This is a cosy chicken risoni (orzo) that's a complete one pot meal: Creamy tomato parmesan sauce with swirls of spinach and pops of nutty chickpeas with juicy pan seared chicken breast, topped liberally with crispy salami bits. It's lengthy to describe the dish. The making part is not!

This: One pan creamy tomato chicken risoni with crispy salami

There was a stick of salami left in the refrigerator and I was looking at it and I was like, Alright, I'll just make something with this. Yes, I ended up going to the grocery store for the chicken and baby spinach and risoni, but that's not the point! She declares insistently 😂

It's that I always feel like salami is an undersung cooking ingredient and I wanted to incorporate it into a dinner. If you take the time to think about it (and these are the sort of things I fall asleep dreaming about), it's got the same characteristics as bacon and chorizo: Fries up crispy and salty, and makes everything better. Bonus: Never letting you cook it for too long so it keeps on grilling and grilling and grilling until it doesn't spit fiery little bits of fat on your arms, I'm glaring at YOU, bacon!

You might say that today's recipe began with salami. They ended with a risoni in a creamy tomato and parmesan sauce with some spinach and nutty pops of chickpeas then stirred through and finished with some juicy seasoned chicken slices.

Its very cosy, very easy, very delicious and very much a crowd pleaser, everyone will love.

One Pan Chicken Risoni, What you need

All you need to make today's chicken risoni is…

SEASONED CHICKEN

The warm red tinge also from this combination of spices but it really adds a nice savoury flavour to the chicken too. If you don't happen to have sage, just leave it out. I know it's not a pantry staple for most people either, but if you have made my homemade pork sausage patties you'd find it hidden in the dark spaces of your pantry (or homemade Sausage and Egg McMuffins, the pork seasoning mix, chicken burger, etc.)

THE CREAMY TOMATO RISONI

• The star of the show is the salami we fry golden and crispy and use the fat that renders out to cook the chicken and the risoni sauce. Win, win, win!
• Orzo, aka Risoni – Small rice shaped pasta. Find it in the pasta aisle. What I like about it is that it's small, meaning it cooks quickly, and I don't have to rest it after cooking like rice and it's easier to use in one pot dishes than larger pastas. For this, you'll need 250g (8oz — half of a normal 500g (1lb) packet). Now use the other half for any of our risoni/orzo recipes!
• I added chickpeas on a whim to add some textural interest and some lovely nutty flavour. And it's got more nutritional value in it – more fibre, more protein (depending on the type of bean) and it's low GI anyway – no effort to open a can, so why not? 😉You can also sub with other beans or just not use any at all.
• The risoni cooking liquid – else the sauce and risoni is bland. There's also vegetable stock that works well. I use store bought, but as long as you've got that homemade chicken or vegetable stock I will beam with pride.
• Just 1 ½ cups of flour and we stir in 3/4 of a cup of cream at the end to give it a creamy taste. We're not relying on the cream to thicken the sauce (the starch in the risoni does this for us), so use low fat cream or evaporated milk if you like.
• This adds a hit of savourey flavour into the sauce. It doesn't make it cheesy.
• Baby spinach or kale – Good for stirring into the end. Our veg quota!
• Aromatic flavour base: garlic and onion.

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

If you have these, they are some optional extras to include to the recipe: You don't have to make a special trip to the store. Explanation below!

I added these in the first time I made this risoni because I had them and they needed using up: A few limp stems of basil, an aging jar of sun dried tomatoes and wine (well this was always going to be used up – in cooking or otherwise). Deglazing the pan with wine, sun dried tomatoes in risoni, a dash of basil to sprinkle.

The second time, I didn't have them and the dish was still super, super delicious.

Don't get me wrong, none of them add any more to the dish than they already do, but they are optional extras. It's not as if you have to go out very specially to buy them. If you've got them, just use them!

How to make one pan chicken risoni

Heads up: Fried up salami in a recipe isn't anything new...or anything new, really! I'm going to guarantee you try it once and will be hooked too.

1. Split each chicken breast in half horizontally, so there's 4 thin steaks altogether. Cooks throught more evenly (no dry outer band); thinner Sprinkle the spice mix and mix it together and then sprinkle the spice mix on each side of the chicken.
2. Salami: crispy – First cook the salami until the crispy and golden. It takes about 2 – 3 minutes over medium high heat. Pour it into a paper towel lined bowl, separating the fat with a slotted spoon left in the pan. This we're going to use to cook the chicken – free flavour!
3. Because you need to be able to submerge the risoni in the liquid to be cooked, the pan should be at least 26cm/10.5″ wide. I bake it in a 30cm/12″ non stick pan that is 7cm / 2.8″ deep. This is my Pyrolux one (Australian store, nor am I an affiliate link). I really like it because it has a lid too.
4. In the same pan, cook the chicken for 3 minutes on each side until deep golden and cooked through; then sear chicken. It should read it's 67°C/153°F inside. Once it rests, it will rise to 71°C/160°F . Pluck the chicken to a plate and loosely throw foil over the top to remain warm.
5. Still in the same pan (one pot cooking memory) sauté onion and garlic. Deglaze* the pan with the white wine (if using, it's optional) and simmer rapidly until almost evaporated.
6. *So it's all about dissolving the tasty gold bits left on the base of 'pan' due to searing the chicken and salami into the wine. That's free flavour and will make our sauce taste better!
7. Next, add everything else – Cook off the tomato paste for 1 minute to reduce some of the raw sour edge of it. Stir again to coat the risoni in the tomato paste, then toss with the stock, chickpeas, salt and pepper.
8. Pull 1 hour ahead – Pull an hour ahead, then cook the risoni for 1 hour, covered, stirring well every 10 minutes. The first thing you do with the stove is put it on medium high and let the liquid simmer. As the stock is absorbed and the base thickens down, turn the heat to medium low so the bottom does not burn. Don't worry if yours is a little thick, it will loosen it up once the cream is added.
9. Wilt spinach + cream + Parm cheese (if using sun dried tomatoes) + cream. Mix well until the spinach wilts. Ours should be beautifully oozy still.
10. Cut – Chicken into thick slices and serve. Serve spooned into bowls, topped with chicken, crispy salami, a sprinkle of extra parmesan and basil (if you're using). Then dig in!

