A friend reached out to me with a food challenge: how to make baked ziti that will be hot and ready when they come back from a christening. A Slow Cooker Baked Ziti recipe seemed like the perfect solution!
Naturally, I had to do some experimenting so that I could give her a recipe to use that I know will work for her needs.
This recipe for Slow Cooker Baked Ziti involves layering ingredients in your slow cooker (paid link). letting it cook for 2 1/2 hours, and then adding some mozzarella cheese on top for ultimate cheesiness!
Note: This post for Lobster Pasta in a Caramelized Fennel Sauce is sponsored by Wildgrain. Opinions are mine alone.
It probably comes as no surprise that one of the ways I show my love for my husband, family, and friends is through cooking. When cooking for those I love, I try to use high-quality ingredients so that the food is the best it can be. In the winter, my recipes become more comfort food-like, but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to skip on quality!
Wildgrain is here to help me out on my quest for high quality ingredients that can be used to make oh so comforting winter dishes, like this recipe for Lobster Pasta in a Caramelized Fennel Sauce, adapted from a recipe on Food52.
Wildgrain is a bake-from-frozen membership that has two different box choices: Mixed Wildgrain and Bakery. The Mixed Wildgrain comes with an assortment of sourdough bread, hand-cut pasta, and artisanal pastries. The Bakery Box comes with an assortment of sourdough bread, breakfast baked goods, and artisanal pastries. All products are ready-to-bake from frozen, no prep required!
source: wildgrain.com
Everything included in the box is made with clean ingredients with no preservatives. The items are vegetarian, non-GMO, and contain no artificial colors.
Wildgrain has provided an exclusive code for I Can Cook That readers! You can receive $10 off your first box by using discount code ICANCOOKTHAT so you can try out Wilgrain for yourself!
I received a box chock full of awesome products, including two pastas, breads, croissants, and cookie dough. The pasta and bread in my box inspired me to make a pasta dish with plenty of sauce to sop up with bread! The addition of lobster makes this dish perfect for date night, or for a dinner party. The sauce can also be made ahead of time so that when you’re ready to cook, it takes no time at all!
Ingredients:
7 oz lobster meat, thawed if frozen
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
the juice of one lemon
12 oz container fettuccine, or other pasta of your choice
This recipe for Rosemary White Beans with Onions and Tomatoes has quickly become a staple in my house this winter.
It is quick to prepare, I tend to have most of these ingredients already on hand, and it is so darn comforting! It is also a one pot meal so there are less dishes to clean up when you’re done cooking and enjoying your meal!
I have only made “real” scones once before (as well as kind of a “cheat” drop scone), so this was a fun opportunity for me to do something I don’t often bake!
Breakfast Breads & Sweet Treats is a great cookbook for any breakfast afficionado in your life. Father Dominic really covers it all, from how to make puff pastry from scratch to baking mixes, to even a recipe for English muffin bread!
There is also an entire chapter dedicated to scones, which is where I found this mouthwatering recipe for Bacon Cheddar Chive Scones.
Ingredients (Serves 8):
8 oz bacon, cooked crisp and chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (one stick) cold butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I went with sharp)
1/4 cup minced fresh chives (the original recipe had 1/2 cup; I only had enough for 1/4 cup!)
Note: I received a cooler bag with BrightFarms local leafy greens and salad ingredients in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.
I am so excited to share this Autumn Delicata Squash Salad recipe with you, thanks to BrightFarms!
I recently received a lovely delivery from BrightFarms, the leading provider of locally grown packaged salads.
BrightFarms operates hydroponic greenhouse farms right outside the communities where they are sold, including one in Selinsgrove, PA, about 150 miles from Philadelphia. The indoor farming company has revolutionized what’s possible in the agricultural industry by growing produce indoors and in carefully controlled greenhouses without ever using pesticides.
Their products are:
Pesticide-Free: Proudly pesticide free and non-GMO to keep your family safe
Greenhouse/Sustainably Grown: Greenhouses provide the ideal environment to grow 365 days/year to peak flavor
Locally Grown: Greens are grown, harvested & delivered to stores in as little as 24 hours, so BrightFarms greens are at peak freshness and flavor when arriving in your fridge
My BrightFarms cooler bag was filled with a bunch of goodies, including the ingredients to make this delicious Autumn Delicata Squash Salad!
I was feeling a bit under the weather recently and realized I didn’t have any homemade soup on hand to enjoy, what a bummer! So when I was feeling better, I decided it was time to make some Chicken and Dumpling Soup so that the next time my husband or I don’t feel 100%, we have a comforting soup waiting for us in the freezer.
This recipe is based off an Allison Roman recipe but uses boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of bone-in, and substitutes shallots for leeks because I didn’t have any leeks on hand. The result is a comforting and hearty soup that warms you up in no time!
Well. It became fall weather basically overnight, which means it is time for more slow cooker recipes! This recipe for Slow Cooker Short Ribs is melt-in-your-mouth tender and is basically the most comforting meal ever made when served over mashed potatoes.
This recipe is adapted from Delish and will definitely serve a crowd or can be made ahead of time and frozen.
