BLT Spaghetti Carbonara

You all know how much I love carbonara. I've made quite a few versions over the years but this BLT Spaghetti Carbonara might just be my new favorite.

In this recipe, traditional carbonara is paired with tomatoes and spinach for an awesome twist. The tomatoes and spinach cut the richness of the carbonara (and we can pretend this is semi-healthy because of the veggies, right? Right). Baby Girl was a big fan, which is saying something because so far she hasn't been into spinach. Mixed with ingredients she loves - bacon, tomatoes and, of course, pasta - made it more palatable.

Even SP, not the biggest fan of carbonara, loved this one. He kept asking me what I did differently with the bacon and said it was perfectly seasoned, creamy and delicious. I have to agree. If you love carbonara, you've got to try this version.

BLT Spaghetti Carbonara
Modified from Nigella Lawson and Tide and Thyme

1 pound spaghetti
6 slices bacon, chopped into bite-size pieces
2 large onions, sliced
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 6 oz bag baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly ground nutmeg

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet that will fit the pasta later, cook the bacon until crispy but not crunchy. Add the onions and cook until softened and starting to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and spinach and cook for a few minutes to wilt the spinach, then add the white wine or vermouth and let it bubble so that, after a few minutes, you have a small amount of thick syrup left.

In a bowl, beat together the eggs, Parmesan, cream, pepper and nutmeg.

Add the pasta to the pan with the bacon, tossing well to coat with the syrupy sauce. Take the pan off the heat (remove from the stove completely, don't just turn off the burner) and add the eggs and cheese mixture, swiftly tossing everything with tongs to mix. Grind over some more pepper and grated cheese, if desired. Serve.

Pepperoni Pizza Sliders

If you've been reading this blog for awhile you know we usually make homemade pizza on Fridays. Now that the temps are climbing I'm less interested in heating the oven to 550 degrees but I still had a hankering for pizza flavors. Enter these Pepperoni Pizza Sliders, a knock-off of the Sweet Ham and Swiss sliders that have been so popular in the blogosphere lately.

These did not disappoint. They were incredibly easy to assemble and tasted great. Between the three of us we ate all 12 sliders. Whoops! Next time I'll serve them with a Caesar or antipasto salad on the side to make more of a complete meal.

Pepperoni Pizza Sliders
As seen on What's Cookin, Chicago?

For the sandwiches:
12 slider rolls
3/4 cup pizza sauce
24-36 slices pepperoni
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

For the topping:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Separate each roll, then spread a little pizza sauce onto both halves. Place 2-3 slices of pepperoni and a large piece of shredded cheese on each roll. Close rolls and place them close together in a 9x13" baking dish.

In a small bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients. Brush evenly over all of the sandwiches, just enough to cover the tops; let sandwiches sit for 10 minutes to absorb the butter and seasonings. At this point, sandwiches can be assembled a day ahead, covered and kept in the fridge ready to bake.

Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 5 additional minutes or until tops are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm.

Recipe Swap: Cowgirl Chicken Sandwich

It's Blogger's Choice recipe swap time again and this round I was assigned Ali's blog, Sparks From the Kitchen. I spent a lot of time looking through her blog before deciding on this Cowgirl Chicken Sandwich. I've been on a serious sandwich kick lately, eating one at least once a week, and SP was just asking me to make something with BBQ sauce.

I wanted to add a few toppings to the sandwich so I mashed up an avocado with a little lemon juice, salt and pepper and added crispy Romaine and sliced tomato. Baby Girl loved this sandwich, making all kinds of happy noises while she was eating. SP and I liked it, too, although I forgot to add additional BBQ sauce to our sandwiches and we both thought they needed it for that extra kick. It's a simple sandwich that tastes great.

Cowgirl Chicken Sandwich
As seen on Sparks From the Kitchen

2 large chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
8 pieces cooked bacon
Cheddar cheese, sliced thin
BBQ sauce
Kaiser rolls
1 avocado
Juice of half a lemon
Romaine lettuce
Sliced tomato

Preheat grill pan or grill over medium high heat.

Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Add to the grill and cook 4-5 minutes on the first side, the flip and cook 3 minutes on the other side. Brush chicken with the BBQ sauce and then add the cheese. Turn off the heat and tent loosely with foil to melt the cheese.

Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash the avocado with the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Split the rolls in half. Put some of the mashed avocado on the top half of each roll. Place a little sauce on the bottom piece of bread, top with chicken, bacon slices, lettuce and tomato. Add the top piece of bread and serve.

Hamburger Steak with Onion & Mushroom Gravy

With the weather quickly changing from spring to summer I knew I had to take advantage of a cool day to make this Hamburger Steak with Onion & Mushroom Gravy.

This one was right up SP's alley with the mushrooms and mashed potatoes but my stomach is definitely in light summer mode and it seemed too heavy. It was delicious, so I'll definitely make it again in the fall or winter.

Hamburger Steak with Onion & Mushroom Gravy
As seen on Our Best Bites, adapted from Cooking Light

1 pound ground sirloin
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon butter
1 large white onion, vertically sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup sliced baby portobello mushrooms
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef stock
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Divide the meat into 4 1/2″-thick patties. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the patties and cook for 4-5 minutes and then flip and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the patties from the pan and set aside. Drain off any excess fat/grease.

Heat the teaspoon of butter in the skillet. When melted, add the onions and sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until they become tender and start to caramelize, about 5-7 minutes (you may need to add an additional teaspoon of oil if the onions are burning or sticking). Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook until the mushrooms are tender, being careful not to let the garlic burn.

When the onions and mushrooms are cooked, sprinkle them with 1 tablespoon of flour and stir quickly to combine. Add the broth and vinegar and cook until thickened. Add the beef patties and heat through. Serve each patty over mashed potatoes and top with mushrooms, onions, and gravy.

Southern-Style Mustard Potato Salad

I have a go-to potato salad I've been making for years, but when my friends Paula and Melissa recently discussed the beauty of Paula's Southern-Style Mustard Potato Salad I figured it was worth a shot.

The two recipes aren't really that different, mine has celery seed and sour cream where Paula's doesn't, but that's about it. I was looking for an easy side dish to serve with my Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes and since I already had some hard boiled eggs and celery in the fridge I quickly boiled some potatoes, chopped up the other ingredients and tossed them all together.

This was fantastic. Even Baby Girl ate her entire serving, which was a big deal since she hasn't liked any other potato salad. It takes next to no time to prepare and tastes outstanding. Definitely make it a day in advance so the flavors have time to meld.

Southern-Style Mustard Potato Salad
Slightly adapted from The Saucy Southerner

1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
5 eggs, hard-cooked, peeled and very finely chopped
3/4 cup celery, finely diced
1/2 cup red or sweet onion, minced
1/2 cup chopped dill pickles
2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
3 tablespoons yellow mustard
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Cook the potatoes in boiling, salted water until just about to fall apart. Drain well in a colander then added back to the hot pan to dry out for 5 minutes.

Place the potatoes, eggs, celery, onion, dill pickles and pickle juice into a large bowl. Add the mustard and mayonnaise, stirring gently so you don't over mix. Try to keep the potatoes unmashed. Add salt and pepper, adjusting to taste.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Make it a day ahead for best results!