Category: Cooking

Sweet Potato and Pea Pilaf with Chicken

I live for creating meals from pantry ingredients. It’s so fun to look into my cupboards and cabinets to see what I have and what I can create from it. Case in point: this Sweet Potato and Pea Pilaf with Chicken. I have this awesome little natural food store that I get to frequent often. When I am there, I can’t help but purchase one or two fun and new bulk ingredients to try out later. Recently, it was basmati rice. 

Our lives have become consumed by basketball. Both of my babies are playing and weekends are for tournaments. That means I don’t get to meal prep the way I love to. While it’s hard for me to give up that much time each weekend, I also see my kiddos flourishing on the court and I am here for that. So the scene: Sunday afternoon. Me, thinking, I have to get some food on the table when the Mr. gets home. A few google searches and recipe magazine flipping inspired this creation from the pantry! 

And I will tell you, my son wasn’t thrilled that I did peas and sweet potatoes. He didn’t get it and complained as pre-teens do. Then he ate dinner and promptly declared he got all the leftovers and requested it again a week later. I don’t know about you, but I call that a major win in the recipe world! I am so excited for you to give it try! 

Your Ingredients 

  • 2½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided 
  • ½ medium yellow onion
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
  • 2 cups white basmati rice
  • 1 teaspoon tarragon 
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, heated 
  • 1 pound chicken breast
  • 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced (about 2 ¾ cups)
  • 12 ounces frozen peas (about 2 ½ cups) 
  • Salt and pepper 

Your Steps to Sweet Potato and Pea Pilaf with Chicken

Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan (with a cover) over medium heat until hot. Add onion and garlic. Saute until just softened, about 8 minutes. Add rice and saute, stirring often, until just browned, maybe 3-5 minutes. Watch this carefully. You will be so sad if you burn your rice. 

Season with salt, pepper, and tarragon. Add 3 cups of hot stock. Cover lower heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat and allow it to sit for an additional 15 minutes. 

While the rice is doing its thing, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on each side and place on one half of the baking sheet. In a small bowl, toss the diced sweet potato with the remaining olive oil with salt and pepper, to taste. Layer on the other half of the baking sheet. Bake for approximately 20-24 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven. (Do not turn off the oven). 

Dice chicken into bite-size pieces. Combine rice mixture, diced chicken and sweet potato and frozen peas. Taste test and see if more salt or pepper is needed. Spread into a greased 9×13 glass baking dish and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Serve up hot on its own or with another vegetable side (I don’t think you can ever have enough!) 

Dice it up! Onions and sweet potato!
Get it roasting!
Look at those onions!
Sautè the rice
Perfectly cooked!
Chicken, peas, and sweet potato!
Mix in the rice mixture!
Baked and delish!
Serve it up!

Tools of the Trade

You’ve got to love a good Pyrex baking dish and flexible cutting boards are a must!

Looking for some other meal inspiration? The recipes below are some of my favorites! If they don’t scream “make me” I recommend checking out my cooking page!

Sweet Potato and Pea Pilaf with Chicken

Pantry and freezer ingredients combine in this Sweet Potato and Pea Pilaf with Chicken for a simple and delicious complete meal the whole family will enjoy!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
  • ½ medium yellow onion
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 cups white basmati rice
  • 1 teaspoon tarragon
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth heated
  • 1 pound chicken breast
  • 1 sweet potato peeled and diced (about 2 ¾ cups)
  • 12 ounces frozen peas about 2 ½ cups
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan (with a cover) over medium heat until hot. Add onion and garlic.
  • Saute until just softened, about 8 minutes. Add rice and saute, stirring often, until just browned, maybe 3-5 minutes. Watch this carefully for burning.
  • Season with salt, pepper, and tarragon. Add 3 cups of hot stock. Cover lower heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes.
  • Remove the rice from the heat and allow it to sit for an additional 15 minutes, still covered.
  • While the rice is doing its thing, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper on each side and place on one half of the baking sheet.
  • In a small bowl, toss the diced sweet potato with the remaining olive oil with salt and pepper, to taste. Layer on the other half of the baking sheet. Bake for approximately 20-24 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven. (Do not turn off the oven).
  • Dice chicken into bite-size pieces.
  • Combine rice mixture, diced chicken and sweet potato and frozen peas.
  • Taste test and see if more salt or pepper is needed. Spread into a greased 9×13 glass baking dish and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
Keyword Brown Rice, chicken, peas, sweet potato
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Italian Chili

If you know me, you know I dig ground Italian sausage. We almost always have some on hand (frozen or in the fridge). We also make our own Italian sausage/venison blend that’s great! ⁠A while back, I had some in the fridge that needed to get used up and it was CHILLY outside. It got me wondering, “Is there such thing as Italian chili?” A quick google search got me to all the ingredients and some inspiration to throw a little something together. ⁠I remembered it as delicious and the pictures were beautiful. But…

It may be a big surprise to you, but I didn’t write it down and had only jotted what I remembered after the fact. That doesn’t make for good food blogging, so it went on the back burner. For months, I have been thinking that I needed to revisit the recipe and check the measurements, the flavors, and the like. 

That time finally came, and friends, it’s a great recipe. It needs just a bit of prep ahead of time (might I recommend browning the meat the night before if your mornings are rushed?), and 6-8 hours later, you will have a DELICIOUS Italian-inspired chili that will keep you warm any chilly day. (Or really any day, because every day is a good day for soup!) 

Before you get started, let me preface this recipe by saying that it will seem like you don’t have enough liquid initially. After cooking in the slow cooker all day, the liquid will be drawn out of the vegetables and it will be perfect.

Let’s get cooking!

Your Ingredients for Italian Chili

  • 1 ⅓ cup diced sweet bell pepper, any color (1 large)
  • 1 ⅓ cup diced onion (1 medium) 
  • 16 ounces ground Italian sausage
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil 
  • 28 ounce Italian diced tomatoes⁠
  • 1 1/2 cup tomato juice⁠
  • 1 cup diced celery⁠
  • 15 ounces kidney beans, rinsed⁠
  • 15 ounces Cannellini beans, rinsed⁠
  • 1/2-1 tablespoon chili powder⁠
  • 1 cup diced zucchini (1 small)
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic ⁠
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper ⁠
  • salt, to taste ⁠

Your Steps (So easy!)

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add onions, peppers, oregano, and basil. Cook until just softened, about 7 minutes. Add Italian sausage. Cook until browned.⁠ Drain as necessary. 

Combine the sausage mixture with the remaining ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours. Serve up with some crusty bread and top with some shaved Parmesan. Simple and great. A combination of all the things I love. Happy cooking! ~Jess

Cut your peppers like this. A great hack!
Softened onion and peppers meet sausage.
Browned and beautiful.
Get the rest of the ingredients.
Stir it up!
Perfection!
And serve!

Looking to pair this with some dessert and bread? Give these recipes a try!

