Instapot Baby Food
My baby girl is 6 months old, and we have started feeding her soft foods and purees. Let me tell you, baby food is expensive! I decided to look up way to make my own, and I found this amazing post to steam fruits and …
Recent Posts
Grilled Thai Chicken Pizza
25 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Intermediate This probably one of my favorite recipes I have ever made. My cousin, Karen, told me about this recipe, so I took inspiration from it. My husband loves this pizza so much! We make it …
Salsa Bottom Egg Bake
40 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy
My mother-in-law, Julie, told me about this egg bake, and I’m going to tell you that I will never go back! This egg bake was phenomenal and has become a household favorite. The best part is it super interchangeable! Just keep the core pieces the same, and you will have delicious breakfast you can warm up in the morning before you head to work!
12 eggs
16 oz of whole milk Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 16 oz jar of salsa or sauce of choice (you could use pizza sauce for a pizza bake)
2 cups of cooked bacon, sausage, or filling of choice (pepperoni for a pizza bake, veggies, etc.)
2 cups of shredded cheese (I used colby jack, but any kind if fine based on your taste and what you’re going for. Italian would be perfect for a pizza theme.)
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of pepper
1 tsp of garlic powder
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- In a sprayed 9 by 13 pan, dump your entire jar of salsa or sauce of choice. Use a spoon to spread it evenly across the bottom of the pan.
- Take 1 cup of cheese and sprinkle evenly over the salsa.
- Crack 12 eggs into a bowl. Mix yogurt or sour cream, salt, pepper, and garlic powder into the eggs. Beat vigorously until thoroughly blended together where you see no clumps of yogurt.
- Dump the egg mixture over the salsa and cheese.
- Sprinkle your sausage or filling(s) of choice evenly over the top of the egg mixture.
- Top with the remaining cup of cheese.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes until the eggs have set.
Cinnamon Crunch French Toast
30 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Intermediate Years ago, Kenny, my sister-in-law, Emma, and I all went to a restaurant for breakfast. We had a corn flake crusted french toast that was to die for, so I had to recreate it in …
Grandma Berger’s Waffles
30 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy This is a special treat my mom makes every Christmas for our immediate family in honor of her mom. 3 eggs1 1/2 tsp. salt2 cup milk1 cup sugar1 cup shortening (you can use oil or …
Grandma Bichler’s Sloppy Joes
1 hour 15 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy
As a kid, you have those recipes that your grandma made that were just so good! This is definitely one of them! I usually use red pepper instead of green, but that’s just based on my taste. Enjoy!
1 ½ lbs. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 can tomato soup
1 cup ketchup*
1 tbsp. celery seeds
1 ½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. prepared yellow mustard
*Substitute 1 can tomato paste + 1 cup water
Directions:
- Brown meat in shortening, if meat is lean; otherwise, brown beef in it’s own fat.
- Add celery, onion, and green pepper. Simmer until tender.
- Add remaining ingredients.
- Cook slowly for 1 hour. Serve mixture in split hamburger buns. Makes 15-18 sloppy joes.
Mama D’s Veggie Pizza
2.5 hours || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Moderately Easy This is one of my mother-in-law’s specialties! It’s such a great recipe, and it’s really versatile. You can put whatever veggies you desire! 2 tubes crescent rolls2 8 ounce cream cheese½ c mayo1 package …
Light but Large Homemade Meatballs
45 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Moderately Easy These meatballs are a bit healthier because they have ground turkey in them. The turkey helps keep them from getting to heavy and making you really tired after you meal (you know what I’m …
Instapot Butter Chicken
40 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Moderately Easy
My neighbor shared this recipe with me: https://twosleevers.com/instant-pot-butter-chicken/ and it was phenomenal! I made a few changes, though, just purely based on what I had in my fridge and pantry.
What I used instead:
- I used crushed tomatoes
- I did not use the Tumeric
- I usually don’t have heavy cream around my house. I have used both the following I mixed together some whole fat plain Greek yogurt and milk, and I used some coconut milk.
- I used salted butter
- I used butter instead of ghee in the rice
- I did not use cilantro because my husband hates it!
I’d highly recommend getting some naan to eat with it and soak up the amazing sauce!
