Search Results

If you know me personally, you know that my son’s middle name is Shepherd. “Shep” is his main nickname, but I call him “Shepherd Pie” all the time (poor kid). This has been a favorite meal of mine since the days when my mom made it for me and my siblings. It just hits the spot every time, particularly on rainy PNW days. Perfectly seasoned mashed potatoes on top and yummy veggies and meat nestled below. It’s the ultimate comfort food in the Robinson (my maiden name) Home. I’m so happy to share this recipe with you! Enjoy! SHEPHERD’S PIE: MASHED POTATOES INGREDIENTS: - 7-8 medium sized yukon gold potatoes medium sized russet potatoes work fine, too - 1 1/2 cup water - salt and pepper - 1 t garlic powder - 3 T butter - 1/3 - 1/2 cup heavy cream, depending on preference SHEPHERD’S PIE INGREDIENTS: - 1/2 large white onion, diced - 1 large carrot, diced - 3 garlic cloves, minced - 1 pound ground beef 80/20 is my preference - 2 t tomato paste - 2 T flour - 2 t worcestershire sauce - 1/2 cup beef stock - 1/2 cup frozen peas - 1/2 cup frozen white sweet corn MASHED POTATO DIRECTIONS: 1.) Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode, to start the heating process. 2.) Start your mashed potatoes by scrubbing them clean, and removing any knots or bruises. Leave some of the peel on the potatoes. 3.) Roughly chop in 2” chunks, and drop into your Instant Pot on sauté mode. 4.) Add in 1.5 cups of water, 1 t salt, 1 t pepper, and 1 t garlic powder. 5.) Set to manual heat for 7 minutes. 6.) Quick release after they have completed cooking time, and drain excess water. 7.) Add 3 T of butter, and 1/3-1/2 cup of heavy cream. Add additional salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Mash using a potato masher or wooden spoon. SHEPHERD’S PIE DIRECTIONS: 1.) Heat 1 T of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once warm, add onion and diced carrots. Sprinkle with seasonings (salt and pepper, 1/2 t garlic powder, and 1/2 t dried thyme), and stir until onions are translucent. About 4 minutes. 2.) Add minced garlic and ground beef to pan. Crumble and cook through. Remove some of the fat leaving a tablespoon or so behind. 3.) Add 2 t tomato paste, stir and cook for 1-2 minutes. Make sure your veggies and beef are coated with the tomato paste before moving onto next step. 4.) Sprinkle on 2 T of flour and mix, coating the beef. 5.) Add 2 t worcestershire sauce and 1/2 cup beef stock, and stir to combine. I actually prefer to use a teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon and 1/2 cup of water here, to create a thicker stock. If you don’t have this, no worries. Stick to regular stock or broth. 6.) Mix in green peas and frozen corn and cook through until warmed. 7.) Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed. If your mixture feels too thick, drizzle in a bit more stock and mix. 8.) In a pie dish or an 8x8 baking pan, layer your meat filling and cover with mashed potatoes. 9.) Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until potatoes begin to brown and the filling is bubbling.

