Wednesday, April 29, 2015

One Skillet Cheesy Hamburger Pasta

One Skillet Cheesy Hamburger Pasta | Simple ingredients and it's made in one skillet - awesome, right?! #recipe #onepot

I have been digging all the one pot/skillet meals that have been popping up on food blogs over the last year or so. I made a One Pot Cheeseburger Casserole and it's different than this recipe, but a bit similar. I prefer this recipe to that one. I think my family does, too. Of course, there is nothing wrong with the other one. It's delicious too, but this one is definitely a favorite. I've begun to roast cherry or grape tomatoes whenever I use them because Nick & Matt don't like that version of tomatoes very much. They don't mind them roasted and neither do I. I simply toss them with a little olive oil and salt and pepper and broil (I guess I should say I broil them, huh?) them for about 5 minutes until they have browned a bit. In the pictures, you'll see I hadn't roasted them - it was my first time making the recipe. Since then we have roasted the tomatoes and it is definitely perfect on this pasta dish!

One Skillet Cheesy Hamburger Pasta | Simple ingredients and it's made in one skillet - awesome, right?! #recipe #onepot


Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Pumpkin Bars

Pumpkin Bars | This dessert is a classic! Moist, pumpkiny bars with a cream cheese frosting that can't be beat! #recipe #dessert #pumpkin

It is not traditional "pumpkin season" right now, but you know what...I'm NOT okay with that. Pumpkin, for me, is a year round thing. This recipe is a very popular one - you've probably seen it on a million food blogs or one of your family members has probably made it for years. It's as common as pumpkin pie. But even if they are common/popular, I did make them and wanted to share them because that's what I do!

If you haven't seen these or made them, then you're in for a treat! These tasty little squares are pumpkiny, moist and loaded with a cream cheese frosting :)


Monday, April 27, 2015

Menu Plan Monday - April 27, 2015

Menu Plan Monday | My week of meals, grocery list, and how much I'm spending on these delicious treats! #menuplan #groceries


I'm excited again to be attempting another Red Robin copycat recipe. I am really digging making copycat recipes based on descriptions of them online. The rest of the week has me pretty excited too. :) AND I spent (total) less money than I allotted myself for grocery shopping this week! WOO!

{Monday}
Peanut Butter Crumble Yogurt Parfait // Creamy Caprese Pasta
Rice Krispies, Snickers PB bars, chia seeds, vanilla yogurt* // penne, spaghetti sauce, Parmesan*, heavy cream*, grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, canned green beans (side)

{Tuesday}
Hazelnut Pancakes // Turkey Taco Skillet
hazelnut coffee creamer, milk // ground turkey (2), taco seasoning, 16 oz. thick salsa, corn with peppers, brown rice, sharp cheddar cheese, cilantro, green onions, lettuce, sour cream

{Wednesday}
5-Ingredient Pesto Chicken Soup
pesto, kale (2), chicken breast*, great northern beans (2), chicken bouillon

{Thursday}
Lightened Up Cheesy Quinoa Lasagna Bake
quinoa*, spaghetti sauce, Italian cheese, ground beef, broccoli (side)


{Friday}
Whiskey River BBQ Burger Copycat
bbq sauce, crispy onions, sliced cheddar, tomato, hamburger buns, french fries (side)

Total Spent: $98.79

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Mexican Pizza #SecretRecipeClub

http://secret-recipe-club.blogspot.com

It's time again for Secret Recipe Club reveal day for my group, Group D! What is Secret Recipe Club? It's a bunch of food bloggers separated into four groups that post once a month on a designated Monday. Each month, we are paired with another foodie from our group secretly (hence the name). We then pick a recipe (or two or more) from that blog and make it. On our reveal day, we reveal whose blog we had and what recipe(s) we chose all at the same time. It's like a Secret Santa every month, but with food and blogs! It's a great deal of fun :)

This month, my assignment was Chocolate & Chillies, a blog written by Asiya who resides in Toronto. She has Indian background herself and her husband is Pakistani, so there is a lot of influence from their heritages in the recipes she shares on her blog. I went searching for a pizza recipe - it's what I needed for my meal plan for the month. Asiya has tons of great recipes, but I ultimately chose the Mexican Pizza because it had a bean spread for a "sauce" and that just was super intriguing for me.
Mexican Pizza | This pizza boasts chorizo sausage, a black bean spread, cilantro, spicy jalapenos, and more! #recipe #pizza #SecretRecipeClub

I made some slight adjustments to the recipe. I used a whole can of corn, a ton more cilantro [there's never enough cilantro!], and added some chorizo sausage...because if there is no meat...I get some complaints! I believe my husband and older two kiddos say, "the meal ain't complete if it don't have meat!" - needless to say, our dinners typically have meat, so I'm not sitting around with a bunch of whiny butts! I personally would have loved it either which way - with or without meat. The bean spread was just plain awesome. I didn't miss the red sauce at all. I was really happy with how colorful it was too. Colorful foods are the best! And this pizza is the BEST BEST BEST! Y'all have to put it on your lineup ASAP! :) Thank you, Asiya, for the awesome recipe!

