Teri Lyn Fisher – FoodWatcher

Sushi Bake

Love sushi but don’t have the time or confidence to roll your own at home? This sushi bake is the easiest and most flavorful way to enjoy your favorite sushi flavors anytime the craving strikes. Like our Korean Style Spicy Sashimi Salad and Poke Burrito, you can make sushi-inspired meals at home without all the fuss. Baking the steamed rice creates a crispy texture that contrasts the creamy salmon filling in the most amazing way….

The post Sushi Bake appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Salmon sushi bake in a baking dish with cucumbers and nori.

Baking the steamed rice creates a crispy texture that contrasts the creamy salmon filling in the most amazing way. Topping it all off with a sauce of kewie pie, eel sauce, sriracha, and furikake adds the spicy umami flavor you love. All you need is an 8 x 8-inch baking dish, no special tools, to make a baked sushi casserole that just might rival your favorite takeout spot.

What is Sushi Bake?

A sushi bake is a casserole with all your favorite sushi ingredients and flavors. Steamed rice bakes at the bottom of a greased pan and is topped with a mixture of cream cheese, mayo, salmon, sriracha, soy sauce, green onions, and furikake. The entire pan is baked and then broiled for a golden, browned, and crispy texture. And with a spicy mayo drizzled on top, you can serve it with any of your other favorite sushi ingredients like avocado, cucumbers, and nori.

How to Make Our Spicy Salmon Sushi Bake

Ingredients

Making sushi rice as the base for salmon sushi rice.

Toppings for our salmon sushi bake recipe.

Process

Preheat oven to 425˚F. In a bowl, combine all rice ingredients and gently fold them together.
Press mixture into a lightly greased 8”x8” baking dish.

A glass bowl with sushi rice in it for salmon sushi bake.

Cooked salmon mixed with mayo and sriracha in a glass bowl.

Combine all salmon ingredients into a bowl, except furikake, and mix together.
Top rice with an even layer of furikake.

Rice being pressed into a baking dish to make a sushi bake.

Then top with an even layer of salmon mixture.
Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. Then broil for 1 to 2 minutes to lightly brown top. Remove from heat and cool for 5 to 8 minutes.

Salmon sushi bake in a baking dish ready to go into the oven.

Salmon sushi bake out of the oven ready for toppings.

Top sushi bake with a drizzle of kewie pie, eel sauce, and sriracha, and finish with a sprinkle of furikake and green onions. Serve with toasted nori, avocado, and cucumber.

Salmon sushi bake in a baking dish ready to be served.

Substitutions and Variations

Here are some ways to make this sushi bake your own or switch it up to enjoy a new variation each time you make it!

Swap the rice. Instead of short-grain rice, use cauliflower rice, brown rice, or quinoa for a different flavor and nutrient profile.
Swap the Salmon. Instead of cooked salmon, you can use cooked tuna, canned salmon or tuna, cooked shrimp, imitation crab meat, or real crab meat for a bit of a fancier spin.
Make it dairy-free. Use a dairy-free cream cheese in the salmon mixture.
Top with more veggies. Cucumber and avocado are classic, but you can also top this sushi bake with sliced carrots, radishes
Swap the furikake. You can create a similar flavor and texture with sesame seeds, seaweed flakes, and sea salt if you don’t have furikake on hand.
Swap the kewpie mayo. We love using kewpie mayo (a Japanese mayo that’s made with just the egg yolks, not the whole egg, for a richer flavor and texture), but if you can’t get your hands on it, regular mayo can work in a pinch.

Close up on a baking dish of sushi bake recipe with a spoon in it.

How to Serve Sushi Bake

Serve the sushi bake with seaweed snacks or nori sheets. You can cut small pieces of the sushi bake and wrap them into the seaweed sheets like a little taco – much easier than rolling! Inside the nori or on top of the sushi bake, you can include julienned cucumber, carrots, radishes, pickled ginger, or slices of avocado.

Sushi bake being served with cucumber slices.

Tips and Tricks for the BEST Sushi Bake Experience

Avoid overcooking the rice. Because the rice is steamed and then baked, you’ll want to make sure the rice isn’t initially overcooked. Letting it cool after it’s steamed can also help the rice bake with more of a crispy texture and avoid becoming mushy.
Use soft cream cheese. Let the cream cheese get to room temperature before making the salmon mixture. This will help the texture be creamy and not lumpy.
For the best flavor, use fresh, quality seafood.
Don’t skip the furikake. Adding a light layer of furikake between the rice and salmon mixture helps infuse the rice with flavor as it cooks.
Don’t skip the broil. While it only needs a minute or two, broiling the sushi bake at the end helps add a crispy texture and deeper flavor to the entire dish.
Serve warm or cold. We like this dish served warm, but it’s also great straight from the refrigerator, enjoyed cold.
Cut nori sheets into manageable sizes. If you’re using sheets of nori instead of pre-cut seaweed snacks, cut them into squares or rectangles that can easily hold 2-3 inch squares of the casserole.

Can This Recipe Be Made Ahead of Time?

This recipe is best when eaten fresh while still warm, but it can be made ahead of time or even enjoyed cold right out of the refrigerator.

To make cooking easier, feel free to prep these parts ahead of time:

Steam the rice up to three days ahead of time, letting it cool, and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cook the salmon or make the salmon mixture up to 24 hours ahead of time, then store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to use.
Preslice your veggies.

To store leftovers, place them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Enjoy the cold sushi casserole or reheat it by covering a pan in foil and baking at 350˚F until warmed. You can also reheat in the microwave in 30-second increments until the dish is warmed through.

More Delicious Recipes You Will Love

Sushi Bake

This sushi bake combines creamy, spicy salmon and sticky rice with a flavorful spicy sauce for a twist on traditional sushi that you can easily make at home!

Course dinner, Main Course, main dish

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 363kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

sushi rice

3 cups steamed short grain rice warm
1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar

salmon

8 ounces cooked boneless, skinless salmon fillet flaked
4 ounces softened cream cheese
1/4 cup kewpie mayonnaise (American mayo is fine too)
2 tablespoons Sriracha
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons furikake seasoning

topping

3 tablespoons kewpie mayonnaise
3 tablespoons eel sauce
2 tablespoons Sriracha
2 tablespoons furikake seasoning
2 thinly sliced green onion

serving suggestions

toasted and seasoned nori sheets
sliced avocado
sliced cucumber

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425˚F. In a bowl combine all rice ingredients and gently fold together.
Press mixture into a lightly greased 8”x8” baking dish.
Combine all salmon ingredients into a bowl, except furikake, and mix together.
Top rice with an even layer of furikake.
Then top with an even layer of salmon mixture.
Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. Then broil for 1 to 2 minutes to lightly brown top. Remove from heat and cool for 5 to 8 minutes.
Top sushi bake with a drizzle of kewie pie, eel sauce, and sriracha and finish with a sprinkle of furikake and green onions. Serve with toasted nori, avocado, and cucumber.

