This is one of my honey's all time favorite dishes. Definitely a comfort meal at it's best, and ready in less the 30 minutes. Yes, you can make this following the recipe in a slow cooker, set for 4 hours on low, but it's so easy on the stove top, why not? I hope this becomes one of your favorites too!
Thursday, September 17, 2020
Saturday, September 12, 2020
Taco Pasta
Here is another idea for you for Taco Tuesdays, Taco Pasta. This recipe is quick and easy for any night of the week! This recipe can also be dairy and nut free. Just use dairy free cheese or omit the cheese completely.
Friday, September 11, 2020
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Having lunch with my mom and/or dad will always be something special to me. Being able to cook for them is even more special. I was able to do just that earlier this week. I picked up my mom from an appointment and we had lunch together. Before I picked her up, I made the soup, and simply heated it when we came home. She LOVED it! My mom said it tastes just like the Panera version. I was so flattered. I know you will enjoy this recipe!
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
Instant Pot Beef Bourguinon
Well, I'm not going to lie. This is definitely not Julia Child's recipe, but it was still good. I had a taste for beef stew and I was trying to use up some of the things we had in our pantry so this was dinner over egg noodles. It is comfort food, especially for a rainy day. Yes there are a lot of ingredients, but this recipe is extremely easy to prepare, and once everything is in the Instant Pot, you've got about 45 minutes to do whatever you need to do.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Taco Sloppy Joes
When trying to figure out how I was going to make our "Taco Tuesday" dinner, I came up with Taco Sloppy Joes. We did something a bit different today, and had the taco sloppy joes not on tortillas, but on Hawaiian rolls. Why Hawaiian rolls? Because it's what I had on hand. 😂.
As our side we had sauteed zucchini, yellow squash, and corn. I tossed in a bit of cilantro and that was our side. Coleslaw would be another great option.
Taco Sloppy Joes Taco Sloppy Joes on Hawaiian Rolls and Sauteed Squash and Corn
Monday, August 31, 2020
Potato Chip Crusted Chicken Breasts
We LOVE breaded chicken in our house! This recipe calls for something a little different...potato chips! Not only do the potato chips give the chicken a little extra moisture, they are also preseasoned (salted). One very important tip when breading chicken or any type of protein, season each layer. Do not only season the protein. This will enhance the flavor of the layers and the protein itself.
I made this as a Chicken Parmesan style with melted provolone, but it's great on its own, in a sandwich, or a side. We enjoyed it with pasta with marinara sauce and an aglio e olio pasta. Perfection!
Sunday, August 30, 2020
Apple Cider Donut Cake
There is nothing like the smell of a freshly baked Apple Cider Donut during the fall months. For me, the smell of cinnamon, sugar and vanilla are so comforting and warming. Unfortunately traditional apple cider donuts are made with dairy or nuts or both. I love this recipe because it's both dairy and nut free, and can also be egg free by substituting extra applesauce for eggs. The cake is also extremely moist, not dry!
Enjoy with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream (don't forget this can be vanilla soy ice cream)!
Saturday, August 29, 2020
Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy
Friday, August 28, 2020
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Roasted Southwest Potatoes and Broccoli
Roasted Southwest Potatoes and Broccoli are a great addition to your meal, not only on Taco Tuesdays, but any day during the week. I made these as a side for our Popcorn Chicken Wraps, but the would be delicious with grilled chicken, steaks, pork chops, or even burgers.
We had less than a half bag of golden potatoes, and I knew I'd have to stretch that for the 6 of us. Time to look in the freezer, ooh! Broccoli! The kids love broccoli and this dish is a great way to incorporate veggies into your dinner. Using a simple mix of taco seasoning, it gives this dish a southwest feel. One suggestion is to par cook the potatoes, this is ensure that the potatoes are not hard when they come out of the oven. How many times do you roast potatoes and the come out hard? Now, you have a quick tip to prevent that from happening.
These potatoes would also be good for a breakfast hash with scrambled eggs, sunny side up eggs, or even in a breakfast burrito!
This recipe will serve 6.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lbs golden potatoes or red potatoes, diced into cubes
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 1 bag frozen broccoli
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. paprika
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
Directions:
- Dice the potatoes into cubes. Add to a large pot. Add water to cover the potatoes and season with salt. Cover. Heat water to boil. Once boiling, turn the heat to simmer for 5-10 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Set aside. This can be done in advance.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a medium baking sheet with foil. Add onions, jalapeños and spices to the pot. Add in 2 to 3 tbsps of olive oil. Stir to combine.
- Spread broccoli evenly on baking sheet. Sprinkle a little olive oil on the broccoli. Pour the potato mixture onto the broccoli and toss gently to combine.
- Place in the oven for 30 minutes. Veggies will begin to brown slightly and flavors will come together! Ready to serve! Enjoy!!
