In This Kitchen

Homemade Spaghetti-o’s and Meatballs

Makes about 6 servings

For the Meatballs

· 1 pound ground beef

· ½ cup plain Breadcrumbs

· ¼ cup Milk

· 1 clove Garlic, minced

· 1 teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)

· ½ teaspoon ground Black Pepper

· 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

· ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

For the Spaghetti-o’s

· 1 tablespoon Butter

· 1 tablespoon Olive Oil

· 2 cloves Garlic, minced

· ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste

· 8-ounce can Tomato Sauce

· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt

· 2 teaspoons White Sugar

· 2 cups Chicken Broth

· 2 cups Water

· ½ cup Heavy Cream

· 16 ounces Ditalini Pasta (or Anellini, if you can find it)

· ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Make the meatballs first – in a large bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, milk, garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese until combined. Stir in the ground beef (or use a gloved hand to mix). Use a spoon or a small scoop to form and roll about 44 little meatballs, ¾ - 1 inch in diameter. (I used my #40 cookie scoop to make 22 balls, then split them in half and rolled 44 small meatballs.) Set aside on a tray or plate.

Heat a large, deep-sided braising pan or skillet with the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat until the butter is melted and the mixture starts to bubble. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes until the tomato paste turns a darker shade of red and the mixture is smooth. Add the tomato sauce, salt, and sugar then stir in the broth. Bring to a simmer.

Carefully place the meatballs in the pan in a single layer. The sauce should just about cover them – they may peek out a little. Give it a gentle stir, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer the meatballs for 10 minutes, stirring the meatballs again halfway through.

Stir in the water, cream, and pasta and return the pan to a simmer. Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pasta has absorbed most of the liquid and is tender. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand 5 minutes.

Stir in the parmesan cheese until melted. Serve into bowls with extra parmesan cheese for topping.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!

(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)

All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!

Hey, you made it all the way to the end! If you liked In This Kitchen feel free to share it.

Sheet Pan Pizza Gnocchi...

Sarah Jackson — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 11:02:54 GMT

Good morning, Friends! I hope you are all surviving whatever fresh mess the summer weather is bringing you this week. As I type this (on Tuesday), the high for the day is only 86. A cold front, indeed! I might go put on a sweatshirt.

But enough chit chat about the weather, today I actually want to talk about books! And not even just cookbooks (even though I do tend to read those cover-to-cover...), today I want to know what you’re reading, have read, and/or plan to read.

My brother recently asked in our family chat what would make our list of books for his girls to read before they were 10 years old. I immediately thought back to my childhood - all the Roald Dahl’s! Nancy Drew! Harriet the Spy! Then we thought of old classics like Little Women and new classics like Harry Potter.

But making a list for them made me realize I should make an actual list for myself. So often, I’ll come across a book review or someone will mention something they’ve read, and I’ll think “oh I should read that; add it to the list!” But here’s the problem, there is no list, and I would promptly forget until I heard that book mentioned again, and I would think “oh yeah, that was on my list!” There’s. No. List.

Until now!

So, I’m a pretty avid reader. Never going too far or long without a book beside me. My waitlist is a mile long on the Libby library app. (Is there anything more exciting than the email saying your hold is ready?!)

I read everything that comes out by Michael Connelly, David Baldacci, and Daniel Silva - love a good crime/mystery/spy thriller. I’ve read all the Louise Penny books in her Gamache series and many, if not most, John Grisham books. (I really enjoyed his more recent books set on Camino Island!)

These are my comfort books - easy reads that I know I’ll like. But sometimes we need to step out of those comfort zones!

So, I try to read other authors and genres, and usually enjoy them when I do - for example, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is fantastic, as is his first book, The Martian. (Yes, they’ve been made into movies, read the books anyway!) Going in a completely different direction, I recently finished Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser - a retelling of the Cinderella story from the point of view of the stepmother - which I absolutely loved and highly recommend! I re-read Rebecca every few years ever since I first checked it out of the high school library, and I can get into historical fiction such as Philippa Gregory writes.

These “outside of my crime fiction comfort zone” books are the ones I want put on a to-read list. And I’d love to know what you’re reading and love and/or might recommend!

So far, based on reviews or other recommendations, my list includes:

Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi
Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt (which was actually pulled up on my kindle to start when I got the library notification that my new Michael Connelly was available; back to my old ways!)
Food Person, by Adam Roberts (about a food writer - I think I’ll enjoy it!)
Everyone is Lying to You and The Parisian Heist, both by Jo Piazza (her other book, The Sicilian Inheritance was great!)
Whistler, by Ann Patchett
Country People, by Daniel Mason
The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans
The Wedding People, by Allison Espach
The Calamity Club, by Kathryn Stockett (she also wrote The Help, so I know it’ll be good!)
All of Fredrik Backman’s books as recommended by my mother-in-law. (I just started A Man Called Ove (yes, I know I’m late to the party) on audiobook for my Sunday morning walks. I’ve never really done audiobooks. Trying to be a audiobook person.)
Yesteryear, by Caro Claire Burke. Maybe. It’s got really mixed reviews. Do I have it on my list to read just so I can find out why so many people dislike it?

There’s my list! What am I missing? What are you reading? Tell me, and I’ll let you have this week’s recipe!

MONDAY - Pizza Gnocchi! (This week’s recipe!)

Ever since I tested this one, I’ve been craving it again! I decided it needed a better picture, which is the perfect excuse. All the flavors of supreme pizza, but make it gnocchi! Salad on the side (lettuce from the farmers’ market).

TUESDAY - Pork Tenderloin, Roasted Okra, Couscous

You know I love to roast a pork tenderloin for an easy dinner! Okra from the garden will roast on a separate pan, but in the same 425 oven as the tenderloin. I’ll do a herb and garlic pearl couscous for the side.

WEDNESDAY - Crispy Mustard Chicken and Frisée

Cookbook Recipe of the Week - From Cook Like a Pro (page 95), by Ina Garten. Chicken thighs are coated in a mustard and wine sauce, then garlicky panko crumbs are pressed into the top. They get roasted until crispy on a sheet pan with baby potatoes and then made into a big salad with a mustard vinaigrette.

THURSDAY - Ground Beef Tacos, Chips & Salsa

I can make the ground beef taco filling and prep all the toppings earlier in the day, so that when we get home from soccer I just have to pull everything out and do a quick reheat. Easy!

FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-Up!

SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s (the in-laws!)

BBQ chicken and mac ‘n cheese - a summer time classic! Maybe even some baked beans on the side.

SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s!

Grilled bratwursts with onions and peppers. Another quintessential summer time meal - we’ve got to get them all in! Tater tots to go with.

LUNCHES for this week -

I’ve been seeing lots of recipes for cold noodle salads - peanut noodles to be more specific, and boy doesn’t a cold noodle lunch sound good these days! I’ll just look at several recipes for inspiration and then do my own thing, but it should make enough for me to eat on all week long.

EXTRAS for this week

The brownies were a hit last week, and the Kiddo liked them in his lunchbox. So, this week I think I’ll do rice crispy treats for us to have for snacking and lunchbox sweets. Also, I’ve been experimenting with flavored cold brew iced tea brewed in coconut water, and it’s really refreshing in the heat of the afternoon; I mix it about half tea and half plain seltzer water. This week I’ll try lemon zinger for the tea and make a pitcher for the fridge.

WEEK 30 - Chivi Spice Chicken Thighs - Good Things by Samin Nosrat (page 298),

Samin Nosrat’s first book, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking, is one of those reference books that is handy to have around. While it does have recipes, most people would argue that it could be described as more of an educational tool, with fundamentals of cooking and the “why” of how many recipes work.
In contrast, her second book, Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love, gives us a more recipe focused book that builds on those fundamentals and lets her share the things she turns to over and over when cooking for herself and others. In many cases the recipes are written as a guide and meant to be adapted for what suits you.
Case in point - the Chivi Spice Chicken Thighs we tried this week. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are rubbed with a house made spice mixture featuring coriander, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder and then braised in a tomato, onion, garlic, and chipotle sauce. You can use fresh or canned tomatoes. Season the chicken early if you have time, but no worries if you don’t. Serve it as a meal with rice and beans, or shred the chicken and make tacos. Options!
The day I made this dish, I served the toasty thighs, as they were, over rice. Then for the leftovers, I took the second option of shredding the chicken and making tacos. Really, we loved it both ways, and I think you could just choose based on your mood at the time.
Thoughts and notes -
Reality at home for the day I made the dish - the Kiddo came home from the first day of school and tested positive for Covid (super fun). And Marcus was out of town for work. So, I was the only one that ate dinner that night. However, I really loved how the spice rub flavored the chicken skin and it got so crispy. (Which I was worried about because you start the thighs skin-side down in the liquid, and I thought they would come out soggy, but no!)
We had a repeat of dinner for lunch the next day when James felt like eating, and he agreed that the chicken and rice was a really nice meal. Of course, the skin wasn’t as crispy reheated.
For the rest of the leftovers that I turned into shredded chicken in the sauce, we liked this just as well! It made a saucy taco and/or a really nice rice bowl. (James said he thought he liked it better this way, but also, it’s easier for a hungry teenager to shovel food in when you don’t have to deal with the pesky bones…)
Recipe changes - I did not use as much as black pepper or cayenne as the spice rub called for because I’m a wimp. Also, we did not use the called for fresh cilantro (because that’s one of the things they’re saying to buy right now…) I also went off-book and didn’t blend the sauce at the end - I wanted the whole garlic cloves and soft, jammy onions as they were, and I was very happy with that decision.
Overall, while this recipe required a little prep work ahead of time, it wasn’t too bad, and was balanced by the fact that it was hands-off for the baking time. (Made even easier since I didn’t blend the sauce.) With the versatility of the dish and that spiced crispy skin with a flavorful sauce, I’d call it a “do-again”!

Printer Friendly Sheet Pan Pizza Gnocchi

173KB ∙ PDF file

Sheet Pan Pizza Gnocchi

Makes about 5 servings

· 1 pound (16 ounce) package Shelf Stable Potato Gnocchi

· 2 medium Bell Peppers, any color

· ½ of one Red Onion

· ½ of one White or Yellow Onion

· ½ cup Grape Tomatoes, halved (or left whole if small)

· 1 jar (14 ounces) Pizza Sauce

· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)

· ¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper

· Pinch Red Pepper Flakes

· 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

· 3 cloves Garlic, minced

· ½ pound Italian Sausage, bulk or links

· 2 ounces Pepperonis

· 1 ½ cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese

· 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

· Chopped fresh herbs such as Basil, Oregano, or Parsley – optional

Preheat the oven to 425 with a rack arranged in the upper third. Coat a large, rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray.

Break apart the gnocchi and put them into a large bowl. Cut the pepper and onions into a medium dice, about the same size as the gnocchi, or slightly smaller, and add them to the bowl. Also add the tomatoes, pizza sauce, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Stir to combine well then spread the mixture on the baking pan.

Pinch off small pieces of sausage and evenly distribute them across the pan. (If using sausage links, remove the casings first.) Slice the pepperonis in half and scatter them on the pan.

Slide the tray into the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Carefully stir the gnocchi, vegetables, meats, and sauce and continue to bake for another 15 minutes.

Sprinkle the cheese over the pan, bake for a final 5 minutes until melted. If you have fresh herbs, scatter them over the pan and serve.

NOTES – We’re going for “pizza”, and everyone likes their pizza different so feel free to change it up! Add other vegetables and/or meats (or take some away). Try other cheeses if you’d like. You do you!

That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!

(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)

All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!

Hey, you made it all the way to the end! If you liked In This Kitchen feel free to share it.

BBQ-Cheddar Chicken Burgers

Sarah Jackson — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:02:42 GMT

Good morning, Friends! And happy back-to-school week for all who celebrate - whether willingly or not!

My mornings this week have been filled with seeing pictures from friends and family with all the kiddos heading out for the first day of the year. Always a fun tradition! (And if you’re a teacher also heading out for the first day of the year, God bless you!)

Back-to-school is always exciting and fun, but also busy and hectic, and plenty stressful on both kids and parents. When it comes to evenings at home and dinner time, it can be nice to keep it simple, fun, and familiar. Meals that don’t require a bunch of brain power are a welcome sight, and foods that are family favorites keep everyone happy as you gather around the table to talk about your day.

Enter in this week’s recipe for BBQ-Cheddar Chicken Burgers with Quick Pickled Cucumbers. For some reason a burger just feels casual and fun - perfect for a busy week as you get back in the swing of things, and these are no exception!

Ground chicken is a nice variation on a typical beef burger. These patties stay moist and juicy thanks to diced and caramelized onions. The slight smoky flavor actually comes from smoked paprika in the spice mix, and the little shreds of sharp cheddar cheese are a nice contrast to the subtle sweetness of bbq. Cook them in a cast iron skillet to get a nice outer crust (but also it’s too hot to go outside and grill).

Not to be skipped - the homemade pickled cucumbers piled on each burger. Crunchy and tangy, they bring a light, fresh pop to the tender burger where I think a store bought pickle slice might overwhelm.

You can keep it easy-peasy and serve these burgers with chips and fruit, go with frozen tots or fries, or go one level more and do a homemade potato wedge. Any way I serve them, these burgers get gobbled up, and we have to arm wrestle for the rights to the last one.

MONDAY - Chivi Spice Chicken Thighs

Cookbook Recipe of the Week - From Good Things (page 298), by Samin Nosrat. Bone-in chicken thighs are rubbed with a spice mix and slow braised in a sauce with garlic, peppers, tomatoes, and onions. It will take a little prep work earlier in the day, but then it’s hands-off while it’s in the oven. I think I’ll try to make a “green rice” by cooking rice in broth and salsa verde.

TUESDAY - Ramen and Dumpling Soup

Really easy and fast! Ramen and frozen dumplings cook quickly in a flavorful broth with baby bok choy to bump up the vegetables. I’ve used this recipe as a starting place before.

WEDNESDAY - No-Cook Tomato Pasta and Air Fryer Chicken

A mix of heirloom tomatoes from the garden and the market are diced and marinated in garlic and olive oil until they release their juices and make a “sauce”. I’ll toss it all together with spaghetti and parmesan cheese and make my air fryer chicken breasts to go with it.

THURSDAY - Focaccia Paninis, Chips, Fruit

First soccer practice of the fall tonight! We got the 5:30 time slot this year, which means we need something fast I can throw together when we get home. I’ve been saving half of the focaccia in the freezer whenever I make it just so we can have a panini night. Turkey, pesto, and mozzarella for tonight.

FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-Up!

SATURDAY - Annual Family Day on the River!

We try to make it to the Hiwassee River for a float day each summer, complete with a picnic by the water. The picnic will be for lunch, and depending on the time we get home that evening, dinner will be either something we grab on the way home or leftovers.

SUNDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s

Pasta night! She said she has everything for chicken stroganoff or chicken spaghetti or regular spaghetti or beef and shells or… We’ll just see what we’re in the mood for!

LUNCHES for this week -

Planning to make these Thai Curry Meatballs with Coconut Curry from Rachel Mansfield to use up a can of coconut milk I opened last week and only used a little bit of. I’ll do ground chicken instead of turkey because that’s what I have, and I’ll make a batch of quinoa to serve the meatballs and sauce over.

EXTRAS for this week

I think we need some back to school brownies, so I’ll get right on that! Also, I’ll be prepping a couple of things for our river day picnic. I think a pesto pasta salad with orzo and cherry tomatoes and a kale and quinoa salad with apples that packs well.

WEEK 29 - Turmeric-Sizzled Toasts with Sungold Tomatoes - Justine Cooks by Justine Doiron (page 93),

Justine Doiron is the creator behind Justine Snacks. As a pescatarian (vegetarian + fish/seafood), her first cookbook, Justine Cooks, is full of delicious looking, plant-forward recipes. I eat a fair amount of vegetarian dishes (including lots of beans and grains) for my lunches, so this cookbook was a great choice for me to try a recipe from!
The seasonality of this recipe called to me as I had tons of little tomatoes from the garden (so, I did not actually use the Sungold tomatoes in the recipe, but I have no regrets.)
You make the toasts first - good bread is toasted in a skillet with olive oil and turmeric. Then in that same skillet, you cook halved cherry tomatoes in a light spice mix with garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, and pepper flakes. The tomatoes get nice and soft and juicy, and then for a final touch, two tablespoons of coconut milk is stirred in to give it just the right level of richness and creaminess.
Pile the tomatoes and their juices on the toasts, sprinkle on fresh basil and mint, and enjoy. And enjoy it I did! The toast was crunchy and earthy because of the turmeric, and the tomatoes were both sweet and savory, with just the right amount of spice.
My thoughts -
As mentioned, I didn’t use sungold tomatoes. One, I haven’t seen them at our market, and two, I had tomatoes of my own to use. It worked great.
I didn’t have Aleppo pepper flakes; I used red pepper flakes. Again, the sub was fine.
The fresh basil always pairs so well with tomatoes, but it was the little bit of fresh mint that was really unexpected and nice. Makes me think I need to use mint more often.
It was a bit messy. Maybe I should have eaten it as a “knife and fork” toast, but I’m also a firm believer that messy food tastes better. The turmeric did stain my fingers yellow; this is your warning.
Ok, final thought - I was hungry a couple hours later. It didn’t work for me as a whole lunch. I should have added something to go with it with some protein.

Printer Friendly Bbq Chicken Cheddar Burgers

187KB ∙ PDF file

BBQ-Cheddar Chicken Burgers with Quick Pickled Cucumbers

Makes 4 Servings

Quick Pickles

· 1 ½ cups hot Water

· ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar

· 1 tablespoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)

· 1 tablespoon White Sugar

· 2 teaspoons Whole Peppercorns

· 4-5 cloves Garlic, smashed

· Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes (more or less to taste)

· 2-3 medium Cucumbers

Burgers

· ½ cup finely diced Red Onion (about one-quarter of a large onion)

· 3 tablespoons Olive Oil, divided

· 1 tablespoon Butter

· 1 pound Ground Chicken

· 1 teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)

· ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder

· ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika

· ½ cup shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

· ¼ cup Mayonnaise

· 2 tablespoons BBQ Sauce

· 4 Burger Buns

Make the quick pickles at least 2 hours ahead – In a quart jar (or other similar container), combine the hot water, vinegar, salt, sugar, peppercorns, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Stir or shake until salt and sugar is dissolved. Slice the cucumbers ¼-inch thick and add to the jar. Put the lid on and leave the jar at room temperature for 2 hours, then move to the fridge if not using quite yet.

For the burgers – Heat a small sauté pan with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the butter over medium-high heat until the butter is melted into the oil and there are little bubbles. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the onions are very soft and dark in color, about 20 minutes. (Continue to reduce the heat as necessary to prevent burning.) Once the onions are caramelized, remove the pan from the heat and cool for 10 minutes. The onions can also be prepared ahead of time.

While the onions are cooking and cooling you can prepare the other ingredients. Add the ground chicken, salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cheddar cheese to a large bowl and set aside. Mix the mayonnaise and bbq sauce together in a small bowl and store in the refrigerator.

Once the onions have cooled, add them to the bowl with the ground chicken and spices. Stir to combine well. Form the mixture into 4 equal burger patties and place them on a tray or plate. Refrigerate the patties for 30 minutes or longer.

To cook the burgers – heat a 12-inch cast iron pan over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Gently place the patties in the pan (they will splatter a little), reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Use a thin metal spatula to firmly, but gently slide under the patties and flip them over. Cook for 5 minutes on the second side.

Toast the buns, if desired. Spread both sides of the buns with the mayo-bbq sauce mixture. Place a patty on each bottom bun and top with several slices of the quick pickled cucumbers. Replace the top bun and enjoy!

NOTE – To make this meal very quick and busy-weeknight friendly, I suggest making the quick pickles and caramelizing the onions on a weekend or earlier in the day if time allows.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!

(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)

All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!

Hey, you made it all the way to the end! If you liked In This Kitchen feel free to share it.

Roasted Tomato and Shrimp Linguine

Sarah Jackson — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 11:02:59 GMT

It may be August. It may be back to school this week. There may be people out there who have already declared summer over and are moving on to fall. (That pop-up Halloween Spirit store has already opened!)