(The alternative option is to serve it help-yourself style on a big platter: Blend chicken, risoni, parmesan and basil), add some salami thrown in; put over a bed of risoni.

Yum. I love recipes like this. It might just have been something funny I made up one day, an unlikely combination of things (say, salami and risoni and chickpeas??).

Yum. I love recipes like this. Something I just made up on the fly one day, perhaps some unusual (salami + risoni+ chickpeas??) combination of things.

This is why ricotta gnocchi is the easy way to make homemade gnocchi from scratch! Potato gnocchi, it's the same thing as these – soft and plump pillows to be tossed in your sauce of choice, but it takes 20 minutes total from the start to finish. Today - a creamy mushroom sauce. Perfect match!

How to make gnocchi – The easy way to ricotta gnocchi

It's not the first time I've shared a ricotta gnocchi recipe (see here and here), and I'm certain it won't be the last. I'm a fan because it doesn't take nearly as long or as much effort to make as the more famous potato gnocchi, which requires accuracy so they don't end up dense a doughy. Secondly, I love that ricotta gnocchi are lighter and less than potato gnocchi, so you aren't left feeling heavy.

Yes, ricotta gnocchi, while legit Italian! There are many ways to make gnocchi in Italy, one of which is ricotta gnocchi, as is with many traditional foods from around the world. 🙂

So deep into the difference – If we take it a bit further, potato gnocchi basically just consists of mashed potato and flour and an egg. The only difference is that instead of potato it's ricotta, and some parmesan is thrown in for good measure. But actually, they taste quite similar and true to tell, potato gnocchi doesn't taste much like potato once you've tossed it with the sauce. Likewise, ricotta is a neutral flavoured cheese, so you can't taste it much, if at all, in ricotta gnocchi.

The big difference, however, is texture and speed making. As above, potato gnocchi are harder and heavier than ricotta gnocchi. How about making time, 20 minutes vs 1 hour minimum!

PS Note: This recipe wasn't being mean to potato gnocchi. I adore them. I just can't remember the last time I made them. It wasn't ricotta gnocchi, it was a regular!

Ingredients

What you'll need to make ricotta gnocchi with creamy mushroom sauce is here.

FOR THE RICOTTA GNOCCHI

• Regular ricotta that is kind of lumpy when you scoop it up (Ricotta is the word itself, see video). Not the creamy, smooth spreadable type of ricotta (usually labelled "spreadable ricota" or whatever.) That's too wet and loose, and makes the dough sticky.
• My favorite mainstream brand is Paesanella, which is very widely available in NSW. In Victoria that's Amore.
• Got the wrong ricotta? If you didn't order the spreadable smooth type and got it mixed up, then you'll need around 450g/15 oz – and once this is poured into a paper towel lined colander you'll need to remove excess liquid by leaving this for an hour, or even overnight. With the recipe, then measure out 250g/8 oz.
• Just plain / all purpose flour – flour. And not self raising flour, so it will make the ricotta puff up, and it will just sort of fall apart (told you!).
• Parmesan – This also helps flavour the dough and gives a bit of structure. Without it, the dough is a little too fragile and the gnocchi more susceptible to falling apart if the dough consistency isn't just perfect. It's kind of like cheese glue holding your gnocchi together!
• Gnocchi Sauce: Egg + egg yolk – To hold the gnocchi together, and a little richness.

CREAMY MUSHROOM SAUCE

This creamy mushroom sauce with subtle thyme flavour requires only these items.