In my Instagram story (@mydailydelish) last night, I mentioned the value of layering flavors. I think that’s the main thing that turns a decent meal into a delicious one. You can’t just toss stuff in a bowl and hope that it’ll harmonize and come together at the end. A simple example is the BLBP (Bacon, Lettuce, Bell Pepper) sandwich I made a couple days ago. Instead of just grabbing bread and slapping the components together, I toasted the bread, turned my basic mayonnaise into an herbed, lemony mayonnaise, cooked my bacon to perfection, and added some salt and pepper at the end. Each component of every meal needs to be perfectly seasoned. This is where this chicken comes into play! It really won’t work if you just drop plain ol’ boring chicken into your dish. It needs to be seasoned and cooked to make it the best it can be. Here is an easy way to make Perfect Baked Chicken. It’ll be a great addition to your soups, homemade chicken salad, quesadillas, the top of a salad, or any other yummy creations you can come up with. Here we go! A note: The balsamic will give you that beautiful color on the outside of the chicken, and helps build flavor. But the great thing about this recipe is that it’s very buildable. You’ll have a great base with this recipe and can add different flavors and spices afterward depending on which direction your meal is ultimately heading. PERFECT BAKED CHICKEN INGREDIENTS: - Boneless Skinless Chicken breast(s), sliced in half or pounded into 1” thickness - Olive oil, roughly 1 T per breast - Salt and pepper - Garlic powder - Balsamic Vinegar, roughly 1 t per breast INSTRUCTIONS: 1.) Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. 2.) Slice your chicken breast in half or pound it until it is uniformly one inch thick. Place on a baking sheet. 3.) Drizzle one side of your chicken breast with olive oil (about a half a tablespoon), and balsamic vinegar (about a half a teaspoon). 4.) Add a heavy pinch of salt and pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder. 5.) Use your hands to rub the seasonings and liquid onto your chicken. 6.) Flip your chicken and repeat the process. 7.) Bake for 10 minutes, then baste chicken with juices on the pan. 8.) Flip and bake for another 5-8 minutes, or until center of the breast reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remember that each oven cooks differently. 9.) Let your chicken rest for 5 minutes while the juices redistribute themself. Slice and enjoy!

Potatoes are my desert-island food. If I could only have one thing to eat for the rest of my life, it would be potatoes. They’re so low maintenance, but can be transformed into a zillion things we all love. Mashed, baked, scalloped, roasted, fries, hashbrowns… Ugh. I just love them. Don’t potatoes just make you happy?! I digress. Mashed potatoes were one of the first things I made in my IP. I was nervous about messing something up, or blowing something up (ha), so I started small (ps! Instant Pot Basics blog post coming next week!). They came out perfectly. The best thing about making these potatoes in the IP versus stovetop, is the clean up. I hate how that starchy potato water always sloshes and spills out onto the stovetop. These are faster, cleaner, and easier! Enjoy the whole family-sized bowl with a spoon by yourself (ahem, my personal preference), or serve it alongside a main dish. ;) INSTANT POT MASHED POTATOES: INGREDIENTS: - 7 medium sized yukon gold potatoes russet potatoes work fine, too - 1.5 cups water - 1 t salt - 1/2 t garlic powder - 1 t pepper - 1/3 - 1/2 cup heavy cream, depending on preference - 3 T butter DIRECTIONS: 1.) Turn Instant Pot to sauté mode, to start the heating process. 2.) Scrub potatoes, remove any knots or bruises, but leave some skin on. 3.) Roughly chop into 2 inch chunks, and place in your Instant Pot. 4.) Add in seasonings (1 t both salt and pepper, 1/2 t garlic powder), and a cup and a half of water. 5.) Secure the IP lid, and hit manual. Reduce time to 7 minutes. 6.) Allow potatoes to come to pressure, then quick release to get rid of all the steam. 7.) Drain the potatoes of excess water (careful, it’ll be hot!) 8.) Stir in 3 T butter, and cream. Mash using a potato masher. 9.) Taste, and add additional salt, pepper, and garlic to taste. Serve immediately, or leave covered on “Keep Warm” function until ready to eat. If you want to eat these later, leave the venting seal closed so that all the steam stays inside, ensuring velvety potatoes.

