6 slices bacon cut into small pieces 2 chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
1 large clove garlic minced 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 cup heavy/whipping cream 1 dash Italian seasoning 1 pound uncooked potato gnocchi 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese Salt & pepper to taste Instructions In a deep skillet, over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until it's crispy (about 10 mins.). I use kitchen shears to make cutting the bacon up quick & hassle-free.
 Meanwhile, prep your chicken.
 Once the bacon is done, take it out of the pan, and leave about a tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pan. Discard the rest of the fat or save it for another use.
 Add the chicken to the pan and cook it for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, or until the chicken turns white on the outside. If the chicken is sticking when you try to stir it, give it a little more time to release naturally.
 Add the garlic to the pan and give it a good stir.
 Reduce the heat to medium and then add the chicken broth, cream, Italian seasoning, gnocchi, and bacon back into the pan (stir well). Cover the pan and cook for 4 minutes.
 Continue cooking the gnocchi, uncovered, for a few more minutes until the sauce reduces/thickens to your liking (stir every so often). 
 Stir in the parmesan cheese and season with salt & pepper as needed. Serve immediately.

8 ounces uncooked orecchiette pasta

16 ounces Italian sausages see note 
1/2 medium onion chopped 

4 cloves garlic minced 
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 

1/2 cup dry white wine 

3 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach 

2 tablespoons fresh basil optional 

Salt & pepper to taste 

For serving: freshly grated parmesan cheese optional, to taste How to cook Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions.
 Meanwhile, crumble the sausage meat into a skillet (take it out of casings if using whole sausages). Add the onion to the skillet as well, and sauté over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes or until it's cooked through and nicely browned. If there's more than about 1-2 tablespoons of fat left in the skillet, spoon out the excess, but be sure to leave some since we're not adding any extra butter or oil.
 Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the garlic and Dijon mustard (cook for about 30 seconds).
 Pour in the wine and cook until reduced by half (about 1-2 minutes).
 Add in the spinach and basil. Toss (using tongs or two large spoons) until the spinach has wilted, then add in the drained pasta and toss again.
 Season with salt & pepper as needed. Serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan cheese over top.

1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs 

1/3 cup milk I use whole milk 

1 pound ground beef 

1 pound ground pork 

1 large egg 

3-4 cloves garlic minced 

1/2 teaspoon onion powder 

1 teaspoon salt 

Pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped finely 
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese Add the breadcrumbs and milk to a fairly large prep bowl. Mix/mash together until you've got a paste. Let it sit in the bowl while you prep the other ingredients.
 Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl. Using your hands, mix it together and then form 1 ¼ - 1 ½-inch meatballs (use about 2 ½ tbsp meat/meatball and it'll make approx. 25-30 meatballs). Don't over-mix or pack them too tightly, and use a delicate touch. 
 Place the meatballs on a parchment paper or foil-lined baking sheet as you go along for easy clean-up. Choose from two cooking methods below. If you're baking them and don't have a large enough baking sheet to give them a little room, use two of them.
 Baking instructions: Preheat oven to 400F. Position the rack in the middle if using one baking sheet (if using two, do top and bottom and rotate the baking sheets halfway through cooking). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until they're cooked through (an instant read thermometer will indicate 165F).

Frying instructions: You can get better browning on meatballs if you sear them in a skillet, but you will need to finish them in a sauce to cook them through (it's not safe to store partially cooked meat). Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large, deep skillet and let it heat up for a few minutes over medium-high heat. Fry the meatballs in two batches until all sides are browned (about 5-7 minutes/batch). It's easiest to turn the meatballs with tongs. You may need to add a splash more oil for the second batch. Simmer meatballs in sauce (I recommend marinara) until they're cooked through.
 Baked meatballs can be portioned up and frozen after they've cooled (I add 4-5 meatballs to small bags like a Ziploc or sandwich bag and then place them in a larger Tupperware container and freeze the whole thing). Notes Fattier ground meats = more flavor (and the meatballs will be more moist), so avoid anything that's extra lean (80-85% lean is good). You can make the meatballs bigger or smaller than suggested, but keep in mind that cooking time will need to be adjusted. I easily fit 25 meatballs on a half size sheet pan. * Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and we make no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. Calories: 507kcal Carbohydrates: 9g Protein: 34g Fat: 37g Saturated Fat: 15g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Monounsaturated Fat: 15g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 152mg Sodium: 825mg Potassium: 511mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 1g Vitamin A: 410IU Vitamin C: 5mg Calcium: 208mg Iron: 3mg