Spaghetti and meatball eyeballs

About a year ago, I saw squid ink pasta for sale at Trader Joe’s, and I thought to myself, “This would be perfect for Halloween!” I didn’t know what I was going to do with the pasta, but I knew I needed to find a use for it. 

Finally, it’s making its debut as the perfect accompaniment to meatball eyeballs.

This super simple and spooky dinner would be perfect to serve on Halloween night. Of course, if you prefer to use your favorite meatball or spaghetti recipe, that’s perfectly fine! 

Spaghetti and meatball eyeballs

Yield: Makes about 12 meatballs

Ingredients

For the sauce

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 4 ounces onion, small dice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 56 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the meatballs

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 12 slices mozzarella cheese
• 12 olive slices
• 12 candy eyes

Other Ingredients

• 1 pound squid ink pasta (or spaghetti), cooked

Directions

For the sauce

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat and add onion. 
2. Cook, stirring often, until onion begins to brown slightly, or about 5 minutes.
3. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute.
4. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, salt, oregano, and black pepper.
5. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, stirring often, until sauce reduces slightly, about 30 minutes.
6. Make meatballs while sauce simmers.

For the meatballs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet that has raised edges with aluminum foil and set aside.
2. Combine egg, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in medium-sized bowl.
3. Add ground beef to bowl and use hands to mix ingredients.
4. Add breadcrumbs to beef mixture and mix until just combined.
5. Use hands to form 1 1/2-inch meatballs and place onto baking sheet.
6. Bake until cooked through, about 18-22 minutes. 
7. Remove baking sheet from oven and place cheese slice on top of each meatball.
8. Return to oven for 2 to 3 minutes, or until cheese slice is melted.
9. Remove from oven and place olive slice on top of each cheese slice.
10. Place candy eye in center of each olive slice.

Assemble

1. Plate desired amount of pasta with about 1/2 cup sauce and 2 meatballs.

Bloodshot Eyeball S'mores Bars

This is a sponsored post by Challenge, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

These s'mores bars may very well be the easiest dessert I've ever made. The graham cracker crust requires one bowl and a spoon for mixing; everything else gets layered in an 8-inch square pan.

S'mores bars would be a delicious dessert for any time of year, but they are especially fun to turn into a spooky treat for Halloween. I'm not sure what made me think to turn marshmallows into bloodshot eyes, but I guess that's where my mind is right now.

I used Wilton Red Sparkle Gel to create the squiggly bloodshot lines, and then I stuck colored candy eyeballs on top. If you can't find the gel, use any type of red icing. You can find candy eyeballs in the baking section of most grocery stores this time of year, but if you have issues finding them, use an M&M or a Spree and draw a little black pupil on the candy with an edible marker.

You could also adapt this recipe for winter and draw snowman faces on the marshmallows.

Because this recipe has so few ingredients, it's important to make sure everything you use is of the best quality. For example, I used Challenge butter because they use fresh, hormone-free milk, and they don't add any unnatural additives which results in a superior product.

Bloodshot Eyeball S'mores Bars

Yield: One 8 x 8-inch dish, about 20 bars

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted Challenge butter, melted
• 3/4 cup (150 grams) brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup (150 grams) all-purpose flour 
• 1 cup (100 grams) graham cracker crumbs 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 king size chocolate bars (milk or dark chocolate, 7 ounces each)
• 20 marshmallows or 10 jumbo marshmallows cut in half
• Wilton Red Sparkle Gel or other cookie icing
• Candy eyes

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit; butter 8 x 8-inch pan and line with parchment paper. Butter parchment paper.
2. Mix butter with brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir in flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt.
3. Spread evenly into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes on middle rack.
4. Cover top with chocolate bars and return to oven for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until chocolate just starts to melt.
5. Remove from oven and top with marshmallows.
6. Set oven to low broil. Return pan to oven for 1 to 2 minutes or until marshmallows start to turn golden brown. Watch marshmallows carefully to ensure they don't burn.
7. Remove from oven and cool.
8. Decorate marshmallows with red gel in squiggly lines to resemble bloodshot eyes. Place candy eyes in center. Allow icing to set before removing from pan. 
9. Cut into bars and serve.

