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Reuben Sandwich

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Reuben sandwiches are so easy and delicious to make at home, especially when you use homemade pastrami! Only 6 ingredients and about 5 minutes of your time until this deli favorite is on your table. This sandwich is a fun way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, or just eat year round!

Reuben sandwich over yellow backdrop

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I love a Reuben sandwich – it’s always one of the most tempting things on a pub or deli menu for me. Pastrami, sauerkraut, and thousand island dressing, not to mention melty Swiss cheese! It’s my dream sandwich.

Last summer, I made homemade pastrami for the first time and had several friends and family members over to help us eat it all in the form of a massive pile of Reuben sandwiches. Over and over I heard the words, “This is the best Reuben I’ve ever had.” High praise, if you ask me!

This sandwich is incredibly easy to make – don’t overthink it. I recommend doing your best to use the traditional ingredients I’ve laid out in this recipe, but if you have to stray, that’s okay.

Reuben Sandwich Ingredients

So, what goes on a Reuben sandwich? Just a few ingredients:

  • Rye bread. This seems like it might be hard to find, but most grocery stores have it! Bonus points if you can find it at a local bakery. If you’re in Portland, I got ours from Pirate Bread through Milk Run.
  • Butter.
  • Thousand Island Dressing. I get our favorite natural dressings from Thrive Market.
  • Sauerkraut. Also from Thrive Market!
  • Swiss cheese.
  • Pastrami! I have a tutorial for making homemade sous vide + smoked pastrami that is phenomenal. It is 100% worth the time and effort but it takes about 10 days… so I understand if you need to skip this process to get your Reuben fix quicker 🙂

How to Make a Reuben Sandwich

Butter the bread, layer the ingredients inside the sandwich, then griddle just like a grilled cheese! It’s really easy, what did I tell ya?

Layering of reuben sandwich ingredients

Reuben Sandwich Recipe

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Reuben Sandwich

  • Author: Chelsea
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 1 serving 1x
  • Category: Sandwich
  • Cuisine: Irish
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Description

Reuben sandwiches are so easy and delicious to make at home, especially when you use homemade pastrami! Only 6 ingredients and about 5 minutes of your time until this deli favorite is on your table. This sandwich is a fun way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, or just eat year round!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 pieces rye bread
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp Thousand Island Dressing
  • 3–4 oz pastrami
  • 3 tbsp sauerkraut
  • 2 slices Swiss cheese

Instructions

  1. Butter one side of each piece of the rye bread. Spread the Thousand Island Dressing on the other side of one of the pieces of bread. Layer the remaining ingredients on top of the dressing, ending with the other piece of bread, buttered side up.
  2. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the sandwich and cook just like a grilled cheese, until buttered sides of bread are browned and cheese is melted.

Notes

Cover the sandwich while cooking to help melt the cheese.

It’s a little trickier, but to avoid a soggy sandwich you can do the cheese first and spread the dressing onto the cheese.

Keywords: reuben sandwich

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Sous Vide Whole Chicken

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Sous vide is the best way to cook a whole chicken. You won’t have to worry that it’s underdone or raw in the middle and you won’t risk drying it out. This is the juiciest, most flavorful chicken you can make! Even better, you can sous vide it ahead of time and finish in the oven to serve. Sous vide makes serving a roasted chicken even easier.

Cooked whole chicken on white plate on pink background

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Okay, yes, I sous vide a lot of things. But I’m also a firm believer that not every cooking method is suitable for cooking every food (even if I really love that cooking method). There are things I’ve thought about cooking sous vide or even tried and decided it wasn’t the best method. And that’s okay.

But cooking a whole chicken sous vide? That’s definitely the best method.

Why cook a whole chicken sous vide?

Roasting a chicken has a reputation for being easy. Yes, the prep work is relatively limited, and there’s nothing tastier than a roasted chicken, but it’s not easy.

I consider myself to be a relatively experienced home cook, but I’ve roasted a chicken several times only to cut into it and discover it’s still raw in the center. Then I return it to the oven and overcook it. After everyone is an hour past being hungry and I’m stressed out.

Enter the magic of sous vide: it will always be cooked perfectly. Yes, it takes longer, but you can also sous vide way in advance and then finish in the oven to serve. The magic of the method!

How to spatchcock a chicken

In order to sous vide a chicken, you’ll want to spatchcock it so it can lie as flat as possible in the bag. What is spatchcocking, you ask? It’s when you cut out the back bone of the chicken. It sounds scary, but it’s not. You’ll want some sharp kitchen shears to do this well. You can also use a sharp pairing knife, but shears are easiest.

Step by step photos spatchcocking chicken with kitchen shears

Here’s a little video tutorial so you can see how it’s done!

Seasoning and time and temperature for sous vide whole chicken

You can really season the chicken however you’d like, but I’d highly recommend taking advantage of the cooking method and incorporating butter – it’ll essentially be a butter poached chicken. I don’t need to sell you on that right?

I mixed butter with kosher salt, garlic powder, and lots of Italian seasoning. After spatchcocking, I patted the chicken dry thoroughly with paper towels, then rubbed the butter mixture all over the chicken. This is easier if you’re chicken isn’t too cold, otherwise the butter will be difficult to spread.

Then vacuum seal the chicken (yes, you’ll need a fairly large bag). It’s okay if it gets squished up, just try to keep it as flat as possible.

After a lot of research on chicken cook temps and times, I went for 155 degrees F for 6 hours. If you’re chicken is super small, you could cut this to 5 hours. If it’s really large, you could go as long as 8 but it’s not necessary.

Seasoning and cooking time and temp for whole chicken

Finishing the sous vide whole chicken

When the chicken is done, you can either refrigerate it if you’re not ready to serve (I refrigerated it overnight) or move on to this step immediately. If you choose to refrigerate it, I recommend letting it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to bring up the temp before finishing.

To finish, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil. Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the liquid and gelatin (or save for a stock!) and place on the lined baking sheet.

Cook in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until skin is browned and crispy and chicken is heated through.

You could also finish this chicken on the grill! Since it’s already cooked and you’re just looking to crisp the skin, you’ll want to cook it over medium-high heat.

Cooked chicken on white plate on hot pink surface with chimichurri

More Sous Vide Info

Don’t have an immersion circulator or vacuum sealer yet? I’ve got you! Check out my Amazon Shop for all of my favorite sous vide products. For immersion circulators and vacuum sealers, I recommend Vesta Precision.

I also wrote a sous vide cookbook! Check out Everyday Sous Vide: It’s All French to Me. It’s filled with simple sous vide recipes to get you started (and hooked).

I’ve also created a sous vide 101 guide I’d love to share with you! I’ll send it right to your inbox:

 

Sous Vide Whole Chicken Recipe

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Sous Vide Whole Chicken

  • Author: Chelsea
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 6 hours
  • Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
  • Category: Chicken
  • Method: Sous Vide
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Low Calorie
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Description

Sous vide is the best way to cook a whole chicken. You won’t have to worry that it’s underdone or raw in the middle and you won’t risk drying it out. This is the juiciest, most flavorful chicken you can make! Even better, you can sous vide it ahead of time and finish in the oven to serve. Sous vide makes serving a roasted chicken even easier.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Instructions

  1. Preheat water bath using immersion circulator to 155 degrees F.
  2. Spatchcock your chicken by removing the back bone with very sharp kitchen shears or a pairing knife. Remove the neck, loose skin, and any organs and discard or save for stock. Pat the chicken dry thoroughly with paper towels.
  3. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, kosher salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
  4. Rub the chicken all over with the butter mixture. Add to a vacuum seal bag and vacuum seal.
  5. Add the chicken to the water bath and cook for 6 hours.
  6. When it’s done cooking, you can refrigerate to serve later or prepare it to serve immediately.
  7. To finish, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the chicken on the lined baking sheet and cook for 15-20 minutes in preheated oven until skin is crispy and golden and chicken is heated through.

