Dirty Rice

 

I made this once, and now it is a frequently made dinner in our house! Super delicious on its own, but I pair it with a salad and crusty bread for a rounded meal.

4 oz bacon, chopped

1 lb breakfast sausage

1 medium onion, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

1 tbsp garlic, minced

2 tsp Cajun seasoning

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp dried thyme

14 oz chicken broth

1-1/2 cups long grain rice

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Set your instant pot to saute and toss in the first 6 ingredients. Saute until onions are clear (about 10 minutes). Make sure you break up the sausage well and stir often. Turn IP off and pour in rest of ingredients; stir to combine. Set IP to manual (high) for 15 minutes. Once time is up, let it naturally release for 10 minutes, then manually release pressure. Remove the bay leaf, stir, and serve.

Chicken Veggie Soup

This is a different take on chicken noodle soup, made for my client who is gluten free. Great way to have comfort food loaded with veggies!

4 cups chicken broth (GF if needed)

2 lbs chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch pieces

4 stalks celery, diced

3 carrots, diced

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp turmeric

3 small zucchini, spiralized (or 1 pkg frozen)

salt and pepper to taste

In a large stockpot bring the broth to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and all all ingredients except the zucchini. Simmer 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through, then add the zucchini and simmer another 5 minutes. Season to taste.

Sour Cream Banana Bread

I always have the problem of my banana bread taking forever to bake, but the middle still being gooey. By the time it's fully cooked the bread starts drying out. So I found a new recipe, then tweaked it because I didn't like how it mixed up the first time. The batter smells like vanilla pudding... and you might just want to start eating it! But don't... bake it into a delicious loaf of banana bread.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar*
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
2 medium bananas, mashed
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a loaf pan.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add in the sour cream, and then the mashed bananas - mixing between each.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt - then fold into the wet ingredients. Spread evenly in pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely (or eat warm like we do!).


*The first time I made this I did not have enough sugar. I used 1/2 cup sugar and ~1/2 cup honey. It was delicious, but browned a bit more than using all sugar.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake

My family LOVES buffalo chicken - wings, dip, tacos, etc. This dish is like taking the buffalo chicken dip that I make and mixing it with pasta... then baking with more cheese. Delicious!

16 oz penne pasta
12oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup Frank's RedHot sauce
2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick spray.

Cook the pasta, al dente, according to directions.

Stir together the cream cheese, ranch, and hot sauce until creamy. Add the chicken, then combine with the cooked pasta. Stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Put into casserole dish, and top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese on top is melted.


For a freezer meal, cover with plastic wrap and then foil and do not bake. Thaw in refrigerator and bake as directed.

Cheesy Potatoes

Happy Easter! This is a famous side dish for holiday gatherings in my family. One of those yummy traditions that I'm sure my own kids will carry on!

32 oz bag southern style hash browns
16 oz sour cream
10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Thaw hash browns for a few hours, if possible (it will just be harder to mix, but you can use them frozen). In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients (I like to save 1/2 cup of the cheese for the top). Put into a greased 9x13 casserole dish. Bake uncovered for an hour.

"Unstuffed" Egg Rolls

I was introduced to this recipe by my client, and it has become a regular meal in my own house. Super simple, minimal ingredients, lots of flavor. It is basically the inside of an egg roll! (Feel free to halve the recipe... I have a large family!)

2 lbs ground beef
10 oz bag shredded carrots
small head of cabbage, chopped
2 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp ginger
2 tbsp soy sauce*

In a large pot brown the ground beef. When it is almost brown add the carrots. When the carrots start to soften, mix in the cabbage. Cover with a lid to help it soften. After about 5 minutes add all the spices and soy sauce. Cook about 10 more minutes, stirring often, until cabbage is softened.


*For gluten free, be sure to use tamari or coconut aminos

Creamy Baked Mac-n-Cheese

I have made so many varieties of mac-n-cheese, but the possibilities are endless! I came across a recipe that used cream cheese and sour cream in the sauce and thought hmmm.... I changed up the cheeses used and added more spices. It was SO GOOD. Especially with our smoked pulled pork! I used penne pasta since it was in my pantry, but you could use another pasta.

16-oz package penne pasta
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg yolk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp paprika (I used smoked)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup grated parmesan*
1/4 cup crumbled feta*
1/2 cup monterey jack*
2 cups mild cheddar*, divided
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick spray.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt, then cook pasta until almost cooked through. Drain.

Mix the cream cheese, sour cream, butter, egg yolk, and spices in a bowl. Add the cheeses (only 1 cup of the cheddar) and stir. Gently stir in the milk.

Mix the sauce with the pasta and pour into dish. Top with remaining cup of cheddar cheese. Bake in preheated oven until heated through and cheese has melted, about 15 minutes. I also like to broil to brown the cheese on top a bit!


*Feel free to use your favorite cheeses, just use a total of 2 cups in the sauce. This combo had a fantastic flavor!

Chorizo and Potato Frittata

I came across this recipe and knew I had to try it. We raise chickens and eat a lot of eggs - this was a delicious way to eat some of them!

3 tbsp olive oil
3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
small onion, diced
1 lb ground chorizo sausage
8 large eggs
salt and pepper
1 cup monterey jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350. In a large ovenproof skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add potatoes (season with salt and pepper) and cover with a lid, stirring often, until tender and lightly browned. Remove from pan.

Add onion and chorizo to pan and cook through. Add potatoes back to pan and stir to combine.

Whisk eggs together, seasoning with salt and pepper, and add to the pan. Cook until egg starts to set then transfer to the oven. Cook until frittata is set, 8-10 min. Add cheese to top and broil to brown.

Smokey Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf

I didn't have a plan for dinner one night but knew I had some ground turkey in the fridge. I searched recipes online and came across one for a meatloaf with quinoa. I tweaked the recipe to add a bit more fat for moisture and flavor, and made it like a bbq bacon burger. My family loved it! Bonus, it's super healthy and full of protein.

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 tsp olive oil
small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 slices of bacon, chopped
2 lbs ground turkey
2 tbsp barbecue sauce
few dashes hot pepper sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low, cover, and simmer until water has been absorbed, about 12-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bacon. Cook until bacon is cooked and onion is softened. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

In a large bowl combine the turkey, quinoa, onion/bacon/garlic, and rest of ingredients. Stir until well combined. Put into a greased loaf pan.

Bake until cooked through, 60-80 minutes.

(**To make as a freezer meal, you can either cook beforehand or freeze raw. Thaw and either bake to reheat or bake as directed above.)

Creamy Chicken and Noodles

This was such an easy meal to make but had great flavor. I love meals that remind me of family dinners from growing up! My kids gobbled this up. It would have been delicious served over some mashed potatoes, but we ate it with some bread and butter because it was already so creamy. This is to serve my large family of 6 with some leftovers, so halve it if you need.

12 oz wide egg noodles
8 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced
10 oz bag frozen peas and carrots
1 cup cream or milk
1/2 cup water
4 tbsp flour

Place noodles in large pot. Add stock and olive oil; stir. Add peas and carrots. Cover and heat over medium heat until noodles are soft, 10-15 minutes. Add the chicken and stir in cream/milk.

Mix water and flour so there are no lumps. Add gradually to the noodle mixture, stirring constantly. Heat to boiling and simmer for 5 minutes.

(This could also be frozen after it is cooked -- let cool and put into large freezer bag. Freeze flat, then thaw and reheat on stovetop.)