Drawing from decades of experience feeding her family, Babs Costello shares delicious, family-approved recipes in her new cookbook, "Every Day with Babs: 101 Family-Friendly Dinners for Every Day of the Week."
The cookbook author and beloved lifestyle content creator joined “Good Morning America” on Tuesday to share her tips and tricks for making dinner easier and more enjoyable.
Chocolate chip cookies with subtle twist from Brunch with BabsOn the show, she demonstrates how to whip up Grammie’s chicken cutlets, roasted sausage, peppers & gnocchi, and kids' favorite broccoli pasta -- perfect additions to any weeknight menu.
Check out the full recipes below.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Makes 4 servings
"Nonnas are great at having food at the ready -- it’s a grandma thing," Costello said. "If you were to stop by my house and open my freezer, you would see a stack of these chicken cutlets ready to go. Think of these as your new dinnertime best friend. The recipe, as noted, serves four -- twice! But you can make as many of these as you like, and you won’t be sorry."
She continued, "You can use these cutlets for any dinner recipe you can imagine. Slice them into tenders and serve with a side of fries and the dipping sauce of your choice. Make a chicken club sandwich or sub. Pour on your favorite marinara and some mozzarella cheese, and you’ve got a delicious chicken parm. Go lighter and serve with a simply dressed salad with arugula, tomatoes, and shaved Parmesan, like chicken Milanese."
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (8 ounces each)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 large eggs
1 ¼ cups panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
Neutral oil, such as avocado, for shallow-frying
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Directions
1. Set one hand on top of a chicken breast to hold it in place, then cut horizontally through the middle so you have 2 thinner cutlets. Repeat for all the chicken breasts for a total of 8 cutlets. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season the chicken all over with 2 teaspoons of salt.
2. Prepare 3 shallow dishes or large plates for coating the chicken. In the first dish, combine the flour, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Season with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. In the second dish, beat the eggs. In the third dish, combine the panko and Parmesan, then season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
3. One at a time, dip the chicken cutlets in the flour and coat all sides, tapping off the excess. Next, dip in the egg, allowing any excess to drip back into the dish. Finally, coat with the panko mixture, pressing to adhere. Place on a plate as you coat all the cutlets.
ENJOY NOW: In a large cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pot, heat ¼ inch of oil over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the butter, swirling until melted. Carefully add 2 chicken cutlets to the skillet. Fry until golden brown and fully cooked, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a clean plate, then immediately sprinkle with a little salt. Repeat with 2 more chicken cutlets. Serve.
ENJOY LATER: Arrange half the cutlets on a plate or sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until solid. Transfer the cutlets to a zipper-top plastic bag and freeze for up to 1 month. While still frozen, bake at 450°F until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.
Notes from Costello:
You wouldn’t think you could get these as crispy in the oven as with the fry method, but this recipe manages to do just that.
Here’s the simple salad recipe. In a large bowl, combine baby arugula and halved cherry tomatoes, then dress with a drizzle of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, grated Parmesan, and salt and pepper.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Makes 4 servings
"My dear friend and surrogate mother, Ida, made the most amazing homemade potato gnocchi I have ever tasted," Costello said. "It required time, but it was out of this world. Today, most of us don’t have the kind of time during the week that Ida did back then."
She continued, "For this recipe, I use packaged potato gnocchi, right off the shelf, roasted alongside Italian sausage and chopped bell peppers and onions. Whereas homemade gnocchi is fluffy, store-bought potato gnocchi has a chewy bite that gets crispy and savory when roasted. Just top this with Parmesan and basil. It’s delicious!"
Ingredients
1 (12- to 18-ounce) package shelf-stable potato gnocchi
2 red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, chopped into 1-inch pieces (about the same size as
the gnocchi)
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
For serving: grated Parmesan, small handful of torn basil leaves
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. On a sheet pan, toss together the gnocchi, bell peppers, onion, olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Shake into an even layer. Squeeze roughly ½-inch pieces of sausage out of the casings onto the sheet pan, all over the gnocchi and vegetables. Roast, stirring halfway through, until the peppers are softened and the sausage is browned and crisp, 30 to 35 minutes.
3. Add the butter to the sheet pan and toss until the butter is melted, scraping up browned bits from the pan as you go. Serve topped with Parmesan and basil.
Notes from Costello:
Shelf-stable gnocchi is exactly what it sounds like. You’ll find it on the shelves of the pasta aisle. It doesn’t need to be boiled before roasting—more time saved! Cut a bell pepper like a pro! Remove the top and bottom of the pepper, then make a slit from top to bottom, remove the seeds and core, and slice. For an extra-creamy affair, serve topped with ricotta or burrata.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Makes 4 - 6 servings
"All of my nine grandchildren have, at one time or another, been picky about dinner," Costello said. "While some have had more limited ranges than others, I’m used to the whole spectrum. Nobody wants to be a short-order cook at home, so I’ve got the perfect recipe. It’s one that everyone will enjoy, no matter where they may fall in the range of picky eaters (children or adults!)."
She continued, "The ingredient list is short, there is virtually no prep, and, of course, there’s only one pot. The gateway ingredient here is cheese! Lots of Parmesan (or Pecorino Romano) mixed with your pasta and veggies—and who wouldn’t love that? The broccoli florets are added to the boiling pasta pot toward the end, making the process extra-streamlined. Don’t forget to save a cup of the starchy cooking water to help create a silky, flavorful sauce!"
Ingredients
Kosher salt
1 pound short pasta, such as bow ties
3 cups broccoli florets (about 8 ounces)
2 lemons
1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
1 ¼ cups (5 ounces) finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Directions
1. Fill a large pot halfway with generously salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook to al dente according to the package directions. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli and cook briefly. Scoop out and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and broccoli.
2. Meanwhile, zest 1 of the lemons, then halve both lemons and squeeze to have ¼ cup juice.
3. In the same pot as you cooked the pasta, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and stir until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the pasta and broccoli, ¾ cup of the reserved cooking water, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir in the Parmesan and cook, stirring, until the pasta is slightly creamy, about 2 minutes. Add more of the pasta water as needed until the pasta is glossed with sauce. Season with salt, if needed.
4. Divide the pasta among bowls and top with more Parmesan and pepper flakes.
By clicking on these shopping links, visitors will leave ABCNews.com and Goodmorningamerica.com, and these e-commerce sites are operated under different terms and privacy policies. ABC will receive a commission for purchases made through these links. SOME PRICES ARE DYNAMIC AND MAY CHANGE FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. Have questions about ordering or a purchase? Click here.