Nacho Bake
40 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy Filling Ingredients: 2-3 cups of pulled seasoned pork (you could use seasoned ground beef or turkey)3/4 cup of sour cream3/4 cup of salsa1 can of rinsed black beans (could use any beans; I wanted to …
Instapot Seasoned Shredded Pork
90 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy This recipe is to die for and it’s so easy! It’s great to make for a party or to store excess in your freezer for future occasions. This pork is perfect to put in quesadillas, …
Pork Chops with Cooked Apples & Onions
25 minutes || My rating: 8/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy
Directions
- Julienne (cut into thin slices) a large sweet onion.
- Cut into thin slices 3 large green apples.
- In a large pan on medium heat, add a tablespoon of butter and the sliced apples and onions. Season with a pinch of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until the onions and apples soften and the onions become translucent. This could take 7-10 mins.
- While the apples and onions are cooking, take a large skillet and put over medium high heat. Grab your 4 thick cut pork chops and season heavily with salt and pepper. When skillet is hot, add a tablespoon of butter.
- After the butter is melted, add your pork chops to the pan. Cook pork chops 3-5 minutes on both sides until the internal temperature of the pork gets to 145 degrees. Pro-tip: let your pork rest for 10 minutes before serving. This will allow the meat to remain juicy.
- Serve the pork chops with the warm cooked onions and apples.
Stuffed Chicken Bacon Ranch
75 minutes || My rating: 9/10 || Difficulty rating: Intermediate Directions Preheat oven to 350°F In a small bowl, mix 1/2 block of room temperature cream cheese, 1/2 pack of dried ranch seasoning, and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese until all combined and set …
Lemon Berry Cheesecake
90 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Intermediate Crust 1 3/4 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs (about 15 full crackers) 1/3 cup butter, melted 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Cheesecake 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature 2 …
Buffalo Cauliflower
45 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- In a large mixing bowl combine 4 tablespoons of flour, 3 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon of garlic power, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of pepper. The consistency should be like a very thin pancake batter. Add more water or flour to get to that consistency.
- Cut up a large head of cauliflower into small florets and add to the mixing bowl. Combine until the cauliflower is evenly covered by the mixture. Pro-tip: I like to use a mixing bowl that has a cover, and I just shake the mixture all over the cauliflower until it’s evenly covered.
- Cover a sheet pan with tin foil and generously cover with cooking spray.
- Dump the cauliflower onto the sheet pan and put in the oven. Roast for about 30 minutes, after 20 minutes, flip the cauliflower so both sides evenly roast. Rinse out the large bowl and dry.
- While the cauliflower is in the oven, on the stove, heat in a small pot 1 1/2 cups of Franks hot sauce and 1/2 cup of honey on medium heat. Stir every few mins as the mixture will come to a simmer and thicken. Pro-tip: You should be able to take a spoon with the sauce on it and along the back of the spoon, wipe your finger down it. If the sauce stays in place, then it is thick enough and the heat can be turned off.
- When the cauliflower is starting to turn golden brown, take it out of the oven and dump into the large bowl; add the sauce to the bowl as well. Put the lid on the bowl and shake to evenly cover the cauliflower with the sauce. Dump the sauce covered cauliflower back on the sheet pan.
- Turn the oven on broil, and place the pan back in the over on the top rack. Broil for a few mins until the cauliflower starts to crisp up or looks golden.
- Serve hot with ranch or blue cheese dressing. I also love to eat this on a buffalo chicken salad in replacement of the chicken. It’s so delicious! This also heats up great if you have left overs (trust me, you won’t the first time!).
Mayo Broiled Cod
15 minutes || My rating: 8/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy Directions: Take a 1 pound piece of cod and pat it with piece of paper towel to remove some of the excess moisture. Place on a sheet pan and season the cod with salt and …
Cranberry Sauce
20 minutes || My rating: 8/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy Ingredients: 12 oz of Cranberries 1 cup white sugar 1 cup orange juice Zest of 1 medium sized lemon 1 cinnamon stick Directions: In a saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange …
Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts
1 hour || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy
These are my favorite roasted vegetable. They are perfect for a week night dinner or for a holiday meal with family. They are super rich and delicious with the sweet and tangy reserved balsamic vinegar.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of Brussels sprouts
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons of reserved balsamic vinegar
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Slice the Brussels sprouts in half. I like to cut the bottom stem off the sprouts when I’m cutting them in half. Pro-tip: If your sprouts are large, consider cutting them in quarters.
