I hope…I really hope…that you are already a fan of making bacon in the oven. It’s the best…no messy grease spatters on the stovetop, you can cook a bunch at once (because more bacon = more better), and now…you can also make these life-changing super crispy roasted potatoes on your lovely foil-lined pan of bacon…
Dinner
Citrus Herb Marinated Grilled Chicken.
3 things: This is citrus herb marinated grilled chicken. I think you guys should be friends! I might have a first grader (?!?!!!) who heads back to school tomorrow, and we did beach-plus-Dairy-Queen last night in a way that felt a little like goodbye, but SUMMER IS NOT OVER and bright citrus-y chicken with a…
Honey BBQ Pork Chops.
Quick weeknight dinner, anyone? I got yer honey bbq pork chops right here! These guys cook up lovely and brown in the pan and then get smothered in a super-quick, sweet and tangy bbq sauce. They have a ton of flavor and stay super juicy inside, and look how shiny and glossy they are! 😍 Don’t…
Pan-Seared Fish with Lime & Basil.
You guyssss! I have been a fish-cooking failure for YEARS. I would get all, “We need to eat more fish around here!” and then I would make terrible, sad fish (I mean, once it managed to be both dry and mushy?! #how), and feel like I wasted all the dollars, and be afraid to try…
Beef Vegetable Soup.
This is my mom’s beef vegetable soup recipe, and it’s The Best. It’s cozy and hearty, with tender beef and tons of vegetables. And you know how soups can be kind of same-y? I love all the different textures here, and that you can really taste the sweetness of the carrots and corn in the…
Veggie-Packed Taco Bowls with Roasted Sweet Potatoes. (Whole30 approved!)
A couple of weeks ago, I dabbled in the Whole30. (If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a grain-free, sugar-free, dairy-free way of eating, and the goal is to help you to understand how different foods make you feel.) I have a ton of respect for people who commit and do it – I’m probably…
Nana’s Potato Soup.
I looove soup. I’m not scared to make a pot of soup in the middle of summer, but this time of year, when humidity is giving way to crispness, it’s even better.
Easy Baked Chicken Parmesan.
Easy baked chicken parmesan – and help me choose a subtitle: cheater weeknight version! ready in less than 30 minutes! no dipping/breading required! with crispy cheesy bits on the side of the pan!
Balsamic Chicken in the Crockpot (or Instant Pot).
**This post is brought to you by my sister, Laurie…with occasional interjections by me, so I can brag about my Instant Pot.** Laurie: I’ve made this balsamic chicken several times now and it’s not a fluke. We really like it! That’s basically all the reason I need to add it to our regular rotation. But there…
Shortcut Burrito Bowls.
I really wanted to name these “shorty-shorty-shortcut burrito bowls” or something that more eloquently celebrates how many corners you can cut and still have a really good, healthy dinner. We’re trying to plan ahead for quality family time since Jay’s schedule gets a little crazy this time of year, and we decided that Wednesdays we’ll do an…
Pesto Pasta with Burst Tomatoes.
The irony of this post is that it has taken me a Whole Lot Longer to find time (and, you know, 2 hands) to type it than it did to actually make and consume. Pesto pasta is a great summer meal since it’s ready in the time it takes to cook the noodles, which is a…
Five Minute Basil Pesto.
My basil plant is still alive! I haven’t been doing much cooking (because baby snuggles), so I needed to harvest and use a bunch of basil. Pesto for the no-cook, five-ingredient, five-minute win!
Simple Basil Marinara Sauce.
I’m successfully growing basil! (By this I mean I haven’t killed the lone basil plant I bought a few weeks ago. Because my mom waters it for me.) I needed to cut it back a bit, and it was the perfect excuse to make a batch of this simple basil marinara sauce. It’s just a…
One-Pan Chicken Fajitas.
I hope your Cinco de Mayo involves a Mexican restaurant and enough chips + salsa + queso to make your jaw ache and your actual meal unnecessary. But if you’re cooking a Mexican feast at home – or you just need an easy weeknight meal – these chicken fajitas are for you, since you…
Quick & Easy Pan-Seared Chicken.
I’m a meal planner, but I’ve tried and failed to be a meal prepper – taking a chunk of time on the weekend to chop veggies, cook a couple things, and set myself up for success during the week. (If you want to be inspired to do this, check out Shutterbean’s meal prep posts.) Mostly…
Bacon Grilled Cheese.
My Nana (you know her – potato soup, spaghetti sauce, and gingersnaps, to name a few) has a few stories that I’ve heard her tell lots of times, but they never get old. One of them is the tale of ordering BLTs at a restaurant. She and her lunch companions asked for the bacon to be…
Easy Roasted Apple Grilled Pork Chops.
Grilling season never really ends here in NC, if you have/are a committed griller who doesn’t mind bundling up and braving the cold and dark through the winter – and thankfully, Jay is willing. And although I’ve internally cursed and externally whined about DST and the we-still-haven’t-recovered havoc it wreaks on my children’s sleep habits, I…
Citrus Kale Salad.
This is the first salad recipe I’ve ever posted, and there’s a reason for that: I’m the sad, sad queen of letting bags of leafy greens turn to slime in my fridge, because salads don’t excite me enough to make the effort to, you know, put them in a bowl. Until now. I’m not exaggerating when I…
Shepherd’s Pie.
This week, to help you celebrate two important holidays (that would be today, 3.14, aka Pi Day, and St. Patrick’s day), I bring you shepherd’s pie! This version has a saucy ground beef mixture full of carrots, peas, and corn and is topped with a layer of fluffy, buttery mashed potatoes.
Pot Roast.
The summer after I graduated from college, I lived at home and taught at my church’s day camp in the mornings and worked at a gym doing personal training in the evenings (have I even told you that was my pre-kid job?!). I had a really interesting variety of clients (words that do not begin to…
Taco Meat
**This post is brought to you by my sister, Laurie!!** This is a super-easy recipe, made with pantry staples. It comes together quickly and can easily be doubled for a crowd. (And I think it even fits Bet’s Faster-than-Fast-Food rules.)
Giada’s Meatball Stew.
We love a cookin’ show around here, as my 4-year-old calls them, and I saw the episode of “Giada at Home” where she makes her hearty meatball stew a few years ago on vacation. (There’s something magical about having access to cable TV on vacation, I’m just saying.) Even though it was summer and we were…
4 Dinner Ideas That Do Not Involve Turkey.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and Thanksgiving dinner is probably my favorite meal of the year. And I love eating the leftovers again on Friday, and even the next day. And I always appreciate recipes that help you use up your leftovers in creative ways, but at some point, I’m just done with turkey/potatoes/gravy and I’m ready for…
First Taste: Copycat Outback Bread.
I made a pot of this ham, potato, and corn chowder (incidentally, I made it without ham – and no one missed it, because bacon), and my initial plan was to make a batch of no-knead bread to go with it. When I was getting out the ingredients, though, I noticed a box of vital…