Friday Recipes

Here's to Fridays, especially if you have the weekend off.

Of course, no matter what you have planned for the weekend, you still need to eat. These six recipes will help you through the weekend, and include Chicken Pot Pie and Ham and Pepper Frittata. Enjoy!

THE CRUNCHIEST SUMMER FRUIT CRUMBLE

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, "The secret to this fruit crumble is to bake the sweet, cinnamon-scented topping separately, to dry it out. Then when you pile those crumbs over a mound of juicy summer fruit, they won’t absorb as much liquid, and stay crisp and cookielike. You can make the crumbs a day ahead. But the crumble is best baked on the day you serve it, preferably while still a little warm and brimming with syrupy fruit. Make sure to taste your fruit before adding the sugar. Sweeter fruit like strawberries, cherries and blueberries need less sugar than tart plums and nectarines. A spoonful of whipped cream or ice cream makes this even better."

Yield: 8 servings; Time: 1 3/4 hours, plus cooling

This was featured in "This Is the Secret to the Crunchiest Fruit Crumble", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021225-the-crunchiest-summer-fruit-crumble.

Ingredients

For the Topping:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, ginger or allspice, or use lemon zest

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled

For the Filling:

2 to 5 tablespoon light brown sugar (or granulated sugar), depending on the sweetness of the fruit

2 tablespoons cornstarch

8 cups mixed berries (fresh or frozen), or cubed peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, or pitted sweet cherries (or a combination)

Ice cream or whipped cream, for serving

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Make the topping: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, sugars, salt and spices. Stir in butter. Using your hands, squish mixture until coarse crumbs form. Some should be about 1/2-inch in size, some smaller.

Spread topping in one layer onto a rimmed baking sheet. (You don’t have to grease it first.) Bake until crumbs are solid when you gently poke them, and are fragrant, about 15 minutes. They won’t change appearance very much. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool while you make the filling. (Crumbs can be baked up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.)

Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch until well combined. Add fruit and gently toss to coat with the sugar mixture. Pour filling into an ungreased 2-quart gratin dish or 10-inch cake pan, mounding the fruit in the center.

Spoon crumbs over filling and place the crumble dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any overflowing juices. (You can use the same baking sheet you cooked the crumbs on.) Bake until filling bubbles energetically around the edges, about 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream, if you like. Crumble can be made up to 8 hours ahead and kept at room temperature, or warmed up briefly in a 350-degree oven.

SUPER SLOPPY JOES

This is from Rachael Ray on the Food Network. Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Yield: 4 super sloppy sandwiches; Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan

1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend, such as McCormick brand Montreal Seasoning

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups tomato sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 crusty rolls, split, toasted, and lightly buttered

Garnish: sliced ripe tomatoes, pickles, Deviled Potato Salad

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and meat to the pan. Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine. When the meat has browned, add onion and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, peppers, red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with meat for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, pile sloppy meat onto toasted, buttered bun bottoms and cover with bun tops. Serve with your favorite sides or sliced tomatoes seasoned with salt and pepper, dill pickles and Deviled Potato Salad. Have plenty of napkins on hand!

CHAMPIONSHIP CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Yield: 3 dozen bars

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter or regular margarine

2 cups (12 oz pkg) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chopped nuts

Directions

Heat oven to 350 F. Stir together flour and brown sugar in a medium bowl.

Cut in cold butter until crumbly. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Press mixture on bottom of ungreased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes.

Combine sweetened condensed milk, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips and the nuts. Spread evenly over hot baked crust. Bake 25 minutes or until golden. Cool in pan on wire rack then cut into bars.

CHICKEN POT PIE

This comes from Robbie Rice on the AllRecipes website. Robbie wrote, "A delicious chicken pie made from scratch with carrots, peas and celery."

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; Servings: 8; Yield: 1 9-inch pie

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/26317/chicken-pot-pie-ix/.

Ingredients

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup frozen green peas

1/2 cup sliced celery

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

VALERIE'S PUMPKIN PUDDING

This is from Valerie Bertinelli on the Food Network. Active Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Yield: 6 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/valerie-bertinelli/valeries-pumpkin-pudding-for-wolfie-3234631.

Ingredients

4 cups whole milk

One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (do not use pumpkin pie mix), about 1 1/2 cups

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 to 12 ginger snap cookies

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine three cups of the milk, the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and ginger. Whisk to combine and then set over medium-low heat and bring to a gentle simmer.

Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks and the remaining 1 cup milk.

Whisk half of the hot milk-pumpkin mixture into the egg mixture until smooth, then gradually whisk the egg-milk-pumpkin mixture back into the saucepan. Continue to cook, now over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until it has thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and butter.

To assemble, layer the cookies and pudding mixture in a serving dish or parfait glasses. Cover the pudding with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold (at least 2 hours).