• Just regular white mushrooms, or Swiss Brown/cremini if you prefer (aka Chinese).
• Thickened cream / heavy cream is as the name suggests thicker! That way the sauce will thicken faster. Also, that starch will thick the sauce up relatively quickly when you start tossing them together, so it's fine to use regular pouring or whipping cream here.
• Wine – I almost always deglaze the pan using wine for sauces. Deglazing is just adding a liquid to break up some flavour bits that the saute of things (mushrooms and onion in this case) cooked up on the bottom of the pan and into the liquid because..well..that flavour is free. Add more flavour into the sauce, you could use water or stock but wine. We don't flavor the alcohol when we cook it out so it doesn't taste like wine.
• Chardonnay has taken over: it's my white wine of choice for the best flavour, and best in terms of all round functionality for cooking too. Any dry white wine will do fine here but I'd much prefer, for the summer seasoning, to use one blessedly light and fresh chilled. Otherwise stay away from something too sweet. Additionally, if you're not able to drink the wine, go ahead and skip it. It will still taste good!
• The liquid for the sauce: chicken stock / broth If you want to go vegetarian, feel free to use vegetable stock. Most of the time I use low sodium so I know exactly how much salt goes into my dishes. If you only have full salt stock on hand, reduce the salt amount listed in the ingredients (start with half, if you'd like more salt afterwards, then add some more).
• Fresh thyme sprigs – Using fresh thyme sprigs means better thyme flavour, sub in dried thyme leaves if needed.
• Onion and mushrooms – To be cooked in butter. You can even swap olive oil (but butter really makes it taste good!).
• Add extra flavour in the sauce: onion and garlic. Onion can be skipped, but I really recommend not skipping the garlic! (PS You can also use eschallots/French onions, which are known as shallots in the US – not to be confused with garlic.)

How to make ricotta gnocchi

So the trick with ricotta gnocchi is to use as little flour as you possibly can. Smaller sized little dumplings = sticky dough = lighter gnocchi! Ricotta gnocchi are much more forgiving than potato gnocchi so as long as you put in more flour than you should, they will still be lovely and soft inside. I have tested 1 1/4 cups of flour (making recipe 3/4 cup up to 1 cup – it worked great!!!

1. HOW TO MAKE RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Step 1

Ricotta, parmesan, egg, salt and pepper, mix thoroughly with wooden spoon or firm-ish rubber spatula. If needed, smear the ricotta up the side of the bowl to cream it. Starting with 3/4 cup of flour just add that to the mixer and mix.

Step 2

Shaggy (not smooth or elastic) dough: This following should look something like pictured above (video is super helpful too). As I mentioned, if the ricotta is getting too wet then add a bit more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until you get up to 1 cup (ie 4 extra tablespoons, this will all depend on how wet your ricotta is).

Step 3

Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and give it a light knead and bring it together into a ball and pat into a disc.

Step 4

Cut it into 8 equal wedges. (So this is the hardest part in this whole recipe, I swear.) I've always had my wedges very uneven, but they always pull out rope of varying length as you will see in the video).

Step 5

Roll the logs into 25 cm / 10″ lengths 1.25cm / 1/2″ thick.

Step 6

Use a sharp dough scraper and cut into little pieces 1.5cm / 3/5″ pieces (I cut 4 logs at a time). And that's the gnocchi, done!

Take them from the fridge, scrape them onto a tray, dust very lightly with flour (as needed to prevent the scrapes from sticking to the tray and each other). You can make the mushroom sauce and they will stay on the tray – they wont dry out in that time. If you want to faff around, that's fine, Cover with cling wrap. Refrigerate them if you're making them to cook later that day.

They can also be frozen; freezing gnocchi. You can free them in single layers (use baking paper to separate layers). It then goes into an airtight container and freezes until it is used. It will cook from frozen, but it'll only take a minute or two more. They come out just like freshly made. How handy is that!

Cook them next! Mushroom sauce first.

2. COSTRELLI ITALIAN SAUCE REMOVED FROM A PAN

Heads up: It will seem a little thin, the sauce. But when you put in the gnocchi it will thicken very quickly from the gnocchi starch. So have faith!

Step 1

The thyme sprigs go into onion and garlic first. Cook the mushrooms until they soften then. Should take around 5 minutes (look at the pic and by the end the mushrooms should be very wet and slightly over cooked)

Step 2

The wine (see under the ingredients section regarding deglazing the pan) is deglazed in the pan. The wine will cook in 2 minutes or until nearly all of it is evaporated. That will cook out most of the alcohol, and all winey flavour.

3. COOKING GNOCCHI AND HOW TO TOSSE WITH THE SAUCE

Tip: Set one pot to boil the gnocchi separately next to your mushroom sauce, to then simply scoop it out from the water and into the sauce.

Step 1

Pour a large pot of water to the boil, and add a couple of teaspoons of salt. Then tumble the gnocchi in.

Step 2

The gnocchi tells you when it's cooked by floating to the surface (~ 2 1/2 minutes), then another 30 seconds are cooked through before scooping it out. It should (for pot and stove size) take 2 1/2 minutes +/- about 30 secs (eg pot = larger and stove = stronger will cook faster).

Step 3

When it's time for the sauce, just pop the gnocchi right into it!

Step 4

Using a spider or slotted spoon cut the gnocchi out into piles. In case you'll need to thin the sauce, keep the pot of cooking water nearby.

Step 5

Place sauce in the pan, gently tossing in the sauce the gnocchi for 1 to 2 minutes on a medium low stove. Now the starch in the flour that's in the gnocchi will release into the sauce, thickening it so your gnocchi are actually coated in sauce rather than sitting in the bottom of the pan.

Step 6

Voila — there is proof of thick sauce coating gnocchi! And we are done. Then sprinkle with parmesan and serve it up immediately!

Important: serve it straight away!