Equipment

Notes

You can season this chicken with anything you’d like, but I highly recommend keeping the butter, or some other kind of fat, like olive oil.

The chicken is likely to float, so weigh it down with something like a ceramic plate.

You can also finish this chicken on the grill over medium-high heat.

Keywords: sous vide whole chicken

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Sous Vide and Smoked Brisket

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Sous vide brisket will be the best brisket you’ve ever tasted. This recipe combines sous vide and smoke for traditional flavor and perfect texture.

Sliced brisket on wood cutting board

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

My favorite combination of kitchen gadgets: my immersion circulator (for sous vide) and my smoker. Sous vide means I know that I’ll get the perfect texture, no question, and the juciest meat. My smoker gives my cooks that classic smoky bark I’m looking for when it comes to BBQ.

There is no question: this recipe takes effort and time. But it is WORTH IT. Believe me. 

What You Need to Make Sous Vide and Smoked Brisket

The food:

  • Obviously, you’ll need a brisket. I highly recommend getting your brisket from Porter Road. They have half and whole briskets for you to choose from. A half brisket will feed PLENTY of people.
  • Kosher Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Pink curing salt. You can easily get this on Amazon.

Supplies:

  • Immersion circulator for sous vide – I highly recommend purchasing from Vesta Precision. I have three, yes three, of theirs, and love them all!
  • A vacuum sealer. This isn’t technically required, but it makes things much easier. Again, I can’t recommend the vacuum sealers from Vesta Precision enough!
  • A large container for the water bath. You could use a cooler – I like to use Cambro containers.
  • A smoker. We have the Green Mountain Grill Davy Crockett – it’s the perfect size for our tiny balcony 🙂

How to Make a Rub for Brisket

I wanted to keep this rub really simple and traditional, so mine contains only three ingredients:

  • 65 g kosher salt
  • 30 g black pepper
  • 7 g pink curing salt

If you cook or bake a lot, it’s worth getting a kitchen scale. It’s so much more accurate than measuring and frankly, easier!

Rub ingredients being added to yellow bowl

Then really rub it into the brisket. I’m talkin’ all the nooks and crannies.

Applying rub to brisket

Time and Temperature for Sous Vide Brisket

Vacuum seal your brisket after you’ve seasoned it super, super well.

Vacuum sealing brisket

Then drop it into the water bath at 155 degrees Fahrenheit for 36 hours. Long cooks like this tend to create air pockets in the bags, so make sure to weigh down the bag/s of brisket. I usually just use a ceramic dinner plate or bowl – don’t overthink it.

Immersion circulator set to 155 degrees for 36 hours

How to Smoke Sous Vide Brisket

After the brisket is done cooking in the sous vide bath, the best way to finish it is on the smoker (although the oven will work, too, if you don’t have a smoker). To avoid the meat getting tough, I like to smoke it low and slow at 150 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 hours.

Brisket on smoker

You’ll know it’s finished when it has a deep, even bark all over the surface! Then slice and serve.

Sliced brisket and pickles on wood cutting board

What to Serve with Sous Vide and Smoked Brisket

Looking for side dish ideas? Look no further!

Sous Vide and Smoked Brisket How-To Video

Sous Vide and Smoked Brisket Recipe

If you make this recipe and like it, please leave a rating and review. It means the world to me, and it helps other people find this recipe!

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Sous Vide and Smoked Brisket

  • Author: Chelsea
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 42 hours
  • Total Time: 42 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings 1x
  • Category: Sous Vide
  • Method: Sous Vide
  • Cuisine: BBQ
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Description

Sous vide brisket will be the best brisket you’ve ever tasted. This recipe combines sous vide and smoke for traditional flavor and perfect texture.

Scale

Ingredients

  • Half Brisket (about 7 pounds)
  • 65 grams (1/4 cup) kosher salt
  • 30 grams (5 tsp) black pepper
  • 7 grams (1 1/4 tsp) pink curing salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat sous vide water bath to 155 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Combine salts and pepper in a small bowl. Rub thoroughly all over the brisket, getting into all the nooks and crannies.
  3. Vacuum seal the brisket. Add to water bath and cook for 36 hours.
  4. When finished, remove from water bath and vacuum seal bags. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
  5. Preheat a smoker to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the brisket and cook for 6 hours. It’s finished when there’s a deep bark all over the brisket.
  6. Slice into 1/2 inch slices and serve.

Notes

Long cooks tend to result in floating bags – weigh them down with a ceramic plate or bowl.

To finish in the oven, preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 30-40 minutes, until outside is a deep brown.

Keywords: sous vide brisket

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Air Fryer Hot Wings

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Hot wings cooked in the air fryer are amazing! Get crispy wings without all the oil using this method. This is the best air fryer hot wing recipe around, you’re going to love it!

Hot wings on white platter with bowl of blue cheese dip

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

We are big fans of hot wings around here, regardless of the time of year. I switched from frying to oven baking a while ago, which works well, but it’s time consuming and the clean up is a huge pain.

Enter: the air fryer! Air fryer hot wings are so much easier to make, and more importantly, clean up after, than traditional frying or oven-baking. All you have to clean out is the basket, which is designed to be easy! No oil to dispose of or attempting to clean clingy chicken skin off a baking rack.

Which air fryer should I get?

I did a lot of research when I was choosing my air fryer. There are a bunch on the market and several that are well reviewed, but I ended up going with Instant Pot’s model and I’ve been really happy with it! It preheats so fast, is lightweight (although it is large), and the basket is incredibly easy to clean.

What time and temperature for air fryer hot wings?

To get that crispy skin we all want for our hot wings, you want to cook on the hotter side of things! 400 degrees F is typically the hottest an air fryer will get, and that’s the temperature we want. Cook air fryer wings at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. At the 12 minute mark, you’ll want to remove the basket and flip all the hot wings for even cooking.

What type of wings should I use?

To make the type of wings you’d get at a restaurant, you do not want to get whole wings. Instead, you want to get “party wings”, where the drumette is separated from the flat. This way, you’ll make smaller, more manageable wings. It’s very difficult to eat a full sized wing covered in buffalo sauce!

How to Make Air Fryer Hot Wings

Start out by removing the hot wings from the their packaging and patting completely dry with paper towels or clean dish towels. Then add the wings to a large bowl and add cornstarch, kosher salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. We use cornstarch to get extra crispy skin!

Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F. Once it’s preheated, add the wings to the basket and spray with cooking spray. Toss to make sure they’re coated.

Cook for 12 minutes, then flip all the wings, and cook for another 8-12 minutes. There will be a lot of liquid in the bottom of the basket, so be careful when removing it.

Step by step for air fryer hot wings

To make the buffalo sauce, I stick with the classic recipe: Frank’s Red Hot and butter. We like things really spicy, so I add a few dashes of Tabasco Sauce.

Add the cooked wings to a large bowl, add the sauce, and toss to coat.

What should I serve with the air fryer hot wings?

I like to serve a variety of veggies and LOTS of blue cheese dip. This time, we went with sliced radishes and steamed broccoli florets. To make blue cheese dip, I simply combine sour cream, blue cheese crumbles, salt, and Italian seasoning. Easy!

