My kids, like most kids, really enjoy Rice A Roni. If you let them, they will eat this as a meal all by itself. I certainly would have when I was younger. Or last week! Don't judge! But, what do you do if you don't have any on hand in the pantry, but you have some plain rice? Unfortunately, cooking up plain rice is not going to work, because in my opinion plain rice just isn't tasty by itself. ...
Recipes
Chicken Tortilla Soup
This is my chicken tortilla soup recipe. Way back when we were still dating my wife Jaime and I took a vacation to Florida to stay at my parents town home in Orlando. We were still living in the north back then, prior to our move to South Carolina. While there, we decided to go try a place we saw by the name of Cracker Barrel. It just so happened that their soup of the day that day was chicken ...
Indian Butter Chicken
Indian Style Butter Chicken serves as a pretty simple way to try some Indian-style food. The chicken is combined with a rich, spicy and creamy tomato-style sauce spiced a bit differently than would be a perhaps more familiar Italian style tomato sauce. Indian Butter Chicken is similar to chicken tikka masala, but is way easier to implement. I started making this about a year ago for my wife. ...
Garlic Infused Olive Oil
My father loves to buy garlic infused olive oil at the various Italian stores he has access to up where he and my mother live in New York. Down here in South Carolina it seems to be a little more difficult to find. One day I wanted to have some garlic infused olive oil to use on a grandma pizza pie I was making, so I decided to go ahead and just make what I needed. I used fresh garlic cloves, ...
Easy Au Gratin Potatoes
A dish so dastardly decadent that it can only be consumed a couple of times per year!! This is the plight of the delicious and delightful Easy Au Gratin Potatoes! The ultimate in special occasion only food. Hey, Thanksgiving is tomorrow! It's Easy Au Gratin Potatoes time again!!! Seemingly simple to make, but the secret is creating a bechamel sauce first. Then adding the cheese to melt. ...
Italian Beef Braciole
Winter holiday time is really my favorite time to cook. The weather gets a little chillier, the food gets a little heartier. One thing I don't make much during the warm months is the all day slow cooked Sunday tomato sauce with meat. Well that changes once the Fall arrives. And when I decide to cook the Sunday sauce, Italian Beef Braciole is definitely going on the menu. My family and I are big ...
Italian Style Meatloaf
Every dad needs to have a can't fail meatloaf recipe. When it's time to cook dinner for your family, having a go to recipe for meatloaf is indispensable. Meatloaf is one of those simple and universal comfort foods that most people have tried and enjoyed over the years. My parents definitely had meatloaf solidly in the dinner rotation growing up. Now my kids get to enjoy it too. This Italian Style ...
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Macadamia Nuts
It really does not get much better than a perfect batch of chocolate chip cookies. I used to always get these white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies from Subway, to go alongside my Italian BMT sub. They were so good. Then I realized I can make them myself. Uh oh..... If you are looking for a no-fuss can't-fail cookie recipe, this is it. Everybody should have one and now you do. You're ...