Hi! There are only two days left until St. Patrick’s Day, but these Corned Beef Empanadas are PERFECT to make with your leftovers! So don’t fret if you cant make them before Wednesday, because you most certainly can make them after! I love me some corned beef and cabbage with carrots, my mom used to always make it when I lived at home and it was so yummy! I wanted to do a twist on this because lets just say…Mark eating cabbage and carrots was not happening (unless I hid the cabbage..hehe.) So there became these yummy empanadas that we enjoyed! They were simple to make with just 5 ingredients! You fry them up (or you can totally try baking them to make them a tad healthier, I would try 20 minutes on 350.) They were cheesy, savory and delish dipped in dijon mustard. I served myself some roasted carrots and sweet potatoes on the side for some veggies! Soooo, let’s dig into this recipe it is a YUMMMMMY one.
Ingredients:
Goya empanada shells (10), you can find these in the freezer section (take them out of the freezer the day you want to use and defrost them in the fridge)
Shredded or cut up seasoned corned beef, about 2 cups you’ll need (I made mine the day before in the oven and it made more than enough)
5 slices of swiss cheese or a handful of shredded cheese
1 cup of coleslaw mix
5 or so chopped dill pickles (if you like them, or you can omit)
Dijon mustard for dipping
Directions:
Fill in the middle of each goya shell with corned beef, swiss cheese, cole slaw and pickles. You will have to eye this one, don’t put tooo much!
Fold in the edges with your fingers and then go around the edges with a fork to close together to make sure they are sealed.
Heat a pan with 1/2 inch of vegetable oil (or whichever you prefer) for about 3 minutes on medium high.
Add 5 empanadas in at a time and let them fry for about 2 minutes on each side, you will have to stay near and eye them. They are done when they are browned on each side and crispy!
Repeat again!
Lay out flat on a paper towel and then wait about 5 minutes to serve with Dijon mustard. You can serve the next day by baking them on 350 for about 10 minutes to warm them up. ENJOY!
Hi guys! It has been quite bit since I have posted, but I think this recipe will redeem me. Let me tell you…this is a YUMMY ONE. It may be one of my favorite recipes. It has been so gloomy and snowy and rainy in NJ and I wanted to make something comforting and warm. I LOOOOVE jalapeño poppers, my first ones I had were from Arby’s and I fell in love. Something about the warm cream cheese mixed with the jalapeno and spice. So…I have had some kielbasa in our fridge for a bit so I figured, let me try mixing the two flavors and wow, I really out did myself. This is creamy, spicy, hearty and I def nailed comforting. I won’t go on too much longer, because I am honestly just super eager to share the recipe so that you can all make it! Enjoy! It is an easy one for sure and perfect for one of these cold nights.
Ingredients:
1 box of pasta, I used Banza shells, but use your fave!
1 package of kielbasa, I used Hillshire Farms Polska Kielbasa (you can also replace with chicken or broccoli)
6 jalapeños, chopped (take out the seeds)
4oz of cream cheese
3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons of heavy cream
1/8 cup of chicken stock
panko for the topping
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
Directions:
Cut up the kielbasa into bite sized pieces and saute with chopped jalapeños on medium heat in a saucepan for about 5 minutes until browned.
In the meantime, boil your pasta. Drain your pasta and add back to the pot. Add cream cheese, cheddar cheese, chicken stock, heavy cream, salt and pepper. Mix together until creamy and cheese is melted.
Add kielbasa and jalapeños into the pot and then pour over into a casserole dish.
Add additional cheddar cheese, jalapeños, panko and red pepper flakes to your liking.
Bake on 350 for 15-20 minutes.
Serve on its own or with a veggie like broccoli! Enjoy it, it’s a yummy one!
I hope you enjoy making this recipe! Be sure to follow along on instagram for more yummy and easy recipes at jamie.devergillo. Have a great week ahead!