Hot wings on white platter with blue cheese sauce

Air Fryer Hot Wings Recipe

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Air Fryer Hot Wings

  • Author: Chelsea
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Air Fryer
  • Method: Air Fryer
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Hot wings cooked in the air fryer are amazing! Get crispy wings without all the oil using this method. This is the best air fryer hot wing recipe around, you’re going to love it!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 20–25 party wings
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 1/2 cups Frank’s Red Hot
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • Several dashes Tabasco (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F.
  2. Remove party wings from packaging and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels or a clean dish towel.
  3. Add wings to a large bowl and toss with cornstarch, salt, and pepper until evenly coated. I recommend just using your hands!
  4. Add wings to air fryer basket and spray with cooking spray. Toss and spray again.
  5. Add wings to air fryer and cook for 12 minutes. Flip all the wings, then cook for another 8-13 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.
  6. While the wings are cooking, add Frank’s Red Hot, butter, and Tabasco if using to a saucepan over low heat. Cook until butter is melted.
  7. When wings are done, add to a clean, large bowl. Pour sauce over the wings and toss until every wing is completely coated with sauce.
  8. Serve with veggies and blue cheese dip.

Notes

To make blue cheese dip, combine 1 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt.

To ensure the wings don’t stick to one another, you can remove the basket and shake every 4 minutes or so. Be careful: there will be lots of liquid in the bottom of the basket that will be hot.

Nutritional information is approximate.

Keywords: air fryer hot wings

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Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

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This is a great recipe for sweet potato fries made in the air fryer with almost no oil, just a little olive oil! They come out crisp on the outside, tender on the inside. These air fryer sweet potato fries make a great side dish, or even just a snack. If you try this air fryer sweet potato fries recipe, please rate and review!

Sweet potato fries on platter with bowl of ketchup on yellow background

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Golden Milk Snickerdoodles

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A classic cookie dressed up with your favorite healing drink ingredients: Golden Milk Snickerdoodles! These cookies get amped up with an extra layer of spice and flavor thanks to the additions of turmeric and black pepper.

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Cacio e Pepe Mashed Potatoes

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The flavors of your favorite pasta work so well with buttery mashed potatoes! Serve Cacio e Pepe Mashed Potatoes with any of your favorite dishes. They’re an especially great side dish to steak and other beef dishes thanks to plenty of black pepper.

Bowl of mashed potatoes on hot pink background with bowl of parmesan, butter, and whole potatoes

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Sous Vide Filet Mignon with Blue Cheese Gravy

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I love all sous vide steak, but one of my favorite cuts is sous vide filet mignon! Pull out your immersion circulator: sous vide is the perfect cooking method for this delicate cut of beef. Way more affordable than dining out, this sous vide filet mignon is even better than what you’ll order at a restaurant when paired with my blue cheese gravy!

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

I think we all know how I feel about sous vide cooking. If something is “hard” to cook, sous vide it! Whether it’s creme brulee, delicate fish, or in this case, an expensive cut of beef, sous vide will help you nail it every time. God, I love this thing.

Are you still on the hunt for an immersion circulator and/or a vacuum sealer? I can’t recommend Vesta Precision‘s products enough: check them out and hop to precision cooking ASAP!

No one wants to invest in a quality cut of beef like filet mignon, only to get it into your kitchen and destroy it. Sous vide, to the rescue! Yes, you can probably pick this cut up from the grocery store or Costco, but do yourself a favor and get it (and all your meat, for that matter) from Porter Road. It’s ethically sourced, hand cut by skilled butchers, and dry aged. You can really taste the difference.

How to Make Sous Vide Filet Mignon

Friends, this couldn’t be easier. Preheat a water bath using your immersion circulator to 129 degrees for medium rare steak (honestly, I don’t think filet mignon should be served any other way!).

I did a really simple seasoning for this baby – Porter Road‘s cuts don’t need much! Salt, pepper, and a couple of sprigs of rosemary in the vacuum seal bag.

Then I cooked for two hours at 129 degrees F. Since these are thicker cuts, I’d recommend at least an hour and a half, up to 3 hours of cooking time.

Don’t love your steak medium rare like me? I’ll keep my mouth shut and give you this…

DonenessTimeTemperature
Rare1-4 hours125 F
Medium Rare1-4 hours129 F
Medium1-4 hours133 F
Medium Well1-4 hours138 F

How to Sear Sous Vide Steak

Getting a good sear is a careful balance of allowing enough time to char without undoing all the hard work you just did and overcooking the steak.

  1. Remove the steak from the vacuum seal bags and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Usually, I’ll do 3 layers of paper towels on my counter, set the steak on it, then top with another 3 layers of paper towels and press down on the top and all the sides. Then I’ll leave it there to continue absorbing any excess liquid for a few minutes.
  2. Reseason with salt and pepper.
  3. Preheat a cast iron skillet over hot heat. If you’re looking for bonus points and have the forethought, preheat your skillet in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes before searing. A simple Lodge cast iron skillet works just fine. Make sure you’ve got your hood’s fan on full blast for this!
  4. Once hot, add ghee to the cast iron skillet. Ghee is just clarified butter. I use that instead of butter because the solid parts, which are strained out as part of the process of making ghee, are what burn. With ghee, you get all the flavor of butter, but it has a way higher smoke point. I get mine from Thrive Market. Make sure the entire skillet is well coated.
  5. Add the steak to the very hot skillet, and press down slightly. I usually use a ceramic bowl or mug to do this because I’m cheap, but there are actual gadgets designed to do this.
  6. After about 30 seconds, check to see if you’ve got the char you’d like, then flip. Don’t leave the steak unattended: it’s easy to over cook!
  7. Remove to a plate once finished.

How to Make the Blue Cheese Gravy

Yes, you could just have blue cheese butter. But why do that, when you could have blue cheese gravy? Not to mention, it’s a breeze to make!

Start as you would making any other gravy: melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the flour and cook for a few minutes, until just starting to brown. Add the chicken stock and let simmer until it reaches your desired thickness.

Then season with salt and pepper, stir in my secret ingredient (sour cream!) and the blue cheese, and you’ve made blue cheese gravy!

Now generously pour that glorious sauce all over your filet mignon. Okay, don’t do too much: let the steak shine!

Even better, it tastes great on pretty much any side dish you pair here.

P.S. Want to get my Sous Vide 101 guide? Sign up here and I’ll email it to you.

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Sous Vide Filet Mignon with Blue Cheese Gravy

  • Author: Chelsea
  • Prep Time: 25 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 30 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Method: Sous Vide
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

I love all sous vide steak, but one of my favorite cuts is sous vide filet mignon! Pull out your immersion circulator: sous vide is the perfect cooking method for this delicate cut of beef. Way more affordable than dining out, this sous vide filet mignon is even better than what you’ll order at a restaurant when paired with my blue cheese gravy!

Scale

Ingredients

For the steak:

  • 2 5 oz filet mignon steaks
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary
  • 2 tbsp ghee

For the blue cheese gravy:

  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 2 tbsp crumbled blue cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat water bath using immersion circulator to 129 degrees F.
  2. Season steaks liberally with salt and pepper. Add to vacuum seal bag with sprigs of rosemary nestled along side each steak. Vacuum seal closed.
  3. Add to water bath and cook for 1 1/2 – 3 hours.
  4. While the steak is cooking, make the blue cheese gravy. In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium low heat.
  5. Add the flour, whisk together, and cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking frequently.
  6. Stir in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer, whisking regularly, until mixture reaches desired consistency.
  7. Remove from heat and stir in the salt, pepper, sour cream, and blue cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.
  8. When the steak is done cooking, remove from water bath and remove steaks from bag. Pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels.
  9. Reseason the steaks with salt and pepper.
  10. Preheat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Once very hot, add the ghee to the skillet. Sear steaks on each side for no more than a minute until well browned.
  11. Top the steaks with plenty of blue cheese gravy and serve.

