Friday Recipes

It's finally Friday. Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Beef Meatball Calzone and Enchiladas Con Carne. Enjoy!

INA GARTEN’S SKILLET-ROASTED LEMON CHICKEN

This was sent in a TODAY Show’s email. It begins with this from Ina Garten, “I can't tell you how many times I've made this! I have the butcher butterfly the chicken so all I do is grind the thyme, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper, mix it with olive oil, and brush it on the chicken. When the lemon slices are roasted and caramelized, you can eat them with the chicken.

“Notes: Remove the ends of the lemon, cut in half through the stem ends, and slice thinly crosswise. Sometimes I sprinkle the chicken with minced fresh rosemary before allowing it to rest.

“Make-ahead tip: Assemble the chicken in the pan and refrigerate for a few hours before roasting.”

To view this online, click here.

Note: The recipe calls for 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio. I don’t keep alcohol around the house. Whenever I want to try a new recipe that has any kind of alcohol as an ingredient, I either use an alcohol-free version or, if it’s not available or I decide not to go that way, I substitute water. Ina, if you’re reading this, sorry! I still love your recipes!

Ingredients

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup good olive oil

1 lemon, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick (see note)

1 yellow onion, halved and sliced 1⁄4-inch thick

2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 (4-pound) chicken, backbone removed and butterflied

1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

1 lemon, juiced

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 450ºF.

Place the thyme, fennel seeds, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a mini food processor and process until ground. Pour the olive oil into a small glass measuring cup, stir in the herb mixture, and set aside.

Distribute the lemon slices in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet and distribute the onion and garlic on top. Place the chicken, skin side down, on top of the onion and brush with about half the oil and herb mixture. Turn the chicken skin side up, pat it dry with paper towels (very important!), and brush it all over with the rest of the oil and herb mixture.

Roast the chicken for 30 minutes. Pour the wine into the pan (not on the chicken!) and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155 to 160 degrees.

Remove the chicken from the oven, sprinkle it with the lemon juice, cover the skillet tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut the chicken into quarters or eighths, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot with the pan juices, cooked lemon, and onion.

ENCHILADAS CON CARNE

This is from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. (Sign up, if you haven’t already. You won’t regret it!)

Sam wrote, “There are a few cool tricks to this recipe, one of which I picked up from an old issue of Bon Appétit, one I learned from Robb Walsh, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur who runs El Real Tex-Mex in Houston, and a final one I learned by happenstance. First, for the thickening agent in the chile sauce, toast raw all-purpose flour in a pan until it is nutty and golden brown, then reserve it to stir in with the browned beef later in the recipe. Second, if you like truly melty cheese in the classic Tex-Mex tradition, use a mixture of American cheese, like Velveeta, with the Cheddar you use inside and on top of the finished enchiladas. Finally, if you’re fearful that a casserole of cheese, chili and fried tortillas may be a little rich for dinner, serve it with a bowl of tomatillo pineapple salsa on the side. The acidity provides a nice balance. (Note also that as with all recipes, but particularly this one, some planning and practice can get the preparation down to 60 minutes.)”

Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 1/2 hours.

This was featured in “Enchiladas Are the Saucy, Cheesy Addition to Your Dinner Table”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018152-enchiladas-con-carne.

Ingredients

For the Chili Con Carne:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola

1 pound ground chuck beef, ideally 20 percent fat

Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 jalapeño pepper or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and chopped

1 cup chopped or canned crushed tomatoes

3 tablespoons chile powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, ideally Mexican

2 cups chicken stock, ideally homemade or low-sodium if store-bought

For the Enchiladas:

1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola

12 yellow corn tortillas

3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, or a mixture of 1-1/2 cups Cheddar cheese and 1 1/2 cups American cheese, like Velveeta

1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)

Preparation

Prepare the chili con carne: Put flour in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to turn golden brown and smell nutty, then pour it onto a plate to cool.

Wipe out sauté pan and return it to high heat with 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot and shimmery, add ground beef to pan, and cook, breaking it up with a fork and stirring, until it is well browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then use a slotted spoon to remove meat to a bowl, leaving drippings behind.

Add onion, garlic and jalapeño to pan and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits of meat, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Stir in tomatoes and cook until their liquid has evaporated, then add chile powder, cumin and oregano and stir to combine. After a minute or so, when mixture begins to turn fragrant, return browned meat to pan, along with toasted flour, and stir well to combine.

Lower heat to medium-high and slowly stir in chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture has thickened and started to simmer. Lower heat again and allow chili to cook slowly for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until meat is tender. Add more stock or water if needed. Use immediately, or let cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a few days.