Notes

**Nutritional information does not include “serving suggestion” items such as sliced cucumber, sliced avocado, and toasted/seasoned nori sheets**

Nutrition

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Fresh Spring Rolls

Fresh spring rolls might be one of my favorite things to eat ever! I love everything about them – the freshness, the filling versatility, the general healthful nature, and how easy they are to make! Our fresh spring rolls recipe today is vegan, gluten-free (can also use coconut aminos or soy sauce if gluten-free isn’t a concern). I eat these for dinner all the time, they’re so hearty and filling and truly make such a…

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I eat these for dinner all the time, they’re so hearty and filling and truly make such a delicious dinner. I also make them as great, light appetizers whenever I have friends or family over and they’re always a hit. Don’t even think about sleeping on that dipping sauce. It’s equally as fresh and vibrant as the rolls! If you want to serve them with a peanut sauce instead (or both!) we love using our soba noodle peanut sauce recipe as another option!

How to Make Our Fresh Spring Rolls Recipe

Ingredients (to Note)

Rice Paper Wrappers are thin, round, translucent sheets that can be found at many asian grocery stores as well as most American grocery stores, in the asian food aisle and online.

Process

DIPPING SAUCE

Fresh spring roll sauce ingredients ready to be mixed together.

Place vinegar and sugar in a small pot and simmer until sugar dissolves.
Remove from heat and cool. Stir in remaining ingredients and set aside.

Dipping sauce ingredients in a pot with fresh herbs.

Spring roll filling ingredients and assembly ingredients.

MUSHROOMS

Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. Sauté mushrooms for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add soy sauce and sugar and stir together until mushrooms are evenly coated. Remove from heat and cool.

Cooked mushrooms in a skillet to make spring rolls.

ASSEMBLY

Dip rice paper wrappers in warm water for 5 to 7 seconds until soft and pliable (they will soften more as you fill and roll them). Lay wrapper flat onto a clean surface.Lay a butter lettuce leaf onto the rice paper wrapper on the side closest to you. Add a small handful of the shredded cabbage in the center of the butter lettuce leaf. Top cabbage with some carrots and a few strips of red and yellow bell peppers. Top with some mushrooms and finally a mint leaf.
Carefully wrap fresh spring roll as tight as possible, folding the sides of the spring roll inwards, while rolling. Repeat until all filling ingredients and rice paper wrappers have been used. Cut each spring roll in half and serve on a platter with the dipping sauce.

Spring rolls being made with fresh ingredients.

A platter of fresh spring rolls cut in half.

Tips and Tricks for Fresh Spring Roll Success

Don’t dip the rice paper wrapper in the warm water for too long. You will end up having a hard time getting it to lay flat and roll.
It’s important that the made spring rolls are not refrigerated. This will cause the rice paper wrapper to become hard instead of pliable and slightly chewy.
Make the components ahead of time to save on time the day you serve them!

Fresh spring rolls on a platter with dipping sauce.

Prep Ahead and Storing Instructions

Storing Fresh Spring Rolls

While the fresh spring rolls are best made the day of (up to a few hours before they’re consumed), the different components can be made ahead of time!

If you’re not serving the spring rolls immediately keep them whole and cover them at room temperature with a damp paper towel or clean, light weight kitchen towel to prevent the rice wrapper from hardening. Then when ready to serve, uncover, slice in half and serve with dipping sauce! This is method is good if serving within 2 hours, re-dampening paper towels as needed.

Fresh spring rolls generally do not hold well overnight, but if you have leftovers or need to store them overnight, individually wrap them very tightly in plastic wrap then line them in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight (these won’t hold for more than 24 hours). When ready to use, remove container from refrigerator, unwrap each fresh spring roll and cover under a damp paper towel for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. They will not be quite the same as when served fresh, but should hold up pretty well.

Prepping Dipping Sauce

The entire dipping sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Alternatively (just) the sugar and vinegar mixture can be made up to 1 week in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. An hour to 3 days before serving, just stir in the remaining ingredients!

Mushrooms

The mushrooms can be sautéed up to 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Vegetables

All of the other vegetables can be sliced and stored in an airtight container up to 3 days in advance!

A platter of fresh spring rolls with a dipping sauce.

More Deliciously Fresh Recipes You Will Love

Fresh Spring Rolls

Fresh Spring Rolls that are vegan, loaded with so much great flavor and texture, and extremely addicting! We can't get enough of this delicious appetizer that can easily double as a simple dinner! We're equally obsessed with the punchy dipping sauce that's filled with all the delicious, fresh and spicy bits!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine vietnamese

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 5

Servings

Calories 109kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

dipping sauce

1 cup rice wine vinegar
⅔ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon sambal chile paste
2 teaspoons minced cilantro
1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
2 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon peeled and minced ginger

spring rolls

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons tamari (can use soy sauce or coconut aminos)
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
10 (8-9”) rice paper wrappers
10 large butter lettuce leaves
2 cups shredded purple cabbage
1 carrot, peeled and julienne
1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienne
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and julienne
10 large mint leaves

Instructions

dipping sauce

Place vinegar and sugar in a small pot and simmer until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool. Stir in remaining ingredients and set aside.

mushrooms

1. Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. Sauté mushrooms for 3 to 4minutes.
Add soy sauce and sugar and stir together until mushrooms are evenly coated. Remove from heat and cool.

assembly

Dip rice paper wrappers in warm water for 10 seconds until soft and pliable. Lay wrapper flat onto a clean surface.
Lay a butter lettuce leaf onto the rice paper wrapper on the side closest to you.Add a small handful of the shredded cabbage in the center of the butter lettuce leaf. Top cabbage with some carrots and a few strips of red and yellow bell peppers. Top with some mushrooms and finally a mint leaf.
Carefully wrap the spring roll as tight as possible, folding the sides of the spring roll inwards, while rolling.
Repeat until all filling ingredients and rice paper wrappers have been used.
Cut each spring roll in half and serve on a platter with the dipping sauce.