No way, José! My summer is still summering. Still plenty of sunshine, still plenty of heat, still plenty of summer things to eat and do.

Today I bring you a round-up of some of the things we have been enjoying this summer, and that we will continue to enjoy until the summer finally runs it’s course and we dive into pumpkin everything.

Cold Brew Iced Coffee

Marcus got this cold brew maker from OXO on a whim, and it’s been pretty fantastic! You put coarse ground coffee in the top part and soak it in water overnight; then just flip the switch, and it filters into the carafe below. It makes a cold brew concentrate, so you only have to mix a small amount with water or milk to make your drink. I’ve been doing a little simple syrup + half milk + half water to make the best iced coffees for a mid morning treat!

Perfect Peaches and my Morning Yogurt

When we came home from Germany and Austria, I lamented the fact that I couldn’t get that good European yogurt here at home. There’s just something about it - it’s tangy, but not super thick like a Greek yogurt, and every breakfast spread lays out all the fruit toppings.

I discovered that by mixing a little milk into my regular thick Greek yogurt, I could get almost a close copy of what I wanted. So now each morning, I mix my yogurt and milk with a little apricot preserves and chia seeds and top it with a fresh cut peach. It will be a sad day when the peaches run out, and I have to go back to grocery store strawberries.

Easy Peasy Sheet Pan Dinners

Throwing things on a sheet pan and calling it dinner has to be the ultimate easy summer move. When we had a bunch of people over at dad’s for a pool day, he didn’t want to spend the whole time in the kitchen making dinner, so we did 4 big sheet pans and fed everybody with plenty of leftovers! We did 2 pans with bbq chicken thighs and potatoes and 2 pans with onions, peppers, and bratwursts.

I know some people don’t like to turn on the oven in the summer time and heat up the kitchen, but I’d rather let my oven do the work while I go enjoy the evening!

Drippy Tomato Sandwiches

My tomatoes have been works of art this year! Simple tomato sandwiches - soft bread, mayo on both sides, salt and pepper - have been eaten for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks. Is there anything better than that dripping sandwich that just has to be eaten in it’s entirety once you pick it up because it’s too messy to set back down? Once the tomatoes are done for the summer, so are the sandwiches, because a store tomato just isn’t worth it.

Poolside Tupperware Dinners

This one is actually from my sister-in-law! She sent me this picture of her poolside dinner, eaten straight out of the tupperware, and said it’s their new go-to for the summer season. Different cold salads and snacks let the girls keep swimming into the evening with no stress about getting home to make a big meal.

I have to think that’s the kind of thing that makes core memories. “Hey remember in the summers when mom would just pack our dinner in a tupperware to the pool and we could swim all night?!”

Summer Pasta!

And finally we get to this week’s recipe! We’re combining light summer flavors with a sheet pan method to make a shrimp-scampi-esque pasta that we could eat on repeat.

Cherry tomatoes from the market, or your garden, or even (gasp!) the store get a head start roasting while the shrimp marinates in white wine and lemon juice. Since shrimp doesn’t need to marinate for more than 15 or 20 minutes, the timing works out perfectly. The shrimp and the marinade are added to the pan with the tomatoes to cook just until they turn pink, then a little butter is stirred in to finish the sauce. If you’ve boiled your pasta while the shrimp cooked, your dinner is done!

The tomatoes roast to a soft sweetness and complement the garlicky, lemony shrimp. The sauce comes out buttery, yet light, and there is plenty of it for a good piece of crusty bread to play a role. And the best part is how simple it is to put together!

Give me a bowl of this pasta, a glass of wine, and a beautiful summer night, and I’m a happy girl.

For now, I’m off to do more end-of-summer related things (like go with my 10th-grader to his back-to-school open house tonight! Yikes!) and eat as many tomatoes and peaches as I can get my hands on. Back next week!

MONDAY - Sheet Pan Pizza

We loved the pizza we had out of the cookbook Pizza Night, so we’re going to do it again! “The Works” with everything I can find that would be good on a pizza! (A sheet pan pizza really takes the stress out of making a round crust and getting it onto a pizza stone and all those fussy things.)

TUESDAY - Ground Pork Stir Fry and Rice

Ground pork with broccoli, carrots, and snow peas all stir fried with lots of a teriyaki-ish sauce for serving over jasmine rice. (This formula of ground meat + veg + sauce is always a fast dinner!)

WEDNESDAY - Chicken Fingers and Mac ‘n Cheese

I have to be out for the evening, so we’re going easy for the boys! Taking some help with store bought refrigerated mac ‘n cheese and Publix chicken fingers.

THURSDAY - Chicken Fajitas

I’ll marinate chicken in a simple lime juice, chili powder, cumin mix and cook it on a sheet pan with onions and peppers. I can prep the toppings while it’s in the oven, then just have to chop up the chicken and eat!

FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-Up!

SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s (the in-laws!)

Creamy enchiladas and rice! Yaya always has cooked chicken in her fridge, so these enchiladas come together in a snap. This version makes a white filling with sautéed onions, cream cheese, chili peppers, and chicken and is topped with heavy cream and more cheese before baking into the perfect creamy, cheesy, enchilada casserole.

SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s

We’ve given it a long enough rest from our trip to Austria, and now it’s time for some schnitzel! Dad’s is the best - along with his German potato salad! I’ll have to get him to write it up for the newsletter.

LUNCHES for this week -

Cookbook Recipe in the lunch section this week! From Justine Cooks by Justine Doiron (page 93), I’m excited to try her Turmeric-Sizzled Toasts with Sungold Tomatoes. I have some good sourdough around this week (see the extras) and this will be a nice way to use it - toasted up in a skillet and topped with a jammy, spiced pile of tomatoes. After a couple of days of tomato toasts, I’ll swap over to pimento cheese and chicken salad I picked up at the market.

EXTRAS for this week

Back in the bread making routine! I gently nurtured a new sourdough starter last week, and I’m ready to make loaves! (Quick back story - my first starter, Betsy - as in Heavens to Betsy! - didn’t make it after some neglect on my part. Sorry, Betsy. So I started over, and now have Molly - short for Good Golly Miss Molly. I’ll do my best to make her thrive!) So, testing a few loaves is on the schedule.

WEEK 28 - Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Cherry Tomatoes, Zucchini, and Yellow Squash - America’s Test Kitchen, The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook (page 292)

America’s Test Kitchen is one of those sources where I pretty much always trust the recipe will turn out just right. They test, test, and retest to bring you the best method and recipe. I will say, sometimes this means I find their recipes to be a little fussy - ingredients that are hard to find, or complicated, multi-step processes. But not in this case.
In this recipe, chicken breasts are pounded just enough to make them the same thickness throughout, dredged in a light coating of flour, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence before being sautéed in a hot skillet until cooked through.
After removing the chicken, diced zucchini and squash take a turn in the same skillet for about 10 minutes and then are finished with garlic, cherry tomatoes, and capers. Fresh basil tops the whole dish.
This was such a nice way to showcase summer vegetables! They stayed fresh and crisp-tender and the little pops of capers are always a fun surprise. The light flour coating on the chicken gave the breasts the perfect amount of texture and the herbs de Provence was a wonderful seasoning to go with the vegetables.
We all loved this dish, and I can see myself making this recipe over and over. I made couscous to go with it, and it was a good choice for a side dish as it mixed in nicely with all those vegetables and their juices.
My notes -
Finding a 4-ounce chicken breast in a regular grocery store seems like an impossible dream, so I used three larger breasts instead of the called for four. I did have to cook them a couple of minutes longer. They stayed surprisingly moist; I highly encourage the use of a thermometer to know when they’re done.
The recipe gives a side recipe for making your own herbs de Provence, but I had some that a family member brought me from France - thanks Cousin Nancy, it was perfect!
I actually used the called for amount of capers (usually I dump ~~a little~~ a lot extra in), and I think I’m glad I followed directions. They were nice, but not overpowering as they may have been if I upped the amount. Sometimes restraint is the right move.

Printer Friendly Roasted Tomato And Shrimp Linguine

170KB ∙ PDF file

Roasted Tomato and Shrimp Linguine

Makes 5-6 servings

· 1 pound Linguine (or other long pasta)

· 2 pounds frozen peeled and deveined Shrimp (large size), defrosted and drained

· 3 tablespoons Olive Oil, divided

· ½ cup Dry White Wine

· 1 Lemon, halved

· 2-3 cloves of Garlic, minced

· 1 teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand), divided

· ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

· ¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper

· 2 pints Grape Tomatoes, left whole

· 2 tablespoons Butter, cold

· ¼ cup freshly chopped Parsley

· ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 with a rack arranged in the upper third. Coat a large, rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray.

Heat a large pot of salted water over high heat until boiling. Cook linguine pasta according to package directions for al dente. Once cooked, drain and set aside.

While water is coming to a boil and pasta is cooking – In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the white wine, juice from half of the lemon, garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt, and red pepper flakes. Add the thawed and drained shrimp and mix well to coat. Set aside to marinate for 15-20 minutes, stirring every so often.

On the prepared sheet pan, toss the tomatoes with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, and the ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Spread into an even layer and roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

After the tomatoes have roasted for 15 minutes, remove the tray from the oven. Use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp from the marinade and place them on the tray with the tomatoes in a single layer. Carefully pour the remaining marinade over the pan and tuck the remaining lemon half into a corner of the pan. Return the pan to the oven for 8-10 minutes until the shrimp is cooked through – bright pink and curled into a “C” shape.

Remove the pan from the oven and set aside. Add the 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and gently stir everything around until the butter is melted into the sauce.

In a large serving bowl, toss the cooked and drained pasta with the tomatoes, shrimp, and all of the sauce from the pan. Mix well, and then stir in the parsley and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately with good bread for soaking up the extra sauce.

I could just dive right in to this pan with some crusty bread!

That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!

(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)

All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!

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Mom's Bean and Corn Salsa

Sarah Jackson — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:01:33 GMT

Texas Caviar. Mississippi Caviar. Mexican Caviar. Or, the all encompassing Cowboy Caviar. (Do we have an obsession with calling beans caviar, or what?)

Whatever you call it, we all know and love that bean and veggie salad scooped up with tortilla chips and eaten by the bowlful. The original definition is “black eyed peas in a vinaigrette dressing”, but you’ll usually find most variations with black beans, diced peppers and tomatoes, corn, and maybe even avocado included.

Of course, I have my own variation. Actually, it’s my mom’s variation and the way she always made it, although we never had “caviar” in the name - it was always just “we’re bringing that black eyed pea salsa dip”.

Although there are probably hundreds of versions of this salad/salsa already in existence, I’ve always been partial to mom’s. She added a touch of sesame oil to her vinaigrette - unexpected and very subtle, but it works! She also included diced celery in her veg mix which really ups the fresh crunch factor, and lets me lean into treating this as a spoon salad to be eaten right out of the bowl, no chips required. (Much like the currently popular dense bean salads.)

I updated her recipe to be made with fresh corn to fit the season, but the notes include canned and frozen corn as well. It’s been really nice to have a batch of this bean and corn salad all week - yes, we’ve snacked on it as a dip with tortilla chips, but I’ve also been adding chicken, avocado, and feta cheese to make a big bean salad bowl for lunch which is helping with my salad craving right now. (Why is it that when we can’t have something, that’s when we crave it most?!)

Perfect for a picnic, potluck, or party and always one of the most popular things on the table! (Although, it makes me equally as happy to have it stashed in my fridge and all for myself!) This is the time to hit your farmers’ market for beautiful peppers, tiny tomatoes, and sweet corn and make a big bowl of Mom’s Bean and Corn Salsa. Recipe down below.

And, as always, before you get down to the recipe, you’ll find what we’ve been eating for dinners this week and our review of the cookbook recipe of the week. All there to give you ideas, should you need them!

MONDAY - Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes, Zucchini, and Yellow Squash

Cookbook Recipe of the Week - Our cookbook recipe this week comes from The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook (page 292) from America’s Test Kitchen. Chicken is simply spiced and sautéed, then a vegetable medley is built in the same pan. Looks like a great way to use summer vegetables. I’ll make a quick couscous to go on the side.

TUESDAY - Shredded Pork Tacos, Chips and Salsa

Shredded pork from my freezer stash makes a quick Taco Tuesday. I’ll just lay out all the things (flour and corn tortillas, cheese, pickled onions, avocado…) and we can have a taco bar.

WEDNESDAY - Spaghetti and Meatballs, Cucumber Salad

Classic for a reason - no one ever says no. Quick marinara made from canned tomatoes and homemade meatballs (I have enough meat to make a double batch and freeze some for later). In lieu of a dangerous lettuce salad (haha!), I’ll slice cukes from the garden in a little vinaigrette.

THURSDAY - Chicken and Gnocchi Stew

I picked up some already shredded rotisserie chicken last time I was at Costco as a little meal helper for when I might need it. Chicken and Gnocchi Stew comes together quickly, cooks all in one skillet, and is a meal we all gobble up! I might make some biscuits for soaking up extra sauce.

FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-Up!

SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s (the in-laws!)

She has a package of leftover roast beef in her freezer, so we’re going to make French Dip Sandwiches! Slice it thin and pile it on a hoagie roll, top with cheese and bake until toasty and melty. Au jus for dipping, of course.

SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s

Traditional Sunday dinner - We’ll roast a whole chicken and have mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and whatever other vegetable inspires us at the farmers’ market.

LUNCHES for this week -

I’m eating on the last of the bean and corn salsa/salad for lunches early this week (I have some chicken I’m chopping up into it), and then I’ll take the rest of the pulled pork from the tacos and add bbq sauce for sandwiches in the second half of the week.

EXTRAS for this week

Breakfast prep egg bites with feta cheese and swiss chard from the garden. I might get lazy and do it as one big pan instead of using the muffin pan (really dislike washing that thing!). Also thinking about making a pound cake or something similar to snack on or have with sliced peaches and cream.

WEEK 27 - Kung Pao Chicken - Bill, Judy, Sarah, and Kaitlin Leung, The Woks of Life (page 150)

(Recipe linked here! Also, The Woks of Life started as a blog, so they have tons of recipes online with really detailed directions.)
When you sit down with The Woks of Life cookbook, it feels very authentic to Chinese cooking. I have had it on my shelf for a while but haven’t ever cooked out of it because the ingredients and methods looked a little out of my wheel house. But, this week, we gave it a go!
We tried the Kung Pao Chicken, and while I did have to make a couple of substitutions because I couldn’t find some of the ingredients, overall, I think it came out pretty close to how it was supposed to, and we liked the recipe!
The recipe was well-written and pretty easy to follow. We liked it, but, of course, I have a few thoughts.
Here are my notes-
I couldn’t find Dark Soy Sauce (sub was regular soy sauce + molasses), Shoaxing Wine (sub was Sherry), Dried Red Chilies (sub was red pepper flakes), or Sichuan Peppercorns (sub was black pepper + coriander). I think these substitutions worked okay, but I don’t know what the real thing was supposed to taste like. All I know is, we liked it and I didn’t have to run all over to seek out a specialty store! (I do think it probably wasn’t as spicy as it was supposed to be, but I’m okay with it.)
As with most stir fry recipes, it goes really fast! So it’s important to have everything you need already out and prepped. I was able to prep all of the other ingredients in the 20 minutes the chicken was marinating. Once I started cooking, it only took about 15 minutes!
My chicken breast was still slightly frozen which made it really easy to cut into the required small cubes. I’ll keep that in mind next time I have to dice chicken.
I do think the recipe was written with a gas flame in mind. Gas will heat your skillet much faster than my electric glass cook top. It ended up being fine, but I had to crank the heat, and it took a little longer than the recipe said. (I noticed this especially when toasting the peanuts.)
We served it over jasmine rice and did get right at 4 servings as the recipe specified. At first, the Kiddo was unsure about the peanuts, but then he said he liked them. Marcus and I liked the crunchy nuts as well. The boys did say they wanted a little more “sauciness” and maybe a vegetable stir fried in as well. (But after reading the online comments under the recipe, I learned that apparently adding vegetables takes it away from the authenticity and is something only Americans do!)
Overall, we were happy with our dinner, and I’ll probably use this recipe as a guide for other stir fries in the future!

Printer Friendly Bean And Corn Salsa

175KB ∙ PDF file

Mom’s Bean and Corn Salsa

Makes about 3 quarts (a lot!)

· 4-5 ears Fresh Corn, shucked

· 2 cans (15 ounces each) Black Eyed Peas, drained and rinsed

· 2 cans (15 ounces each) Black Beans, drained and rinsed

· 3-4 Green Onions, thinly sliced

· 3-4 stalks Celery, finely diced

· 2 Sweet Bell Peppers (red, yellow, or orange), small diced

· 1 pint Grape Tomatoes, quartered

· ¼ cup chopped Fresh Parsley

· 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

· 1 tablespoon Honey

· 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil

· ¾ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)

· 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

· ¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar

· ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add one tablespoon of salt. Carefully add the ears of corn to the pot, cover, remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Drain and set corn aside to cool.

Meanwhile, in a (very) large bowl, mix together the drained and rinsed beans, sliced green onions, chopped celery and peppers, tomatoes, and parsley. Once the corn is cool enough to handle, remove the kernels and add them to the bowl as well.

In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the Dijon mustard, honey, sesame oil, and salt until smooth. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and lemon juice until combined, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until it comes together in a cohesive dressing.

Pour the dressing into the salad and mix well. Let it sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes and stir again before serving. If making ahead, cover the bowl and store in the refrigerator; remove from refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, stir and serve.

Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Use a slotted spoon to drain off any excess liquid that accumulates.

NOTES – If fresh corn is not in season, you can use canned or frozen corn. For canned corn, use two cans and drain well. Also, because canned vegetables have a higher salt content, you may want to reduce the salt to ½ teaspoon. For frozen corn, use 3 cups, thawed.

Another note about salt – I have written this recipe with a fairly low amount of salt because if served with tortilla chips they are usually plenty salty. If you are eating this as a salad, you may want to add a sprinkle more.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!

(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)

All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!

Hey, you made it all the way to the end! If you liked In This Kitchen feel free to share it.

Apricot Strudel as promised!

Sarah Jackson — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:05:11 GMT

The Kiddo has a certain face he makes when I’m recipe testing and he really likes the subject at hand. It’s a kind of head cocked to one side, one eyebrow raised, lips pursed together in a little smile look with a nod and an “oh yeah” at the end. I live for that look.

Now, my husband on the other hand, will taste test for me and just say, “that’s pretty good.” Pretty good?! It used to really hurt my feelings, but I’ve come to realize that “pretty good” is actually his form of high praise, so that’s what we aim for!

The Apricot Strudel recipe for this week got both “the look” from James and an “oh that’s pretty good” from Marcus, so I think it must be a winner! (Spoiler alert - it’s definitely a winner.)

It all started last month on our family bike ride through Austria, or more notably, the apricot growing region of Austria. (A trip that left me slightly obsessed with apricot everything and inspired to come home and attempt to make all the things.)

On one afternoon of the trip, we pulled our bikes into the Gasthaus for the night, and upon checking in were informed that we were just in time for the courtyard to be opened for afternoon coffee and cake. Yes, please.

Dad and James ordered the last two pieces of apricot cake, but if I was willing to wait a few more minutes, I could have a slice of freshly baked apricot strudel. I was willing to wait. When it came out, and I took that first glorious bite, I knew it was something I would try to make at home.

A warm, flaky pastry that enveloped both a sweetened cheese filling and a tart apricot puree under a dusting of powdered sugar with a swirl of freshly whipped cream on the side. I might call it a cross between a danish and a strudel. I’d absolutely call it my new favorite thing.

For my re-creation, I decided on frozen puff pastry both because it closely matched the original’s texture, and it’s easy to use. The apricot filling is made much the same way you might make a fruit pie filling, and the cream cheese filling is very similar to a cheese danish.

In my first test, I overfilled the pastry, and while baking, it split apart in such a way that it looked like a skeleton’s rib cage. Not great. Tasted okay, but really wasn’t the look I was going for.