I forgot how much I love a good quiche until I ordered one at a cafe in New York last year. It was a hearty slice, filled with crispy bacon and shallot, and holy yum. It was good. I had never made a homemade quiche before, probably because I just kept forgetting, until I hosted a baby shower a couple of months back. Now I've been on a quiche kick and make one at least every other week! They freeze well, will feed a crowd, and work great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I don't make my own pie crust, even though I recognize it's an easy step. But you know what's even easier? A two-pack delivered to my doorstep thank you very much, Instacart, said all the mamas everywhere... Directions for working with your pie dough are below. QUICHE LORRAINE INGREDIENTS: - 1 pie crust, homemade or store-bought works fine here - 5 strips thick cut bacon - 1 large shallot, or 1/3 of a large onion - 1/2 t dried thyme - 1/8 t cayenne - 1/2 T salt - 1/4 t pepper - 3 large eggs - 1.5 cups heavy cream I know, I know! But it makes the most luscious, custardy filling. If this scares you a little too much, feel free to do 1 cup of milk, and .5 cup of heavy cream. It will still be delicious! But also... Lean into it. ;) - 1 cup grated sharp white cheddar Yes, Gruyere is traditional in Quiche Lorraine. But if your fridge is like mine, you're less likely to have that on hand, and more likely to have a sharp cheddar. DIRECTIONS: PIE DOUGH DIRECTIONS: If you use store-bought dough, follow the directions on the package. 1.) Get your pie crust to room temp, either by leaving it on the counter, or putting it in the microwave at 50% power for around 40 seconds. 2.) Assemble your pie crust in your baking dish, and poke holes with your fork all around the vertical sides of the pie dish, and also all across the bottom. 3.) Bake it for 10 minutes at 400* FILLING INSTRUCTIONS While you're pre-baking your pie crust, start to make the filling. 1.) Start by pan-frying your bacon until nice and crispy. You'll want it just a few shades shy of burnt so that it maintains its crispy texture once fully baked in the quiche 2.) Discard some of the drippings, but leave one to two tablespoons in the pan 3.) Dice up your shallot or onion into a small dice, and pan fry in the bacon grease. 4.) Sprinkle seasonings (1/2 t thyme, 1/8 t cayenne, 1/2 T salt and 1/4 t pepper) onto your onions. This will open up the flavor, and release excess moisture from the onion. 5.) Grate a cup of sharp cheddar I prefer something like Beecher’s or Tillamook white sharp cheddar 6.) In a large mixing bowl, scramble your eggs, and mix together your cheese and cream. Whisk in additional salt and pepper to taste, along with an additional shake of cayenne pepper 7.) Pour half your onions onto the base of your pie crust. Add remaining onions to egg mixture, along with diced bacon 8.) Fill up your pie crust with your filling, and pop it into the oven 9.) Bake for 45 minutes at 350*. At this point, do the jiggle test to make sure your custard is set. It's possible it will need another 5-10 minutes. Serve this alone, or plate it with a simple green salad. Enjoy!

This soup is easily adaptable to be used in your Instant Pot or on the stove, and will certainly please a crowd. While this is similar in flavor to the famous soup offered at Olive Garden, I find the homemade version to taste far more fresh and light. I make double batches often, as this is a great meal to bring to friends. Serve it with a simple salad, and maybe a crusty loaf, and call it a day. Hearty, creamy, and the perfect stick-to-your-bones soup. I could eat this every day for lunch and never grow tired of it-honestly. It’s just a darn good soup. Enjoy! CREAMY CHICKEN + GNOCCHI SOUP INGREDIENTS - 1 T olive oil - 2 cloves garlic, diced - ½ white onion, diced - ½ t dried thyme - ½ t dried rosemary - 1 large carrot, diced - 2 celery stalks, diced - 6 cups chicken broth - 1/8 t cayenne - 1 cup shredded/cubed chicken - ½ cups heavy cream or half and half you can sub this for 8 ounces of cream cheese, any flavor. Just be sure to blend it in well. I find it works best to slide the cream cheese against the side of the pot with a spatula to avoid clumps - 8 ounces packaged gnocchi - salt and pepper - optional: 1/2 cup frozen peas DIRECTIONS: 1.) Preheat your dutch oven or Instant Pot with olive oil over medium heat sauté mode on IP 2.) Add diced onions and minced garlic, sprinkle on salt and pepper. Stir until fragrant. 