Notes

**Makes 10 Spring Rolls**

Tips and Tricks for Fresh Spring Roll Success

Don’t dip the rice paper wrapper in the warm water for too long. You will end up having a hard time getting it to lay flat and roll.
It’s important that the made spring rolls are not refrigerated. This will cause the rice paper wrapper to become hard instead of pliable and slightly chewy.
Make the components ahead of time to save on time the day you serve them!

Prep Ahead and Storing Instructions

While the fresh spring rolls are best made the day of (up to a few hours before they’re consumed), the different components can be made ahead of time!

Dipping Sauce

The entire dipping sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Mushrooms

The mushrooms can be sautéed up to 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Vegetables

All of the other vegetables can be sliced and stored in an airtight container up to 3 days in advance!

Nutrition

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Shrimp Toast

Is it just us or is Shrimp Toast highly underrated? Seriously. Why isn’t everyone screaming about the deliciousness of Chinese Shrimp Toast?? It’s probably one of our favorite appetizers and snacks. We know we say that a lot, but you guys, these little bites are truly IT! A delicious shrimp paste is smeared over some soft bread and pan-fried to perfection! Pair the little triangles with a sweet-chile sauce and you have yourself a flavor…

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Shrimp toast recipe on a platter with a sweet chili dipping sauce.

A delicious shrimp paste is smeared over some soft bread and pan-fried to perfection! Pair the little triangles with a sweet-chile sauce and you have yourself a flavor party in your mouth! Our easy shrimp toast recipe highlights the delicious sweet flavor of shrimp and is very addicting!!

Where Does Shrimp Toast Come From?

The exact origins of shrimp toast (also called prawn toast) is a little up for debate. Some say it comes from the city of Guangzhou while others say Hong Kong. Throughout the years it has become a staple in Hong Kong as well as western Chinese cuisine, most notably the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.

How to Make Our Recipe for Shrimp Toast

Ingredients

Add shrimp paste ingredients into the well of a food processor.
Pulse 6 to 8 times. Scrape down sides of the bowl and blend for about 30 seconds. Until a coarse paste has formed.

Ingredients for shrimp toast in a food processor.

Shrimp toast paste in a food processor to make shrimp toast.

Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of mixture onto each triangle of bread and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Repeat until all bread squares have been smeared with shrimp paste.

Pour oil into a large pan and place over medium heat. Carefully place half of the triangles of bread, shrimp-side down, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
Flip toasts over and fry for an additional 2 minutes.

Drain on cooling rack or paper towels, before transferring to a platter and serving with sweet-chili sauce.

Shrimp toast triangles on a drying rack.

Watch how easy it is to make our Shrimp Toast Recipe!

Best Texture for the Shrimp Paste

The topping is called shrimp paste for a reason, as it should really be a paste. This will help the paste spread and adhere onto the bread nicely. We love using our food processor for speed and ease. You can definitely make the paste by hand, simply mince the shrimp using a sharp knife, then scrape and mash the minced shrimp with the side of your knife to create a paste.

Our version uses a shrimp paste, but with a bit of texture. I like biting into the little triangles and feeling some of the shrimp texture. This is also why I like adding water chestnuts to the paste mixture. I really like the tiny bits of crunch you get from the water chestnuts as well as some texture from the bits of shrimp.

If you’re more of a purest you can definitely blitz the shrimp mixture in the food processor until it is indeed a smooth paste!

Should the Crust be On or Off?

Many recipes call for the crust to be removed from the bread before adding the paste, including ours! I really like the evenness of the bread with the crusts removed when toasted and often find leaving the crust on, makes the dish slightly more about the bread than the shrimp, which I don’t like.

This mostly comes down to personal preference though, so you can either remove the crust or leave them on. It doesn’t make much of a difference, but we all have our preferences. Some people leave it on because it’s a waste of bread to cut it off, but I always turn the crust scraps into homemade breadcrumbs for a lager use – so problem solved there!

Shrimp toast recipe on a platter with green onions and sesame seeds.

Common Cooking Methods

Shrimp Toast is usually deep fried or baked. I don’t love either options and think pan-frying (almost shallow frying) is the way to go. You still get the cooking evenness from pan-frying that you would with deep frying, but with less oil!

You can also definitely use the air fryer for these with delicious, crispy results! Just set your air fryer to 350˚F, generously spray the bottom of the fryer basket with cooking spray, as well as the top and bottom of each piece of shrimp toast, and air-fry for 4 to 5 minutes or until bread has toasted and shrimp mixture has just cooked through. **If your bread is very soft, leave slices out to air dry for 1 to 3 hours before spreading with shrimp mixture.**

Should You Use Shrimp or Prawns?

As I mentioned above shrimp toast is also called prawn toast and was originally made with prawns. They are totally interchangeable in this recipe, so use whichever is more ready available at your local market.

Also, if you’re curious about the differences between shrimp and prawns I found this great article that breaks down the differences.

Best Dipping Sauce

I love our shrimp toast recipe with sweet-chili sauce. I think the sauce perfectly compliments the sweetness of the shrimp, while providing a slight bit of heat that balances all the flavors out. You can easily also serve the shrimp toast with a ponzu sauce or even just some soy sauce on the side. You can also enjoy the shrimp toast with no sauce and it’s still very good. Enjoy!

Shrimp toast being served as an appetizer.

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Shrimp Toast

The BEST Shrimp Toast recipe you'll ever taste! Our simple, savory shrimp paste mixture is smeared over slices of bread and pan-fried until soft on top and crisp on the bottom! We serve ours with a sweet-chile sauce for absolute shrimp toast perfection!

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 405kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

2 teaspoons peeled and minced ginger
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
1/3 cup diced water chestnuts
1 egg white
1 thinly sliced green onion
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
10 slices milk bread (or white bread) crusts removed and each piece cut into 2 triangles
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup neutral oil

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Add shrimp paste ingredients into the well of a food processor.Pulse 6 to 8 times. Scrape down sides of the bowl and blend for about 30 seconds. Until a coarse paste has formed.
Pulse 6 to 8 times. Scrape down sides of the bowl and blend for about 30 seconds. Until a coarse paste has formed.
Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of mixture onto each triangle of bread and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Repeat until all bread squares have been smeared with shrimp paste.
Pour oil into a large pan and place over medium heat. Carefully place half of the triangles of bread, shrimp-side down, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes.Flip toasts over and fry for an additional 2 minutes.
Flip toasts over and fry for an additional 2 minutes.
Drain on cooling rack or paper towels, before transferring to a platter and serving with sweet-chili sauce.