Amaretto Brown Butter Apple Crisp

 

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

I can't think of a more classic fall dessert than apple crisp. It's warm, it's comforting, and it's a great way to use up the excessive amount of apples you picked over the weekend when you got caught up in the moment doing all the fall things. 

One of these best things about apple crisp is you can't really mess it up. Even a bad apple crisp is better than no apple crisp. That being said, I really wanted to elevate an already delicious dessert with two special ingredients: amaretto and brown butter. It's the difference between good and WOW! 

I tested this recipe with apple slices and diced apples. I liked the look of sliced apples better, but the diced apples may have been a little easier to eat. You decide what you like best, though!

I used Challenge butter in this recipe because I like that they use hormone-free milk from local dairies, and they don’t add any unnatural additives.

Amaretto Brown Butter Apple Crisp 

Yield: One 8 x 8 dish, about 6 servings

Ingredients

For the topping

• 6 Tablespoons Challenge butter
• 1 cup oats*
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour**
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons amaretto
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the filling

• 6 medium apples (about 26 ounces)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour***
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup amaretto

Directions 

For the topping

1. Slice butter into Tablespoon-sized pieces and heat in skillet over medium heat
2. Stir butter around and wait for it to melt. It will foam around the edges.
3. Around 6 to 8 minutes of cooking butter, you'll notice light brown specks at the bottom of the pan. Smell butter; it should have nutty aroma.
4. Remove butter from stovetop and pour into medium-size heat-proof bowl.
5. Chill butter in refrigerator until it becomes solid again, about 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Add all other topping ingredients to bowl with brown butter and stir to combine. Set aside.

For the filling

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Prepare 8x8 baking dish with nonstick spray. Add filling ingredients to baking dish and stir to combine.
3. Sprinkle topping evenly over apple mixture and bake for about 40 minutes on low oven rack. Put aluminum foil over top of dish after 20 minutes to ensure topping doesn't burn. Mixture should be bubbly on sides when it's removed from oven.
4. Allow it to set for about 10 minutes before serving warm with ice cream.

* Use gluten-free oats to make apple crisp gluten free

** Can substitute equal amounts gluten-free flour of choice

*** If you prefer juicier apple crisp, you can reduce flour amount to 2-3 Tablespoons

Culinary school FAQ: A recap of the first 8 weeks

I wanted to take some time to update you all on a huge life change I made earlier this year. At the end of August, I left my job at FOX59 and CBS4 to become a full-time culinary student. In order for you all to better understand this decision, I'm going to rewind about seven years and share a little of my life story.

I had always wanted to be a journalist, and I thought I was on the right track after getting a job at FOX59 following my graduation from Indiana University. I didn't land my "dream job" out of college by any means—I was hired as an overnight assignment editor. But I previously interned at FOX59, and I loved all the people there. Also, I liked that it wasn't far from home. Indianapolis was only a two-hour drive from my parents' house in Fort Wayne. Most journalism students mentally prepare to work in a very small town in the middle of nowhere for their first job, so I felt pretty special working at a station in a top 25 market.

Unfortunately, my body could not adjust to working overnight, and I couldn't sleep. I was so exhausted by the end of my shift that I would fall asleep as soon as I got home at 8 a.m. But I wasn't able to stay asleep past noon.

Because I wasn't sleeping, I had a lot of free time, and I needed a creative outlet. So I started cooking and baking. I had never really done much of either, so I taught myself by reading articles online and watching YouTube videos. I shared a lot of my baked goods with my co-workers, and they seemed to really appreciate it. At that point blogs were becoming popular, so I decided to start my own as a way to document my progress and keep track of the recipes I made. I chose the name "Kylee's Kitchen" simply because I like alliterations. My blog launched in April 2014.

