Simple Sides: Garlicky Spinach with Crispy Bacon

I have this vision for a new series and as you can see I am calling it "Simple Sides."

Oftentimes I feel like we all get bogged down with the main course that sometimes the hardest thing to do is pull together some delicious side dishes to round out the meal.

This happened to me this past weekend. I was cooking oven roasted chicken thighs that I wanted to have a really delicious crisp skin and juicy meat. After I popped the chicken in the oven I realized that I hadn't made any plan on what to serve alongside this chicken. Panic ensued and I went scurrying through my fridge and freezer trying to see what veggies I had on hand.

Luckily this story has a happy ending and this Garlicky Spinach with Crispy Bacon is just that. This side dish comes together in a flash and it is packed with great flavor. Anything that has bacon in it HAS to be good, so this should seem like a no-brainer. Add tasty garlic and protein-packed spinach to that equation and we are in side dish heaven.

I don't know about you, but at big holiday meals I am always loading up on extra potatoes and veggies rather than turkey or ham and if this spinach was part of that, Lord knows I'd be going back for seconds and thirds.

The recipe below is a perfect side for two, but it can easily be multiplied to serve a larger crowd.

If there are more vegetables or side dishes you'd like me to try out as a Simple Side, feel free to leave a comment below!

Baked Parmesan Risotto with Bacon, Peas and Cauliflower

Guys, I've missed you.

I am sorry to have been MIA for the month of February and now most of March. Work and exams required my full attention, but that attention has paid off. And now, just like that, I am back and ready to test out some fun new recipes with you.

You can probably tell from the quality that I snapped these photos really quickly before Cory and I sat down for Valentine's Day dinner (I know, I know. I made this on FEBRUARY 14th and I'm only NOW sharing it with you--awful!) Anyway, trust me when I tell you that despite the boring pictures, this risotto dish is so yummy!

This Baked Parmesan Risotto with Bacon, Peas, and Cauliflower is creamy and dreamy and so flavorful. It has all the delicious qualities of a traditional risotto without the task of stirring it constantly for 40 minutes. I love the combination of peas and bacon -- it's like this risotto is a nod to Pasta Carbonara! Roasted cauliflower adds a depth of flavor, while fresh leeks and crisp white wine cut a bit of that parmesan richness.

If you've been dying to make a risotto at home but aren't ready to tackle the constant stirring process, give this recipe a try. It is totally simple and foolproof, yet it is still elegant enough to serve to your special someone or a bunch of friends for a dinner party. All you need is an oven-proof pot, such as a dutch oven, and you are ready to roll.

Cheddar, Apple, Bacon Grilled Cheese

Has everyone gone apple picking this year? We went a couple of weekends ago and we are STILL working on our peck of Macintosh and Cortland apples.

I've literally been eating an apple a day. Last week, I had two in one day. So many apples.

I made a cinnamon sugar apple cake that was just BANANAS good (or...apples good?) and I thought "Oh, apple cake? This is going to use up a whole bunch of apples and we won't have to worry about any of them going bad!"

Want to know how many apples that took? Two. Two medium apples. Not even the biggest in our peck. Ugh, ok. Time to get creative.

When I was younger, I always remember my dad putting a slice of cheese on his apple pie and shielding my eyes from the terror. It always struck me as the weirdest thing in the world, because obviously apple pie should be eaten with ICE CREAM, not cheese. Wrong dairy, pops.

Turns out my dad may have been onto something. Salty and sweet is a flavor combination that makes my knees go weak.

Here's an incredible lunch idea that is going to use up some of those extra apples and also make your taste buds sing. Cheddar, Apple, and Bacon Grilled Cheese is everything that is right in this world. Ooey, gooey white cheddar, crunchy bacon, crispy apples all sandwiched between two beautifully golden brown pieces of bread. It's your childhood lunchbox, elevated to the next level.

I recommend an apple that has some tart notes to its flavor but is still softly sweet. Nice and crisp, but with a tender skin. I mentioned how we have MacIntosh and Cortland apples -- these are great, and honey crisp apples would also work beautifully. Surely a Granny Smith apple would be OK, but I almost think it's TOO tart for this sammy.

I also slather some Sweet Potato Mustard onto these outrageously delicious sandwiches. This is a shameless plug for my friends over at Green Mountain Mustard who make delicious gourmet mustards out of Vermont. The sweet potato mustard is out of this world--I put it on everything! You can order online, but if you don't have this mustard, a good dijon will do the trick!