Tools of the Trade

I know I share about them a lot, but gosh, I love my flexible cutting boards. I don’t even mess with anything else! And You’ve got to have a great slow cooker, bonus points if it has the timer on it.

Italian Chili

Italian flavors combine with this classic comfort food for a simple slow cooker meal that is sure to make everyone happy!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 8 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ⅓ cup diced sweet bell pepper any color (1 large)
  • 1 ⅓ cup diced onion 1 medium
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage
  • 28 ounce Italian diced tomatoes⁠
  • 1 1/2 cup tomato juice⁠
  • 1 cup diced celery⁠
  • 15 ounces kidney beans rinsed⁠
  • 15 ounces Cannellini beans rinsed⁠
  • 1/2-1 tablespoon chili powder⁠
  • 1 cup diced zucchini 1 small
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic ⁠
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper ⁠
  • salt to taste ⁠

Instructions
 

  • Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add onions, peppers, oregano, and basil.
  • Cook until just softened, about 7 minutes.
  • Add Italian sausage. Cook until browned.⁠ Drain as necessary.
  • Combine the sausage mixture with the remaining ingredients in a slow cooker.
  • Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
  • Serve up with some crusty bread and top with some shaved Parmesan.
Keyword chili, crock pot, Italian sausage, roasted vegetables, slow cooker
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Tuna and Broccoli Skillet

When I cook, I go all in. Over the years, I have become determined to avoid adding overly processed food and box dinners for my family. I don’t always succeed (let’s be honest, that blue box of Mac and Cheese is pretty dang good sometimes!), but I would say that the food that I cook is from scratch, oh, I don’t know, 70% of the time? So when my kids requested Tuna Helper a few months ago, I was determined to make it my own. After a little experimentation, I came up with a great, simple alternative to the boxed stuff and I can’t wait to share my one pot tuna and broccoli skillet. 

This tuna and broccoli skillet can come together in just over 30 minutes AND you can make it by only dirtying four dishes: 

  • A large skillet or saucepan
  • A cutting board 
  • A knife
  • A strainer

That’s it. Everything will be cooked in the same pan (winning!) and after you strain the noodles, you can put the vegetables on top while you make the roux. I love to avoid extra dishes as much as possible (we don’t have a dishwasher so everything is done by hand in our house). 

Ready to get cooking for a weekend or weeknight meal? I can’t wait to share!

Your Ingredients

  • 12 ounces tri-colored rotini (or any other pasta shape your family loves) 
  • 4 cups broccoli, chopped
  • 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil 
  • ½ cup diced onion 
  • ½ tablespoon garlic 
  • 1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms 
  • ¾ teaspoon pepper, divided
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 tablespoons butter 
  • ½ cup half and half or heavy cream (whole milk would work too!) 
  • 1 ⅓ cup skim milk 
  • 2 cans tuna

Your Steps to Tuna and Broccoli Skillet

In a large saucepan, cook rotini according to package directions. Drain and set aside in the strainer. 

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in the large saucepan. Once hot, add onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add broccoli, mushrooms, salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cook until softened, approximately 5-8 minutes. Remove from pan, spooning into strainer, on top of noodles (See, I am all about avoiding extra dishes!). 

Add butter to the saucepan. Melt over medium-low heat. Once fully melted, stir in flour, preferably with a whisk. Continue to whisk as the flour browns slightly. Very slowly, stir in half and half, ¼ cup at a time. Then stir in the skim milk, again, very slowly, ¼ cup at a time. (This is hard for me to do. I want to mix it too fast and I get impatient. Don’t be me. Ha.) Sprinkle in additional ¼ teaspoon of pepper, if desired. 

Once milk and half and half have been fully incorporated, slowly stir in noodles and vegetables. Add drained tuna and stir until well combined. That’s it! Serve it up. In our house, we would serve it with additional vegetables that we cooked in these Ziploc Steam Bags. We always keep a stock of our favorite frozen vegetables and cook them up in 6 minutes flat!

  • Chopped up those veggies!
  • Soften them up!
  • Don’t make more dishes!
  • Getting my roux on.
  • I was so patient this time!
  • Add the tuna
  • and stir it up!
  • Tuna and Broccoli Skillet!

Looking for dinner inspiration ideas? Check out my cooking page! Maybe you need dessert. Check out the baking page!

Cooking
Baking
Tuna and Broccoli Skillet

Tuna and Broccoli Skillet

This one pot tuna and broccoli skillet is great for both weekend and weeknight meals. It's sure to please kids and adults alike!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 12 ounces tri-colored rotini
  • 4 cups broccoli chopped
  • 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup diced onion
  • ½ tablespoon garlic
  • 1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms
  • ¾ teaspoon pepper divided
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup half and half or heavy cream
  • 1 ⅓ cup skim milk
  • 2 cans tuna drained

Instructions
 

  • In a large saucepan, cook rotini according to package directions. Drain and set aside in the strainer.
  • Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in the large saucepan. Once hot, add onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add broccoli, mushrooms, salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
  • Cook until softened, approximately 5-8 minutes. Remove from pan, spooning into strainer, on top of noodles.
  • Add butter to the saucepan. Melt over medium-low heat. Once fully melted, stir in flour, preferably with a whisk. Continue to whisk as the flour browns slightly.
  • Very slowly, stir in half and half, ¼ cup at a time. Then stir in the skim milk, again, very slowly, ¼ cup at a time. Sprinkle in additional ¼ teaspoon of pepper, if desired.
  • Once milk and half and half have been fully incorporated, slowly stir in noodles and vegetables. Add drained tuna and stir until well combined. Serve.
Keyword broccoli, dinner, one pot meals, pasta, tuna
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Jess2 Comments

Chicken Noodle Soup

I have tried to write down my chicken noodle soup recipe countless times. I would start chopping the vegetables, cooking the chicken. The next step is grabbing the measuring cups and spoons so I could get exact measurements. The thing is, I couldn’t get to that step. I don’t measure when I make chicken noodle soup; it’s a “go by feel” kind of thing. Everytime I tried to measure, it was painful. Couldn’t do it. 

Then a friend of mine said she usually doesn’t measure, but she finally wrote it down, in her own handwriting, so that her kids would have it and would be able to duplicate it if/when she was gone. 

That hit me hard. Chicken noodle soup is my son’s favorite meal. He has had it for his birthday meal countless times (I mean, he’s only eleven, but I can’t tell you how many times he asked for it, so I am calling it countless. HA!) What if he wanted to make my soup and could never get it right? I had to write it down. 

Also, what kind of comfort food food blogger would I be if I didn’t have chicken noodle soup on my blog? Especially one that declares soup one of her favorite meals? And so, here it is! I ACTUALLY measured everything. I taste tested. My son double checked it all and gave it two thumbs up. I hope you love it as much as we do! 

Let’s get cooking! 

