Dinner: Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken with Buffalo Sauce

I served this with steamed broccoli and baked potatoes last night. It was the perfect combination!

Ingredients 
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese (or a mixture of Feta and blue cheese to equal 1/2 cup. I used this mixture to mellow the blue cheese, since it's such a strong flavor.)
1 TBSP reduced fat sour cream (or plain yogurt)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp freshly group black pepper
4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup flour
2 TBSP milk
1 large egg
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 TBSP + 3 tsp butter
4 tsp water
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
2-3 tsp hot sauce (to taste)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350*.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest part of each chicken breast  to form a pocket. Stuff cheese mixture evenly into pockets.
3. Place flour in a shallow dish. Combine milk and egg in a shallow dish, beating egg, and combining well with a whisk. Place panko in a shallow dish. Using one chicken breast half at a time, dredge in flour, then dip in egg mixture, and dredge in panko.
4. Heat a large oven proof skillet over med-high heat. Add 1 TBSP butter to pan and swirl to melt. Arrange chicken in pan and cook for 4 minutes or until browned. Do not flip the chicken before it's time or you will lose the breading! Turn chicken over, place skillet in oven. Bake at 350* for 20 minutes or until done. (If you do not have a large oven proof skillet, you can place a large glass baking dish in the oven with a TBSP of butter to melt once you begin cooking the chicken in the skillet. When it's time to flip the chicken, place it in the baking dish instead. Cooked side up.)
5. While chicken bakes, combine remaining butter, water, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until butter melts. Remove from heat, and stir in the hot sauce. Serve with chicken. (If you really like the sauce, you might want to double this portion.)

Enjoy!

Super Yummy Spaghetti & Meatballs

We had this for dinner last night, and it is hands down the best sauce and meatballs I've ever had! I actually tripled the meatballs, flash froze 2/3 of them, then bagged them in the freezer to use another day, since they're the most time consuming part of this recipe. 

Ingredients

Meatballs

2/3 lb lean ground beef

1/3 lb sausage (like Bob Evans)

1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 TBSP dried parsley

1 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1 egg, beaten

Sauce

5 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes

1-2 tsp salt (to taste)

1 tsp white sugar

1 bay leaf

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

3/4 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning 

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and beaten egg. Mix well and form into 12 balls. Store, covered, in refrigerator until needed.
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, garlic in olive oil for a minute or two, being careful not to let it burn. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 90 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, Italian seasoning and meatballs and simmer 30 minutes more. (Water can be added throughout if the sauce becomes too reduced.) Serve.