I tweaked a few flavors and split the next test into two strudels. (I also popped them in the fridge to re-firm before baking.) Perfection! And, let’s be honest, isn’t two strudels better than one? I’m thinking one for breakfast and one for afternoon coffee…

Try the strudel. I bet you get the head-cocked, one eyebrow lifted, oh-that’s-good look. Maybe even a “pretty good”!

MONDAY - Impromptu Date Night

I had planned on shredded pork tacos, then the Kiddo got a dinner invite, so we decided on a date night to celebrate our anniversary which was last week! We have a nice restaurant in town we like to go to for special occasions; I’ll just save the tacos idea for next week.

TUESDAY - Shrimp Scampi

I’ve been trying to keep a bag of frozen peeled and ready-to-go shrimp on hand. They cook so quickly and can be used in lots of dinners! This week we’ll try a buttery scampi with a side of pasta.

WEDNESDAY - Pork Tenderloin, Roasted Veg

I have okra and squash from the garden that need to be cooked, so I’ll roast them on a sheet pan with a pork tenderloin off on one side to make a complete meal. A simple tomato and burrata salad for another super fresh side dish.

THURSDAY - Kung Pao Chicken, Rice, Egg Rolls

Cookbook Recipe of the Week - Our cookbook recipe this week comes from The Woks of Life (page 150) by Bill, Judy, Sarah, and Kaitlin Leung. We love a good take-out dupe, and I’m excited to try this recipe! I’ll make jasmine rice and frozen egg rolls to have with it.

FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-Up!

SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s (the in-laws!)

Smash burgers or breakfast for dinner on the Blackstone.

SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s

We did the ribs last weekend, so we’ll do the chicken tikka masala option this week. To keep it really easy, we get a jar of tikka masala simmer sauce and pour it over chicken thighs in the slow cooker. Fresh green beans from the farmers’ market to go with.

LUNCHES for this week -

Turkey Lentil Taco Bowls! One of my favorite prep lunches - ground turkey with taco spices, cooked lentils, and salsa all mixed together as the base for toppings such as chopped tomatoes, corn, and avocado. (Maybe not lettuce this time…)

EXTRAS for this week

It’s pesto time! The garden basil is booming! Dad will bring over his basil, and we’ll combine our harvest to make a couple batches of fresh pesto. (We use Ina Garten’s recipe as a place to start and tweak it a little.) I’ll freeze some in one-cup portions and the rest in ice cube trays; it’s so nice to have all fall and winter long.

WEEK 26 - Classic Baked Ziti - J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, The Food Lab (page 746)

Recipe linked here!
Yes, that says “page 746”! This is a big book! But, it’s been one of those reference books I turn to whenever I have a question about the best way to go about cooking a certain ingredient or want a recipe I know will work. I’ve had this book for several years, and at this point it’s stained and dog eared and well-loved.
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt calls himself a nerd in the kitchen. (Which is probably why I love this cookbook.) He tests and retests to find the why and how a recipe works (or doesn’t) and then explains it to you in a way that is certain to make you a better cook.
We made his Classic Baked Ziti last week. It made a giant pan - an almost overflowing 9x11 casserole dish, and with dinner and leftovers for lunches, we devoured the whole thing.
You start with a simple homemade marinara, which I actually made 2 days ahead. Stir the marinara together with ricotta cheese and heavy cream for the ultimate creamy tomato sauce, then add soaked (not even boiled!) pasta and cubes of mozzarella. After baking, you have a pasta casserole that’s rich, but somehow not over the top, with little pockets of melty cheese throughout.
My one note was that it felt like there was too much sauce - that the casserole came out a tad on the “loose” side. However, I just noticed that in the updated online recipe (linked above) they reduced the amount of sauce, so someone must have felt the same way!
It is a meatless pasta casserole; we did Italian sausages on the side, which was a nice way to complete our meal.
Final thoughts - It came together pretty easily (especially when you have the marinara already done or use store-bought) and required very little chopping, the addition of ricotta to the sauce made it a little more special than a straight tomato sauce, and we loved the cubed cheese rather than just shredded for bigger bites of cheese.
This would be a great dish to make and take to a friend who needs a meal or to keep stashed away in your own freezer. We’ll do this one again.

Printer Friendly Apricot Strudel

188KB ∙ PDF file

Apricot Strudel

Makes 2 strudels – about 4-6 servings each

Apricot Filling

· 1 pound fresh Apricots (about 9 apricots)

· ½ cup White Sugar

· 1 ½ tablespoons Cornstarch

· ¼ teaspoon ground Ginger

· 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice

Cream Cheese Filling

· 8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature

· 1 large Egg Yolk

· ½ teaspoon Vanilla

· Pinch of kosher Salt

· ¼ cup Powdered Sugar

Other

· 1 package Puff Pastry Sheets – 2 sheets total, thawed in refrigerator

· 2 Egg Yolks + 2 tablespoons Heavy Cream, for egg wash

· Powdered Sugar, for serving

· Freshly Whipped Cream, for serving

Make the apricot filling first – See note about peeling apricots.

Halve each apricot, remove the pit, and chop each half into 4 pieces. You should have about 2 cups chopped apricots. In a medium pot, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Whisk until combined. Stir in the chopped apricots and lemon juice. Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to medium or medium-low (just to keep at a simmer, not a boil) and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture should turn thick and glossy, like a pie filling. Remove from the heat, cool for a few minutes, then use your spoon or a potato masher to smash the apricot pieces into a thick and chunky puree. Set aside to cool completely, or store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Make the cream cheese filling – Use a hand mixer to beat the cream cheese with the egg yolk and vanilla until fully combined. Beat in the powdered sugar and pinch of salt until smooth. Set aside.

Roll the pastry – On a lightly floured surface, roll each puff pastry to an 11x13 (inches) rectangle. Gently move each large rectangle to a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Split the cream cheese filling into the center of the two pastry sheets. For each one, spread the filling lengthwise into a rectangle about 3-inches wide, leaving a 1-inch border at the top and bottom. Top each rectangle of cream cheese filling with ½ cup of the apricot filling, spreading it down the center. (You may not use all of the apricot filling. Save the remainder, it is excellent stirred into yogurt or as a topping for ice cream.)

Pause here to whisk together the egg yolks and heavy cream for the egg wash if you haven’t done so already.

Using a sharp knife, cut 1-inch diagonal slits along the sides of the exposed puff pastry making sure the placement of your cuts match on each side. Fold the top and bottom edges up and over the filling. Brush some of the egg wash over the top of all of the exposed pastry (the top and bottom you just folded plus the strips you are about to fold). This will act as a glue to help hold everything together.

Now, starting at the top, fold one strip up and over the filling at a diagonal. Fold the corresponding strip on the other side up and over the first strip to make an “x”. Continue down the strudel, alternating strips and folding them over to create a braided look. After you have folded the last strips, cut off any excess dough and tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the strudel with the egg wash. Do this for both strudels.

Chill the unbaked strudels in the refrigerator for one hour. If chilling for longer than one hour, cover loosely with plastic wrap. (You can also freeze the strudel. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before following baking directions.)

To bake – preheat oven to 400 and arrange the rack in the middle position. Bake the refrigerated strudel for 27-33 minutes until deep golden brown on top. Remove from oven and cool for at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, cut into slices, and serve with whipped cream, if desired.

NOTE - You do not have to peel apricots, however, if you wish to do so the easiest way is to score an “X” in the bottom of each apricot and blanch them in boiling water for 1 minute, then quickly move them to an ice bath to cool. The skin should easily come off.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!

(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)

All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!

Hey, you made it all the way to the end! If you liked In This Kitchen feel free to share it.

Roasted Broccoli and Chickpea Salad...

Sarah Jackson — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 11:02:46 GMT

Good morning, Friends! Today we have a really tasty broccoli and chickpea salad. Yes, I know that limits us to people who like broccoli. So, sorry to you broccoli haters (you know who you are), you’ll have to skip today’s recipe. (But there’s still other good stuff here, don’t dismiss us completely!)

After we came home from our trip a few weeks ago, I felt like I really needed a vegetable in my life. While I love traveling and trying new foods and eating all the things, I usually need a little reset when I get back. (And there are plenty of people who are in the same camp.)

My plan was to do a roasted broccoli and white bean Caesar bowl situation, but it turned out I didn’t have any white beans. I did have chickpeas, so they went in. Then I decided instead of a Caesar dressing I’d make use of the hummus that had been hanging around in the fridge and do a thick, creamy dressing with that. I spied a garden tomato and thought “wouldn’t something fresh and juicy be nice?”. It got chopped and tossed in the bowl for that day’s lunch. It was awesome, just the hit of healthy, but still delicious, that I needed.

The next day, I found a container of leftover pearl couscous in the fridge. “Hm, maybe this would be good to add a bit of heartiness?” I stirred it into what was leftover along with a handful of arugula for some extra greens, a few torn basil leaves to add a punchy flavor, and a sprinkle of flaky salt because I’m fancy like that. It was even better than the day before!

I made sure to write it down, and sent it to my sister-in-law to test, just to make sure I wasn’t alone in loving a roasted broccoli salad. A few days later, she texted back, “On my second helping…this tangy, crunchy, nutty deliciousness is going to be a problem!”

And that, my friends, is how a recipe is born!

I’m already looking ahead to when I can make it again. It’s one of those good-all-week salads that I use for my lunches. (The dressing is thick and soaks into the roasted broccoli, so the arugula doesn’t get soggy!) But, it would also make an impressive side to a grilled meat for a summer dinner.

Broccoli lovers unite! Make this salad! The rest of you will have to wait until next week when I’m back with a lovely apricot strudel recipe…

MONDAY - Chicken Burgers, Tater Tots, Fruit

Hot tip - when nights are busy, lean on ground meat. There are all kinds (beef, pork, chicken, sausage), it cooks fast, and can be made into so many things! Tonight is one of those hectic nights, so I’ll form ground chicken into patties earlier in the day so I have to do is pan fry them when I slide back in the driveway right around dinner time.

TUESDAY - Steak & Grilled Veg, Roasted Potatoes

I had flank steak on my grocery list this week, but believe it or not, strip steaks were on sale and a better buy! I’ll grill them simply with salt and pepper and do some marinated squash and zucchini to toss on at the same time. And, I grew potatoes this year in the garden (!!), so we’ll roast those to go alongside.

WEDNESDAY - Classic Baked Ziti, Italian Sausages

Cookbook Recipe of the Week - Our cookbook test recipe this week comes from The Food Lab (page 746) by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. Can a girl have too many baked pasta recipes in her back pocket? I think not. Excited to try this classic recipe that uses homemade tomato sauce and plenty of cheese! Because this recipe is meatless, we’ll do some easy Italian sausage links also.

THURSDAY - Shawarma Style Chicken and Rice

One of our favorite dinner recipes is this yogurt spiced and marinated chicken. I’m planning to serve it like they do when we get a big pan of take-out gyros, rice on the bottom, chopped meat on the top with roasted onions. I have pita and cucumber dip to go with.

FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-Up!

SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s (the in-laws!)

Teriyaki meatballs in a pineapple sauce with rice for serving. (One of our favs; I’ll have to find the recipe for you all!)

SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s

BBQ ribs on the grill if the weather is nice, chicken tikka masala in the slow cooker if it’s raining out.

LUNCHES for this week -

This Provencal Greens Soup was in one of my NY Times Cooking emails last week, and I was immediately drawn to it and thought it would be great for a light lunch. I still have swiss chard coming from the garden, and this is a perfect way to use it. I’ll probably bulk it up a little with chickpeas and/or some farro for protein and fiber.

EXTRAS for this week

Banana bread for breakfast and rice krispie treats for a little something snacky/sweet.

WEEK 25 - Semolina-Chocolate Cake - Dorie Greenspan, Dorie’s Anytime Cakes (page 160)

I have to admit, upon my first bite, I was unsure of this cake. It wasn’t really what I was expecting. Though, I guess I’m also not sure what I was expecting.
However, after the next bites, and the bites the next day (and the next as I sit here eating a piece of cake), this semolina-chocolate cake really grew on me, and now I can see it as something I might want to keep around.
There is no regular flour in this cake. No all-purpose flour, no cake flour, none. It’s just the semolina flour, which previously I had only used to make pasta. A light, fluffy, fine-crumbed cake it does not make. The texture is denser, more open in structure, sturdier (if sturdy is a word you might use to describe cake…), and yet moist and chocolatey. In fact, I think it got more moist on the second day after being wrapped up overnight.
The batter comes together so very easily. I always appreciate a cake that uses oil and yogurt, so there’s no butter to have to soften and cream with sugar. (Also probably why it stayed so moist.) In fact, my almost 9 year-old niece did most of the work as she helped me put it together. It really was a simple mix-together-and-bake kind of cake.
The headnote says that the added chocolate chips will sink to the bottom, but that’s part of the design. Sink they did, and a very good design it was. The layer of almost-crunchy chocolate at the bottom was my favorite part!
I’m the kind of person who gets a random craving for cake in the evenings, and as easy as it was to make, this might be my answer.

Printer Friendly Roasted Broccoli And Chickpea Salad

175KB ∙ PDF file

Roasted Broccoli and Chickpea Salad

Makes 4-5 main dish servings

· 2 medium-large Broccoli Crowns, cut into bite sized florets (about 6-8 cups)

· 1 can Chickpeas – drained, rinsed, and dried as best as possible

· 3 tablespoons Olive Oil

· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)

· ¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper

· Pinch Red Pepper Flakes

· ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

· 1 pint Grape Tomatoes, halved

· ½ cup uncooked Pearl Couscous

· 2 large handfuls Arugula, rough chopped

· ¼ cup thinly sliced Fresh Basil

· Flaky Salt to finish, optional

Dressing

· ¼ cup Hummus (store bought is fine)

· 1 tablespoon Olive Oil

· 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

· 2 teaspoons Za’atar Seasoning

· 1 tablespoon Water

Preheat the oven to 425 with a rack arranged in the upper third. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, toss the broccoli florets and chickpeas with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Spread on the lined baking sheet in an even layer (keep the bowl out to use again). Sprinkle the parmesan over the pan. Roast for 20-25 minutes until the broccoli is toasty and the parmesan is a dark golden color. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pearl couscous according to package directions in ¾ cup water, ½ teaspoon olive oil, and a pinch of salt until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Cover the pot and set aside.

In a small bowl, make the dressing by whisking together the hummus, olive oil, lemon juice, za’atar, and water until smooth and combined. Set aside.

If you haven’t already halved the tomatoes, roughly chopped the arugula, or sliced the basil, you can do it now.

Once the broccoli and chickpeas have cooled, add them back to the large bowl (make sure to get every bit of that crispy parmesan stuck to the pan!) and stir in the hummus dressing, mixing well to coat all the broccoli. Stir in the tomatoes and couscous, then stir in the arugula and basil. Serve into wide, shallow salad bowls and top with a sprinkle of flaky salt.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!

(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)

All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!

Hey, you made it all the way to the end! If you liked In This Kitchen feel free to share it.

Hainanese-Inspired Chicken Meatballs and Rice...

Sarah Jackson — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 11:03:33 GMT

Good morning, Friends! I’m so excited for today’s recipe that I can’t wait to get straight to it - let’s just dive right in!

Have you ever had a meal that is so good, so memorable, perhaps just what you needed in that moment, that it lives in a little space in your head and all you can think about is having it again and again?

I’m sure you can guess that this occasionally happens to me.

Two years ago, after a particularly long, hot weekend in my yoga teacher training, I stumbled out of the studio - exhausted and hungry. There was a little Laotian and Thai restaurant in the same complex that I had heard was good, so I ordered dinner and took it home. I wasn’t familiar with what I ordered, Khao Mun Gai, but the picture of a simple chicken and rice dish called to me.

I got home, we set up TV trays to watch a movie, and I unpacked the bags. Several containers scattered my tray - one for chicken and rice, one with broth, another for sliced cucumbers, and still at least two more with various sauces. I was extremely happy with my set up and proceeded to dive right in!

I poured some of the broth around the chicken and rice and grabbed my spoon. The chicken had been simply poached in the broth but was so tender and flavorful, and the rice was the best rice I’ve ever had - deeply rich and savory. I tried to build every perfect bite with a little chicken, rice, cucumber, and sauce. By the end of the meal, I had eaten it all (no leftovers that night!), and I knew I had to find out more about what this magical Khao Mun Gai was.

During my deep dive, I learned that Khao Mun Gai is the Thai version of something called Hainanese Chicken Rice, and Hainanese Chicken Rice is a popular staple in South East Asian countries, typically found in many open-air food courts and markets.

It features a whole chicken (whole as in head and feet included!) slowly poached in an aromatic broth, sliced into large juicy pieces and served alongside tender rice (cooked in that same flavorful broth). You’ll also get a small bowl of the delicious broth and “extras” could include cucumbers, tomatoes, or cilantro along with a scallion-ginger sauce and a chili sauce.

I needed to have more of this Hainanese chicken rice in my life and set out to work on a slightly easier method at home (maybe one that wouldn’t send me out looking for a chicken with the head and feet still attached…). There are a ton of recipes online, and I worked to combine them just how I wanted. I ran through tests poaching different cuts of chicken, like breasts versus thighs. (Thighs won that battle, of course.) I tried different aromatics in the broth and several methods to get that rice so rich and savory.

Once I had it down, the question became how can I make this a little unique? And that’s when I decided on chicken meatballs that simmer right there in the broth. (Because isn’t one of life’s greatest questions “will it meatball”?) It turned out better than expected, and every bite had me doing a happy little dance at the table - just ask Marcus.

So, finally, here we are at today’s recipe! I present to you Hainanese-Inspired Chicken Meatballs and Rice!

The flavors in the meatballs are kept fairly straightforward to mimic the simple-ness of poached chicken. They cook in a chicken broth full of ginger and garlic. The rice cooks at the same time in order to streamline the process, and it gets its rich flavor from the ginger-scallion oil that is also used to drizzle over the finished dish. We like to serve ours with cucumber and bok choy and a hefty dose of chili crisp, so that’s how the recipe is written, but you should definitely make it your own!

The recipe looks long and daunting, but I promise it’s not! You’ll see several steps - meatballs, rice, broth, sauce - however, there is quite a bit of ingredient overlap in those steps so you can prep everything all at once, and in the directions that’s what I have you do. Also, the meatballs can be made ahead and stashed in the fridge until you’re ready for them if that works better for you.

I hope you’ll try my Hainanese-Inspired Meatballs and Rice and become as enamored with it as I did, doing a happy little dance with every perfect bite.

MONDAY - Smashed Tacos, Rice

A couple of weeks ago we tried a recipe for arayes-inspired tacos in which the spiced meat is smashed onto tortillas and then baked them until crispy. We loved it, so I’m going to try the same thing with taco spiced ground beef. We’ll add our toppings after they come out of the oven and have mexican style rice on the side.

TUESDAY - Chicken Ramen

A request from the kiddo. Ramen bowls with shredded chicken, a soft boiled egg, carrots, green onions, and a drizzle of sriracha.

WEDNESDAY - Salad Bar at Home

Lots of cucumbers and tomatoes coming in from the garden means we need to eat them up! I’ll do frozen chicken nuggets to chop up for the protein (yay easy!) and then have a bowl of lettuce and tons of toppings all set out.

THURSDAY - Costco Lasagna

We need something easy for tonight that the boys can throw in the oven while I’m at a volunteer event, and I just happen to have a Costco run on my to-do list. We should have leftover salad stuff to go with.

FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-Up!

SATURDAY - Pool day with the fam!

My brother and family will be in town for the weekend to hang by the pool and watch soccer! We’re planning on prepping a couple of easy sheet pan meals so we don’t have to spend all day in the kitchen. Thinking about brats with onions and peppers for one tray and bbq chicken thighs with potatoes on another.

SUNDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s

Changing our Yaya dinner night to Sunday this week. After a busy cookout last weekend, we’ll take it easy and heat up some yummy frozen Asian foods for a take-out style dinner.

LUNCHES for this week -

The BLTs last week were so good - just what I needed! I’m tempted just to keep making them. If I want something different, I’ll grab a rotisserie chicken while I’m out this week and make an herby greek goddess salad dressing for a twist on chicken salad.