Notes

  • To make sure the steaks are thoroughly dried before searing, wrap in paper towels and let sit for a few minutes to draw out excess moisture.
  • To get the cast iron skillet extra hot before searing, preheat in a 450 degree F oven for 20 minutes.
  • For more blue cheese flavor, top steaks with additional blue cheese crumbles after topping with gravy.
  • This gravy tastes great with mashed potatoes, too!

Keywords: sous vide filet mignon

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Tomato Soup with Cauliflower Gnocchi Dumplings

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Looking for a new way to use Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi? How about as dumplings in homemade tomato soup?! This tomato soup recipe is veggie packed, creamy, and comforting and made into a complete meal with the addition of cauliflower gnocchi. Even better: it’s gluten free and vegetarian!

Dutch oven full of tomato soup and bowl of tomato soup on yellow surface.

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

I have no idea how I came up with this idea. I had planned on cooking something completely different when recipe testing for the blog, yet this is what I came up with. I’m not mad about the change of plans, and you shouldn’t be either.

How to Make Tomato Soup with Cauliflower Gnocchi Dumplings

We’re working with a pretty short ingredient list here (lucky us!).

Tomato soup ingredients on yellow surface.

Ingredients for Tomato Soup with Cauliflower Gnocchi Dumplings:

  • Butter
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Carrots
  • Flour
  • Tomato paste
  • Chicken stock
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Basil
  • Thyme
  • Bay leaf
  • Heavy cream
  • Spinach (not pictured + optional)
  • Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi
  • Parmesan

The soup is simple: saute, simmer, blend, stir in cream and spinach. For all soups, I like to use a heavy bottomed dutch oven. This is the one I have. Lucky me, the subletter in our apartment when we were living in Cape Town purchased it and LEFT IT BEHIND. What.

Dutch oven full of tomato soup and bowl of tomato soup on yellow surface.

To prepare the gnocchi, I pulled out my new favorite kitchen gadget: the air fryer! I was reeeaaally skeptical of this gadget, but it’s quickly proven it’s worth. It preheats and cooks food lightning fast, and it’s perfect for side dishes, and in this case, toasting cauliflower gnocchi! If you don’t have an air fryer, simply toast the gnocchi in a skillet according to package directions.

Once the soup is done, ladle into bowls, top with gnocchi “dumplings”, lots of basil, and lots of parmesan. Now you have a bowl of the most delicious, yet wholesome, soup you’ve ever had.

Tips and Tricks for Soup Success

  1. Allow plenty of time for the carrots to soften. It can be easy to get impatient.
  2. Wanna crock pot this? You totally can! Add all ingredients except heavy cream, spinach, cauliflower gnocchi, and parmesan to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. Then follow the directions from blending on!
  3. Get the gnocchi nicely golden – the soup will be easier on the eyes and on the palette.
  4. You can totally just stir in the gnocchi if you prefer – it just won’t have a “toasted” texture.
  5. This soup freezes well (even with dumplings!) and makes great leftovers.
  6. Need a little more carbs? Serve it with homemade focaccia bread or a roasted chicken for more protein.
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Bowl of tomato soup with cauliflower dumplings on yellow surface

Tomato Soup with Cauliflower Gnocchi Dumplings

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Chelsea
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 5 Servings 1x
  • Category: Soup
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Description

Looking for a new way to use Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi? How about as dumplings in homemade tomato soup?! This tomato soup recipe is veggie packed, creamy, and comforting and made into a complete meal with the addition of cauliflower gnocchi. Even better: it’s gluten free and vegetarian!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 6 cloves of garlic, diced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 12.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp chopped basil
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups spinach (optional)
  • 1 bag Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi
  • Parmesan, for garnish
  • Chiffonade basil, for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a heavy bottom stock pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic, and carrots and saute until veggies are soft.
  2. Add the flour, and cook for about a minute.
  3. Add the chicken stock, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, until carrots are soft.
  4. While the soup is cooking, prepare the cauliflower gnocchi. If you have an air fryer, preheat to 380 degrees F. Add gnocchi to basket and spray with cooking spray. Cook for about 12 minutes, removing basket every 4 minutes to shake gnocchi, until gnocchi are golden brown. If you don’t have an air fryer, cook according to package directions in a skillet.
  5. Remove bay leaf from soup. Add the chopped basil. Use immerison blender to blend the soup, or blend in batches in a blender.
  6. Return soup to low heat and stir in cream and spinach. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is completely wilted, about 5 minutes.
  7. Ladle soup into bowls to serve and top with toasted gnocchi (I recommend about 8 gnocchi per bowl). Top with parmesan and basil and serve.

Notes

  • Want to spice things up? Add 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper.
  • Wanna crock pot this? You totally can! Add all ingredients except heavy cream, spinach, cauliflower gnocchi, and parmesan to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. Then follow the directions from blending onward!
  • Get the gnocchi nicely golden – the soup will be easier on the eyes and on the palette.
  • You can totally just stir in the gnocchi if you prefer – it just won’t have a “toasted” texture.
  • This soup freezes well (even with dumplings!) and makes great leftovers.

Keywords: cauliflower gnocchi

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Sloppy Joe Sweet Potato Toasts

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These sloppy joe sweet potato toasts are a healthy spin on the cafeteria classic. Slices of sweet potato are topped with ground turkey, tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapenos, and finally, pickles for an easy and delicious weeknight meal. Even better, this recipe is totally paleo and Whole30 friendly.

Sloppy Joe Sweet Potato Toasts on a while plate on a yellow background with pickles in a dish

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My new go-to weeknight dinner: sloppy joe sweet potato toasts!

Tasty? Check. Done in 30 minutes or less? Check. Healthy? Check, check, check.

This dish is simple, but full of flavor thanks to chili powder and pickles (trust me!) and filling but full of healthy ingredients like sweet potatoes and ground turkey. Not to mention, it’s a really fun spin on the usual weeknight dinner!

Living the paleo diet life or rocking a Whole30? Don’t worry: this recipe will work for you!

How to Make Sloppy Joe Sweet Potato Toasts

Lucky you: this dinner is a breeze to whip up, and you only need a few ingredients!

Ingredients for sloppy joe sweet potato toasts on yellow surface

Ingredients:

  1. Sweet potatoes
  2. Olive oil
  3. Salt
  4. Ground turkey
  5. Onions
  6. Jalapeno (optional)
  7. Bell pepper
  8. Diced tomatoes
  9. Tomato paste

You’ll start by scrubbing the sweet potatoes and chopping off the ends, then slicing them into oblong rounds. Then cover them in a little olive oil (an olive oil spray works well here!) and salt them. If you’ve got an air fryer, this is a great reason to use it! Cook them at 390 degrees F for 8 minutes on each side. If not, cook them in your oven at 425 for 10 minutes on each side.

Then brown the turkey, add the onions, jalapeno, and bell pepper and cook until softened, stir in the diced tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer until the sweet potatoes are ready to go.

Cooked sliced sweet potatoes on yellow plate on yellow surface

To assemble, top the sweet potato toasts with the ground turkey mixture, then some diced pickles. It sounds weird, but TRUST ME. The pickles add a much needed tang and complement the sweetness of the sweet potatoes so well.

Tips for Making Sloppy Joe Sweet Potato Toasts

  • If you have an air fryer, it’s perfect for the sweet potato toasts! New to air fryers but want to snag one? This is the air fryer I have and I totally love it!
  • The longer you can let the sloppy joe mixture simmer, the better. In fact, you could brown the meat and then throw all the other ingredients into the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours.
  • Be generous with the chili powder: it does more for smokiness than spice, so don’t be afraid!
  • If you like things really spicy, I recommend topping with a vinegary hot sauce, like Tabasco.
  • A hoppy beer, like a pale ale or IPA, are my drinks of choice for this!
  • These Bourbon Moscow Mules from A Nerd Cooks would also be delicious.
  • How about an easy dessert to serve after, like Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies or Classic Lemon Bars?

