Scampi or Alfredo Sauce Recipes

Here are two basic recipes, one is a scampi sauce and the other is alfredo. Both are quick, easy, and fabulous with pasta and some other additions we like, with many suggestions below.

We love our scampi or alfredo with any meats, shrimp, and crab are the two favorites; however, chicken and other meats can be substituted.

Mix and match, however, your family likes theirs with these easy, quick sauces.

My Grandmother made a different style of Authentic Alfredo that was a staple when she grew up in Italy, and has no cream in it like the American version.

If you’re craving something rich, creamy, and comforting without spending hours in the kitchenI recommend Chicken Alfredo. It's super creamy and hearty. If you want a light sauce, then try the scampi sauce and add whatever you prefer to it.

Cabbage, Beef, Rice and Bean Skillet

Here is an easy side dish all in one pan meal we make often called Cabbage, Beef, Rice, and Bean Skillet.



This skillet is perfect for weeknight meals a delicious addition to your quick recipe collection and any meat can be added even leftovers like boneless turkey, chicken, or pork cubed.



The meal is very economical, quick, and super easy loaded with vegetables and protein.



I have even used this recipe to make delicious air fried tacos, wraps, or using corn tortilla crumbled on top for another whole meal loaded like nachos.



One of my favorites easy dinners and can be transformed into several other kinds of meals!



Make sure you check out my suggestions for creating new meals to prepare with this great skillet!



If you're a cabbage lover you may also like my stuffed cabbage rolls and ham cabbage and potato soup!



Scroll down to the bottom for this yummy printable recipe to print off.

Italian Sauteed Spinach

If you love spinach here are two recipes below we love using fresh spinach sauteed in olive oil and garlic.



The other recipe uses Brussels sprouts, spinach, and sliced almonds and also excellent.



I have only used fresh spinach leaves in my recipes but I have been told canned and frozen also will work with this simple side dish.



Spinach can be used in so many ways and so versatile.



Great for stuffing in a stromboli pizza dough, on a burger, in quiches, or just using this as a bed of spinach under some baked fish.



This versatile recipe can be spicy or plain depending on how much heat you like, and with the addition of a Utica grind of red pepper that's exactly how we serve ours.



If you love spinach, this is an easy way to serve it, and just adapt these recipes below to your taste.



Scroll down to the printable recipe card for both recipes on Italian Style Sauteed Spinach and Spinach with Brussels Sprouts.

Bruschetta Antipasto Appetizer

Bruschetta Antipasto Appetizer is a salad on top of toasted garlic bread.


Here is a great way to have a delicious brunch lunch or dinner all on an open-faced sandwich.


Really the skies the limit on how you build this.


You can add anything from seafood to deli meats and even eggplant parmesan if that's your favorite.


These always are a huge hit! Of course, you can add your favorites toppings to any toasted piece garlic bread but this is super tasty!


All I can say is you just can't eat one.


Just put a tray of garlic bread out and build your platter with whatever you like, I give some tips below and suggestions.


Make and adapt the tray to what your family loves and spend the day not cooking, they will love these finger sandwiches!


Scroll down for some ideas and it's a printable recipe card.

Upstate NY Chicken Riggie Fest Roundup of Recipes

Here are several different recipes for Chicken Riggies


There had been a Riggie fest from 2009 at the Utica Memorial Auditorium,  it was done every year in Utica, New York with many versions of this great dish with chicken and rigatoni pasta in a delicious wine or vodka style sauce.


Everyone makes Riggies a little different, for instance back in the 1960s my mom never used the cream, and it wasn't called chicken Riggies, there was just chicken broth with tomatoes and sherry or white wine and sometimes vodka in it with garlic.


Dad hated anything creamy, so she didn't add cream to her.


Not sure how all these new versions got created, but the ones with cream are surely popular in most Utica restaurants.