Your Ingredients for Chicken Noodle Soup

  • 1 pound cooked chicken (about 2 ½ cups), cubed or shredded 
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil 
  • 2 ½ cups chopped carrots (about 2-3 large) 
  • 2 ½ cups chopped celery (about 3-4 stalks)
  • 1 ½ cups chopped onion (about 1 large) 
  • ¾ teaspoon pepper 
  • ½ – 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
  • ¾ teaspoon thyme
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic 
  • 6 cups chicken stock, see note
  • 4-6 cups water, see note
  • 1-2 teaspoons broth base and seasoning (I ADORE Orrington Farms), optional, see note
  • 3 cups egg noodles 

A couple notes before you get started

A couple notes before you get started

  • The chicken I use depends on my time. Sometimes I cook a couple breasts in a cast iron pan, starting on the stove and then putting it in the oven at 400 degrees until cooked to 165 degrees. If I have more time and bone in chicken, I will make stock while cooking the chicken.  
  • To make a stock, cover the chicken with water in a stockpot. Add a stalk of celery, a carrot, and an onion, all quartered. Add some pepper, salt, and a clove or two of garlic. Bring it to a boil and then lower to a simmer, cooking until the chicken is cooked through. Strain out vegetables and chicken. Skim off the foam. Broth can be used right away or frozen for later! That’s what I used in this recipe. Allow the chicken to cool, peel off the skin and shred chicken.
  • I love Orrington Farms Broth Base and Seasoning because I can control the flavor and sodium in my stock. Depending on the stock you use (homemade or from a box), you will have a different depth of flavor. This allows you to add a little more if needed. You can totally use a cube of bouillon or whatever you favorite broth base is. The bottom line is this for you to find YOUR taste. 
  • About the water: The egg noodles will absorb liquid as the soup sits. If you are serving the chicken noodle soup right after you finish cooking it, stick with the 4 cups of water. If you are meal prepping and serving it a day or two later, you will likely have to add an additional cup or two, depending on how you like your soup. You do you friend.

Your Steps To Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup 

If you have not already, begin with cooking the chicken you plan on using. Short on time? Season a couple chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat an oven safe pan over medium heat with ½ tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, add chicken. Flip after 5 minutes, searing both sides. Once done, stick in a 400 degree oven, cooking until 165 degrees, about 14 minutes. Once cooked, cube it up and set aside. Alternatively, you could pick up a rotisserie chicken and measure 2 ½ cups of meat. (If you do this, DO NOT throw the bones away. Make a stock for later!

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a soup kettle (I dig The Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven) over medium heat. Once hot, add carrots, celery, and onion. Season with pepper, thyme, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes, stirring often. Season with ½ teaspoon salt. Stir in chicken stock, 4 cups of water, and chicken. Increase the heat, bringing to a boil. Add egg noodles, lower the heat to medium and cook for seven minutes, cooking noodles to al dente. 

Almost there!

At this point, give the soup a taste. If you want more salt and chicken flavor, add the broth base, 1 teaspoon at a time. I also like to check the pepper level here but know that pepper sinks in the soup. If you add too much, the end of the soup kettle will be on the peppery side. 

Again, the noodles will absorb liquid over time. If you are serving this soup right away, 4 cups of water should be perfect. If you are serving it hours later or the next day, be prepared for a thicker soup. You may want to add that additional water. 

I am a firm believer that a good kettle of soup should be served with a salad (I love my homemade french dressing!) and sourdough bread (get the details here!). It hard to get something better 💕

  • The beginning of any great soup or bake
  • Cubed, perfect chicken
  • Add that broth (Mine was frozen in a mason jar!)
  • Season as you like!
  • Right after it’s finished. Perfection.
  • After its cooled and absorbed liquid. Still good though!
  • Pair it with fresh sourdough. A match made in heaven.

Tools of the Trade

I keep all the flavors of Orrington Farms broth base on hand. It keeps well and allows me to season my soups and stews with just the right amount of flavor.

parts is that they go from stove top to oven so easy and you can even bake bread in them! And

And my flexible cutting boards are a go to item in the kitchen. If I am shopping for a wedding registry, I will buy them even the couple doesn’t have it on the list because I figure they just must not know how wonderful they are!

Chicken Noodle Soup

A classic soup recipe that will keep everyone coming back for seconds (and thirds!)
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound cooked chicken about 2 ½ cups, cubed or shredded
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 ½ cups chopped carrots about 2-3 large
  • 2 ½ cups chopped celery about 3-4 stalks
  • 1 ½ cups chopped onion about 1 large
  • ¾ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ – 1 teaspoon salt to taste
  • ¾ teaspoon thyme
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 6 cups chicken stock see note
  • 4-6 cups water see note
  • 1-2 teaspoons broth base and seasoning optional, see note
  • 3 cups egg noodles

Instructions
 

  • Heat olive oil in a soup kettle over medium heat.
  • Once hot, add carrots, celery, and onion. Season with pepper, thyme, and garlic.
  • Cook over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes, stirring often.
  • Season with ½ teaspoon salt. Stir in chicken stock, 4 cups of water, and chicken.
  • Increase the heat, bringing to a boil.
  • Add egg noodles, lower the heat to medium and cook for seven minutes, cooking noodles to al dente.
  • Check the flavor profile of your soup. If needed, add broth base or bouillon, 1 teaspoon or cube at a time. Add additional pepper to taste.

Notes

  • The chicken I use depends on my time. Sometimes I cook a couple breasts in a cast iron pan, starting on the stove and then putting it in the oven at 400 degrees until cooked to 165 degrees. If I have more time and bone in chicken, I will make stock while cooking the chicken.  You could also shorten time by using a rotisserie chicken and shredding the meat, discarding the skin.  
  • To make a stock, cover the chicken with water in a stockpot. Add a stalk of celery, a carrot, and an onion, all quartered. Add some pepper, salt, and a clove or two of garlic. Bring it to a boil and then lower to a simmer, cooking until the chicken is cooked through. Strain out vegetables and chicken. Skim off the foam. Broth can be used right away or frozen for later! That’s what I used in this recipe. Allow the chicken to cool, peel off the skin and shred chicken.
  • I love Orrington Farms Broth Base and Seasoning because I can control the flavor and sodium in my stock. Depending on the stock you use (homemade or from a box), you will have a different depth of flavor. This allows you to add a little more if needed. You can totally use a cube of bouillon or whatever you favorite broth base is. The bottom line is this for you to find YOUR taste. 
  • About the water: The egg noodles will absorb liquid as the soup sits. If you are serving the chicken noodle soup right after you finish cooking it, stick with the 4 cups of water. If you are meal prepping and serving it a day or two later, you will likely have to add an additional cup or two, depending on how you like your soup. 
Keyword chicken, chicken noodle, soup, soups and stews
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Pressure Canned Carnitas Inspired Venison

Last year, we got skunked in terms of filling our freezer with venison. I am not a hunter, but my husband is an avid hunter. This year, he has provided us with three deer that we process all on our own. That means I have been able to get my pressure canning on and perhaps the best thing to come from that is this pressure canned carnitas inspired venison. 