I have a feeling I will be buying more apples at the store once we have made it through our first bundle JUST so I can have more of these amazing grilled cheese sandwiches! Recipe below will make 2 sandwiches.

Bacon Mushroom Swiss Cheeseburger Casserole

So, here's the deal. I'll keep it short and sweet.

Because it's Friday, and because I love you guys, we are going to take my favorite burger and make it into a casserole.

Stay with me because things are about to get crazy. You want this--nay, you NEED this in your life. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I dreamed up this recipe, but if I were this creative all the time I like to think that I'd be in a pretty good place in life.

This Bacon Mushroom Swiss Cheeseburger Casserole is essentially a really delicious deconstructed burger. We are taking bold flavors and we are being bold.

I took some inspiration from my Mom's Macaroni and Cheese recipe, namely by creating a simple cheese sauce by melting a block of cheese into condensed soup. Only this time, we will melt swiss cheese into mushroom soup. Do you see where I'm going with this?

Bacon is baked until crispy, ground beef is browned and crumbled, and the whole kit and caboodle gets mixed together with orecchiette pasta then topped with crispy french fried onions! Bam! Burger casserole.

By the way what does the phrase kit and caboodle actually mean? Where the heck did it come from and who was the first soul to utter the phrase? I'm not sure how I feel about it...

I digress...

Brussel Sprouts + Asparagus + Bacon Pasta with Gruyere Sauce

It's taken me three days to decide on what I should name this recipe. It was an amalgamation of delicious foods all joined together over whole wheat pasta smothered in a homemade Gruyere sauce.

If you don't like brussel sprouts (or rather, if you THINK you don't like them because I assure you that you probably DO like them) I have the answer.

It is bacon. Bacon will make you LOVE brussel sprouts.

Oh, and Gruyere cheese. Nutty, creamy, Gruyere cheese will also make you love brussel sprouts.

This Brussel Sprouts + Asparagus + Bacon Pasta with Gruyere Sauce will make you love everything. I had a vision for this dish and I just went with it. I could not have been more pleased with the results.

Thick slices of center cut bacon are diced and cooked until crispy. I sliced the sprouts up into thin ribbons and toss them together in a bit of the bacon grease (SWOON) with pieces of asparagus and sliced leeks. Leeks are in the same family as the onion or the chive. They are a little softer in flavor than an onion,  making them the perfect accompaniment to a rich, creamy, and delicious pasta dish.

The gruyere cheese sauce could not be any easier. We start by making a roux, which is just a bit of flour whisked into melted butter. Add in milk and stir in gruyere and parmesan cheese until a melty, rich cheese sauce is staring you in the face, begging you to eat by the spoonful.

Oh, by the way. I'm no fool. I know that whole wheat pasta loses its nutritional value when bacon and cheese and salt are added to the equation. Regardless, I really enjoy how robust the whole wheat pasta is. It is not nearly as flimsy as white pasta and for this dish, I really recommend a whole wheat.

Seared Scallops with Rosemary Pan Sauce

Sometimes, I try to be sophisticated. I put on high heels, maybe a pearl necklace and a peplum shirt. I drink wine from wine glasses and wear burgundy lipsticks.

Sometimes, I fail at trying to be sophisticated. I wear sweatpants and Budweiser t-shirts. I pay $10 for a bottle of wine that I drink out of a solo cup.

Today, however, I outdid myself on many sophisticated culinary levels.

Sorry, here I go tooting my own horn again (see: Homemade Pretzels)--I will try to stop doing that if you promise to try this tasty and elegant scallops recipe...deal?

I love seafood but I rarely find myself cooking it at home. It's tough when you live with someone who doesn't eat seafood.

I thought scallops would be a good place to start my seafood-at-home adventure, which started tonight. These tasty bites are extremely versatile and pair well with many different flavors. For example, bacon. Scallops and bacon love each other.

And I love scallops and bacon.

I used bacon as the base to a buttery pan sauce which is ultimately spooned over the scallops. There is a little flavor building involved, but the finished dish is sure to rock your world.

I crisped up bacon in my new cast iron skillet (can also use a deep, heavy bottomed frying pan).

Then I sautéed mushrooms and spinach in some bacon fat and unsalted butter. Mix in minced garlic along with the bacon bits and set aside.

