Tag Archive | Italian

Crock Pot Copycat Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Nov2
Pasta_e_Fagioli

Olive Garden’s Pasta e Fagioli

I love having lunch at Olive Garden with friends to enjoy their delicious soups and salad. Their Pasta e Fagioli soup (similar to minestrone) is one of my favorites so it was a fun challenge to recreate at home. I found some great copycat recipes online which I adapted a bit but the twist on the challenge was to recreate it for the crock pot. The result is truly phenomenal and is an exact flavor copy of Olive Garden’s version! I recently had a large group of friends over and served this recipe and they all agreed it was identical to Olive Garden’s soup. There also weren’t any leftovers…Boo!

Quick note: If you want to make a true copycat you’ll need to use the ditali pasta. However, it can be a little harder to find and is also more expensive so I usually swap it out for fusilli or another small pasta.

Crock Pot Copycat Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Serves 6-8

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 2 carrots, julienned or shredded
  • 4 stalks of celery, finely diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 (15 oz.) can red kidney beans
  • 1 (15 oz.) can great Northern beans
  • 2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
  • 1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (12 oz.) can V8 juice
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

At the end:

  • 1/2 pound ditali pasta (you can also substitute with fusilli, macaroni, or any small pasta you like)
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: 

1. In a large skillet, brown the meat. Drain off the fat and transfer the cooked hamburger to the bottom of the crock pot.

photo

2. Pour the remaining items, except for the pasta and Parmesan cheese, over the hamburger.

Ingredients in crockpot

Stir everything together.

Stirred Together

Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.

Cooked Soup

3. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, add the dry pasta to the crock pot and stir to incorporate. Stir every ten minutes or so to make sure the pasta doesn’t stick and that it can absorb enough liquid.

Soup with pasta

4. Pour soup into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve along garlic bread. Enjoy!

plated soup

Make At Home: 7 Simple & Essential Spice Mixes

Oct20

spicesSpices are like shoes for me. I have way too many! Unlike my shoes, with as much as I cook and bake, I get plenty of uses out of my spice. One life hack that I’ve recently discovered is making my own spice mixes. I’m sensitive to monosodium glutamate (MSG) which is in just about everything nowadays so I love that I can eliminate MSG from my seasonings, limit the amount of salt that goes into them, and save a ton of time and money all at the same time. Seriously, how often have you run to the store to pick up a packet of taco or Italian seasoning because a recipe called for it and you were out? Chances are you actually already had all of the spices needed in your cupboard! Even better, if your family really loves an herb or spice (in my house it’s garlic and parsley) you can add extra to your spice mix to create a truly unique family blend. Use empty spice containers or small mason jars to hold your spice mixes. As long as you place these spice mixes in an airtight container, they should keep for six months. 

So here are my top 7 spice mixes or blends which you can make at home. Don’t forget, be creative! If you don’t like something then don’t add it. If you really like something else then add even more! Treat it like a fun home experiment. 🙂

#1: Taco Seasoning Recipe
Old el Paso taco seasoningThis is a great substitute for your store-bought taco seasoning packets like Old El Paso and McCormick. This recipe equals one ounce of taco seasoning or one packet of taco seasoning mix. Use for tacos, fajitas, or anything you want to add a little zip to.

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

Directions:

Mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl. Store in an airtight container.

#2: Italian Seasoning Recipe
italianI use A TON of Italian Seasoning in my house so finding my own recipe was a must. This is a great copycat of the pricey bottled variety which never lasted long in my home. 

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons dried basil
  • 3 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 3 tablespoons dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Place the ingredients in a food processor and pulse a few times until the herbs are uniform and thoroughly mixed. Store in an airtight container.

#3: All Purpose Seasoning Recipe
all purposeI love a good all purpose seasoning and is great on meat, fish, veggies, and pasta. Basically great on anything savory. 🙂

 

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon ground bay leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

Mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl. Store in an airtight container.

#4: Apple Pie Spice Recipe
pumpkin pie spiceAs soon as the leaves start to turn my family starts to crave some homemade apple pie and pumpkin bars. Those teeny tiny bottles of apple pie spice can cost $3-$4 but what’s really in them? Just a few standby spices you already have in your spice cupboard! 🙂

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom (optional)

Directions: 

Mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl. Store in an airtight container.

#5: Seasoned Salt Recipe
lawryIf you like Lawry’s Seasoned Salt then you’ll love this MSG-free copycat substitute. Great on just about everything.

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch

Mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl. Store in an airtight container.

#6: Dry Zesty Italian Dressing Recipe
Italian dressingDry Italian Dressing is one of those items that’s called for in a lot of my favorite crockpot and pasta salad recipes but it’s pretty pricey and always seemed to be that one item I never had on hand. Not anymore! This is a great copycat recipe for “Good Seasons” and MSG-free!

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon garlic salt
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon celery salt

Mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl. Store in an airtight container.