HAM AND PEPPER FRITTATA

Recipe Yield: Yield: 4 servings, Serving size: 1/4 of recipe

Source: The Complete Diabetes Prevention Plan

Book Title: The Complete Diabetes Prevention Plan

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/ham-and-pepper-frittata.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or canola oil

1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1 cup diced, lean, reduced-sodium ham

2 teaspoons dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

2 cups fat-free egg substitute

1 cup shredded, reduced-fat, white Cheddar or Swiss cheese

Directions

Coat a large ovenproof skillet with the olive oil and preheat over medium-high heat. Add the peppers, ham, parsley, and black pepper and saute for several minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the ham is beginning to brown. Spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the skillet.

Pour the egg substitute over the skillet mixture and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook without stirring for about 6 minutes, until the eggs are almost set (the edges will be cooked but the top will still be runny).

Remove the lid from the skillet and wrap the handle in aluminum foil (to prevent it from becoming damaged under the broiler). Place the skillet under a preheated broiler and broil for a couple of minutes, until the eggs are set but not dry. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and broil for another minute to melt the cheese. Cut the frittata into 4 wedges and serve hot.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 222; Fat: 8.3 g; Sodium: 690 mg; Cholesterol: 32 mg; Protein: 28 g; Carbohydrates: 7 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 4 Lean Meat, 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat

Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's offerings include Simple Meatloaf with Optional Topping and Butternut Squash and Turkey Chili. Enjoy!

CHAMPIONSHIP CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Yield: 3 dozen bars

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter or regular margarine

2 cups (12 oz pkg) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chopped nuts

Directions

Heat oven to 350 F. Stir together flour and brown sugar in a medium bowl.

Cut in cold butter until crumbly. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Press mixture on bottom of ungreased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes.

Combine sweetened condensed milk, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips and the nuts. Spread evenly over hot baked crust. Bake 25 minutes or until golden. Cool in pan on wire rack then cut into bars.

ENCHILADA SOUP

This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "Give your go-to chicken dish a soup-upgrade with this Chicken Enchilada Soup recipe. The best part is that with the help of some Old El Paso™ enchilada sauce, your slow cooker will do the work for you. You can bring the heat with the hot sauce or keep it mild, but either way, it's an easy option to bring delicious chicken enchilada soup flavor to your next fall meal."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes; Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/enchilada-soup.

Ingredients

2 cups Progresso™ chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)

1 can (19 oz) Old El Paso™ mild or hot enchilada sauce

1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso™ chopped mild green chiles

1 package (20 oz) bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed

1 can (15 oz) Progresso™ black beans, drained, rinsed

1 bag (12 oz) frozen corn, thawed, drained

Shredded Mexican cheese blend, if desired

Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

Crushed tortilla chips, if desired

Preparation

Spray 4- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, mix broth, enchilada sauce and chiles. Place chicken into enchilada sauce mixture; spoon sauce over chicken.

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours.

Remove chicken from cooker with slotted spoon. Stir beans and corn into mixture in cooker. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook 5 to 10 minutes longer. Meanwhile, shred chicken by pulling apart with 2 forks; return to cooker. Cook until thoroughly heated.

Top each serving with cheese, cilantro and tortilla chips.

Expert Tips

Transfer corn from freezer to refrigerator when chicken starts to cook. It will be completely thawed by the time it is added to the slow cooker.

Vary the heat in this soup by using mild or hot enchilada sauce and serving with red pepper sauce on the side.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND TURKEY CHILI

This comes from the Food Network, and begins, "This recipe captures many of the traditional flavors of chili, but boosts its texture, color and vitamins. We've used protein-rich black beans, lean ground turkey and sweet butternut squash, as well adding some unexpected crunch and thickening power with chia seeds."

Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour; Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes; Yield: 6 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/butternut-squash-and-turkey-chili-3363131.

Ingredients

3 teaspoons olive oil

1 pound 99 percent fat-free ground turkey

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

3 tablespoons tomato paste

Kosher salt

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)

4 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped

Two 14-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup chia seeds

Freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Directions

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the turkey and cook, breaking up chunks with the side of a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Push the turkey to the edges of the pan, leaving the middle empty. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, then the onion and garlic to the center of the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin and coriander and stir about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and 1 teaspoon salt and stir until the paste begins to darken in color, about 30 seconds. Then add the squash, tomatoes and 4 cups water, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any stuck bits. Bring to a simmer, adjust the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chili has thickened and the squash is tender, 35 to 40 minutes.

Stir the beans and chia seeds into the chili and heat through, about 5 minutes. Season with an additional 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper, then taste the chili and stir in up to 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Spoon the chili into bowls and top each bowl with cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.

QUICK AND EASY GAME TIME NACHOS

This comes from Old El Paso, and begins, "Serve up these Quick and Easy Game Time Nachos while you and your family get your game on this fall. Stir Old El Paso™ Taco Seasoning Mix into your cheese to add some flavor and serve up over crispy corn tortilla chips with tomatoes and cilantro. Salty, crunchy, cheesy and spicy, all in one bite. These nachos are always a winner for your game day fun."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes; Makes 8 servings

You can view this online at https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/quick-and-easy-game-time-nachos.

