Chicken Satay Made Easy – A One-Pan Wonder

Big flavor, simple ingredients, and zero need for outdoor cooking.

Every so many months, we make it our mission to dig about in the back of the pantry cabinet and check for things getting dangerously close to their best-by dates. This round, we found some coconut milk and a bottle of San-J Thai peanut sauce, and we decided a satay was in order. The grill, unfortunately, was not an option, since we've had rainy weather for the whole week, so we chose to omit the skewers and charcoal and employ a hefty saute pan instead. Turns out, a little flexibility goes a long way in the kitchen. With a few simple swaps and the right technique, you can enjoy all the bold flavors of a classic satay—no grill required.

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken tenderloin

1/2 large yellow onion

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

8 ounces peanut sauce, divided

6 ounces coconut milk (about half a can)

1 tablespoon red curry paste

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon lemon juice 

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 bag fresh spinach

Tools:

gallon Ziploc bag or other watertight container for marinating

measuring cups and spoons

cutting board

knife

tongs

spoon

large saute pan with lid

can opener (if your coconut milk doesn't have a pull tab)

The night before, put your chicken into a Ziploc or other container, shake the bottle of peanut sauce and pour 3-4 ounces of the sauce over the chicken, seal the container up and set it in the fridge to marinate overnight (and to safely defrost, if necessary).

In the event your veggies aren't washed and ready to go, take a moment and wash them before you begin all the other steps. The spinach in particular will take a bit to drain.

Measure your olive oil into the saute pan and tilt to spread it around. Add extra if you feel so compelled, but we don't feel like it really needs much. You may even need less if you're using a nonstick saute pan.

Food safety rules dictate that the first item on the cutting board should be your onion (veggies before raw meats to avoid cross contamination; a good habit to stick to, even though in this case we intend to cook the onion and chicken together). Trim the ends, cut in half down the center, and save half for something else. Cut the remaining half down into skinny slivers, separate the onion layers and toss them into the saute pan with the olive oil.

Drain off and discard the watered-down peanut sauce from the chicken, and cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Use the tongs to transfer the chicken to the saute pan, then crank up the heat to medium and place the lid on the pan. Allow the chicken and onion to cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Larger pieces of chicken will call for longer cooking times, but the goal is to cook the chicken through. If in doubt, you can always use a meat thermometer.

Shake and pop open your can of coconut milk and measure six ounces (about half the can) into the pan. Add the soy sauce, lemon juice, and red curry paste. Stir until a uniform color is achieved. It'll take a little convincing for the curry paste to melt into the sauce. This why we're holding off on our other darker-colored ingredient for a moment: to ensure we get that paste evenly distributed.

Reduce the heat to a quick simmer, place the lid back onto the saute pan, grab and shake the bottle of peanut sauce, and make sure you've got most of the moisture out of your fresh spinach. Give it a little squeeze or press if necessary; you don't want to accidentally water down your sauce. The spinach brings enough moisture without excess water.

Remove the lid from the pan, sprinkle in the cumin and coriander, add four ounces of the peanut sauce, and stir thoroughly. Allow to simmer - uncovered this time - until the sauce reduces, about four minutes.

Add in the spinach, stir quickly, put the lid back on, and turn off the heat under the saute pan. Allow everything to sit undisturbed for a few minutes, watching until the spinach is visibly wilted.

Lift the lid, stir again to distribute the spinach evenly, and serve with your choice of carbohydrate (rice being the most traditional choice).

Great meals don’t always need elaborate planning—sometimes, all it takes is working with what you have. The same goes for your kitchen. Whether it’s a quick fix or routine maintenance, keeping your appliances in top shape ensures that every meal, whether planned or improvised, comes together without a hitch. If your stove, fridge, or any other essential appliance needs attention, our team at Appliance Rescue Service is ready to help. Because when your kitchen runs smoothly, so does everything else.