- Place your cut Brussels sprouts in a large bowl. Add enough oil to lightly cover the sprouts, garlic salt, black pepper, and lemon juice. Shake or stir in the bowl until evenly covered with all ingredients.
- Cover a sheet pan with tin foil and spray with oil. Dump your sprouts on the pan and bake on a middle rack in the oven for 35-45 minutes. Pro-tip: They should be golden and slightly crispy. If you have a few burn leaves, don’t sweat it! I promise they will be delicious.
- Back in your original bowl, dump your Brussels sprouts back into the bowl. Glaze the sprouts with a reserve balsamic vinegar. Pro-tip: You want to use a balsamic glaze or reserved balsamic. I highly recommend the reserve balsamic vinegar from Old Town Oil in Chicago. It’s phenomenal.
- Put your sprouts back on your sheet pan and back in the oven with the glaze on for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
If you want to really put these over the top, I’d recommend sprinkling some pomegranate seeds over the top for a tart, fresh flavor.
5 Ingredient Lemon Bars
1 hour || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy Lemon is my favorite flavor. This is one of the easiest desserts I have ever made, and I highly recommend these for a novice! They are perfectly sweet and tart. https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/5-ingredient-lemon-bars/823f7596-6e0a-476f-8b57-9e3134d897f9
Quick Pickled Vegetables
10 minutes || My rating: 5/5 || Difficulty: Easy I don’t know about you, but I love pickled vegetables! They are super versatile and can be used on pretty much anything. The best part? They last a long time, so you can make a bunch …
My Bloody Mary Chili
25 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy
- In a large pot, brown 1 pound of ground turkey (I used ground beef this time). Add 1 large diced onion, 2 cups of diced celery, and 2 cloves of minced garlic and cook until onions become translucent.
- In another pot, boil 1.5 cups of bow tie pasta. (I used quinoa in the above picture)
- Add 2 can of mild chili beans, 2 cups of bloody mary mix (I prefer Mr & Mrs T’s Bold and Spicy), 1 can of tomato sauce, 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 packet of mild chili seasoning, and 3 tablespoons of chili powder. Bring to a simmer.
- Add pasta to the mixture and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add hot sauce (I prefer Franks, but Tabasco is good, too) to your taste.
- Serve with shredded cheddar, avocado, saltines & butter, fritos, or your favorite chili toppings!
Taco Salad
15 minutes || My rating: 9/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy Directions: Brown ground beef or turkey and cook with taco seasoning Cut up romaine lettuce and place in a bowl Add meat, shredded cheese, salsa, and sour cream to your bowl. Pro-tip: you can substitute …
Maple Chipotle Pork Chops with Cheesy Polenta and Broccoli
35 minutes || My rating: 8/10 || Difficulty rating: Intermediate Directions for the pork chops: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/grilled-maple-chipotle-pork-chops-on-smoked-gouda-grits Pro-tip: Don’t have a grill? You can sear on the stove top, and then bake at 375 until the inner temp reaches 140. The temp will continue to rise …
Grocery shopping on a budget
Grocery shopping can get expensive fast, so here’s some tricks on how to knock down the cost.
- Only get what you need. Do this by making a list and **trying** to stick to it.
- Only buy things when they are on sale. I know you always want to by items like Oreos or Wheat Thins, but if you wait until they are on sale, you save money and appreciate them more. One thing to note with sales, often you see “2 for $5.00″. Don’t get sucked into it unless you need that many. You can buy 1, and the store will honor the sale price for just 1 unless it says otherwise.
- Buy off-brand items. When buying your pantry food, such as canned food, crackers, chips, condiments, etc. go to a store that provides them at a lower cost such as Aldi. If that’s not possible, buy the store brand items instead of name brand, they are usually significantly cheaper and usually taste the exact same.
- Sign up for the store card. This results in getting you all the sale prices and coupon books & newsletters. The best part, it’s FREE.
