I'm a southern gal with a passion for cooking and baking from scratch, the old fashioned way!
These are some tasty burgers that I came up with while attempting to jazz up our normal turkey burger routine. Using an egg white helps to keep the lean turkey meat moist and binds it into a patty that will cook nicely on the grill. The combination of flavors makes this a pretty special – but EASY – turkey burger!
This is a hearty one-dish dinner that I dreamed up on a cool and rainy fall evening. The blend of flavors is wonderful, without being too overpowering. For a lighter version, try using light soup and brown rice. You are going to love this dish!
This dish was inspired by what I had on hand in my refrigerator and from a few different recipes I browsed recently online. We have so much squash these days from our own garden and from our CSA baskets, as well. But no one in our house is complaining – you’ve never tasted squash unless you’ve eaten it fresh from your garden – so sweet and fresh!
And yet another recipe from last week’s wine tasting. This tasty little dish was a great appetizer and paired nicely with our Da Vinci Chianti Classico. The topping of this pizza is a re-creating of a carbonara pasta dish – complete with pancetta, eggs, and ricotta!
Pancetta is a wonderful Italian style bacon, with a great smoky-n-salty flavor. And the gorgeous cheesy mixture on top somehow manages to seem rich and light at the same time. This would be a fun weeknight meal or a tasty appetizer to get your guests going before an Italian meal.
Carbonara Pizza
from Rachel Ray
Cornmeal, for sprinkling
1 lb. pizza dough, at room temperature (recommended: Trader Joe’s)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 lb. pancetta, chopped
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese (parmesan would also work well)
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 clove garlic, grated or minced
Pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded provolone cheese
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Preheat your oven to 450°. Sprinkle a few pinches of cornmeal on a baking sheet. Place the pizza dough on the sheet and stretch it into a large round or rectangle. If stretching is difficult, use a rolling pin. Brush the dough with the olive oil and partially bake the crust until puffed and slightly golden, about 8 minutes.
Note: If you are pressed for time, you could start right >>here<< in the recipe with a pre-made crust like Mama Mary’s or Boboli’s. 
Warm up a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring often, until crisp and browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the pancetta to a bowl lined with paper towels and allow it to drain and cool.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, pecorino romano, egg yolks and garlic; next add the pancetta. Season the mixture with pepper, stirring to combine.
Spread the ricotta-pancetta mixture over the partially baked pizza dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges for a crust. Top the pizza with the provolone. Bake until the crust and topping are golden and cooked through, about 12 minutes.
Sprinkle with parsley, cut into wedges, and serve immediately!
Just like with chili, my mom makes the absolute best meatloaf. There is nothing more comforting and homey than a nice juicy, tender slice with mashed potatoes and green beans on the side.
Here, I take my mom’s meatloaf, and I do it my way. Basically, this means adding some bacon and some herbs – but the base is the same recipe as my mom’s. This meatloaf is unbelievably flavorful. The smoky, salty bacon basically marinates the meat as it cooks, keeping it moist and delicious. The easy tomato sauce on top completes this perfectly cozy dish.
Ma’s Meatloaf, My Way
1-1.5 lbs. lean ground beef
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs (I just grate up a white hamburger bun)
1 large clove of garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
A dash Montreal steak seasoning
3 slices of thick-sliced center-cut bacon
1 can condensed tomato soup (recommended: Campbell’s)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a standard loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the meat, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, sage, parsley, ketchup, Worcestershire, and steak seasoning – lightly, using a fork or your hands. When it is fully combined, turn the meat mixture into the prepared loaf pan, and pat lightly into the form of a loaf. Top with the three slices of bacon. Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until meat is cooked all the way through the loaf.
Meanwhile, heat the tomato soup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Slice the meatloaf and spoon the hot tomato soup over the top.
This meatloaf only gets better with age. Try slicing your leftovers and making a hearty sandwich with white bread and ketchup – divine!