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Sloppy Joe Sweet Potato Toast Recipe

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Sloppy Joe Sweet Potato Toasts

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Chelsea
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

These sloppy joe sweet potato toasts are a healthy spin on the cafeteria classic. Slices of sweet potato are topped with ground turkey, tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapenos, and finally, pickles for an easy and delicious weeknight meal. Even better, this recipe is totally paleo and Whole30 friendly.

Scale

Ingredients

4 sweet potatoes

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp kosher salt

1 pound ground turkey

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 jalapeno, finely diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 12.5 oz can diced tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickles

Vinegar based hot sauce (optional)

Instructions

  1. If using an air fryer, preheat air fryer to 390 degrees F. If using an oven, preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Scrub the sweet potatoes (you don’t need to peel unless you want to). Chop off the ends. Slice long ways into 1/4 inch “toasts”. Coat both sides of sweet potato “toasts” with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.
  3. Cook for 8 minutes for air fryer or 10 minutes for oven, flip, and cook for another 8 minutes for air fryer or 10 minutes for oven. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
  4. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, brown the turkey in a skillet over medium heat. Season with a teaspoon of kosher salt. Add the onion, jalapeno, and bell pepper and cook over medium low heat until veggies are soft. Add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes, stir, and cook over low heat for at least 20 minutes.
  5. To assemble, top the sweet potato “toasts” with the sloppy joe mixture, then garnish with diced pickles and hot sauce, if desired.

Notes

If you’d like to cook the sloppy joe mixture in the slow cooker, brown the meat and add onion, jalapeno, bell pepper, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and browned turkey to the slow cooker. Cook on low for a minimum of 3 hours, up to 6.

Keywords: sloppy joe sweet potato toasts

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Polenta Lasagna

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This polenta lasagna recipe is so easy and a fun twist on the Italian favorite! My version is made with hot Italian sausage, but simply omit if you prefer to keep things vegetarian. It can easily be prepped ahead of time and freezes beautifully. This polenta casserole makes a great meal for families with new babies or when you’re feeding a crowd!

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

I love polenta. Love it. I’m a sucker for smooth textures. Mashed potatoes are my favorite side, I always order the grits, and polenta is a major draw when it’s on the menu.

One of my friends told me she had polenta lasagna at a restaurant and I was like YES MUST MAKE. And it was as good as it sounds.

I’d argue this is even easier to put together than traditional lasagna, if not as easy.

How to Make Polenta Lasagna

You only need a few ingredients to make polenta lasagna:

  • Marinara sauce. Store bought or homemade, no judgement here.
  • Pre-made polenta. Yep, the kind in a tube. You can get it at most grocery stores, including Trader Joe’s.
  • Ricotta cheese (with an egg mixed in!)
  • Shredded mozzarella or Italian blend
  • Hot Italian Sausage. You can use mild if you prefer. I use hot Italian chicken sausage (available locally in Portland at New Seasons). If you want to make this dish vegetarian, simply leave it out!

Ingredients for polenta lasagna on marbled surface

Then: layer! Frankly, the order doesn’t matter much, but I suggest:

  1. Marinara
  2. Polenta discs
  3. Sausage
  4. Ricotta
  5. Italian blend
  6. Repeat!

Steps to make polenta lasagna

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 25 minutes. The longer you bake it, the more tender the polenta will be.

Slice of polenta lasagna on plate

Tips for Making Polenta Lasagna

  • Want to make this vegetarian? Just omit the sausage.
  • Hot Italian chicken sausage makes this dish a little lighter.
  • Don’t skip the foil: the top will cook way more quickly than the interior.
  • The longer you cook the lasagna, the more the polenta will fall apart. I like it pretty tender.
  • You can assemble this dish 3 days in advance and keep it in the fridge.
  • This dish freezes really well!
  • Use a 9×13 inch baking dish for this. Like my dish? Get it!

What to Serve with Polenta Lasagna

If you want some bread to serve, try my quick and easy focaccia bread. To make sure you get some veggies in with this hearty dish, whip up my Warm Brussels Sprouts Caesar. This dish goes great with a bold, Italian red. Might I suggest a tempranillo?

Video of Polenta Lasagna Recipe

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Polenta Lasagna Recipe

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Slice of polenta lasagna on plate

Polenta Lasagna

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Chelsea
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 45 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Cuisine: Italian
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Description

This polenta lasagna recipe is so easy and a fun twist on the Italian favorite! My version is made with hot Italian sausage, but simply omit if you prefer to keep things vegetarian. It can easily be prepped ahead of time and freezes beautifully. This polenta casserole makes a great meal for families with new babies or when you’re feeding a crowd!

Scale

Ingredients

1 25 oz jar marinara

1.5 18 oz tubes polenta

2 lbs hot Italian sausage, browned

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 egg

1.5 cups Italian blend cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Slice polenta logs into slices a little thinner than 1/2 inch.
  3. In a small bowl, mix the ricotta with the egg and set aside.
  4. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9×12 inch baking dish and spread it evenly.
  5. Arrange polenta slices to cover the bottom of the baking dish. You may need to slice some of the rounds in half to fill in gaps.
  6. Cover the polenta layer with half of the cooked Italian sausage.
  7. Top with spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture, then a layer of Italian blend cheese.
  8. Repeat the layers, ending with the cheese.
  9. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 25 minutes, until top is browned and bubbly.
  10. Let cool on counter for 15 minutes before cutting into slices and serving.

Notes

  • Want to make this vegetarian? Just omit the sausage.
  • Hot Italian chicken sausage makes this dish a little lighter.
  • Don’t skip the foil: the top will cook way more quickly than the interior.
  • The longer you cook the lasagna, the more the polenta will fall apart. I like it pretty tender.
  • You can assemble this dish 3 days in advance and keep it in the fridge.
  • This polenta lasagna freezes really well!

Keywords: polenta lasagna

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Sous Vide Pumpkin Pie

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Move over sous vide custard: sous vide pumpkin pie will be your new favorite new sous vide dessert! Perfect texture and flavor, and no sacrificing crust. What’s better than pumpkin pie in a jar?!

Jars of pumpkin pie with pieces of crust on pink surface

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Last year was my first year hosting Thanksgiving, and I did almost the entirety of my portion of the meal sous vide. Sous vide turkey breasts, sous vide confit turkey legs, sous vide mashed potatoes. And my guests didn’t expect anything different; I was about to launch my first cookbook, Everyday Sous Vide: It’s All French to Me, out into the world.

But one thing I didn’t think of doing sous vide until this year? Pumpkin pie. Such a “duh” moment for me.

The texture? Outstanding. The flavor? Perfect. The amount of time it will take your guests to eat it? Little. And it frees up your oven for when Aunt Martha walks in with her stuffing and says, “I thought I’d cook this over here… 350 degrees for 20 minutes, here you go!” Thanks, Aunt Martha.

What jars for sous vide pumpkin pie?

When selecting your jars, think “serving size”. It’s so much more fun if your guests can eat their pie right from the jars! I like to use quarter pint jars for mine, and that’s the biggest you should go in my opinion. I couldn’t quite finish my jar. You could certainly go smaller!

How to Make Sous Vide Pumpkin Pie

If you are unfamiliar with sous vide, start here!

Making sous vide pumpkin pie is incredibly simple, like most sous vide desserts. There’s some whisking, there’s some pouring, there’s some waiting, there’s some refrigerating. That’s the amazing thing about cooking sous vide: there’s no opening the oven over and over and wondering if maybe, soon, the dessert is ready.