EXTRAS for this week

I’m sneaking our cookbook recipe of the week into the extras! My evenings are hectic this week, and I didn’t want to stress out about trying something new. But, it’s the perfect opportunity to try the Semolina Chocolate Cake from Dorie Greenspan’s newest book - Dorie’s Anytime Cakes. Anytime cake is my kind of cake.

WEEK 24 - Red Chicken Curry- Chrissy Teigen, Cravings: Hungry for More (page 167)

We give this one rave reviews! But first, the cookbook-
Chrissy Teigen, despite my skepticism at first, has written a three great cookbooks. (If you’re not familiar, she’s mostly known as an actress and model who is married to John Legend.) She has a big personality and tends to say whatever she’s thinking, which makes for a cookbook that has hilarious headnotes (even if they are maybe a bit off-color sometimes).
All of her cookbooks draw on recipes that she and John cook at home, but also from her life growing up, including several recipes from her “Thai Mom”.
We tried the Red Chicken Curry last week, and it was a sure winner. It falls into the Thai-inspired category with chicken thighs simmered in a flavorful sauce and served over rice. I had not used Thai red curry paste before and was a little worried it would come out too spicy for me, but because the sauce also included coconut milk and a little bit of sugar, it turned out really balanced.
We loved the onions, bell peppers, and broccoli in this dish and commented that the vegetables helped keep it interesting. The sauce was light, but still thick enough to coat the chicken and flavor the jasmine rice.
Unanimous agreement that we need to go ahead and make this one again soon!

Printer Friendly Hainanese Chicken Meatballs And Rice

185KB ∙ PDF file

Hainanese-Inspired Chicken Meatballs and Rice

· Makes 4-5 servings

For the Meatballs

· 1 pound ground Chicken

· ¼ cup Panko Breadcrumbs

· 1 large Egg

· 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil

· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)

For the Ginger-Scallion Oil

· ¼ cup Vegetable Oil

· 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil

· 4 Green Onions (Scallions), thinly sliced

· 1-inch piece of Ginger, grated

· 2 cloves Garlic, grated

· ¼ teaspoon kosher Salt

For the Broth

· 4 cups Chicken Broth

· 2 cups Water

· 2 Green Onions, sliced into 1-inch pieces

· 1-inch piece Ginger, sliced

· 3 cloves Garlic, smashed

For the Rice

· 1 ½ cups Jasmine Rice (do not rinse if you normally rinse jasmine rice)

· 2 ¾ cups Water

· 2 Bouillon Cubes (or a spoonful of Better Than Bouillon)

Extra

· 2-3 small Baby Bok Choy (optional), sliced lengthwise through the core

· Sliced Cucumbers

· Fresh Cilantro

· Chili Crisp

Make the meatballs – In a large bowl, combine the panko, egg, sesame oil, and salt. Stir in the ground chicken and mix until evenly combined. Use a spoon or scoop to form meatballs that are approximately 1 ½-inches in diameter. (I use my #40 scoop.) You should get between 20-24 meatballs. Place the meatballs on a baking tray or large plate and refrigerate until ready to use. (They can be made up to one day ahead.)

Make the scallion oil, broth, and rice – Pull out a medium pot (about 2 ½ quarts) and a larger pot (about 4 quarts). The medium pot is for the scallion oil and rice; the larger pot is for the broth.

To the medium pot, add the vegetable oil, sesame oil, sliced green onions, grated ginger, grated garlic, and salt.

To the larger pot, add the broth, water, green onion pieces, sliced ginger, and smashed garlic. Set this pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat so that it gently simmers.

While the broth comes to a boil, set the medium pot (with the scallion oil) over medium-high heat. Once it starts to sizzle, stir constantly and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and the garlic is very lightly toasted. Remove from the heat. Spoon out about two-thirds of the scallion oil mixture and put into a separate small bowl, set aside. The remaining scallion oil stays in the pot.

Return the medium pot with the remaining scallion oil to medium-high heat and stir in the rice. Cook, stirring constantly for about one minute to coat the rice the oil. Stir in the water and bouillon, bring to a boil, reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Remove from heat, stir, and set aside with the lid on until ready to serve.

While the rice cooks, finish the meatballs. To the pot of simmering broth, carefully add half of the meatballs one at a time and cook for 8 minutes. (You may need to adjust the heat up or down to keep the pot at a simmer.) Once the first set of meatballs is done, use tongs or a small strainer to remove them to a plate. (Cover with foil to keep warm.) Gently add the remaining meatballs to the pot and again, cook for 8 minutes. Remove when done.

*If using the bok choy, cook it now. Add it to the pot of still simmering broth for 2-3 minutes until slightly wilted. Remove the bok choy to the side of the plate with the meatballs.

Assemble the meatballs and rice – Add a scoop of rice to a wide, shallow bowl. Add meatballs to one side and bok choy, if using. Ladle some broth around the meatballs and rice. Top with a bit of the reserved scallion oil. Serve with sliced cucumbers, fresh cilantro, and chili crisp, if desired.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!

(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)

All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!

Hey, you made it all the way to the end! If you liked In This Kitchen feel free to share it.

Icy Cold Granitas for a Heat Wave...

Sarah Jackson — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:01:55 GMT

Heat Dome. It sounds like something the evil villain in a silly spy movie created in order to take over the world. But, nope. It’s just the term the weather people are using this week to describe what the heck is going on outside.

As in, it’s crazy hot. Just stay in.

The moment I open the door and step out, moisture condensates on my skin. There are no flowery words like “my skin is dewy” or “I’m glistening”. No, we’re way past that.

And of course this heat wave hits on the 4th of July week - when it feels like we’re all expected to be outside grilling and picnicking and hanging out under the stars to watch the firework show. So what are we doing to stay cool? Fans. Fans that spray a mist. All flowy dresses all the time (sorry to the guys out there). Staying hydrated. And eating plenty of refreshing, cool things.

Some of our family dinners have shifted to lighter meals, like sandwiches or salads, and we’re eating plenty of fresh fruit with every meal. You could always go with a chilled soup, but they’re not really my thing. I just don’t understand something like a gazpacho, which to me seems like I’m eating a bowl of watery salsa. (Not that I don’t think a cold bowl of salsa is a good idea, but I want chips.)

And then there’s a whole category of cold sweet treats! Bowls of ice cream, fruity popsicles, and slushy drinks in every flavor are helping us stay cool. As are the three granitas I made this week and am keeping at the ready in my freezer!

A granita is like a cross between a snow cone and a slushy and can be made in probably any flavor you can think of. You freeze a flavored liquid (typically made from whole fruit or juice or sweetened coffee) in a shallow pan, coming by every once a while to scrape the ice crystals into a flaky, fluffy mound. Spooned into a cup and eaten with a spoon, it’s a welcome brain freeze on a hot day!

The ones I made this week (recipes posted down below) are Cherry-Basil, Mango-Cardamom, and Grapefruit-Mint. All equally refreshing!

The Cherry-Basil has a nice balance of bits of whole fruit to icy texture. It’s classic summertime cherry with a hint of basil in the background. The Mango-Cardamom is a bit creamier because of the smooth texture of mangoes, almost bordering on a sorbet. And the Grapefruit-Mint is the iciest of the three since you’re using all juice. It’s sweet and tart and so refreshing, perfect for a mid-afternoon cool down.

I can’t wait to pull them out for the 4th of July party and then keep experimenting with flavors all summer long (because I expect this heat will be around for a while).

If you’re looking for other inspiration for your holiday picnic or potluck, check out my Fresh Corn Salad or Honey Mustard Potato Salad or Muffuletta Pasta Salad. All good choices to keep things light and cool.

Enjoy your 4th of July weekend! Stay safe and stay cool!

MONDAY - Chicken Alfredo Pasta, Green Beans

An easy favorite! Any shape pasta, a simple alfredo sauce (usually use this recipe), and sautéed or grilled chicken breasts. And, I finally got just enough green beans from the garden to have enough for a side dish! Probably just a quick blanch and toss with some butter.

TUESDAY - Focaccia Paninis

I stuck back some of the focaccia from last week in the freezer to make sandwiches this week. Turkey, pesto, garden tomatoes, and burrata cheese pressed flat in a buttered skillet until toasty! Chips and fruit to go with.

WEDNESDAY - Leftovers

I’m actually on my own tonight. Can’t remember the last time that happened, and I’m not real sure what to do with myself. I’ll probably make a hodge-podge plate of leftovers and sit on the couch with a movie!

THURSDAY - Red Chicken Curry

Cookbook Recipe - This week’s recipe is from Cravings: Hungry for More (page 167), by Chrissy Teigen. A jar of red curry paste and a can of coconut milk make the base of the sauce for chicken thighs to simmer in. I’ve made similar dishes, but this one adds potatoes and other vegetables, and I’m excited to try it! Will serve over jasmine rice.

FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-Up!

SATURDAY - 4th of July!

Late lunch, early dinner…Linner? Lupper? It will be all the cookout things we want - hot dogs and brats, chips and dips, pasta salads and fruit. I’ll bring potato salad, and best friend’s mom brings ice cream bars for dessert! Eat too much, take a nap, eat again.

SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s

Pork loin sliced open, spread with pesto, and rolled back up for a fun (and tasty!) herby green spiral! Broccoli and little potatoes on the side, but also our first try at making pickled cabbage and pickled carrot salads like we had on our trip to Austria!

LUNCHES for this week -

My garden tomatoes have been exceptional this year. Really, the best I’ve grown! So let’s make big, fat, juicy BLT’s for lunch this week! I got a pretty loaf of sourdough at the farmers’ market. My other requirements are thick cut bacon, salted slices of homegrown tomatoes, crunchy iceberg lettuce, Hellmann’s mayo, and fresh cracked pepper.

EXTRAS for this week

I’m working on testing ideas to recreate the apricot strudel from our trip. But also I saw a recipe for snickerdoodles that I want to try and a croissant method that looks interesting, and I really want to give it a go! (Do I have time for all those things??)

WEEK 23 - Greek Chicken with Tomatoes and Feta- Sara Foster, Fresh Every Day: More Recipes from Foster’s Market (page 141)

(The recipe can be found on this blog; the blog author credits the cookbook as the source.)
Sara Foster is the proprietor behind Foster’s Market, a café and market in North Carolina. Her first cookbook, aptly named The Foster’s Market Cookbook, and this second one both are filled with recipes served in the café and offered as take-out options in the market. Years ago, when I was first dreaming of my own food shop, the cookbooks were gifted to me by my best friend’s mom, and I have made several things out of both.
The recipe we tried last week, Greek Chicken with Tomatoes and Feta, was another good one, but we had some notes.
Boneless chicken breasts are simply marinated in an herby white wine and lemon juice mixture that then does double duty as a component of the skillet sauce.
Once you sauté the chicken to brown it on both sides, you remove it from the skillet and build a sauce with onion, garlic, tomatoes, and that marinade. (I was able to use onions, tomatoes, and herbs from my garden, which was really satisfying.) The chicken gets nestled back down in the sauce to finish cooking with olives and more fresh herbs. For serving, top with feta cheese and again, another scattering of herbs.
I was really surprised that the chicken breasts stayed as juicy as they did, and the sauce was bright and lemony. The creamy feta added a nice amount of richness. We served ours with a simple rice pilaf, as suggested in the recipe.
When I asked the boys for their review, they both said it was good, but didn’t knock their socks off. And, I tended to agree. However, a few days later when I had some leftovers, I thought it was really good! Maybe it needed time to let the flavors meld a little more. I also think if I did it again, I wouldn’t do rice. I think it would pair better with a couscous or polenta or even a simple pasta to mix with the sauce. I will say, it was easy to put together, and I do love a one-skillet dinner.
The recipe was well-written and easy to follow. My only change was to cut a couple of my chicken breasts into smaller pieces as they varied pretty wildly in size, and I wanted them to cook evenly.
If we make this one again, I might do it as a make-ahead option for the week - make it over the weekend, dish it into a casserole dish and refrigerate for a day or so, and then just reheat the whole thing.

Printer Friendly Granitas

193KB ∙ PDF file

Cherry-Basil Granita

· 3 cups Frozen Mixed Cherries, thawed but not drained

· 1 cup Water

· ¼ cup Simple Syrup (recipe below)

· 1 teaspoon fresh Lemon Juice

· 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Basil

Mango-Cardamom Granita

· 16 ounce bag Frozen Mango, thawed but not drained

· 1 cup Water

· ¼ cup Simple Syrup (recipe below)

· 1 teaspoon fresh Lemon Juice

· ¼ teaspoon ground Cardamom

Grapefruit-Mint Granita

· 3 cups Pink Grapefruit Juice (bottled is fine)

· ½ cup Simple Syrup (recipe below)

· 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Mint

Simple Syrup

· 2 cups boiling Water

· 2 ½ cups White Sugar

In a large heat-proof measuring cup, combine boiling water and sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to use. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. (Also great for iced coffees or mixed drinks.)

For the cherry and mango granitas, in a blender combine the thawed fruit and any juice, water, simple syrup, and lemon juice. Blend until well combined. (The cherry one may not look completely smooth.) Briefly blend in the herbs or spices.

For the grapefruit granita, in a blender combine the juice and simple syrup. Briefly blend in the mint.

For all three granitas, pour the blended mixture into a freezer safe container. Wide and flat will freeze the mixture the fastest, but you can use what fits in your freezer best. I have used metal or glass baking dishes, shallow square plastic take-out style containers, and glass loaf pans.

Put the dish in the freezer. After one hour, use a fork to gently stir and scrape up the ice crystals. Return to freezer. For the next several hours, continue the scraping with the fork every 30 minutes to an hour until the mixture is frozen and the ice crystals form a fluffy, slightly slushy mix.

Serve now or return to the freezer. The granitas are best enjoyed within a couple of days and may require a little bit of re-scraping.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!

(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)

All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!

Hey, you made it all the way to the end! If you liked In This Kitchen feel free to share it.

Chipotle Roasted Shrimp Tacos...

Sarah Jackson — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:03:58 GMT

Okay so the title of this one should really be “Chipotle Roasted Shrimp Tacos Are What I Want To Eat After A Trip To Austria - Plus Our Trip Recap And I Might Now Be Obsessed With Apricots”, but really that seemed too long.

We’ll start with our trip recap. It was a blast - another family bike ride is in the books!

We started in Munich and stayed for two days. We saw the city one day and took the train to Dachau (the longest running concentration camp) the next.

Munich was really nice (despite a little chilly rain). I’m always amazed at the street vendors with booths of fresh fruits and vegetables. There was even a separate little section of street just for bread booths! Lots of cafes and shopping and the famous glockenspiel that entertains the crowd twice a day with music and dancing characters.

From Munich, we took the train to Salzburg and enjoyed a day in the city of Mozart’s birth.

Salzburg is beautiful; I would have like to have spent more than one day. Super high-end shopping - I didn’t buy anything! But, leave it to me to find a kitchen and spice shop in another country. It’s like I have a radar for that kind of thing. Just drawn to tables of cookbooks, even if they are in a different language!

The next morning we started our ride! 6 days from Salzburg to Vienna - about 250 miles total.

Following the bike paths through the country side never gets old, and I already miss it! This trip took us along the Danube River, through orchards and vineyards and plenty of tiny villages. (Dad and I keep saying that if we ever have to go into witness protection, they can stick us in one of these tiny towns and we’ll be fine.)

We did have some long days (60 miles one day!) and some hills (thank goodness for e-bikes!), but at the end of the trip, you know you’ve really done something special and are already looking forward to the next one. (And for those of you asking, and I know you are - yes, my rear end was unhappy with me. Day 2 and 3 are the worst; then it either gets better or goes numb, I haven’t decided which.)

Our ride ended just short of Vienna, so we had to load the bikes onto a train for an hour ride (a little bit of a nerve wracking experience for me). Once there, we turned our bikes in at the hotel and explored the city for an extra day.

Vienna is definitely a large city, but again, one of those with amazing history and architecture. And it’s the birthplace of the original wienerschnitzel!

Which brings us to the food! Yes, I was that tourist who kept taking pictures of her meals…

Spätzle and schnitzel were repeat dinners, of course. (And no one is upset by that.) But, this trip I also had a really good goulash soup, a plate with every meat you could think of atop a mound of mashed potatoes and sauerkraut, and a pork roast and bread dumpling situation covered in gravy. Oh, and Europeans know how to make a pizza!

On a sweet note, we were apparently in an area known for apricots and cherries. We had apricot cake, apricot strudel, apricot ice cream, apple strudel, and plenty of outrageous sundaes. I love riding into a town at 2:00 in the afternoon and seeing café tables filled with people having coffee or cake or ice cream and just enjoying the day. How do we normalize this for the U.S.???

(Also, every time we take one of these trips Marcus and I almost talk ourselves into buying a fancy coffee machine for the house. Almost.)

I’ve come home with lots of ideas and a new appreciation for apricots. Bordering on obsession. I have to figure out how to make apricot ice cream. Might be the best ice cream I’ve ever had. I have to figure out how to make that apricot strudel. Might be the best strudel I’ve ever had. Apricot cake? Need it. Apricot jam/jelly/preserves? Yes. Already trying to decide if I can get an apricot tree to grow in my yard.

Now we’re home, and it’s back to reality and back to routine. And time to give our taste buds a change. Do you ever come home from a trip and crave foods completely different from what you’ve been enjoying the last week? We do, for sure. So, as much as we love it, I won’t be making any schnitzel or other breaded cutlets or any type of potato this week!

For a change, we’ll go with some lighter meals and look for different flavors than we’ve had. This week’s newsletter recipe (down below) for Chipotle Roasted Shrimp Tacos with Fresh Corn Relish and Avocado Cream would be the perfect choice.

These shrimp tacos are filling, but not heavy. The chipotle sauce coats the shrimp in a smoky, hint of spicy, full flavor with the avocado cream adding a bit of cool tanginess and the relish giving fresh pops of sweet corn. I like to wrap it all up in those small, street taco flour tortillas, but you could certainly use corn tortillas if you’d rather. (Or you could turn it all into a rice bowl!)

Thanks to shrimp that take hardly any time at all to roast in the oven, this a fairly fast and easy to put together dinner. Giving you plenty of time to get back to doing other things. Like daydreaming about your next trip or how to become an apricot farmer.

MONDAY - Crispy Chicken Thighs, Pearl Couscous, Roasted Onions

I moved some chicken thighs from the freezer to the fridge as soon as we got home on Sunday night to be ready for Monday. I’ll just do a simple seasoning on the thighs and cook them until crispy surrounded by sliced onions that will get all sweet and juicy. A garlic and herb pearl couscous for the side. (And sliced fresh tomatoes from the garden!)

TUESDAY - Salmon Bowls

Salmon filets on a sheet pan with some veggies cook quickly (if you have longer cooking vegetables, start them first then add the salmon). Brown rice for a base with everything arranged on top. And maybe a balsamic glaze to drizzle on.

WEDNESDAY - Vodka Pasta + Meatballs, Focaccia

James’s favorite one pot pasta with vodka sauce - it’s the first thing he said he wanted when we got back. I’ll make up some quick meatballs to go with it and a pan of focaccia bread we can eat on all week long.

THURSDAY - Greek Chicken with Tomatoes and Feta, Rice

Cookbook Recipe - This week’s recipe is from Fresh Every Day: More Great Recipes From Foster’s Market (page 141), by Sarah Foster. Chicken breasts in a pan sauce with fresh tomatoes, onions, herbs, and feta cheese. I’ll take her serving suggestion and make a rice pilaf on the side.

FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-Up!

SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s (the in-laws)!

We all decided a cheeseburger and tots sounded pretty good after all that German food!

SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s!

Since we got home late on Father’s Day and never celebrated last week, we’ll do it now! Steaks and baked potatoes - always a classic. Although I probably shouldn’t make him grill his own steak…

LUNCHES for this week -

I found several recipes for a roasted broccoli and white bean salad that all looked good! (Always need extra veggies after vacation!) I’ll make a version for myself that roasts the broccoli and white beans on a sheet pan, then tosses it all in a dressing with fresh herbs, toasty breadcrumbs, and shaved parmesan cheese.