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little worried about how this would turn out. Our family has a go to crockpot carnita recipe that utilizes a pork butt. When we had a kettle of cubed venison for canning, I thought, “What if we seasoned it with the carnita seasoning? Would it take it on well? How would it go on tacos or nachos?” The answer: It’s DELICIOUS and will be added to our rotation of canning every year from here on out. 

Pressure canning is my job in our home, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I know there are horror stories of pressure canning out there and a number of people are afraid of it. And if they aren’t afraid of the act of canning the meat, they are hesitant to eat pressure canned seasoned venison. “How can meat be self stable and room temperature and still be okay to eat?” I promise, its easier than you think and the meat is great to eat. I follow all the recommendations from the National Center for Home Preservation. Let me tell you, this stuff is GOOD. 

Why should you can venison?

The meat is SO tender. It heats up in minutes, and you can have a meal on the table in under ten. The convenience is out of this world and you are still able to serve your family good for you food without being processed. We served this pressure canned carnitas inspired venison with some pico de gallo, lettuce, cilantro lime rice and cheese. It was loved all around. 

Bottom line? I am beyond excited to share how I prepare this pressure canned venison with all of you. I promise there is no reason to be afraid of a pressure canner. At the beginning, I was100% a novice who simply did some reading at the beginning. The only caution I want to give is that it does take time (primarily hands off) for it to cook. I would say make sure you have three hours to be around the house, but truly you can be doing other things while it cooks. Just be present. If you do want more information, read your canner’s directions or check out the NCHP. 

Ready to create some pressure canned venison stew? Let’s go! 

Your Ingredients (for 9 pints of Pressure Canned Carnitas Venison) 

14 cups raw, cubed venison 

2 ¼ cup onion (¼ cup of onion per pint jar-you’ll want a little extra so no jar goes without) 

Seasoning (see below) 

Seasoning 

Combine 5 teaspoons salt, 3 ½  teaspoons dried oregano,  3 ½  tablespoons cumin, and ⅓-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper. (you can add more if you would like but I went with the idea that I can always add more, but I can’t take it out) 

Tools of the Trade

Normally, I put this at the end of a post, but with a pressure canner, I feel as though I should put it at the beginning. I love using my weighted pressure canner. It doesn’t stress me out and I can create so many great things with it. I also think a canning funnel is a must here. 

Before you start this process, make sure you read the general directions to your own pressure canner. They may differ from what I am sharing, and you should always follow those directions first. Also, if you are a beginner canner or even advanced, it is always a great idea to check out the National Center for Home Preservation Site for more information! 

Your Steps to Pressure Canned Carnitas Inspired Venison

Begin by preparing your canner and jars. Wash and sterilize pint jars, rings, and lids. Keep warm. Check the seal and center vent of your lid of the canner. Set aside. 

Season prepared meat with seasoning mixture. Mix well to fully coat the meat. Using a canning funnel, add ¼ cup onion in each jar. Fill the remaining space with seasoned meat, leaving 1 inch of headspace.

Wipe rims with a damp cloth, center the lid on the jar and adjust the band to fingertip tight. 

Place jars on the rack of a prepared pressure canner (mine needs 3 quarts of hot water plus a splash of vinegar). 

Place the lid on the canner and heat to high heat. Once a steady stream of steam can be seen/felt, vent for 10 minutes, adjusting the heat if needed to have a steady but not crazy stream of steam. After 10 minutes, put the weighted gauge on the vent. You will want 10 pounds if your altitude is under 1000 ft; 15 pounds if you are over 1000 ft. 

Once the weight starts to jiggle (indicating it has reached the appropriate pressure), begin timing. You will need to process pint jars for 75 minutes and quart jars for 90 minutes. Once the timer has gone off, turn off and remove the canner from heat. Allow the pressure to drop on the canner all the way (read specific canner instructions for the indicator-this takes about 45 minutes). Remove weight and allow to cool an additional 10 minutes. Remove jars from canner; do not retighten bands. Cool 12 hours, then check their seals, label, and store jars. 

Again, we served this carnitas style venison with tortillas and all the fixings: pico de gallo, lettuce, cilantro-lim lime, and cheese. Black beans would be a great addition as well!  

Measure out the meat, dice the onions, and get some seasoning.
Season it up!
Jar it up!
So dang good!

Looking for a video of the process of canning meat? You can check out my regular seasoned pressure canned venison recipe.

Pressure Canned Carnitas Inspired Venison

Fill your shelves with a pressure canned carnitas inspired venison for quick meals throughout the year. Full of south of the border flavor and easy to create!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine Canning
Servings 9 pints

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 14 cups cubed venison stew meat (about 7 pounds)
  • 2 ½ cups chopped onion
  • 5 teaspoons canning salt
  • 3 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
  • 3 ½ tablespoons cumin
  • ⅓-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Begin by preparing your canner and jars. Wash and sterilize quart jars, rings, and lids. Keep warm. Check the seal and center vent of your lid the canner. Set aside.
  • Combine salt, oregano, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
  • Season prepared meat with seasoning mixture.
  • Stuff pint jars with ¼ cup onion. Finish with raw seasoned meat, leaving 1 inch of head space.
  • Wipe rims with a damp cloth, center the lid on the jar and adjust the band to fingertip tight.
  • Place jars on the rack of a prepared pressure canner (mine needs 3 quarts of hot water plus a splash of vinegar).
  • Process pint jars for 75 minutes at 10 pounds. If your altitude is greater than 1000 feet, use 15 pounds. Follow the directions of your pressure canner or see the more detailed directions in the notes.

Notes

This could be done in quart jars as well. Increase onion to 1/2 cup per jar and fill jars to the the 1 inch head space. This recipe will likely result in 3 quarts. 
Detailed Directions
Place the lid on the canner and heat to high heat. Once a steady stream of steam can be seen/felt, vent for 10 minutes, adjusting the heat if needed to have a steady but not crazy stream of steam. After 10 minutes, put the weighted gauge on the vent. You will want 10 pounds if your altitude is under 1000 ft; 15 pounds if you are over 1000 ft.
Once the weight starts to jiggle (indicating it has reached the appropriate pressure), begin timing. You will need to process pint jars for 75 minutes and quart jars for 90 minutes. Once the timer has gone off, turn off and remove the canner from heat. Allow the pressure to drop on the canner all the way (read specific canner instructions for the indicator). Remove weight and allow to cool an additional 10 minutes. Remove jars from canner; do not retighten bands. Cool 12 hours, then check their seals, label, and store jars.
Keyword Canning, carnitas, pressure canning, venison, venison recipe
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other venison inspiration?

Check out some of the posts below!

Jess2 Comments

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Something about Jambalaya is cozy, warming. It isn’t quite a soup or stew, but it sure has that comforting feeling. It’s a dish that we every so often just happen to have all the ingredients for, although I never shopped for them specifically with the intent of making jambalaya. This chicken and sausage jambalaya skips the shrimp and comes together in about 40 minutes and even less if you are on top of things enough to have cooked rice ahead of time. 