- Use grocery apps. These free apps provide you with savings on select products at your grocery stores and more. The one we frequently use is Ibotta. The cool part about Ibotta is the more friend you have in your group that use it, the more money you get back from Ibotta. Sign up here: https://ibotta.com/ and use this code to get $10 immediately: fkuthce
Skinny Salisbury Steak
35 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Intermediate This recipe was shared with me by my cousin, Karen. Oh. My. God. This is such a delicious meal! Brought me right back to my childhood; a hearty home cooked meal. This will definitely be …
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Rice Crispy Bars
30 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy Directions: In a sauce pan, heat up 1 cup of honey until it is bubbly. Add 1 cup of peanut butter. Stir until melted. Add a pinch of salt. Evenly mix with 4 cups of …
Gnocchi with Tomatoes and Broccoli
20 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy
- Chop broccoli into florets and boil until fork tender.
- In a pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add in 1 container of cherry tomatoes. Saute on medium high temp until the tomatoes start to pucker.
- While the tomatoes are cooking, boil the gnocchi. When the gnocchi is cooked, add it into the pan with the tomatoes.
- Add the cooked broccoli, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of butter. Let the the mixture cook down until most of the liquid is absorbed or forms a thick sauce. Ideal if some of the gnocchi gets golden brown.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup of shredded parmesan cheese on top of the mixture.
Enjoy!
You want to make good food? Start with good food. I do this in 2 ways.
In the summer, I have a garden. I believe this passion stems from my grandma, Evelyn. Growing your own food is one of the most satisfying feelings, and it’s actually pretty easy. My garden isn’t too sophisticated. I got plants from my local home improvement …
Homemade Meatballs
35 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty: Easy These meatballs are great for a party or for some awesome spaghetti and meatballs. This recipe yields 30 large meatballs. Mix all the following together until blended, but do not over mix: 2 pounds ground beef …
Texas Breakfast Tacos
45 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty: Moderately easy
I was recently in Austin, TX and I fell in love with their breakfast tacos and needed to add it to my recipes to frequently make. My husband and I even had them this morning! Recipe yields 6-8 tacos.
1. Roast potatoes
- Dice 3-4 large potatoes (I prefer red potatoes, but any potato is fine) in ½ inch-1 inch chunks. Add to a large bowl, diced potatoes, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of chili powder, 1 tablespoon of cumin, 1 tablespoon of paprika, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, 2 tablespoons of salt, and 1 tablespoon of black pepper.
- Mix ingredients until the potatoes are covered evenly with the seasonings. Dump onto 1-2 greased sheet pans. Pro-tip: For best results, do not overcrowd your sheet pan. You want your potatoes to cook evenly, so they need some space.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes until browned and fork tender inside.
2. Scramble eggs
- Crack 8 eggs into a medium size mixing bowl. Add ¼ cup of water or milk to the eggs. Pro-tip: adding milk or water will result in a fluffier egg – milk will be more rich. Mix vigorously until the liquid is mixed into the eggs and all the yolks are broke. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste to season your egg mixture.
- In a pan on medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter, once melted, add the egg mixture. After about 1 minute, continuously stir with a rubber spatula until the egg is fully cooked (there should be no browning). Remove from the pan to avoid additional cooking.
3. Add cheese to your eggs
- I love to use american cheese for this because I love that salty creamy texture it gives, but I think a shredded taco mix cheese or pepper jack would be excellent as well.
4. Put potatoes, eggs, and cheese in a warm tortilla
- It’s critical to use a warm tortilla! No one wants all these delicious fillings with a cold tortilla. The best way is to turn on your gas stove and put your tortillas right on the flame. Continuously turn the tortilla to get even browning and charring, but don’t let it get on fire! The next best way (and fastest) I have found is put them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds until they are warm.
- Add all your filling (potatoes, eggs, and cheese) into your tortillas.
5. Add additional toppings, if desired
- This part is up to you, add what you love! My recommendations: sour cream, salsa verde, Frank’s Red Hot, lime & cilantro vinaigrette, Chipotle sauce, bacon or sausage, steak and mushrooms, and/or avocado.
