How Sweet Eats Jalapeno Cheddar Chicken Meatballs with Herby Summer Sauce {Fresh & Delicious}!!

If you're looking for a nice summer meal that is full on flavor, but light on calories, then look no further! These Jalapeno Cheddar Chicken Meatballs are just the thing. 

Look at those golden brown savory and succulent flavor bombs! Ground chicken really comes to life with jalapeno, cheddar, and garlic added in for good measure. The spicy heat of the jalapeno, the delicious flavor of the garlic, the cheddar cheese oozing out. Who doesn't want to dunk one of those meatballs into a zingy zippy refreshing summer herby sauce made from yogurt, mayo, cilantro, and green onion? It's a refreshingly delicious flavor bom that will keep you going back for more! 

 

Jalapeno Cheddar Meatballs with Herby Summer Sauce

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4

Meatballs

1 pound ground chicken

salt and pepper, to taste

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, like parsley or chives

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

Herby Summer Sauce

1/2 cup yogurt

2 tablespoons mayo

1/2 lemon, juice freshly squeezed

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

salt and pepper, to taste

For The Meatballs: Place the chicken in a large bowl. Season all over with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, peppers, cheddar, breadcrumbs and herbs. Mix gently until just combined. Roll the mixture into 1-inch meatballs or use a cookie scooper. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer and brown for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip gently and brown the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes. Shake the pan, tossing the meatballs around. Cook until the meatballs are cooked through and the internal temperature has reached 165F. Serve the meatballs with the herby summer sauce! You can also serve them over rice, grain, or even a salad.

For The Herby Summer Sauce: Place all the sauce ingredients in the blender and puree until creamy and smooth. This stays great in the fridge for a few days.

 Light & Lively @ IHCC!

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South #3: {Honeywood Hoecake Burger with Cheese Salad and Marinated Cucumbers}

Every summer I like to chose a cookbook or a special focus and do a summer cooking series. Some of the summer series that I've done in the past are: popsicles; ice creams; cookies; salads; and healthy recipes. One series I've always wanted to do is a series of southern summer recipes. So, this summer I chose a local cookbook from James Beard Nominee, Ouita Michel. Each week I will be cooking recipes from Ouita's Just A Few Miles South Cookbook. 

This week we've got Chef Ouita's Honeywood Hoecake Burger with Cheese Salad and Marinated Cucumbers. It's down home delicious! 

In Just A Few Miles South Ouita says, "All hoecakes are variations of corn pone. Around these parts, corn pone is thought of as cornbread batter baked in a round skillet or round cake pan. A hoecake is smaller and cooked in a skillet or griddle. The kitchen staff at Wallace Station makes big, thick corn pones in cast-iron skillets each day, and hoecakes are griddled each day at Windy Corner Market, Honeywood, and Zim's. The big ones are a delicious accompaniment to soup beans, and the little silver-dollar-size ones are used for canapes. Honeywood created a Hoecake Burger, sandwiching two thin patties and our Cheese Salad between two hoecakes." 

This Hoecake Burger is different than any other burger you've ever tried! I can promise you that! You have two thin burger patties with nice crisp browned edges with the fluffy hoecakes and their wonderful toasty corn flavor, then you layer on the rich Cheese Salad which accentuates the browned beef and the refreshing and crispy Marinated Cucumbers with the Smoky Ketchup. They say this burger is best eaten with a fork and knife, but I managed just fine with my hands. This burger was down right delicious! 

Griddle up some hoecakes today and give this one a try!  

Honeywood Hoecake Burger

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

Serves 4

8 (3 ounce) burger patties

salt and pepper for seasoning

8 (4-inch) hoecakes*

1/2 cup Cheese Salad*

12-16 slices Marinated Cucumbers*

1/2 cup Smoky Ketchup*

For The Burgers: Cook burgers on a grill or in a skillet to the desired temperature, seasoning with salt and pepper. Smash them into thin patties. While burgers are cooking, cook hoecakes on a heated griddle. 

For Each Burger: Place 2 burgers on a hoecake, top with 2 tablespoons Cheese Salad, 3-4 slices Marinated Cucumbers, and 2 tablespoons Smoky Ketchup, and cover with another hoecake. Serve immediately. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Cheese Salad

8 ounces shredded white Cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

To make Cheese Salad: Blend all ingredients in a large bowl with a rubber spatula. Chill at least 30 minutes before using. Makes about 2 cups.