About the rice

I may be a genius; Or maybe not, but let me share this awesome hack I had the last time I prepared jambalaya. I love a good long grain brown rice, but it takes time (35-40 minutes cook time plus the coming to temperature). It also takes up a burner while I am prepping everything else. But friends, it doesn’t need a lot of attention.

Enter the morning: As soon as I got done with my morning walk, I started heating 2 cups of chicken stock with some pepper and 1 cup long grain rice on the stove; Lowered it to a simmer once it was boiling, and let it do it’s thing. By the time I was done getting ready for the day and had my breakfast in me, my rice was done. Sweet! One less thing to worry about in the evening. It worked out perfect and a hack I will definitely be doing again!

I was able to throw the rest of this quick chicken and sausage jambalaya together after I got home from work on a weeknight. That’s a win, right? And we even had enough for us to eat it a second night, which is my jam. 

Ready to get cooking a delicious, comforting dish your family will love? Let’s go! 

Your Ingredients

  • 4 cups long grain rice, cooked
  • 1 large green pepper, diced
  • 4 stalks of celery, diced
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided 
  • 16 ounces chicken breast, cubed and seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 3 Andouille sausage links, sliced into discs
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon cumin 
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder 
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • Salt and pepper
  • Dash of cayenne pepper if desired 

Your Steps to Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

If you haven’t cooked the long grain rice yet, get that started. I recommend cooking it in a little chicken stock with some pepper to add a flavor boost, but regular water with some salt and pepper will work just fine. Cook according to directions. (We always have regular rice on hand as well as brown Minute rice. We cook the one that matches our time frame, but check my hack in the intro!)

In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add green pepper, celery, onion, and garlic. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. 

Add remaining oil to the Dutch oven. Once hot, add seasoned chicken. Cook, stirring every couple minutes. At the six minute mark, add sliced sausage links. Cook an additional 5 minutes. Season with cumin, chili powder, thyme, and a dash of cayenne pepper. 

Stir in chicken stock and diced tomatoes. Heat to a boil, and then slower to a simmer. Add cooked rice and vegetable medley. Cook until heated through and thickened, 5-10 minutes. 

Dice up all the vegetables!
Cook up the proteins.
Add in some tomatoes and the veggies.
Serve it up!

Can I recommend some corn bread or sourdough to pair with this comforting meal? Click the links below to get the recipes!

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

This one pot meal is full of good for you ingredients and flavor. It's sure to fill your belly and warm your soul with just a little kick of heat.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups long grain rice cooked
  • 1 large green pepper diced
  • 4 stalks of celery diced
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 16 ounces chicken breast cubed and seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 3 Andouille sausage links sliced into discs
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • Salt and pepper
  • Dash of cayenne pepper if desired

Instructions
 

  • If you haven’t cooked the long grain rice yet, get that started. I recommend cooking it in a little chicken stock with some pepper to add a flavor boost, but regular water with some salt and pepper will work just fine. Cook according to directions on package.
  • In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add green pepper, celery, onion, and garlic. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
  • Add remaining oil to the Dutch oven. Once hot, add seasoned chicken. Cook, stirring every couple minutes. At the six minute mark, add sliced sausage links. Cook an additional 5 minutes. Season with cumin, chili powder, thyme, and a dash of cayenne pepper.
  • Stir in chicken stock and diced tomatoes. Heat to a boil, and then slower to a simmer. Add cooked rice and vegetable medley. Cook until heated through and thickened, 5-10 minutes.
Keyword Brown Rice, cast iron, chicken, jambalaya, one pot meals, sausage
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Pressure Canned Venison Stew

I can not begin to explain how excited I am to share this recipe. It’s two years in the making, and I am almost shaking in anticipation and am simply giddy. I was ready to share it last year; then the Mr. was skunked in the deer hunting category and we never put any pressure canned venison stew on our shelves. Tear. 

This year, he was determined to fill our freezer and got out early and often for the bow season. The hard work paid off and he came home with a seven pointer near the end of September. We fully process our deer at home. Even though I am not a hunter myself, I grew up grinding, weighing, and wrapping venison for the freezer. My husband has been a hunter from the moment he could be. In fact, the very first meal he cooked for me in the college dorms was a pheasant he shot the weekend before (his parents knew there must be a girl in the picture when he called to get the recipe!). 

But I digress and now I have to backtrack. About 8 years ago, we purchased a pressure canner to safely pressure can the excess of green beans I was growing. Once I had a pressure canner, it was only a matter of time before I canned meat. I was in a canning group on facebook that inspired me to give it a try. The act of canning meat didn’t scare me. Maybe it’s the fact that I never heard any of those “pressure canner horror stories.” I just dove right in, read canning manuals, and made it happen. 

Opening the Jar

Then it came to actually opening a jar of pressure canned venison stew for dinner and to say I was nervous is an understatement. I cautiously opened it, smelled it, and very hesitantly heated it up. And oh my gosh, I was hooked at the very first bite. The meat is SO tender, the vegetables perfectly cooked. The convenience of it all is perhaps my favorite part. We are in the season of busy week nights with our kids and having homemade venison stew that can go from jar to table in under 10 minutes is incredible. If I am feeling fancy, I do a roux and slowly add the broth first. Short on time? I pour in some frozen peas for extra color and heat it up. 

Bottom line? I am beyond excited to share how I prepare this great stew with all of you. I promise there is no reason to be afraid of a pressure canner. Truly, I was 100% a novice who simply did some reading at the beginning. The only caution I want to give is that it does take time (primarily hands off) for it to cook. I would say make sure you have three hours to be around the house, but truly you can be doing other things while it cooks. Just be present.

Ready to create some pressure canned venison stew? Let’s go! 

Your Ingredients for Pressure Canned Venison Stew (per quart jar) 

  • 1 cup cubed venison stew meat, raw
  • ½ cup each: diced potatoes, celery, carrots and onions, cut large (I do just over ½ cup each)
  • 3 ladles or so of beef broth

Seasoning (see below)

We keep a seasoning mixture on hand of 1 part pepper, 1 part dried minced garlic, 1 part dried minced onion, and 1-2 parts kosher salt. I use this on everything from chicken to venison to roasted vegetables. It’s fantastic and versatile. When I am canning meat, I season every 2 ½ pounds of meat with about 1-2 tablespoons seasoning mix. This is to our taste. 

Tools of the Trade

Normally, I put this at the end of a post, but with a pressure canner, I feel as though I should put it at the beginning. I love using my weighted pressure canner. It doesn’t stress me out and I can create so many great things with it. I also think a canning funnel is a must here. 

Before you start this process, make sure you read the general directions to your own pressure canner. They may differ from what I am sharing, and you should always follow those directions first. Also, if you are a beginner canner or even advanced, it is always a great idea to check out the National Center for Home Preservation Site for more information! 

Your Steps to Pressure Canned Venison Stew

Begin by preparing your canner and jars. Wash and sterilize quart jars, rings, and lids. Keep warm. Check the seal and center vent of your lid of the canner. Set aside. 

