Chicken thighs stuffed with Stove Top stuffing and baked with prepared gravy make for a super easy weeknight meal.
This casserole is the mother of easy recipes.
Y’all asked me for easy casserole recipes and I think I delivered on this because it don’t get no easier than this.
It’s so easy it’s almost embarrassing.
And y’all are going to laugh at me but I didn't know where to find Stove Top or a jar of gravy in the grocery store and had to ask for help. Twice.
I wouldn't pull this out if the boss was coming to dinner but for a quick weeknight supper, it was spot-on! And the onions totally gobbled it up.
Stuffed Chicken with Gravy
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs*
1 6-ounce box chicken stuffing mix (such as Stove Top)
1 12-ounce jar chicken gravy, heated
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
Prepare stuffing mix per manufacturer’s instructions, cover and set aside. I've used traditional and cornbread stuffing in this and love them both!
Spray a 13x9 casserole dish with cooking spray. Trim excess fat from chicken then season both sides with salt, pepper and garlic. Place about 1/4 cup of stuffing mix on each piece of chicken then wrap sides around to create a little bundle. Place bundles in casserole dish. Spoon remaining stuffing into casserole dish around chicken bundles. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
Remove dish from oven. Remove aluminum foil then continue cooking, uncovered, for 15-20 more minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Pour gravy over chicken and stuffing when ready to serve.
Boom. Done.
*Can substitute chicken breast cutlets if desired but I think the thighs are amazingly flavorful and moist. They’re kinda my favorite weeknight protein right now.
I love sausage. Like, to the point that most people love bacon. I
really only cook bacon to get the drippings for cooking with. I would rather
have sausage any day of the week.
And I really love Italian sausage. I often use Italian sausage instead
of ground beef when making weeknight spaghetti.
QUICK TIP: easily make mini meatballs using Italian Sausage links by
removing the casings then pinching off one-inch pieces of sausage then rolling
them into little meatballs.
I make a more traditional recipe for
Classic Stuffed Shells
using tomato sauce (that is GREAT for serving guests and even freezing) but I
wanted to change things up.
So I had the idea to make these stuffed shells using mostly just Italian
sausage and spinach. And while I'd usually serve stuffed shells with marinara
or some other red sauce I decided to go with an alfredo-type sauce with this
recipe because sausage and spinach just go with cream sauce!
This Garlic Cream Sauce is super simple to make (it's a verrrrry close cousin
to alfredo) but you could totally skip it and just use a prepared jar or tub
of alfredo sauce from the grocery store.
Trust me, I know all about going the quick and easy route when you're trying
to get supper on the table quickly! But this sauce is super simple and easy
and packs an amazing punch of fresh, homemade flavor.
And, it’s really really easy.
Now, all that being said, you could totally skip the creamy sauce and just use
marinara sauce or your favorite spaghetti sauce too. Just use whichever you
prefer!
INGREDIENTS FOR SAUSAGE AND SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS WITH GARLIC CREAM SAUCE
CHICKEN SCAMPI WITH GARLIC PARMESAN RICE
- The ORIGINAL quick and easy skillet meal recipe for tender chicken scampi
over perfectly cooked buttery, garlic parmesan rice.
SPICY SAUSAGE & KALE RIGATONI
- A rustic, 30-minute pasta recipe of Italian sausage and kale with a simple
but unbelievably delicious sauce made with pasta water, butter and parmesan
cheese.
FAMILY-STYLE CHICKEN PARMESAN
- A tried-and-true recipe for crispy breaded chicken cutlets topped with gooey
melted mozzarella served family-style for easier prep.
CLASSIC CHICKEN CACCIATORE
- A simple, rustic recipe for chicken slowly braised in an easy Italian-style tomato sauce with onions and peppers served over pasta.
Recipe for Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells with Garlic Cream Sauce
Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells with Garlic Cream Sauce
Yield: 6 Servings
Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 55 Min
A rustic, simple recipe for pasta shells stuffed with Italian sausage, spinach and mozzarella topped with an easy garlic cream sauce.
1.25 pounds hot Italian sausage, casings removed if applicable
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded (2-3 cups)
Garlic Cream Sauce:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 cloves garlic, smashed (not minced)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Stuffed Shells
Prepare Garlic Cream Sauce first so that it can be doing its thing while you’re cooking everything else.
Cook shells in liberally salted water per manufacturer’s instructions for al dente preparation. Drain and rinse then allow to drain again.
Meanwhile, crumble sausage in a large skillet and cook until nicely browned. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and place in a large mixing bowl.
Add drained spinach to sausage then stir well.
Add half of mozzarella then stir to combine.
Spray a 13x9 (or 14x10) baking dish with cooking spray. Stuff shells with sausage mixture then arrange in baking dish. If you have any sausage mixture left over, just spoon it in between the shells. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella over shells.