As with all pasta, gnocchi is best the moment it is cooked. Every minute it's sitting around, the quality erodes. Harsh but true fact. Gnocchi rolls out hot and pillowy and sauce is creamily slick. Once cool, they harden up and firm up more, the sauce thickens up more, too. In the microwave it can be resurrected to a degree, but it's never as good as when freshly made.

When I haven't got time, the big batch easy pasta salad I make. Everyone always tells you why it tasted so good. So I'll let you in on my secrets! (No bottled dressing either.)

My big, easy pasta salad

Newsflash! You don't need a million add-ins to make a good great pasta salad. No baby bocconcini required, no need to buy several bunches of herbs and snip out a teeny amount of each use (a teeny amount) and you don't need much time.

To make this salad all you need to do is to toss in hot fresh pasta iced in a simple, tangy, Dijon vinegar dressing and let sit to cool. You will find yourself shocked to what flavour the pasta takes up! That means your pasta salad is already terrific before we've even started working with any ingredients. It will be even better too whatever you toss!

Pasta salad tips galore!

More pasta salad tips … also today. It says a lot about me that I have so many thoughts about a damn pasta salad 😂

• Soft pasta – Cooked pasta that is too soft. It cools down hard, pasta does, and it gets harder in the fridge. We hate rock hard pasta salad.
• Honey – To make the vinegar less sharp and add the honey to the dressing so we can use less oil. I guess I just think pasta salads shouldn't be swimming in oil. I even lighten the mayo dressing on my macaroni salad with a lot of yogurt.
• Ingredient combination streamlined – The pick of all the add ins I can drop into a pasta salad to get all the flavour and texture I want with the minimum number of ingredients possible. As such, it's also important to stay well overnight! My picks: pops (to find the best, seedy juicy ones, try many varieties, but don't take them to mausoleum level), slippery crunch from finely sliced cucumber, briney spark (olives), a treat (feta), and a finishing touch (basil, or any of the suggestions in the recipe notes).

Wing it, use what you've got, use what you love. Of course. Pasta salads are so versatile – such beauty!

What you'll need for this pasta salad

1. THE PASTA

This pasta is shortish and medium pasta, any pasta shape will work here but I think pasta shapes with nooks and crannies for the little chopped up bits of olives and feta to get stuck in are especially good. Established thought – shells, orecchiette, twirls and bow ties (farfalle). But then again, I chose bow ties because – fun!

2. PASTA SALAD ADD-INS

This is what I put in to the pasta salad (see above for why).

• Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes – Or chop large tomatoes.
• Kalamata olives roughly chopped. This pasta salad gets brought a little briny goodness. This is a great shortcut, it gives salt, tang and sharp freshness so I don't feel the need to add some oniony twist like in this recipe, one less ingredient to chop. The olives are natural for addition to a pasta salad as long as you like them, I like to roughly chop them so it spreads easier throughout the pasta salad. Less olives… with higher impact!

💡TIP: If you live in the UK you probably think black olives are tastier then kalamata olives but I promise you they really aren't as I am sure they are cheaper for a reason!!

I don't have a preference on how thin the slices of cucmber are as long as they're one with the pasta, not as big and flavourless in your mouth when you bite into them as they're usually in large chunks. OK, these are the kinds of things I ask myself — Cooking Nerd Alert!🫣

A general rule in my life is that every salad – besides plain side salads – should have some sort of "treat" in it: nuts, or crisped panko, or a mountain of finely grated parmesan. Today's pasta salad features Feta, playing that role.

💡TIP: Feta is not all the same! Greek feta, labelled "PDO" ("Protected Designation of Origin"), is a few steps up from the economic versions found at the grocery store. Do it once, and you're never the same again.

Or another finishing touch – I like to add a finishing touch in this case that takes this pasta salad over from straight to get out of the house. Basil is available and cheap enough much of the year around here in Australia. However, if I can't get it (or won't pay the price for it), here are other things I use instead which plays the same role:

• Another fresh herb: Parsley or parsley + mint (second choice), or dill (first choice).
• Toasted pine nuts: I find it suits me to roughly chop the half to get the bits out throughout really.
• Dried oregano: To give it an extra hit of flavour I add this into my dressing. Dried oregano is a pantry staple, this is my last resort, fall back. I totally get away with telling people its a Greek Pasta Salad.

3. THE DIJON-CIDER VINEGAR DRESSING

This dressing is so simple (and easy) that I only make it with pantry staples so I can make this pasta salad any day without having to go to the store. Italian herbs (customisable) get a great hit of flavour, plump garlic cloves and a dash of Dijon mustard.

Heads up: Hence, the dressing is sharp and intense of itself. It has to be but it gets tossed through a lot, so it gets really diluted and we have the perfect amount of flavour in every bite.

You don't need to use an extra virgin one for this pasta salad the way I sometimes suggest for salad dressings. Just remember to use extra virgin olive oil, as regular olive oil has less flavour.

My go to vinegar for dressings – Apple cider vinegar. Mild flavour nice but not too sharp and very economical indeed.

This thickens the dressing a bit and helps it coat the pasta and veggies better also — and a little flavour. It is not an overpowering taste, it is a background taste.