Heat beef broth just to boiling, and then reduce to a simmer. You can be heating this while you fill the jars. It will be ladeled over the meat and vegetables. 

Season prepared meat with seasoning mixture mentioned above (2 tablespoons per 2 ½ pounds of meat). Using a canning funnel, stuff jars with 1 cup of raw meat each. Add potatoes, onions, carrots, and celery. You may need to shake the jars a little to get things to fit all the way. Make sure you have 1 inch of headspace. 

Ladle simmering beef broth over the meat and vegetables, filling the jars to about ¾-⅘ of the way full. The meat itself will create its own broth as it cooks. I have found that if you over fill the jars with broth, siphoning occurs. ¾-⅘  of the way seems to be a perfect amount.

Canning Time!

Wipe rims with a damp cloth, center the lid on the jar and adjust the band to fingertip tight. 

Place jars on the rack of a prepared pressure canner (mine needs 3 quarts of hot water plus a splash of vinegar). 

Place the lid on the canner and heat to high heat. Once a steady stream of steam can be seen/felt, vent for 10 minutes, adjusting the heat if needed to have a steady but not crazy stream of steam. After 10 minutes, put the weighted gauge on the vent. You will want 10 pounds if your altitude is under 1000 ft; 15 pounds if you are over 1000 ft. 

Once the weight starts to jiggle (indicating it has reached the appropriate pressure), begin timing. You will need to process pint jars for 75 minutes and quart jars for 90 minutes. Once the timer has gone off, turn off and remove the canner from heat. Allow the pressure to drop on the canner all the way (read specific canner instructions for the indicator). Remove weight and allow to cool an additional 10 minutes. Remove jars from canner; do not retighten bands. Cool 12 hours, then check their seals, label, and store jars. 

We like to enjoy our stew with some frozen peas and fresh sourdough bread. Not a sourdough baker? Click here to learn more! 

Let me reiterate, this is what works for my pressure canner. I HIGHLY recommend reading and then rereading your own pressure canner directions. They aren’t hard to use, but you also don’t want to dedicate this time and effort to have something not work out.

Prepped and ready!
Seasoned meat!
Fill the jars!
All filled!
Get the broth on.
Get the canner ready!

Pressure Canned Venison Stew

Fill your shelves with a pressure canned venison stew full of potatoes, onions, carrots, and celery. Delicious and simple, you'll be using this recipe for years
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine Canning
Servings 7 quarts

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 7 cups cubed venison stew meat
  • 4 cups chopped onion
  • 4 cups diced carrot
  • 4 cups diced potato
  • 4 cups chopped celery
  • ¼ cup seasoning
  • 10-12 cups beef broth

Instructions
 

  • Begin by preparing your canner and jars. Wash and sterilize quart jars, rings, and lids. Keep warm. Check the seal and center vent of your lid the canner. Set aside.
  • Heat beef broth just to boiling, and then reduce to a simmer.
  • Season prepared meat with seasoning mixture. Fill jars with 1 cup of seasoned meat and 1/2 cup each of celery, carrots, onions, and potatoes.
  • Ladle simmering beef broth over the meat and vegetables, filling the jars to about ¾-⅘ of the way full.
  • Wipe rims with a damp cloth, center the lid on the jar and adjust the band to fingertip tight.
  • Place jars on the rack of a prepared pressure canner (mine needs 3 quarts of hot water plus a splash of vinegar).
  • Process quart jars for 90 minutes at 10 pounds. If your altitude is greater than 1000 feet, use 15 pounds. Follow the directions of your pressure canner or see the more detailed directions in the notes.

Notes

Place the lid on the canner and heat to high heat. Once a steady stream of steam can be seen/felt, vent for 10 minutes, adjusting the heat if needed to have a steady but not crazy stream of steam. After 10 minutes, put the weighted gauge on the vent. You will want 10 pounds if your altitude is under 1000 ft; 15 pounds if you are over 1000 ft.
Once the weight starts to jiggle (indicating it has reached the appropriate pressure), begin timing. You will need to process pint jars for 75 minutes and quart jars for 90 minutes. Once the timer has gone off, turn off and remove the canner from heat. Allow the pressure to drop on the canner all the way (read specific canner instructions for the indicator). Remove weight and allow to cool an additional 10 minutes. Remove jars from canner; do not retighten bands. Cool 12 hours, then check their seals, label, and store jars.
Keyword pressure canning, soup and stews, stew, venison, venison stew
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for some sourdough to pair it with? Or perhaps other venison inspiration? Check out the links below!

Jess26 Comments

Savory Venison and Wild Rice Bake

Ready for some savory venison and wild rice bake? I am so excited to share! Being a northern Wisconsin family, it may come as no surprise that a primary protein source at our house is venison. We harvest 2-4 deer a year between the gun and bow season and butcher them ourselves. Using our Kitchen Aid mixer, we grind upwards of 60 pounds of venison a year, which we use instead of ground beef or turkey 90% of the time. 

I’m always looking for new ways to use it, and this was a fun recipe to develop from scratch a few years ago. This venison and wild rice bake has a feel of tater tot hotdish (I’m close to the Minnesota border, don’t ya know?) with a true from scratch taste. You won’t find any “cream of whatever” soups in the ingredients; only true delicious wholesome foods here. I hope it becomes a go to comfort food for you like it has for us. 

Oh! And no ground venison? No problem! Substitute your favorite ground protein: beef, turkey, you name it. 

The ingredients For Venison and Wild Rice bake

  • 1 pound ground venison, seasoned with salt and pepper 
  • 6 cups low sodium chicken stock, divided
  • 1 cup long grain rice
  • 1 cup wild rice
  • 2 cups carrots, diced
  • 1 ¼ cup onion (1 large), diced
  • 1 ¼ cup celery (6 stalks), diced
  • 2 cups broccoli, diced
  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • Olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons sage
  • 2 teaspoons thyme
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour

Your Steps

In a medium saucepan, bring 5 cups chicken stock to a boil. Add sage, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic and wild rice. Cover, lower to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Add long grain rice and cook for an additional 25-30 minutes, stirring periodically to check that you still have water. You want your rice to just be tender. Test it at 40 minutes. If it gets over cooked, it will be mush once you bake it.

Meanwhile, dice and chop the onion, celery, carrots, broccoli, and mushrooms. Heat a large kettle (I love my cast iron Dutch oven) with ½ to 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the vegetables (except the mushrooms) remaining garlic, salt, pepper, sage, and thyme, cooking on a medium heat for ten minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for an additional five minutes. Remove the vegetables from the kettle and place them in a large bowl. In the same pan (The less dishes, the better, right?), cook the ground venison (or hamburger or turkey) until no longer pink. Stir into the bowl of vegetables along with cooked rice. 

