Tasty Table ~ Warm Up to These Hearty Meals

By Tasty Table Blogger Jenny Stauffer

Snow has finally reached the Triad! It’s a great time to get your crock pots and dutch ovens warmed up. Today I am sharing some recently discovered – and some all-time favorite – recipes that will warm you right up. Plus I included an easy oven recipe as well as one that’s great on the grill too. Since winter has been so mild we’ve been enjoying our grill longer than usual. But now that it’s colder, you can easily bring the last recipe indoors and cook on a skillet.

Enjoy, and stay warm!

Chicken Meatloaf

We just tried this new recipe. While I was hesitant that it would be dry, it was actually very moist and flavorful, and I even left out the red pepper! My girls gave it two thumbs up!!!

Ingredients
– 2 tablespoons olive oil
– 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
– 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
– 1 clove garlic, minced
– 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
– pinch salt and pepper
– 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
– 2 tablespoons milk
– 1 egg
– 1 generous tablespoon ketchup
– 1 1/2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
– 1 lb ground chicken breast
– 4 oz diced cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup)
– salt and pepper
– 1/3 cup ketchup
– 1 tablespoon brown sugar
– 1/2-1 teaspoon ground mustard

Cooking Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup ketchup, brown sugar and dried mustard; set aside. In a small saute pan, heat olive oil and saute onion and bell pepper for about 2 minutes. Add minced garlic, dried oregano and pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for one minute more and remove from heat. Combine bread crumbs and milk in a small bowl; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg slightly. Add 1 tablespoon ketchup, worcestershire sauce, ground chicken, cubed cheese, bread crumb mixture and sauteed peppers and onions. Season with a generous pinch of salt and ground black pepper. Mix all ingredients together taking care not to over mix. Put chicken mixture in a standard loaf pan. Top with brown sugar/ketchup mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes.

Beef With Red Wine Sauce

From Southern Living

This is a family favorite. I usually thicken the sauce (you can do this by adding a T of cornstarch to cold water, a fourth cup or so, stirring to combine). We like it over rice!

Yield: Makes 6 servings

 Ingredients:
– 3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
– 1 medium onion, sliced
– 1 pound fresh mushrooms, halved
– 1 (1.61-ounce) package brown gravy mix
– 1 (10 1/2-ounce) can beef broth
– 1 cup red wine
– 2 tablespoons tomato paste
– 1 bay leaf
– Hot cooked egg noodles or rice
– Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:
Place first 3 ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker. Whisk together gravy mix and next 3 ingredients; pour evenly over beef and vegetables. Add bay leaf. Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours. Remove and discard bay leaf. Serve over noodles. Garnish, if desired.

White Bean and Ham Soup

I recently pinned this soup to try. My mom always made white bean and ham soup. This was delicious and hearty. I had the deli cut two 1/4″ slabs of ham (steer clear of honey or maple flavored varieties) and it was plenty!

Ingredients:
– 1/2 tbsp olive oil
– 1/2 yellow sweet onion
– 1 cup of carrots sliced
– 2 stalks of celery sliced
– 1 clove of garlic minced
– 1 1/2 cups of cooked diced ham
– 4 14oz cans of white beans or navy beans (rinsed & drained)
– 3 cups of chicken stock
– 1 bay leaf
– Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Preparation:
Heat large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, onions, carrots & celery. Cook until tender. Add garlic and ham and cook for 30-60 seconds before adding stock, 2 cans of beans, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium low heat for at least 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaf and blend soup in pot with immersion blender (use regular blender if you don’t have an immersion blender). Add the remaining 2 cans of beans to soup & simmer for a bit longer. Serve with crusty bread & salad for a great meal.

Greek-Style Chicken with Pickled Onions, Tomatoes, and Tzatziki

With winter as mild as it’s been, we still have enjoyed grilling out. Tom and I love this deconstructed version of soulvaki. It is from the November 2011 edition of Everyday Food, a favorite Martha Stewart publication of mine. It’s nice that the kids can just have the chicken and rice. I keep their cucumbers and tomatoes plain, yet Tom and I enjoy the sides dressed up!

Ingredients
– 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
– 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
– Coarse salt and ground pepper
– 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 pounds total), cut into 1-inch pieces
– 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 4 teaspoons lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
– 2 teaspoons dried oregano
– 1/2 English cucumber, halved crosswise and thinly sliced
– 2/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
– 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
– 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
– 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (2 cups)
– Cooked long-grain white rice, for serving

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine onion and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. In another medium bowl, combine chicken, lemon zest, and oregano; season with salt and pepper.

In a third medium bowl, make tzatziki: Combine cucumber, yogurt, parsley, and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes to pickled onions and serve with chicken, tzatziki, and rice.

Cook’s Note
A short soak in a vinegar bath mellows red onions and turns them sweet and spicy. They make a great complement to juicy bites of chicken and the cool salad called tzatziki.

*Have you entered our latest giveaway?  Do so here!