Start adding canned pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk eggs, pumpkin pie, spice, and salt to a mixing bowl. I prefer to use something with a spout to make it easy to pour into jars!

4 photos in a grid showing the pumpkin pie ingredients

Then whisk it all together until smooth and no lumps remain.

Whisked pumpkin pie ingredients in glass measuring cup on pink surface

Pour the mixture into quarter pint sized jars. I got 5 servings out of this mixture!

Sous vide bath and jar of pumpkin pie on pink surface

What time and temp for sous vide pumpkin pie?

Sous vide pumpkin pie uses the same time and temp as most sous vide desserts: high and short. Precisely, 185 degrees F for 1 hour. Once it’s done cooking, leave on the counter to come to room temperature then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.

Don’t forget to only screw the lids of the jars to fingertip tight when cooking, meaning only tighten it as far as you can with just the tips of your fingers. You want to see air bubbles escaping, otherwise the jars could break!

Watch the Sous Vide Pumpkin Pie Recipe Video

P.S. New to sous vide? I’ll email you my Sous Vide 101 Guide so you can learn everything there is to know!

Sous Vide Pumpkin Pie Recipe

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Sous Vide Pumpkin Pie

  • Author: Chelsea
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 5 servings 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Sous Vide
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Move over sous vide custard: sous vide pumpkin pie will be your new favorite new sous vide dessert! Perfect texture and flavor, and no sacrificing crust!

Scale

Ingredients

1/2 tsp salt

1 unbaked pie crust (optional)

Whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

Using an immersion circulator, preheat a water bath to 185 degrees F.

In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients except pie crust and whipped cream. Pour evenly between 5 quarter pint jars.

Screw lids onto jars until just fingertip tight. Drop into preheated water bath and cook for one hour.

Remove jars from water bath and let come to room temperature on the counter. Place in fridge for at least 2 hours.

Before serving, unroll pie crust onto a piece of parchament paper on a baking sheet. Bake according to package instructions, until just golden brown.

To serve, top each jar of pie with whipped cream and a broken piece of pie crust.

Notes

When mixing my ingredients, I prefer to use something with a spout to make it easy to pour into jars.

Use smaller jars for smaller servings. I’d recommend quarter pint being the largest you go.

Make sure to only screw your jar lids on to fingertip tight, meaning only as tight as you can screw on with just your fingertips. You want to see air bubbles escaping when you drop the jars into the water! If you don’t the jars may break.

Keywords: sous vide pumpkin pie

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Looking for other sous vide desserts? Try my Sous Vide Cherry Cheesecake or Sous Vide Lemon Cheesecake!

Beer Braised Pork Shanks

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This pork shank recipe for beer braised pork shanks can be made on the stove, Instant Pot, or slow cooker. Pork shanks are also known as pork hocks. This pork stew is easier (and tastier!) than you think.

Braised pork shanks and grits on a white plate on a yellow background with a pink and purple towel

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I made pork shanks! Scary, unfamiliar pork shanks. My favorite meat source, Porter Road, has had them on their website for a while, and I finally got a couple so I could see what this cut of meat has to offer.

What are pork shanks?

Outline of a pig cut into sections with the front leg highlighted.

Picture from Porter Road

The pork shank comes from the front forearm of the pig. This is a muscle-y, tough cut of meat. There’s a large bone with meat surrounding it, which means all kind of melty marrow when you cook it slow.

How to cook pork shanks

You should cook pork shanks low and slow, so the meat can fully break down and you can make the most of that big bone. This is the kind of cut you want to be fall apart tender.

Here are the cooking methods I recommend, ranked in order of the amount of time they’ll take to prepare:

  1. Instant Pot (90 minutes)
  2. Stove top (3-5 hours)
  3. Slow Cooker (8-10 hours)

No matter what method you use, you’ll start by seasoning and searing the meat and you’ll end by looking for meat that falls away from the bone and shreds easily. If this hasn’t happened, keep cookin’.

How to braise pork shanks

You can use any liquid you like for braised pork shanks, but I chose to use beer. A dark beer, like a stout or an Oktoberfest, are great choices for imparting lots of flavor. You could also use a red wine (I’d recommend something lighter, like a pinot noir), or simply stock (beef or chicken would work depending on what you’re looking for!).

But first things first: season! I wanted my braised pork shanks to have a smoky flavor, so I went with the Chili Coffee seasoning blend I developed for pork chops in my cookbook, Everyday Sous Vide. Once thoroughly coated in seasoning, sear the pork shanks in ghee over medium high heat in a heavy bottomed, high rimmed pot or dutch oven.

Steps 1, 2, and 3 of braising pork shanks

Remove the pork shanks to a plate, and in the same pot, add garlic, onions, and carrots and cook until softened.

Red onions, carrots, and minced garlic in bowls on yellow surface

Once softened, deglaze the pot with your liquid of choice. Again, I used beer and I also used some chicken stock.

Can of Oktoberfest being poured into dutch oven

If you are cooking the braised pork shanks in an Instant Pot or slow cooker, transfer the liquid and veggies to the pot of that device. Then add additional seasonings, including a bay leaf, salt to taste, and dried herbs, to the pot. Stir, then add the pork shanks.

Pork shanks in braising liquid in dutch oven

Then let it all cook for a reeeaaally long time, rotating the shanks every so often so the meat is evenly submerged in the liquid. Once it easily pulls away from the bone and shreds, it’s ready.

Braised pork shanks over grits on a white platter on a yellow background

What to serve with braised pork shanks

I chose to serve the beer braised pork shanks with cheddar grits, because CHEDDAR GRITS, amiright? I get my grits from Thrive Market. They would also be delicious served with Mashed Cauliflower for a lighter option, Cauliflower Gratin, or my best ever french fries. As you can see, I recommend something carby to soak up all the delicious braising liquid.

For drinks, I recommend whatever your braising liquid was: a dark beer or light red wine. I’m a sucker for Oregon pinot noir, my fav lately has been Pike Road Pinot Noir.

Where to Buy Pork Shanks

Pork shanks, also known as pork hocks, are definitely a butcher’s cut and a little harder to find. You can go to your local butcher and hope for the best, but if I were you, I would get them from Porter Road!

P.S. Don’t forget to pin this recipe so you can remember it for your next meal to impress!

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Beer Braised Pork Shanks

  • Author: Chelsea
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 90 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Pork
  • Method: Slow Cook
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This recipe for beer braised pork shanks can be made on the stove, Instant Pot, or slow cooker. This pork stew is easier (and tastier!) than you think.

Scale

Ingredients

2 tbsp finely ground dark-roast coffee

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tbsp dark brown sugar, tightly packed

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp kosher salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 pork shanks

1 tbsp ghee (or other high smoke point fat)

1 red onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 12 oz dark beer (such as Oktoberfest or stout)

2 cups chicken stock

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp dried herb blend (I use Italian seasoning)

Instructions

In a bowl, mix together coffee, chili powder, brown sugar, paprika, 1 tbsp salt, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Rub the pork shanks thoroughly with the spice mixture. You may have some left over, store it in an airtight container for future use.

In a large, heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven, melt ghee over medium high heat. Once melted, sear the pork shanks on all sides until deep brown. Remove to plate.

Reduce the heat to low and add onions, carrots, and garlic to the pot and cook until onions have started to soften.

Deglaze the dutch oven with beer. Stir and scrape any stuck on bits from the bottom to the pot until loosened.

If cooking in the Instant Pot or slow cooker, transfer liquid and veggies to that container. Add stock, bay leaves, salt, and dried herb blend to your vessel of choice and stir to combine. Return pork shanks to liquid.

