Hello friends! Hope everyone has had a wonderful week. This week’s recipes are just a variety of different recipes I wanted to share, I hope you enjoy them!

Chicken Tetrazzini

16 oz linguini, cooked

½ cup butter, softened

4 chicken breasts, cooked, diced

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 cups sour cream

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp ground pepper

½ cup chicken broth

2 TB parmesan cheese

2 cup shredded mozzarella

Cook noodles according to box instructions. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine ½ cup butter, cooked chicken, soup, sour cream, salt, pepper and chicken broth. Mix well and then add in cooked noodles. Spray a 9x13 pan and pour in noodle mixture. Sprinkle cheeses on top. Bake covered with foil for 45 minutes at 300. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

 Gumbo

Ingredients

¼ cup canola oil

8 oz. Smoked sausage

2 pounds chicken skinless chicken thigh

½ cup flour

¼ cup unsalted butter

1 medium green bell pepper diced

1 medium onion diced

1 cup chopped celery (about 3 sticks)

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 14oz. can tomatoes(chopped)

½ pound crab legs

1 tablespoon Creole seasoning.

½ tablespoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder or 1 cube

1-tablespoon thyme fresh or dried

2 bay leaves

1 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined)

¼ cup chopped parsley

2 green onions chopped

1-tablespoon gumbo file

10 cups cooked rice

Lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed Dutch Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and remove. Add the sausage and cook until browned, and then remove. Set aside. In a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed saucepan combine melted butter, oil and flour until smooth. Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously, for about 20-30 minutes or until it turns a rich dark brown color - just like chocolate. Don’t walk away from the stove during this process. It might burn. When you have achieved your desired color. Remove from stove and let it cool. Return the Dutch oven back on the stove. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook for 8- 10 minutes –stirring frequently. Then add chicken, sausage, crab legs, creole seasoning, chicken bouillon or cubes, paprika, thyme, bay leaves and let it cook for 5 minutes. Followed by can tomatoes about 6 cups of chicken stock, bring to a boil and let it simmer for about 45 – 50 minutes. Add the shrimp, simmer for 5 more minutes. Stir in file powder, green onions, and chopped parsley. Adjust thickness soup and flavor with broth or water and salt

 Easy Fried Rice

2 tablespoons sesame oil or vegetable oil

2 large carrots, peeled and diced (about 1-1/2 cups diced carrots)

⅔ cup frozen peas

1 cup diced white or yellow onion (about ½ of a medium onion)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 cups cooked cold rice

2 tablespoons soy sauce (more or less, to taste)

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Heat a wok or skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, then carrots, peas and onions. Fry, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender (about 5 minutes). Using a spatula, move the vegetables to one side of the pan. On the other side, add the eggs and quickly stir to scramble. Stir well to combine once eggs are scrambled. Increase heat to high and stir in cooked rice and soy sauce. Stir constantly until heated through, about 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and top with green onions.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

1 pound ground chicken or turkey

1/2 cup almond flour

1/4 cup cheddar cheese

1/4 cup prepared ranch dressing, plus more for serving

1/4 cup hot sauce, plus more for serving

1 egg

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Add all of the ingredients to a medium bowl and mix well with your hands. Form mixture into 9 evenly sized meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with extra hot sauce and ranch dressing, as desired

Beth Bond is a certified chef with a culinary arts degree and a hotel and restaurant management degree from Sullivan University in Louisville, Ky. She also has several years’ experience in the hospitality and food service industries. She is a press association award-winning photographer and has several years’ experience in the newspaper industry. She can be reached by e-mail at beth@greenupbeacon.com