Hi! If you don’t know me, my name is Jamie and you can find me over at @jamie.devergillo on instagram, where I share pieces of my life with you. Come say hi! I can’t believe it has been over one month since our beautiful wedding on September 26th. We are still in awe of how perfect the day was and honestly would not change a thing. From the details coming together, the 73 degree weather, our closest family and friends surrounding us, amazing music and I can go on and on and on. It was a truly a day that I will remember forever and we have so many memories from it. I wanted to share a little bit about our wedding, in hopes that if you are wondering about the logistics and costs of a backyard wedding, I can help you out a little. We had originally planned for 150+ guests, but due to covid and safety reasons we has to scale the wedding back and had 75 guests. We provided masks, hand sanitizer and we encouraged social distancing.
Please keep in mind that we do live in New Jersey, where cost’s are a little high. I also want to preface that I am very lucky to have the space that we got married in. We got married in front of the barn my Poppy built and then we walked across the field to celebrate in my parent’s backyard. I do believe that this kind of backyard wedding can be beautiful in any backyard, but I am truly lucky to have grown up in this open space. I also want to mention that we had my good friend Lauren, who has an eye for design, help us out tremendously with decor and set up. We could not have pulled off such a beautiful wedding without her and saved tons of money by not having to hire a wedding planner or buy a lot of decor. My dad also had his good friend at L&A tent company help us out with costs ($1000) for rentals of chairs, tables, lighting and the cute bathroom! I will be sharing ballpark costs, but please remember that each vendor will fluctuate, based on your own wants and needs. My mother is obsessed with budgeting and excel worksheets and she helped us keep the wedding within our budget! Okay, so now that you have a little background, let’s get into it! I can’t wait to share our vendors and show you photos!
Venue:
The ceremony was in my Nana’s backyard, in front of the beautiful red barn that my poppy built. I have always dreamed of having my wedding here since I was a little girl. My dad grew up in my Nana’s house and when my parents got married, my Nana and Poppy gifted my parents half of their farm land, for them to build a house on. My father and poppy built the house I grew up in, just a short walk through the field. As a little girl I would spend a lot of time with Nana and Poppy and would run across the field to visit them, this was where I walked down the aisle, with my dad by my side. My dad whispered as we were walking down, “don’t be nervous, you have walked down this aisle thousands of times, you got this”. After the ceremony, our guests walked across the field to my parent’s backyard. Everything was open air. We had socially distant tables, hay bails for people to sit on, cocktail tables for people to enjoy drinks, a picnic blanket space and more. I am one lucky girl to have had the chance to get married where I did. Cost: $0
Decor:
THANK YOU to my very good friend Lauren at @laurenstewarthome for all the help with decor! Lauren watched facebook marketplace like a hawk for amazing pieces, her father dropped off garage sale items that we used and she came over and brought so much of her own decor and helped set up everything the day of. This wedding would not have been so beautiful and have such simple and amazing touches without her. I was obsessed with the detail, all of the signs she made for us and every placement of decor. I am so appreciative of her because this is really how I was able to tie my visions all together. Cost: $0 (this probably would of cost about $2500+ if we went with a day of wedding planner to set everything up and paid for all of the decor)
Dress and Hair:
I LOVED my dress. I first went to White House Bride the day before Thanksgiving with my mom and my MOH. I thought I would just look around and try on a few things and then come back another day. The dress I chose was the third dress I tried on and I ended up pulling the trigger that day. I said YES to the dress almost instantly! White House Bride and the owner Stacy were amazing throughout my whole process. Always making sure I was comfortable, making sure I felt beautiful each time, and ensuring my dress fit perfectly before the big day. I went with a Essense of Australialace ballgown that looked A-line. It fit my waist perfectly, had shiny straps and then a full skirt with tulle and gorgeous train. It was so ME, but a little something extra and I felt beautiful in it. When Mark turned around for the first look he said, “woah, this dress was made for you!” Cost includes dress, alterations and bustle. Cost: $2200
My bridesmaids wore dresses from David’s Bridal they all picked out their own style, but all had the color Merlot on. Each bridesmaid looked absolutely gorgeous and I am so happy with the color choice for Fall!