Ingredients:
5 lbs bone-in beef short ribs, sliced crosswise
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos to make gluten free)
To make this recipe easier to come together, I strongly suggest using a mandoline (I love the one that comes in Oxo’s Mini Complete Grate and Slice Set [paid link]) to slice the fennel and red onion. I am quite accident prone, so I also strongly suggest purchasing a cut-resistant glove (paid link) so that you keep all of your fingers cut-free.
Ingredients:
2 (8 to 10 ounce) portions albacore tuna
3 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon ground coriander
salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste
1 large navel orange
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and very thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted Castelvetrano olives (I like to keep half of them whole and chop the other half)
the juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons reserved fennel fronds, plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
Note: I was sent a copy of Muffins (paid link) by Cyndi Duncan and Georgie Patrick in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.
One of the best perks of being a food blogger is the ability to receive and review cookbooks. Not only are they a great source of inspiration for me and my cooking journey, but they also provide a little peek into other fellow passionate cooks and bakers.
This latest cookbook, Muffins (paid link) by Cyndi Duncan and Georgie Patrick, focuses on one of my favorite foods. Muffins are one of my go-to choices for food prepping for the week.
From comforting favorites to spicy surprises, Muffins cookbook includes delicious recipes for more than 70 nourishing breakfast staples, fruity bites for brunch, and savory morsels that go great with soups and salads. The cookbook also includes ingredient substitutions, helpful baking methods, and other useful kitchen tips.
As my husband was paging through the cookbook, their recipe for Spicy Peach and Nut Muffins caught his attention. I used that recipe as inspiration to make these Spiced Walnut Peach Mini Bundt Cakes. Mini Bundt Cakes are essentially fancy muffins anyway, don’t you think?
And, if you have no interest in my fake fancy muffins, no worries! I’ve included info below to make these as normal muffins by using a cupcake pan.
Ingredients (makes approximately 12 mini Bundt cakes or 18 cupcake-sized muffins):
Seafood is a favorite weekday dinner of mine because it usually takes under 30 minutes to make a seafood dish. This particular recipe for Sheet Pan Balsamic Fish with Roasted Tomatoes has become a staple in our home because of the relatively easy clean up as well – most of the meal is made right in one sheet pan!
I like to serve this over rice or couscous to soak in all of the juices on the sheet pan. This makes 2 hearty servings, with plenty of the tomato mixture to enjoy!
I recently came home after a weekend trip to some of the saddest looking bananas I’ve seen in a long time. Which means I spent my Monday making this super delicious Banana Walnut Bread!
This recipe largely uses typical pantry items, so the next time you find yourself with overripe bananas, there is a good chance you will already have everything on hand to make this banana bread — if you don’t have any walnuts, you can substitute another nut or omit them completely.
If kept in a sealed container at room temperature, the bread will last for 4 days so it’s perfect for breakfast for most of the week!
If you want to store it longer, you can also freeze the bread by wrapping it completely in plastic wrap before adding to your freezer.
I originally started this blog as a way to learn to cook and to catalog recipes I enjoyed. So, recently, I have been revisiting recipes from early in my blogging journey and remaking them, like this recipe for Salmon with Lemon Parsley Pesto, served with orzo.
Warmer weather is nearly here, and we can all use more recipes that won’t heat up the whole house. This recipe for Herb Rice with Peas Prosciutto and Ricotta is largely a no-cook recipe – you only have to make the rice!
Ideally, you can use day old rice so there is no stove use at all, but I personally have a hard time thinking a day ahead for a meal, so I wrote the recipe below to be made all in the same day. Feel free to make the rice the night before, refrigerate, and assemble everything the night you plan on having this for dinner for a quick and easy make ahead meal.
If you follow my posts somewhat regularly, you know that pasta is a very important part of my life. In fact, it gets its own day each week. Every Sunday is pasta night in my house!
I tend to make big batches of Meatballs in Tomato Sauce so we always have some on hand in the freezer, but there are many a Sunday where I open my freezer only to realize I am completely sauce-less. So this recipe for Rigatoni Sausage Arrabbiata is perfect for the nights I want to whip up a quick pasta dinner in no time without sacrificing flavor!
I started making this recipe when I came across Wilmington-based Rockford Catering‘s Tomato Sauce, made by owner and Chef John Wigton. John grew up in Northern Delaware and received his Culinary Arts Degree from Delaware Technical Community College. He has worked in the hospitality business for 20+ years and established Rockford Catering in 2017. And his sauce is legit!
The chunky tomato sauce is flavored with onions, garlic, and basil, and is really great on its own heated up over pasta.
Rockford Catering also (obviously) provides catering services, like this tasty Valentine’s Day menu currently available. Even better, they deliver! The tomato sauce can be delivered (at no additional cost) anywhere within the state of Delaware and within a 45-minute radius of Wilmington or Rehoboth Beach. Order online here.
Rockford Catering’s sauce is vegetarian (they also sell a vegan version), so I decided to add in some hot Italian sausage from my local butcher to enhance the flavor. The result is this super easy Rigatoni Sausage Arrabbiata recipe!
Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) box rigatoni
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 lb hot Italian sausage, removed from its casing (I love that Primal Supply sells it already out of the casing!)