Now for the Creamy part

In the same kettle, melt the butter under medium heat. Stir in flour and continue to stir until you have a beautiful golden brown color. To this, add milk, 1/4 of a cup at a time, whisking until well combined and thickened. Repeat with the remaining chicken stock. Pepper to taste. Stir in to the vegetables, rice, and browned venison. Taste once more, adding salt and pepper as needed.

Spread the mixture into a greased casserole dish and bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 425 degrees, until just crispy on the top and hot all the way through. Often, I will prep mine in the morning or the day before and refrigerate until we are ready to eat. If baked after being refrigerated, bake covered for 15 minutes and then gave it an additional 15-20 minutes without a cover. It will be perfectly crispy on the top and creamy in the middle. A wonderful comfort food. 

Sauté those vegetables.
Check that beautiful roux.
Slow and steady with the milk and stock.
Pour it in and mix it up!
Almost ready, just bake it!
So comforting. Yum.

Tools of the Trade

What are some tools I can’t live without? First, my Pyrex baking dishes are a go to for all things baked. And I love a lot of baked dishes. I also really dig my flexible cutting boards and my goodness, as silly as this sounds, this is my favorite whisk. I have had it for years and it’s truly the only one I use.

Savory Venison Wild Rice Bake

Savory herbs, two types of rice, and ground venison come together for a delicious venison and wild rice bake.
5 from 13 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground venison seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 6 cups low sodium chicken stock divided
  • 1 cup long grain rice
  • 1 cup wild rice
  • 2 cups carrots diced
  • 1 ¼ cup onion 1 large, diced
  • 1 ¼ cup celery 6 stalks, diced
  • 2 cups broccoli diced
  • 1 cup mushrooms sliced
  • Olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons sage
  • 2 teaspoons thyme
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour

Instructions
 

  • In a medium saucepan, bring 5 cups chicken stock to a boil. Add sage, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic and wild rice. Cover, lower to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Add long grain rice and cook for an additional 30-35 minutes, stirring periodically to check that you still have water. You want your rice to just be tender. Test it at 40 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, dice and chop the onion, celery, carrots, broccoli, and mushrooms. Heat a large kettle with ½ to 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the vegetables (except the mushrooms) remaining garlic, salt, pepper, sage, and thyme, cooking on a medium heat for ten minutes.
  • Add mushrooms and cook for an additional five minutes. Remove the vegetables from the kettle and place them in a large bowl.
  • In the same pan, add an additional 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and cook the ground venison (or hamburger or turkey) until no longer pink. Stir into the bowl of vegetables along with cooked rice.
  • In the same kettle, melt the butter under medium-low heat. Stir in flour and continue to stir until you have a beautiful golden brown color. To this, add milk, 1/4 of a cup at a time, whisking until well combined and thickened. Repeat with the remaining chicken stock. Pepper to taste.
  • Stir in to the vegetables, rice, and browned venison. Taste once more, adding salt and pepper as needed.
  • Spread the mixture into a greased casserole dish and bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 425 degrees, until just crispy on the top and hot all the way through.

Notes

This can be prepped early, say the night before or in the morning. If baked after being refrigerated, bake covered for 15 minutes and then gave it an additional 15-20 minutes without a cover. It will be perfectly crispy on the top and creamy in the middle.
Keyword from scratch, rice pilaf, vegetables, venison, venison recipe, whole foods, wild rice
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Can I share some other favorites of mine?

Check out the recipes below for other meal inspiration!

Jess34 Comments

Garden Fresh Tomato Sauce

Canning and preserving from my garden is my jam all summer long. I love the color, the flavor, the dirt under my nails and ALLL the mason jars. Seriously, there isn’t much better than a line of mason jars that are full of the garden’s bounty. I remember when I first started planting our garden, my theory was, “Plant all the plants. The worst thing that happens is that some of the food goes to the chickens, our friends, or the compost pile.” But I love to fill our shelves and freezer with food we grew, so it rarely goes to waste. One of my favorite things to preserve is garden fresh tomato sauce. 

After trying a few different recipes, I developed this lower yield recipe (15 pounds really is a lower yield! Check out any Ball Canning Book to see!). I hear you saying, “But Jess! I don’t have 15 pounds of tomatoes ready at any time and I don’t go to the farmer’s market!”. I’ve got your back with a great solution: The freezer.

The Hack

I rarely have enough tomatoes ripe at one time for 15 pounds. If you are like me, let me share the trick that was an immediate love for me: When you have a large amount of ripe tomatoes on the counter, stem, wash, and dry them. From here, place the tomatoes in a freezer safe container or bag. I like to label them with their weight ahead of time. When you are ready for canning, simply take the bags out a day or two ahead of time to thaw (or you can place them in the sink with warm water to speed up the process). 

This method is awesome for two reasons: 

  1. You can use your own tomatoes, even if you don’t have a ton of plants. They won’t rot on your counter waiting. 
  2. When the tomatoes thaw, the skins come right off. I like to can my sauce with the skin (so many of the nutrients are there!), but it is nice to get rid of a few of them. 

Regardless of how you come by your tomatoes (friends, farmer’s market, your own dirt), let’s get going with some great garden fresh tomato sauce! Oh, and if you plan on canning it and are new to it, check out the National Center for Home Preservation Site for more information! 

Your Ingredients For Garden Fresh Tomato Sauce

  • 15 pounds of tomatoes, cleaned and roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil 
  • 2 cups onions
  • 3 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh oregano
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pepper 
  • 1 tablespoon canning salt 

Your Steps to Garden Fresh Tomato Sauce

Cooking

Begin by heating olive oil over medium heat in a sauté pan. Add onions and garlic. Cook until translucent and soft, about ten minutes, stirring often. 

In a large kettle, combine onion mixture, chopped tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Continue to simmer over medium heat, stirring often. 

Pro tip

As the sauce is cooking down, you will have a lot of liquid that you are simmering off. You can cut your cook time significantly by bailing out this liquid using a colander and measuring cup. Push the colander down onto the tomatoes, forcing the liquid up. Then use the measuring cup to ladle it out. You can simply dump it or save it as a light tomato juice. I ladle it into mason jars and save it in the fridge for my husband. 

After the tomatoes have begun to break down (about 30-60 minutes later), puree them. I like to use my stick blender to do this. It means less dishes to clean! Alternatively, you can transfer it to a food mill to puree. Once totally in sauce form, continue to cook down until the volume of the sauce has reduced to about one-half the original amount. 

Canning

While the tomatoes are cooking down, you can begin to prepare your canner and jars if you plan on processing them. (If you want to simply place the sauce in the freezer, that’s totally okay. You can transfer it to freezer safe containers or bags and freeze once cool.)

Wash and sanitize pint or quart jars, rings, and lids. Keep warm. Fill the canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 2 inches of water. Cover and heat on high. Watch the temperature, you want a simmer but not a boil when you place the jars in the water. 

Once the sauce and canner are ready, you can begin to fill the jars. To be sure there is enough acid to have self stable jars, you must add citric acid or bottled lemon juice. 