1 Pan Mexican Casserole
20 minutes || My rating: 9/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy In a large skillet, brown 1 pound of ground turkey. Season with 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 1 tablespoon of cumin, salt, and pepper. Remove from skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the …
Pro-tips on how to have the tastiest steak possible
Marinade your meat. I use a mixture of Italian dressing, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, spicy mustard, brown sugar, garlic, and black pepper to create a really tasty marinade for your steaks. Marinate for at least 30 mins, ideally overnight. When taking the steak out of …
BBQ Ribs
3 hours || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Moderately easy
I made a few tweaks and used the following seasonings and ingredients in the rub:
- Brown sugar
- Chili powder
- Paprika
- Cheyenne pepper
- Salt
- Black pepper
What I used for the liquid:
- White wine
- Apple cider
- 3 cloves of chopped garlic
- Worcestershire sauce
- Honey
Enjoy!
Salmon with Broccoli and Rice
30 minutes || My Rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy This is one of my husband, Kenny’s, and my favorite meals. Directions for the Salmon: For the marinade, mix ¼ cup Italian dressing, 2 tablespoons of honey, 4 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of …
No time to make meals during the week? Prep and make meals ahead of time!
When I know Kenny and I have a busy week or month ahead of us, I try to meal prep over the weekend, so we still have delicious home-cooked meals even when we are busy. I do this in a variety of ways. Prep produce …
Polenta Lasagna
45 minutes || My rating: 9/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy
Directions:
- Brown ½ pound of Italian sausage and add 1 pint of mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are cooked through.
- Add 1 jar of marinara sauce (my favorite is Prego) to the mixture.
- In another pot, make 1 cup of instant polenta to the box instructions. Pro-tip: for this recipe, cook the polenta until it’s pretty thick, it will give the recipe more texture. Add ¼ cup of shredded Parmesan to the mixture.
- In a glass baking dish, alternate layers of polenta, sauce, and mozzarella cheese, 2 layers of each.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins.
For additional flavor, top with some giardiniera. Nom nom!!
Chicken Lo Mein
30 minutes || My rating: 8/10 || Difficulty rating: Moderately Easy Directions: Slice chicken in small thin slices, cook in a skillet on medium high heat with some olive oil. Season with salt and pepper until cooked through. Remove from pan. In a large pot, …
Blistered Green Beans
15 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy The Pioneer Woman, from Food Network, has some of the best recipes! This is one of my favorite side dishes and Kenny’s, too! Here’s the recipe:https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/blistered-green-beans-3345327 Pro-tip: Don’t be afraid to get some dark color …
Sauteed Bok Choy
20 minutes || My rating: 7/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy
Directions:
- Take your fresh bok choy and cut off the bottom inch to get rid of the tough part of the vegetable.
- Chop the bok choy into large chunks, about 1-2 inches by 1-2 inches. No need to be particular, just get it all generally the same size. For the leaves, chop them up into a similar size.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a medium high saute pan with 2 cloves of minced garlic.
- Add the bok choy to start sauteing.
- Add 1 cup of chicken broth (can substitute vegetable broth), 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of minced fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon of honey, and a pinch of red chili flakes. Feel free to add more of less chili flakes depending on how you like spice.
- Cover the pan, turn the heat to a medium temperature, and let simmer for about 15 minutes or until the bok choy is fork tender. The greens will wilt and become delicious! Note: Bok choy can be really bitter if not cooked correctly, this is why I went with this method.
I served this with rice and chicken, but this is a great side for any Asian inspired dish.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
15 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy Directions: Take 2 chicken breasts and season with southwest seasoning. Grill until fully cooked through,165 degrees. Dice 1 medium onion and 1 clove of garlic. In a medium size pot, on medium heat, add 1 …
Lentil Soup
1 hour || My rating: 4/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy I followed this recipe:https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/lentil-soup-recipe-1947017.amp Made a few tweaks:I only added the cumin per the recipe of the seasonings listed since I didn’t have the other two. I also added some Tabasco sauce because I like …
Grab-bag Salads
Salad doesn’t have to be boring and tasteless. Use a variety of toppings and textures to get the most out of your salads!
Directions:
- Add Greens. There’s so many options of greens for salads, so find your favorite! Pro-tip: I personally like to avoid iceberg lettuce for salads because it’s pretty tasteless and provides very little nutritional value. Not to say you shouldn’t in a pinch (I did this time). Try romaine, arugula, spinach, kale, etc.