Video

Notes

**4 pieces = 1 serving**

**Nutritional Information Does Not Include Sauce**

Best Texture for the Shrimp Paste

The topping is called shrimp paste for a reason, as it should really be a paste. This will help the paste spread and adhere onto the bread nicely. Our version uses a shrimp paste, but with a bit of texture. I like biting into the little triangles and feeling some of the shrimp texture. This is also why I like adding water chestnuts to the paste mixture. I really like the tiny bits of texture you get from the water chestnuts as well as the bits of shrimp. If you’re more of a purest you can definitely blitz the shrimp mixture in the food processor until it is indeed a smooth paste!

Common Cooking Methods

Nutrition

The post Shrimp Toast appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Jalapeño and Cheddar Spoon Bread

When you need an easy but incredibly satisfying side dish to serve with a meaty main like Spatchcock Chicken or Wagyu Beef Brisket, this Jalapeno and Cheddar Spoon Bread is a no-brainer. Its soft, souffle-like texture, rich cheddar, and spicy kick from the jalapenos make this spoon bread one of our favorites! Plus, it uses basic ingredients that you likely already have on hand, including cornmeal, milk, butter, flour, eggs, and of course, jalapenos and…

The post Jalapeño and Cheddar Spoon Bread appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Jalapeno cheddar spoon bread in a baking dish with some served into a bowl.

What is Spoon Bread?

Spoonbread is a traditional Southern side dish that’s a mix between corn pudding and corn bread – basically a cornmeal casserole. It has a softer texture that’s almost like a souffle, which means it’s meant to be eaten with a spoon instead of by hand or with a fork.

How to Make Spoon Bread

Ingredients

Process

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8” x 8” baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter and set it aside.
Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil. Whisk in the cornmeal and salt and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens – for about 3 minutes.

Spoon bread baking dish smeared with butter.

Spoon bread dry ingredients whisked together in a glass bowl.

Remove the milk mixture from the heat, and using a wooden spoon, stir in cheese, jalapenos, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter.
Continue to stir until most steam has escaped from the mixture. Beat the eggs into the mixture, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Stir in baking powder, salt and pepper.

Spoon bread wet ingredients being mixed in a bowl.

Spoon bread ingredients in a glass bowl with a whisk.

Pour the mixture into a prepared baking dish and dot the top with the remaining tablespoon of butter.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until it’s just set in the center. Allow the spoonbread to cool for 5 to 7 minutes. Scoop and serve.

Mix ins being added to spoon bread batter.

Spoon Bread vs Cornbread

While cornbread and spoon bread both use similar ingredients, they have very different textures and serving styles. While cornbread has a firm and crumbly texture, spoon bread is softer and more pudding-like.

To serve, cornbread is sliced into squares while spoonbread is scooped with a spoon.

Variations

While we love this version of our spoon bread, you can make it your own and change up the flavor by making any of these substitutions or changes.

Make it mild – leave out the jalapeno peppers or cut them in half for less heat.

Add bacon – crumble four slices of cooked bacon and add it to the batter for a smoky twist.

Add corn – Add a 7 ounce can of whole kernel corn (drained) for more sweet corn flavor and texture.

Make it sweet – add two tablespoons of honey or sugar to the batter.

Change the cheese – The cheese isn’t necessary (but it is delicious!!), so you can leave it out if you wish. Or, feel free to change up the type of cheese. Swap the cheddar for Swiss, mozzarella, Colby, gruyere, or parmesan.

Add more flavor – for a more flavorful spoon bread, add a few tablespoons of fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, chives, or rosemary.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To reheat, bake the spoon bread in an oven preheated to 350°F for 5 minutes or until warm. The second best (but easier) method is to warm leftovers in the microwave in a covered dish for 45-60 seconds, or until warm.

What to Serve with Our Spoon Bread Recipe

This jalapeno cheddar spoon bread can substitute any bread or starchy side dish in a variety of meals.

Try serving it with entrees like:

Or alongside some of these delicious side dishes:

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Jalapeño and Cheddar Spoon Bread

Rich cheddar cheese and a spicy kick of heat from jalapeño peppers make this spoon bread a favorite decadent and incredibly flavor-packed side dish.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Southern

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1 5

Servings

Calories 361kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

spoon bread

7 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and divided
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (by weight)
2 jalapeños seeded and diced
3 thinly sliced green onions divided

garnishes

3 1/2 tablespoons honey divided
2 teaspoons sea salt flakes divided

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Brush a 8” x 8” baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter and set aside.
In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Add milk and eggs and whisk together.
Stir in remaining butter until well combined.
Fold in cheese, jalapenos and 2 thinly sliced green onions.
Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes or until just set in the center. Allow to cool for 5 to 7 minutes.
Scoop into bowls and top with a drizzle of honey, some sliced green onions and a sprinkle of sea salt flakes. Serve.

Notes

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

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Baked Ziti

This Baked Ziti recipe is so classic and delicious and the perfect make ahead weeknight meal. You can totally make your own sauce but you can also buy a great quality jar from the store to keep things simple. We love this jarred marinara sauce. This recipe also makes really great leftovers for the next day. It reheats really well and you don’t have to worry about this dish drying out since we’ve made ours…

The post Baked Ziti appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Baked ziti in a baking dish with some scooped out next to it.

This recipe also makes really great leftovers for the next day. It reheats really well and you don’t have to worry about this dish drying out since we’ve made ours pretty saucy. Our baked ziti so comforting, delicious and makes enough to feed a small crowd.

What is Baked Ziti?

Baked Ziti is a classic American Italian dish. It is made in a casserole dish, and typically uses a tomato sauce, and cheese, as well as other ingredients to suit your taste. It is prepared with cooked ziti pasta, and then baked in the oven.

How to Make Baked Ziti

Ingredients

Process

Preheat oven to 350°F. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add a small handful of salt and pasta to water and stir. Boil pasta for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until pasta is al dente. Drain, toss with a teaspoon of oil, pour into a large mixing bowl.
Pour olive oil into a large sauté pan and place over medium- high heat. Add sausage and break apart with a wooden spoon. Cook sausage for about 5 minutes or until evenly browned. Drain and add to pasta.