For my hair, I searched #njbride until I landed on Samantha’s page at Brides By Sette. I knew I wanted Sam to do my hair and my bridesmaids because of her photos! She actually showed the front views of her previous brides hair. I fell in love with her personality and the beautiful work on her page. Everyone was so happy with their hair and we all felt beautiful! I went for a Taylor Swift vibe hair style which was loose and pulled back but not toooo curly. Thank you Sam! Price includes a trial and day of style. Cost: $260
Flowers:
To say I was obsessed with my flowers is an understatement. Jing, the owner of Hex Acres went above and beyond and she pulled my entire vision together. Jing was amazing to work with from the start, she sent us a proposal right away and I knew I wanted to work with her. Her detail, organization, way she pulled my vision together and willingness to work within my budget, I can’t thank her enough. I LOVE flowers and knew I wanted ones with color yet simple and beautiful that they were not overwhelming. The flowers on the barn door are were my favorite part and my Nana has not stopped raving about them. Follow Hexacres for tons of inspiration and if you’re getting married in the tri-state area, you must reach out! Let these pictures speak for themselves. WOW. Cost: $2500
Food and Drinks:
For food, we did not want a sit down dinner (due to covid). We really wanted a more cocktail and mingle style party (we wrote this on invitations by saying, “cocktail reception to follow”, so that guests did not expect a full steak dinner). We chose Falco’s Catering who served hors d’oeuvres for 2 hours. Their staff was amazing and safe and set up tables with the hors d’oeuvres we picked out, guests came up and chose what they wanted and they walked away with a full plate of food. We picked 13 different hot and cold hors d’oeuvres and they even made lumpia (a filipino favorite) for us! They also had cheese plates for each guest and finished the night off with serving coffee. Heather was amazing to work with throughout the process to ensure everything went smoothly! We had one chef, three wait staff and one drink staff. This price included linens for 14 tables, plates, utensils, and napkins. Cost: $3600
Next up we had a Pizza Vita food truck come for 2 hours! This was a guest favorite. Each guest came up to the food truck and picked from their five choices of delicious brick oven pizza. Plain, Margherita, Pepperoni, Sausage and Mushrooms with Truffle Oil. Each guest walked away with their very own personal pizza box of their choice. Mark and I had a few slices at the wedding but also brought a full box of pizza to enjoy at the hotel. It was SOOO yummy! Cost: $1500
We ended the night with ICE CREAM COOKIE SANDWICHES. Lexylicious came for the last hour and served warm cookies with ice cream for each guest out of their adorable pink ice cream truck. This was so much fun and we decided to have this instead of cake! Mark and I shared a confetti cookie with cookies and cream ice cream! I remember it tasting soooo yummy and we def should of got a second one! Cost: $900 (we had a 10% off coupon)
For alcohol, we had to buy it all! We had everything as a self serve station where you can come up and get your own drink. We had a signature drink called “The Bedminster Tea”, which was iced tea, lemonade and Titos. (guest fave!) We also had white claws, beer, wine, soda and water. Our favorite part was the Whiskey & Cigar cart that came out towards the end of the night, everyone LOVED this! Cost: $950
Music:
We used Posh DJ’s and Christian was amazing! We knew that we wanted to keep a DJ, even though things looked a little different. We loved Christian’s vibe and how he listened to our safety needs. He played all the songs we loved + added more to keep the good vibes going! Posh DJ’s was amazing to work with and incredibly organized and talented. I can’t suggest them enough for your wedding music! Cost: $ 2500
Photography:
As you can see throughout this entire blog post, Lauren Anzevino is SO TALENTED. I have been using Lauren as my photographer for over a year now and she makes everyone feel so comfortable. Mark was so nervous for our engagement photos and after meeting Lauren and having our session, he felt extremely comfortable and had so much fun. Lauren captured our wedding, our emotions, our detail and our JOY throughout our wedding day and I can never thank her enough. Lauren is your GO TO photographer if you live in NJ or NYC. She is amazing and a pleasure to work with every single time. Now how will I choose which photos to hang in our home and print in a book?! All are absolutely breathtaking, thank you! We had 7 hours of shooting. Cost: $2200
Ugh, it was amazing reliving the wedding again through photos. It was the best day ever and felt like a fairy tale. Thank you to all our family, friends and loved ones for making this day so special. I hope you take the time to check out these vendors if you are having an upcoming New Jersey wedding. All of them were honestly 10/10 and I could not ask for anything better. Our goal was to stay under $20,000 for the wedding and we averaged around $16,600, which includes everything listed above. We are very lucky to have already had the beautiful farm venue and many connections between my dad’s friends and our own. I hope this helped a little with the ballpark of costs for a backyard wedding in New Jersey. It is 100% doable to have under $20,000 and there are many pieces that can be taken out or added in to stay within your own budget. Please feel free to ask any questions and check out my instagram for next chapter updates. Click here for more photos!
