Tag: dinner

Smoked Hot Honey Bourbon BBQ Meatballs with Homemade Pan Gravy

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  • hand formed meatballs
  • smoked meat balls
  • egg noodles
  • hot honey bourbon gravy
  • burbon gravy
  • smoked meatballs
  • meatballs in smoker

Sweet heat. Smoky goodness. Rich, savory gravy. All served over tender egg noodles.

This recipe brings together smoky, tender beef meatballs, the sweetness of bourbon barbecue sauce, and a little kick from hot honey seasoning. But the real magic happens after the smoke, when those flavorful pan drippings become a homemade gravy.

Nothing goes to waste, and every bit of flavor finds its way onto the plate!

(Prep: 20 minutes) (Smoke: ~60 minutes) (Servings: 6–8)

Ingredients

Nonna’s Delights

Smoked Hot Honey Bourbon BBQ Meatballs with Homemade Pan Gravy

Sweet heat. Smoky goodness. Rich, savory gravy. All served over tender egg noodles.

This recipe brings together smoky, tender beef meatballs, the sweetness of bourbon barbecue sauce, and a little kick from hot honey seasoning. But the real magic happens after the smoke, when those flavorful pan drippings become a homemade gravy.

Nothing goes to waste, and every bit of flavor finds its way onto the plate!

(Prep: 20 minutes) (Smoke: ~60 minutes) (Servings: 6–8)

The measurements below are estimated to recreate your original method, since you were cooking by feel.

Ingredients

For the smoked meatballs

IngredientAmount
Ground beef (80/20 preferred)2 lbs
Panko breadcrumbs1 cup
Large eggs2
Garlic salt1–1½ tsp
Hot honey seasoning2 tbsp
Bourbon barbecue sauce½ cup in mixture
Additional bourbon BBQ sauce½–¾ cup for coating

For the homemade pan gravy

IngredientAmount
Rendered beef fat and drippings¼ cup
All-purpose flour¼ cup
Chicken stock2–3 cups
Hot honey seasoning1–2 tsp, to taste
Bourbon barbecue sauce¼–½ cup
Salt and pepperTo taste

For serving

  • 12–16 oz wide egg noodles
  • Salted water for boiling
  • Optional butter for finishing noodles

Instructions

1. Prepare the meatballs

In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, panko breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic salt, hot honey seasoning, and bourbon barbecue sauce.

Mix until incorporated without overworking the beef. Form into generous meatballs, approximately 2–2½ inches in diameter.

2. Coat with barbecue sauce

Before placing the meatballs into a roasting pan or disposable aluminum tray, gently toss in additional bourbon barbecue sauce, making sure each meatball gets a good coating.

Leave a little space between them to allow the smoke and heat to circulate.

3. Smoke low and slow

Preheat the smoker to 250°F.

Place the uncovered trays in the smoker and cook for approximately 60 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165°F.

Actual cooking time will vary based on meatball size. Keep the rendered fat and flavorful drippings in the pan for the gravy.

4. Make the homemade gravy

Carefully transfer approximately ¼ cup of rendered beef fat to a saucepan over medium heat. If necessary, supplement with butter to reach ¼ cup.

Add an equal amount of flour and whisk continuously to create a roux. Cook for 2–4 minutes, until the raw flour smell disappears and the roux develops a golden-brown color.

Slowly whisk in 2 cups of chicken stock, incorporating it gradually to prevent lumps.

Add the hot honey seasoning and bourbon barbecue sauce. Simmer until thickened, adding more stock to reach your preferred consistency.

For additional flavor, stir in some of the defatted meat juices from the smoker pan. Taste before adding salt.

5. Cook the noodles and serve

While the gravy simmers, cook the egg noodles according to package directions. Drain and optionally toss with a little butter, our toss in gravy.

Place a generous helping of egg noodles on each plate, top with smoked bourbon BBQ meatballs, and ladle the homemade gravy over everything.