Italian Salad Dressing Recipe:

  • 2 Tablespoons of Dry Zesty Italian Dressing (Recipe Above)
  • 1/4 cup vinegar
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 2 Tablespoon water

#7: Dry Ranch Seasoning Recipe
ranchThis is a great copycat and MSG-free version of a packet of dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing and equals one packet. I see these packets called for in a lot of casserole and crock pot recipes so it’s great to have a home-made version for the seasonings instead of buying all of those packets.
Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

Mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl. Store in an airtight container.

Ranch Salad Dressing Recipe:

  • Dry Ranch Seasoning (Recipe Above)
  • 1 cup of mayonnaise
  • 1 cup of buttermilk

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients in a medium bowl and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve with salad.

Ranch Dip Recipe:

  • Dry Ranch Seasoning (Recipe Above)
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 3/4 cups sour cream

Looking for other great recipes and ideas? Be sure to subscribe to my blog for the latest updates or see a few of my favorite previously published recipes and ideas below:

Cuckoo for Candy Corn: 33 Fun Recipes, Crafts, and More

Crock Pot Copycat Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Soup

4 Ingredient Crock Pot Balsamic Pot Roast

Tom’s Famous Meatballs

Aug23

Plated spaghetti and meatballsMy boyfriend doesn’t do a lot of cooking but one thing he makes that he has has completely mastered are his famous meatballs. They’re actually adapted from his Italian Grandfather’s recipe and they are killer good! He’ll make a big batch of them and then we have plenty to make spaghetti and meatballs, and meatball subs, etc. Nothing beats one of these meatballs! So I was very happy when he offered to whip up a batch of his famous meatballs and even happier when he offered to jot down the recipe to be featured on my blog. I hope you’ll give these a whirl and let us know what you think!

Tom’s Famous Meatballs
Makes approximately 60 meatballs

  • 3 ½ pounds of ground beef
  • 6 slices of white bread
  • 3 eggs
  • ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup Italian seasoning (marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano and basil)
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder

1. Place the Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Italian seasoning and garlic powder in a blender. Tear the bread into small pieces.

bread in blender

Add them to the rest of the ingredients in the blender and combine them until uniformly crumbled. You may have to use a spatula to push the bread towards the bottom as you go.

Blended bread and spices

2. Place the ground beef inside a large bowl. Make sure the bowl is large enough to allow mixing the rest of ingredients into the beef, otherwise you’ll risk making a mess. 😛 Add the eggs and the crumbled mixture with the ground beef.

Bread mixture with beef and eggs

3. Now comes the fun part. Knead everything together with your hands until it reaches a pasty consistency (I use vinyl gloves to make cleanup easier).

Kneading meatballs

If it seems the mixture is a little dry and you’re having trouble kneading the ingredients together, add a teensy bit of water (less than a teaspoon). I can’t stress enough how a little bit of water will go a very long way. The last thing you need is a runny mess and end up with beef pancakes. 🙁

Combined mixture

4. Using your hands, take the beef and begin forming it into golf-ball-sized meatballs.

Forming balls

It is very important to ensure they are all about the same size, so that they cook evenly. I will usually make one and use it as the model for the rest, adding or removing beef as necessary. If your meatballs are falling apart as you go, you may need to add 1 more egg to the mix.

Formed balls

5. Add oil to a large pan and heat on medium-high until the oil begins to shimmer. Place the meatballs in the pan, making sure to leave about 1 or 2 inches of room around them.

Balls in pan

Let them brown halfway through and then flip them.

Fried Balls

Remove from the pan and place them in your favorite sauce! 😀

Plated spaghetti and meatballs

NOMNOMNOMNOMNOM,
Tom

Easy Chicken Parmesan

Jul1

I must have some Italian ancestry somewhere because I have a serious love for Italian food. Seriously…I buy garlic in bulk and I usually cook for two. 🙂

Italian Food Addiction: Exhibit A

Italian Food Addiction: Exhibit A

That being said, as much as I love Italian food it can take time and isn’t always realistic after a long day. That’s why I love shortcut recipes that still pack a lot of Italian punch, such as this Easy Chicken Parmesan. It has all the flavors of of a traditional Chicken Parmesan without all the fuss. You also only need one skillet for the dish and one pot for boiling your pasta. Being able to get such a hearty and tasty dinner on the table in 30 minutes makes this my go-to Italian meal for busy weekdays. Facile e Delizioso!

Picture of Skillet Chicken Parmesan

Skillet Chicken Parmesan
Serves 4

Ingredients: 

  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup Panco breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (the powdered kind works great!)
  • 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenderloin strips
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large jar (26-28 ounces) of your favorite pasta sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 pound of spaghetti or substitute for your favorite pasta, cooked al dente
  • 1 cup mozzarella, shredded

Directions: 

1. In a shallow dish or bowl (large enough to dunk the raw chicken into), beat the egg and set aside. In another shallow dish or bowl, combine the Italian seasoning, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese, and set aside.