Pasta in a colander draining for baked ziti.

Meat mixed with pasta in a bowl for baked ziti.

Add marinara and stir together.
Add 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Marinara sauce mixed with pasta and meat.

Cheese being mixed with pasta and meat for baked ziti.

Fold together until fully incorporated. Adjust seasonings as needed.
Pour mixture into a lightly greased 8”x 8” baking dish.

Top ziti with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to broiler for 1 or 2 minutes until top has browned and is bubbling. Allow ziti to cool for 5 to 7 minutes, top with fresh basil leaves and serve.

Baked ziti in a baking dish topped with some cheese.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions

Make Ahead

Prepare the recipe as directed, until it’s time to place it in the oven. Tightly wrap the ziti in foil and place it in the refrigerator for up to three days.

When ready to serve bake the ziti, with the foil, for 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until completely heated through.

Freezing

Prepare the recipe as directed, until it’s time to place it in the oven. Tightly wrap the ziti in foil and place it in the freezer for up to three months.

When ready to serve place frozen ziti directly into a hot oven, with foil, for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until completely heated through.

What to Serve with Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti is a great stand alone dish, but if you want something to sop up any extra sauce or you’re looking to add some vegetables/greens to the meal, our favorite options are below!

Variations

The Italian pork sausage can be swapped out for turkey sausage or a plant-based alternative.
Sautéed mushrooms can also be swapped into for the sausage for the vegetarian friendly option.
Sautéed spinach, kale and blanched broccoli florets can be added to the mixture to get more vegetables into the dish (just add a little more sauce to the mixture to ensure the dish doesn’t end up dry out of the oven.
Try stirring a small amount of cream into the sauce before combining with the other ingredients for a richer sauce.

Close up on a baking dish full of baked ziti.

More Delicious Baked Pasta Recipes You Will Love

Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti – our delicious baked pasta casserole that is so cozy and comforting and incredibly easy to make! You can prep and freeze it ahead of time for worry free weeknight dinners!

Course dinner

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 389kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Equipment

casserole dish

Ingredients

8 ounces ziti pasta
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 sweet or spicy Italian sausages casings removed
2 cups marinara sauce homemade or store bought
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
1/2 cup parmesan grated
salt and pepper to taste
basil leaves garnish

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add a small handful of salt and pasta to water and stir. Boil pasta for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until pasta is al dente. Drain, toss with a teaspoon of oil, pour into a large mixing bowl.
Pour remaining olive oil into a large sauté pan and place over medium- high heat. Add sausage and break apart with a wooden spoon. Cook sausage for about 5 minutes or until evenly browned. Drain and add to pasta.
Add marinara, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan and gently fold together until fully incorporated. Adjust seasonings.
Pour mixture into a lightly greased 8”x 8” baking dish and top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a broiler and broil for 1 to 2 minutes until browned and bubbling.
Allow ziti to cool for 5 to 7 minutes before topping with basil leaves and serving.

Video

Notes

Make Ahead: Prepare the recipe as directed, until it’s time to place it in the oven. Tightly wrap the ziti in foil and place it in the refrigerator for up to three days. When ready to serve bake the ziti, with the foil, for 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until completely heated through.

Freeze Ahead: Make recipe through step #6. Place baking dish in freezer until completely frozen. Tightly cover with foil or plastic wrap and store in freezer until ready to use. When ready to use, preheat oven to 350˚F. Place covered, frozen ziti directly into oven and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes or until completely heated through and cheese on top has melted and browned. Serve.

Nutrition

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Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

The most requested meal by my parents to me is hands down always my Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. I think it’s because my parents cook primarily Korean food that things like gumbo intimidate them a little. Flavor-wise this is right up their alley, especially for my dad. He LOVES stewy dishes with a lot of flavor (and some spicy heat) – which is exactly what we have with our gumbo! I learned to cook gumbo…

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Chicken sausage gumbo recipe in two bowls with rice.

I learned to cook gumbo in culinary school from a chef who had spend most his career in the south. My recipe today takes complete inspiration from that chef instructor who also taught be a great dark roux shortcut! We get into that below!

What is Gumbo?

How to Make Chicken and Sausage Gumbo?

Ingredients

Process

Place all spice-blend ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk together. Set aside. Pour flour into a skillet and toast over medium heat until golden brown and nutty, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside. Place butter into a large pot or Dutch oven and melt over medium-high heat. Add Andouille and brown for 5 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove sausage from pot.

Gumbo ingredients in a pot being cooked.

cajun seasoning in a pot for make gumbo.

Chicken sausage gumbo in a pot with seasonings.

Gumbo stock in a pot simmering with vegetables.

Shrimp, chicken, and some veggies being added to a big pot of gumbo.

Close up of a bowl of gumbo with rice on the side.

Two bowls of gumbo with cilantro on the side.

Close up on one big bowl of gumbo with a spoon in it.

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Chicken and Andouille Gumbo

Course dinner

Cuisine Amercian

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 20

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 401kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

cajun seasoning blend

3 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 ½ tablespoons garlic powder
1 ½ tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper

gumbo

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 Andouille sausages, chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons oregano, minced
2 tablespoons thyme, minced
3 to 4 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and cleaned with tails intact
1 ½ cups cooked and shredded chicken breast
8 okra, cut into ½-inch pieces
salt and pepper to taste

garnishes

¼ bunch cilantro, chopped
gumbo file, optional

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Place all spice-blend ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
Pour flour into a skillet and toast over medium heat until golden brown and nutty, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place butter into a large pot and melt over medium-high heat. Add Andouille and brown for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add onion, celery and bell peppers and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic oregano, thyme, and spice-blend and continue to sauté for 2 minutes.
Stir in toasted flour and continue to stir until no lumps remain. Cook flour mixture for 4 to 5 minutes or until flour has browned slightly more. Add stock, while stirring to prevent lumps from forming. Add bay leaves.
Bring mixture to a boil and lower heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered for 25 to 30 minute or until gumbo has thickened.
Remove cover and stir in corn, shrimp, chicken, and okra. Raise heat up to medium and cook for about 5 minutes or until shrimp have just cooked through. Adjust seasonings.
Serve gumbo over rice, topped with chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of gumbo file, if using.

