Sam's Club Inspired

Creamy Chicken Tortellini with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Mushrooms & Asparagus

Yield: 4–5 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25–30 minutes
Total time: About 40–45 minutes

Ingredients

• 9–12 ounces cheese tortellini

• 1–2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced or diced

• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

• 3–4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/3 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, about 5–7 halves

• 1/4 to 1/3 cup dry white wine

• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1–2 inch pieces

• 1/2 to 1 cup sliced mini sweet bell peppers

• 1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked chicken, cut or shredded into bite-sized pieces

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 to 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Salt, to taste

• Reserved tortellini cooking water, as needed

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the tortellini according to package directions until just tender. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain the tortellini and set aside.

2. While the tortellini cooks, heat the butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. A little of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar can also be used for additional flavor.

3. Add the onion and cook for about 4–5 minutes, until softened.

4. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they release their moisture and begin to brown.

5. Add the garlic and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

6. Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, or until the wine has reduced by about half.

7. Add the asparagus and mini bell peppers. Cook for about 2–3 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften but still retain some texture.

8. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cream. Bring to a gentle simmer; do not boil vigorously.

9. Stir in the Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and a generous amount of black pepper. Stir until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth.

10. Add the cooked chicken and gently simmer just long enough to heat it through.

11. Add the cooked tortellini and toss gently until everything is well coated with the sauce.

12. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved tortellini cooking water a little at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.

13. Taste before adding salt, since the Parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes already contribute saltiness. Adjust salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes as needed.

Serve immediately with additional Parmesan and black pepper if desired.

Variations

Spinach: Add 2–3 packed cups of fresh spinach during the last 1–2 minutes of cooking. Stir just until wilted. Spinach pairs especially well with the creamy sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and mushrooms.

Peas: Add about 1 cup frozen peas along with the cooked chicken. Cook until heated through.

Peas and spinach: Both can be added for additional vegetables. Use about 1 cup peas and 2 cups spinach.

Instead of asparagus: Peas, spinach, or a combination of the two can replace the asparagus entirely.

Storage

Refrigerator: Store leftovers in a covered container for up to 3–4 days.

Reheating: Reheat gently over low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave. Cream sauces thicken considerably when refrigerated, so add a splash of milk, cream, or water while reheating to loosen the sauce.

Freezer: Freezing is not ideal for this dish. Cream sauces can separate after thawing, and tortellini can become soft. For best texture, refrigerate and eat within a few days.

Note: recipe created with assistance from ChatGPT

 

Sweet Potato, Black Bean & Hatch Green Chile Sausage Stew

Yield: 5–6 servings
Prep time: 15–20 minutes
Cook time: 35–40 minutes
Total time: About 55 minutes

Ingredients

• Olive oil

• 12–16 ounces Hatch green chile sausage, sliced

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 4–5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 can (14–15 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juices

• 3 cups chicken broth, plus more as needed

• About 1 pound sweet potatoes, preferably a mix of yellow and orange, peeled and cut into approximately 3/4-inch cubes

• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, preferably smoked

• 1/2 teaspoon rojo chile powder

• 1/2 teaspoon rocoto pepper powder, or to taste

• 1/4 teaspoon ground annatto

• Salt, to taste

• Black pepper, to taste

• 3–4 packed cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped if the leaves are large

• Lime juice, to taste, optional

Instructions

1. Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, then add some olive oil until shimmering.

2. Add the sliced Hatch green chile sausage and cook until browned around the edges. Remove the sausage from the pot and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.

3. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Season lightly with salt and cook for about 7–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the onion begins to brown around the edges.

4. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

5. Add the cumin, oregano, paprika, rojo chile powder, rocoto pepper powder, and annatto. Stir and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.

6. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

7. Add 3 cups chicken broth and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

8. Add the yellow sweet potatoes first and simmer for about 5 minutes.

9. Add the orange sweet potatoes, black beans, and browned sausage.

10. Simmer uncovered or with the lid slightly ajar for about 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are tender. Add additional broth if the stew becomes thicker than desired before the potatoes are fully cooked.

11. For a thicker stew, mash several pieces of orange sweet potato and a small amount of the black beans against the side of the pot. Stir them back into the broth.

12. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add additional rocoto pepper, oregano, salt, or chile powder if desired.

13. Add the spinach during the last 2–3 minutes of cooking. Stir it into the stew a handful at a time and cook just until wilted.

14. If desired, finish with a squeeze of lime juice to brighten the flavors.

Serve hot on its own or with a small portion of quinoa, brown rice, or another grain.

Storage

Refrigerator: Cool the stew and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 4 days. The stew will thicken as it sits, so add a splash of broth or water when reheating if needed.

Freezer: Freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Leave a little room at the top of the container for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, or microwave individual portions until heated through. Add a little broth or water if the stew has become too thick.