Vinegar – Just 2 teaspoons tames the vinegar's sharpness enough for us to make something far less oily. This recipe uses 1/3 cup vinegar with 1/2 cup oil (2: Which has the right amount of oil for my taste (3 ratio). But it was a little sharp and a easy way to dial that down without adding more oil is with a hit of something sweet — like honey (the exact cut of oil is a personal taste).

In contrast, for typical western salad dressings, 1/3 cup vinegar would usually call for 1 cup of oil (1 : I hope other people haven't tried this pasta salad out on only one of the more rational ingredients because I can't taste the other two for the oil it has — a ratio of (3), which means this pasta salad is far too oily for my taste.

Italian herb mix – a standard store bought spice mix of herbs and spices which saves me having to pry open 7 different jars to add to a dish. Alternatively you could use Herbs de Provence mix, or dried oregano, or finely chopped fresh herbs (my first thought is dill).

2 garlic cloves – The garlic smell of this garlic will be in the air over a little hot spaghetti.

The feta and olives will give us some salt, so this whole huge batch only needs 3/4 teaspoon of salt and some salt and pepper.

Big Easy Pasta Salad How To make it

If you've got decent chops you can chop the add ins while the pasta is cooking. So really what that means is it's only about 15 minutes of active cooking / prep for this amount of food, very efficient! (I easily fed 5 to 6 as a meal, and had many more at a buffet spread at a gathering).

Step 1

Shake the Dressing ingredients in a jar.

Step 2

There's a reason to be overcooking the pasta!!! So we don't want to cook the pasta until it's al dente, we want to cook the pasta until it is over al dente and so soft that nothing else is going to make it even firmer when it cools down or more firmer when it is refrigerated. Nobody desires rock hard pasta in their pasta salad!!!

Then cook the pasta well past the point it would be on the packet; i.e. the pasta would be very, very soft, about 2 to 3 minutes past the time indicated on the packet, which would be very, very unpleasant, and not at all cutting for a pasta dish that should be served hot. Once you've dressed your pasta salad and given it time to rest in the refrigerator to cool until room temperature or overnight in the fridge, your overly soft pasta is the perfect texture on the cold side!

Step 3

Chicken absorption – Place the hot pasta into a large bowl (big enough to toss the pasta salad with the vegetables added). Toss well with half the Dressing, then pour over rest.

Leave the pasta to soak up the flavour of the Dressing then cool until it's down to room temperature (around 40 mins). If you remember toss once or twice.

Step 4

Add and toss – Tomato, cucumber, feta, and olives. Toss well over remaining Dressing. Some feta crumbling – some are chunks, some are crumbed is good.

Step 5

Tear the basil leaves roughly with your hands then toss through basil last – last.

Step 6

Serve! Place the pasta salad into a very large serving bowl. Then dig in!

Big, bubbly One Pot Cajun Beef Pasta is filled with beef and tons of hidden vegetables, cooked in a Cajun flavoured tomato pasta sauce, topped with oozy cheese. It makes 7 to 8 and is great for leftovers!

A complete one pot meal with lots of hidden vegetables!

Here today with a sparkling new recipe I created with mid-week cooking in mind: This is a big, bubbling Cajun pasta made with beef and a surprising amount of hidden vegetables, so you can serve it as a complete meal. I think it's awfully economical (500g/1lb beef -> 7 to 8 servings), the flavours of beefy Cajun and smothered in oozy cheese.

We're using a good amount of Cajun spices in this recipe, so we can still pack in vegetables without the flavour of the dish seeming overwhelmed by it. I know you know exactly where I'm coming from!!

And that's a carrot, zucchini, capsicum (bell pepper) with 500g/1 lb beef, plus there's 800g/28 oz of canned tomato and an onion (both vegetables!) Not only do these vegetables allow you to serve all these vegetables and other veggies and other to serve more people and … stretch the dish to … for 7 or 8 people rather than like 4 or 5.

So much veg. Om nom nom nom nom nom — try to tell me you don't want to eat this!!

Cajun pasta… Not authentic, and that's OK!

If you aren't asking, no, Cajun pasta certainly isn't authentically Cajun. In fact, the Cajun usually uses rice. While Cajun spices combined with pasta becomes pretty popular in America, especially when it comes to being super tasty. I'm totally on board with it.

One Pot Cajun Beef Pasta ingredients

Using grated carrot and zucchini because it blends right in with the pasta sauce already and, yes being a Crimsonensiy sort of day for the Cajun flavours, add some chopped capsicum (bell pepper).

THE PASTA ADD-INS

• Beef (can use chicken, turkey, or pork, but adjust seasoning)
• Grated zucchini and carrot
• Chopped red capsicum (bell pepper)
• Onion and garlic
• Kidney beans

CAJUN PASTA SAUCE

• Crushed canned tomato (800g/28oz)
• Chicken stock/broth and water
• Tomato paste
• Homemade Cajun spice blend (or store-bought)

Homemade Cajun spice blend:

• Fresh thyme
• Sweet paprika
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Cayenne pepper (optional)
• Salt and pepper

Cheese

Colby or any melting cheese, optional parmesan

Simple One Pot Cajun Beef Pasta Recipe

Step 1

Grate the carrot and zucchini using a standard box grater.

Step 2

Cook onion and garlic, then add beef and cook until brown.

Step 3

Add carrot, zucchini, vegetables, and spices. Cook for a few minutes.