Website
Call (214) 599-0055

Additional Reading
Energizing Tuna and Turmeric Rice Balls: Perfect for Busy Days

Caffeinated Comfort: Pumpkin Muffins with Coffee Cream Cheese Frosting

Spice Up Dessert: Walnut Cayenne Tahini Cake 

How We Fixed the Holiday’s Most Divisive Dish

 More veggies, more flavor, and way less salt—this is green bean casserole done right.

It seems like every holiday season, every gathering is subjected to the "classic" green bean casserole. You know the thing - a giant dish of canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup, sometimes bacon, usually fried onion... Always buckets of salt, and the same cloying, sticky mass lacking both flavor and texture.

Ingredients:

2 14-oz bags frozen Prince Charles vegetable blend

1 smoked sausage rope

1 yellow onion

5 ounces shredded cabbage

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus a little extra to grease the dish

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 cup low sodium broth (chicken or vegetable)

1 cup 2% milk

 salt and pepper, to taste

2 ounces shredded cheddar or Colby jack cheese (optional)

Tools:

Sauté pan with lid

Colander

Cutting board

Knife

Whisk

Tongs

Measuring cups and spoons

9x13 baking dish

The guys in particular are adamantly anti-green bean casserole. One (beloved) grandparent has made it the same Campbell's-approved way for FORTY FIVE YEARS. Dad won't even look at it any more, after a childhood of the siblings sneaking their portions onto his plate. The teen won't touch it, or any other canned vegetable, having been rather spoiled by a combination of hidden vegetables and as-fresh-as-possible at all other occasions. The rest of us look at it and kind of sigh internally, but will consume it in the name of family harmony. There are a few left in the family who truly enjoy it, but we feel it was long past time for a change. 

While it took us a while, we believe we have finally tackled the challenge of a non-standard green bean casserole. Something with visual impact, depth of flavor, and a variety of textures. And also a LOT less salt. Some of us are sensitive to it, after all. In short, we think we've devised something to put on the table next year that hopefully won't be ignored like the usual casserole. Try it on the in between so you have most of the year to make it yours, and you can really take the family by surprise next Thanksgiving.

The big difference maker in this is the fact we're using five vegetables instead of just the bland, mushy singular. Green beans are fantastic - but canned green beans are just sad. Fresh is always the best option, but in the names of frugality (out of season produce is expensive!), availability (does your grocery store have fresh wax beans? Ours doesn't) and convenience, we're opting to use frozen.

If you're not familiar with the Prince Charles blend of vegetables, it's just green beans, wax beans and carrots. We feel like the mix is normally a little light on the carrots, so we like to add in an extra handful of baby carrots. Whether or not you do the same is your choice.

As always, wash any produce that didn't make its way to you already washed, prepped and ready to eat.

Toss your green beans, wax beans and carrots into the sauté pan with just a little water (half a cup at most). Set the heat to medium, put the lid on the pan and let them steam for six to eight minutes.

While they steam, chop your onion, shred your cabbage and cut the rope sausage to whatever size pieces you prefer. In this case, larger chunks of sausage will not affect the cook time, since it's precooked. You can choose any flavor of smoked sausage, but we used the Hillshire Farm roasted garlic chicken sausage.

After you've steamed the vegetable mix, pour it all into the colander to get rid of the excess water, then transfer it to a large mixing bowl. If you started with frozen like we did, it won't be cooked through, and this is a desirable outcome. We don't want mushy green beans after they've been baked - the whole point here was to flip the script on squishy, sad casserole - so we don't want them floppy before they've even made it to the oven.

Put the sauté pan back on the stove and flip the sausage, cabbage and onion into it. Add the garlic. Replace the lid and allow that to cook, covered, until the onion is translucent, stirring occasionally. When the onions are translucent and the cabbage has changed color, use tongs to transfer all of it into the mixing bowl with the beans and carrots. Stir to combine.

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. Pour the big mixing bowl of veggies into the baking dish and arrange them into an even layer. Add a little salt and pepper, if you so desire.