Helpful Hint: Any time I batter and fry, I set up a little workstation from left to right, with the hot pan as the last station on the right. I also use my left hand for handling the wet ingredients—picking up the chicken, dunking the chicken in the egg, etc.—and my right hand for handling the dry—scooping breadcrumbs over the eggy chicken, and finally picking up the breaded now-dry chicken and placing in the pan. This keeps mess to a minimum and ensures you have one gooey-free hand instead of two.

Raw chicken, egg, and breadcrumbs frying station

2. Heat your skillet to medium-high heat and add olive oil. If you’re working in batches due to the size of your pan, divvy up the olive oil accordingly. Dredge the chicken into the egg and coat generously in the breadcrumbs and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the middle. Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the breasts so be sure to test. Remove cooked chicken from pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels.

Frying Chicken

3. Using the same skillet you used for the chicken, sauté onion in the hot pan for several minutes. Add garlic and sauté an additional minute or so.

Garlic & Onions sauteing

Reduce heat to low and add jar of pasta sauce and stir.

Note: Have some mushrooms or peppers sitting around and needing a good home? Feel free to throw them into the skillet when sautéing your onions. This is a very versatile dish and great for using up leftover veggies!

4. Place cooked chicken on top of the sauce and sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese. Cover pan to let cheese melt (2-3 minutes).

Melted Cheese over Chicken

Serve sauce and chicken over your favorite pasta and dig in! You might also like to try with my awesome Pizzeria Garlic Knots!

Picture of Skillet Chicken Parmesan

This recipe is so good that it instantly turns on full throttle pug manipulation.

Picture of Buddy begging for Chicken Parmesan

Buddy prays I made enough Chicken Parmesan for him.

See Also: Pizzeria Garlic Knots

 

Pizzeria Garlic Knots

Jun27

Plated Knots

I love baking garlic bread to go along Italian dishes and these homemade garlic knots are my favorite. They’re very simple, kids love to help with knotting the dough, and they taste just as good as any Italian restaurant or pizzeria’s garlic bread and tons better than the frozen stuff. They also make a great appetizer when served with marinara for dipping. Warning: these disappear quickly so consider a double or triple batch. 🙂

I’ve included both the bread machine and by hand directions below.

Pizzeria Garlic Knots
Makes 24 knots

Dough:

  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 1 packet active dry yeast
  • 1 3/4 cups bread flour
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dry Italian seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

Garlic Butter

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Bread Machine Directions:

If using a bread machine, add the ingredients as recommended by your bread machine and set to dough setting. Continue with “Making the knots” (below):

Risen dough

By Hand Directions: 

In a small bowl, add the warm water and sugar and mix. Add the yeast and let rest for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, olive oil, salt, and Italian seasoning. Make a small well in the center of the four mixture and pour in the yeast water. Mix and then knead together for 5-10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, lightly coat with olive oil, and place in a covered dish to allow to rise (approximately 1 1/2 hours).

Making the knots: 

After your dough has finished rising, grab a handful of dough at a time and roll out on a floured surface. Roll to a small rectangle, about 4 inches long and 1/2 an inch thick.

Rolled dough

Using a pizza cutter, make 1 inch strips.

Strips

Take each strip and tie to make a knot.

Knotting

 

Knotted

Lay on a greased baking tray and leave plenty of space in between so that the knots can rise a second time.

Knots on a tray

Cover pan of knots with seran wrapped sprayed with olive oil and let rise until doubled in size (about two hours).

Second rise

After knots have finished rising, preheat oven to 400°F.

Remove seran wrap and bake knots for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven to cool.

Browned knots

While knots are cooling, melt the butter in a medium saucepan and add garlic. Heat on low for 2-3 minutes then add salt and parsley and remove from heat.

Garlic Butter

Generously brush garlic butter onto the still warm knots. I just pile all the finished knots onto one tray and brush away.

Garlic Brushing

Enjoy!

Plated Knots

Kitchen Sink Salad

May3

I’m not a salad person. At all. Sure, it’s fine when a little salad comes with my steak or spaghetti and meatballs but you’ll never catch me ordering a salad as my main. Unless it came with a side of fries. 🙂
So I’m not sure what happened but I’ve turned a new (wait for the pun) leaf. Maybe it’s spring in the air but I had this craving for the ultimate salad for dinner and I think I’ve got it in the bag. I gobbled it down as if it were a plate of spaghetti & meatballs though I wouldn’t have turned down the garlic breadsticks. Too delicious not to share!

Image

Here’s what went into my Kitchen Sink Salad (makes 2 large salads):

  • 1 bag of mixed greens
  • 1/2 a cucumber, cut into rings
  • 2 roma tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup of corn
  • 1/2 cup of sliced olives
  • 1 cup of garlic & cheese croutons
  • 1/2 cup of shredded ghouda
  • 8 ounces of cubed ham
  • 8 ounces of sliced turkey

I made my own dressing but you can use any bottled variety as well:

  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 t. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 t. red wine vinegar
  • 1 T. sugar
  • 1 t. fresh or dried parsley
  • 1 t. dill
  • 1 t. garlic salt

Mix together in separate bowl.

Toss the mixed greens in a large bowl with dressing. Plate the greens on two dinner plates then add all the toppings.