Category: Main

Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Main, Recipes
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Brown Sugar & Root Beer Pulled Pork Slow Cooker Recipe

It took me forever to have pulled pork for the first time – as in, I’m pretty sure I was 27 or 28 by the time I took my first bite of a pulled pork sandwich. It really was love at first bite, as they say, and from that point on I’ve been a pulled pork convert, making this recipe in my slow cooker ever since.

I’ve played around with a few recipes and then really settled on how I like to make pulled pork. It all comes down to the toppings. I like a spicy topping – like those super spicy pickles from Trader Joe’s, jalapenos, a little touch of siracha. So because I like a lot of heat on top of my sandwich, I like to make the pork sweet. Balance, right?

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Appetizer, Main, Recipes
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How to Make a Stromboli with Chorizo & Pepperoni

I’ve been working on our menu for the big game for a few weeks now, and when I asked my husband what he thought I should make, “stromboli!” was the first thing he said. Exclamation point included. I think secretly stromboli might just be his favorite food. I thought it was a great idea since stromboli is so easy to make and can be made ahead of time. So come February 2nd, I’ll be baking up a stromboli to be reheated and served again on Sunday. All about that make-ahead-party-prep!

This is yet another you do you boo situation – don’t you love those?! You really can put anything you want in a stromboli. This one I made with chorizo and pepperoni, honestly, by accident. I thought at the grocery store I grabbed a package of Italian sausage and it ended up being chorizo. It worked out, though! We loved this combination, definitely for the spice-lovers.

As long as you don’t pre-slice your stromboli, it will be really easy to reheat. You don’t want to cut it and let all of the fillings out!

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Main, Recipes
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25 Minute Mushroom Risotto Recipe

I can’t pinpoint the exact date or even year I had risotto for the first time, but I remember the restaurant – Janice’s Bistro. I think it had scallops. It was a revelation.

It was creamy, soft, hot, cheesy and a flavor I can remember so distinctly every time I think of that first time I had risotto. Continuing on this week’s theme of a meatless party, I felt like a risotto really needed to be the star of the show. Plus – you all know how much I love a you-do-you-boo recipe – and this is 100% that.

If you’ve had risotto before, this is so easy, it’s just very hands on. In fact, everything else needs to be done while this risotto is cooking and all of your ingredients need to be ready to go and just an arm’s length away. But with the right prep, and some solid gut instinct, risotto can be on your table in 25 minutes. It’s so fast, in fact, that you could make it for a weeknight dinner for family! Who doesn’t want to come home after a long day at work to a special treat?!

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Main, Recipes
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Cranberry Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters

Oh how I love bone-in-skin-on chicken leg quarters. Talk about flavor. And when you serve them up with roasted garlic and some crusty bread? Perfection.

You could certainly skip the whole cranberry thing, but I do like the tartness of the cranberries in the dish. They add an extra step, but you can certainly prep them the day before you make these chicken leg quarters.

The fresh herbs, the lemon juice, the garlic – mmmm! When you layer in flavors, and go the extra step, it really gives your dish some body – perhaps, we might say, a leg to stand on? I’ll be here all week.

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Holiday, Main, Recipes
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Butter Herb Roasted Hens for Christmas Dinner

So, I have a thing for individually-made anything. Also, I really couldn’t think of one main dish that we always have for Christmas. Turkey? Ham? As I’m over here still trying to think about what the heck our Christmas dinner traditions were growing up, I’m going to tell you all about these butter herb roasted individual hens! 

You know how I love those recipes that just fill the house with the most divine scents and this is definitely one of them. And I mean, aren’t they just the cutest little things you ever did see?!

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