Double-Post Monday

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Today's offerings include Fried Chicken Biscuits With Hot Honey Butter and, for dessert, Cast-Iron Apple and Blackberry Crumble. Enjoy!

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

This comes from Southern Living, and begins, "Give your traditional chicken casserole a break and serve this bright and lively chicken spaghetti. You only need a Dutch oven and a 9-x-13 baking dish to create this delicious meal, meaning there is less clean-up afterwards. Cook and shred your chicken in advance to save time."

Active Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes; Serves: 10

To view this online, go to https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/easy-chicken-spaghetti.

Ingredients

6 cups unsalted chicken stock

1 (14-oz.) bone-in, skin-on chicken breast, skin removed

3 (7-oz.) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, skin removed

12 ounces uncooked spaghetti

1 (5-oz.) can evaporated milk

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon lower-sodium Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons hot sauce

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1-1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)

1 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper (about 1 large pepper)

2 cups chopped tomatoes (about 3 medium tomatoes)

4 ounces sharp white Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bring stock to a boil in a Dutch oven over high. Add chicken to stock. Cover; reduce heat to medium. Cook until a thermometer inserted in thickest piece of chicken registers 160°F, about 25 minutes. Remove chicken; let stand until ready to use. (Inner temperature of chicken will rise as it stands.)

Return stock to a boil over high. Add pasta to Dutch oven, and cook until just tender, about 9 minutes. Transfer pasta to a medium bowl (reserving stock). Return stock to a boil over high; boil until liquid is reduced to about 2-1/2 cups, about 1 minute. Whisk together evaporated milk and flour in a small bowl. Stir into stock; boil until slightly thickened, 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and salt. Pour stock mixture over pasta.

Return Dutch oven to medium-high heat. Add butter, onion, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat; add pasta mixture back to Dutch oven. Shred chicken, discarding bones. (You should have about 4- 1/2 cups meat.) Add chicken and tomatoes to Dutch oven; toss to coat. Pour mixture into a 13- x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with cheese. Lightly coat aluminum foil with cooking spray. Cover with foil; bake until cheese is melted, 25 to 30 minutes.

Chef's Notes

You don't have to be a food stylist to create a casserole that looks as good as it tastes. Instead of pouring the pasta mixture from the pot into the baking dish, use tongs and a large spoon to twirl the noodles into nests, as shown below.

TURKEY MEATLOAF

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking email. Sam wrote, “This is a recipe that helps explain the Twitter-era term ‘humblebrag.’ I made it for the celebrated writer and filmmaker Nora Ephron after a different recipe resulted in a disaster and I had to discard the result with only a few hours before my dinner with -- did I mention? -- Nora Ephron. It derives from a meatball dish once cooked by the chef Mark Ladner at the restaurant Lupa in Manhattan, and published as a recipe in Details magazine in the early years of the century. I scaled it up over the years, increasing some spices here and there, lessening others, until I had what I thought to be a pretty terrific meatloaf. But don't take my word for it. ‘This is remarkable,’ Ms. Ephron told me. I'm bragging about it still.” Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour 30 minutes.

This was featured in “Potlucky” and can be viewed online here.

Note: This recipe calls for 1 cup red wine. If, like me, you don’t keep wine or any alcohol around the house, I imagine you could replace this with 1 cup water. Yes, this will affect the taste a little, but it’s do-able.

Ingredients

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup fresh bread crumbs of any provenance

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup whole milk

1 pound ground turkey

1 pound sweet Italian pork sausage, casing removed, crumbled

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 ounces bacon, chopped

1 medium red onion, finely chopped

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, seeds removed

1 cup red wine

1/4 bunch mint

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine 2/3 of the garlic, the rosemary, pepper flakes, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Add the milk and mix. Add the turkey and sausage and mix once more to combine; don’t overmix. Transfer onto a board and shape into a fine meatloaf, about 9 inches long and 4 inches wide.

Place in a baking pan with high sides (a 9 x12 pan with 2-inch sides works well), drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and bake for 25 minutes, turning halfway through to brown evenly. Remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 325 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, fry the bacon in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until it starts to curl and its fat is rendered. Add the onions and remaining garlic, cooking until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and wine and bring to a boil.

Pour the sauce over the meatloaf, cover tightly with foil and bake until a meat thermometer inserted at the center reads 150 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes.

Transfer the meatloaf to a platter and let stand, tented with foil, for 10 minutes. Cut into thick slices, spoon tomato sauce over the top and scatter with torn mint leaves.

FRIED CHICKEN BISCUITS WITH HOT HONEY BUTTER

This is from Tejal Rao in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Tejal wrote, "This recipe for chicken biscuits could be a weeknight dinner with a side of greens, but it's made to travel, and perfectly suited for a picnic. The biscuit dough, adapted from Sam Sifton's all-purpose biscuit recipe, is lightly kneaded here, so it's not too tender to work in a sandwich. The chicken tenders, inspired by Masaharu Morimoto's katsu in the cookbook "Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking," are pounded and coated in panko for plenty of crunch. Prepare both components the day you want to eat them, giving yourself at least one extra hour for everything to cool before you assemble, so the sandwich stays crisp. You can also cook well in advance, and assemble the sandwiches the next day. Either way, cooling the chicken completely, on a wire rack, is crucial. If you prefer breast meat over thigh, feel free to swap it in."