Step 4

Add canned tomato, water, chicken stock, and beans. Bring to simmer and add pasta.

Step 5

Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 6

Check pasta doneness. It should be almost cooked through.

Step 7

Sprinkle cheese on top.

Step 8

Cover and let stand for 3 minutes to melt the cheese.

Serve hot and enjoy! This pasta is great for leftovers and can be frozen for later use.

PS: The green onion sprinkle is optional, just for a touch of color.

For those interested, check out our Top 10 recipes we make at RecipeTin Meals for more make-ahead, freezer-friendly, wholesome, and economical meals.

Simple, easy to make and nice and colorful this pasta salad is perfect for summer picnics or parties. Many years ago now I was given this recipe by a dear friend and have been making it ever since!

It is so easy. Once convenient ingredients combine with colorful vegetables, you can have this in minutes.

How to Make Pasta Salad

You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let's go over the basics:

Pasta Salad Ingredients

What fancies does go into pasta salad this year? These are the ingredients you'll need:

• Pasta: This colorful, top rated pasta salad begins with one pound of tri colored spiral pasta.
• Dressing: If you're feeling fancy, make your own Italian style dressing at home, or use a bottle of store bought Italian style dressing.
• Seasoning mix: It's also wonderful to add tons of savory flavor with salad seasoning mix.
• Vegetables: You'll also want cherry tomatoes, three bell peppers (green, yellow, and red), and a can of black olives.

Homemade Pasta Salad:

Here's a brief overview of what you can expect when you make pasta salad at home:

1. Cook and drain the pasta.
2. Make the dressing with the seasoning mix and whisk it.
3. After that, toss in seasoned dressing with the vegetables and stirred in pasta.

What Goes With Pasta Salad

This is going to be a great pasta salad to have around, next to other potluck and picnic favorites. Do you still need some motivation? Check Out our collection of 15 Best Potluck Side Dishes Are So Good Everyone Will Be Begging You for the Recipes. Here are a few of the crowd-pleasing recipes you'll find:

• Classic Macaroni Salad
• Authentic German Potato Salad
• Perfect Summer Fruit Salad

Can You Make Pasta Salad Ahead of Time?

Pasta salad is a great make ahead dish, yes! Again, since the flavors need time in the fridge to meld, it could actually be a good thing to make a day or two in advance.

For How Long is Pasta Salad Good In the Fridge?

Once you've done, store this pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator at least 5 days.

Can You Freeze Pasta Salad?

If you toss cooked pasta into the freezer and then take it out, the pasta may keep its texture or it may change. But if you have extra pasta salad left, you can freeze it for up to three months.

Community Tips and Praise

Jean adds that 'adding the seasoning packet takes the flavor way up there.' "Chopped broccoli adds some colour but I also steam it for just a few seconds."

Laura Leal says: 'I made this for 18 servings for a potluck at work and everyone loved it.' I followed the recipe, and just added some broccoli. It was easy to make."

It's going ga ga over 'katherinebond' says 'awesome' pasta salad for starting the day. As a topping I added boiled eggs around the bowl and sliced. Got many compliments!"

Ingredients

• 3 cups tri-colored spiral pasta
• 1 (16 ounce) bottle Italian-style salad dressing
• 6 tablespoons salad seasoning mix
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• ½ yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (2.25 ounce) can black olives, chopped

Directions

Step 1

Gather all ingredients.

Step 2

Put in a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add the boiling water, cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until it is tender but firm to the bite, 10 to 12 minutes; drain under cold water; drain.

Step 3

Mix together Italian dressing and salad spice mix until smooth. Combine pasta, tomatoes, bell peppers and olives in a salad bowl.

Step 4

Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.

Step 5

Refrigerate the pasta salad for 8 hours or overnight for the best flavor.

Step 6

Enjoy!

It's a thick, flavorful recipe for this broccoli soup. This is cheap, delicious and fast to make. Enjoy (I know you will)!

This top rated recipe will make restaurant worthy cream of broccoli soup at home. It's thick and flavorful, creamy, and easy to whip together in a pinch with some basic stuff.

Cream Of Broccoli Soup ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make the best cream of broccoli soup ever:

Butter

In this recipe you'll use butter twice. I sautéed the onions and celery (butter adds richness to sautéed vegetables), once to sauté and then again at the end to make a roux.

Onions and Celery

As so many great soups do, this recipe begins with onions and celery. They do add a bit of complexity and depth in flavor.

Broth

This cream of broccoli soup consists of the liquid base, or broth, of chopped chicken. If you are looking for a vegetarian option you can substitute Vegetable broth.

Broccoli

Having cream of broccoli soup without broccoli is impossible. Select dark green broccoli, with firm stems.

Flour, Milk, and Butter

Our first step is to make a roux, cooking together all of the milk, the rest of the butter, and all purpose flour. It's also added to the soup to give it a thick, velvety texture that's impossible to resist when added to the soup.

Pepper

Finished with ground black pepper, IT's perfect. Give other spices and seasonings to taste.