Serve hot!

Nonna’s Kitchen Notes

  • Don’t discard the drippings. The rendered beef fat carries the smoke, seasonings, and barbecue flavor that make this gravy special.
  • Balance the sweetness. Bourbon barbecue sauce and hot honey seasoning both bring sweetness. Chicken stock and the savory roux help balance everything.
  • Keep the roux moving. Cooking the flour properly develops a richer flavor and prevents a pasty gravy.
  • Make it your own. More hot honey seasoning brings additional heat, while extra barbecue sauce creates a sweeter, bolder finish.
  • For a thicker gravy, start with less stock and add gradually. The gravy will continue thickening as it simmers.

The story behind the recipe

Smoked Hot Honey Bourbon BBQ Meatballs & Homemade Gravy

Sometimes the best recipes aren’t measured. They’re created by grabbing a little of this, adding a little of that, and trusting your instincts.

These homemade meatballs started with ground beef, panko, eggs, garlic salt, hot honey seasoning, and bourbon barbecue sauce. After another coating of BBQ sauce, they went into the smoker at 250°F until perfectly cooked.

But I wasn’t about to waste all those flavorful drippings!

I took the rendered beef fat, made a roux, added chicken stock, more hot honey seasoning, and bourbon barbecue sauce, and turned it into a rich, homemade gravy.

Served everything over egg noodles.

Smoky. Sweet. Savory. A little heat. And a whole lot of comfort food.

That’s what cooking is all about.

#NonnasDelights #HomemadeCooking #SmokedMeatballs #ComfortFood #FromScratch #HotHoney #BourbonBBQ

Chicken Scarpariello – an underrated crowd favorite!

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Ingredients

Directions

  1. In small batches, add chicken along with seasoned flour in a medium sized mixing bowl. Mix until combined. 
  2. Over medium heat, place a large, high-walled skillet. Once hot, lightly drizzle with olive oil then add in the sausage. Cook until browned on all sides. Once browned, remove from the pan and set aside. The sausage does not need to be fully cooked.
  3. Drizzle the pan with a little more olive oil and add the lightly floured chicken. Work in batches, repeating step 1 with unfloured chicken. Brown chicken on all sides. Once browned, remove and set aside, again not to worry if chicken isn’t fulled cooked. While the chicken is browning, slice on a the sausage on a diagonal angle.
  4. Add a little more olive oil to a pan as needed, along with the smashed garlic. Lightly season with salt, and cook until fragrant. Add in herbs, then peppers. Then add in equal amounts of flour & butter. Allow the flour to cook, and thicken with butter / pan drippings. Deglaze the pan with white wine. Allow alcohol took cook off. Liquid with thicken, and reduce to about half. Gently scrap the bottom of the pan to release all the fond, as needed.
  5. Once the wine has reduced, add the sausage and chicken back to the pot. Then pour in the broth. 
  6. Let the Scarp simmer until the sauce thickens and the chicken is tender, stirring occasionally. This process can take 10-20 minutes. Give that sauce a taste, and adjust seasoning along the way.
  7. Once thicken, remove the Scarp from the heat and enjoy.

Plating

Scarp serves very well over pasta. While Penne is one of my favs, Farfalle is a great option, too. Just be sure to not overcook. The pasta should be served al dente. If you go this route, under cook the pasta by a few minutes. After drained, over heat, toss in with some sauce, and butter. Place the pasta in a bowl, and top with the Scarp. Pasta can help cut some of the heat, see below for more modifications in that regard.

Modifications

Chicken Scarp is traditionally made to have some heat to it. You can certainly sub the hot cherry peppers with sweet, and go with a mild sausage. I’ve made batched with only 1 cup of hot cherry peppers vs the 2. I’ve also made 1/2 mild, and 1/2 sweet Italian sausage. This will layer the flavors, while providing some heat, but not overwhelm the masses. Fennel sausage is key. With that said, I would not sub with a non Italian sausage.