Mom just called her dish Rigatoni Chicken with Vodka, and then years passed, and all kinds of pasta dishes were created, now called  Chicken Riggies. Her recipe is at the end of this post.


During the local fest, many folks competed for prizes that won for their best dishes on Riggies.


Utica, New York in my hometown, has several local proprietors who have this dish on their menu there and the locals go crazy over it these along with vacationers who visit these well-known establishments for this tasty creation.


They're very popular and once you taste and, I am sure you will love some of these versions below to try whatever your taste buds prefer.


Check out the 5 versions below and find one you like and adapt away!


Utica is famous for not only for Chicken Riggies but also  Tomato Pie, Italian Greens, Italian Lemon Ice, Pizza Fritta,  Copycat New York Cheesecake, Upside Down Pizza, Pusties, and Italian Chocolate Cookies.



If you would like a printable version, scroll down to the bottom.

Fried Cabbage Recipe

This fried cabbage recipe is so easy, economical and one of our family's favorite side dishes.



The cabbage is sauteed in water and just a few tablespoons of oil and quickly stir-fried to even keep the calories down.



At the end with the addition of a little soy sauce is stirred in for one of the tastiest ways to eat cabbage.



I love quick and easy recipes like this one and if I do have any leftovers it's the perfect filling for
hot pockets (or use wonton wrappers)for making another fun meal just by adding some leftover chicken, beef, or hamburger.



We love cabbage in so many recipes like ham and cabbage with potatoes, stuffed cabbage rolls, and a favorite mandarin coleslaw so we always have this wonderous vegetable on hand because it's so versatile.



I love to add the addition of crispy bacon and carrots for flavor also, but keep it mostly low in calories by not adding the meat.



If you would like this recipe just scroll all the way down to the printable card below at the bottom of this posting.

Tater Tot Casserole

If you have children or grandchildren this "Tater Tot Casserole is a win-win to get them to eat hidden vegetables and meat it's so delicious.

I love how easy this is to make because using tater tots this casserole recipe usually has just about everything I need in my pantry any weeknight.

I keep ground beef and tater tots in the freezer religiously since they are two staples to start out an easy meal any day of the week.

You may have seen a Tater Tot Casserole before and chances it's not very impressive for photography, I get it!

But with the addition of green beans or corn (which are a family first picks) sometimes you have to have kids eat something green and be sneaky about it.

Of course, you can always add both if you like.

We made many pasta casseroles, economical bean meals, and one-pan meals being on the go and busy lifestyles, we need those kinds of quick meals that fill you up and are tasty, this is one of them.

The first time I made this, looking at it just didn't strike me as delicious until that first bite, especially being an Italian blog this was out of my realm of recipes, but hey the kids love it and it's easy peasy.

This is so much like a modern-day shepherd's pie (mashed potato shepherd's pie), just with a crunchy cheesy potato topping and much creamier beef.

Scroll down to the bottom and check out or print this yummy recipe.

Vegetable Stir Fry Medley

Stir-fried vegetables are a quick easy meal packed full of vitamins and this medley is absolutely delicious.

This method of cooking is to add very little oil to a wok or a frying pan and then quickly cook the vegetables on high heat.

You can also add meat for meat lovers, anything from chicken to seafood for a whole other meal.

I will give several serving suggestions we love this over plain white rice or noodles, you can even try these vegetables of sweet or baked potatoes.

This is the perfect first recipe to try if you're a beginner cook, it's so easy to make!

We love stir-fried meals maybe you tried my Honey Chicken and Pineapple recipe or Stir-Fried Rice which are two other family favorites.

These are quick delicious family healthy meals that can be adapted to whatever kinds of vegetables your family likes and it's delicious with or without rice or pasta!

Scroll down to the bottom to print this off and let me know how you like my version of stir-fried vegetables!

Fresh Red Raspberry Pie

Mom made the best Fresh Red Raspberry pies growing up.

Using simple pantry ingredients all from scratch these sweet red berries were my dad and I favorite pie.