The more time I spent in the kitchen, the more I enjoyed cooking and baking. I loved working with my hands and putting my creativity and love of food to use.

At that time, there were several regular FOX59 morning show food guests, and I decided I wanted my own segment to share recipes. The thought of it makes me laugh now. I had no idea what I was doing, but somehow I convinced our news director to let me on TV. My first segment was less than stellar. I shared a recipe for cooking salmon in a foil packet. I'll never forget one of the first "mean" comments I received. Someone posted on the FOX59 Facebook page that I looked like I lived in my dad's basement. As far as mean comments go, that's actually pretty tame, but I remember it really upset me. Regardless, they kept allowing me back on TV, and it pushed me to be better.

During this time, my role at FOX59 changed. I became a web producer and fortunately worked more normal hours. I liked the work, but I didn't love it. And I knew I was never going to love it. But I knew I loved food. I loved being in the kitchen, and I dreamt of going to culinary school. However, I had no desire to work in a restaurant or a bakery. So I explored other careers in food, and I became interested in becoming a registered dietitian. I spoke with several dietitians and shadowed one for a day, and I found it very interesting.

I met with an academic advisor at Ball State, and I learned to become a registered dietitian would require me to basically earn another bachelor's degree because the prerequisites for getting into a didactic program differed greatly from the classes I took as an undergrad. It was a LOT of science. But it didn't deter me, and I enrolled in my first chemistry class. Throughout the next few years, I proceeded to take several more chemistry classes, anatomy classes, and physiology classes. I did that while working full time at FOX59 / CBS4, producing Kylee's Kitchen segments, running my blog, and planning a wedding. Honestly, it was exhausting. 

During my annual meeting with my academic advisor in 2019, I learned the Commission on Dietetic Registration elevated the entry-level RD education to graduate level, and in order to take the examination to become a dietitian I would have to get a masters degree. I didn't feel good about the situation. In fact, it devastated me. But after talking with my husband, I realized that wasn't even my dream. Culinary school was my dream. So I started exploring what it would look like for me to go to culinary school.

We live just about one mile from Ivy Tech in downtown Indianapolis, which is a top-20 culinary school in the United States. I took a tour of the facility, and I immediately felt like I belonged there. I enrolled to start in August 2020.

Since I just reached the midpoint of the semester, I wanted to share a little about my experience thus far!

The two lab classes I've taken are Basic Food Theory and Soups, Stocks, and Sauces. The amount of knowledge I've learned in such a short time is truly mind-blowing, and I can't wait to share more with you all (I already have a soup master post in the works!). I don't even know how I was cooking before taking the classes. I also took several online classes: Sanitation and Safety, Nutrition, and Human Relations Management. I'll finish the semester with Introduction to Baking and Classical Pasties and Chocolate.

I’ve compiled a few FAQ to share all the fun details of my experience thus far!

Trying on my uniform for the first time

Why are you going to culinary school? Don't you already know how to cook?

Food is always on my mind—I love talking about it, experimenting in the kitchen, and dissecting recipes, and I truly want to learn everything I can about it. Even though I am a proficient home cook, I only know what I've been able to teach myself, and I am really excited to learn from industry professionals. Also, I feel like this is a great investment in myself since cooking is obviously a skill I will use my entire life.

What is your class schedule?

I go to class Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and I start a new class every four weeks. We spend the entire time in the kitchen. As far as schoolwork goes, there's a lot of reading, and I've had several research projects about industry topics.

Are you doing the culinary arts or baking and pastry program?

I'm currently enrolled in the culinary arts program, but I plan to do both! There are quite a few classes that overlap, so when I finish culinary arts, I'll pick up the remaining classes necessary for the baking and pastry program. I decided to pursue culinary arts first because I thought it would better provide me with a well-rounded culinary education.

How long will it take to complete?

I will finish the culinary arts program next fall, and I hope to finish the baking and pastry program by spring 2022.

Do you like it?