 

Now we are going sear our scallops...get the skillet good and hot (this is why the cast iron is best...those babies get HOT). Sear in bacon fat and butter for 3 minutes on each side.

Do you see that golden brown crust? When you get that golden brown crust, pat yourself on the back...you've done your taste-buds well. 

After the scallops are cooking we will make our pan sauce, which comes from the Joy of Cooking cookbook (an essential kitchen staple!)

Thinly sliced leeks.

Cooked until nice and brown.

Orange juice, to deglaze the pan and pick up any browned bits from the bottom.

Chicken stock. A sprig of rosemary. Large pieces of orange zest.

A swirl of butter finishes the sauce and makes it ready for serving over our seared scallops.

This sauce can also be made after pan frying chicken breasts, steak, and lamb. I enjoyed the delicate flavor of the leeks and rosemary with the scallops.

To serve, top a bed of spinach with 3 scallops and gently spoon sauce over the crispy tops.

If I were trying to impress a special someone, I think I would make them this dish. The scallops are tender and soak up all the flavors of the salty bacon, sweet orange, nutty rosemary and buttery mushrooms. Everything is cooked up in a single pan, leading to a build up of flavors I can't put into words (and easy clean up). I highly suggest you spoil yourself and cook up some scallops tonight!

Cobb Salad Chicken Burgers

Cobb salad is such a classic dish. Wikipedia (very reliable internet source) tells me it has been around since the 1930s! It's simple but elegant and keeps people coming back for more.

For a salad, it is pretty robust. You get a good amount of protein from hard boiled eggs, added creaminess from avocado slices, a crunchy salty delight from bacon bits, and tartness from bleu cheese. All of these elements are served over a bed of lettuce and tomatoes with a red wine vinaigrette to create a traditional Cobb salad.

Because I can't leave well enough alone, I wanted to think of a fun new way to enjoy all the flavors of Cobb salad without eating a salad for dinner (don't judge me!).

So here's how tonight's dinner progressed. I thought "ok, Cobb salad is often served with chicken on top. I like chicken." Next I thought..."well, I really like burgers. All kinds of burgers."

Chicken...burgers...Cobb...salad...yes!

This recipe for Cobb Salad Chicken Burgers is simple and inviting. The flavors are all very familiar, yet when they are served in burger form on a bun, there is a nice complexity added to each ingredient.

The freshness of the toppings pairs well with the richness of our chicken patties, which I amped up by mixing them with panko breadcrumbs, blue cheese crumbles, and fresh parsley. Grilled up perfectly.

After hard boiling a couple of eggs, I created an egg salad topping. Diced eggs are mixed together with a dressing of greek yogurt, dijon mustard, chives, red wine vinegar, and a pinch of sugar. If you have any of this leftover, it makes a great egg salad sandwich for lunch!

Crispy bacon. Swoon.

Now all that's left is burger construction. This is my favorite part!

Toasted bun.

Burger. Egg salad. Bacon.

Avocado. Tomato. Lettuce.

The other bun.

Smash it down, cut it in half, and take a big bite. And always be on the look out for creepy kitty photobombers...

This is a great weeknight dinner that comes together in no time. It's also a real crowd pleaser. I served it alongside a mix of grains and steamed veggies, but french fries are also a logical accoutrement. So creative and super satisfying!

Cheesy Corn Chowder

In the early days of Gas Stove Girl, I shared a "lightened up" and super simple creamy corn chowder. It had all the basics that a great corn chowder should have -- bacon, cream-style corn, whole corn kernels, condensed potato soup, cubed potatoes. It's a delicious soup and I make it regularly.

Now that it is getting SUPER chilly in Boston (possibly SNOW FLURRIES in the forecast?! Say it isn't so!) I find myself frequently craving the warmth of a big bowl of soup.

And because I love cheddar cheese, I find myself frequently craving cheddar cheese.

...There is so much wrong with me. Just go with it. There is a cheesey soup recipe at the end of this musing.

The punchline: I decided to dizzy up my original corn chowder recipe by adding in some shredded cheddar cheese and playing around with some other measurements.
 

It's still not COMPLETELY sinful, considering how rich this soup turned out to be. So if comfort is your name, this Cheesy Creamy Corn Chowder is most certainly going to be your game (is that a saying? It sounds like it might be. Or some variation on a colloquialism?)