3.) Sprinkle on your rosemary and thyme, stirring for 30 seconds or so to release the flavor. 4.) Add your diced carrots and celery, and stir. 5.) Once veggies begin to soften, add in your chicken stock. When I’m in a pinch, I take a big scoop (one very heaped tablespoon) of Better Than Bouillon, add my water, and call it a day. 6.) Once your stock is in, stir and add your cayenne. Even if you don’t like spice, don’t skip this step! The cayenne, yes, adds a tiny bit of heat, but mainly it just wakes up the flavors of your dish. 7.) Put lid on and cook for 10-15 minutes 10 minutes manual in Instant Pot 8.) Once your stock has come together for the allotted time, add your chicken and mix in your dairy component. I generally reach for heavy cream in my personal version, but cream cheese works beautifully as well. 9.) Once your dairy is in and combined, add additional salt and pepper for taste. Drop in your gnocchi and let it cook per package directions. I find that the longer the gnocchi has to hang out in the warm soup, the more tender and delicious it turns out. 10.) Drop in frozen peas (if using), and give a stir. Top with grated parmesan if you like! Serve with a simple side salad and crusty bread! instant potsoup

I made this for my family tonight, and amazingly, there were leftovers. It’s 8:58 PM, and if you know me personally, you know that this is a good half hour past my bedtime. But I just haaaaad to sneak out of my bed to go scoop out a little bowl and warm it up. It’s just so good. I couldn’t handle waiting until lunchtime tomorrow to eat it! I made this partially in my Instant Pot, and partially on the stove (I cooked my pasta here), but you can make your roux and cheese sauce in another stovetop pan if you like. This meal comes together in the time it takes to boil the pasta, plus a minute or two of broiling at the end. Simple and satisfying! REALLY EASY, REALLY DELICIOUS, MAC + CHEESE INGREDIENTS: - 3 T butter - 3 T flour - 3 cups milk - 1/2 t salt + 1/4 t pepper - 1/4 t paprika or cayenne, if you want more heat - 2 cups shredded mild cheddar - 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar I used a coastal English cheddar tonight. Very sharp, and a bit nutty, like a parmesan blend. - 12 to 16-oz short pasta elbows are traditional, but tonight I used short rigatoni and they were perfect! - 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs - olive oil spray (or similar), or olive oil to drizzle - additional salt and pepper to taste DIRECTIONS: 1.) On the stove, boil water in a pot, and heavily salt it. When it comes to a boil, drop in your pasta and give it a stir. Subtract one minute from the cook time on the box. 2.) Make the roux: On your stovetop over medium heat (or in Instant Pot on sauté mode), heat 3 T of butter. Once melted, drop in 3 tablespoons of flour, and mix to combine. Stir until there are no clumps and the mixture is bubbly, about a minute or so. It should look like a very thick paste. We also want to cook out any of the raw flour taste in this step. 3.) Slowly pour in 1/4 cup of milk, and mix vigorously. I find that a flat whisk works well here. Once you have a smooth, congruent mixture, slowly add in the remaining milk (3 cups total), and mix the entire time, ensuring there are no clumps. 4.) Season your liquid with 1/2 t salt, 1/4 t pepper, and paprika or cayenne. 5.) Once your milk is warm, pour in your shredded cheeses and mix until combined. Continue to mix over low heat until it is thick. 6.) Once your pasta is finished, drain and pour it into the cheese sauce. Mix until combined, and then pour into a medium-sized (1 quart) casserole dish. An 8x8-inch pan would work fine as well. 7.) Top your pasta with panko bread crumbs, and lightly spray with an olive oil spray. Sprinkle with pepper if desired. 8.) Slide your dish into the oven under the broiler for about 1 minute, until it’s dark brown and bubbly. Your pasta and cheese sauce should still be hot from the pot, so no need to bake this. This makes it a speedy, easy weeknight dinner! No time to waste, it’s dinner time.