Nutrition

The post Chicken and Sausage Gumbo appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

The post Chicken and Sausage Gumbo appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

What is Gumbo?

How to Make Chicken and Sausage Gumbo?

Ingredients

Process

Place all spice-blend ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk together. Set aside. Pour flour into a skillet and toast over medium heat until golden brown and nutty, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside. Place butter into a large pot or Dutch oven and melt over medium-high heat. Add Andouille and brown for 5 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove sausage from pot.

More Cozy and Delicious Recipes You Will Love

Chicken and Andouille Gumbo

Course dinner

Cuisine Amercian

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 20

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 401kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

cajun seasoning blend

3 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 ½ tablespoons garlic powder
1 ½ tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper

gumbo

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 Andouille sausages, chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons oregano, minced
2 tablespoons thyme, minced
3 to 4 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and cleaned with tails intact
1 ½ cups cooked and shredded chicken breast
8 okra, cut into ½-inch pieces
salt and pepper to taste

garnishes

¼ bunch cilantro, chopped
gumbo file, optional

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Place all spice-blend ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
Pour flour into a skillet and toast over medium heat until golden brown and nutty, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place butter into a large pot and melt over medium-high heat. Add Andouille and brown for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add onion, celery and bell peppers and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic oregano, thyme, and spice-blend and continue to sauté for 2 minutes.
Stir in toasted flour and continue to stir until no lumps remain. Cook flour mixture for 4 to 5 minutes or until flour has browned slightly more. Add stock, while stirring to prevent lumps from forming. Add bay leaves.
Bring mixture to a boil and lower heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered for 25 to 30 minute or until gumbo has thickened.
Remove cover and stir in corn, shrimp, chicken, and okra. Raise heat up to medium and cook for about 5 minutes or until shrimp have just cooked through. Adjust seasonings.
Serve gumbo over rice, topped with chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of gumbo file, if using.

Nutrition

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Soba Noodles with Shrimp

It’s a brand new year, which calls for something light, fresh and delicious like our Soba Noodles with Shrimp! This Soba Noodles with Shrimp recipe is the perfect reset dish. It’s easy, light, delicious, and filling without making you feel weighed down. Plus, you can easily customize it to add more veggies or change up the protein depending on your personal preference. What are Soba Noodles? Soba, which translates to ‘buckwheat’ in Japanese is a…

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Shrimp and soba noodle recipe on two plates with sesame seeds on the side.

Plus, you can easily customize it to add more veggies or change up the protein depending on your personal preference.

What are Soba Noodles?

Soba, which translates to ‘buckwheat’ in Japanese is a thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour, water (sometimes wheat flours), and salt. It can be serve chilled (tossed in a sauce or with a dipping sauce) or hot (in a soup/broth).

Are Soba Noodles Healthy?

Authentic soba noodles are made of 100% buckwheat flour and water. This type of soba noodle is more nutritious than soba noodles that use a blend of buckwheat flour, wheat flour and salt. Check box labels to make sure you’re getting authentic buckwheat noodles to get the most nutritious option.

Eating buckwheat can benefit blood sugar, inflammation, heart health, and has shown to aide in cancer prevention. Also, despite having the word ‘wheat’ in the name, buckwheat is gluten-free and a great wheat alternative for people with a gluten intolerance.

How to Make Soba Noodles with Shrimp

Ingredients

Process

Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Add noodles and cook until cooked through. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water.
Soak noodles in cold water for 30 minutes. Important step to prevent the noodles from sticking together once combined with the sauce.

Boiled and drained soba noodles in a colander.

Soba noodles soaking in a bowl with water.

Drain.
Whisk all sauce ingredients together until smooth.

Soba noodles drained and cooked in a bowl.

Peanut sauce for a soba noodle recipe in a bowl.

Add sauce, edamame, and shrimp to the noodles. Season with salt and pepper.
Toss together until evenly coated. Refrigerate until chilled.

Soba noodle recipe ingredients in a bowl.

Soba noodles with shrimp in a glass bowl.

Top noodles with sliced green onions and crushed peanuts. Serve.

Close up on a soba noodle recipe with shrimp and a fork with it.

Tips and Tricks for Creamy Soba Noodles Success

Rinse noodles after boiling to stop cooking process and prevent overcooking.
Soak noodles in cold water to remove excess starch, which causes the noodles to clump and stick together.
Add warm water to peanut sauce which will loosen the sauce and prevent it from getting clumpy.

Variations

Add more vegetables to bulk up this dish. Some of our personal favorites are: thinly sliced carrots, thinly sliced bell peppers, and thinly sliced and sautéed shiitake mushrooms. We also love thinly sliced cucumbers and a handful of arugula (both which should be added right before serving).
Brighten up the peanut sauce by stirring in a teaspoon of minced ginger and a minced garlic clove.
Add some heat by mincing and stirring a teaspoon of jalapeno into the peanut sauce. OR by adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of an asian-style chili sauce to the peanut sauce.
Swap almond butter in place of the peanut butter (1:1), for a slightly healthier option or for a peanut allergy.

Soba noodles with shrimp on two plates with forks and garnish next to it.

Make Ahead Instructions

Fully Make Ahead

Soba noodles with Shrimp can be fully made and stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Partially Make Ahead

The peanut sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead of time. Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. When ready to use, set sauce out at room temperature for 15 minutes before using. If sauce is too thick to drizzle, add some warm water. Add 2 teaspoons of water at a time, until sauce thins out enough to evenly coat noodles.

Soba noodles can be fully prepped and stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 2 days. When ready to use, gently rinse with cool water and drain.

One plate of shrimp soba noodles with a fork.

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Soba Noodles with Shrimp

A simple, delicious and versatile recipe for Soba Noodles with Shrimp. We toss the edamame studded soba noodles in a creamy peanut sauce and finish the dish with plump shrimp, crushed peanuts and sliced green onions. It's the perfect make ahead and grab and go lunch!

Course lunch, Main Course

Cuisine asian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 8

soaking and chilling 40

Total Time 1 3

Servings

Calories 465kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

noodles

10 ounces buckwheat soba noodles

creamy peanut sauce

1/3 cup warm water
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
1 teaspoon sesame oil

assembly

1 cup shelled edamame steamed
16 extra-large, poached shrimp
1 green onion sliced
2 tablespoons crushed, dry roasted peanuts
salt and pepper to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add noodles and cook until al dente, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and rinse noodles under cold water.
Soak noodles in cold water for 10 minutes
Drain.
Combine all the peanut sauce ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add sauce, edamame and shrimp to the noodles. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
Toss together until evenly coated. Refrigerate mixture for 30 minutes.
Top noodles with sliced green onions and crushed peanuts. Serve.