EXTRAS for this week

Coming from 10 days of breakfast spreads all beautifully laid out and coffee and cake stops every afternoon, I think I need to make some chocolate chip muffins to keep our habit up! So good, whether morning or mid-day!

Printer Friendly Chipotle Roasted Shrimp Tacos

174KB ∙ PDF file

Chipotle Roasted Shrimp Tacos with Fresh Corn Relish and Avocado Cream

Serves 4-6

For the Corn Relish

· 4 ears of fresh Corn, shucked and ends trimmed

· 1 small-medium Shallot, finely diced

· ½ cup freshly chopped Cilantro (about one bunch)

· 1 fresh Jalapeno Pepper, finely diced (seeds and ribs removed for less heat)

· 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

· 1 teaspoon Apple Cider or White Wine Vinegar

· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)

· ½ cup Crumbled Feta Cheese

For the Shrimp

· 2 pounds frozen peeled and deveined Shrimp (large, 31-40 count), thawed and drained

· One 7-ounce can Chipotle and Adobo

· 1 tablespoon Olive Oil

· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt

· ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder

· Juice from ½ of one Lime (other half used in avocado cream)

For the Avocado Cream

· ¼ cup Sour Cream

· 1 large Avocado, halved and pit removed

· Juice from ½ of one Lime

· ¼ teaspoon kosher Salt

· Water, for thinning

Extra

· “Street Taco” sized Flour Tortillas

· Lime Wedges

Make the corn relish – Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Carefully add the ears of corn to the pot, cover the pot, and remove from the heat for 3 minutes. Use tongs to remove the corn from the pot and set aside to cool. While the corn is cooling, chop the shallot, cilantro, and jalapeno and add them to a medium sized bowl. Cut the kernels of corn from the cobs and add to the bowl. Stir in the oil, vinegar, and salt. Then stir in the feta cheese. Set aside. (Or, you can make the relish ahead and store in the fridge.)

Roast the shrimp – Preheat the oven to 425 with a rack arranged in the upper third. Coat a large, rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray.

In a small food processor, blend the whole can of chipotle and adobo into a thick paste. Add ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of the chipotle paste to a large bowl. Put the remainder of the paste into a storage container for another use. (If you will not use it within the week, you can store it in the freezer and use it next time you make these tacos.) Rinse the bowl and blade of the food processor and set aside to use again for the avocado cream.

To the bowl with the chipotle mixture, stir in the oil, salt, garlic powder, and lime juice and mix well. Add the thawed shrimp to the bowl and stir to coat well. Spread the shrimp on the prepared pan in an even layer and roast for 12-14 minutes, until cooked through.

While the shrimp are cooking, make the avocado cream – In the small food processor, blend the sour cream, avocado, lime juice, and salt until thick and smooth. Add water, a little bit at a time, until your desired consistency is reached. Taste to determine if you would like more salt.

Assemble the tacos – Add a spoonful of avocado cream to the center of a tortilla. Line 3-4 shrimp down the middle. Top with the corn relish and an extra squeeze of lime if you’d like.

Change it up! – The chipotle roasted shrimp, corn relish, and avocado cream would also work very well as a “bowl” with rice as the base.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!

(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)

All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!

Hey, you made it all the way to the end! If you liked In This Kitchen feel free to share it.

Sheet Pan Gnocchi...

Sarah Jackson — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 11:02:57 GMT

Hi Friends! I’m out of town this week and instead of stressing about how to get an all new newsletter out to you from Austria (!!!), I decided it would be fun to re-post the very first newsletter I sent out a couple of years ago! (Boy does time fly!)

Read on to refresh your memory (or read for the first time) the “why I’m here and sharing recipes with you” story behind this newsletter.

Bonus, the gnocchi recipe is one we turn to over and over at our house!

Back next week - until then, enjoy this one from the archives.

Hey there! And welcome to my first newsletter edition and post on my Substack. Whether you found me by accident (yay you!) or you’re here on purpose (yay me!), I figured a little “get to know me” and “what’s this all about” was in order.

I typically spend just about every waking hour thinking about what I’m going to cook or what I’m going to eat… today… tomorrow… maybe next week… But I have come to the realization that perhaps not everyone else is my special kind of food-obsessed crazy.

For many people, just figuring out what to make for dinner is the biggest challenge. The 5 o’clock game-time decision isn’t going to cut it. Or maybe you’re a planner like me but just in a rut.

So here we are. Me – extreme planner, finds joy in grocery ads; you – no dinner plans and now the gremlins are hangry (or you – also a planner, but the troops are getting tired of the weekly rotation and some inspiration is in order).

Enough about me and you, let’s get started!

Down below (and in each newsletter), you’ll see what’s on our meal plan at my house for the week, a featured recipe or two, and anything else that might be worth sharing!

This week’s recipe is one of our family favorite go-to’s. If you’ve never tossed gnocchi on a sheet pan and roasted them instead of boiling, you have to give it a try. They get a little crispy on the outside and are chewy in the middle. This version uses fully cooked chicken sausages so it comes together quickly. You can even chop your veggies ahead of time and store them covered in the fridge. And you can’t beat clean up on one pan! If peppers and brussels aren’t your thing, feel free to sub in other vegetables.

MONDAY - One Pot Pasta with Ham & Peas and Fresh Fruit

We love a one-pot meal! Easy to make, easy to clean up, and extra time for multi-tasking. I’ll also be making Wednesday’s Baked Spaghetti today so I can get ahead.

TUESDAY - Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots

Roasted chicken always seems like a project, but really the time is mostly hands-off, and we sure do love the crispy skin!

WEDNESDAY - Baked Spaghetti and Salad

I have an evening commitment, so I’ll pop the casserole dish in the oven before I leave. (Nice to have it already made!)

THURSDAY - Sheet Pan Gnocchi

Recipe below! Soccer practice night, need something fast!

FRIDAY - Friday night pick up!

Unless something else comes up, we pretty much always do take out on Friday nights.

SATURDAY - Dinner at YaYa’s (the in-laws!)

She’s making a smoked pork loin with pinto beans and cornbread. True Southern, and so good.

SUNDAY - Dinner at my Dad’s

He says he’ll do some chicken thighs and a store-bought Tikka Masala sauce in the slow cooker with basmati rice on the side. Can’t wait!

LUNCHES for this week - Leftovers or Salads with extra Roasted Chicken

The Hubby and Kiddo usually do leftovers. I’ll throw together a salad with some of the chicken and whatever veggies are in the fridge.

EXTRAS for this week - I made these Peanut Butter Cookies - they were easy (one bowl! no softening butter!) and quite tasty.

Salted Peanut Butter Cookies

Printer Friendly Sheet Pan Gnocchi With Chicken Sausage, Peppers, And Brussels

136KB ∙ PDF file

Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Chicken Sausage, Peppers, and Brussels Sprouts

Serves 4-5

· 1 pound container store-bought dry Gnocchi (the shelf-stable kind, usually in the pasta aisle)

· 1 pound fully cooked Chicken Sausage Links, sliced

· 2 Sweet Bell Peppers (red, yellow, or orange), diced in about one-inch pieces

· 3-4 medium sized Shallots, peeled and quartered lengthwise

· ½ pound Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and halved

· 3-4 cloves Garlic, minced

· 2 teaspoons chopped fresh Thyme

· ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt (Morton or store brand)

· 1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper

· 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

· 2 teaspoons fresh chopped Parsley

· ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 425. Place oven rack in upper third. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, toss together gnocchi, sliced sausage, peppers, shallots, and brussels sprouts. Make sure to break apart any gnocchi that are stuck together. Add in minced garlic, fresh thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Stir well.

Carefully pour the contents of the bowl onto the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer.

Roast for 15 minutes, then remove pan from oven and gently stir. Return the pan to the oven and roast another 10 minutes. The gnocchi should be golden and some of the sausages and veggies should be toasty around the edges.

Sprinkle pan with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese before serving.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!

Hey, you made it all the way to the end! If you liked In This Kitchen feel free to share it.

Hot Honey Chicken Tenders...

Sarah Jackson — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:03:43 GMT

Why do we love chicken tenders?

I actually googled that question. And as I started typing, google finished my question. Meaning I wasn’t the first person to ask.

I was surprised by the number of hits that came up - all very excited to explain to me why chicken tenders are so popular. Phrases like “perfect food” and “comfort food” are repeated over and over.

In one article, by Helen Rosner, she does a deep dive into the love of chicken tenders, covering all the bases of juicy flavor, crunchy texture, and perfect shape. But, she also explains that (at least for her) part of the allure of the chicken tender is plain simplicity and comfort in a world of so many food choices and decisions that have to made day after day.

I hadn’t ever really thought about the appeal of a chicken tender being in the simplicity of the decision, but as someone who pretty much always has food on the brain and understands the concept of “food fatigue”, I get it.

I think I could also add, as the primary meal maker in our house, they are a darn easy choice. Think about it, it’s an already portioned protein, no chopping or prepping required, that cooks really quickly and can handle a variety of flavors!

On my list of “easiest dinners ever” - chicken tenderloins in any kind of sauce or rub and baked at 450 for 20 minutes (or less!). And with the busy week I’ve had, quick and brainless is what I need more of. You too? Great, I have a recipe for that!

This week’s Hot Honey Chicken Tenders with Honey-Butter Drizzle is one step more than just coating in sauce since you also have to coat in breadcrumbs, but the crunch is worth it!

I’ve been on a bit of a hot honey kick lately, and these chicken tenders are the result of wondering about marinating chicken in a hot honey mixture. I used yogurt as the base for the marinade to add both tang and and an acid. The hidden perk with the yogurt and hot honey marinade is that you can skip the flour and egg steps in a typical three-part breading station - the yogurt is perfect for sticking on those panko breadcrumbs!

A high-temp (and quick!) bake in the oven turns them crispy, and a final drizzle of hot honey mixed with butter turns them oh so tasty! No dipping sauce required.

I’ve served them alongside mac ‘n cheese or fries or atop a big salad - it all works.

I’ve also served them with a Loaded Potato Gratin, which is a bonus recipe for you today! It’s not quite as simple as the tenders, but a potato casserole loaded with “all the fixin’s” like cheddar cheese, bacon, and chives is never a bad choice. (Of course, this gratin goes with all kinds of main dishes, not just chicken tenders…)

Both recipes down below.

That’s all for now, we’re off on a family adventure for the next week! And even though I’d call us a foodie family, I bet sometime in the next 10 days, someone orders chicken tenders. Like all the articles said - perfect, comfort food.

We’re leaving mid-week for vacation! So, I decided to do something different called “Mom’s not going to the grocery store or cooking elaborate meals; we’re going to scrounge around and see what needs to be eaten!”

I don’t want any produce we have in the fridge to go to waste, and I don’t want to cook big meals that will leave leftovers we don’t need. For two days, we can make this work.

In the freezer, I found - a couple of single serve size containers of pesto chicken lasagna and chicken parm manicotti. Easy to defrost and heat up.
I had already gotten a pork shoulder roast on super sale, so on Sunday I popped it into the slow cooker and shredded it. We can have bbq sandwiches one night. I’ll freeze the rest so there’s food here when we get home.
I also have a couple of sweet bell peppers and onions that need to be used before we leave and a half a jar pesto - so maybe roasted veggies and cheese tortellini with pesto.

WEEK 22 -Rigatoni with Sausage and Fennel - Ina Garten, Cooking for Jeffrey (page 114)

(Recipe linked here.)
Here’s the only review we need - I made this for the boys and slipped out to teach a quick yoga class for some kids at a camp (I was planning to eat when I got home). When I walked back in, the first thing James said was, “mom, I think that’s my new favorite thing!” Followed by, “we made you a bowl, but it’s not real big because we put all the leftovers in our lunches.”
And, after having my small bowl, I can agree that this pasta dish was very tasty. We’re big on a sausage pasta around here, so I wasn’t too worried, but I was unsure if all the fennel would take over. I should have known, of course Ina knows what she’s doing.
The fennel cooked down a bit, helped the sauce come together, and was a nice background flavor. The couple tablespoons of tomato paste added a little bit of sweetness and acid to balance the cream sauce. All in all, I’d call it a variation of a meat sauce, which is always nice to have around to change up pasta night.
A couple of notes - As always, I cut the salt in half with an Ina recipe since she uses Diamond Crystal, and I do not. Also, I’ve switched over to buying a good quality pasta (rather than just the store brand), and it really makes a world of difference. I like DeCecco or Barilla Al Bronzo. These pastas seem to hold sauce better and have a chewier texture, which I love.
Also, the recipe calls for one and a quarter pound of sausage. Around here, sausage is sold in one pound packages. I just did the one pound; it worked fine.

Printer Friendly Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

175KB ∙ PDF file

Hot Honey Chicken Tenders with Honey-Butter Drizzle

Makes 5-6 servings

· 2 – 2 ½ pounds Chicken Tenderloins

· ½ cup Plain Greek Yogurt

· 1 teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand), plus extra for sprinkling

· 1 tablespoon Hot Honey

· ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder

· 2 cups Panko Breadcrumbs

Honey-Butter Drizzle

· 3 tablespoons Butter, melted

· 3 tablespoons Hot Honey

In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, salt, hot honey, and garlic powder. Stir in the chicken tenderloins and mix well to coat each tender with the yogurt marinade. Set aside for 15 minutes.

While the chicken is marinating, preheat the oven to 450 with a rack arranged in the upper third. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the panko breadcrumbs into a wide, shallow bowl.

One at a time, remove each chicken tenderloin from the marinade bowl and coat in the breadcrumbs, making sure to coat well and press the panko onto all sides. Set the tenders on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.

One all the tenders are on the pan, lightly spray the side that is up with olive oil, either from an aerosol can or an oil sprayer. Sprinkle this side with a pinch of salt.

Bake for 10 minutes, remove the tray from the oven, and turn each tender over. Spray this side with the oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for another 10-12 minutes until golden brown and cooked through (165 on an instant thermometer).

While the chicken cooks, whisk together the melted butter and hot honey for the topping. When the chicken tenders are done cooking, drizzle the honey-butter sauce over the top. Serve immediately.

NOTE – All of the hot honey brands are a little different. I suggest tasting yours to see how spicy it is. If you think you would like more heat, stir a little bit of cayenne pepper into the yogurt marinade, the drizzle, or both.

Printer Friendly Loaded Potato Gratin

156KB ∙ PDF file

Loaded Potato Gratin

Makes about 8 servings

· About 3 pounds Russet Potatoes, peeled

· ¼ cup Sour Cream

· 1 cup Heavy Cream

· ¾ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)

· ¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper

· 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

· ½ a pound of Bacon, cooked and chopped (should have a heaping ½ cup), divided

· 2 tablespoons freshly minced Chives, divided

· 6 ounces Sharp Cheddar, shredded (should have a little more than 1 ½ cups), divided

Preheat the oven to 400 with a rack arranged in the upper third. Coat a 9x9 square baking dish (or a 2-3 quart oval) with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and cayenne.

Use a mandolin to thinly slice the potatoes and add them to the bowl as you go. (Alternately, you can hand slice the potatoes very thin, about 1/8^th-inch thick.)

Once all of the potatoes have been added to bowl, stir to coat in the cream mixture making sure to get between the slices as best as possible. Add ½ cup of the chopped bacon (reserve whatever is left), 1 ½ tablespoons of the chives, and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese. Again, stir well to distribute the mixture between the potato slices.

Using your hands, pick up a few potato slices at a time and arrange into a small stack. Place the stack on its side against one wall of the baking dish. Grab another stack and arrange next to the first, making a row. Repeat this process, making as many rows as needed to fill your dish. Scrape any of the remaining sauce mixture over the top.

Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Uncover, and sprinkle on the remaining cheese and bacon. Bake for another 20-30 minutes until lightly browned and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let the casserole rest for 5-10 minutes. Top with the remaining chives before serving.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!

(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)

All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!

Hey, you made it all the way to the end! If you liked In This Kitchen feel free to share it.

Sheet Pan Chicken and Artichoke Piccata...

Sarah Jackson — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:03:50 GMT

When it comes to chicken, I tend to turn to bone-in, skin-on thighs fairly often. Thighs are usually considered to have more flavor than an all white meat chicken breast, and the bone-in variety is among the less expensive cuts. (Plus, that skin is just asking to get all toasted and crispy!)

And with the rising cost of grocery prices, looking at less expensive options is a must. Luckily for us, we’re already fans of those cost-effective chicken thighs, and they’re so versatile!

For an easy protein, season them however you’d like and roast at 425 for 35-40 minutes.

To make them into a complete meal, see my Tikka Spiced Thighs with Potatoes, Lemon and Herb Roasted Chicken, or Crispy Chicken Thighs with Beans and Greens. Or, use the thighs in place of a whole chicken in Buttermilk-Mustard Roasted Chicken or in place of drumsticks in the Citrus-Herb option.

For today’s recipe, I got a little creative. I wanted to try and take the traditional chicken piccata that we already know and love, but turn it into a sheet pan dinner by using the chicken thighs in place of chicken cutlets. After a couple of tries (and family taste tests), we had a winner!

The Sheet Pan Chicken and Artichoke Piccata below has everything I want in a sheet pan dinner. The crispy chicken surrounded by a lemony, white wine sauce (with all the capers a girl could dream of) truly tastes like a traditional piccata. I added artichokes because their buttery texture and mildly nutty flavor complements the tart sauce and fills out the dish with a vegetable to make a complete meal.

No pounding and flouring chicken cutlets. No standing over a skillet that’s splattering. Yes to the same flavors in an easy to put together sheet pan meal. (My sister-in-law very much appreciated being able to sit down with a book and a glass of wine for 30 minutes while it was in the oven!)

You can serve this on it’s own with some good bread for soaking up the sauce, or add a side of pasta or mashed potatoes.

Taking a chance and using less expensive chicken thighs in a traditionally “boneless breast only” dish paid off in this case! What else should we try with thighs next?

MONDAY - Tomato and Wine Braised Chicken, Parmesan Risotto

Tomato and White Wine Braised Chicken Breasts come together pretty quickly and all in one skillet. We’ll serve it over a creamy risotto to catch all the sauce.

TUESDAY - Shrimp Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Fruit

Another quick one! Seasoned shrimp don’t take long to roast in the oven, and while they’re in there, I’ll prep a few easy toppings. (This is a recipe I’m working on and hoping to get out to you soon!)

WEDNESDAY - Rigatoni with Sausage and Fennel

Cookbook Recipe - This week’s recipe is from Cooking for Jeffrey (page 114), by Ina Garten. A creamy pasta with sausage and chopped fennel - looks like my kind of cozy dinner.

THURSDAY - Pesto Turkey Burgers, Sweet Potato Wedges

Pesto stirred into ground turkey for really flavorful burgers! Pesto mayo and farmers’ market tomato for topping. Sweet potato wedges pair nicely.

FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-Up!

SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s (the in-laws)!

BBQ chicken and baked potatoes with salad and bread.

SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s!

Dad’s off on a trip, so we're in for a quiet night at home. I think we’ll do breakfast for dinner! I’ve been craving pancakes, but never want them first thing in the morning. I’ll add sausage, cheesy scrambled eggs, and home-fries.

LUNCHES for this week -

Feeling a little bit in a lunch rut, but I know I need to have something planned for a busy week ahead. I’ll make some tuna salad on Monday and see how far that gets me. I have some frozen soup if I need it for later in the week.

EXTRAS for this week

Done with all the cookies! Moving on to blueberry muffins (always Smitten Kitchen’s Perfect Blueberry Muffins) and the cream filling for the 150 oatmeal cream pies. The big church conference is next week; there’s light at the end of this baking tunnel!