When you are ready to cook the enchiladas, heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat 1/2 cup neutral oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.

Assemble the enchiladas: Using a ladle, put about 1/2 cup chili in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of cheese into each tortilla, along with a tablespoon or so of chili, then place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle remaining chili over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle chopped onions over the top, if using, and serve immediately.

BUTTERSCOTCH ROLLS

Years ago, Fr. Dominic Garramone (AKA the Bread Monk had a show on PBS. I'm sure I'm not the only person who got hooked on his show. Unfortunately, it went off the air years ago. But his cook books are still in circulation, and you can always go to his website (above).

This was one of the recipes on his show.

Makes 18 rolls

Ingredients

Butterscotch Topping

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 tablespoon water

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 cup butterscotch chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Dough

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 envelopes FLEISCHMANN’S RapidRise Yeast

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 large egg

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Directions

Prepare Butterscotch Topping:

In a saucepan, combine corn syrup, water and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in butterscotch chips until melted. Spread mixture evenly over two ungreased 8 x 8-inch pans; sprinkle with pecans.

Prepare dough:

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, undissolved yeast and salt. Heat milk, water and butter until very warm (120 to 130 degrees). Gradually add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add egg and 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in remaining flour to make a stiff batter. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.

Remove dough from refrigerator; divide in half. Roll each half to 12 x 9-inch rectangle. Brush each rectangle with melted butter; sprinkle with 1/3 cup brown sugar. Beginning at short end, roll up tightly as for jelly roll. Pinch seams to seal; cut into 9 (1-inch) slices. Place, cut sides up, over Butterscotch Topping in prepared pans. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.

IMPOSSIBLY EASY CHEESEBURGER PIE (CROWD SIZE)

This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "Now you can make a crowd-sized version of the top-rated Bisquick® Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie. It's as easy as ever."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Servings: 12

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef

1-1/2 cups chopped onion

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 bag (12 oz) frozen mixed vegetables

1 cup Original Bisquick™ mix

2 cups milk

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz)

Instructions

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef, onion and salt over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until beef is brown; drain. Spread in dish. Top evenly with frozen mixed vegetables.

In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, milk and eggs with wire whisk until blended. Pour into baking dish.

Bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle evenly with cheese; bake 10 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cut into squares.

BEEF MEATBALL CALZONE

This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "Meet the ultimate craveable comfort food! These incredible beef calzones blend all the best parts of pizza—melty cheese, savory meatballs, and delicious sauce—into a portable, golden-brown pocket that seriously ups the fun factor. Our simple beef calzone recipe is a fun and easy way to bring those amazing flavors together in a meal that's perfect for a casual dinner or game day snack."

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Servings: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups Bisquick™ Original Pancake & Baking Mix

2/3 cup hot water

Gold Medal™ All Purpose Flour, for dusting

1/4 cup marinara sauce

1/2 lb frozen beef meatballs, thawed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Olive oil, for brushing the dough

Instructions

Heat oven to 450ºF. In a large bowl, combine the Bisquick and hot water. Stir until a dough is formed. Cover and rest for 5 minutes.

On a surface dusted with flour, roll the dough into a 10-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

On one half of the circle, evenly spread the marinara. Top the marinara with the meatball pieces and cover with the mozzarella.

Fold the other half of the dough over the toppings to form a semicircle, and press the edges together to seal the calzone. Brush the calzone with olive oil.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the calzone to a wire rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

This is from Eden Foods, and is well worth the wait. Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes; Serves: 4

To view this yumminess online, go to https://www.edenfoods.com/recipes/view.php?recipes_id=435.

Ingredients

2 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded

1/3 cup Eden Dried Montmorency Cherries, coarsely chopped

Eden Dried Wild Blueberries, or Dried Cranberries

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1 Tbsp Eden Barley Malt Syrup

1 Tbsp organic maple syrup

2 Tbsp Eden Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 cup Eden Apple Juice

1 pinch Eden Sea Salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly oil the squash skin and place cut side down in an oiled baking sheet. Place the juice in the sheet. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the squash is tender. Pierce with a fork to test.

When the squash is just about done, heat up the remaining olive oil, barley malt, maple syrup, cherries, pecans, sea salt and cinnamon. Place one-quarter of the cherries/pecan mixture in each acorn half. Mix a little of the squash together with the cherries/pecan mixture, using a spoon or fork to mix. Bake right side up for another 5 minutes. Place in a serving dish.