Jolene's Recipe Journal

M is for Meatballs These Grilled BBQ Meatball Skewers are an easy, crowd-pleasing recipe made with frozen fully cooked meatballs, colorful bell peppers, red onion, and BBQ sauce.  They’re quick to assemble, cook on the grill in minutes, and deliver that classic sweet, smoky flavor with almost no prep work.

  E is for Empanadas Baked Beef Empanadas are simple, oven-baked hand pies filled with lightly spiced ground beef. These easy empanadas can be made ahead or frozen for stress-free meals, perfect for snacks, lunch, or family dinners.

This Beef and Bacon Gnocchi Skillet is a hearty one-pan dinner made with crispy skillet-seared potato gnocchi, seasoned ground beef, and smoky bacon.

T is for Tomato and Tortellini! When it comes to comfort food, few things are as satisfying as a bowl of soup. This Tomato Tortellini Soup is hearty, flavorful, and comes together in less than 30 minutes.

Looking for a quick, easy summer dinner? This skillet gnocchi with pesto and fresh summer veggies cooks up in 20 minutes and offers a crispy, tasty dish without any boiling.

O is for Orzo! For the letter O in the alphabet challenge, I made Orzo with Parmesan and Basil, a cheesy, buttery side dish that comes together fast.  

This beginner-friendly smoked pork butt delivers fall-apart tender meat with bold, smoky flavor, perfect for pulled pork!

  Craving something fresh, fruity, and protein-packed? Try this Grilled Chicken Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette!

H is for Honey! Golden brown, crispy, and delicious, this Honey Mustard Breaded Chicken is an easy recipe that is perfect for a weeknight dinner everyone will love! This year I'm participating in a bi-weekly challenge with some blogging friends to post recipes using all of the letters in the alphabet.  It  can feature a food that begins with the letter of the week or the recipe name can contain the week's letter.

Beanie Weenies are a classic New England meal loved for being easy to make and full of flavor. Made with brown bread, baked beans, and sliced hot dogs, this four-ingredient recipe serves four and is perfect for a quick Saturday night supper.

  Burnt out on tacos and beef stroganoff sandwiches so I went looking for some new ideas on my Pinterest boards.  It's been ages since we've had sloppy Joes so I added the ingredients for these sliders to my pickup list. 

Z is for Ziti! This year I'm participating in a bi-weekly challenge with some blogging friends to post recipes using all of the letters in the alphabet.  It  can feature a food that begins with the letter of the week or the recipe name can contain the week's letter.

Skillet Caprese gnocchi is a fantastic dish that's both easy to make and incredibly delicious. It's a perfect combination of fresh ingredients and flavors.

Welcome to Farmer's Market Week! One of my absolute favorite things to do in the summer is take a trip to the local farms and grab up some of the fresh local produce and wares. This particular trip yielded me fresh parsley and basil, beautiful heirloom tomatoes and a locally baked loaf of marble rye bread, along with zucchini, eggplant and carrots which you'll see pop up in my other posts throughout the week.

  G is for Garlic, Gnocchi and Green Beans! Garlic Butter Gnocchi with Green Beans is an easy one-pan skillet dinner made with crispy gnocchi, garlic, butter, and green beans. It’s simple, fast, and ready in about 20 minutes with just a few ingredients.

Happy National Grilled Cheese Day! I actually didn't eat many grilled cheese growing up but now I'm  a huge fan.  My guys like the classic, American cheese on white bread but I'm much more adventurous.  When I saw this Cinnamon Raisin Apple Grilled Cheese on Taste of Home I knew I had to give it a try!

“I see recipes calling for one clove of garlic. One clove of garlic is not enough for any recipe unless it’s a recipe for ‘How to cook one clove of garlic’ – even in this case, use two.”   Unknown April is #NationalGarlicMonth and today we're sharing some of our very favorite recipes.  Garlic is in the Allium family along with shallots, onions, leeks and chives. It can be consumed raw or cooked. I've exclusively used it in savory dishes, but there are recipes for garlic ice cream and other sweet treats out there.

For a New England girl, March is one of the best months of the year.  The snow is melting, daylight lasts longer, and the sap starts running. It takes a lot of time and effort to produce maple syrup, and I highly recommend visiting a sugar shack to see how it's done if you have one nearby. 

Stuffed waffles are a fun twist on the classic waffle—crispy on the outside and packed with tasty fillings inside. I recently got a stuffed waffle maker, and I’m loving how it turns waffles into little pockets of deliciousness! The best part? You don’t need a strict recipe because this is a perfect “clean out the fridge” meal. Grab whatever leftovers or fillings you have on hand, stuff ’em inside, and waffle away! Here’s what I tried this time, but feel free to get creative and make it your own.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili is an easy chili recipe that combines tender sweet potatoes, black beans, seasoned tomatoes, and spices for a bowl of chili that is both satisfying and full of flavor.