Friday Recipes

It's finally Friday. Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Mexican Meatball Kabobs, Pepperoni Pizza Pasta, and Classic Shepherd's Pie. Enjoy!

MEATLESS TEX-MEX SLOPPY JOES

This comes from Old El Paso, and begins, "Meatless Mondays just got a new star recipe. Impossible™ Burger is made from plants and makes this vegetarian sloppy joe recipe a delicious new addition to your meatless repertoire. These Meatless Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes use Old El Paso™ Mild Taco Sauce and Old El Paso™ Original Taco Seasoning Mix. Meatless sloppy joes are as fast and easy as the original, taking just 20 minutes from start to finish."

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Makes 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/meatless-tex-mex-sloppy-joes.

Ingredients

1 package (12 oz) Impossible™ Burger

2/3 cup water

1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ Original Taco Seasoning Mix

1/2 cup Old El Paso™ Mild Taco Sauce (from 9-oz bottle)

4 burger buns, toasted

1 cup Old El Paso™ Shredded Mexican Style 4 Cheese Blend (from 8-oz package)

1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

Preparation

In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook Impossible™ Burger over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until crumbles are browned and cooked through.

Stir water, taco seasoning mix and taco sauce into Impossible™ Burger mixture; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened.

Place about 1/2 cup mixture over bottom of each bun; top with cheese, lettuce, avocado and tomatoes, then top of bun.

Expert Tips

Cooking Vegetarian? Always read labels to make sure each recipe ingredient is vegetarian. Products and ingredient sources can change.

Old El Paso™ Mild Taco Sauce plays the role that tomato sauce would play in a traditional sloppy joe recipe, with the added benefit of loads of taco flavor for these vegetarian sloppy joes.

We call for Old El Paso™ Mild Taco Sauce in this recipe, but if you’d prefer a bit more heat in your meatless sloppy joes, feel free to substitute Old El Paso™ Medium Taco Sauce.

Buying a whole head of lettuce and slicing it thinly yourself, as opposed to buying it preshredded in a bag, will help to guarantee a fresh, extra-crisp topping for your sloppy joes.

SMOKY BLACK BEAN AND CORN EMPANADAS

This came from Betty Crocker in a recent email. (Yes, you can sign up for their emails; definitely worthwhile.) This recipe begins, "These hearty black bean empanadas are a satisfying meal full of smoky, spicy, chipotle chile-laced black beans and Monterey Jack cheese. Smoky Black Bean and Corn Empanadas are made by sautéing onions and garlic in a skillet before adding black beans, corn and chipotles. Spoon the mixture onto your crust, and add shredded Monterey Jack cheese before closing and baking until the crust is golden brown. Serve up, and enjoy!"

Prep Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 55 minutes; Makes 4 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce (from 7-oz can)

1 can (15 oz) Progresso™ Black Beans, drained, rinsed

1/2 cup Cascadian Farm™ Organic Frozen Corn, thawed

1 box (14.1 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Pie Crusts (2 Count), softened as directed on box

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz)

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F. Line large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper.

In nonstick 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir 4 to 6 minutes or until softened. Add chili powder, salt and chipotle chile; cook and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in black beans and corn.

On lightly floured surface, unroll 1 pie crust. Roll to 14-inch circle. Cut out four 6-inch circles. Repeat with remaining pie crust. Spoon about 1/4 cup black bean mixture and 2 tablespoons cheese over half of each round to within 1/2 inch of edge.

Brush edges with water. Fold dough over filling; press edges firmly with fork to seal. Place on cookie sheet. Cut 3 small slits on top of each empanada.

Bake 13 to 18 minutes or until golden brown and filling is hot. Serve warm.

Expert Tips

Try serving these black bean empanadas with your favorite salsa on the side.

While two of these savory empanadas make a hearty meal, these could also be served individually, as an appetizer.

Chipotles in adobo are smoked and dried jalapeños rehydrated and canned in a sweet and tangy purée of tomato, vinegar, garlic and other spices. Look for them in the global aisle of the grocery store when you're planning on making black bean empanadas.

PEPPERONI PIZZA PASTA

Long since forgotten email list. Serves 4

Ingredients

8oz (2 c) uncooked ziti

1 (14oz) jar pizza sauce

2 oz sliced pepperoni, halved (about 3/4 c)

1/4 c finely chopped bell pepper

1/4 c grated parmesan

1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves

1 clove garlic, minced

4oz (1c) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Heat oven to 375. Spray 8" sq. baking pan with nonstick spray. Cook ziti according to pkg directions. In a large bowl, combine cooked ziti, pizza sauce, pepperoni, bell pepper, Parmesan, oregano and garlic; mix well. Spoon into baking pan; sprinkle with mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 30-35 min. or throughly heated and cheese is melted.