Friday, August 21, 2020
Quick Cream of Chicken Soup
Lately I've had a taste for cream of chicken soup. When getting lunch ready for the kids, I will make my lunch while they are eating. Opening a can of soup is quick and easy, but today I wanted to make my own using up some of the leftover chicken from the Lemon and Fresh Herb Roasted Chicken.
You will LOVE this recipe! I pulled this soup together with onhand ingredients in about 15 minutes. This is so thick and creamy, it would be great over pasta or rice, with veggies and mashed potatoes, or simply on its own. Adding in some broccoli or peas would also be delicious!
Recipe serves 2.
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2.5 to 3 cups milk or half and half, I used a combination of both
- 2 tsp each of garlic and onion powder
- salt and pepper
- diced leftover chicken
- drizzle of lemon juice
Directions:
- Add butter to a medium pot on medium high heat. When the butter is melted, whisk in the flour. Whisk well to combine all of the flour with the butter.
- Once the butter and flour are slightly browned, whisk in 1 c. of milk. Continue to whisk until all lumps of flour are gone. Add more milk, whisk to combine. Continue to add milk until you have your desired thickness.
- Stir in diced chicken, adjust seasonings, and drizzle in lemon juice. Lunch is ready!! Enjoy!!
Lemon and Fresh Herb Roasted Chicken
I’m always thinking of easy meals to make that are dairy and nut free free. I know we have all gotten frustrated and it gets hard to find or offer variety when there are allergies in the house. For family meals I like to make things everyone can eat so no one feels “different or slighted.” We had easy lemon and fresh herb roasted chicken for dinner with a garlic and oil pasta. It was a hit!! It was a perfect accompaniment to the pasta, but mashed potatoes would be terrific as well.
This recipe is super simple and takes very little effort. I used bone in chicken breasts because the bone adds so much flavor and tends to keep the breasts juicier. In a large baking dish, I layed out the chicken, sprinkled it with salt and pepper, fresh thyme, chopped fresh rosemary, garlic powder, and lemon slices. Drizzled everything with oil, put it in the oven...done! You now have 40-45 minutes to get other things done.
I'm thinking of trying this recipe for a whole roasted chicken. Placing lemon slices under the skin and in the cavity. I'll let you know how it turns out!
This recipe serves 4 large portions.
Ingredients:
- 4 large bone-in chicken breasts, skin on
- salt and pepper
- 4 lemon slices
- 3 tsp fresh thyme
- 3 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 3 tsp garlic powder
- olive oil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Arrange chicken in a large baking dish, season with salt and pepper, garlic powder, fresh thyme and rosemary. Place a slice of lemon on each chicken breasts. Drizzle chicken breasts with olive oil.
- Place in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Skin will begin to brown and crisp. Check internal temperature of the chicken. It needs to be 165 F. The pan juices from the roasting serve as a perfect "gravy" over the chicken, and great for basting the chicken to keep it moist.
- Once the chicken is ready, dinner is set! Serve with an aglio e olio pasta or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!
Thursday, August 20, 2020
Parmesan Turkey Meatballs with Ravioli and Alfredo Sauce
Ground turkey can be a great healthier alternative to ground beef. Unfortunately it can be a little pricey, but I like to use it every so often for dinners, even dinners that call for ground beef. One thing to remember when using ground turkey when making burgers, meatballs or even a meatloaf is that it has a very low fat content, so it's important to add flavors to give it fat and flavor. Adding things like eggs, cheeses, herbs, breadcrumbs will help to do just that.
I will often use ground turkey to make a variety of flavored burgers or meatballs, staying true to the basic recipe of eggs, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. I've made chipotle burgers, Parmesan meatballs (recipe below), Greek style burgers/meatballs, and more! Ground turkey is a blank canvas for you to style any way you like!
This recipe includes a lazy Alfredo sauce to use with pasta. Tonight's menu called for ravioli (we didn't have kids home to worry about dairy). When I say lazy Alfredo sauce, I mean as lazy as opening a jar of sauce and adding to it. Yes, I've made my own which is a combination of butter, garlic, Parmesan, heavy cream and fresh herbs. I basically added the same to this sauce, but you have a base for it with the jarred sauce.
A quick tip for when using ground turkey; if you're able always try to refrigerate your burgers, meatballs or meatloaf for at least an hour before cooking. This will not only allow for the flavors to combine, but it won't fall apart when your cooking it. If the meat is at room temperature and you're trying to grill turkey burgers, they will tend to crumble and fall apart.
Recipe includes 4 servings.
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs ground turkey
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 c. breadcrumbs
- fresh parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper
Directions:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Combine the above ingredients in a medium size bowl. Mix well.
- Form meatballs to the size slightly larger than a golf ball. You should have about 18 meatballs.
- Cover baking sheet and place in the fridge for about an hour. 20 minutes before taking the meatballs from the fridge, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Bake the meatballs for 30 minutes. The will need to reach an internal temperature of 165. While the meatballs are in the oven, cook the ravioli according to package directions.