I love to pick the first fresh fruit in peak berry season.

We had several berry bushes in our yard that Dad grew.

Sometimes we would combine boysenberry, blackberry, and red raspberry when all of them were ripe at the same time.

This pie continued from childhood to adulthood as being my favorite flavor and now a family favorite.

The red raspberry pie will always bring me warm wonderful memories of Dad and me enjoying a big slice with a big tall glass of cold milk.

Now with new technology, I even love Air Fried Hand pies and make them often using fresh fruits.

We love all kinds of seasonal pies like a fall Apple pie, summer-fresh Pineapple pie and then during the holiday we always make a freshly baked pumpkin pie.

The crust and filling are simple to make and all homemade check out this printable recipe by scrolling all the way to the bottom if you want to skip reading tips and tricks.

Best No Knead Garlic Rolls Recipe

These no-knead garlic rolls are so easy to make all in one bowl and perfect for the busy cooks out there.



In a few hours of time after mixing and rising the dough, you'll have this fluffy herb and garlic flavored rolls ready for any dinner meal.



We love them served with chili or a delicious beer stew.



I love simple bread recipes like this one they're so much easier to make even if you've never tried making homemade bread before.



We also love no-knead french bread or pizza dough that I make often, and now it's so super simple even the kids can make it.



These rolls are really light and delicious plus I will even give you some topping suggestions that will turn them into a different yeast roll every time you bake them!



Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom to see the simple pantry ingredients and instructions.

Fish Tacos with Chili Lime Sauce

What I love about this recipe for Fish Tacos is you can use any kind of seafood or regular meat fillings you like, it's the toppings and chili lime sauce that's fantastic.



We have tried these with shrimp, scallops, haddock, cod, and mahi-mahi, fried chicken and pork, every single one of these fillings works perfectly in this delicious taco with the sauce.



If you love seafood tacos, this is a must-try for you.



These are so fresh and light and the perfect summer meal that brings you right to an Island-style meal for lunch or dinner.



We are huge seafood lovers and make many fish dishes all year long here in Florida one we love is Cioppino which is a delicious fish stew and every Friday is Fish Fry night!



We just love tacos no matter if it's taco Tuesday or any day of the week and another favorite we make are Air Fried Tacos, you just have to try those too!



If you're not a huge fan of seafood or have allergies, scroll down to my suggestions and alternatives, this chili lime sauce is great on any meats or pick out another dipping sauce we love to make.

Mom's Homemade Italian Sausage Skewers

These homemade Italian sausage skewers are a favorite mom use to make.

An easy fun way to serve homemade Italian sausage that is made with simple ingredients in minutes in your kitchen.

The sausage tastes great baked, fried, air fried or grilled and perfect for picnics

They can be a quick appetizer or a whole meal with some additions of other vegetables you may want to add to the skewers and these can be made into patties for a great sausage and pepper sandwich.

They are great for game day or parties of any kind, they are so quick to prepare and always a hit.

Our family loves homemade sausage and make several kinds like homemade breakfast pork sausage and even using this loose for a pasta and homemade sausage stovetop recipe!

This sausage mixture can be used in sausage bread rolls and so many other recipes mom has made in the past and so versatile!

Get this simple recipe by scrolling all the way to the printable recipe card at the bottom.

Hot Milk Cake

This Hot Milk Cake is a sweet cake baked using lots of milk and basic simple pantry ingredients.


It's the perfect cake to make when you have milk to use up and it's about to expire.


If you really want a fantastic old vintage recipe made from scratch this is it.


The smell of it baking alone will make your mouth water with its sweet aroma.


We have made this is so many different flavors from the original vanilla to using lemon with zest and so many more suggestions I will give you below.


We love homemade scratch cakes, and back when I was growing up, mom never used a mix.


Our favorite desserts then and now making mom's recipes takes us right back in time to those days with fond memories of her.