Note: If serving with quinoa, rice, or another grain, store the grain separately from the stew when possible. This keeps it from absorbing the broth and becoming overly soft.

Note: Recipe created with input from ChatGPT

Cacio e Pepe

From: Gimme Some Oven 

Cacio e Pepe

This cacio e pepe recipe is easy to make in about 30 minutes with just 4 simple ingredients. Feel free to double the recipe if you would like to use a full package of pasta!

Prep Time10minutes mins

Cook Time20minutes mins

Total Time30minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: 30 minute, pasta, valentine's day

 

Servings: 4 servings

 

Author: Ali

Equipment

• Fine Grater
• Bucatini
• Tongs

Ingredients

• 16 ounces uncooked pasta (I recommend bucatini)
• 4 tablespoons butter diced into 1-tablespoon chunks*
• 2 teaspoon freshly-ground coarse black pepper*
• 4 ounces finely-grated Pecorino-Romano cheese

Instructions

• Boil the pasta water. Fill a large stockpot about halfway full of water (roughly 3 quarts) and bring it to a rolling boil. Generously season the water with fine sea salt (about 2 tablespoons).
• Bloom the pepper. Meanwhile, as the pasta water heats, melt the butter in a large sauté pan (preferably nonstick) over medium heat. Add the pepper and let it cook for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat. If you have an electric stove, you'll want to remove the pan from the hot burner entirely.
• Cook the pasta. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is just barely al dente.
• Toss the pasta. Use tongs* to quickly transfer the pasta directly to the sauté pan with the melted butter and pepper. Add 1/3 cup of the starchy pasta water to the pan and toss the pasta briefly to combine. Add in half of the cheese and toss the pasta briefly to coat. Add in the remaining half of the cheese and continue tossing the pasta, adding in a few extra tablespoons of starchy pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce, until the cheese is melted and forms a smooth and glossy sauce.
• Serve. Serve the pasta immediately, garnished with an extra twist of black pepper and/or extra Pecorino if desired. This pasta is definitely best served hot out of the pan, so please enjoy it right away!

Notes

Butter: Feel free to use less butter, if you prefer. Or you can also omit the butter entirely and just use extra starchy pasta water in its place, which is the traditional way to make cacio e pepe.

Black pepper: I like my cacio e pepe heavy on the "pepe" (black pepper) and always add extra as a garnish. If you are sensitive to black pepper, however, you may want to use less than the recipe suggests. Also please note that the 1 teaspoon measurement is for coarsely-ground black pepper. (So if you are using finely-ground pepper, you will need to use less.)

Tong alternatives: If using a shorter pasta shape (such as rigatoni), I recommend transferring the pasta with a spider strainer instead. Or if you do not own either, you can scoop out a few cups of the starchy pasta water and reserve the water in a heat-safe bowl, then drain the rest of the pasta in a colander and transfer it to the sauté pan.

Recipe edit: This recipe was edited in 2022 to include 2 instead of 3 tablespoons of butter, and the instructions were updated and clarified as well.

Cacio e Pepe - https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/cacio-e-pepe/

Grilled Chicken Bruschetta Recipe

From: Clean Food Crush 

Ingredients 

• 1 lb. chicken cutlets, cut into half lengthways
  
  
• 1 Tbsp avoca
  
  
  do oil, or olive oil
  
  
• 1 Tbsp dry Italian seasoning
  
  
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
  
  
• 3 medium vine or heirloom tomatoes
  
  
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
  
  
• one bunch of fresh basil leaves, chopped
  
  
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  
  
• sea salt and pepper to taste
  
  
• 1/4 cup shredded all natural Parmesan

Instructions 

1. Place the chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag. Add in 1 Tbsp oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, 1 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
   
   
2. Close the bag and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (overnight is best if time allows).
   
   
3. In a small bowl, combine diced onion, tomatoes, basil and 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
   
   
4. Add sea salt and pepper to your taste. Toss well to combine then cover and set aside.
   
   
5. Take the chicken out of the fridge and let it sit for about 15 minutes to reach room temp.
   
   
6. Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill to med-high.
   
   
7. Grill the chicken 2-3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through and tender.
   
   
8. Sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan.
   
   
9. Set aside on a platter and top with bruschetta-tomato mixture and enjoy!

Bruschetta Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

From:
Clean Food Crush

Persons: 6 

Ingredients

• 12 medium portobello mushrooms, stems removed
• spritz of unrefined avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup ripe cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella
• 1 fresh garlic clove, minced
• 2 tsps extra-virgin olive oil
• handful of finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees f. and place the mushrooms on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Spritz lightly with oil of your choice and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.
2. Roast for 8-10 minutes, or just until they begin to soften.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine your chopped tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic, oil, and chopped basil.
4. Once the mushrooms are finished roasting, drain or pat dry any moisture that forms inside the caps.
5. Fill/stuff each mushroom with your bruschetta mixture.