WEEK 21 - Arayes-Inspired Tacos - Carolina Gelen, Pass the Plate (page 105)

This was a fun, easy dinner that was full of flavor and different than anything we’ve done!
The meat mixture comes together really quickly, and is very similar to the spiced meat that fills the arayes we already make sometimes. But, instead of stuffing the meat into a pita like in traditional arayes, these “tacos” have you spread the mixture thinly over small flour tortilla and bake at a high temperature until crispy.
There are two condiments you make to go with the tacos, and I was a little skeptical that it would go all together, but the flavors were really well balanced - the fresh chimichurri made from parsley and jalapenos and the savory tahini sauce that added a bit of creaminess.
The only change I made in this recipe was to make less of the chimichurri. I only made about half of what it called for (mostly because I didn’t buy enough parsley), and I cut the jalapeno down even more as I was afraid it would be to spicy for my taste. The amount worked, we had just enough for all the tacos. And, it turns out I could have handled a little more jalapeno.
I did make both condiments before making the tacos. I think there’s probably time to make one (maybe both, if you’re really fast) while the tacos cook, but I don’t like being rushed.
Five stars. Really tasty. Will make again.

Printer Friendly Chicken And Artichoke Piccata

178KB ∙ PDF file

Sheet Pan Chicken and Artichoke Piccata

Serves 4-6

· 2 ½ - 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on Chicken Thighs (about 6 thighs), pat dry

· 2 cans (14 ounce each) Artichoke Hearts or Quartered Artichoke Hearts, drained *see Note

· 1 Shallot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

· ¼ cup Olive Oil

· Zest from half of one lemon (rest of lemon used later)

· 2 cloves Garlic, minced or grated

· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)

· ¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper

· ½ cup dry White Wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc

· 1 tablespoon cold Butter

· ¼ - ½ cup Capers, drained *see Note

· 1 tablespoon fresh chopped Parsley

Preheat the oven to 425 with a rack arranged in the upper third.

Place the drained artichokes and sliced shallots in a medium bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, and garlic. Spoon about two-thirds of the oil mixture into the bowl with the artichokes and shallots and mix to coat the vegetables well. Reserve the rest of the oil mixture.

Spread the artichokes and shallots onto a large, rimmed baking sheet, scraping the bowl to get all of the oil. Nestle the chicken thighs into the vegetables on the pan and brush the tops with the remaining oil, zest, and garlic mixture. Sprinkle the whole pan with the salt and pepper. Place the lemon halves on the pan.

Slide the pan into the oven and carefully pour the wine into the pan. Cook for 35-40 minutes until chicken is cooked through and browned on top.

Remove the pan from the oven and use tongs to place the chicken pieces on a large platter. Working quickly, stir the butter around the pan until it is completely melted and incorporated into the pan juices. Squeeze one or both lemon halves into the pan sauce and stir in the capers.

Spoon the sauce and artichokes onto the platter with the chicken and top with the fresh parsley. Serve right away.

NOTES – I have tested this recipe using both whole artichoke hearts and quartered artichoke hearts. We liked it both ways. The quartered artichoke hearts almost melt into the sauce and give lots of artichoke flavor. The whole pieces are nice to be able to control how much artichoke you get in each bite. As for the capers, we love capers and use the half cup option. You can certainly use less which is why I wrote it as ¼ - ½ cup.

Serve this chicken dish on its own with good bread for catching the sauce or serve with pasta or potatoes.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!

(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)

All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!

Hey, you made it all the way to the end! If you liked In This Kitchen feel free to share it.

Potsticker and Cabbage Slaw Skillet Dinner...

Sarah Jackson — Wed, 27 May 2026 11:00:55 GMT

Does anyone else remember the Food Network show Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee? She was on pretty regularly back in my early days of learning to cook and being basically obsessed with all the Food Network stars. The premise was combining fresh ingredients with store-bought items to create complete dishes and meals. (And I’m pretty sure every episode also included a “tablescape” and a cocktail…)

I can remember sitting down for a full Saturday morning of watching cooking shows and Semi-Homemade coming on after my queens Ina and Giada and thinking that it was almost like one-step down of cooking, and why would I do that??

Now, as a busy mom, I totally get it, and we always have a few convenience foods on hand for own semi-homemade dinners. And, why wouldn’t I do that??

Some of our favorite things to keep around-

Frozen Cheese Tortellini - For us, tortellini is more versatile than ravioli for things like pasta with sauce, pasta salads, or soups. Can boil from frozen and be done in 5 minutes!
Frozen Potstickers - I have made homemade ones before. It’s a project. Glad I tried it, but I will never not have potstickers in the freezer. Ramen and potsticker soups - yes. A quick heating of postickers covered in japanese bbq sauce and served with rice - yes. To add a little extra when the chinese take-out leftovers aren’t quite enough - yes. See also, this week’s recipe.
Ramen Noodles Packs - We usually end up ditching the seasoning packet, but use ramen for everything from simple chicken noodle soups to veggie stir fries. Anything that requires a quick, slurpy noodle gets ramen.
Shelf Stable Potato Gnocchi - We love these guys. Sheet pans meals with any meat and veggie, simmered in a pasta sauce, or to make a stew nice and hearty.
Meatballs - We are meatball people, and I don’t mind making meatballs. But, if I come across already formed meatballs on sale, I’m getting them.
Frozen Burger Patties - Same as the meatball rationale. Also, they can cook from frozen, either on the grill or in a skillet. A patty melt is a fast dinner when you’re out of ideas. (And usually supremely satisfying.)
Fully Cooked Chicken Sausages - Not having to wait for your protein to cook can be a huge time saver. Slice them up and add to a sheet pan meal or stir fry. I get the 3-pack at Costco so we always have some.
Taco Seasoning - Sure, it’s easy to make. But also if your jar of homemade seasoning runs out, it’s really nice to have that packet on hand.
Jarred Marinara Sauce - For when I really just need to throw something together. Pasta + Sauce + Any Ground Meat (or those frozen meatballs) = dinner in about 20 minutes. Or meatballs and sauce makes meatball subs! Ooh, or simmer chicken breasts in the sauce and then top with mozz for a chicken parm-ish dinner.
Jarred Basil Pesto - Turns anything from pastas to sheet pan veggies to sandwiches into something special.
Frozen Pizza - Can’t tell you how many times we’ve run out of leftovers for lunch or come home from a road trip and I’ve been so thankful to have a frozen pizza ready to go.
Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken and Fried Rice - So simple even the boys can make this for dinner (although they did tell me that if I wanted any, I have to buy more than one bag…)

I’m sure I have other things around here that fit in the convenience food, or as I prefer to say “dinner helper” category. What are some of your stand-bys?

MONDAY - Memorial Day

Memorial Day at Yaya’s! We’ll have about 10 people, and everyone will contribute to our menu of shish kebabs, rice, corn on the cob, zucchini casserole, Greek salad, fruit, and a strawberry cake!

TUESDAY - Oven Chicken Tenders and Cheesy Potatoes

I’m working on a baked chicken tenders recipe, and tonight will be version number two. (Hard to go wrong with chicken tenders, but we’re willing to taste all the tries to get it perfect!) Cheesy potato gratin on the side. And maybe a salad.

WEDNESDAY - Honey-Soy Chicken Drumsticks and Fried Rice

Drumsticks marinated in a sweet soy sauce glaze and baked. Served with our basic fried rice on the side. I also have a bunch of snap peas coming in from the garden, which I can add to the rice or just make into a simple vegetable side by stir frying them.

THURSDAY - Arayes-Inspired Tacos

Cookbook Recipe - This week’s recipe is from Pass the Plate (page 105), by Carolina Gelen. We love arayes - pitas stuffed with a spiced meat mixture - and as soon as I saw this recipe, I knew we had to try it. The spiced meat is pressed onto a tortilla and baked until crispy, then folded in half like a taco and served with both a tahini sauce and a herby chimichurri sauce.

FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-Up!

SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s (the in-laws)!

Cheeseburgers and fries!

SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s!

Meatloaf, roasted baby potatoes, and broccoli.

LUNCHES for this week -

Using some of the shredded chicken I did (see “extras” below) for all the things - chicken salad, actual salad, taco bowls, or bbq chicken bowls. So many options! (Options are good now that there’s a hungry teenager on summer break!)

EXTRAS for this week

Still working my way through making cookies. The 400 chocolate chip are done! Now it’s on to the 300 oatmeal! Plus a bunch of loaves of banana bread also going to the church conference…
Also, as a way to get ahead, on Sunday I did a slow cooker full of chicken breasts to shred. Some will be for this week’s lunches, and some will go into the freezer to help out with easy dinners down the road.
And - because I clearly don’t have enough to do, these chocolate chip scones from Joy the Baker seem like the perfect kick-off-to-summer breakfast! I’ll bake off a few and freeze the rest.

I forgot to take the picture until we had already started digging in!

WEEK 20 - Sicilian Style Pizza, “The Works” - Alexandra Stafford, Pizza Night (page 174)

(This recipe is pretty much it, but our toppings were onions, peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, and sausage.)
This was a great pizza! There were so many “mmmm’s” around the table. It reminded us all of one of our favorite take-out options we like to order.
The Pizza Night cookbook is really fun with tons of pizza ideas of all different styles, but what is really neat is that she also pairs each pizza recipe with a salad to go with it. With all the doughs, toppings, and salads you can mix and match until your heart’s content.
For the pizza we made, the Sicilian Style, it’s basically a sheet pan pizza with a focaccia dough base. The dough was very easy (much like my own focaccia recipe), and the method of just stretching it into a large baking sheet rather than trying to work it into a typical pizza circle was much more manageable.
The key step is par baking the crust, which came out fluffy, yet sturdy, with an amazing crunch on the bottom thanks to generously buttering the pan. Then you add your sauce, cheese, and toppings and pop it back into the oven.
The recipe does call for a quick sauté of the mushrooms, onions, and peppers, but I think it helps draw some of the moisture out so the pizza isn’t soggy. It wasn’t hard, and you could do it in advance.
What I really liked was her method of just pinching off bits of sausage and plopping them, uncooked, on the pizza. I’ve always cooked off sausage for pizza ahead of time, but this way the sausage just cooks right on the pizza. (And it actually didn’t leave a greasy mess. I was surprised.)
A couple of my changes - I used canned mushrooms. I was just being lazy. It was fine. Also, I forgot to get pepperoni at the store, so we tossed on some bacon bits from the fridge - they were a good addition!
I’m excited to try more pizza ideas from this book, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we made this same one again!

Printer Friendly Potsticker And Cabbage Slaw Skillet

163KB ∙ PDF file

Potsticker and Cabbage Slaw Skillet

Makes 4 servings

For the sauce

· ½ cup Soy Sauce

· ¼ cup Honey

· ¼ cup Chicken (or vegetable) Broth

· 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar

· 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar

· 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil

· 1 teaspoon Sriracha

· 3-4 cloves Garlic, minced or grated

· 1-inch piece of fresh Ginger, grated (about a tablespoon)

· 1 tablespoon of Cornstarch + 1 tablespoon of Water

For the skillet

· 2 tablespoons Neutral Oil (such as Vegetable or Canola)

· 1 bag (16 ounces) Shredded Cabbage and Carrot Cole Slaw

· 1 cup frozen Shelled Edamame

· 4 Green Onions, thinly sliced, white parts and green parts divided

· 16 frozen Potstickers, flavor of your choice

Make the sauce – In a bowl or large measuring cup, combine all of the sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch and water. Mix well and set aside.

Make the skillet - In a large, deep sided skillet with a lid, heat the oil over medium high heat until shimmering. Add the white parts of the green onions and cook 1-2 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the bag of cole slaw and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until it has softened and cooked down a bit.

Stir in ½ cup of the sauce and the edamame and cook for 3 minutes.

Nestle the potstickers into the cabbage mixture so they are half in/half out. (If you can fit more than 16, go for it!) Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook for 10 minutes as the potstickers steam.

Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch and water together in a very small bowl to make a slurry. Stir the slurry into the remaining sauce you have. Pour the sauce into a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until it reaches a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the sauce has thickened and is smooth and glossy. Reduce heat to very low, just to keep warm.

Once the potstickers are cooked, drizzle the pan with a little of the thickened sauce and top with the remaining sliced green onion.

Serve as-is or over rice or noodles with the extra sauce.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!

(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)

All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!

Hey, you made it all the way to the end! If you liked In This Kitchen feel free to share it.

Caramelized Onion Orzo...

Sarah Jackson — Wed, 20 May 2026 11:03:45 GMT

Good morning, friends! I hope this busy time of year doesn’t have you too stressed out. And if it does, take a deep breath, we’ll get through it!

They say “March comes in like a lion”, but boy it feels like May should take that spot! And while I realize I may mostly be speaking to those of you with school age children who are finishing the year and cramming all the last things in, we would never leave out the grandparents also running from kindergarten performances to high school graduations and everything in between, or those of you who have lists of things that need to be done before you head out on a summer vacation.

It’s a lot. Last year about this time our newsletter introduced the term “May-cember” and we talked about ways to still plan for dinner even though our heads and hands are full getting other things done. I may have to refer back to those easy lists, menus, and planning tactics as we head into the last weeks of school with a big church conference and a Europe trip closing in fast.

Today’s recipe for Caramelized Onion Orzo may not seem like a “wow the weather just got HOT” kind of recipe, but it is a cozy, one-dish pasta that I certainly find comforting when my brain feels over-worked and stressed. At the end of a long day, I would love nothing more than just to sit with a bowl of creamy pasta and a spoon. I’d even let go of our dinner-is-at-the-table rule, and say let’s just curl up on the couch.

This pasta is not a 30 minute meal, as it takes a bit for the onions to caramelize, but you don’t have to stand there the whole time, and the recipe is not complicated. All-in-all, it falls in my “doesn’t require too much brain power” category. And the result of caramelizing those onions, stirring in orzo pasta until tender, and letting a Boursin cheese turn it into a pot of creamy goodness (with a little more cheese on top, of course) is too good to pass up. You can serve it in a pasta bowl as a vegetarian main dish or alongside a simple grilled or roasted meat and veggies for a full plate. Either way, it’s a winner.

That’s all for today, as as I too have a list of other things that need to be done! Back next week with another one-skillet dinner!

MONDAY - Spaghetti and Meatballs, Salad, Bread

Can’t go wrong with a classic! I’ll make the meatballs earlier in the day and just pop the tray in the fridge. Then all I have to do is bake them off, make a quick marinara, and boil some pasta. Lettuce from the garden to make a salad, and a good loaf of bread from the farmers’ market to complete it all.

TUESDAY - Out to Eat/Celebration Dinner

It’s awards night at school, so in celebration of all his accomplishments the Kiddo gets to pick where we eat dinner! (And I get a night off!)

WEDNESDAY - Chicken Piccata, Pearl Couscous, Roasted Carrots and Onions

Chicken cutlets in a lemon-caper sauce that can be spooned over herbed pearl couscous. The carrots and onions roast up nice and sweet which is a great complement to the tart lemon flavor of the piccata.

THURSDAY - Sicilian-Style Pizza, “The Works”

Cookbook Recipe - This week’s recipe is from Pizza Night (page 174), by Alexandra Stafford. Pizza at home is always fun since I can get the boys involved helping me put all the toppings on. This one has sausage, peppers, onions, and mushrooms - just like we order for take-out! I’ll have to make the dough ahead of time, but it doesn’t look hard.

FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-Up!

SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s (the in-laws)!

Dirty rice and lima beans. A great fall back plan for when we’re out of ideas!

SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s!

He found his “grill wok” so we’re doing diced and marinated squash and zucchini in the wok and grilled pork chops along with a roasted tomato and burrata salad.

LUNCHES for this week -

I got a cauliflower at the market to make a yellow curry with chickpeas and some swiss chard from the garden. I’ll serve it with the brown rice and quinoa mix I experimented with last week. (Which came out okay, but needs some tweaking to taste like those Seeds of Change packets.)

EXTRAS for this week

It’s cookie time! I’m in charge of making cookies for the big Annual Conference at our church in June - 400 chocolate chip and 150 oatmeal cream pies (which means 300 oatmeal cookies…) It’s do-able if I start making and freezing cookie dough now, so any extra time this week and next is spent hanging out with my mixer.

WEEK 19 - Hühnerfrikassee (Chicken Fricassee) - Luisa Weiss, Classic German Cooking (page 144)

I’ve never had or made a “fricassee”, but this chicken stew turned out to be one of those classic homestyle comfort food type dishes.
I followed the full recipe, cooking a whole chicken in a pot to shred the meat and use the broth it made, which wasn’t hard, but did take a while. (I had planned ahead and knew it would take time.) After the chicken was done, the recipe came together very quickly and easily, just sautéing some onions, thickening the broth into a hearty sauce and adding the mushrooms to cook for a few minutes before stirring the chicken and some frozen peas back in.
While it did take time and planning to simmer the chicken for an hour and half, I was reminded how nice it is to have that aroma floating through the house. I didn’t mind pulling the chicken off the bone and shredding it, but if I was pressed for time, I would use either rotisserie or leftover chicken (as the head note suggests as a substitute) to make this a really easy, fast dinner.
We served it over fresh split open biscuits, which was fun and different, but as the recipe says, it would be great with rice or noodles as well.
One note, it’s one of those recipes that just says “season with salt to taste”, which drives me nuts - give me some kind of guideline or place to start. So you do have to taste along the way; I didn’t do a good job of that, and our was a little under-salted. (Which I guess is better than over-salted.)
I can see this as being a great recipe for days when you need something to come together fast. (It’ll go on my doesn’t use too much brain power list for sure!)

Printer Friendly Caramelized Onion Orzo

153KB ∙ PDF file

Caramelized Onion Orzo

Makes 4 main dish servings or 6 side dish servings

· 2 tablespoons Olive Oil

· 3 medium Onions, thinly sliced

· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)

· ¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper

· Several sprigs fresh Thyme

· 3 cloves Garlic, minced

· 2 tablespoons Butter

· 1 pound Orzo Pasta

· ½ cup dry White Wine (such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)

· 4 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth

· 5.3-ounce package of Caramelized Onion and Herb Boursin

· 1 cup grated Gruyere Cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the sliced onions, salt, pepper, and sprigs of thyme. Cook for 3-4 minutes at this temperature. Reduce heat to medium, add a splash of water (about ¼ cup), and cover the pan. Cook, lifting the lid to stir every once in a while, for about 30 minutes until very soft and golden brown. You may need to keep reducing the heat to medium-low or add another splash of water to keep the onions from sticking and burning. (I keep a small cup of water by the stove when caramelizing onions so I can easily add a little bit when needed.)

After the onions have caramelized, remove the thyme stems. Add the garlic and butter. Return the heat to medium (if you lowered it) and cook for about 2 minutes until the butter has melted. Stir in the dry orzo, then the wine. Bring to a simmer and cook for a couple of minutes until most of the wine is absorbed. Stir in the broth, return to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue simmering, uncovered, for 30 minutes until the pasta is tender and the mixture is thickened. Stir often, as orzo has a tendency to stick.

Add the Boursin cheese and stir until melted and creamy. Remove the pan from the heat, top with the gruyere cheese, and replace the lid for 5 minutes.

Serve as a side dish or a vegetarian main dish.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!

(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)

All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!

Hey, you made it all the way to the end! If you liked In This Kitchen feel free to share it.

Smashed Italian Sausages and Broccoli Rabe...

Sarah Jackson — Wed, 13 May 2026 11:01:15 GMT

Let me set the scene for you.

A piazza in Rome. In the morning it’s a bustling little market, maybe fish and meats, or maybe this one is produce and flowers, ready for the neighborhood to come shopping for the day. As the market closes in the early afternoon, the bordering cafes and restaurants bring out their umbrellas and tents and tables and chairs complete with red-checked table cloths beckoning you in for an evening meal worth lingering over.

And there I sit, family beside me, just taking it all in. A glass of wine, a basket of bread, everybody tasting bites of each other’s dinner plates. It’s the perfect memory. You know one of those that makes you want to close your eyes and relive the moment or find a way to re-create it. (We all have those memories. But surprise, surprise, most of mine revolve around food.)

In this particular moment, we were sitting at Osteria da Mario in the Piazza delle Coppelle. I was having the Salsicci e Broccoletti (grilled sausage with sautéed broccoli) and thoroughly enjoying every bite.