Ingredients

6 oz light prepared cheese product, cut into cubes (from 16 oz loaf)

1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese (1 oz)

3 tablespoons fat-free (skim) milk

1 1/2 teaspoons Old El Paso™ 40% Less-Sodium taco seasoning mix (from 1 oz package)

3 oz baked bite-size tortilla chips (about 64 chips)

1 1/2 cups finely chopped plum (Roma) tomatoes (about 5 medium)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

In 1-quart saucepan, heat cheese product, Cheddar cheese, milk and taco seasoning mix over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until cheeses are melted and mixture is smooth.

Meanwhile, arrange chips on large serving platter. Pour warm cheese mixture over chips. Top with tomatoes and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Expert Tips

For a fun presentation, vary the color of tortilla chips you use. Choose among red, green white, yellow and blue tortilla chips.

ITALIAN MEATBALL SOUP

Recipe Yield: Yield: 8 servings (about 2 cups each)

Source: 1,001 Recipes For People with Diabetes

Book Title: 1,001 Recipes For People with Diabetes

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/italian-meatball-soup.

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds ground turkey

2 egg whites

1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

4 cloves garlic, minced, divided

3 tablespoons Italian seasoning, divided

Olive oil cooking spray

4 cans (15 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth

3 cups water

2 cups green beans, diagonally cut into 1/2-inch pieces

4 medium carrots, sliced

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

8 ounces thin spaghetti, uncooked, broken into 2-to 3-inch pieces

2 medium plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Mix ground turkey, egg whites, bread crumbs, 2 cloves of garlic, and 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning until well blended; shape mixture into 32 meatballs. Spray large saucepan with cooking spray; heat over medium heat until hot. Cook meatballs until browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add chicken broth, water, green beans, carrots, onions, remaining 2 cloves garlic, and remaining 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning to saucepan; heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered until vegetables are almost tender, about 8 minutes.

Heat soup to boiling; add pasta and tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 270; Fat: 8.7 g; Sodium: 174 mg; Cholesterol: 31.7 mg; Protein: 19 g; Carbohydrates: 30 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 Bread, 2 Meat, 1/2 Fat

SIMPLE MEATLOAF WITH OPTIONAL TOPPING

This comes from Diana Rattray on The Spruce Eats. Diana wrote, “This delicious and simple meatloaf recipe is a great fit for Sunday dinner. Feel free to use plain ketchup to top this dish, or, if you're feeling a little adventurous, make the optional topping. For a tasty meal, serve the meatloaf with homemade mashed potatoes and peas and carrots or your favorite vegetables.

“Note: Ground beef with a ratio of 80/20 or 85/20 will produce the moistest and most flavorful meatloaf. Baking the meatloaf in a specialty meatloaf pan or on a rack will help drain away some of the excess fat. If you don't have either, you can make a free-form loaf on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan.”

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 80 minutes; Total Time: 95 minutes; Yield: 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Optional Glaze/Topping:

4 tablespoons ketchup

4 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey)

2 tablespoons Dijon (or similar mustard)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

For the Meatloaf:

2 pounds ground beef

2 large eggs (lightly beaten)

1/2 cup milk

1 cup fine dry breadcrumbs (plain)

2 tablespoons dried minced onion (or 1/2 cup finely minced fresh onion)

1 1/2 teaspoons burger seasoning (or 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper)

1/2 cup ketchup (plus more for topping, if desired)

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

Heat over to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

If using the optional topping, in a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons ketchup, maple syrup, mustard and Worcestershire until well mixed. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, eggs, milk, breadcrumbs, onion, burger seasoning, and 1/2 cup of ketchup.

Mix until well blended and pack into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake the meatloaf for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Carefully drain off any excess fat and then top the loaf with the optional topping mixture or about 4 tablespoons of ketchup. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer.

Serve and enjoy!

Tips

Ground beef with a ratio of 80/20 or 85/20 will produce the moistest and most flavorful meatloaf. Baking the meatloaf in a specialty meatloaf pan or on a rack will help drain away some of the excess fat. If you don't have either, you can make a free-form loaf on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan.

Experiment with meat mixtures in meatloaf. While beef gives excellent flavor and holds together well, adding a portion of lean ground pork will provide juiciness. Ground veal would add lightness to a loaf, and ground chicken or turkey would reduce some of the fat and calories.

Top the meatloaf with prepared barbecue sauce just before it's finished baking.

Use cracker crumbs or soft breadcrumbs in the meatloaf instead of fine dry breadcrumbs.

Line the loaf pan with parchment paper or foil, like a sling. Just grab the ends of the paper or foil and lift the meatloaf out of the pan when it's done.

Bake the meatloaf in individual muffin cups. Use about 1/4 cup of meatloaf mixture for each muffin cup.

Pack the meatloaf mixture into individual oiled ramekins, and then invert them onto a rimmed baking sheet for perfectly shaped individual meatloaves.

Instead of breadcrumbs, use crushed cheese crackers in the meat mixture.

Top a meatloaf with strips of bacon before baking, or add crumbled cooked bacon to the meat mixture.