That same sauté pan, which probably would like to know when it gets a break by this point, needs to go back on the burner, still on medium. Melt the two tablespoons of butter and sift the flour into it, whisking it together to make a roux. As the color starts to deepen, add the smoked paprika, parsley and thyme. Continue to whisk to combine. Measure in your broth and milk, stirring constantly. Make sure to scrape sides and the bottom of the pan as you go, stirring until the sauce thickens.

Once your sauce has reached the desired consistency, pour it evenly over the vegetables and set that poor sauté pan down to cool (its work here is finally done for the day). Grate a thin layer of cheese over the top if desired, move the dish into the oven and allow it to bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

The holidays are all about tradition, but there’s nothing wrong with giving those traditions a little refresh—especially when it means bringing bold flavors and vibrant textures to the table. And just like a good holiday dish, your home’s appliances need a little care to keep everything running smoothly. Whether it’s a finicky oven or a fridge that’s working overtime, our team at Appliance Rescue Service is here to help. Because the only thing that should be bubbling over this season is your excitement—not your appliances!

Website

Call   (214) 599-0055

Additional Reading

Berry Bliss: A Delectable Mixed-Berry Clafouti Recipe

Ladle Love: Wholesome Potato Leek Soup Recipe

Fall Comfort Food: How to Make Perfectly Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

How to Make a Crescent Veggie Bacon Ring That Even Picky Eaters Will Love

A simple, creative recipe that combines veggies, bacon, and cheese in an irresistible way.

Sometimes, inspiration comes from the weirdest places. This recipe is, in part, inspired by a computer game we played as kids and somehow continue to play now (despite the elapsed time being measured in decades). One available character enjoys bacon and broccoli omelettes. While this hardly counts as an omelette, containing only one egg, and has much more potato and onion than bacon or broccoli, none of that changes where the idea was inspired. And honestly, getting the teenager to eat vegetables can still be a bit of a chore. Hiding the veggies inside a distracting presentation sometimes does the trick. Excessively carb-heavy foods can also do the trick. This is both visually interesting and carbohydrate-laden, and the teenager ate a double serving. The metric holds.

Ingredients:

8 slices of bacon

1 12-oz bag frozen broccoli cuts

3 red potatoes

1/2 yellow onion

8 ounces Colby jack cheese

1 can of crescent rolls

1 large egg

2 tablespoons 2% milk

1 tablespoon dried parsley

salt and pepper, to taste

Tools:

Cutting board

Knife

Cheese grater

Vegetable peeler

Measuring cup(s) and spoon(s)

Frying pan with lid

Baking sheet or pizza pan

Small bowl

Plate with paper towel (for bacon)

Whisk or fork

Tongs

Parchment paper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

As always, wash your produce before beginning! This step isn't necessary for the frozen broccoli and will instead make it soggy - but if you instead choose to use fresh broccoli, please wash and allow to dry thoroughly.

Peel your potatoes and dice them finely. The smaller the pieces are, the quicker they'll cook. Give the yellow onion half the same fine-dice treatment, and chop your broccoli to the desired size. If you're not sneaking veggies into the dish, feel free to leave larger florets for the visual impact. 

Fry up your bacon slices in the frying pan on medium-high. Don't drain off the grease when you remove the bacon slices - you'll need it for the veggies.

Set the bacon to the side (use the paper towel on a plate to absorb any excess oil) and transfer your chopped vegetables to the frying pan. Season generously with salt and pepper. Seriously, generously! However much you think is enough, be prepared to add more. Taste a little and decide.

Reduce the heat to medium and cover. Allow to cook until soft, stirring occasionally with the tongs. This may take several minutes, depending on the size to which you diced your vegetables and the size and material of the pan.

Since you've got a few free minutes while you wait on those vegetables, it's a good moment to take that block of cheese and grate it. We're sure you've heard it before, but freshly grated cheese melts so much better than the stuff in the plastic bag in the grocery store. It's extra work, sure, but the improvement in the end product is so worth it. 

