: 6
Time: 75 minutes
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Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1 teaspoon cilantro
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup salsa – be sure to pick an onion-less variety if that’s an issue for you
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, optional
cooking spray

Directions:

Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, use your hands to combine all ingredients well, then transfer to the loaf pan. Top with cheddar cheese if desired. Bake for 60 minutes or until cooked all the way through.

Are you into meatloaf… the dish or the singer, take your pick!

Main Dishes, Pizza, Recipes

Calzones

September 27, 2010December 8, 2015 Sarah

So I lied. I was going to get to posting this recipe on Saturday, but that just didn’t happen. Somehow I spent the whole day lounging on the couch, doing laundry, watching Letters to Juliet, going to the grocery store [my first visit to Aldi’s], and baking cookies. What did you do this weekend?

[Anyways, enough about my unproductive Saturday. On to regularly scheduled programming…]

You know how there are some foods that seem really difficult to make well at home? Some of the foods that make my list for difficult to prepare well at home are chicken fingers [or really any coated meat], tofu, tortillas, and many fancy Italian-restaurant favorites. Pizza used to be on that list. It’s not anymore. So did calzones. Now they aren’t. Yay!

There are several local restaurants that serve amazing calzones, and I’ve tried to make them at home before with no success, so I was intimated to try again. But try again I did, and this time, was very pleased with the results. I had a lot of leftover pizza sauce in the freezer and As my husband described them, the dough was perfectly cooked–crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside… exactly as you’d want it to be. I’m excited that now I can satisfy my calzone craving at home. I love saving some dough [ha ha ha, I crack myself up] and controlling the ingredients. It’s a win-win situation!

Calzones

from The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger, recommended by Life As Mom

Ingredients:

1 1/8 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 3/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast
2/3 cup pizza sauce + more for dipping
mozzarella cheese
desired toppings [I used about 1/3 cup sautéed chopped onions and green peppers; Ben used pepperoni.]
water for basting

Directions:

Add all dough ingredients [water, olive oil, flours, salt, yeast] to the pan of your breadmaker according to the manufacturer’s directions. My breadmaker calls for liquids and salt, then dry ingredients, then yeast, but yours may be different.

Turn on the breadmaker using the “dough” setting.

When dough is prepared, remove from the pan and turn out the dough on a floured work surface or countertop. Divide the dough into desired number of portions–we just made two huge calzones for baking ease, but you could make 4 medium-sized calzones or even 8-12 small, appetizer-sized calzones.

About 30 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 425 degrees and oil and cornflour a baking sheet [or use parchment paper].

Use a rolling pin to roll out dough thinly, then place desired fillings [1/3 cup sauce, cheese, and anything else you dream up] over half of the dough. Be sure to leave a one inch border so it can be closed up easily.

Homemade Calzones - easier than you think!

Then fold over the dough side [on right in the above photo] and pinch up the sides with your fingers pie-crust style.

Baste top of calzone with water. Cut slits in the calzone for air ventilation and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Allow to rest for about 10 minutes prior to eating. Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.

Notes:

Each calzone is really large if you split the dough in half, fyi. I ate about 1/3 of mine in one sitting, then ate the rest as leftovers.

While I haven’t done this personally, tips for converting breadmaker recipes to manual [aka your own two hands] recipes can be found here and here. Good luck! 🙂