Meatball Sandwiches

Another amazing benefit of making Baked Meatballs are the leftovers.

There's nothing quite like a hearty meatball sandwich. It's warm (which all the best sandwiches are), it's meaty and it's just a little bit messy.


Meatball Sandwich
(makes one)


2-3 Baked Meatballs
Mozzarella cheese
Good quality bread or rolls


Preheat the oven's broiler.

On a cookie sheet, line up the meatballs along the bottom slice of bread, cutting the meatballs in half if necessary. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Lay the top piece of bread beside it, open face up.

Place under the broiler until the cheese is melted and the top piece of bread is toasted. Remove from the broiler and close the sandwich.

Cheesy Artichoke Bread

If I could never eat cheese or bread again, I think I would kill myself.

I caught this show on the Travel Channel about the best restaurants in the US for cheese lovers and I couldn't believe that not a single one of them was in Southern California (I'm not counting when they went to the Thousand Oaks Melting Pot because come one, it's a chain). Worst of all, it pretty much gave me an intense craving for melty cheese and the desire for me to replace my blood with it.

So with my melty cheese craving in hand, I thought I'd try out this recipe I've had saved for almost a year. It definitely scratched that itch.


Cheesy Artichoke Bread
(recipe slightly adapted from crumb)


2 tbsp butter
1 cloves garlic, pressed
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar and mozarella cheese blend
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup sour cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small loaf of nice bread (Or a few nice rolls)

Preheat the broiler.

Slice the loaf of bread in half and arrange pieces cut side up on a baking sheet.

In a bowl, stir together the rest of the ingredients adding salt and pepper to taste. Spread the mixture evenly over each half of the loaf. 

Broil until the cheese is melted and the bread is hot. Cut into pieces and serve warm.

Tomato Basil Chicken and Pasta

Have I mentioned before that I love cream sauces? Yes? Constantly? Ah well, let me say it again: I really really love cream sauces.

In execution, this dish is very similar to the Lighter Cajun Chicken Pasta that I cook about once a week. The flavors are just a tinge more Italian. And just like the Cajun Pasta, for a richer sauce, use more or all heavy cream in place of the whole milk. 


Tomato Basil Chicken and Pasta
Serves two


2 chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 oz whole grain pasta
a couple of fresh basil leaves
1 ripe tomato, cut into chunks
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil with a few shreds of basil. Lay the chicken down in the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Flip and cook another 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking dish and place in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until cooked through.

In the pan the chicken was cooked in, toss the tomatoes over medium heat until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and stir. Once the garlic is fragrant but not browned, pour in the cream and milk. Shred some more basil leaves into the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.

Reduce over medium heat until the sauce begins to thicken, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and fully incorporated before turning off the heat.

Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce and serve topped with sliced chicken. Pour any remaining sauce over top.

Baked Cheddar Cheesy Straws

I've never tried to make anything like a cracker before and admittedly I was a little apprehensive to try out this recipe. After grating almost a whole cheese block and adding little more than a tiny bit of butter, flour and seasonings, I half expected to open the oven onto a gooey, cheesy mess.

But let me just say it right now, these were so easy and they turned out so tasty.

Not to mention they look pretty classy for a snack thrown together in less than half an hour. The red pepper flakes give them a surprising kick, but the spiciness was pleasant in my opinion. If you like things more mild, I suggest cutting down on the measurement.

I have a feeling I might be experimenting more with different flavors of cheeses and herbs but these were a tasty start.

Baked Cheddar Cheesy Straws

(recipe from Alexandra's Kitchen)

6 oz grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

4 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, combine the cheese, butter, flour and seasonings with short pulses. Process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and pour in the tablespoon of milk, pulsing until the dough comes together.

On a flat, lightly floured surface (I like to use the parchment paper I'm going to bake it on) roll out the dough into a rectangle using a lightly floured rolling pin. Roll it out evenly until the dough is about 1/8 inch thick.

Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough into thin strips, separating each slice so they won't stick together. Lay the parchment paper onto a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to brown. 

Allow to cool before serving.

The straws will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two days but taste best the day of being baked.

Baked Meatballs

Over the last couple of years, I've learned how to make a few (slightly) impressive meals: fancy cream sauces or chicken stuffed with cheeses. But sometimes I just want a simple classic and that's when I crave spaghetti and meatballs.

Meatballs, at least in my experience, are deceptively complex. Somehow I never got them right. Cooking them like my dad would (in a pan over the stove) left them unevenly cooked and not even remotely round. It drove me crazy.

So of course Alton Brown, my cooking hero, found the best way to cook meatballs ever. It takes a tiny bit longer since they are baked in the oven, but holy crap it is worth it. Perfectly cooked, perfectly round, and so freaking delicious, these babies are a favorite around my kitchen. 

The best thing to do with the leftovers: Meatball Sandwiches of course!


Baked Meatballs
(Recipe slightly adapted from Alton Brown's Good Eats)


1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, divided
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a mini muffin pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, Parmesan, 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs, and the seasonings (I find nothing works better than your hands for this step). Mix them all together until fully incorporated.

Pour the remaining 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs into a small bowl. 

Using a 1.5 ounce scooper (an ice cream scoop is usually about the right size if you don't have a fancy scooper), measure out the meat mixture and roll each scoop into a round ball. Roll each ball into the bread crumbs, coating the exterior entirely and place each ball into a cup in the mini muffin pan. Repeat with all the meat mixture.

Place the muffin tin on a baking sheet to catch any drippings and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.