Wednesday, March 13, 2013

30 Minute Dinners

30 Minute Dinners - meals that can be made in 30 minutes or less #easy #quick #recipes

I am a mom of two and army wife....for the time being, I am lucky enough to be a stay-at-home mom with one of my kiddos in school full-time. However, some nights I just want to sit down and not make anything. Whether it was a full day of running errands - doctor appointments, training, volunteering, picking up and dropping off anyone in the family, etc. or whether I am just not feeling like cooking - these 30 minute dinners are lifesavers. Low hassle, delicious dinners!

So what's on the menu? Glad you asked!

I don't remember how I stumbled across these, but they had been in my recipe binder for a long time before I made them. My husband is not a huge fan of pork chops, but he loves these. I do too! Salsa smothered and covered in cheese - mmm!

Bacon & Parmesan Pasta
Bacon & Parmesan Pasta - penne pasta with a creamy Parmesan sauce and tons of chopped bacon
This one was for the bacon lovers in the house - which is all of us, but especially my son, who begs for bacon any chance he can get.


Bacon Chicken Avocado Club with Garlic-Basil Mayo
Bacon Chicken Avocado Club Sandwich with Garlic-Basil Mayo: crunchy bacon, lemon pepper chicken, creamy avocado, herby mayo, and more on this amazing club sandwich!
I made my chicken with lemon-pepper seasoning and let me just tell you, all of these flavors and textures work together perfectly. You could even use precooked bacon to cut down more time

 
Cheesy Tuna Shell Casserole
Cheesy Tuna Shell Casserole - ordinary, but in an extra kind of way! #tuna #recipe
This is my own recipe that I've been perfecting since I married my husband and I have it down to a science - cream of celery soup, double the tuna, frozen fresh peas, shell pasta, and lots of cheddar cheese! No matter what recipes I've made, I still love having this casserole at least once a month.


White Chicken Chili
White Chicken Chili - a chili variation using chicken with a tiny bite!
Another recipe that I've been tweaking since I got married. The first time I had WCC was when my future mom-in-law made it one night when I was over for dinner. I was so impressed and blown away, as I had never had chili with chicken in it.


One Pot Spaghetti
One Pot Spaghetti - with an ingredient that you normally don't find in spaghetti that blows it out of the water! #spaghetti #pasta #dinner
This makes me smile. Right now, this recipe has gone viral on Pinterest. In fact, you may be here because of this recipe you saw on Pinterest. Hi *waves* The reason it makes me smile is that spaghetti is my all-time favorite meal in the whole wide world. This spaghetti is awesome because it dirties one pot and it is made even more delicious by the addition of chicken broth.


Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Pasta
Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Pasta - dare you to eat just one bite of this cheesy pasta dish! #chicken #pasta #enchilada #dinner
I think that this pasta is a little deceptive. It looks pretty ordinary, but the flavors are like, "BLAM!" in your face :) Or rather your mouth. It is a recipe that makes me drool every time I see the picture.


Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese Soup
Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese Soup - a beer cheese soup that warms you to the bone! #beer #soup #cheese
Reasons I love this soup: it contains bacon, corn, cheese, and beer. It really doesn't get much better than that. It's a fine soup for a cold day...or if you really just want an excuse to eat bacon, corn, cheese, and beer.

Sweet 'N Spicy Hawaiian Pizza
Sweet & Spicy Hawaiian Pizza. A new spin on one of the best kinds of pizza. #pizza #ham #pineapple #spicy
I love this pizza for the ease of it. You don't have to bake any of the toppings and it's bursting with flavor. You get sweet and tart from the apricot preserves, juicy from the pineapple, salty from the ham, and spicy from the jalapenos. Definitely one of my favorite pizzas.


Grilled Chicken & Pasta with Basil-Cream Sauce
This is probably the most "complicated" of the 30 minute dinners, but it can be done. You grill your chicken while you cook your pasta and make your sauce. It all comes together very nicely and that basil-cream sauce is nothing to mess with...you will eat too much and then some! :)


Tatortot Tacos
Whoever invented this is a genius. No joke. I honestly think it ruined normal tacos for me for forever. I used golden rounds because they are infinitely more delicious than regular tatortots. It's a scientific fact. I think this could probably be called redneck taco salad. Darn tootin'


Ranch Style Spaghetti
Another variation of my favorite meal - this spaghetti includes ranch dressing mix and diced tomatoes. The ranch just gives it an incredible bite and the tomatoes add a juiciness.
 
Now it's your turn - what are some of your favorite quick meals?

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