Eggplant Parmigiana

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Ingredients:

  • 1 lb of eggplant, sliced thin
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 of a cup of flour, seasoned with S&P.
  • 3/4 of a cup of unflavored breadcrumbs
  • 3/4 of a cup of grated parmesan or romano cheese
  • 1/4 of a cup of fresh garlic, minced
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • salt, and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 lb of mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • additional mozzarella for topping
  • Oil for frying (Olive oil preferred)
  • basic marinara sauce

Directions:

Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. First dip eggplant into flour, then egg, and then the breadcrumb mixture. Fry* in heated oil, until a light golden brown. While cooking the eggplant, line an oven save pan with marinara, then stack eggplant, mozzarella, and sauce, one layer at a time. Once complete, bake at 400º for approximately 25 minutes. Topp with additional cheese (grated, and or mozzarella), if desired. Serve hot with your favorite pasta dish.

*Can also bake at 400, instead of frying

Pan Seared Ginger Chuck Roast

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Ingredients:

  • 2 pound Beef Chuck Roast
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, smashed, or chopped
  • 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons of Soy Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of Hoisin Sauce
  • 1/8 of a cup of Honey Barbecue Sauce
  • 3 cups of stock (Chicken, or Beef)
  • Ghee for frying
  • Salt, and pepper

Pat dry the chuck roast, season each side with salt and pepper, then dredge in seasoned flour. Using the Ghee, pan sear the chuck roast in a medium sized sauce pan.

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Allow roast to brown on all sides, then put in deep baking dish. In the same pan, sauté the onions until slightly translucent, then add in ginger, cook for about another minute. Add equal parts ghee, and flour to make a roux. Once brown, add in stock, garlic, soy, hoisin, and bbq sauces. Once combined, take mixture and pour over the roast in the baking dish. Liquid should cover about half the roast. If not, add more stock. Set pan aside, you’ll use it again. Cover with oven safe lid, or foil. Bake for 65 minutes, flipping roast, and turning pan once.

Pull roast from baking dish, and place on cutting board. While allowing meat to rest, pour juices into the sauté pan used earlier. Over medium to medium high heat, allow to drippings to reduce. Cook for about 10 minutes, allowing mixture to thicken. Slice beef thin, against the grain. Serve hot. Basting juices over meat slices.

Pairs well over ginger rice, and steamed vegetables, or coconut rice with green beans.

Farfalle (Bowtie pasta) Vegetable Alfredo Sauce

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Ingredients:

Directions:

In a medium sided pan, sauté onion in oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once caramelized, add butter, and flour to create a roux. Allow flour mixture to cook for about 30-45 seconds. Add in wine, allow alcohol to burn off. Then add in stock, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and half and half. Reduce heat, allow sauce to reduce, stirring occasionally. Be sure to not burn the sauce. Once thick, season to taste. Remember the cheese contains salt. Once thick, toss in al dente pasta, mixed veg, and grated cheese. Serve hot. Top with shaved cheese.

Serves 8

Ginger Rice

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Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of medium grain white rice
  • 2 cups of chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, chopped (sub 1 teaspoon of dry ginger)
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon of parsley
  • Oil, or butter for frying
  • Salt, and Pepper

In a medium sauce pan, sauté onion until caramelized, add rice, ginger, and parsley. Season with salt, and pepper, then add stock. Simmer on low, covered for 10 minutes, or until the liquid has cooked off. Serve hot.

Chicken Francese

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 lb. chicken cutlets
  • 1/4 cup of flour, seasoned
  • 3 eggs, seasoned, and beaten
  • 1 cup of chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup of semi sweet wine (I used a Pinot Grigio from Aldi)
  • 1 stick of butter
  • Fresh lemons (about 1/2 a lemon for every three cutlets)
  • Salt, black pepper, and white pepper

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium sided bowl beat eggs, and buttermilk together. Season with salt, and black pepper. Set aside. Place flour in a separate bowl. Season with salt, and black pepper.

