Good morning everyone!

Well holy shit and goddamnit, would you look at that?

And it’s a 3-day weekend too! Woo hoo!

Season motherfucking ten of Sunday Gravy in the motherfucking house!

No, I’m not going to Roman numeralize it and call it season “X” because fuck that Space Karen motherfucker for forever ruining the coolest of Roman numerals.

Cock Hole.

Never mind all that negative shit because here the fuck we are again! I guess you can be equally sad because we’ve got about 7 shitty months without football to get through.

But we know just how to do that shit don’t we?

By drinking of course, but also by indulging in other sports, maybe take a vacation or two, hang out with family and actually socialize with them. You know? Non football stuff.

We also have food. Delicious, life-sustaining, glorious, goddamn food to cook and enjoy and you certainly came to the right place for that!

As always a reminder that Sunday Gravy is part of our sustained attempt at engaging and occasionally entertaining you good folks with off season content while the colossus of The Shield rests for the next 7 months. 

Please do stay with us yes?

Season fucking ten. Fuck me with an immersion blender that’s a long fucking time. Way more than I ever expected, thought, planned for or imagined.

Since it’s been ten fucking years of doing this thing right here, I decided we’re going to start all over again. I’m throwing out some of the former rules and guidelines that I personally instituted for Sunday Gravy and we’re going a little more free form.

There are going to be some simple, quick and easy recipes. Probably a repeat recipe or two. Or three. I may throw in a restaurant review or visit another fast food joint for critiquing.

After 10 years I’m going to just wing this shit because, to be honest? I’m pretty much out of ideas at this fucking point.

I do promise some detailed, challenging and even new cuisines will be explored but I can’t say when. How about soon or eventually?

That works just fine for me.

Ready to get this shit started?

Thought we could do a simple one-dish, quick and easy recipe today. Something that I made up years back when my daughters were young and the former missus was still the missus. Not to mention she was still alive at that time too but I digress.

This dish requires just a handful of ingredients and an easy prep because I’m getting lazier in my old age.

We’re making baked chicken rigatoni or penne or mostaccioli or what the fuck ever. It’s chicken, leftover mother sauce, some pasta and some cheeses. And that is fucking that.

This dish will be greatly aided if you made your own mother sauce like I did but you know what? If you have a store bought sauce that you like, who gives a shit?

Use it.

Like I said, new fucking rules.

Let’s begin.

Grab some protein.

Boneless skinless chicken breast will work. I used this package of 2 half breasts and it was a goodly amount.

Now season that shit up!

This is my tried and true baked chicken prep that I’ve been making for over 20 goddamn years. It’s ground black pepper, some garlic and onion powder and the secret ingredient.

Not sure if I’ve shared my secret baked chicken ingredient before but if so just humor me over here.

It’s this stuff.

That’s Chef Merito carne asada seasoning and it kicks ass on any protein. Yes, it’s designed for steak and yes also, there is a pollo version from the same folks but I like this preparation and I’m sticking to it.

Make sure you season both sides of the chicken because one-sided seasoning is bullshit.

Bake the chicken in a 350 degree oven for 16 minutes, rotate the pan and cook for 16 minutes more. Trust me on this shit. I’ve done it enough fucking times to be an expert. You do need to make sure that your chicken is at room temperature prior to cooking for these times to be accurate but if you follow these instructions, your chicken will be stone cold immaculate!

See?

Me and that baking dish have been to fucking WAR together!

This is the base of my world renowned chicken burrito but that chicken works in any application. Thin slice that shit and make a sandwich out of it. Cut up some chunks and add it to a salad. It’s your baby. Do what you want!

Cut up one of those breasts into bite size bits and save the other for your choice of chicken application. I used it in the aforementioned chicken burrito the next day and it was goddamn heavenly.

Keep that oven on at 350. It’s been a cold rainy motherfucker this winter so appreciate the ambient warmth it will bring.

Now, lube your freshly washed baking dish and add in the chicken.

Next get yourself some pasta. I’m using tubular form today which is the preferred version.

Of course my local grocery had mostaccioli, it’s the national pasta of San Pedro. No fucking joke! Every mom and pop, Greek, Croatian or Italian place has their own version of Mostaccioli. I think they teach the local kids how to make it in high school. Some of the restaurants serve it as a side dish like mac and cheese or some shit. It’s true!

Use the tubular form of pasta you have available.

Now cook that damn pasta in salted water.

We’re using about half of that box of pasta. Cook until al dente. Don’t go over because this shit will finish by baking in the oven.

The driver, nay the very inspiration for today’s meal is this.

I had some mother sauce leftover from our Christmas lasagne. Yes indeed that’s the meaty mother sauce with the ground pork and the sausages. What? You don’t like extra protein in your pasta?

I just whipped this container straight out of the freezer and defrosted it for our menu today. It was, as always, fucking dynamite in this dish.

 The key to this dish is getting the proper ratios correct. You need just the right amount of pasta to sauce to chicken here or it will be too wet or too dry and fuck both of those potential outcomes.

Feel like a little cheesy gooey topping on this creation?

Why not.

Sure you can use fresh mozzarella but if you have some of the bagged shit go ahead. See? I ain’t gonna holler at yez!

Now all ya gotta do is dump your cooked pasta on the chicken.

Warm up the mother sauce then add it next, Give a few good stirs too. Don’t want any dry ass pasta bits at the bottom.

Grate some parmigiano reggiano on there and then top with the mozzarella.

Then in she goes into a 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes. Just enough to get the cheese melty and bubbly.

Get yourself a plate already!

A little more parm on there and hey? Like it a bit spicy like I do?

Check this shit out.

Yessir. That’s a pepper grinder with nothing but crushed red pepper flake in it. Ever mess with one of these? Anybody who thinks that red pepper flake doesn’t have enough of a kick has never fucked with one of these. This wakes that shit RIGHT the fuck up.

For what it’s worth, in addition to this pepper grinder I have 2 additional grinders with black pepper in them and ANOTHER grinder with nothing but Szechuan pepper in it because that how this motherfucker rolls!

All you need now is a little bread, a side salad or whatever and a glass of wine and you are straight the fuck up in business!

This shit is delicious and very satisfying. Again the end result will depend on the effort you made to develop the ingredients.

Another benefit? The leftovers are ridiculously good and you can nuke that shit up in like 45 seconds.

See? Easy as a motherfucker and no massive kitchen skills even required.

It’s good to be back in the Sunday Gravy saddle again.

Wait. Something about having gravy and saddle in the same sentence just fucks with me.

Anyway we’re back in business and the gravy train keeps on a rolling.

Hope everyone is well and let’s do this shit again next week. Alright?

See you then.

PEACE!