Remove garlic pieces from garlic cream sauce then spoon sauce into and over stuffed shells. Cover dish with aluminum foil then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted.
Garnish with additional fresh grated parmesan if desired.
Garlic Cream Sauce
Add cream and smashed garlic to a saucepan then cook over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally (to smash your garlic, just lay your chef’s knife over each clove and give it a good whack or two).
Once sauce begins to simmer, add salt and nutmeg then reduce heat to medium-low. Continue simmering, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until sauce coats the back of a spoon, stirring occasionally.
Whisk in parmesan cheese then continue cooking over low heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat until ready to use.
I somehow ended up with three jars of peanut butter in my pantry. Now, I’m a
frugal shopper and don’t have a ton of space so I don’t usually pile up on
reserves of stuff.
Actually, I think I might have been finally losing it because I also had three
giant boxes of spaghetti. And three cartons of salt. And three cans of
sweetened condensed milk.
And why did I have three of everything? Why not two? Or four?
Seeing how the universe decided I needed to have three of everything, I
decided it was trying to tell me something with the peanut butter and
sweetened condensed milk. I think the universe wanted a peanut butter pie.
But I didn't have what I needed to make a chocolate crust and didn't feel like
going to the store. What I did have was a chocolate cake mix. And then I got
to thinking how thin the peanut butter pie filling is when you first mix it up
and thought it’d probably be incredible on a poke cake. And it was!
NOTES ON MAKING CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PIE POKE CAKE
Make sure the cream cheese is completely soft before mixing. I often put the
unopened block in a tall glass of warm water for a bit even after it's set at
room temperature.
You must use something big like the handle of a wooden spoon to poke your
holes - the holes have to be big enough for the thick filling. This isn't a
poke cake that will work by using a fork to poke the holes.
Make sure you plan for the cake to rest 4-6 hours before serving so the
filling has time to set-up.
UPDATE: I think they may have stopped selling 12-oz cartons of Cool Whip. Just
buy a 16-oz or 2 8-oz cartons. You won't need quite all of it to top the cake.
Recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Poke Cake
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Poke Cake
Yield: 12 Servings
Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 25 MinInactive time: 4 HourTotal time: 4 H & 45 M
A decadent poke cake with rich, creamy peanut butter pie filling poured over a box mix chocolate cake.
Ingredients
1 box chocolate cake mix
Eggs, oil and water for cake
1 8-ounce block cream cheese, at room temperature
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 12-ounce tub cool whip, divided
Chocolate sauce (such as Hershey’s)
3 tablespoons chopped peanuts (optional)
Instructions
Prepare and bake chocolate cake mix per manufacturer’s instructions for a 13x9 cake. Cool cake completely. Using the handle of a standard-sized wooden spoon, poke 30-35 holes in cake (do not use a fork - the holes have to be big enough for the thick peanut butter pie filling).
Whip cream cheese with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
Add sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter then continue mixing until completely smooth.
Add half of the cool whip (about 3 cups) then continue mixing until mixture is well combined and smooth. You'd typically be told to "gently fold" cool whip into a recipe like this but here you're going to want to really mix it - the longer you mix it, the thinner it will become and you need it to thin out a little to spread and fill the holes.
Spread peanut butter mixture evenly over cake. Cover and refrigerate at least 4-6 hours.
To serve, spread remaining cool whip over peanut butter mixture. Drizzle chocolate sauce over top then sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Store in refrigerator.
Notes
Make sure the cream cheese is completely soft before mixing. I often put the unopened block in a tall glass of warm water for a bit even after it's set at room temperature.
You must use something big like the handle of a wooden spoon to poke your holes - the holes have to be big enough for the thick filling. This isn't a poke cake that will work by using a fork to poke the holes.
Make sure you plan for the cake to rest 4-6 hours before serving so the filling has time to set-up.
UPDATE: I think they may have stopped selling 12-oz cartons of Cool Whip. Just buy a 16-oz or 2 8-oz cartons. You won't need quite all of it to top the cake.
All your favorite burrito ingredients served over an easy, delicious Mexican rice in a bowl or stuffed in a tortilla.
We don’t eat a lot of fast food or takeout. It’s just not in the budget. We’re looking at a good $25 bucks just to eat at McDonalds. And I can buy a lot of groceries with $25! Every time we go, I sit there and think how many meals I could make if I’d spent that same money at the grocery store.
Anyway, when we do go for fast food, the kids always want Mexican. But Ima tell you what, ordering Mexican food, with all the different variables and options, at the counter for five people will make you want a shot of tequila. Or three.