Sometimes we need a quick side dish, and the Tnstant Pot allows us to work fast when we're running low on time. This spanish rice is delicious, and pairs beautifully with any Mexican or Spanish-inspired meal you're cooking up. Start to finish, this dish takes about 15 minutes to come together. I like to garnish mine with an extra handful of fresh cilantro. And, hint-hint, it’s a great side for my Creamy Green Chicken Enchiladas.  Enjoy! INSTANT POT SPANISH RICE INGREDIENTS: - 1 t oil - 1/3 white onion, diced - 1 cup jasmine rice - 1 1/4 cup water - 1/4 cup tomato sauce - salt and pepper, to taste - 1/2 t cumin - 1/2 cup chopped cilantro - half a lime DIRECTIONS: 1.) Turn your Instant Pot onto sauté mode 2.) Add your oil, and once it's shimmering, drop in your onion and spices (1/2 t cumin, salt and pepper). Stir and heat through for 2-3 minutes. 3.) Drop in your rice, and stir for a minute or so. 4.) Add in remaining ingredients 1/4 cup tomato sauce, 1 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup cilantro, the juice of half a lime 5.) Add your IP lid, and hit "Rice" button. Once your timer has run out, let pressure manually release for 3 minutes. 6.) Fluff your rice, and add additional cilantro and squeeze of lime if you like.

The world's best soft boiled egg. This is it. This is the winning "recipe" if you will. Hardly a recipe, because all it requires of you is to drop an egg into boiling water, and then into cool water. But still! Jammy eggs are the perfect addition to the top of avocado toast, or a nice bright salad, or on their own for breakfast or a snack. These babies are so pretty and delicious. If you love a nice soft boiled egg, where the whites are cooked through, but the yolk isn't all the way set, then this is the recipe for you! THE PERFECT JAMMY / SOFT BOILED EGG DIRECTIONS: 1.) Bring a pot of water to a gentle boil 2.) Carefully lower your eggs in with a slotted spoon I’d recommend six eggs at a time. 3.) Set your timer for exactly 6.5 minutes. Exactly. 6.5. Just trust me. 4.) Once your timer goes off, remove your eggs and lower them into a bowl of cold tap water (no ice required). 5.) Let them sit for a few minutes until they are cool all the way through. 6.) Tap, tap, tap and remove the shell. Slice in half, and season with salt and pepper

Okay, friends. This is your cheater recipe for a delicious weeknight dinner, that is literally so  easy. If you aren't a chef (well, hey, neither am I...), this is a great straightforward recipe for you to try. This is a go-to of mine when I need to bring a meal to friends. I know enchiladas often end up on the Meal Train list, but these taste so different (and so much better) than the traditional red sauce ones. You can use store-bought sauce and a rotisserie chicken; however, making homemade sauce  takes about 5 minutes, and is really so delicious. Make these puppies and then come back and tell me how much you loved them! *One last thought before we get to the recipe. If you want to bulk up your filling, add one cup of cooked rice to it. It’ll stretch your meal and allow you to fill more tortillas to feed a larger crowd. CREAMY GREEN CHICKEN ENCHILADAS INGREDIENTS: - 3 cups shredded chicken or a shredded rotisserie chicken for the easy-button nights - 2/3 cup sour cream - 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated - 1/2 white onion, diced - 2 cloves garlic, minced - chopped cilantro and scallions for garnish - 2 cups homemade green enchilada sauce (recipe at bottom of page) again, if it's an easy-button night, that’s okay! just use a 28-ounce can of your favorite *green* enchilada sauce. You'll have a bit of extra sauce. - 8 flour tortillas DIRECTIONS: 1.) Prepare your casserole dish (9x13 or similar), and preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2.) Sauté onion and garlic in heated olive oil, on medium heat. Cook for 4-5 minutes. 