HONEY-AND-SOY-GLAZED CHICKEN THIGHS

This comes from Kay Chun in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Kay wrote, "In this simple weeknight recipe, chicken thighs are tossed with a sweet-salty glaze made of honey and soy sauce that caramelizes into a sticky coating as it roasts in the oven. Serve the sliced chicken with bibb lettuce cups for wrapping, or over steamed rice to catch all the juices. Leftovers can be chopped and combined with vegetables for a tasty clean-out-the-fridge fried rice."

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 45 minutes

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019804-honey-and-soy-glazed-chicken-thighs.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger

6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (see tip)

5 tablespoons mild honey, such as clover, acacia or orange blossom

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Kosher salt and black pepper

8 small bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)

Lemon wedges, for serving

Preparation

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce and honey and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. (You'll want to cook attentively for this step, as the syrupy mixture can burn if it cooks too long.) Turn off the heat then whisk in the butter. Season with salt and pepper.

On an aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Add half the glaze and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and toss the chicken to coat. Arrange in an even layer, skin side up, and roast until browned, 15 minutes. Brush the chicken all over with 2 tablespoons of the remaining glaze. Roast until golden and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Drizzle the chicken with the remaining glaze and serve with lemon wedges.

Tips

The sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight; just rewarm it in the microwave or stovetop before using.

If gluten is a concern, substitute the soy sauce with low-sodium tamari.

CLASSIC SHEPHERD'S PIE

This is from Alex Guarnashelli on the Today's site. She wrote, "This is a classic that makes me feel like I am in a pub enjoying myself. It's so comforting, especially with the cold weather. This is traditionally made with ground lamb but the American in me likes to make it with a somewhat lean beef and creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes instead. You can actually make this entirely in advance and bake when ready to serve. You can also shortcut by using premade mashed potatoes. This is a great freezer dish, which you can defrost and bake off any time.

"Technique tip: Cut your carrots, onions and celery all about the same size so they cook evenly and retain some of their texture.

"Swap option: Substitute ground chicken or turkey for the beef for a leaner option. Swap mashed sweet potatoes or Butternut squash puree for the mashed potatoes for a sweeter, lighter version."

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Mashed potatoes

4 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks

kosher salt

1/2 cup whole milk

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced, divided

1 cup sour cream, room temperature

1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Meat

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound ground beef

4 sprigs fresh thyme

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 large red onion, diced small

1 large carrot, diced small

2 ribs celery, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

1 cup frozen peas, defrosted

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 cup hearty beef broth

Directions

For the mashed potatoes:

In a large pot, add the potatoes and cover amply with cold water. Bring the water up to a boil and reduce the heat so that it simmers. Add a generous pinch of salt to the water and allow the potatoes to cook until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 20 to 25 minutes.

Drain the potatoes in a colander. Run the potatoes through a food mill or ricer.

Return the empty pot to the heat and add the milk. Bring the milk to a simmer and gingerly add the potatoes back into the pot. Season with salt and whisk in 8 tablespoons of the sliced butter and sour cream. Taste for seasoning. Remove from the heat.

For the meat:

In a medium-size skillet, heat the olive oil. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, add the ground beef in small pieces with the thyme and brown over high heat until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl.

Add the onions, carrot and celery to the skillet and cook with the thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are translucent and tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour off any excess grease. Discard the thyme.

Transfer the vegetables to the bowl with the meat. Stir in the peas, vinegar and broth. Taste for seasoning.

To assemble:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Use the remaining tablespoon butter to grease the sides and bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with 2-inch sides.

Spoon a layer of the mashed potatoes on the bottom so it hugs the bottom of the dish and sprinkle with about 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Top the potatoes with all of the meat mixture. Top with all of the remaining mashed potatoes and all of the remaining cheese.

Place the dish in the center of the oven and bake until the center is hot when poked with the tip of a knife and the top browned, 30 to 40 minutes.

MEXICAN MEATBALL KABOBS

Recipe Yield: Yield Makes 30 servings, 2 skewers each

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/mexican-meatball-kabobs.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

3 pounds lean ground beef

2 cups quick oats

1 can (12 fluid ounces) Nestle's Carnation Evaporated Milk

2 large eggs

1/2 cup ketchup

2 packets (1.25 ounces each) taco seasoning mix

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 large bell peppers (any color), cut into 60, 1-inch pieces

60 4-inch wooden skewers

Salsa and sour cream (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Foil-line 3 baking sheets and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine ground beef, oats, evaporated milk, eggs, ketchup, taco seasoning and black pepper in large bowl until just mixed. Form mixture into 120, 1-inch meatballs. Place on prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until no longer pink in center. Drain on paper towels, if needed.

Thread two meatballs and one piece of pepper on each skewer. Place on large serving platter. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 110; Fat: 1.5 g; Saturated Fat: 1.5 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sodium: 260 mg; Cholesterol: 40 mg; Protein: 11 g; Carbohydrates: 8 g; Sugars: 3 g