Tag: Em’s Favorite

Grilled Thai Chicken Pizza

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

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 

Mama D’s Veggie Pizza

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 rolls
2 8 ounce cream cheese
½ c mayo
1 package dry ranch dressing mix
½ head each broccoli & cauliflower cut in very small pieces
2 carrots peeled and cut in very small pieces
1 small can sliced black olives
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

  1. Press crescent rolls into cookie sheet with a rim and bake in oven at 375 for 10 minutes. Let cool.
  2. Mix cream cheese, mayo, and ranch dressing mix together with hand or stand mixer
  3. Spread cream cheese mixture of the top of cooled crust
  4. Top with veggies, then olives and then cheddar cheese
  5. Refrigerate for 2 hours, then cut and serve!
Light but Large Homemade Meatballs

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

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: 

Instapot Seasoned Shredded Pork

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, enchiladas, tacos, and more!

5-6 pound pork butt roast; cut in 2-3 inch chunks
12 ounce jar of sofritos
Small can of green chilies
1 large diced onion
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup chicken broth
8 cloves of garlic
4 tablespoons of cumin
4 tablespoons of chili powder
4 tablespoons of Chipotle Tobasco sauce (could use adobo sauce instead)
Plenty of salt and pepper

Directions

  1. Put your Instapot on the saute function and add a tablespoon or 2 of olive oil. Salt and pepper your meat and add to the pot to brown all sides of the meat. You will need to do this in batches, so you don’t over crowd your pot.
  2. After all the meat is browned, put it all in the pot along with all other ingredients.
  3. Set your Instapot to work as a pressure cooker (mine is “manual”) for 75 minutes.
  4. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure.
  5. Turn off your Instapot and shred the pork with 2 forks and let rest in the juices for at least 15 minutes before serving. Pro-tip: The pork will get more flavorful if you let it sit in the juices for a few hours. This will freeze well in a freezer zip lock for a few months. I recommend storing it in small bags so you can reheat and use whenever with ease!
Lemon Berry Cheesecake

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

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. 

Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts

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:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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

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