Spread a sheet of parchment paper out on the counter or table. Pop the can of crescent rolls and separate the triangles. Lay them on the parchment in a star configuration with an open center. Have the corners of the base of each triangle overlap a little so that they stay connected while they bake.

Make sure your crescents are close enough together to fit on your baking sheet. We prefer a pizza pan, since we're making a ring, but not every household has one rolling around a cabinet and we get that. A baking sheet is fine so long as you have enough space to support your ring without crushing it into an oval.

Gently transfer your crescent ring to the baking sheet or pizza pan. It's fine if the points of the triangles are drooping over the sides, since you'll fold them inward shortly. Place a slice of bacon on each triangle. If you've cooked the bacon extra crispy, like we did, press down a little on the center to break the bacon strip so it will fold easier when you close up the ring.

Take the rest of the bacon and chop, tear or smash it. Set that aside for now, but you'll want it again soon.

Crack the egg into a small dish and measure in the milk. Whisk the egg and milk together. Once the veggies are soft, pour the egg and milk mixture over and stir. Don't worry about cooking the egg through entirely; it's more just a binding agent.

Scoop a spoonful of the egg and vegetable mixture onto each triangle. Try to distribute it as evenly as you can, but there's pretty much always going to be one that's accidentally heavier than intended - usually right as you get started or as you reach the bottom of the pan. You can move little bits around with the tongs to try and even it out, but try not to break it up too much (we want the egg to sort of  hold it together).

That bacon you pulverized a minute ago? Sprinkle it all over the egg and vegetable mixture. Add your dried parsley at this stage, too. It's fine if some ends up in the center of the ring, but try to get most of it to stick to the egg.  

Sprinkle the majority of the cheese over the hot egg and vegetable mixture. Reserve a little for the top of the crescents. Fold each crescent triangle over toward the center. Break the bacon strips in an extra spot or two if necessary, just be sure not to stretch the crescent too thin in bringing the point to the middle.

Spread the remaining cheese over the top and pop it in the oven for 22 minutes. Allow it to cool for at least two minutes before cutting and serving the crescents.

Who says getting creative in the kitchen can’t be both delicious and practical? This crescent veggie bacon ring isn’t just a hit with picky eaters; it’s a surefire way to use simple ingredients to make something unforgettable. And while you focus on whipping up dishes like this, let Appliance Rescue Service take care of the heavy lifting when it comes to keeping your kitchen appliances running smoothly. Because whether it’s your oven, fridge, or dishwasher, our team is here to ensure your culinary adventures never miss a beat. 

Website

Call (214) 599-0055

Additional Reading

Cheese Lover's Dream: A Must-Try Cabbage Bake

Hearty Chicken and Broccoli Bake for Chilly Nights

A Taste of Autumn: Easy Chicken Bake with Spinach and Artichokes

Herby, Cheesy Perfection: A Mac and Cheese Recipe You’ll Love

A rich blend of cheeses and herbs to take your mac and cheese to the next level

There’s something about the first bite of homemade macaroni and cheese that takes you straight back to childhood, comforting you like a warm hug on a cold day. But this isn’t your average mac and cheese – it’s packed with rich, creamy cheese and an aromatic blend of herbs that elevate this classic dish to something extraordinary. Whether you’re feeding a crowd or simply indulging in some much-needed comfort food, this herby mac and cheese will hit the spot every time. Ready to dig in?

Ingredients:

1 pound dry medium pasta shells

1/2 cup water

1 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 cups half and half

8 ounce brick of mozzarella cheese

5 ounce tub of shredded parmesan cheese

2 cups dry grated pecorino romano cheese

2 eggs

2 cups 2% milk

3 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons oregano

1 tablespoon fennel seed

1 tablespoon basil

1 tablespoon parsley

1 teaspoon marjoram

1 teaspoon sage

1 teaspoon tarragon

salt and black pepper, to taste

Tools:

stock pot

colander

Dutch oven

measuring cups and spoons

cheese grater

whisk

spoons

mixing bowl

While we would love for this to be a one-pot meal, there's really not an efficient way to manage that (at least, not one we've found - if you've got one, please share!). So, for better or for worse, there will be a couple pots to wash at the end of this. But the GIANT pot of homemade macaroni and cheese makes up for it, in our opinion.