3.) Once cooked and lightly browned, transfer to a large mixing bowl. Mix in your shredded chicken, 2/3 cup of sour cream, 1 cup of enchilada sauce, 1 cup of cheese, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. If adding rice into the filling, mix in your pre-cooked rice here. Add a tiny bit more enchilada sauce if you need. 4.) Drizzle half of the remaining sauce onto the bottom of your baking dish. 5.) Spoon chicken mixture into tortillas, and roll up. Place seam side down on baking dish. Repeat until your chicken mixture is finished. 6.) Top with remaining enchilada sauce + additional cup of cheese. 7.) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Pro tip, I always broil for a minute or so at the end to ensure my cheese is nice and crispy on top 8.) Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and scallions. Serve it up with a side of spanish rice and a simple green salad. Enjoy! SAUCE INGREDIENTS: - 2 T oil - 1/2 cup finely diced onion - 2 garlic cloves, minced - 2 T flour - 1 t cumin - 1 t garlic powder - 1/4 t paprika - salt and pepper - 2 cups chicken broth - 7 ounces canned green chiles, drained - optional: handful of fresh cilantro DIRECTIONS: 1.) In a pan, heat 2 T oil over medium heat. 2.) Add diced onion and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent. Sprinkle cumin and garlic powder on top, and allow the flavors to bloom for 30 seconds or so, while stirring. 3.) Sprinkle 2 T flour on top, and mix thoroughly. 4.) Slowly add in 2 cups of chicken broth, mixing vigorously to avoid any clumps. By slowly, I mean add 1/4 cup or so at a time, stirring constantly until your sauce is lump-free 5.) Add 1/4 t paprika, salt and pepper 6.) Add drained green chiles, and cook for 10 minutes. 7.) Add more water/broth if necessary to thin out 8.) Remove from heat and add to a food processor once it's cool enough to work with. Add cilantro here if you prefer. Blitz it in the processor until almost all the way smooth. You can skip this step if you like a chunkier sauce

I've used store-bought enchilada sauce plenty of times, and still do on nights where I'm running out of time. However, this homemade version is so delicious and simple! If you've never tried to make homemade sauce before, do yourself a favor and make it tonight. Obviously it's best used in my Creamy Green Chicken Enchilada  recipe. ;) While a blender or food processor is optional, blending the sauce does create a more velvety-smooth texture. HOMEMADE GREEN ENCHILADA SAUCE INGREDIENTS: - 2 T oil - 1/2 cup finely diced onion - 2 garlic cloves, minced - 2 T flour - 1 t cumin - 1 t garlic powder - 1/4 t paprika - salt and pepper - 2 cups chicken broth - 7 ounces canned green chiles, drained - optional: handful of fresh cilantro DIRECTIONS: 1.) In a pan, heat 2 T oil over medium heat. 2.) Add diced onion and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent. Sprinkle cumin and garlic powder on top, and allow the flavors to bloom for 30 seconds or so, while stirring. 3.) Sprinkle 2 T flour on top, and mix thoroughly. 4.) Slowly add in 2 cups of chicken broth, mixing vigorously to avoid any clumps. By slowly, I mean add 1/4 cup or so at a time, stirring constantly until your sauce is lump-free 5.) Add 1/4 t paprika, salt and pepper 6.) Add drained green chiles, and cook for 10 minutes. 7.) Add more water/broth if necessary to thin out 8.) Remove from heat and add to a food processor once it's cool enough to work with. Add cilantro here if you prefer. Blitz it in the processor until almost all the way smooth. You can skip this step if you like a chunkier sauce