Yield: 6 servings; Time: 1 1/2 hours, plus cooling

This was featured in "Grab Your Picnic Baskets: The Party’s Moving Outside", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018818-fried-chicken-biscuits-with-hot-honey-butter.

Note: The article is well worth reading; I thoroughly enjoyed it! (Thanks for a great read, and great recipes, Tejal!) Also, check out Sam Sifton's guide, "How to Make Fried Chicken". It's a helpful guide, whether you're a long-time cook, or just starting out.

Ingredients

For the biscuits:

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed

1-1/2 cups whole milk

For the chicken:

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cayenne

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

3 eggs

3 cups panko bread crumbs

Canola or other neutral oil, for frying

For the butter:

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons honey

Hot sauce, a vinegary variety such as Crystal, to taste

Sliced dill pickles, for serving

Preparation

Prepare the biscuits: In a bowl, use a fork to mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add butter and use the fork to mash it into the flour until the mixture resembles large, lumpy crumbs. Stir in milk until a dough comes together.

Flour your hands, then gently gather and knead the dough in the bowl for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it springs back slightly to the touch. (If the dough is sticky, sprinkle additional flour as needed.) Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and rest dough in fridge for half hour.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough to 1 to 1 1/2 inch thickness. Use a floured knife or round cutter to cut 6 biscuits, about 3 1/2 inches wide. Reroll the scraps and cut again as needed.

Place biscuits on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they have puffed up and the tops are slightly golden. Let cool completely on a wired rack at room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container if not using until the next day.

Prepare the chicken: Trim excess fat and any membranes from the meat, then lightly hammer the thickest parts of the thighs with a mallet or rolling pin. Season each side with salt.

Mix flour, cayenne and salt in one wide bowl. Beat eggs in a second wide bowl, and place panko in a third. Dip each chicken thigh in flour, coating it all over and patting off the excess, then in egg, allowing extra egg to drip off, then in panko, making sure each thigh is entirely coated in bread crumbs, and using your hands to press loose crumbs into any places where they look scarce.

In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, pour in oil to a 2-inch depth and heat to 350 degrees. Fry 2 thighs at a time, flipping them over every two minutes or so, until golden brown and crisp all over, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a wire rack set over a paper towel-lined sheet pan and season lightly with salt. Let cool entirely at room temperature, at least 1 hour. At this point, you can assemble the sandwiches or transfer the rack to the fridge and leave the chicken uncovered overnight.

Assemble the sandwiches: When both the chicken and biscuits have cooled (or the next day), mix together soft butter, honey and hot sauce until smooth. Cut open cooled biscuits, smear each cut side with honey butter, and sandwich with a piece of chicken. If traveling, loosely wrap each sandwich in a piece of parchment paper and pack side by side in a hard container, in a single layer, so the sandwiches aren’t crushed. Serve with additional hot sauce and pickles on the side.

TEX-MEX BEEF AND RICE SKILLET

This is from tbsp., and begins, “Wherein we turn a humble pound of ground beef into a supremely satisfying and totally doable meal in a matter of minutes. Now you never have to wonder what’s for dinner. You’re welcome.”

Prep Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Servings: 6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup diced yellow onion

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso™ enchilada sauce

1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ original taco seasoning mix

3 cups cooked white rice

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (4 oz)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef 6 to 8 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until brown. Drain, and wipe out skillet.

Add oil to skillet, and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and corn. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender.

Stir in beef, enchilada sauce and taco seasoning mix. Heat to simmering; stir in rice. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until rice is heated through.

Top with cheese and cilantro.

PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN

This is from Ina Garten on the Food Network. Prep Time: 20 minutes; Inactive Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes; Makes 8 servings; Level: Intermediate

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs

1 lemon, halved

1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted

1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced

4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks

1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges

Olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

CAST-IRON APPLE AND BLACKBERRY CRUMBLE

This is from Matt Abdoo and was posted on the TODAY Show’s site. Matt wrote, “My dad used to make this for me growing up! Apples from upstate New York are some of the best in the country. They always added the perfect amount of tartness and sweetness to this crispy crumble.

“Technique tip: Use your favorite apples for a signature taste and to make it your own.

“Swap option: Pears work great and so do peaches! You can also use a 10- by 15-inch baking dish if not using the grill.”

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

To view this online, go to https://www.today.com/recipes/cast-iron-apple-blackberry-crumble-recipe-t154818.

Ingredients

Crumble Topping

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 packs (1 cup) apple-cinnamon instant oatmeal

1 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

8 ounces (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, grated

Apple Filling

2 pounds honey crisp apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 pound granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 pint blackberries

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

Pre-heat oven or grill to 350°F.

For the crumble topping:

In a medium sized mixing bowl combine flour, apple-cinnamon instant oatmeal, chopped pecans, light brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cold grated butter until it forms a coarse crumble.

For the apple filling:

In another large mixing bowl combine the apples with melted butter, flour, corn starch, lemon juice, light brown sugar, salt and spices and toss to fully coat the apples. Next fold in the blackberries and pour the apple mixture into a 12-inch cast iron pan.

To assemble:

Fully coat the top of the apple mixture with the crumble topping and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the crumble topping is golden brown and the apples are tender.

Allow the crumble to cool slightly, and then serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Or chill overnight and serve cold.