After making it through the holidays, we're usually tired of eating food that fits everyone else's preferences. Once we're home again from whatever traveling we did, it's time for comfort food. Lots of comfort food, usually, because we're still of a mindset to cook for a crowd. That tends to linger.

Enter macaroni and cheese, the ultimate, kid-pleasing, crowd-feeding dish of comfort food. Use it as a side, use it as a main course, eat it as a snack... It's versatile like that.

Strangely enough, there's not a veggie to be found in this recipe. It's a rarity for us, we know, but allow it to be a testament to the fact we are /exhausted/ in general. (The fact we also spent a week in a vegetarian household during the holiday break may also have had some influence.)

Fill the stock pot with water enough for your pound of pasta, crank up the heat to bring it to a boil, and salt it generously. We'll need to cook the pasta all by its lonesome, so set a timer and have the colander ready. We like to shave a couple minutes off the box directions because the pasta will still absorb more moisture from the cheese sauce when we reach the baking step.

Set the heat under your Dutch oven to low and melt the butter while you wait for the water to come to a boil. (Yes, we are aware that an entire stick of butter is a lot. Perhaps you've seen this recipe is rather heavy on the fatty dairy stuff. Our little concessions are half and half instead of heavy cream and 2% reduced fat milk instead of whole milk... mostly because it's what we keep on hand. Feel free to make other substitutions of your own design - this recipe is yours now.)

While the butter melts, preheat the oven to 350 and shred up the brick of mozzarella cheese. Don't cheat and use pre-shredded, as it will change the entire texture of the cheese sauce later. Set the mozzarella aside, as it will still be a few minutes before you need it.

To the now melted butter, add the garlic, oregano, parsley, basil, fennel seed, sage, marjoram, tarragon and pepper. Stir it all up with a whisk and allow it to heat until fragrant, maybe two minutes.

Add the all-purpose flour to the pan and stir it in. Yes, it will be pasty and look unappealing, but it's all part of the process of making a roux. Increase the heat a little, and stir frequently until the scent of the mixture begins to change, as does the color.

Around now, it should be time to drain your pasta. Make sure not to leave it in the colander for it to get sticky and cold - return it to the pot after draining and put a lid on it.

Measure in the half and half at this point, increase the heat further to medium-high, and bring it up to a boil. Be sure to stir constantly. Continue stirring over medium-high heat for two minutes, then cut the heat, remove the pan, and add in the mozzarella, parmesan and pecorino romano cheeses. Trade the whisk for a spoon and stir until melted. It'll be extremely dense and stretchy, but don't worry, this isn't the final version of the sauce.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the two eggs and your salt and pepper into the milk. Once combined, add this to the still-hot Dutch oven and stir thoroughly. It may look like it'll never mix in, but it will. And once it does, you'll be left with a glossy off-white cheese sauce flecked with herbs. After you've achieved the glossy stage, pour your pre-cooked pasta into the sauce and stir to cover.

Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes. Feel free to garnish with more herbs before serving.

When it comes to comfort food, it’s hard to beat the creamy, cheesy goodness of mac and cheese. With a generous sprinkle of aromatic herbs and a rich blend of cheeses, this dish is sure to please even the pickiest eaters. Plus, it's so versatile – serve it as a side, main course, or snack, and it’ll always steal the show. And while you're whipping up meals like this, don’t forget about your kitchen appliances! If you ever find yourself in need of repairs, our team at Appliance Rescue Service is here to help ensure your kitchen stays in tip-top shape, so you can focus on creating delicious dishes like this one without a hitch.

Website

Call: (214) 599-0055

Additional Reading

Halloween Drunken Noodles: Perfect for Chilly Nights

Fall Comfort Food: How to Make Perfectly Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

Jalapeno Chicken Bowtie Pasta

Leftovers to Luxe: Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

No Stuffing, No Stress—Just Delicious!