I love everything about it. I truly feel like it's where I belong. The classes are really small (there were only four people in my last class), and I'm getting a lot of individual attention and instruction. Also, the instructors at Ivy Tech are some of the leaders in the food industry in Indianapolis, and I feel like I'm making a lot of great connections.

What happens to the food you make?

We eat it! It's a learning experience to try each other's food. Any leftovers go to the cafe. Ivy Tech has a full-service cafe run by students.

What are your exams like?

The exams are a bit nerve-racking. During my most recent exam, I had to fabricate (cut up) a whole chicken into two breasts (one airline and one boneless, skinless), two thighs, two legs, two wings, and the carcass had to be cut into four pieces to be used for stock. I then used the carcass to make chicken stock. I was also randomly assigned a soup to make. Also, I had to cook the two chicken breasts with a randomly selected cooking method and sauce. I was assigned to make pan-fried chicken with cream sauce. I had to serve it with pan-roasted brussels sprouts and rice pilaf. We were allotted two-and-a-half hours to finish.

What are your plans for after culinary school?

I would love to combine my love for food and journalism. Food publications need culinarians as writers, critics, recipe developers, and food stylists, and all of those options excite me. My dream is to some day write and publish a cookbook.

Final prepared dish for my last practical exam:
pan-fried chicken with cream sauce, brussels sprouts, and rice pilaf.

Parmesan tomato soup with parmesan crisps on top

Cream of carrot soup

Cream of mushroom soup that kind of looks like winter sludge

Shrimp bisque! This was my first time flambéing.

Beef consommé. It's a clear soup that's a pain to make and not all that enjoyable.

New England Clam Chowder—I also had to make this for the practical exam.

French onion soup

Beef vegetable soup

Poached chicken with béarnaise and rice pilaf

Fabricating a chicken

Eggs benedict

Cream of broccoli soup

Submerge poached whitefish with beurre blanc

Shallow poached whitefish with hollandaise

Roasted chicken with pan gravy and potatoes

Cheddar and leek soup

Grilled steak with cabernet compund butter

Maple and cinnamon shortbread ice cream sandwiches

This is a sponsored post by Hudsonville Ice Cream, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Some desserts are specifically targeted toward seasonal consumption whereas others hit the spot all year round. Ice cream definitely falls into the latter category. You don’t have to be hot and sun-kissed to enjoy the cool, creamy dessert. It’s just as tasty even when there’s frost on the ground. 

In fact, I look forward to new flavors of ice cream released each season. I especially love ice cream with fall elements like cinnamon, brown sugar, and caramel. That’s why I was especially excited for Hudsonville’s newest limited edition flavor, Cinnamon Sugar Cookie.

The base is brown sugar ice cream, which is enhanced by a thick caramel ribbon. Big chunks of cinnamon sugar shortbread cookies are dispersed throughout the ice cream, and if you’re familiar with Hudsonville products, you know they definitely don’t skimp on the mix-ins.

The cookie chunks in the ice cream inspired me to make ice cream sandwiches with shortbread cookies. I made both maple and cinnamon shortbread cookies because I thought it would be fun to mix and match the flavors.

I focused on several elements when developing the perfect ice cream sandwich recipe.

First, the cookies needed to be chewy, not crunchy. Some shortbread cookie recipes yield really crispy cookies, which is great if you’re serving them with tea. But crispy cookies don’t work well for ice cream sandwiches because they’re hard to bite through. Also, crispy cookies become rock hard in the freezer. It was very important to me that the cookies remained soft even after they were frozen. 

After running multiple tests, I discovered the best way to do that is to cook them at 325 degrees Fahrenheit until they’re just barely done. Baked any lower and they will spread too much, resulting in thin and crisp cookies. Baked any higher and they will cook too quickly, turning too brown before they finish cooking. Important note: Pull them out of the oven as soon as you see the slightest tint of golden brown.

It’s also very important to chill the dough. This helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much because the butter remains solid for a longer period of time, and cold butter takes longer to melt than butter at room temperature.