Notes

Tips and Tricks for Creamy Soba Noodles Success

Rinse noodles after boiling to stop cooking process and prevent overcooking.

Soak noodles in cold water to remove excess starch, which causes the noodles to clump and stick together.

Add warm water to peanut sauce which will loosen the sauce and prevent it from getting clumpy.

Variations

Add more vegetables to bulk up this dish. Some of our personal favorites are: thinly sliced carrots, thinly sliced bell peppers, and thinly sliced and sautéed shiitake mushrooms. We also love thinly sliced cucumbers and a handful of arugula (both which should be added right before serving).

Brighten up the peanut sauce by stirring in a teaspoon of minced ginger and a minced garlic clove.

Add some heat by mincing and stirring a teaspoon of jalapeno into the peanut sauce. OR by adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of an asian-style chili sauce to the peanut sauce.

Swap almond butter in place of the peanut butter (1:1), for a slightly healthier option or for a peanut allergy.

Nutrition

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Easy Chicken Pot Pie

We’ve transformed your favorite special occasion comfort meal into a quick and simple dinner for two that can be made any night of the week! Our easy chicken pot pie recipe uses puff pastry instead of a traditional pie crust. It’s just as flaky and decadent but without all the hassle of chilling and rolling. By cooking your chicken ahead of time, you’ll spend just 10 minutes prepping your vegetables and 30 minutes cooking, which…

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Easy chicken pot pie recipe made in a skillet with a fork in it.

By cooking your chicken ahead of time, you’ll spend just 10 minutes prepping your vegetables and 30 minutes cooking, which makes this perfect for a chilly weeknight dinner for two. Instead of using a pie pan, we’re using two 6-inch cast iron skillets for two individual pot pies. Serving each meal in its own skillet is such a fun way to serve this dish – just like our creamy kale and turkey skillet lasagna and individual apple crisps! Either make both for you and a plus one for dinner, or leave off the puff pastry until you’re ready to cook the second one, and have freshly baked chicken pot pie two nights this week!

How to Make an Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

Process

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrot and celery, and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium, stir in the flour, and cook for 2 minutes.

Carrots, celery, peas and onions cooking in a pot.

Vegetables for chicken pot pie cooking in a pot with flour.

Stir in stock, followed by milk, and continue to stir until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 3 to 4 minutes.
Fold in chicken and peas. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Chicken pot pie filling in a skillet cooking.

Chicken pot pie filling in a pot simmering.

Place each skillet onto a baking sheet. Scoop the chicken mixture into individual skillets.
Top each skillet with a square of puff pastry.

Chicken pot pie on a sheet pan in individual skillets.

Chicken pot pie with puff pastry on top about to go into the oven.

Brush each square of puff pastry with egg wash. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until puff pastry has puffed and browned. Remove from oven, cool slightly, and serve.

Chicken pot pie freshly baked out of the oven.

Tips and Tricks for the BEST Chicken Pot Pie

To save time, you can pre-chop your carrots, onions, and celery and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before making your chicken pot pie.
Be careful not to burn the flour when adding it to the vegetables, but cook long enough so that the flour is actually cooked. Stir frequently and wait for a slightly nutty aroma.
Add the stock into the pot slowly, stirring as you do to avoid clumps. Using a whisk can help all of the stock and flour incorporate smoothly into the flour and vegetable mixture.
You can use either cooked chicken breast or chicken thighs or, to save even more time, shredded and chopped rotisserie chicken!

Close up on a chicken pot pie in a skillet.

Variations

Use one 12-inch cast iron skillet if you don’t have two 6-inch skillets to use. Just layer the puff pastry sheets to fit.
Swap the tablespoon of fresh minced thyme for a teaspoon of dried thyme.
For a more aromatic effect, you can also add half a teaspoon of dried rosemary or sage.
For a gluten-free, easy chicken pot pie, use gluten-free all-purpose flour instead of regular when making the roux, and top your pot pies with a gluten-free puff pastry.
While this chicken pot pie has a creamy filling, you can make an even richer and creamier filling by swapping the whole milk with heavy cream.

Freshly baked chicken pot pies in skillets.

Make Ahead, Storing and Freezing Instructions

Make Ahead

You can easily make this dish ahead of time and assemble and bake it when you’re ready to eat. Prepare the filling as directed, then let it cool and store in the refrigerator for up to two days. When you’re ready to make your pot pie, follow the assembly directions and bake!

Storing

To store leftovers, let the chicken pot pie cool, then cover and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, preheat the oven to 350˚F and bake your pot pie for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. If the top begins to brown too much, cover it in foil.

Freezing

You can easily prepare your pot pie ahead of time and freeze it to be cooked at a later date.

For a pot pie that you can remove from the freezer and bake: make the filling and let it fully cool. Add it to an oven and freezer-safe pan or pie dish. Top with puff pastry and then freeze it for 2-3 hours. Once the puff pastry has been somewhat frozen, wrap the dish in plastic wrap, then foil (pre-freezing the dish keeps the plastic from sticking to the puff pastry). Freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, remove from the freezer and remove the plastic wrap. Add an egg wash to the top of the puff pastry, then bake as directed. You may need to add an additional 15-20 minutes of baking time (and possibly cover the top in foil if it starts to brown to quickly).

Easy chicken pot pie recipe made in skillets.

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Easy Chicken Pot Pies

This super easy chicken pot pie uses cooked chicken and puff pastry and cooks in individual cast iron skillets for a simple and tasty dinner for two!

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 915kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Equipment

2 6" cast iron skillets

Ingredients

Chicken Pot Pie Filling

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup diced yellow onion
1/3 cup peeled and diced carrot
1/3 cup diced celery
1 tbsp minced thyme
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
1/2 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper to taste

pastry topping

2 thawed puff pastry squares 6 inches each
1 egg plus 1 tablespoon of water beaten together

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Filling:

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrot and celery and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium and stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in stock, followed by milk and continue to stir until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 3 to 4 minutes.
Fold in chicken and peas. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Assembly

Place each skillet onto a baking sheet. Scoop chicken mixture into individual skillets
Top each skillet with a square of puff pastry.
Brush each square of puff pastry with egg wash.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until puff pastry has puffed and browned. Remove from oven, cool slightly and serve.