Can I get 6 burritos? Four chicken, two beef. Sour cream on one of the beef ones. No lettuce on two of the chickens. We only want tomatoes on three of those – the two without lettuce and the beef one without sour cream. No beans on any except the beef one with tomatoes. Does rice come in those? Is it hot in here? Where are the kids? Did Brutus leave with that hairy man in the trench coat?
So I decided to make it easier and cheaper and make my favorite type of burritos – burrito bowls! You could easily serve all these ingredients in a flour tortilla as well, but y’all know I love me some rice!
This is a super fun way to serve a crowd too. You can set up a bar (think Moe's, Chipotle or Salsarita's) with the usual toppings and ingredients then let everyone assemble their own!
Along with the chopped chicken, rice and tortillas, set out a festive bar with ingredients like these:
Pinto and/or black beans
Shredded cheese
Chopped cilantro
Pico de gallo
Salsa
Guacamole
Avocado slices
Diced onions
Diced tomatoes
Sliced black olives
Sour cream
Fresh limes
Chicken Burrito Rice Bowls
Yield: 6-8 Servings
Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth
prep time: 15 Mcook time: 20 hourtotal time: 20 H & 15 M
All your favorite burrito ingredients served over an easy, delicious Mexican rice in a bowl or stuffed in a tortilla.
ingredients:
Burrito Bowls:
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 packet fajita seasoning
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 batch Mexican Rice (recipe below)
1 can pinto or black beans, heated and ready to serve
2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
Toppings of choice (see notes)
Mexican Rice:
1/4 cup butter
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 small onion diced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
Salt to taste
instructions:
How to cook Chicken Burrito Rice Bowls
Burrito Bowls:
Add chicken breasts, fajita seasoning and vegetable oil to a large bowl and toss to combine (I used my hands). If your chicken breasts are super thick, slice them into two thin cutlets (or buy cutlets if available).
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts to skillet and cook in a single layer for about 5-7 minutes on each side or until chicken is cooked through. Cook in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan.
Let chicken rest 5 minutes then cut into bite-sized pieces.
To assemble bowls, add a layer of rice, then beans, then chicken, then cheese. Top with toppings of choice. I served everyone a prepared bowl of rice, beans, chicken and cheese and set the table with all the toppings so everyone could add what they like!
Add rice, broth and chili powder to a 1-quart baking dish. Salt to taste if necessary (you want the broth to be as salty as you want your rice).
Cover dish with a fitted lid and microwave on high for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 50% then microwave for an additional 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork before serving.
NOTES:
Suggested toppings: chopped cilantro, pico de gallo, salsa, guacamole, avocado slices, diced onions, diced tomatoes, sliced black olives, sour cream, fresh lime juice
If your chicken breasts are super thick, reduce heat to medium after browning on each side then cover and cook until cooked through.
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The secret to CRISPY wings baked in the oven! These chicken wings are amazingly easy and just as good and crispy as fried wings. Plus a recipe for sweet Asian hot wing sauce.
Me: OHMUHGAH, I read THE most amazing, life-changing article on BAKING chicken wings in the oven that are actually CRISPY!
Beth: Me too!
Me: Can you believe the secret is to… Wait. You’re making fun of me aren't you?
Beth: Yep!
Jessica: I knew something was up because when does Beth read??
Me: I know, right?!
Beth: Hey! Don’t make fun of me, Mandy’s the only dork who would get that excited reading about chicken wings.
Me: This is true.
So, I came across this article months ago and it just blew my mind! I love chicken wings but I hate cooking them because frying them is a major time-consuming, expensive, messy undertaking and baking them has always yielded gummy, sticky, fatty wings. Wings have to be crispy! But ain't nobody got time to fry them!
And yes, I am a total dork when it comes to food. If I found a marathon of Alton Brown’s Good Eats on TV I wouldn't be able to leave the couch. Learning the whys of cooking is just fascinating to me. And the scientific approach that chefs like Alton Brown and websites like Serious Eats take have taught me how to create better recipes.
So, anyway, this article from Serious Eats goes into all the technical reasons why, but ultimately, to get crispy wings from the oven, you have to desiccate or dry them out first. You do this by coating them in baking powder (a natural desiccant) and leaving them in the refrigerator, uncovered for several hours (refrigerators also dehydrate).
I know many of you will feel weird about leaving chicken out in the open in your refrigerator. Just remember to have everything else sealed up so no smells or germs are floating around and I think you’ll be good.
I bought a 3-tier cooling rack at Wal-Mart for less than $10 to dry my wings. I needed one anyway and using a stackable rack made it much easier to find room in the fridge for all these wings.
Now, about the sauce! Remember that little honky tonk I worked in waaaaay back in college? Well, we had ah maze ing wings! And I've never had anything like them anywhere else. The story goes that the recipe came from one of the bigwig wing places that hit the scene during the Buffalo Wing explosion in the early 90’s.
