Thomas

Leigh and I have always enjoyed the Asian Lettuce Wraps appetizer when we go to P.F. Chang’s, so why not make them at home too? I got this recipe from our friend, Kelly Dixon. It’s very tasty and easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped fine
2 tsp. (heaping) minced garlic
1-1/2 – 2 cans of water chestnuts, diced
Sesame Oil
1-1/2 Lbs. of ground chicken or turkey
3/4 – 1 Bottle Teriyaki sauce, or homemade teriyaki (see recipe below)
Soy sauce to taste
1 head lettuce (Bibb, Butter or Romaine)
Sriracha hot chili sauce, garnish to taste

Preparation:

Sauté onions and garlic in sesame oil until translucent.
Add turkey/chicken and cook until fully cooked. Be sure to mix so that the meat is completely separated. I use a potato masher!
Drain all liquid from the pan.
Mix in water chestnuts, teriyaki and soy.
Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently.
Serve with lettuce to wrap.

**Asian Lettuce Wraps – Ready to be Served!**

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup of water
1/4 cup of soy sauce
5 tsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. honey, or more to taste
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

Directions:

Combine 1 cup of water, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, ginger and garlic in a sauce pan over medium heat. Cook until heated through, about 2-3 minutes.
Mix cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water together in a cup; stir until dissolved. Add to the saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened, 5-7 minutes.

I hope that you enjoy this delicious and healthy appetizer!

Leigh’s Austrian-born grandmother gave us her meat sauce recipe when we got married in 1985. Grandma’s only had ground beef and garlic powder, but I started adding ground Italian sausage and fresh garlic early on. Over time, I renamed this Italian Meat Sauce – It is very versatile and can be used with any type of pasta or vegetables. I also use it as my meat sauce in my Lasagna. The Lasagna post will follow this one soon, so stay tuned!

**Italian Meat Sauce Over Homemade Spaghetti**

Print Pin

Italian Meat Sauce

Italian Meat Sauce – It is very versatile and can be used with any type of pasta or vegetables. I also use it as my meat sauce in my Lasagna.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Italian Meat Sauce, Italian Sauce, Spagghetti Meat Sauce

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 2 30

Servings 8 Servings

Author Thomas

Equipment

1 Sauce Pan Large

Ingredients

1 lb. Ground Beef (80/20) browned & drained
1 lb. Italian Sausage (Sweet or Spicy) browned & drained
2 tbsp. Olive Oil extra virgin
1 ea. Large Onion (Yellow or White) diced
4 ea. Garlic Cloves minced
4 cans Diced Tomatoes (16oz.)
3 cans Tomato Paste (6oz.)
8 tbsp. Dried Parsley
2 tbsp. Dried Oregano
2 tbsp. Dried Basil
2 tsp. Black Pepper Ground
2 tsp. Kosher Salt

Instructions

Add olive oil to large pan on medium heat., add onions and cook until translucent (not browned).
Add garlic and cook 3-4 minutes
Add ground beef & Italian sausage and brown. Drain of excess fat.
Add tomatoes and tomato paste and stir well on medium heat.
Add herbs and seasonings and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 2-3 hours.

**Fresh Homemade Spaghetti and Fettuccini Pasta**

The photo above is the result of my first attempt ever to make homemade pasta. It was incredibly tasty, but I’ll save my post about adventures in pasta making for another day.