Chicken and Rice Meatballs in Mushroom Gravy

Chicken and Rice Meatballs in Mushroom Gravy

Chicken and Rice Meatballs in Mushroom Gravy

Growing up, my mother made a meatball dish with Rice a Roni called porcupines. It consisted of ground beef, an egg, and a box of the “San Francisco treat.” The starchy base of rice and bits of vermicelli was included in the meatball mixture and the flavorful seasoning packet was used to make a savory, salty gravy. Lordy day, it was one of my favorite dishes and processed food at it’s finest. What’s not to love? Meatballs in gravy? Do you want to learn how to make a more modern porcupine with wholesome, fresh ingredients? Better yet, this Baked Chicken and Rice Meatballs in Mushroom Gravy recipe is mostly hands-off and bakes in the oven. It may not be all that pretty to look at, but you are going to love it! Read on to learn more.

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Covid Thanksgiving and Gratitude

Covid Thanksgiving and Gratitude

Lordy day, 2020 has been a lot to manage and take in. And, here we are at the holidays. There’s an active call from the CDC for smaller holiday celebrations. We’re tired. We’re overwrought. We’re scared of COVID and what it might do or scared of the people that aren’t scared enough….. Thanksgiving is normally a time of joy and gratitude. Is this really a time to be thankful? Yes, yes it is. In fact, now more than ever. Let’s talk about active gratitude. Read on for more. (more…)

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Meal Plan Monday with Creole Buttermilk Chicken on Good Day Atlanta

Meal Plan Monday with Creole Buttermilk Chicken on Good Day Atlanta

Creole Buttermilk Chicken

One-Pan Wonder

I love a sheet pan supper. One pan and you are good to go — it makes both cooking and cleaning so much easier. I wanted to quickly post this and share this recipe for Creole Buttermilk Chicken featured this morning on Good Day Atlanta. The way they had the segment posted online was with the entire show, so I just thought I’d quickly pop the video and chicken recipe into a post. This recipe is PERFECT for a busy week. (more…)

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How to Plan the Safe and Perfect Picnic

How to Plan the Safe and Perfect Picnic

corn recipes on www.virginiawillis.com

As a kid, my Southern summers were spent fishing at our family pond and swimming in the ocean, pool, or lake and catching fireflies with my sister after dark. And, more than anything, summer meant dining outside. On the weekends, a mixture of friends and family would get together with coolers and wooden picnic baskets, laden with food. This year picnics are certain to be different, so check out my tips on how to plan a safe and perfect outing. (more…)

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Butternut Squash and Ground Turkey Gratin

Butternut Squash and Ground Turkey Gratin

 

Butternut Squash and Turkey Gratin on www.virginiawillis.com

Butternut Squash is one of my favorite winter vegetables. I treat them as a multi-purpose vegetable “roast.”  It’s actually rare that I cook an entire one at once or halved. Instead, I separate the long thick end of the squash where it meets the spherical orb into two pieces. The longer neck is cooked for one meal or dish and the seed end is cooked for another.

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Weeknight Supper: Healthy Hunter’s Style Chicken with Mushrooms

Chicken recipes on www.virginiawillis.com

This satisfying, comforting recipe for Hunter’s-Style Chicken with Mushrooms has roots in both Italian and French cuisine as Pollo a la Cacciatora and Poulet au Chasseur.  You may ask why it is called Hunter’s-Style Chicken with Mushrooms when it contains no game. Well, the dish can actually be made of rabbit and it does speak to a time that game birds and mushrooms were a typical foraged combination in the fall. Or, perhaps more likely, a hapless hunter returns home from his walk in the woods with no game, but a sack full of mushrooms he found along the way.;) (more…)

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Grilled Chicken 101: How to Grill Chicken

Grilled Chicken 101: How to Grill Chicken

How to Grill Chicken

Grill Recipes on www.virginiawillis.com

Grilling and Chilling

The aroma of chicken on the grill is one of the most tempting smells of summer. Our attraction to the scent of meat cooking on fire is basic; the wafting gray smoke seems to awaken some sort of primordial urge buried deep in the recesses of our carnivorous brains.  (more…)

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Turkey Meatballs with Zoodles

Turkey Meatballs with Zoodles

Healthy Turkey Meatballs: Keto-Friendly, No-Salt, and Perfect for Weeknight Summer Supper

Turkey Meatballs with Zoodles on www.virginiawillis.com

Summer is great for grilling and barbecues, but in the height of summer when it’s as hot as blue blazes, it’s nice to lighten things up with fresh flavors, more vegetables, and lighter proteins. (Hey, you’ve gotta balance out all all those racks of ribs!) Ground turkey is a go-to in my kitchen. It’s incredibly adaptable, making it an easy choice for weeknight dinners. Not to mention, it can be the base for almost any kind of cuisine. I use it for meatballs, meatloaf, spaghetti sauce, tacos, burgers, and more. There are few limitations to what you can do with a package of ground turkey. It’s also one of the most affordable proteins out there, so if you see it on sale or a “BOGO”, you can easily store it in the freezer — it will keep for about three months. (more…)

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