Cream of Broccoli Soup, How to Make

This broccoli soup recipe is a speedy one—barring prep time, you can have it in under half an hour, and that makes it a perfect busy weeknight pick. You'll find the full recipe below, but here's a brief overview of what you can expect:

Cook the Vegetables

In butter, sauté the onions and celery until tender. Now add the broccoli florets and the chicken broth, replace the lid and simmer about 10 minutes.

Blend the Ingredients

Purée (in a refrigerator or countertop blender or in an immersion blender) the soup. Pulse a couple of times, then blend until soup is entirely smooth.

Thicken the Soup

Make a few more tablespoons of butter in a separate saucepan and melt. Mix the milk with the flour, then stir the milk in. Once the milk is thick and bubbly, you cook it in the soup. Then top it off with a dash of pepper (along with the other seasonings of your choosing.)

How to Store Cream of Broccoli Soup

This soup should be refrigerated within two hours of cooking. Allow it to cool to room temperature, and transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate three to four days.

Can You Freeze Cream of Broccoli Soup?

Yes! Cream of broccoli soup also freezes well — freeze it if you think you might not use it in the next few days.

Place the soup into freezer bags for serving size and ladle into zip-top freezer bags. Write the date on the bags and freeze flat (no stacking) with no less than 2 to 3 months of freezer shelf life.

Community Praise and Tips from Allrecipes

LoriT howls: "Delicious and buttery." I used skim milk and it's great. I scooped out about a ladle of cooked broccoli and didn't puree it, though like some of the other reviews, I did that. It added heft to the pureed soup, and I added it back in to the pureed mix."

"CP says this is a very easy recipe." "With a little chopping up of the broccoli stalks and sauteeing with onion and celery, I simmered in the broth until it was tender enough to blend until smooth with the immersion blender." I steamed a few florets and used them a garnish with toasted croutons.

Julia Courtney adds "I make this soup a couple times a month and freeze it for future use." "The problem is that ... we always eat it all." I put mine in a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan cheese! SO good!"

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 8 cups broccoli florets
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Step 1

Gather all ingredients.

Step 2

In a medium stock pot, over medium heat melt 2 tablespoons butter. Saute onion and celery until tender.

Step 3

Add broth and broccoli and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Step 4

Pitcher just the soup into a blender, up to about half way full. Put your hand over the lid of the blender and use a folded kitchen towel to hold the lid down while blinking power on to puree. Then, start the blender on a few quick pulses to get the soup moving, and after that, leave it running. In batches puree until smooth, then pour into a clean pot.

Step 5

In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium to medium low heat and stir in flour; add milk. Mix until thick and bubbly, adding to soup. Season with pepper and serve.

Step 6

Serve hot and enjoy!

See how to grill cheese sandwich in a non stick plate with buttered bread and American Cheddar for a standard hot sandwich.

It's time everyone learned to make the classic grilled cheese sandwich. But whether you're a total beginner cook or an old pro, you'll find yourself going back to this top rated grilled cheese recipe over and over again.

How to Make Grilled Cheese

You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let's go over the basics:

Grilled Cheese Ingredients

This recipe for the classic grilled cheese sandwich is nothing fancy, it just needs sliced cheese, white bread and butter. Switching up the bread and cheese is easy, and so is substituting mayonnaise for butter, if you prefer.

Top Cheese for Grilled Cheese

Sliced Cheddar is a wonderfully crowd pleasing cheese in this recipe. Sharp or mild Cheddar or a mixture of both. Plain ol' sliced American cheese is another classic choice that tastes nostalgic and has you wondering what your missing if you're not eating cheese, in which case you are pulling a cheese pull.

There are other delicious options: Gruyere, Brie, Fontina, Gouda, Pepper Jack, and havarti.

Best Bread for Grilled Cheese

Basically, this is a plain white sandwich bread recipe. You can also use sourdough, brioche or ciabatta. You really can put grilled cheese WITH ANY kind of bread you like as long as the loaf is sturdy enough to handle the heat. They will fall apart quickly, thin sliced delicate breads.

Grilled Cheese! How to Make it Best!

Here's a very brief overview of what you can expect when you make homemade lasagna:

1. Turn your bread butter side down on the hot skillet and butter the other side.
2. Put cheese on top, then put another slice of bread on top (butter side up).
3. Brown the bottom slice lightly, flip.
4. Cook until the cheese is melted.

Grilled Cheese Sides

And while grilled cheese sandwiches are amazing pair with every good side and main dish, they're truly meant to be paired with tomato based soups or broth based stew. Try one of these top-rated recipes:

• Fresh Tomato Soup
• Easy Homemade Chili
• Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini

Allrecipes Community Tasting Tips and Praise

"I like my first grilled cheese it tasted good," says Chinwe Ogolo. "I enjoyed the simplicity. Thank you for the recipe."

"Okay, simplest thing — in a restaurant I learned to put that sandwich over medium low heat in a bigger pan, let the outside get some golden color on it, and the cheese is gonna melt perfectly," Davidson explained.

Sheri Cooper suggests that "To make a GREAT sandwich awesome, just sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on the buttered bread before putting it into the skillet." "This is WOW, what an upgrade in flavor."

Contributions from Corey Williams, an editorial writer.

Ingredients

• 4 slices white bread
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 slices Cheddar cheese

Directions

Step 1

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Butter one side generously of a slice of bread. Again, place bread butter side down in the hot skillet, layer 1 slice of cheese over it and put a slice of bacon on top. Place butter side up on top of cheese and butter another piece of bread on one side.