- Add fresh toppings. I love adding fruit and chopped up veggies to my salad. It adds texture, an assortment of flavors, a variety of nutritional benefits, and color! Try blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, apples, carrots, peppers, mushrooms, artichokes, beets, avocado, etc.
- Add crunch. People find salad boring when it lacks texture and bold flavors. Try toasted nuts, candied nuts, seeds, fried onions, homemade croutons, etc. Remember, nuts add protein!
- Add protein. Sometimes I like meat on my salad and sometimes I don’t. If you do, ALWAYS serve it warm on your salad. You’d be amazed how much more you will like salad if you have a warm protein on top. This includes eggs and tofu! Try chicken, steak, pork, different styles of eggs, tofu, meat and meatless sausage, etc.
- Add additional toppings. I love sometimes just adding what I have around the fridge or in my cupboard. Try warm quinoa, dried fruit, granola, bold cheeses, olives, etc.
- Add dressing. First of all, I’m a huge supporter of simple goes a long way. Basic flavored vinegar and oils can really make your ingredients pop – when in doubt go homemade with your dressings. BUT I know that’s not in everyone wheel house. Pro-tip: avoid fat free or low fat dressings, most of the time they just add a ton of extra sugar to make it taste better. Additionally, use a combination of dressings; creamy and vinegar based. Try balsamic, Italian, creamy blue cheese with french, cesar, salsa, sour cream, Greek yogurt, citrus flavored vinegar, etc. Pro-tip, DO NOT overdress your salad, a little goes a long way. Gradually add and taste if you’re not sure.
My favorite homemade dressing recipe:
- Mix ¼ cup olive oil, ¾ cup vinegar (any kind you want), add pepper. Whisk and taste.
- If your vinegar does not have much sugar in it (white or apple cider vinegar), add either sugar or honey until it’s sweetness is to your liking
- If you want a creamy dressing, add a tablespoon or 2 of mayonnaise.
Enjoy your diverse salads!!
Chorizo and Mexican rice stuffed Poblano Peppers
1 hour 20 minutes || My Rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Intermediate Poblanos are my favorite pepper!! They have amazing flavor without being too spicy. Directions: Cook Mexican rice In a skillet, add some olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan, be liberal. …
Braised Swiss Chard
20 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy This is the side dish in the picture. The rest of this dish is roasted chicken thighs and rice. Directions: Chop up 3 pieces of bacon and brown in a deep pan. Chop up a …
Hash brown bake
60 minutes || My Rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Easy
I live for hot breakfast. This is my personal favorite; cheesy and delicious!
Directions:
- Brown 1 pound of bulk breakfast sausage. I love my grocery’s deli country sausage, but Jimmy Dean’s or whatever will be great!
- In a large bowl, mix 1 bag of frozen hash browns, 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, ¾ cup of sour cream (Pro-tip: you can substitute plain Greek yogurt, I do this most of the time), 2 cups of shredded cheese (I use cheddar jack – really can be any melty cheese – pepper jack would be good, too), the browned sausage, salt, and pepper. Just mix until everything is evenly mixed.
- Pour mixture into a 9×13 pan. Pro-tip; Place tin foil in the bottom of your pan for easy clean up.
- OPTIONAL: I only do this when it’s a special occasion, but mix 1-2 cups of Rice Krispies or corn flakes with 1 stick of melted butter. Spread over the top of your mixture.
- Bake for 45-55 mins at 375 or until the top starts to get golden.
This meal is great to heat up. I’ll make this on Sunday, and it has enough portions to feed Kenny and I breakfast every day that week. I take a scoop and put it in a bowl, microwave for 1-2 minutes, and fry up an egg to throw on top. Wahlahhh! Warm, delicious breakfast in less than 5 minutes!
Pro-tip: You can totally skip the sausage to make this vegetarian! In this case, you could put a small minced onion in the mix if you’re daring. Kenny hates onion, so I don’t put it in this recipe anymore.
Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti
45 minutes || My rating: 10/10 || Difficulty rating: Moderately Easy Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half the long way, remove all seeds and guts Spray with olive oil and sprinkle garlic salt and black pepper Place on a sheet …