Marinated Cucumbers

1 English cucumber, thinly sliced

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Marinated Cucumbers: Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill at least 30 minutes before using. Makes 2 cups.

Smoky Ketchup

1-1/4 pounds (1-1/2 large) sweet onions, trimmed and sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 cup Major Grey's Chutney or other mango chutney

1/2 cup chili sauce

1/4 cup malt vinegar

To Make the Smoky Ketchup: Saute onions in both oils over medium heat until softened and golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool about 10 minutes. Put onions in a food processor, add remaining ingredients, and puree. Chill before using. Leftovers can be used as a glaze for meatloaf or as a condiment on meatloaf, pork, or turkey sandwiches. Makes about 3 cups. 

Hoecakes

1 cup self-rising cornmeal

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 large egg, beaten

1 cup buttermilk

To Make the Hoecakes: Whisk cornmeal, flour, and sugar in a small bowl. Add egg and buttermilk and whisk well to combine. The mixture should be pourable. Let batter rest about 10 minutes. Heat an electric skillet to 350F or use a cast iron skillet. Pour or ladle batter onto the heated surface and cook until golden brown on both sides. Makes about 1-3/4 cups batter; 14 small hoecakes or 7 large hoecakes. 

 Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South

15 Minute Meal: {Lemon Parmesan Cauliflower Gnocchi}

Sometimes summer days go by in a total blur. Busier and faster than any work day. In the past week we've had 89,700 things to do. I need a quick 15 minute recipe.

But I need a delicious 15 minute recipe that hopefully uses some of my fresh herbs from the garden because my parsley and basil and chives are going nuts! Maybe because we've had SO MUCH RAIN! Holy cow, I've never seen so much rain in my life as we've got in Kentucky this spring. Wow1

So, let's talk about a 15 minute recipe. We want it to be delicious and comforting because...if you don't have time to cook  then you are too busy for comfort. So we need comfort food. 

Pasta, but let's make it a little healthier and use up some cauliflower gnocchi. I love cauliflower gnocchi and keep it in stock from Trader Joe's, but if you don't like cauliflower gnocchi, you can use regular gnocchi. It will be just fine. 

Brown the gnocchi in butter on both sides in a skillet. Then add in heavy cream, the zest of 2 lemons, and Parmesan cheese. The sauce will coat the gnocchi quickly. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs. Taste to adjust seasoning and serve straight away!

You will have a rather indulgent very comforting hug in a bowl in no time flat and clean up is also easy. We really loved this especially with freshness of the lemon zest and herbs. It is a perfect summer meal when you're on the go and in a hurry. Give it a try! 

 

Lemon Parmesan Cauliflower Gnocchi

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 1 to 2 

12 ounces cauliflower gnocchi, frozen or fresh/thawed

3 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup cream

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

2 lemons, zest freshly grated

salt and pepper, to taste

fresh herbs: like basil and/or parsley for topping

Heat the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once melted and bubbling, add in the cauliflower gnocchi. It can be frozen or thawed1 cook the gnocchi for 2 to 3 minutes, without tossing, until it gets golden brown on one side. Flip an cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. You want it golden brown on both sides and by that point, it should be cooked and warmed through.

Pour in the heavy cream, the lemon zest, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the Parmesan. taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. The gnocchi will soak up a bit of the ream, but it still adds a wonderful richness and texture to the dish. Top with fresh herbs and serve, with more Parmesan for topping. 

15 Minute Meals @ IHCC!

 

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South #2: {Inside Out Hot Brown - So Delicious}!

Every summer I like to chose a cookbook or a special focus and do a summer cooking series. Some of the summer series that I've done in the past are: popsicles; ice creams; cookies; salads; and healthy recipes. One series I've always wanted to do is a series of southern summer recipes. So, this summer I chose a local cookbook from James Beard Nominee, Ouita Michel. Each week I will be cooking recipes from Ouita's Just A Few Miles South Cookbook. 