Step 2

Keep cooking until lighter brown on one side and flip over to keep cooking until cheese is melted. Complete with remaining 2 pieces of bread, butter, and one slice of cheese.

Here, juicy, summery arugula salad has fresh cherries, peaches, and nectarines for a deep, savory flavor. If you want to take the last drop of sweetness, go for the rosé vinegar: the rosé wine based vinegar poured in a bright, fruity flavor.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or rosé vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups red cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/2 cups yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 (5-ounce package) arugula
• 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 nectarines, sliced
• 1 large white peach, sliced
• 1 cup Rainier or other yellow-flesh cherries, pitted and halved
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Directions

Step 1

For the dressing, put olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl, and whisk together.

Step 2

Watermelon, mozzarella, basil, baby gem lettuce, peaches and nectarines layered on a platter. Pour in half the dressing and drizzle. Cherries, sea salt, remaining dressing top. Serve immediately.

Source:

Vermeyen, Stefanie, Barbara Lindmark, and Arne Weidemann. 'European Integration of a Minor.' International Journal on Minority and Group Rights 22.4 (2015): 645-672.

The perfect French inspired brunch or lunch dish is a classic croque madame. After this happens, you will find it hard to have 'just' a ham and cheese sandwich anymore. Don't use Swiss cheese—this deserves the real thing! All the difference will be made with Gruyère cheese.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons salted butter, softened, divided
• 1 ½ tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• ¾ cup shredded Gruyère cheese
• ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 slices white bread, lightly toasted
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 thin slices Black Forest ham
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill, or to taste (Optional)

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven's broiler; place an oven rack 6 inches from the heat source.

Step 2

Fry 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in saucepan on medium low heat. Stir for 3 minutes until slightly brown and add in flour and whisk until combined. Milk, whisked in, brought to boil, stirred. Bring to boil; remove from heat immediately and simmer for 5 minutes. Heat until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes, adding 1/2 the Gruyère cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Take them off of the heat altogether.

Step 3

2 pieces of bread can be spread with 1 teaspoon butter. Spread 1 tablespoon of cheese sauce on top and add a ham slice layer on top of each. Reserve 1 teaspoon of the butter, spread it on remaining 2 pieces of bread along with Dijon mustard and Gruyère, then top with remaining Gruyère and Sandwich 2 together. Bake all 4 pieces on a baking sheet.

Step 4

Place the pot on a preheated oven and broil until cheese is almost melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Put toast slices together for 2 sandwiches, remove from oven and pour remainder of cheese sauce over each sandwich. Sauce will take a few minutes to brown, turn this to the broiler, and return it until sauce begins to brown, about 2 minutes.

Step 5

Meanwhile, broil sandwiches; heat remaining butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Adding 2 eggs into the skillet, crack the eggs in as if they were separate from one another. Season with salt and pepper. Place water in the bottom of pan, cover, and baste until whites are set, but yolks still runny, 2 minutes.

Step 6

If using: top each sandwich with an egg and sprinkle with dill. Serve immediately.

If you want an easy recipe to make with chopped boiled eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, and green onions to get some color and crunch in your egg salad, this is the recipe. I do enjoy it in a sandwich, and sure to be eaten at picnics! It's really good on rye.

Make this top rated egg salad recipe to make deli worthy egg salad sandwiches at home! You'll be back to it a thousand times.

How to Make Egg Salad

You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let's go over the basics:

Egg Salad Ingredients

These are the ingredients you'll need to make the best egg salad of your life:

• Eggs: Yes, the egg salad recipe starts with…and I don't just mean the eggs.
• Condiments: You will certainly require mayonnaise and mustard.
• Green onion: Another pop of flavor and color comes from green onions but.
• Seasonings: This egg salad is simple, salt, pepper, paprika.

Egg Salad Sandwich How To Make

Here's a brief overview of what you can expect when you make egg salad sandwiches:

1. Peel, and cut the eggs into pieces, then boil.
2. Blessed be egg slicing, or something like that, and then add everything else to the mushy lump.
3. I eat it on bread or crackers.

How Long Does Egg Salad Last?

Now that the leftovers egg salad can be stored in a shallow, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Can You Freeze Egg Salad?

Freezing egg salad is not recommended because it will change the texture and flavor. If you're OK with that, you can freeze it for up to one month. Refrigerate overnight, thawing in the refrigerator.

Egg Salad Sandwiches: What to Serve It With

With classic side dishes, classic egg salad sandwiches are best. A leafy green salad, potato chips, French fries or coleslaw.

Tips and Praise from allrecipes Community

"Very good," raves Susan May. "I subbed pickles vs green onion and Dijon mustard." I was glad there was paprika added. "It served that to me on a bun with lettuce and tomato and a few more pickle planks."

NADIGIRL says, "Great recipe." Used shallots instead of green onions. Came out great! Will make it again."

Teri Peters Sheldon says: "Superb." To make things easier, the best place to begin with improvising something is with something that is perfect, so I used this as a base recipe, and put some of my own little touches. I use chives instead of a green onion, just because I have a glut in the garden."