This recipe is the QUEEN of easy. Your toddlers will love them, your teenagers will love them, your husband, who eats like a hybrid toddler/teenager will also, indeed, love them. ;) This is a great way to use up that extra jarred pasta sauce you have in your fridge, and only takes a few minutes to put together. I make a sleeve's worth at a time, and pop them in the freezer to heat up and eat on another night. It's great for those quick lunches where making a sandwich even feels like too much work, and can even be served as a dinner alongside a salad. ENGLISH MUFFIN FREEZER PIZZAS INGREDIENTS: - English muffins I prefer extra crispy - Jarred or homemade tomato sauce, 1 T per muffin - Flaky or table salt - Italian seasonings - Shredded mozzarella cheese, 1-2 T per muffin DIRECTIONS: 1.) Slice your muffins in half, and lay on a baking sheet 2.) Spread a tablespoon of sauce onto each muffin 3.) Sprinkle with a few flakes of sea salt, and a bit of italian seasoning basil and oregano work great if you don’t have a blend. 4.) Cover each muffin with mozzarella cheese 5.) Flash-freeze them on the baking sheet. Once they are completely frozen, transfer to a freezer ziplock bag TO HEAT: 1.) Warm muffins on a plate in the microwave. Start at 30 seconds, and add time in 15-second increments. You want them to be thawed, but not hot. 2.) Turn your broiler on to 525, and broil for one minute, or until the edges are crisp and the cheese is melty. *If you don't want to use a microwave, place your muffins on a baking tray, and put into a cold oven. Set the oven to 350. Your pizzas will be ready to eat two minutes after the oven reaches it's final temperature. Serve up and enjoy!

My husband, Sam, is from Connecticut, and I lived for a couple years in New York, so the love of Italian food runs deep in our house. The thing Sam misses most about living on the East Coast is easy access to Italian delis. I promised him I'd work hard to come up with a few recipes that will hit the spot when a craving comes up, and this is one of them! I think it's important to have a handful of staple recipes in your repertoire that you know you can whip up anytime, and they'll come out perfectly every time. For me, this meatball recipe is one of those. I always split this batch and enjoy half for our dinner, and pop the remaining half in the freezer for another night. CLASSIC ITALIAN MEATBALLS INGREDIENTS: - 1 medium white onion, diced - 1 T italian seasonings, divided - 3 large garlic cloves, minced - 2/3 cup bread crumbs, or three slices of bread made into bread crumbs - 1/2 cup milk - 1 pound ground pork - 1 pound ground beef I prefer 80/20 - 2 eggs - 1/2 t red pepper flake - 1/2 t salt - 1/4 t pepper DIRECTIONS: 1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees 2.) Add your breadcrumbs to a bowl, along with 1/2 cup of milk. Allow the breadcrumbs to soak up the milk as you continue through the next steps. Homemade breadcrumb instructions at bottom of post 3.) Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Add 1 T of olive oil until shimmering 4.) Dice onion, and add it to the pan, stirring occasionally as they brown. Add salt and pepper (1/8 t of each). Heat and stir for 3-4 minutes 5.) Add minced garlic, and 1/2 T of italian seasonings to pan. Stir and heat for a minute or two, then remove from heat 6.) In a large mixing bowl, add your ground beef and ground pork. Add remaining seasonings (1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, 1/2 tablespoon of italian seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flake) 7.) Mix in onions/garlic, both eggs, and breadcrumbs. Use your hands to mix and combine into a uniform mixture. 8.) Form your meatballs. I find that using a large cookie scoop, and then rolling in my hands, works best here. 9.) Add your meatballs to a parchment-lined baking sheet. 10.) Heat your meatballs in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until heated through and nicely browned. As they bake, they'll release a lot of fat. Don't worry too much about this! Let them sit for a few minutes to allow the juices to evenly disperse, and then shake off the gelatin/fat from the bottom. When serving, let your meatballs hang out in your marinara sauce for at least 15 minutes for optimal flavor. EASY HOMEMADE BREADCRUMBS: 1.) Take three slices of fresh bread, and rub each piece with a bit of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt. 2.) Broil under 525 for a minute or two, allowing the toast to crisp. Flip and toast the other side. Make sure they don't burn under the flame! 3.) Cut these up into 1/2" cubes.