If cooking in the Instant Pot, cook using the manual setting for 90 minutes and use a manual release when done. If cooking stove top, cook for 3-5 hours, turning the shanks every hour or so, until fall apart tender. If cooking in the slow cooker, cook for 8-10 hours, turning the shanks every hour or so, until fall apart tender.

To serve, remove shanks to a cutting board and pull the meat from the bone. Serve with braising liquid spooned over the top.

Notes

If you’d like, substitute any “smoky” seasoning for the seasoning blend in the recipe.

For more of a “gravy”, melt 1/4 cup butter in a skillet. Add 1/3 cup flour and cook for 3-5 minutes over low heat. Add the roux to braising liquid after removing the shanks and stir until liquid has thickened.

Keywords: braised pork shanks

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Chorizo and Pimento Cheese Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers

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These easy Chorizo and Pimento Cheese Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers are topped with bacon and a fun spin on a delicious appetizer classic! Skip the cream cheese and upgrade to pimento cheese – you won’t look back!

Hand taking jalapeno popper off a white plate on a hot pink background

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I. love. jalapeno poppers.

My parents make them all the time out when hosting big groups and they fly off the sheet pan before they make it onto a platter. The crunch of the jalapeno, creamy cheesy middle, and BACON. It is thee best.

I recently saw pimento cheese in a jalapeno popper and thought:

  1. That’s brilliant.
  2. I should add chorizo.

How to Easily Remove Seeds and Ribs

The heat of a jalapeno can be unpredictable, so to help mitigate that, it’s important to remove all the seeds and ribs. Here’s how I do it:

  1. Remove the top. Just as cloooose to the edge as you can.
  2. Slice down the middle long ways.
  3. Use a small spoon to scoop the ribs and seeds out into a bowl.

Make sure to get every little seed and rib!

Stuffing the Poppers

Once you have them all sliced and de-seeded and de-ribbed, fill them with ground, cooked chorizo. Don’t fill them super full: you’ll need room for pimento cheese and bacon. Not to mention, if they’re too full, they get harder to eat.

Tray of sliced in half jalapenos filled with chorizo on pink surface

Next, top them with pimento cheese. I find it to be easiest if you fill a plastic sandwich bag with cheese, cut off the corner of the bag, and pipe it over the peppers. You’re going to bake the poppers which will cause the cheese to melt and spread, so a thick layer right down the middle of the popper is sufficient.

Tray of sliced in half jalapenos filled with chorizo and pimento cheese on pink surface

Bake the jalapeno poppers at 400 degrees F for 12 minutes, then top with crumbled cooked bacon.

Jalapeno poppers on white platter on pink background

Serve, and watch people silently stuff jalapeno poppers into their face.

For the best stuffed jalapeno poppers, get your chorizo from Porter Road. The quality is fantastic and you’ll feel great about eating it.

For more pork + cheese appetizer goodness, make some Queso Fundido, too. Or maybe you feel like you need to serve some real veggies along side this. Try my Zucchini Chips with Zesty Coconut Cream. And if you’re looking for a cocktail to go with this app, might I recommend A Nerd Cook’s recipe for Kentucky Bourbon Lemonade?

Watch the Chorizo and Pimento Cheese Jalapeno Popper Video

P.S. Don’t forget to pin this recipe so you can whip it up for every event!

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Chorizo and Pimento Cheese Jalapeno Poppers

  • Author: Chelsea
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 12 mins
  • Total Time: 32 minutes
  • Yield: 26 servings 1x
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

These easy Chorizo and Pimento Cheese Jalapeno Poppers are topped with bacon and a fun spin on a delicious appetizer classic!

Scale

Ingredients

13 jalapenos

1 pound ground chorizo, browned

8 oz pimento cheese

1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off stem of jalapenos, then slice in half long ways and remove ribs and seeds with a spoon.

Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange jalapenos, cut side up, on foil.

Fill each jalapeno with cooked ground chorizo (but not too full). Transfer pimento cheese to a sandwich sized zipper bag and cut off the tip. Pipe pimento cheese on top of chorizo.

Bake for 12 minutes, until cheese is melted and jalapenos are starting to soften.

Sprinkle crumbled bacon over the top of each popper and serve.

Notes

Make sure to thoroughly clean out each jalapeno to control the spice level. I like to cook chorizo until it’s really well browned and crispy for an extra delicious popper!

Keywords: jalapeno popper

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Brown Butter Apple Blondies

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This easy recipe for Brown Butter Apple Blondies results in the most chewy, almost caramel-like dessert with tons of fall flavor.

Brown butter apple blondies in glass baking dish being set down on white surface with apples

I am the person who likes the following types of candies and desserts:

  • Salted caramel anything
  • Toffee
  • Praline

I don’t really go for sour or fruity (which is perfect because this is what Husband loves). So when I was dreaming up fall desserts this year, my brain went to ooey-gooey, caramel apples. And I recreated this in a handheld, non-messy dessert.

Blondie vs Brownie

Honestly, I’m not sure why we think of blondies and brownies being the same. They are nothing alike except that they are both cut into bars.

The first difference you’ll notice when making this recipe: the batter is more of a dough consistency, way thicker than brownie batter. Just trust the recipe.

Brown Butter Apple Blondies on a yellow cake stand with flowers and hexagon tile in the background

Tips and Tricks for Brown Butter Apple Blondie Success

  1. Browning the butter is tricky: you’re looking for a deep golden brown, but it can go from perfect to burnt quickly. Keep a close eye.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is significantly lighter in color and creamy looking.
  3. These blondies will take a long, long time to bake. There’s a sweet spot between underdone and just the right amount of gooey, be patient but don’t be afraid to pull them out a little underdone.

Watch the Video for Step by Step

Later, of course, I thought these would be awesome served with Tillamook French Vanilla Ice Cream. Looking for a similar recipe? Try my Peppermint Patty Stuffed Brownies or Pumpkin Pie Filled Snickerdoodles.

 

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Brown butter apple blondies in glass baking dish being set down on white surface with apples

Brown Butter Apple Blondies

  • Author: Chelsea
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 20 blondies 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This easy recipe for Brown Butter Apple Blondies results in the most chewy, almost caramel-like dessert with tons of fall flavor.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups (3 sticks) butter
  • 3 cups light brown sugar, packed
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with butter.

Add the butter to a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Check it after about 10 minutes; it should be a medium-brown color, not too light, not burned. Once it reaches that color, take it off the heat and let it cool.

Set aside about 1/4 cup of the browned butter. In a bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the remaining cooled brown butter and brown sugar until creamy.

Add the eggs and vanilla and mix, scraping the sides of the bowl, until fully incorporated. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice and mix until combined.

In the same saucepan, cook all but about 15 of the apple slices with reserved 1/4 cup of brown butter over medium-low heat until softened.

Press half the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Spread the cooked apples over the mixture. Press the remaining dough over the apples. Press the set aside slices into the top of the dough decoratively.

Bake the blondies for 45 minutes – 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few crumbs stuck to it.

Let cool, then slice and serve. Store in the freezer or at room temperature.

Notes

Dough will be a lot thicker than brownie batter – don’t fear!

I like these blondies kind of gooey – don’t be afraid to go a little underdone.

Keywords: brown butter apple blondies

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Amatriciana

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This simple pasta recipe for Amatriciana straight out of Italy combines tomato sauce, black pepper, and bacon for a simple but unforgettable meal!

Bowls of pasta arranged on a pink background

Summer 2019, it finally happened: Eurotrip! Husband and I went to Paris, Nice, Berlin, and Rome. I loved them all. For all the pics and recs and things, head over to my Instagram account and check out the highlights.