Notes

Tips and Tricks

To save time, you can pre-chop your carrots, onions, and celery and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before making your chicken pot pie.

Be careful not to burn the flour when adding it to the vegetables, but cook long enough so that the flour is actually cooked. Stir frequently and wait for a slightly nutty aroma.

Add the stock into the pot slowly, stirring as you do to avoid clumps. Using a whisk can help all of the stock and flour incorporate smoothly into the flour and vegetable mixture.

You can use either cooked chicken breast or chicken thighs or, to save even more time, shredded and chopped rotisserie chicken!

Make Ahead

Storing

Freezing

You can easily prepare your pot pie ahead of time and freeze it to be cooked at a later date.

Nutrition

The post Easy Chicken Pot Pie appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Garlic Butter Lamb Chops

We are both big fans of lamb, and our Garlic Butter Lamb Chops recipe is one of our favorite ways to enjoy them! Not only do we love the flavor, but we love how simple and quick they are to prepare! We love serving them over mashed potatoes with a side of roasted or sautéed vegetables! How to Make Garlic Butter Lamb Chops Ingredients Process Which Cut of Lamb Chops To Use We use rib…

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Garlic Butter Lamb Chops on a platter with a stack of plated next to it.

How to Make Garlic Butter Lamb Chops

Ingredients

Process

Place some oil, rosemary, thyme, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Whisk together.

Lamb chop rub ingredients in a bowl ready to be mixed.

Place lamb chops in a baking dish and drizzle with herb mixture. Toss together until chops are evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate.
Remove chops from refrigerator and allow them to sit out at room temp for several minutes. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add remaining oil. Add some minced garlic clove and sauté.

Garlic Butter Lamb Chop in a baking dish marinating.

Garlic butter to be served with lamb chops.

Add lamb chops into skillet and sear (this can be done in 2 batches, if needed). Flip each chop and continue to sear. Lower heat to medium and continue to cook until internal temperature reads 135˚F for medium doneness. Remove chops from skillet and transfer to a warm plate. As chops rest, clean out skillet and return to stovetop. Melt butter over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and sauté for a couple minutes, until garlic has toasted. Place chops back into skillet and spoon butter over chops. Remove from heat.

A close up on freshly seared lamb chops so you can see the sear.

Transfer chops to a serving platter and drizzle with more garlic butter. Top lamb chops with fresh thyme and serve.

Garlic butter lamb chops recipe on a platter with plates next to it.

Which Cut of Lamb Chops To Use

We use rib chops (from a rack) for our garlic butter lamb chops recipe. We like using this cut for this recipe because they cook up quickly, they’re easy to work with and they’re easy to eat as well (as the bone is thin, long and only along the edge of the chops). You can use any of the chop cuts for this recipe though based on preference! The other lamb chop cuts are:

Loin Chops – sometimes called T-Bone chops for the t-bone shaped bone, loin chops are also tender, delicious and easy to prepare. If using loin chops, add an additional few minutes of cooking time, since they’re thicker cuts of lamb.
Shoulder Chops – are more economical, but with a greater amount of connective tissue making it better suited for low and slow braising. These lamb chops can still be pan seared and enjoyed like a steak, but we recommend marinating them with some sort of acid (like adding some red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice to the other marinade ingredients) to help break down some of the connective tissue and tenderize the lamb.
Sirloin Chops – are less readily available in grocery store on their own, and are often sold as part of the lamb leg. It’s an inexpensive, tender and flavorful cut that cooks up quickly and can be enjoyed like a steak.

Lamb Doneness Temperatures

It’s important to remember that meat will continue to cook after it’s removed from the heat, so you want to remove the lamb chops from the heat about 5 to 7 degrees before the desired doneness.

Rare: 120˚F
Medium-Rare: 125˚F
Medium: 135˚F
Medium-Well: 140˚F
Well Done: 145˚F

Serving Suggestions

We love pairing this recipe with a variety of different side dishes. Aside from a big hunk of bread (we use to sop up all the delicious garlic butter sauce), some of our favorite side dishes to serve with our lamb chop recipe are:

A platter of garlic butter lamb chops with a container on garlic butter next to them.

More Lamb Recipes You Will Love

Garlic Butter Lamb Chops

These Garlic Butter Lamb Chops are marinated with simple ingredients that help the flavor of the lamb shine! We seared them stovetop to give them a delicious crispy exterior and to lock in all the juices and flavor. Finish them off with a drizzle of garlic butter!

Course dinner

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 12

Inactive Time 1 15

Total Time 1 32

Servings people

Calories 617kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

4 tbs extra virgin olive oil divided
2 tsp minced rosemary
2 tsp minced thyme plus more for garnish
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
8 New Zealand Grass Fed Lamb Chops (from 1 rack), cut into individual ribs
4 tbsp unsalted butter divided
4 garlic cloves minced and divided

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Place 3 tablespoons oil, rosemary, thyme, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk together.
Place lamb chops in a baking dish and drizzle with herb mixture.
Toss together until chops are well and evenly coated.
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Remove chops from refrigerator and allow them to sit out at room temp for about 15 minutes.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add remaining oil. Add 1 minced garlic clove and sauté for 30 seconds.
Add lamb chops into skillet and sear for about 3 minutes (this can be done in 2 batches, if needed).
Flip each chop and sear for 1 minute. Lower heat to medium and continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes for medium doneness (with an internal temperature of 130˚F after resting).
Remove chops from skillet and transfer to a warm plate.
As chops rest, clean out skillet and return to stovetop. Melt butter over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until toasted. Place chops baking into skillet and spoon butter over chops. Remove from heat.
Transfer chops to a serving platter and drizzle with more garlic butter.
Top chops with fresh thyme and serve.

Notes

Lamb Doneness Temperatures

It’s important to remember that meat will continue to cook after it’s removed from the heat, so you want to remove the lamb chops from the heat about 5 to 7 degrees before the desired doneness.

Rare: 120˚F
Medium-Rare: 125˚F
Medium: 135˚F
Medium-Well: 140˚F
Well Done: 145˚F

Nutrition

The post Garlic Butter Lamb Chops appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.