I was so excited to receive my babbleboxxoffical Thanksgiving themed box! (Disclaimer: *this post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx) It was filled with SO many goodies to make appetizers, side dishes, desserts and more! I visited my parents one day after work and made a few recipes for us to enjoy. All of them were fall themed and perfect for making on Thanksgiving Day. I wanted to share with you some of the delicious items in this box and tell you a little bit about each one and why I loved them. What is your fave side dish to make for Thanksgiving?!
Parkerhouse Style Rolls Dough from Bridgford
I can’t wait to use these rolls on Thanksgiving night when my family takes out all the leftover turkey, cranberry sauce, celery, salt and pepper and makes mini turkey sandwiches! I know my family is going to love these rolls (especially my brother Robbie…he is a bread monster). They will be staying in my parents freezer until then and we will bake them in the oven on Thanksgiving night….YUMMM. They come with 24 rolls, def enough for us! Having these mini turkey sandwiches has always been one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving and something we have been doing since as long as I can remember. My grandma used to love Thanksgiving night, where as a big family we would have turkey sandwiches and read magazines looking for Black Friday deals. I can’t wait to use Parkerhouse Style Rolls Dough from Bridgford and continue the tradition of mini turkey sandwiches! Use this coupon to find your very own Bridgeford Foods in the freezer aisle! Check out their website for yummy recipes and follow along on their instagram.
Dark Chocolate and Pumpkin Pie Tribe Hummus
Next up in the box was Tribe Hummus, in two AMAZING DESSERT FLAVORS. Dark Chocolate Hummus and Pumpkin Pie Hummus. OH my goodness was this dessert hummus plate DELICIOUS. I paired the sweet dessert hummus flavors with graham crackers, marshmallows, honey twist pretzels, strawberries, applies, pecans and cranberries and it was incredible. My whole family was obsessed with this idea and my dad could not believe they were made with chickpeas and only had 6 grams of sugar per serving! I will def be serving this Tribe Hummus Dessert plate again for a fall get together or on Thanksgiving day before or after the big meal! Head to their website for a coupon to get yourself some yummy dessert hummus and follow them on instagram!
Homestyle Parmesan Cheese and Panko Breadcrumbs from 4C
My mom was super happy when I told her I was going to make a recipe using 4C Panko Breadcrumbs and Homestyle Parmesan Cheese, it is one of her favorite brands and she always has it in her pantry! She had the idea for me to make one of my childhood favorite sides, Baked Zucchini Fries with Marinara sauce. This was super easy to make! First, cut up your zucchini into pieces and dip into a egg wash. Then, mix together 1/2 cup of 4C Panko Breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup of 4C Homestyle Parmesan Cheese and 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning. Dip the zucchini into the breadcrumb mix and bake on 350 for 15 minutes, they get extra toasty! Serve with warm marinara sauce and they are such a yummy side! The 4C Panko Breadcrumbs and Parmesan Cheese really add flavor to every meal and it took me back to childhood. Check out their website for more delish recipes with their products!