Whenever you come back from a trip like this, people say, “What was your favorite place?!” and it’s really hard to come up with an answer. I go back and forth between Paris and Rome and don’t say anything all that interesting.

But when people ask what the best thing I ate was, it’s unequivocal: amatriciana. Our very first night of #Eurotrip, in Rome, at a restaurant we stopped at on the way to the restaurant we were planning to go to.

What is Amatriciana?

Amatriciana is a pasta usually made with rigatoni or bucatini pasta, but I wanted to use fresh pasta and fettuccine was what my little market had on hand that day. Ultimately, you want something a little sturdy – no angel hair, here.

The sauce is simple: a basic red sauce, thick cut bacon, parmesan, and, the most important part, lots of black pepper. Black pepper + bacon = a match made in heaven. You want enough pepper that this dish is practically spicy.

What should I pair Amatriciana with?

Pair it with a bold Italian wine, and you’ve got yourself a meal. No one is stopping you from making some simple focaccia or a warm brussels sprouts caesar, either.

Watch it before you make it.

Recap: 3 keys to perfect Amatriciana

  1. The right pasta shape. Rigatoni or bucatini are best, but just make sure it’s sturdy! Bonus points if you can get your hands on fresh pasta.
  2. Thick cut bacon. Make it easy on yourself and go right to the butcher counter in your store. Ask for ends or to cut it thick. My favorite bacon to use is ends and pieces from Porter Road.
  3. Be generous with the black pepper. You want the dish to practically taste spicy with black pepper! Don’t be afraid to go big.
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Amatriciana

  • Author: Chelsea
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
  • Category: Pasta
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: Italian
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Description

This simple pasta recipe straight out of Italy combines tomato sauce, black pepper, and bacon for a simple but unforgettable meal!

Scale

Ingredients

16 oz pasta of choice (fresh bucatini or rigatoni recommended)

8 oz thick cut plain bacon, diced into 1/2 inch pieces

2 15 oz cans of tomato sauce (or 3 cups of your favorite marinara)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp tomato paste

1/3 cup grated parmesan

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Parmesan for serving

Black pepper for serving

Instructions

In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy and fat is rendered. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Wipe the pan out with a paper towel.

In the same saucepan, bring the tomato sauce to a simmer over low heat. Add kosher salt, garlic powder, and tomato paste. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

Add the cooked bacon, parmesan, and black pepper to the sauce. Let simmer gently until cheese is melted. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Cook pasta according to package instructions to very al dente. Reserve 1/3 cup pasta water before draining.

Add the pasta water to the sauce and stir to combine. Add the cooked but al dente pasta to the sauce immediately and toss in the sauce. Continue cooking until sauce is well coated.

Remove from heat and serve with additional parmesan and black pepper.

Notes

  1. Use a sturdy pasta, like bucatini or rigatoni. Nothing “wimpy” like angel hair!
  2. Use a thick cut bacon. Ask your butcher to cut you some or give you ends and pieces!
  3. Use plenty of black pepper, don’t be afraid!

Keywords: amatriciana

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Sous Vide Steak Picanha with Horseradish Dijon Sauce

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Picanha (sirloin cap) is one of the meatiest cuts – it rivals prime rib! Do it sous vide & serve with Horseradish Dijon Sauce for an easy, delicious meal.

Sliced picanha steak on a platter with parsley and horseradish dijon sauce spooned over the meat.

So, what the hell is picanha?

PICANHA. The holy grail of meat lovers and sous viders everywhere.

According to fan favorite Wikipedia:

“Picanha is a cut of beef called sirloin cap in the United States or the rump cap in the United Kingdom, that is popular in Brazil. In the United States, it is little known, but referred to as the rump cover, rump cap, or culotte.”

How to Make Sous Vide Picanha

I have been trying to get my hands on picanha for months. Months, I say! And last month, when I was placing my monthly Porter Road order, I saw it in their inventory and jumped at the chance.

P.S. Have you heard of Porter Road? They are my favorite online butcher. The quality of meat is going to up your cooking game with no effort on your behalf.

First things first, I seasoned the picanha thoroughly with salt and pepper.

Step by step seasoning picanha

Then I vacuum sealed it and dropped it into the sous vide water bath.

Are you still on the hunt for an immersion circulator and/or a vacuum sealer? I can’t recommend Vesta Precision‘s products enough: check them out and hop to precision cooking ASAP!

Picanha being vacuum sealed.

Time and Temperature for Sous Vide Picanha

But now the hard part: time and temp. I really psyched myself up to cooking it. I did a ton of research, asked all of my sous vide friends for their opinions, and really thought about all of the red meat cooks I’ve done. Here’s what I eventually settled on for my picanha, and it was perfect: 131 degrees F for 6 hours.

Why 131? Typically, I like my steaks at 129, but I really wanted the fat cap to get to render. Not to mention, for long cooks like this, it’s safest to cross the 130 threshold to pasteurize the meat.

Why 6 hours? This is where I really deliberated. A lot of people say 2 hours is plenty. But this is a really thick cut with a massive fat cap, and two of my favorite sous vide people, Cole Wagoner and Erika Turk of Food and Frenchies, recommend a 6-8 hour cook. And I would not go any shorter.

This delicious, meaty cut eats like a prime rib. No exaggeration, here. It’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever cooked.

Sliced steak picanha steak with horseradish sauce over it

After the sous vide bath, I let my cast iron skillet get to smoking temps. I covered the picanha in mayo (a mayo sear is king for crust and browning!), then seared the fat cap first to render the fat down so I wouldn’t need to use another cooking oil. Then I continued to sear on all sides until well-browned. The thickness of the crust gives you wiggle room with time: you can sear for a little longer without worrying you’ll overcook.

To serve, I made a sauce with horseradish cream, dijon mustard, minced garlic, fresh parsley, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. Oooh my gosh, it was the perfect accompaniment.

To keep things keto and amazing, pair this with my Cauliflower Gratin or Warm Brussels Sprouts Caesar for a complete meal and happy mouths.

Sous Vide Picanha Recipe

If you make this recipe, it would mean the world to me if you’d rate and review below! It helps other people find this recipe, too.

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Sliced beef on a platter with parsley and horseradish dijon sauce spooned over the meat.

Sous Vide Picanha with Horseradish Dijon Sauce

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Chelsea
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 6 hours
  • Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 6-10 servings 1x
  • Category: Beef
  • Method: Sous Vide
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Description

Picanha (sirloin cap) is one of the meatiest cuts – it rivals prime rib! Do it sous vide & serve with Horseradish Dijon Sauce for an easy, delicious meal.

Scale

Ingredients

1 3-5 pound picanha (sirloin cap)

Kosher salt

Pepper

Mayonnaise

2 tbsp horseradish cream

1 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp chopped parsley

Instructions

  1. Preheat waterbath with immersion circulator to 131 degrees F for medium-rare.
  2. Season picanha liberally with salt and pepper. Vacuum seal and add to water bath. Cook for 6-8 hours.
  3. While the picanha is cooking, prepare the sauce by mixing together horseradish cream, dijon, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until time to serve.
  4. When picanha is done, thoroughly pat dry with paper towels and reseason with salt and pepper.
  5. Cover the picanha in a thin layer of mayonnaise on all sides except the fat cap.
  6. Bring a cast iron skillet to smoking over high heat. Sear the picanha on the fat cap side first until deep golden brown. Continue to sear on all other sides until deep golden brown on all sides.
  7. Remove to a cutting board and let sit for 5 minutes. Slice into 1/2 inch thick slices and serve with Horseradish Dijon Sauce.

Keywords: picanha

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