Craving some foodie inspiration for the colder nights? Look no further than these three mouth-watering recipes from Dr Will’s.
As the leaves begin to turn and the clocks get ready to go back, there’s nothing quite like cooking the same old weeknight meals to make those gloomy evenings stretch even longer. Which is why I’m always on the lookout for fresh recipes to pull me out of a culinary slump and make me genuinely excited to get home and cook after a long day in the office. The latest additions to my weekly rotation? A mouth-watering selection of hearty, comforting recipes by Plate Up for Dr Will’s.
Not only are they delicious, but they’re also easy to adapt and perfect for batch-cooking and freezing, especially on those manic evenings where you might not have enough time to start a whole recipe from scratch. For those who don’t eat meat, swap the chicken and meatballs for vegetarian alternatives, such as tofu, paneer, Quorn, beans or mushrooms.
Hot honey halloumi and bang bang beans
Credit: Dr. Will’s X PlateUp
Dr Will’s says: “Double the drizzle, double the flavour. This bold, brilliant veggie dish heroes Dr Will’s Sriracha Hot Sauce in two delicious ways: first, whisked into a sweet ’n’ spicy hot honey glaze for the crispy halloumi, then stirred through creamy bang bang beans for a fiery kick of flavour. And the best bit? You’re in charge of the heat. Add more hot sauce for full-on fire, or dial it down for a gentler glow. Whether you’re spice-shy or spice-obsessed, this one’s built for flavour your way. Try tearing your halloumi instead of chopping it for a lovely crispy texture.”
Ingredients
For the bang bang beans:
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- Your preferred cooking oil or spray
- 2 x 400g tins cannellini beans, drained
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 2 tsp onion granules
- 60g cream cheese
- 1 tbsp Dr Will’s Sriracha Hot Sauce
- 150g spinach
For the hot honey halloumi:
- 1 x 225g pack halloumi, torn
- Your preferred cooking oil or spray
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp Dr Will’s Sriracha Hot Sauce (plus extra to taste)
- 1 lime, juice of half and half cut into wedges
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the bang bang beans:
Peel and slice the red onion and garlic. Heat a dash of your preferred cooking oil or spray in a pan over a medium heat. Add the red onion and garlic, then cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the drained cannellini beans, mashing some of them with the back of a spoon for a creamy texture.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes and onion granules, then add the cream cheese and 1 tbsp Dr Will’s Sriracha Hot Sauce, mixing well. Season with salt and pepper and simmer gently for 5 minutes. You can add more hot sauce depending on how spicy you’re feeling.
For the hot honey glaze:
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and 1 tbsp Dr Will’s Sriracha Hot Sauce.
For the hot honey halloumi:
Drain the halloumi then pat it dry and tear into bite-sized pieces. Heat a dash of your preferred cooking oil or spray in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the halloumi and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Pour over the hot honey glaze and let it bubble for 30 seconds until sticky and glossy, then take the pan off the heat.
Cut half the lime into wedges and juice the other half. Stir the spinach into the bang bang beans and cook for a minute until wilted. Add the lime juice to taste. Spoon the bang bang beans in bowls, top with the hot honey halloumi and serve with the lime wedges. Tuck in and enjoy!
Marry me buffalo chicken traybake
Credit: Dr. Will’s X PlateUp
Dr Will’s says: “Just when you thought the ‘marry me’ trend couldn’t get any more delicious, meet your new comfort food crush. Triple the drizzle, triple the flavour. We’re using Dr Will’s Buffalo Hot Sauce to firstly marinate our chicken for a tangy, spicy kick, resulting in the juiciest chicken, which is then cooked in the marry me sauce. For a lighter alternative, using crème fraîche in the sauce adds a lovely tangy kick. It’s all cooked in one tray for an effortless dinner – simply stir, bake and you’re done.”
Ingredients
- 200g chicken breast, diced
- 2 tbsp Dr Will’s Buffalo Hot Sauce
- ½ red onion, chopped
- 40g sundried tomatoes, chopped
- ½ handful of spinach, chopped
- 150g conchiglie pasta shells
- 75g creme fraiche
- 35g parmesan, grated
- ½ handful of fresh basils
- ½ chicken stock cube
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- ½ tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Optional: pinch of chilli flakes
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. In a bowl, mix together the chicken breast and 1 tbsp Dr Will’s Buffalo Hot Sauce, set aside to marinate.
Add chicken, pasta, red onion and sundried tomatoes to a large baking dish. In a jug, make up the chicken stock cube with 250ml boiling water per serving. Stir in the garlic granules, tomato puree, dried oregano and optional chilli flakes, season with salt and pepper.
Pour over the pasta and mix well. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
After 30 minutes, add the reserved Dr Will’s Buffalo Hot Sauce, creme fraiche and spinach. Scatter over the parmesan. Pop back in the oven for another 10-12 minutes.
Transfer the baking dish from the oven, leave to stand for a few minutes, then scatter over the basil leaves and plate up. Finish with an extra drizzle of Dr Will’s Buffalo Hot Sauce and enjoy!
Smoky chipotle ranch meatballs
Credit: Dr. Will’s X PlateUp
Dr Will’s says: “Star of this delicious dinner show is Dr Will’s Chipotle Ranch Dressing, which we’ve layered through the dish to bring a subtle, smoky warmth at every stage. Other reasons to love this recipe? There’s no chopping involved – the only prep is shaping the meatballs – and using frozen sliced peppers keeps it quick, easy and packed with colour and nutrients. It’s naturally gluten free, ideal for batch cooking and a great option for meal prep. To make it your own, you can swap the rice for wholegrain rice, quinoa, couscous or pearl barley, making it flexible for different tastes and dietary needs.”
Ingredients
- 250g beef mince
- 45ml Dr Will’s Chipotle Ranch Dressing
- 200g chopped tomatoes
- 150g frozen sliced peppers, sliced
- ½ handful spinach
- 250g basmati microwave rice
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
In a bowl, mix together the beef mince, 2 tbsp Dr Will’s Chipotle Ranch Dressing, the dried oregano and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Shape into 5 meatballs per serving (~25g per meatball), if you prefer you can make larger meatballs with 3 meatballs per serving.
Heat a dash of your preferred oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook until they’re browned on all sides (around 5 minutes). Remove from the pan and set aside.
Heat another dash of oil in the pan you cooked the meatballs in over a medium heat. Stir in the garlic granules, smoked paprika, chopped tomatoes and the rest of the Dr Will’s Chipotle Ranch Dressing.
Stir through the frozen sliced peppers and nestle the meatballs back into the pan. Cover and simmer gently for 6-8 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.
After this time, add the spinach and cook until wilted. Check the seasoning and adjust to your taste.
Just before you’re ready to serve, cook the basmati rice according to instructions. Plate up the meatballs with rice, finishing with an extra drizzle of Dr Will’s Chipotle Ranch Dressing. Tuck in and enjoy!
Images: Dr Will’s x PlateUp