This week we're delving further into Kentucky cuisine by featuring the quintessential Kentucky dish, the Hot Brown. A traditional Hot Brown is a hot, open-faced sandwich originating from the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. It's a sandwich made with a slice of white bread, turkey, (and sometimes ham). The bread and meats are covered in a rich cheesy Mornay sauce that gets all broiled and bubbly, and then topped with slices of tomato and crispy bacon. The Hot Brown is decadent and usually comes out broiled and bubbling in a casserole dish of some sort. It is an indulgent dish, very comforting, best eaten with a knife and fork. You might find a traditional Hot Brown at both fine dining establishments and your typical hole-in-the-wall.

Chef Ouita Michel has taken a new approach to the traditional Hot Brown and created an Inside Out Hot Brown that is much easier to eat! In the video below, the chef at Wallace Station makes an Inside Out Hot Brown using two slices of bread, covering the interior of the bread with cheesy Mornay Sauce and sliced tomato, before warming the sliced turkey, city ham, and crispy bacon and placing it inside the sandwich. The sandwich gets griddled and can be eaten with your hands! This is a huge departure from the traditional Hot Brown and personally I would consider it a huge improvement. 

When I made my Inside Out Hot Brown it was all about the cheese! I grated a block of white cheddar for the Mornay Sauce and I had leftover white cheddar so I decided to use it in the sandwich. I buttered the outside of my bread, spread Mornay on both insides of bread, then covered one side of the interior in grated White Cheddar before placing some thinly sliced tomato on top of the cheese. I warmed the sliced turkey, shaved city ham, and bacon in the skillet and added it to the sandwich. I then grilled the sandwich, cut it in half, and served it with a side of delicious cheesy Mornay sauce for dipping and dunking.

Look...this is not as indulgent as the traditional version, but it is still straight up comfort food and very decadent. You've got a loaded sandwich full of meat and you're dunking and dipping away in a thick cheese sauce. It is delicious, albeit a little sinful and it's so savory and delicious. We absolutely loved this and had no trouble using up all the fixings throughout the week in sandwiches. My son liked his without tomato, but I think the tomato is absolutely necessary as it adds a little bit of acidity and freshness to an otherwise heavy sandwich. Try as I might, I could only eat one half, and I would highly suggest sharing a sandwich with someone.

This sandwich has received some of the highest ratings at my house and I know full well we will be making it again in the future. I highly suggest giving it a try!

Inside Out Hot Brown

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

Serves 4

For each sandwich

8 slices white bread

1 cup White Cheddar Mornay Sauce (recipe follows)

8 tomato slices

1 pound thinly sliced roasted turkey

8 ounces thinly sliced city ham*

12 slices bacon, cooked until crisp

butter/oil for grilling (equal parts melted butter and canola oil)

extra grated White Cheddar, for sandwiches (If desired)*

White Cheddar Mornay Sauce

3 ounces butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk, slightly warm

1 cup shredded white Cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon salt

cayenne pepper to taste

*Note: Chef Ouita calls for city ham in this recipe and even if you're located in Kentucky you'll have trouble sourcing this. I went to one store in Lexington that was known to have it and it took about 45 minutes for them to find it in the store and slice it for me. I didn't notice a great difference with the city ham, so use any sliced ham and it will be fine. Also I had extra White Cheddar cheese after making the Mornay Sauce so I added grated White Cheddar to one side of the bread prior to grilling.

White Cheddar Mornay Sauce: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, then whisk in flour until smooth. Cook 2 minutes, stirring periodically. Whisk in milk, stirring constantly to make sure ingredients are well mixed. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer, stirring often, until mixture begins to thicken and bubble. Stir in shredded cheese, salt, and cayenne pepper. Remove from heat and continue to whisk until smooth.

For each sandwich: Warm turkey, city ham, and bacon in a grill pan or dry skillet. Lay out 2 slices of bread. Cover both slices with 2 tablespoons White Cheddar Mornay Sauce, then cover one with 2 slices of tomato and one-quarter of the warmed meats. Close the sandwich. Grill in butter/oil over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Serve warm. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

 Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South 

 

The Best Buffalo Chicken Burgers!

I love anything with a Buffalo Chicken flavor profile. Buffalo chicken itself, Buffalo chicken wraps, Buffalo chicken pizza, Buffalo chicken dip, and so I knew that I would love a Buffalo Chicken Burger!