It’s not a great photo; I was trying so hard not to be that tourist taking pictures of all her meals. And it wasn’t fancy food. It was just simple and delicious. The sausages were pressed flat and griddled to get a sear on both sides, and the broccoli turned out to be broccoli rabe (so not really broccoli at all, more like broccoli’s more bitter distant cousin) sautéed to crisp tender and the perfect pair to the rich, salty sausages.

As soon as I started eating it (kicking myself for saying everyone could have a bite), I knew it was one of those meals I had to figure out how to make at home. It took a couple of tries, but nobody minded the taste tests. The trick is to take the casings off the sausages so they press flat, and then sauté the broccoli rabe with plenty of garlic in the same pan.

Now, whenever I need to be transported back to Rome, I can throw my red-checked table cloth on the patio table, turn on the café lights, and make Smashed Italian Sausages and Broccoli Rabe for a dinner worth lingering over. And you can too. Full recipe below.

MONDAY - Hühnerfrikassee (Chicken Fricassee)

Cookbook Recipe - This week’s recipe is from Classic German Cooking (page 144), by Luisa Weiss. Diving into my German heritage with a chicken stew! Shredded chicken with mushrooms, carrots, and peas in a thick gravy. I’ll make some biscuits we can split open to serve the stew over.

TUESDAY - Chili Crisp Noodles

I saw this idea on something America’s Test Kitchen posted - basically a streamlined version of Dan Dan Noodles. Ground pork and bok choy in a chili sauce tossed with lots of noodles for take-out at home.

WEDNESDAY - Chicken Tikka Masala and Rice

This is a crowd pleaser at our house. I make it with chicken thighs and then shred them right in the sauce and serve it all over jasmine rice. Roasted broccoli on the side.

THURSDAY - Sheet Pan Gnocchi

My go-to when I need a no-brainer. Use whatever veggies you have around and fully cooked chicken sausage to make a fast and easy dinner. This recipe is a good starting point, but you can change it up.

FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-Up!

SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s (the in-laws)!

Thick cut pork chops with BBQ sauce; roasted potatoes and green beans on the side. Also, a really yummy looking pull-apart cheesy bread from Costco!

SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s!

Brats on the grill alongside foil packets with sliced onions and peppers. (No dishes to wash for the win!)

LUNCHES for this week -

Making a broccoli and farro salad out of my Wishbone Kitchen cookbook. It’s her version of the famous Charlie Bird farro salad. Ina Garten has a version as well. This one has chewy farro with roasted broccoli, cherry tomatoes, nuts, fresh herbs, and parmesan cheese.

EXTRAS for this week

Thinking we need to shake up breakfast, so I’ll make my pigs in a blanket where I do breakfast link sausages and pancake batter in my “twinkie” baking pan. Anything to get us motivated for these last couple weeks of school!
Also, I sometimes buy those Seeds of Change microwave rice and quinoa packs because they’re so convenient when I’m making a grain bowl or salad, but I think I can make my own and use my smaller Souper Cubes to freeze portions for reheating. I’m going to give it a go.

WEEK 18 - Pasta and Melted Leeks with Sausage, Olives, and Oregano - Joshua McFadden, Six Seasons of Pasta (page 177)

If you are a pasta lover, this cookbook is for you. I got it for Christmas and immediately read it cover to cover.
This cookbook is broken down into chapters for each season and what type of pasta/sauce you might make in each season, but it’s more than just a collection of recipes; it has lots of great information on cooking pasta in general. And bonus, he purposely wrote it to only use dried pasta that you can find in the grocery store, making it easily accessible.
For the recipe we made, you brown sausage and then add sliced leeks, cooking them down until they are very soft. Canned tomatoes, olives, and fresh oregano finish the sauce, and then you stir in the cooked pasta with a little pasta water and parmesan cheese. More parm on top along with torn fresh mozzarella.
I was a little worried that the flavors of the leeks, olives, and oregano might all be too strong and compete with each other, but it came out really balanced and no flavor overpowered any of the others. The leeks gave the sauce a silkiness and held everything together, the olives were like little briny treasures (I’m sure you could leave them out if you aren’t an olive person), and the oregano added a little earthy freshness.
The one big change I made was to go ahead and double the recipe. The whole book is written using 8 ounces of dry pasta for each recipe, serving 2-3. That definitely doesn’t work for us (I don’t know that I’ve ever only cooked a half a box of pasta…). Some of the doubled amounts I just eye-balled, and I know I used more sausage and tomatoes than it called for, but that’s how they came in the packaging, so we went with it.
This pasta dish came out hearty and comforting, but not over-the-top heavy. I’m excited to try more recipes from this book.

Printer Friendly Smashed Italian Sausages And Broccoli Rabe

170KB ∙ PDF file

Smashed Italian Sausages and Broccoli Rabe

Serves 3-4

· 1 pound Italian Sausage Dinner Links, your preferred spice level

· 1 tablespoon Olive Oil

· 1 large clove Garlic, thinly sliced

· 1 bunch Broccoli Rabe, ends trimmed and halved crosswise

· ¼ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)

· A few cracks of freshly ground Pepper

Use a sharp knife to gently cut a slit through the casings of the sausage links. Remove the casings, being careful to keep the sausages in their “link” shape. One at a time, place the sausages between two pieces of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to gently roll them to ½-inch thickness. Set aside to a plate.

Heat the oven to a “warm” setting or a very low temperature such as 200.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat until shimmering. Carefully add the sausages, reduce the heat to medium, and cook the sausages for 4-5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through. Remove from the skillet, set on an oven-safe plate, and keep warm in the oven.

To the oil and drippings in the skillet, add the sliced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the broccoli rabe, salt, and pepper. Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes, then uncover, stir, and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Arrange the broccoli rabe on the plate with the smashed sausages and serve.

NOTE: When I had this as my meal in a restaurant in Rome, it was just the sausage and broccoli rabe, and I enjoyed it with a glass of wine and bread. And it was a perfect, light dinner. However, if you would like to serve a side dish to complete your meal, I suggest a creamy polenta, risotto, or small pasta such as orzo.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!

(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)

All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!

Hey, you made it all the way to the end! If you liked In This Kitchen feel free to share it.

Strawberry Crumble Cake...

Sarah Jackson — Wed, 06 May 2026 11:03:25 GMT

It’s strawberry season, baby!

We had our first Farmers’ Market of the season last Saturday. It was a beautiful day, and the people were out in droves. The booths packed the square - butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers. Yes, really - I actually saw all of those categories.

Not to be outdone, our local farms showed out with all the early season produce - radishes and beets, piles of leafy greens, broccoli and cauliflower, and baskets piled high with strawberries.

Oh, the strawberries! I think every booth had baskets lining their tables. The weather this year must have been just right for their growing season.

There’s just something about those perfect berries that requires us to grab the biggest basket and carry them home like treasure. And of course, I am not immune to the excitement - as evidenced by the strawberry recipes that appear here every year, right around this time. The Strawberries and Cornmeal Shortcakes and the Strawberries and Cream Cake are both winners.

As is today’s new recipe for a Strawberry Crumble Cake!

Not too long ago, I made Deb Perelman’s Perfect Blueberry Muffins and was struck with the idea to somehow turn our favorite muffin into a cake of the strawberry variety. I wanted it to taste full-on of strawberry, and I wanted it to have a crumbly streusel-like layer on the top. After some tinkering, both goals were achieved!

Strawberries come at you in three ways - strawberry yogurt in the batter along with diced fresh berries and a drizzle of strawberry jam just under the crumble. And that crumble layer is substantial enough to not feel like just a sprinkling of something crunchy; there’s enough there that you get a little in every forkful. (Full recipe below.)

So far the best review has been my son’s first bite and exclamation - “whoa, this really tastes like strawberry.” (And in case you don’t know, for a fifteen year old boy, that’s a lot of excitement.)

This cake would be a lovely addition to your Mother’s Day brunch menu, but I think it squarely falls into my favorite category of anytime-cake. Breakfast, snack, or evening treat - it all works for me! In fact, I highly suggest just leaving a knife in the cake stand so you can slice off a little wedge any time you walk by…

MONDAY - Baked Chicken Breast, Mac ‘n Cheese, Green Beans

Seasoned chicken breasts can bake in the oven while I make a quick stove top mac ‘n cheese. I’ve been keeping a Costco sized bag of frozen green beans for when we need a veg, and I didn’t get anything at the store.

TUESDAY - Enchiladas and Rice

Cinco de Mayo falls on Taco Tuesday! Ground Beef Enchiladas and a cilantro lime rice with chips and salsa will fit the bill!

WEDNESDAY - Melted Leeks with Sausage, Olives, and Oregano

Cookbook Recipe - This week’s recipe is from Six Seasons of Pasta (page 177), by Joshua McFadden. A curly pasta that holds onto a chunky tomato sauce with softened leeks, sausage, and pops of briny olives.

THURSDAY - Pork BBQ Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Pork butt was on sale at the store, so I’ll pop it in the slow cooker early in the day. I’ll turn some into bbq for stuffing into big baked potatoes with cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, and chives. The rest will go into the freezer.

FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-Up!

SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s (the in-laws)!

She found a yummy looking recipe for these shrimp and chicken kabobs with a honey-sesame marinade that doubles as a dipping sauce. Excited to try something new!

SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s!

Smash burgers and corn on the cob! (He’s been teaching The Kiddo to man the grill the past couple of weeks, and it’s fun to watch!)

LUNCHES for this week -

A “throw-it-together” pasta of sautéed onions and swiss chard tossed with sliced chicken sausages and chickpea pasta and topped with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a drizzle of pesto oil. I’ve already had it a couple of days, and I’m really digging it. Not too heavy, but enough protein and fiber to keep me going until dinner!

EXTRAS for this week

Testing a new sheet pan chicken idea sometime this week and then spending a couple of days trying to revive my sourdough starter which I have neglected. (She doesn’t look so good…)

WEEK 17 - Chicken Katsu - Joshua Weissman, An Unapologetic Cookbook (page 151)

(I didn’t find the exact recipe from the cookbook, but this one on his website is really close.)
Chicken katsu is something we order fairly often when eating out - for us it’s like the Japanese version of our favorite schnitzel! The boys picked it out for our cookbook recipe of the week, and I was happy to make it for them.
The breading and frying of the chicken cutlets is pretty straight forward in this recipe - flour, eggs, panko - similar to other recipes. The recipe did call for more oil to fry them in than what I usually do (I usually do a shallow pan-fry), but it worked well, and I think they came out crispier than mine usually do.
I’m not sure I’m sold on the katsu sauce that you make to go with it; it tasted mostly like ketchup to me. The boys liked it with the chicken, but I think I’d go without it next time.
However, the cabbage slaw on the side was a surprising win! The recipe didn’t really come with a lot of specifics, you mix sliced cabbage with salt, chili oil, and lemon juice “to taste”. I felt like I was flying blind, but I mixed and tasted and mixed and tasted again, and somehow this came out as a wonderful accompaniment to the crispy cutlet.
My recipe alterations - I used three chicken breasts instead of four because they were pretty big, and I cut them in half to make thinner breasts before I pounded them. I also did the flouring step in a ziploc bag because I just didn’t want to wash one more bowl.
We served it as written with the katsu sauce and cabbage slaw, but I also added jasmine rice and honey carrots. Great dinner!
Next time I want crispy cutlets for something, I’ll pull this recipe out.

Printer Friendly Strawberry Crumble Cake

173KB ∙ PDF file

Strawberry Crumble Cake

Makes one 9-inch cake. 8-10 servings.

· 1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour

· 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder

· ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda

· ¼ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)

· 6 tablespoons Butter, melted and cooled slightly

· ½ cup White Sugar

· 1 large Egg, room temperature

· Lemon Zest from half of one Lemon

· One small container, 5.3 ounces, blended Strawberry Greek Yogurt

· 1 ½ cups small-diced Strawberries (thoroughly wash and dry strawberries before cutting)

· ¼ cup Strawberry Jam

Crumble Topping

· ¾ cup All Purpose Flour

· ¼ cup White Sugar

· ¼ cup Brown Sugar

· 1/8 teaspoon kosher Salt

· ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) Butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 with a rack in the middle position. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick spray, line the bottom with a parchment circle, and lightly spray again. Set the springform pan on a large baking sheet.

Make the crumble topping first – In a medium bowl, combine the flour, both sugars, and salt. Drizzle in the melted butter and mix with a fork until moistened and crumbly with some pea-sized pieces. Set aside.

Make the cake – In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and sugar whisking vigorously for a few minutes until thick and smooth. Whisk in the egg until completely combined and smooth. Add in the lemon zest and yogurt, stirring until well combined. With a spatula, fold in the flour mixture. When it is mostly combined, with just a little dry flour remaining, add the diced strawberries and continue folding until they are evenly distributed.

Spread the cake batter into the prepared springform pan. Heat the strawberry jam until just pourable (15-20 seconds in the microwave) and drizzle over the cake batter. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the top.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown on top and a cake tester comes out with just a few crumbs. Cool in pan for 20 minutes, then run a thin spatula around the edges, loosen springform collar, and remove.

Serve now or cool to room temperature. Serve plain or with a dollop of whipped cream. While best the day it is baked, you can store leftover cake, covered, on the counter for up to 3 days

That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!

(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)

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Roasted Salsa and White Queso...

Sarah Jackson — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:01:03 GMT

There are many years here in Tennessee when it seems that spring is a fleeting moment, and if you blink, you’ll miss it. I’ve seen it go from freezing winter one week, to mild the next, and then straight on through to heat and humidity more times than I can count. But this year has been a pleasant change, with more springy days than I can remember in a long time.

We have been drier than usual (we’re actually in a drought), and I don’t know if that has some effect on other aspects of weather, but the temps have been cool in the morning with sunshine most afternoons, and it feels like there’s been a breeze all month long. And, dare I say it…I haven’t been eaten alive by mosquitos yet (when usually I’m covered in big red welts by now).

All of that adds up to one thing - patio weather! Throwing open the doors in the morning to let the cool breeze blow through, lunches outside under the pergola, late afternoons spent with a snack and a book and feet propped up on a patio chair, dogs lying close by in the best sunny spots . The Hubby has been taking his computer outside on his work-from-home days, and Sunday afternoon I even took a little snooze in my comfy outdoor lounge chair. Ahhh, these are the days. (We keep looking at each other saying we need to soak up as much as we can before it gets too hot and humid.)

And what does the perfect patio day need? A really great patio snack! You know I love a little nibble (scroll through the “apps and snacks” section of the recipe index for all kinds of appetizers, dips, and tapas), and today we have a classic pairing that’s great anytime you want a chip and dip, but really made for patio sitting, and extra timely since Cinco de Mayo is next week!

It’s doesn’t get much better than a bowl full of Roasted Salsa, a hot skillet of White Queso, and our family favorite frozen margarita. Let’s throw a patio fiesta!

The roasted salsa tosses tomatoes, onions, garlic, and peppers under the broiler until they are soft, sweet, and smoky. Then they are blended with lime and cilantro to add a layer of bright freshness. You pick how chunky or smooth you want it. Make it as spicy as you’d like. Serve it with chips or spooned on tacos.

For the white queso, we start with a white sauce, making a roux with butter and flour and stirring in rich evaporated milk (starting with a white sauce makes the dip feel more substantial than just eating a bowl of melted cheese…). White American cheese from the deli counter melts into the best creaminess, and a little Monterey Jack gives it a cheesy boost. A little of that roasted salsa stirred in at the end adds texture and a nice balance to the richness of the cheese. To keep it warm and melty, serve from a mini crock pot or a hot cast iron skillet.

And what better to go with a spread of salsa and queso than the margarita we’ve been making for years? The recipe is below, it’s straight off the Vitamix website. Called a “whole fruit” margarita, it blends a whole peeled orange, lemon, and lime with tequila, orange liqueur, agave, and ice for a frozen margarita that’s fresh, not too tart, and has none of the twang of a pre-made margarita mix.

Whether you’re celebrating Cinco de Mayo next week or not, you should definitely add the Roasted Salsa and White Queso (and maybe a margarita!) to your patio sitting afternoons.

MONDAY - Sheet Pan Italian Sausages, Onions, and Peppers w/ Pasta

Sliced onions and sweet peppers and halved grape tomatoes all tossed on a sheet pan with olive oil, salt, and pepper with Italian sausages nestled in for an easy sheet pan dinner. I’ll do a side of angel hair pasta with garlic and butter.

TUESDAY - Chicken Katsu, Jasmine Rice, Honey Carrots

Cookbook Recipe - This week’s recipe is from An Unapologetic Cookbook (page 151), by Joshua Weissman. A Japanese style chicken cutlet served with katsu sauce and a cabbage slaw. I’ll make rice and carrots to go with. Japanese takeout at home!

WEDNESDAY - White Chicken Cacciatore, Mashed Potatoes

These chicken thighs braised in a white wine sauce are bright and herby and perfect over mashed potatoes to catch all the gravy.

THURSDAY - BBQ Ribs, Corn Orzo, Salad

I try to keep a rack of ribs in the freezer for a low effort dinner option. I’ll just brush these with bbq sauce a couple of times while they’re cooking to get them saucy and caramelized around the edges. It’s not quite farm-fresh corn season, but I saw some at the grocery and couldn’t resist, so it’s creamy corn and orzo for the side.

FRIDAY - Birthday Dinner for Yaya!

I’ll make a big Italian feast with pasta and focaccia and salad! Chocolate is the only request for the birthday cake - Ina Garten has a good recipe.

SATURDAY - Dinner at Dad’s!

He got steaks for the grill and potatoes for baking! Steakhouse night at Dad’s!

SUNDAY - Fun Day Out at Opryland

Yaya got us day tickets for the indoor water park at Gaylord Opryland, which we’ve been wanting to visit for a while! So, meals for the day will be on-site or doing a pick-up on the way home.

LUNCHES for this week -

I’ll do a riff on my favorite lentil salad adding some extra things from the fridge like celery that needs to be used and kale that keeps coming in the from the garden. And avocado, because I impulse bought a bag at Costco and now I need to use those babies up!

EXTRAS for this week

Chocolate birthday cake is on the list. So is trying my hand at making a Pimm’s Cup (I mentioned last week that we had them in New Orleans) because it would be a refreshing patio sipper for the summer. Oh, and I need to research the best way to freeze greens because I still have them coming in like crazy! (Is it possible to overdose on greens…?)

WEEK 16 - Meatballs Marsala with Egg Noodles and Chives - Deb Perelman, Smitten Kitchen Every Day (page 183)

(Recipe linked here.)
I think the best review here is that my son has already asked when we can make this again, and it hasn’t even been a full week yet!
Chicken meatballs are pan-fried, and then that same pan is used to build a creamy marsala wine sauce. The meatballs and sauce are served over egg noodles and topped with lots of fresh chives. Really, it was pretty easy!
The meatballs might be some of the best I’ve ever had, especially for a chicken meatball that can dry out. The added step of stirring lightly caramelized onions into the meatball mixture is definitely worth it - they add a little moisture and a ton of flavor! I don’t usually pan-fry meatballs (I usually bake them) because I don’t want to have to babysit the pan, but my mind has been changed. These got a nice bit of color on the outside and didn’t overcook on the inside.
The marsala wine sauce comes together quickly, and then you add the meatballs back to the skillet for a few minutes. I did feel like I wanted more of the marsala flavor, so next time I’ll add a splash more than what the recipe calls for. The egg noodles were a good base for the sauce and meatballs (however I think mashed potatoes could be an option as well), and the chives added a nice freshness to the finish.
It’s a do-again, for sure.

Printer Friendly Roasted Salsa

166KB ∙ PDF file

Printer Friendly White Queso

148KB ∙ PDF file

Roasted Salsa

Makes about 2 cups

· 1 ½ pounds Roma Tomatoes, cored and quartered lengthwise

· 1-2 Jalapeno Peppers, stem removed and quartered lengthwise *see note

· ½ of a large Onion, quartered

· 4 cloves Garlic

· 2 tablespoons Olive Oil

· 1 teaspoon kosher Salt, divided (Morton or other store brand)

· Juice from ½ of one Lime

· ½ cup (packed) roughly chopped fresh Cilantro, about one bunch

Turn the oven to broil and arrange a rack about 6-inches from the heating element. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat with non-stick spray.