Butterfly, and pound cutlets to achieve an even constancy. Dredge cutlets in the seasoned flour mixture, and then egg. Sauté cutlets in large pan starting with a teaspoon of butter, on low/medium heat. Lightly brown on each side. Add butter as needed to cook all cutlets. Once all cutlets are browned, add more butter, and two table spoons of butter. Raise heat, and mix it well. Don’t burn it. Allow roux to thicken, and add white wine. Once the wine cooks off, add stock, and then the chicken back to pan. Add lemon. Simmer for about five minutes, rotating cutlets, until chicken is softened. Season to taste with salt, and white pepper. Serve immediately.

Osso Buco (Braised Veal Shanks)

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Ingredients:

  • 8-10 large 1 1/2″ thick veal shanks, rinsed, and patted dry
  • All purpose flour (for dredging)
  • 7 tablespoons of butter
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups of dry white wine
  • 1 1/2 cups of finely chopped onions
  • 3/4 of a cup of finely chopped carrots
  • 3/4 of a cup of finely chopped celery
  • 1 teaspoon of minced garlic (fresh, not jarred)
  • 3 1/2 cups of broth (beef, or chicken)
  • 1 1/2 cups of peeled, seeded, and chopped tomato (alt 1 1/2 cups of canned plum tomatoes, drained, chopped)
  • Cheesecloth bag with 6 fresh parsley sprigs, 4 fresh thyme sprigs, and 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt

For the Gremolata

  • 1/2 cup of minced fresh flat leafed parsley leaves
  • 2 tablespoons of freshly grated lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon of minced garlic

Season the shanks with salt, and pepper. Dredge them in seasoned flour, be sure to shake off any excess flour. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the butter, and 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium/medium high heat. Brown shanks in small batches. Add in additional butter, and oil, as needed. Place the browned shanks (one layer) in a large, deep, ovenproof casserole/banking pan.

Preheat over to 325º F.

In the same skillet, cook the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter on low heat. Stir occasionally, until the veggies are soft. Create a roux with equal parts fat, and flour. Cook for approx 30 seconds, or until brown while scraping the bottom, and sides of the pan. Add wine, allow to boil, and cook off the alcohol. Continue to scrape, and stir to prevent burning, combine with some of the broth. Pour mixture over browned shanks. Add additional broth which should almost cover the shanks. Spread tomato over shanks, add in the cheesecloth bag. Cover shanks, and place in oven for about 2 hours, or until the veal is tender. Basting, flipping, and rotating as needed.

Remove the shanks from the broth. Keep warm. Discard the cheese cloth bag.

Skim any fat, then put the broth back into sauté pan, make sure you have all the pan drippings. That is where all the flavor is. Bring mixture to boil, allowing to reduce for about 15 minutes. Season with salt, and pepper, as needed.

Baste shanks with reduction. Place back in the over, continue to baste. Bake them for another 10 minutes, or until the shanks are glazed.

Serve with veg, and a starch. See sides page for some great pairing ideas.

Chicken Gabriel: Oven Baked Chicken Breast with Mozzarella and Prosciutto

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Ingredients:

Directions:

Butterfly chicken breast using a sharp filet knife. This can be done from frozen, and likely can make 3 cutlets from each breast. Lightly pound cutlets, to equal thickness. Doing so will cook the chicken evenly. Once completed, place on a baking pan, in a single layer, and set aside.

In a skillet, sauté onion in olive oil, then add shallot. When golden brown, add butter, and flour. Once thick, add stock, and allow to reduce for a few minutes. Season to taste.

Preheat oven to 400º. Lightly season each cutlet, top with a slice of prosciutto, and then cheese. Add stock reduction, then bake for about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves 5-6

Side pairing ideas: Roasted garlic & rosemary potatoes. Sautéed green beans. See sides page for more info.

And a 1 click grocery list can be easily accessed here!