I love making her Spanish Bar Cake and Pistachio Cake, and Chocolate or Zucchini Cakes all vintage and so delicious.


Scroll down to the bottom to print off this recipe.

Barbecued Venison Meatloaf

Barbecued venison meatloaf is one of those unforgettable comfort foods and the flavors are fantastic.


If you aren't a fan of deer meat or are a fan and don't have any, use any ground meat available this meatloaf is a basic recipe and anything can be substituted.


This recipe keeps the ground venison moist and delicious by adding butter and some simple pantry ingredients.


Hunting season is usually in the fall and we have been lucky enough to have an abundance of venison meat to cook all year long.


Ground venison is always a new challenge to come up with tasty recipes that eliminate that gamey taste.


We love Vension Cabernet Burgers, Venison Salisbury Steak, Venison Bolognese Pasta Sauce and Venison Chili which are all easy recipes using ground venison.


This meatloaf was the perfect addition to our recipe files using deer meat and everyone loved it!


Scroll down to the bottom to get this easily printable venison meatloaf recipe.

Old Fashioned Vanilla or Chocolate Ice Milk

This is a simple old-fashioned frozen Vanilla or Chocolate Ice Milk recipe that dates back to the 1940s when my mom's mom use to make this for her.

Using simple pantry ingredients, this dessert can be made with or without an ice maker.

Growing up we loved this refreshing dessert all summer long and with a little patience and hand stirring you can have the most delicious ice milk overnight.

The difference is using milk makes this a much lighter texture and is not like heavy cream-based ice creams.

Additions can be added to these frozen confections like nuts, chocolate chips, fruits, and many more suggestions I will give you.

The ice milk is delicious alone, made into a banana split or in an ice cream cone.

Our simple recipe for ice milk has a rich delicious creamy texture and whether it's chocolate or vanilla the flavor is wonderful just using the standard supermarket milk.

We love ice milk along with delicious other ice creams we make like Cannoli Ice Cream, Double Chocolate Gelato Watermelon Sorbet, and Italian Lemon Ice.

Scroll down for either one of these old-fashioned recipes and enjoy a scoop or two!

Easy No Knead Bread

This is the easiest no-knead bread recipe you will ever make and have freshly baked bread on your table in less than 3 hours.

The light and airy crispy dough are fantastic with any meal especially stews, chili and hot out of the oven slathered with butter.

Our family loves this bread recipe and it will make around 2 long french bread loaves or one large loaf.

You don't need an industrial mixer to make this fabulous bread and it comes out looking like you spent all day kneading it!

All you need is a very large glass bowl, a large spoon to mix the dough with, and yes it's that simple.

The bread bakes into a hard golden crust with a rustic-style finish and can be transformed into any style or shape you like depending on the pan you choose to use.

The smell will make your mouth water while it's baking, and it may not make it to the dinner table.

We love bread of all kinds and often make homemade pizza, pizza fritta (fried dough), mom's sausage bread and antipasto roll.

Scroll down and print off the recipe I now don't mind making bread for every meal it's so fast!

Copycat Beef and Cheddar Sliders

I am not big on fast food, but this copycat Beef and Cheddar is a favorite of mine.

These sandwiches have thinly sliced deli beef just like the restaurant quality, but are featured on slider buns piled high with roast beef, slathered in a delightful, signature sweet barbecue-style sauce, and dripping with loads of melted cheddar cheese on top.

I love making the smaller-size sliders; they're perfect for any party or family gathering. And I can't tell you how many times I've heard these are a delicious replica of the popular fast food restaurant for Beef N Cheddar.

Seriously, you don't take my word for it, make them and see for yourself all the compliments you're going to get!

Perfect little cheesy bundles for game day events or any party gathering, picnics, or these are even a great appetizer besides the best copycat recipe you'll ever make!

The best part about these, they're super simple and they bake in the oven for 30 minutes for an all-in-one pan meal!

Scroll down and get this recipe to print it out.