Toss the tomatoes, peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil and ½ teaspoon of the salt and spread on the prepared baking pan.

Broil for 7-10 minutes, stir, and broil another 7-10 minutes until the vegetables are charred in several places. (All broilers are different – mine takes the full 10 minutes each time.)

Remove from oven and let the pan cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse the cooled vegetables until roughly chopped. Add the lime juice, cilantro, and another ½ teaspoon of salt and pulse several times until the desired consistency is reached.

Store the salsa in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

NOTE – The “heat” of a pepper lives in the seeds and ribs on the inside. If you like spicy salsa, use two jalapenos and leave the seeds and ribs in them. To lessen the heat, remove the seeds and ribs or only use one pepper. I suggest using gloves when handling hot peppers.

White Queso

Makes about 2 ½ cups

· 1 tablespoon Butter

· 1 tablespoon Flour

· ¼ teaspoon Cumin

· ¼ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)

· 1 can (12 ounces) Evaporated Milk

· 6 ounces White American Cheese (from the deli counter), cubed

· ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

· 2 tablespoons Roasted Salsa (or your favorite salsa)

· 2 tablespoons Milk, plus more as needed

In a medium pot, over medium high heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the cumin and salt. Stir in the flour and let the mixture bubble for about a minute while stirring.

Slowly whisk in the evaporated milk, a little bit at a time, waiting until it is thick and smooth before adding more. Once all of the evaporated milk has been added, reduce heat to medium, and cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. It should be steaming and just about to simmer again.

Turn heat to low and add in both of the cheeses. Stir until cheeses are melted and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the salsa and milk. Keep warm until ready to serve. If the queso thickens, stir in a splash more milk.

Store any leftover queso in the refrigerator. Reheat slowly, stirring often.

Whole Fruit Margarita (from Vitamix)

Makes about 4 servings

⅔ cup (180 ml) tequila
½ cup (120 ml) orange liqueur
1 medium orange, peeled
1 lime, peeled
1 lemon, peeled
⅓ cup (80 ml) honey (we use agave)
6 cups (780 g) ice cubes

With a peeler or paring knife, remove the peel and white pith from the fruits, leaving just the flesh.
Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid.
Start the blender on its lowest speed, then quickly increase to its highest speed.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!

(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)

All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!

Hey, you made it all the way to the end! If you liked In This Kitchen feel free to share it.

Muffuletta Pasta Salad...

Sarah Jackson — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:03:38 GMT

Hi friends, this one is long today to fit in all the things! You may have to hit “view entire message” at the bottom to see the rest!

When I was a little girl, sick days off from school usually meant a trip to a sandwich shop for lunch with Dad. Off to either the Subway, where we would split a footlong cold-cut combo with everything, or to a little local place called The Red Rose Dairy/Coffee House.

The Red Rose was in our historic downtown area, an old dairy turned café and coffee house. I remember eclectic furniture, a stage for live music, and a complete college student hangout type vibe. I felt uber cool whenever I got to go. It’s also where this olive-loving girl fell in love with a muffuletta sandwich.

The big, round, sesame studded loaf layered with different meats, cheeses, and an olive salad turned out to be just what the doctor ordered. I would order it every time. The Red Rose eventually closed and the old dairy was torn down, but I still order a muffuletta whenever I see it on a sandwich shop menu. It always brings back those memories of splitting a sandwich with dad on a day I should have been at school. (It’s a wonder I didn’t “get sick” more often.)

This last weekend, my brother and I took dad on a quick trip to New Orleans to play tourist for a few days. The birthplace of the muffuletta sandwich! It was at the top of my “to-eat” list.

Every restaurant had one on their menu, but we made our way to the Central Grocery in the French Quarter where, reportedly, the original muffuletta was created by a Sicilian immigrant, Salvatore Lupo.

We got a whole sandwich, sat at the counter with a couple bags of chips and cold drinks, unwrapped that baby, and ate the entire thing. It was perfect.

This week’s recipe is a nod to that marvelous muffuletta, my favorite sandwich, but in pasta salad form! The Muffuletta Pasta Salad (recipe down below) combines ditalini pasta with all the components of a true muffuletta - salami and ham, mozzarella and provolone, olives and giardiniera - all chopped small and tossed together with a tangy vinaigrette. Finished with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds to pay homage to it’s namesake Italian bread, all the flavors are there, ready to be scooped up with a big spoon.

The recipe makes a big bowl; I can eat it for lunch all week long. But, it’s also great for the warmer weather and the picnics and pot luck patio parties on the way! I’ll make a batch and split it with dad, and we can reminisce about all those shared sandwiches over the years.

New Orleans Highlights

A quick recap of other things we did and places we ate with links where I can find them!

Spent a day at the National WWII Museum. So many great exhibits here, I particularly liked the ones replicating the kitchens of the time period, complete with the recipe books for “how to use your sugar rations”.
Took a guided bike ride through the garden district to see some beautiful homes and historical landmarks. You know if there’s a bike ride, we’re going to find it.
Sat at Café Beignet for hot beignets and some people watching. And boy, is there people watching. (The French Quarter Festival also happened to be going on while we were there, and the famous Café du Monde was crazy crowded.)
Peeked into Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. The cemeteries are so beautiful; we could only peek into this one as it was closed to the public. If I go back to New Orleans, I’d like to walk through one.

Had the best diner breakfasts at Mother’s Restaurant and Majoria’s. So many bowls of the best grits!
Lunch at Cochon Butcher, which had the most amazing menu. We shared a ham and gruyere stuffed pretzel, then dad had the Moroccan Spiced Lamb Pita, my brother had the Porchetta with Chili-Marinated Rapini (pictured above), and I had the Duck Pastrami Sliders which were basically the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had.

Mr. B’s Bistro was our favorite dinner. We shared a plate of garlic truffle fries which were covered in cheese and studded with whole cloves of roasted garlic. Dad had the bacon wrapped shrimp and grits, Ben went with the half a garlic roasted chicken, and I had the honey ginger glazed pork chop. I took bites off everyone’s plates; all the bites made me a do a happy little dance.
We also ate at Napolean House which was more casual, but still a great meal. I had red beans and rice, Ben had the gumbo, and dad had a shrimp po-boy (not pictured). Also not pictured, we all enjoyed Pimm’s Cups, and decided it might need to be our poolside drink of the summer.

MONDAY - Japanese Ground Beef Curry, Rice

This recipe is one that came in an email from New York Times Cooking (unlocked recipe here), and it looked like one we would like. Savory, saucy ground beef and veg served over rice. I’ve never used Japanese Curry Bricks before, so it will be fun and new! (I did wimp out and get the mild flavor, not the medium it recommends).

TUESDAY - Pork Tenderloin, Cheesy Potatoes, Broccoli

Simple sheet pan roasted pork tenderloin is quick, easy, and hands-off. I’ll do some cheddar scalloped potatoes and steamed broccoli on the side while the meat is in the oven.

WEDNESDAY - Marsala Meatballs with Egg Noodles and Chives

Cookbook Recipe - This week’s recipe is from Smitten Kitchen Every Day (page 183), by Deb Perelman. Meatballs are a favorite in our house - These chicken meatballs are pan fried and then coated in a marsala wine sauce (like chicken marsala…). All served over buttered egg noodles and topped with fresh chives. I think I have enough lettuce coming up in the garden to make a salad to go with!

THURSDAY - Chicken Sandwiches, Chips, Fruit

Soccer game tonight = fast, easy, and light dinner. I’ll slice some of that grilled chicken I tucked away last week to make chicken sandwiches with lettuce, tomato, and honey mustard sauce. Chips and fruit make it complete, and bonus, it can be eaten on-the-go if needed.

FRIDAY - Another Cooking Class!

Fresh pasta making this time! Our sushi class from two weeks ago was super fun, but I think I’m more excited for this one. (We got gift cards for these classes for Christmas, and it’s been the best family experience type gift!)

SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s (the in-laws)!

She says she’s perfected cheeseburgers on the grill. I’ll test that theory!

SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s!

Marinated and grilled chicken leg quarters with roasted veggies and some kind of carbs - potatoes, rice, pasta…

LUNCHES for this week -

Prepping a few components to put together in different ways - roasted sweet potatoes, sautéed mustard greens (because they just keep coming from the garden!), and the last half a bag of Trader Joe’s Harvest Grain Mix. I can make plates, bowls, or salads with other bits and bobs from the fridge.

EXTRAS for this week

Egg bites for breakfast prep is a definite for this week, but I also have a strawberry cake idea floating around in my head I might try.

WEEK 14 - Tamale Pie Pie - Erin Jeanne McDowell, Savory Baking (page 346)

A typical tamale pie is a casserole with a really thick chili base and a cornbread topping baked on. We used to make one at my food shop, and it always went over really well.
This version from Savory Baking (great cookbook, by the way - nice to have a baking book that isn’t all desserts!) takes it one step further and bakes the pie in a “pie crust” made of corn tortilla dough. So, really I got to test two recipes since I was already making corn tortilla dough and decided to try my hand at homemade tortillas while the pie was in the oven.
You start with the tortilla crust - making the dough, letting it rest, pressing into the pan, baking it, and letting it cool. The dough was very easy to stir together and easy to work with. I was pleasantly surprised. (There is a lesson in reading the recipe ahead of time here, as you have to prep the dough at least an hour early.)
The recipe only needs half of the tortilla dough, so I decided to make actual corn tortillas out of the remaining portion. It was a fun learning experience, the flavor of fresh tortillas was really nice, and I think with practice I could get better at making them thin enough. I’ll keep the tortilla dough bookmarked in case I want to try again. If you don’t want to make tortillas, I would suggest just halving the recipe so you don’t have dough left over.
Next up, the chili filling. It was easy to make, basically browning meat, onions, and spices and then stirring in enchilada sauce. I used an inexpensive store-bought enchilada sauce, and it worked fine. The recipe calls for 1 3/4 cups, but the enchilada sauce comes in 10 ounce cans (1 1/4 cups). I bought two cans, but after looking at the mixture decided one can would be saucy enough. (It was.)
Once the crust and filling have cooled, you spread the filling into the crust and then make a cornbread batter to go on top. I really thought it wouldn’t be enough batter, but I did finally get it to spread to the edges (it was thick). Top it with cheese and bake until the cornbread is cooked through and the chili is bubbling around the edges.
We thought it came out good! You can’t beat chili and cornbread! The bottom corn tortilla dough crust was a little hard to cut through, I was afraid I was going to scratch my cast iron pan, but it was a nice addition in terms of texture and flavor, and it was sturdy enough to actually serve up like a slice of pie.
This recipe does have a fair amount of steps, but some of them (the tortilla dough and the filling) can be made in advance, which makes the final putting together of the tamale pie pretty easy.
Family verdict - we’d make it again!

Printer Friendly Muffuletta Pasta Salad

177KB ∙ PDF file

Muffuletta Pasta Salad

Vinaigrette

· 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

· 1 tablespoon Honey

· 1 clove Garlic, minced

· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)

· ¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper

· ½ cup Red Wine Vinegar

· ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salad

· 1 pound Ditalini Pasta (or other short pasta such as elbows or small shells)

· 8 ounces Mozzarella Pearls (or cut an 8-ounce log of fresh mozz into bite size pieces)

· 4 ounces Provolone, small diced

· 6 ounces mixed Salami and/or cured Ham, such as Genoa Salami, Capicola, Soppressata, or Mortadella

· Heaping ½ cup pitted Castelvetrano Green Olives

· Heaping ½ cup pitted Kalamata Olives

· Heaping 1 cup jarred Giardiniera, drained

· ¼ cup diced Roasted Red Peppers, drained

· ¼ cup Capers

· 2 tablespoons fresh minced Oregano

· 2 tablespoons fresh minced Parsley

· 2 tablespoons Sesame Seeds, lightly toasted

Make the dressing – In a large bowl, whisk together mustard, honey, garlic, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Slowly whisk in olive oil until well combined. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to package directions for “al dente”. Drain, rinse to cool, and set aside.

Add the mozzarella and provolone to the bowl with dressing, stir to coat. Working in batches, stack the slices of cured meats and cut into bite sized pieces. Add to bowl.

Roughly chop the olives and giardiniera and add to bowl. Then add the diced roasted red peppers, capers, oregano, and parsley. Stir to mix well, then add the cooked pasta.

Let the pasta salad rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in sesame seeds and serve.

NOTES – To toast the sesame seeds, place them in a small, dry skillet and set over medium heat. Stirring often, cook for a few minutes until lightly golden brown. (Don’t walk away, they can burn quickly.)

This pasta salad can be made the day ahead – follow all directions but do not add herbs or sesame seeds. Cover and store in the refrigerator. Pull out 30 minutes before serving to come back to room temperature, then stir in herbs and seeds

That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!

(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)

All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!

Hey, you made it all the way to the end! If you liked In This Kitchen feel free to share it.

Chicken and Gnocchi Stew...

Sarah Jackson — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:00:59 GMT

Hi everyone! Welcome back for part two of our “one rotisserie, two dinners” mini-series.

Last week we (I) touted the usefulness of a rotisserie chicken as a meal prep time saver and shared the recipe for Chicken Parmesan Manicotti that uses the white meat of one rotisserie.

This week, we’re using the rest of that chicken (the dark meat) for a Chicken and Gnocchi Stew.

Let’s keep it short and sweet today, and just get right into it!

This Chicken and Gnocchi Stew (recipe below) is one of those hearty, but not too heavy meals that can span seasons. It has a rich base of a thickened chicken gravy with large, tender shreds of chicken and chewy potato gnocchi. The pearl onions almost pop in your mouth, and lots of carrots and peas make it feel springy, although I’m perfectly happy curling up with a bowl any time of year.

It has pot pie vibes, but simple enough to be made in one skillet. I like to serve it with a simple salad and a good hunk of bread to swipe through the sauce.

Of course, you can use any cooked and shredded (or chopped) chicken for both this recipe and the manicotti from last week, but I love that both of these meals can be made with one rotisserie chicken, and that they are different enough from each other that we would eat them back-to-back (and have plenty of leftovers for lunches!).

Once you’ve picked that bird clean, pop the bones in a big freezer bag and save them for when you have time to make some chicken broth. (I just keep a 2-gallon bag in the freezer and add to it until it’s full, then make a big pot of broth!)

I hope you liked the little two-part series. If there’s ever anything you’d like to see more of, you just have to let me know!

That’s all for today, I’m off to spend a long weekend in New Orleans with my dad and brother (the original three) and can’t wait to share all the things we found to eat with you next week!

MONDAY - BBQ Sandwiches, Tater Tots

I pulled my last pack of pulled pork out of the freezer for an easy dinner. Just need some bbq sauce, pickles, and buns. (And the tots, of course!)

TUESDAY - Tamale Pie, Salad

Cookbook Recipe - This week’s recipe is from Savory Baking (page 346), by Erin Jeanne McDowell. It’s actually called Tamale Pie Pie. A tamale pie (a thick, ground beef chili base with a cornbread top) is baked in another pie crust made like a big corn tortilla. I used to make a tamale pie for my food shop, so I’m excited to see how this comes out! Chopped salad with ranch on the side.

WEDNESDAY - Pesto Tortellini with Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Cheesy baked pasta with tortellini, sliced italian sausage, and sun-dried tomatoes in a pesto sauce. You know I can’t get enough of that pesto/sun-dried tomato combination!

THURSDAY - Greek Chicken Meatballs, Couscous, Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

These chicken meatballs are so good! I’ll do a side of couscous with roasted peppers and red onions, and a cucumber-yogurt sauce with pita for dipping.

FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-Up!

SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s (the in-laws)!

I’ll be out of town (tell you all about it next week!), but the boys will still head on over to Yaya’s for our regular Saturday dinner. She said maybe dirty rice, but I bet she’ll make whatever they want!

SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s!

Dad and I will be just getting back in from our trip, so we’ll just grab a couple pizzas for everyone.

LUNCHES for this week -

Craving soup for some reason. I’ll do this creamy chicken and wild rice soup and have it for all week.

EXTRAS for this week

The grocery had the family pack of boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale this week, so I grabbed some. I’m going to make the same marinade I do for my air fryer chicken, but do them on the grill instead. I can use some for my lunch soup and then pop the rest into freezer bags for down the road. Also thinking about applesauce oatmeal muffins to have around for breakfasts.

WEEK 13 - Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Jalapeno-Mango Salsa - Tieghan Gerard, Half Baked Harvest - Every Day (page 239)

(The exact recipe doesn’t seem to be posted online, but this one is pretty close.)
These tacos were good; the Kiddo really liked them. As the one who made the recipe, I have thoughts.
First, let’s talk shrimp - this, I liked! The method was so easy. Shrimp are tossed in a spice mixture and then simply roasted on a sheet pan. The flavors were great; the bit of cinnamon was a surprising ingredient, but it worked! I will definitely be adding variations of sheet pan shrimp in our meals more often.
Now, for the extras.
The sweet/tart pineapple-mango salsa was really nice with the shrimp, and I don’t really even like mango. The pineapple flavor shone through the most. And adding the roasted jalapeno, rather than a raw one, mellowed it out and gave a hint of smokiness. I ended up with a lot left over, so have some chips on hand to eat the rest.
The cilantro sauce did not work for me at all. It called for coconut cream, but mine separated when blended (weird, right?) and looked like a curdled mess. The flavors could have been nice, but I think I would do it with sour cream instead. I ended up throwing it out.
The recipe is written in the order of putting the shrimp and jalapeno in the oven, then making the salsa, then making the cilantro sauce. There is no way I would have had time to make the salsa and the sauce in the 12 minutes that it takes the shrimp to cook. I realized that when I read through the recipe, and prepped both of those before I put the shrimp in. If I do it again, I’ll roast the jalapeno ahead of time also (and not on the same pan as the shrimp.)
Lastly, there are no directions given for the corn tortillas - it just says “warmed corn tortillas, for serving”. In my experience, just warming corn tortillas in the microwave doesn’t keep them from breaking. Brushing them with a little oil and toasting them works so much better and gives them a nice chewy texture. I didn’t want to have to do them all one-by-one in a skillet, so I laid them out on a separate sheet pan, brushed them on both sides with oil, and toasted them in the oven for a few minutes on each side. Worked like a dream.
Final thoughts - I appreciated this recipe for the idea of roasting shrimp for tacos. However, an easy, breezy meal it was not. I felt like I was making a bunch of components, which means a bunch of dirty dishes. (And one of those components didn’t even turn out right!) If I were to do something like this again, I’d make the extras ahead of time (or grab some store-bought pineapple salsa), and then just make the shrimp when we were ready for dinner.

Printer Friendly Chicken And Gnocchi Stew

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Chicken and Gnocchi Stew

Makes 4-5 servings

· 1 tablespoon Olive Oil

· ½ of one medium-large Onion, diced (about 1 cup)

· 4 medium Carrots, diced (about 1 ½ cups)

· 3 medium Celery stalks, diced (about 1 ½ cups)

· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)

· ¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper

· ¼ teaspoon Turmeric

· 2 tablespoons Butter

· 2 tablespoons Flour

· ½ cup dry White Wine

· 2 cups Chicken Broth

· 1 teaspoon dried Tarragon Leaves

· 3 cups shredded Chicken, I like a medium-large shred here – the dark meat (or a mix of light and dark) from a rotisserie chicken

· 1 pound package shelf-stable Gnocchi

· 1 cup frozen Peas

· 1 cup frozen Pearl Onions

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep sided pan over medium-heat heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until softened and just starting to lightly brown. Reduce heat if necessary to prevent burning.

Stir in the turmeric and butter and cook until the butter is melted. Stir in the flour and cook one minute. Slowly pour in the wine, and stirring constantly, cook until thickened, about 1 more minute.

Pour in half of the broth, stir until combined, then stir in the rest of the broth and the tarragon. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the gnocchi. (Make sure to break them apart if they are stuck together.) Simmer the gnocchi for 7-10 minutes until plump and tender.

Stir in the chicken, peas, and pearl onions. Cook, stirring frequently, returning pan to a simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove pan from heat, rest for 4-5 minutes, and serve.

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