Jolene's Recipe Journal

I can't believe it's Taste of Home Tuesday again already!   Things have been crazy here- we've bought a house and the moving frenzy has begun.   I've got about half the kitchen packed, which has made meal planning and cooking a fun challenge.   I've been relying heavily on old standbys and new dishes from the Simple & Delicious cookbook. That's where I found this easy recipe .   I always make too many meatballs for spaghetti night, and I freeze them right in the sauce for quick subs, etc.   I let it defrost, removed the meatballs from the sauce and then continued with the recipe.  I used part skim ricotta because it's what I had on hand.     I warmed the sauce in small ramekins for dipping.   These were a big hit here, even with my son who isn't a huge meatball fan.    They'll make great game day snacks too.    Thanks to Lauren W for sharing the recipe!   ...

When I heard the theme for this week's Taste of Home Tuesday was chocolate, I thought too easy!  Wow, was I wrong.   I scrolled through so many delicious chocolate recipes, I just couldn't make up my mind.    I was pulling something from the freezer for dinner when I realized that my frozen banana stockpile has gotten out of hand again.   Narrowing the search to bananas and chocolate, I found these muffins.   The recipe shows a streusel topping, which I didn't make, I wanted the chocolate to be the main focus.     Normally I'd sprinkle the tops of the muffins with raw sugar before baking, but this time I waited until the muffins had partially cooled and pressed in a few additional chocolate chips.     A chocolate drizzle would be good too.   The texture is fantastic.   Next time I will make them into minis, they will make great lunch box snacks.  Thanks so much to Donna B for the rec...

I have to admit, I've never been a big "dip" person.   I'm trying to branch out more, and the very first recipe that I pinned out of my new Simple & Delicious cookbook was this Loaded Baked Potato Dip.   I slightly varied the ingredients- I used Mexican blend cheese, dried chives and sriracha.   So easy to put together while the waffle fries are cooking.   It would also be fantastic with a nice sturdy potato chip.  I'll definitely be making this one often.   Thanks so much to Betsy K for sharing the recipe! This is the 125th recipe that I've reviewed from the Taste of Home family of publications.  I've been a fan since the 90s, and a Volunteer Field Editor (VFE) since 2015.    I'm so happy for the opportunity to be a part of Taste of Home Tuesday with Red Cottage Chronicles and other VFEs.    Thank you Maureen for hosting every week!         ...

Pizza quesadillas are a delicious and easy-to-make meal that combines the best of both worlds. They make a great appetizer or a quick and easy dinner that the whole family will love.       Quesadillas are a go-to food for us.  Quick snack, football fare, even dinner with a side salad. When I saw this version on the Taste of Home website, I knew they'd be a big hit with my family.     I went with just pepperoni because I didn't have any hard salami on hand. I used Italian seasoning instead of oregano. I added some to the sauce as well, along with some parmesan cheese. Thank you to Barbara B for sharing her recipe!  Thanks for hosting Taste of Home Tuesday, Maureen! Be sure to go and check out what she and my other fellow Community Cook Amy made by clicking the links below.  Do you have an amazing recipe you'd like to submit to Taste of Home? Follow this link and learn how! Want to apply to be a Community Cook?  Check out the requirem...

  I ordered this sandwich at Uno's Pizzeria & Grill a while back.   It was so good, I got it the next time I visited too.    I found myself craving it, when no trip to the restaurant was happening, so I decided to recreate it at home. I put together the barbecue sauce based on the ingredients that I saw online on the Fireball website. Though I liked the homemade version, I'll be buying a bottle from the site for instant gratification purposes.   I assembled the sandwich just like at the restaurant- bread, cheddar, ranch, chicken, bacon, barbecue sauce, cheddar, bread.   Butter the top slice of bread, flip it buttered side down onto the griddle, then butter the other side.   Cook until golden brown and delicious.      Cinnamon Whiskey BBQ Chicken Melt Print With Image Without Image Author: Jolene Martinelli Ingredients 4 slices sourdough bread 4 slices cheddar cheese 4 to 6 breaded chicken tenders --...