Let's talk about this.

We start with a base of ground chicken, which is tender and lighter than a traditional ground beef burger. To the ground chicken we're going to add: bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, buffalo wing sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. We going to form 4 thicker patties or 6 thin patties. You decide.

Cook the patties on one side for 5 minutes, flip, top with cheese and cook the other side for 5-6 minutes. Toast some lovely brioche buns. Top the buns with a Buffalo Chicken Burger, a drizzle of Buffalo Sauce, some Ranch or Blue Cheese, and a good amount of lettuce. Serve the burger with carrot and celery sticks with more Ranch or serve it with some potato chips like I did here. This Buffalo Chicken Burger is really delicious! My burger was a little sloppy, which I love, and just oozing with Buffalo Sauce and Ranch. I loved the flavor profile with the light texture of the ground chicken. I would happily make these again and encourage any Buffalo Chicken lover to give these burgers a go!

Buffalo Chicken Burgers

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Makes 4 to 6 burgers

1 pound ground chicken breast

3 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons buffalo wing sauce, plus more for drizzling

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese

ranch dressing + blue cheese dressing + buffalo wing sauce for topping, or whatever you'd like

4 to 6 buns

Preheat a grill or nonstick skillet. In a large bowl combine the ground chicken, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, seasoning, Parmesan and buffalo wing sauce. Mix until just combined. Form into patties. Grill or pan-fry patties until brown on both sides and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. In the last 2 minutes, place the cheddar cheese on top of each burger. Place burgers on the buns and top with a drizzle of ranch and buffalo wing dressing. Top with lettuce. Serve with carrots, celery, and extra ranch for dipping. 

Fun With Flavor @ IHCC!

Southern Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South #1 {Ale-8-One Sloppy Joes and Wallace Station Red Bliss Potato Salad}

Every summer I like to chose a cookbook or a special focus and do a summer cooking series. Some of the summer series that I've done in the past are: popsicles; ice creams; cookies; salads; and healthy recipes. One series I've always wanted to do is a series of southern summer recipes. So, this summer I chose a local cookbook from James Beard Nominee, Ouita Michel. Each week I will be cooking recipes from Ouita's Just A Few Miles South Cookbook. 

 

Chef Ouita has six restaurants in the Lexington, Kentucky area where I happen to live. The restaurants range from upscale to down home and locals simply love everything she does. Ouita uses local ingredients, something I am passionate about. Recipes focus on old vintage southern recipes, as well as modern twists on new southern favorites. All of the recipes have a Bluegrass Kentucky vibe.

First up we have an Ale-8-One Sloppy Joe served alongside some Wallace Station Red Bliss Potato Salad. Now, if you're native to central Kentucky you know that Ale-8-One is a ginger ale type soda created in Winchester, Kentucky back in the 1920's. The soda was an entry in the Clark County Fair in 1926 and the name Ale-8-One was chosen through a naming contest at the fair. In the 1920's a slang term for "the latest thing" was simply "A Late One." If you're familiar with the Kentucky drawl, you know how easy "A Late One" can be Ale-8-One. This soda is still made and bottled in Winchester, Kentucky and it has quite a following. If you don't have Ale-8-One in your area you can always use ginger ale.

Back in the 1980's Sloppy Joes were everywhere. If you found yourself at a cookout, a potluck, or a backyard birthday party the chances were you'd be eating some Sloppy Joe! Back in those days a lot of people bought a can of Manwich and called it a day. For these Ale-8-One Sloppy Joes Chef Ouita crafts a careful combination of several ingredients: Kentucky beef; onion; garlic; flour; ketchup; Ale-8-One; tomato paste; tomato sauce; apple cider vinegar; Worcestershire sauce; honey; dry mustard; chili powder; and finally, salt and pepper. All of this gets cooked together to make one very delicious and quite classic Ale-8-One Sloppy Joe. Do you taste the Ale-8-One? Not necessarily, but it does provide a liquid base to help cook down all the other ingredients and meld the flavors together. On a toasted bun, this Ale-8-Sloppy Joe was milder than the Manwich all of us old-timers know and love. Ouita's Sloppy Joe is definitely a step above and we really enjoyed it with some Ale-8-One on the side.

