Stuffed Shells

Stuffed Shells

This is a delicious Italian classic, and its a great way to use leftover meat. You can make it with steak, roast beef, Italian sausage, chicken breast, pork chops, or just about anything that sounds good to you. This is also a great meal to 

Chicken Shawarma

Chicken Shawarma

We have a new grill that includes a rotisserie, and when I saw this recipe I wanted to give it a try. This recipe has it’s roots in the Levant region of the Ottoman Empire and Shawarma in turn was the inspiration for Turkish doner 

Rice Pilaf

Rice Pilaf

Pilaf is a traditional side dish in South Asian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. It’s history dates back at least 1,000 years and it was the inspiration for Spanish Paella and Mexican Rice.This version was inspired by recipes from Served from Scratch and Tastes Better 

Italian Seasoning

Italian Seasoning

This is one of the most commonly found seasoning blends in the cupboard. Combining several commonly used Italian herbs, this a quick and easy way to bring that special Italian flavor to your dishes. If you can use home grown fresh herbs for this, all 

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala

This Italian/American classic is a delicious way to prepare chicken. It takes quite a bit of preparation, but it cooks rather quickly. Marsala is a fortified wine, similar to Sherry and Madeira. Fortified with brandy or another spirit, this process helped the wine stay fresh 

Portillos Chopped Salad

Portillos Chopped Salad

Portillo’s is famous in Chicago for Italian Beef, Chicago Dogs, and their Chopped Salad. This salad combines crisp lettuce and red cabbage, smooth pasta, salty bacon, sharp Gorgonzola cheese, and their sweet and savory House dressing.

Italian Beef Sandwiches

Italian Beef Sandwiches

This is another Chicago recipe, served all over the city and suburbs in Italian restaurants and food stands. The Italian taste is unmistakable, but the beef flavor still stands strong. For most Chicagoans, real Italian Beef is sliced, not shredded – if you want to 

Bruschetta Tomatoes

Bruschetta Tomatoes

When you have a lot of tomatoes from the garden, especially cherry or grape tomatoes, here’s another way to put them to good use. With these prepared in your cupboard, you can easily make some bruschetta as an appetizer for your Italian dinner.

Chicken Scallopini with Marinara

Chicken Scallopini with Marinara

I realized that I didn’t have a Chicken Scallopini with a classic red sauce. As opposed to Chicken Cacciatori where the chicken is cooked in the marinara, here the marinara is served over the top when the chicken is plated over the pasta. If made 

Zucchini Boats

Zucchini Boats

These make a nice side dish for Italian meals. If you add a pound of Italian sausage to the recipe you can fill a couple more zucchini and make them a complete meal.