  • Add ¼ teaspoon citric acid or 1 tablespoon lemon juice to pint jars. 
  • Add ½ teaspoon citric acid or 2 tablespoons lemon juice to quart jars. 

Finish it up!

Ladle the hot tomato sauce into jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Wipe rims of the jars with a damp cloth, add lids and rings, tightening to fingertip tight. Place in the canner, increasing the heat to high. Once the canner reaches a boil, process pint jars 35 minutes or quart jars 40 minutes. Remove from heat and allow jars to cool in the canner over 5 minutes. Then remove jars from the canner, placing them on the counter. Listen for the ping of the lids over the next 12 hours. Sealed jars are self-stable. If any jar doesn’t seal, simply place it right in the refrigerator and enjoy over the next week or so. 

Onions and garlic. Perhaps the best smell?
I adore all the color!
Slowly cooking down.
Getting so much closer!
Bailing it out is such a hack!
Blended and cooked down!
Get the jars ready!
Almost there!
Delicious!

Looking to preserve more of your garden? Check out my canning and preserving page by clicking the button!

Canning and Preserving

Tools of the Trade

I adore my immersion blender for all things canning when I need to blend. Canning tools are a must and what is canning if you don’t have a waterbath canner?

Garden Fresh Tomato Sauce

Basil, oregano, and garlic flavor this great tomato sauce
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Processing Time 40 minutes
Course dinner
Cuisine Canning
Servings 3 quarts

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 15 pounds of tomatoes cleaned and roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups onions
  • 3 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 cup fresh basil chopped
  • ½ cup fresh oregano
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pepper
  • 1 tablespoon canning salt

Instructions
 

  • Begin by heating olive oil over medium heat in a sauté pan. Add onions and garlic. Cook until translucent and soft, about ten minutes, stirring often.
  • In a large kettle, combine onion mixture, chopped tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Continue to simmer over medium heat, stirring often.
  • After the tomatoes have begun to break down (about 30-60 minutes later), puree them. A stick blender or food mill works well. Once totally in sauce form, continue to cook down until the volume of the sauce has reduced to about one-half the original amount.
  • While the tomatoes are cooking down, you can begin to prepare your canner and jars if you plan on processing them. (If you want to simply place the sauce in the freezer, that’s totally okay. You can transfer it to freezer safe containers or bags and freeze once cool.)
  • Wash and sanitize pint or quart jars, rings, and lids. Keep warm. Fill the canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 2 inches of water. Cover and heat on high. Watch the temperature, you want a simmer but not a boil when you place the jars in the water.
  • Once the sauce and canner are ready, you can begin to fill the jars. To be sure there is enough acid to have self stable jars, you must add citric acid or bottled lemon juice.
  • Add ¼ teaspoon citric acid or 1 tablespoon lemon juice to pint jars. Add ½ teaspoon citric acid or 2 tablespoons lemon juice to quart jars.
  • Ladle the hot tomato sauce into jars, leaving ½ inch headspace.
  • Wipe rims of the jars with a damp cloth, add lids and rings, tightening to fingertip tight. Place in the canner, increasing the heat to high.
  • Once the canner reaches a boil, process pint jars 35 minutes or quart jars 40 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and allow jars to cool in the canner over 5 minutes. Then remove jars from the canner, placing them on the counter.

Notes

As the sauce is cooking down, you will have a lot of liquid that you are simmering off. You can cut your cook time significantly by bailing out this liquid using a colander and measuring cup. Push the colander down onto the tomatoes, forcing the liquid up. Then use the measuring cup to ladle it out. You can simply dump it or save it as a light tomato juice.
Keyword Canning, from the garden, preserving, tomato sauce, tomatoes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Honey and Soy Marinated Chicken Bites

Are you ever the person who feels like they are always late to the party, intentional or not? I certainly am. I’m the girl who decides not to read Harry Potter or buy an Instapot simply because it’s what everyone else is doing and I want to be unique…or something. It doesn’t always work in my favor, but we all have our quirks, right? For me, I was late to the party with the air fryer. But friends, I bought one and now I can’t stop using it. And here, I am so excited to share honey and soy marinated chicken bites. 

Initially, I had boneless, skinless chicken thighs to cook up. I marinated them and cooked them whole. My family RAVED about them. Unfortunately, I don’t generally have thighs on hand; however, I almost always have chicken breasts on hand. My son gets frustrated with chicken because it can be dry, but he was head over heels for these honey and soy marinated chicken bites. He even requested I bring the air fryer on vacation with us so we could share this recipe with our whole extended family. That didn’t happen, but these will be on our “go to meals” list as the school year gets underway! 

YOUR INGREDIENTS⁠

  • 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks⁠
  • 1/4 cup honey ⁠
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce⁠
  • 1 tablespoon water⁠
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic⁠
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ⁠
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar⁠
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil ⁠
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger⁠
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion ⁠
  • a shake or two of red pepper flakes⁠

Your Steps to Honey and Soy Marinated Chicken Bites

Combine all marinade ingredients in a liquid measuring cup. Whisk together until well blended. Place cubed chicken in a 1 gallon plastic bag. Massage the chicken slightly and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. ⁠

When you are ready to cook chicken, preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees. Cook for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through. ⁠

I served this chicken with jasmine rice (so good!) that was seasoned with some salt and pepper. I also did a quick stir fry in sesame oil of some red onions and snap peas from the garden. Those got a small shake of soy sauce with a little cornstarch to thicken it mixed with minced garlic and ground ginger and red pepper flakes. So good! ⁠

  • Pro tip: Mix in a liquid measuring cup!
  • Easy to measure! Easy to pour!
  • Filet knife for the win!
  • Season it up!
  • Marinade it up!
  • Peas and Onions
    Cook it up!
  • Finished dinner
    And serve! A complete and beautiful meal!

Tools of the Trade

I am telling you, I was slow the the air fryer game, but I absolutely adore mine. I also love a good filet knife for ease in cutting up anything from fish to chicken. These are my favorites!

Looking for other dinner inspiration? Check out my cooking page here!

Finished dinner

Honey and Soy Marinated Chicken Bites

A quick eat for weeknight meals: Use your air fryer to cook up some delicious and healthy honey and soy marinated chicken bites!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Rest Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4 people

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks⁠
  • 1/4 cup honey ⁠
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce⁠
  • 1 tablespoon water⁠
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ⁠
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic⁠
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar⁠
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil ⁠
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger⁠
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion ⁠
  • a shake or two of red pepper flakes⁠

Instructions
 

  • Combine all marinade ingredients in a liquid measuring cup. Whisk together until well blended. Place cubed chicken in a 1 gallon plastic bag.
  • Massage the chicken slightly and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. ⁠
  • When you are ready to cook chicken, preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees.
  • Cook for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
  • ⁠Serve with jasmine rice and some quick stir fried vegetables of your choice such as broccoli, red onions, or sugar snap peas.
Keyword air fryer, chicken, chicken breast, marinated chicken
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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