Next up, is Ouita's Wallace Station Red Bliss Potato Salad (image of her Wallace Station restaurant above located in beautiful horse country). You simply cannot go wrong here. This is a classic potato salad made with red potatoes. The potatoes boil until tender then get doused with a dressing of mayo, Dijon mustard, celery, red onion, a splash of water, and salt and pepper. This is a really great classic potato salad and we loved it very much, especially on the first day. I would recommend making this and eating it on the day of. On the second day, the red onion flavor was more pronounced and it was still good, but it did get a very pronounced oniony flavor.

It was a great first roundup of Just A Few Miles South recipes. Next week is sure to bring another Bluegrass favorite! Over the summer I hope to get some in person pictures of her restaurants and food and maybe do a few side-by-side shots of her dishes in the dishes versus my dishes at home!

 See ya'll next week!

Ale-8-One Sloppy Joes

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

Serves 6-8

1-1/2 pounds ground beef

1 medium onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)

1 clove garlic, minced

1-1/2 tablespoons flour

2/3 cup ketchup

1/2 cup 

Ale-8-One

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1-1/2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

salt to taste

6-8 sturdy burger buns

Note: This makes about 1 quart of sloppy joe mixture.

Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Remove from the stove and carefully drain excess fat. Return pan to medium heat and stir in flour. Cook about 2 minutes, then stir in remaining ingredients. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes. To make the mixture extra sloppy, add more Ale-8-One. Taste for seasoning. Remove from heat and allow the sloppy joe mixture to rest about 5 minutes before serving, which helps it tighten up. Serve warm on buns.  

Wallace Station Red Bliss Potato Salad

Adapted from Just A Few Miles South

by Ouita Michel

Makes 2 quarts 

Serves 12-16

3 pounds small red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and eyes removed

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 cup finely chopped celery

1 cup finely chopped red onion

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 cups mayonnaise

1 tablespoon water

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place potatoes in a small stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Simmer about 13 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and cool slightly. Cut potatoes in a medium dice, add remaining ingredients, and mix thoroughly. Taste for seasoning. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving. 

Summer Series: Just A Few Miles South #1
 

Attention All Pickle Lovers: Hot Dogs with Pickle Slaw! {You Need It At Your Next Cookout}!

If you want to level up your next cookout, whip up a batch of this Pickle Slaw and you'll have all the pickle lovers swooning! Why stop at plain ol' relish when you can whip up a batch of pickle slaw with relish and cabbage for double the crunch!

It's really easy as pie. What a minute. Pie isn't really easy, but this pickle slaw is! You just need a couple cups of very thinly sliced green cabbage. Put it in a bowl and add fresh chopped dill, a couple tablespoons of sweet relish, a couple tablespoons of dill relish, olive oil, red wine vinegar, dill pickle juice, some honey, and finally some salt and pepper to taste. Mix up this zingy fresh slaw and let the flavors meld for about an hour, or as long as you can.

Grill up some hot dogs, put them in a nice soft buttery brioche bun, and dress with pickle slaw, ketchup, and mustard. The pickle slaw is somewhat mild in flavor, adding some zip but not a punch. The pickle slaw lends a freshness to the hot dog that is real nice, light, and summery! We really loved the pickle slaw and could see adding it to BBQ sandwiches, burgers, steak, chicken.  The sky really is the limit with this pickle slaw! It's even good on it's own.

 If you're a pickle lover, or you know a pickle lover, give it a try this season!

Pickle Slaw

Adapted from How Sweet Eats blog

Yields 2.5 cups

 4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage, very thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh chopped dill

3 tablespoons sweet relish

2 tablespoons dill relish

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons dill pickle juice

1 teaspoon honey

salt and pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage and dill with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Whisk together the relishes, olive oil, vinegar, pickle juice and honey. Pour over the cabbage and toss well to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. This stays great in the fridge for a day - you can also make it a fewh ours ahead of time and refrigerate, then bring it out for a party.

NOTE: Pickle slaw would be great for any BBQ or cookout! It's incredible on hot dogs and burgers, pulled chicken or pork, tacos, steak, and sky is the limit!

For The Picnic @ IHCC!