I Cook in Color: Bright Flavors from My Kitchen and Around the World
I was so excited to receive this cookbook in my box! I have been wanting a new one and this one is filled with COLORFUL foods, so you know I loved it even more! I Cook in Color: Bright Flavors from My Kitchen by Asha Gomez and Martha Hall Foose is super trendy and focuses on diverse and colorful cuisine. Their cookbook is not only visually stunning, but the recipes are comforting, flavorful and my favorite-filled with COLOR. Purchase your copy here!
The Bacon Lover from The Baconer
Last but not least, BACON. My dad and brother’s were very happy about this one! We wanted to make sweet potatoes as a side with our steak, so we baked our sweet potatoes, fried up our bacon from The Baconer and topped them off with butter! This is the EASIEST side and it’s the perfect blend of sweet and savory. The Bacon Lover from The Baconer is the perfect gift to give this holiday season! It comes with 5 different cuts of bacon with chef driven flavors, hard to find cuts and is the #1 premium artisan bacon. Check them out here to gift to a bacon lover! Use my code JDBaconLover20 at check out!
I hope you all enjoyed my amazing Thanksgiving themed box from babbleboxxofficial. It was the perfect mix of goodies to make appetizers, side dishes, mini turkey sandwiches, dessert boards and more! I am so excited to use the rest of my products during the holiday season and make some delicious recipes from the cookbook! Follow me on instagram to stay tuned! Have a happy holiday season and I hope you take some time to check out these amazing brands to serve in your own home this upcoming Thanksgiving.
I have been so excited about this partnership with Hood Cottage Cheese – @hphood on Instagram. This week, I made three simple, delicious and colorful recipes that all took less than 10 minutes to make! Each of them are creamy and filled with protein, making for a nutritious snack or meal. I used three varieties of Hood Cottage Cheese including blueberry, chive and cracked pepper. Each of them were so flavorful and matched perfectly with the flavors of the recipes. I actually grew up eating cottage cheese as a snack with my Nana and just had to recreate some of her recipes. As you all know, Nana lives that simple life, so I wanted to make these easy but yummy! Let’s get right into the recipes and be sure to find Hood Cottage Cheese in your local grocery stores to try them out for yourself.
Breakfast: Blueberry Cottage Cheese Toast
I used Hood Cottage Cheese with Blueberry for this one! Just look at that color, wow. I first toasted some whole wheat bread, added the cottage cheese and spread it on, then I heated up blueberries with 1/8 cup of water and some fresh lemon juice on low heat. Topped the blueberry mix on the toast, added lemon juice, drizzled some honey and topped with fresh mint! This was such a yummy combo with the cold cottage cheese and warm blueberries.
Snack: Cottage Cheese Stuffed Bell Peppers
I used Hood Cottage Cheese with Cracked Pepper and stuffed bell peppers for a creamy, crunchy and healthy combo! Pair your cottage cheese stuffed peppers with additional goodies such as nuts, cheeses, meats, fruits and crackers for a full snack board! The crunch of the pepper mixed with the creaminess of Hood Cottage Cheese with Cracked Pepper makes for such a yummy bite! These will be a hit at your next gathering, or make a mini snack board for yourself.
Lunch: Fresh Cottage Cheese Salad
I used Hood Cottage Cheese with Chives for this fresh salad. I filled my plate with arugula, chopped up some cucumbers and tomatoes and added a BIG spoonful of the cottage cheese! This is nana’s go-to salad and I have so many memories of eating this simple dish. Top it off with olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano and there you have it. It is easy, super healthy and light! I’ll be prepping these for my lunches for an easy grab and go lunch which will have me feeling satisfied.
I hope you enjoy these recipes featuring Hood Cottage Cheese as much as I did! If you’re looking for a nutritious snack or meal filled with protein and flavor, this is it! Tag us on Instagram (@hphood & @jamie.devergillo) if you try any of these recipes, we would love to see them. Have a great rest of the week!
Jamie Devergillo 