Typically by this point in the holiday season, the whole house is sick of ham. But there's always more ham in the fridge. We needed to get a little more creative with the dinner menu, ensuring the ham (and anything else left from marathon holiday meals) doesn't go to waste.

We have never met someone who disliked chicken cordon bleu. We have also never met anyone who truly enjoyed the process of making chicken cordon bleu. As a direct result of this, we have decided to create an un-stuffed, un-breaded, non-traditional take on a chicken cordon bleu. A casserole... which also happens to use up the remaining carrots, partial brick of cheese and nearly empty carton of heavy cream we had lingering in the fridge.

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs

8-10 slices of leftover holiday ham

3/4 cup shredded carrots

5-6 ounces cheese, grated (recommend Swiss but can be any strong cheese)

1/4 cup heavy cream 

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

Black pepper to taste

Tools:

Large Dutch oven or stovetop safe casserole dish

Cheese grater

Cutting board

Knife

Serving spoon

Measuring cups and spoons

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In your Dutch oven, melt down the four tablespoons of butter over medium low heat. Measure in your minced garlic and allow it to heat until fragrant.

We started with ready to eat matchstick carrots, but in the event you are starting with whole carrots, please wash your produce! And then proceed to chop or shred in your desired fashion. Add the carrots to the garlic and butter.

Tear or cut your pre-cooked ham slices to your desired size and set them aside; we'll add them in a few minutes.

Increase the heat under the pan to medium. Stir to prevent sticking.

Rough chop your chicken into one inch pieces, trimming off and discarding any fatty bits you might encounter. Push the carrots to one side and add the chicken to the Dutch oven. Cover the pan and allow the chicken to cook for five to eight minutes (wait for the color to change).

While you wait for the chicken pieces to cook through, shred your cheese into a small container. Swiss is the traditional choice for a cordon bleu, but no one says traditional is the only option. We're big fans of using up what we have. As such, we shredded a bunch of sharp cheese we've lost the label for in the hectic holiday rush. This house likes sharp, tangy cheeses - but please adjust for your own family's preferences.

Remove the lid, give everything a stir, and sprinkle in the rosemary, celery salt and ground mustard. Crack in some fresh black pepper, as much or as little as you like. Add the ham pieces to the pan, and then stir everything again. Measure in the heavy cream, sprinkle the shredded cheese over top, and transfer the uncovered Dutch oven to the oven.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until most of the moisture has evaporated from the cream and the cheese has melted and begun to bubble. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before attempting to serve.

We served ours over some wide egg noodles and with a side of mixed vegetables (because just one veggie is never enough).

If you're looking for more ways to use up those holiday leftovers, let this dish inspire your creativity. Think of it as a blueprint for transforming what's in your fridge into something comforting and satisfying. Swap out the ham for turkey, leftover roast beef, or even roasted vegetables for a vegetarian twist. Experiment with different cheeses to keep things interesting—Gruyère, sharp cheddar, or even a smoky gouda can take this dish in an entirely new direction. Don’t be afraid to add a handful of fresh spinach or kale for a pop of color and a boost of nutrients. The beauty of this recipe lies in its adaptability—it’s your chance to make something uniquely suited to your family’s tastes while keeping food waste to a minimum.

We know that post-holiday cleanup isn't limited to food. Your kitchen appliances have likely been working overtime, and now is the perfect time to give them a little TLC. Did your oven take longer than expected to preheat during those marathon baking sessions? Or did your stovetop struggle to keep up with the gravy and sauces? Even small inefficiencies can add up over time. That’s where our team at Appliance Rescue Service comes in. Whether it’s a quick fix or a more involved repair, we’re here to ensure your appliances are operating at their best, so you can continue creating meals that bring warmth and joy to your home. Because when your appliances are in good hands, so is your kitchen—and, ultimately, your holiday memories.

Website

Call: (214) 599-0055