Another important element in making these ice cream sandwiches was figuring out how to evenly spread the ice cream between the two cookies. This is easy to do when working with round cookies, but it’s a little harder when working with cookies that are different shapes, like the maple leaf cookies I used in this recipe. If you put a scoop in the center and press down in hopes the ice cream will spread on its own, the cookies will crumble. Fortunately, I discovered an easy trick for an even spread. I turned one cookie bottom side up, placed the cookie cutter on its underside, added a scoop of ice cream in the center of the cookie cutter, and spread it with a knife.

I finished the ice cream sandwiches by making a really simple icing to draw in veins on the maple leaves. It isn’t necessary, but it sure looks cute!

No matter if you choose to make the maple shortbread cookie recipe, the cinnamon shortbread cookie recipe, or a combination of the two, I think you’ll find the flavor pairing with Hudsonville’s Limited Edition Cinnamon Sugar Cookie ice cream to be absolute perfection!

Use this Scoop Locator tool to find Cinnamon Sugar Cookie ice cream near you (it will be at Fresh Thyme in Indy-area stores!), and click here for a "hello" coupon to save when you buy two cartons.

Maple shortbread ice cream sandwiches

Yield: Makes about 8 ice cream sandwiches

Ingredients

For the ice cream sandwiches

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (150 grams)
• 2 teaspoons maple extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups (270 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pint Hudsonville’s Limited Edition Cinnamon Sugar Cookie ice cream

For the icing

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (60 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon water or milk

Directions

For the ice cream sandwiches

1. Cream together butter and brown sugar until smooth.
2. Add maple extract and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
3. Slowly add flour and salt and mix until just combined.
4. Flatten dough between two pieces of wax paper or parchment paper. Chill dough for at least 30 minutes and up to 72 hours.
5. When ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Remove plastic wrap from top of dough and use cookie cutter to cut dough into shapes.
7. Re-roll remaining dough and continue process with cookie cutter until all dough is used. 
8. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until bottoms just barely turn golden brown.
9. Remove from oven and cool.

For the icing

1. Mix together all ingredients until no clumps remain. It should be very thick. Add more powdered sugar if needed.
2. Transfer icing to squeeze bottle or pour into pastry bag with small tip.
3. Draw the veins on the maple leaf cookies.

For assembly

1. Assemble ice cream sandwiches by turning one cookie bottom side up and placing cookie cutter on its underside.
2. Add one scoop of ice cream to center of cookie cutter and spread. 
3. Remove cookie cutter and top with second cookie, top side up.
4. Press cookies firmly together and place in freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm up before serving.
5. Store ice cream sandwiches in freezer.

Cinnamon shortbread ice cream sandwiches

Yield: Makes about 8 ice cream sandwiches

Ingredients

For the ice cream sandwiches

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (150 grams)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups (270 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pint Hudsonville’s Limited Edition Cinnamon Sugar Cookie ice cream

For the icing

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (60 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon water or milk

Directions

For the ice cream sandwiches

1. Cream together butter and brown sugar until smooth.
2. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined.
3. Slowly add flour, cinnamon, and salt and mix until just combined.
4. Flatten dough between two pieces of wax paper or parchment paper. Chill dough for at least 30 minutes and up to 72 hours.
5. When ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Remove plastic wrap from top of dough and use cookie cutter to cut dough into shapes.
7. Re-roll remaining dough and continue process with cookie cutter until all dough is used. 
8. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until bottoms just barely turn golden brown.
9. Remove from oven and cool.

For the icing

1. Mix together all ingredients until no clumps remain. It should be very thick. Add more powdered sugar if needed.
2. Transfer icing to squeeze bottle or pour into pastry bag with small tip.
3. Draw the veins on the maple leaf cookies.

For assembly

1. Assemble ice cream sandwiches by turning one cookie bottom side up and placing cookie cutter on its underside.
2. Add one scoop of ice cream to center of cookie cutter and spread. 
3. Remove cookie cutter and top with second cookie, top side up.
4. Press cookies firmly together and place in freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm up before serving.
5. Store ice cream sandwiches in freezer.