Our hot wing sauce wasn't the typical, cloying, orangey-red chili pepper based sauce, but more of a glaze that was a little sweet. I've always thought of it as sort of a sweet Asian hot wing sauce so that’s what I’m going to call it!
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings with Sweet Asian Hot Wing Sauce
The secret to CRISPY wings baked in the oven! These chicken wings are amazingly easy and just as good and crispy as fried wings. Plus a recipe for sweet Asian hot wing sauce.
Ingredients:
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
4 pounds chicken wing sections
2 tablespoons baking powder
Salt & pepper
Sweet Asian Hot Wing Sauce (optional)
Sweet Asian Hot Wing Sauce
3/4 cup hot sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
2-3 cloves garlic, smashed
Instructions:
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Carefully dry chicken wings with clean kitchen towels or paper towels (really do a good job at this – there can’t be any moisture left on the wings).
Arrange wings on cooling racks in a single layer. Sprinkle wings with half of the baking powder (I added mine to an old spice jar to make easy work of the sprinkling). Flip wings and sprinkle the other side with the remainder of the baking powder.
Place wings, on racks, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.
Season wings with salt and pepper then arrange in a single layer on one extra-large or two normal baking pans sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake wings at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Flip wings then continue baking for 15-20 minutes longer or until crispy and golden brown.
Toss wings with wing sauce and serve immediately.
Sweet Asian Hot Wing Sauce
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Use sauce hot or at room temperature.
Discard garlic when ready to serve.
Notes:
Want a little more Asian zing? Add fresh ginger and red pepper flakes to the wing sauce.
Use Hot Sauce, not Hot WING Sauce (such as Texas Pete or Frank’s) in the Sweet Asian Hot Wing Sauce
A no-fail recipe for New York style cheesecake that cooks perfectly every time.
Remember how that frog from Looney Tunes would sing "Hello My Baby" while strutting around with his top hat and cane?
Hello my baby, hello my darling, hello my ragtime gal!
Well, that’s what I’m doing right now in my mind.
Because, I've been looking forward to giving you this recipe for years! And I finally made it this weekend!
And I literally (yep, literally) strutted around my kitchen this weekend singing like that frog at the top of my lungs when I served this.
I’m pretty sure Husband thinks I've finally cracked my nut.
My mom’s friend, Suzy, gave us this recipe forever ago and it is the single best cheesecake recipe I've ever made. EVER. Suzy calls it Awesome Cheesecake and that, it is, but I’m going to call it Perfect Cheesecake because, well, it’s perfect!
I like to make it with a gingersnap crust made from store-bought gingersnaps (or these homemade gingerbread cookies would be amazing too!) but if that’s not your thing, feel free to substitute graham crackers.
Simply Perfect Cheesecake
Yield: 12-14 Servings
Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth
prep time: 10 Mcook time: 1 H & 25 Mtotal time: 1 H & 35 M
A no-fail recipe for New York style cheesecake that cooks perfectly every time.
ingredients:
Gingersnap Crust
2 cups gingersnap crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling
4 8-oz. packages cream cheese, at room temperature
Juice of one lemon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 eggs
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pint heavy whipping cream
instructions:
How to cook The Perfect Cheesecake
Make the gingersnap crust:
Break gingersnaps by hand then add to a food processor. Pulse broken cookies into crumbs and until no chunks remain. I used about a half of an 18-oz. bag to yield 2 cups. Combine gingersnap crumbs and sugar in a medium-size bowl then add melted butter; mix well.
Press crumb mixture on the bottom and about an inch and a half up the sides of a 10-inch springform pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes then cool crust completely.
Make the cheesecake filling:
Beat cream cheese, lemon juice and vanilla in a large bowl or stand mixer at medium speed until smooth and creamy (use the whisk attachment if using a stand mixer).
Add eggs, one at a time and continue mixing until well combined. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
Add sugar and flour and continue mixing at low speed for five minutes, scraping down sides of bowl periodically as needed. Add whipping cream and mix just until filling is smooth and creamy. Pour filling into prepared crust.
Prepare water bath and bake:
Set oven rack to the middle position in your oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wrap the bottom half of the springform pan in aluminum foil then set the pan in a large baking dish. Fill the baking dish with enough HOT tap water to cover the bottom of the springform pan by about an inch. The foil is just to prevent any water from seeping into the springform pan and into the cheesecake.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until edges are light golden brown and set and the filling no longer jiggles.
Remove cheesecake from oven and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil (or place in an airtight container) and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
Serve plain or with chocolate sauce, cherry pie filling, lemon curd, fresh fruit or whatever else suits your fancy. I was fancying some cherries so that’s what I used!
NOTES:
Feel free to use graham cracker crumbs if you prefer.