Mexican Pizza | This pizza boasts chorizo sausage, a black bean spread, cilantro, spicy jalapenos, and more! #recipe #pizza #SecretRecipeClub


Sunday, April 26, 2015

Crockpot Hawaiian Pulled Pork #SundaySupper

Crockpot Hawaiian Pulled Pork | This tropical bbq main dish is perfect for the whole family #SundaySupper #recipe

Today is my first day posting with the #SundaySupper movement. I have seen plenty of my Secret Recipe Club pals posting and tweeting about it and since having Mason, I have a teensy bit of free time that I wanted to devote to something new. I love the premise behind the #SundaySupper movement - it is such an important part of our family to sit around the dinner table together and eat, but on Sundays, we all go over to my mom-in-law's to eat dinner with all the family (who are in town).

This week's theme is Tropical Food and I decided to post this quick and easy recipe that I tried recently. After having Mason, my crockpot is my best friend. I can put him down long enough to get dinner in there and be good to go. He's a sweet baby, but he likes to cuddle and be held all the time. I sort of miss making dinner by myself without a baby in a wrap or a baby in my arms. Hopefully with time, he will get better about Momma making dinner :)

I absolutely loved this pulled pork. Our tenderloins were on sale at our local grocery store and I used my favorite bbq sauce in a new flavor: vidalia onion. With the liquid smoke and the pineapple, this pork was killer!

Crockpot Hawaiian Pulled Pork | This tropical bbq main dish is perfect for the whole family #SundaySupper #recipe


Friday, April 24, 2015

Fantastical Friday: Favorite Food Finds of the Week


Good morning, everyone, & happy Friday! I'm back with another collection of what I've found recently on my favorite food blogs. My bookmark folder on my browser continues to grow even though I keep sharing 15 recipes a week. It's quite ridiculous. But I won't be stopping any time soon...gotta catch 'em all! Right?! This week I have 6 savory dishes, which has to be a record high for me in any round up :)

Fantastical Friday: Favorite Food Finds of the Week | I'm sharing 15 recipes from my favorite food blogs #Collection #collage #roundup #favorite #recipe

Dulce de Leche Chocolate Gooey Bars from The Domestic Rebel - Recipe | Pin it
Overnight Oats: Seven Ways from Another Root - Recipe | Pin it
Totcho Supreme from Real Food by Dad - Recipe | Pin it
No-Knead Jalapeno Cheddar Artisan Bread from Chef in Training - Recipe | Pin it
Strawberry Margarita Dip from What's Cookin', Love? - Recipe | Pin it
The Best & The Easiest Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes from Averie Cooks - Recipe | Pin it
Samoa Bark from Deliciously Yum - Recipe | Pin it
Carrot Cake Bundt Cake from Shugary Sweets - Recipe | Pin it
Crockpot Pesto Mashed Potatoes from The Pinning Mama - Recipe | Pin it
Carrot Apple Bread from Averie Cooks - Recipe | Pin it
Samoa Banana Bread from Something Swanky - Recipe | Pin it
Peanut Butter & Jelly Shortbread Bars from Stuck on Sweet - Recipe | Pin it
Extra Beefy Meatloaf from Love Grows Wild - Recipe | Pin it
Chicken Fajita Pasta from Kevin & Amanda - Recipe | Pin it
Ultimate Creamy Egg Salad from Whole & Heavenly Oven - Recipe | Pin it 

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Thursday, April 23, 2015

Bacon, Pesto, & Chicken Pizza

Bacon-Basil Pesto & Chicken Pizza | You won't miss the red sauce with this delicious pesto-topped pizza #bacon #pizza #pesto

We have pizza about every other Friday and it's one of the few foods we have similar or the same recipes over and over again. Sometimes I will just make a regular old sausage and pepperoni pizza. We rarely have chicken pizza or pizzas without red sauce, but this one is one of the very best recipes for a red-sauceless, white meat pizza I've tried to date. It's very simple and comes together quickly. The only downside is that leftovers don't happen with it!

Bacon-Basil Pesto & Chicken Pizza | You won't miss the red sauce with this delicious pesto-topped pizza #bacon #pizza #pesto


Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Copycat Panera BBQ Chicken Salad

Copycat Panera BBQ Chicken Salad | A tasty, light salad that is perfect for busy summer nights #copycat #salad #Panera #recipe

I'm finally catching up to posting recipes from when I first moved back home to Tennessee. I made this salad last summer and now that we're coming up on summer again, it's the perfect time to share it. BBQ is definitely a summer flavor - not that you can't enjoy it in the other seasons, but it definitely makes me think of summer. This particular copycat recipe is quick to put together and doesn't sit heavy in your stomach (again, perfect for summer!).

Copycat Panera BBQ Chicken Salad | A tasty, light salad that is perfect for busy summer nights #copycat #salad #Panera #recipe


Monday, April 20, 2015

Menu Plan Monday - April 20, 2015

Menu Plan Monday | My week of meals, grocery list, and how much I'm spending on these delicious treats! #menuplan #groceries

Here is this week's menu! I went grocery shopping yesterday with all three kids in tow and man, alive, it was difficult! Not because of the baby, but because of trying to keep the older two in line. They are in that phase where they are either being rambunctious best friends or typical arguing siblings. They also are not very good with aisle awareness when both of them come with me. I went last week with Mason and Cami and she steered the stroller and was GREAT! Not so great when they get distracted LOL

{Monday}
Steak, Broccoli and Carrots, Potatoes
steak, broccoli, baby carrots, potatoes*

{Tuesday}
Southwest Chopped Chicken Salad
romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, can of corn, black beans, cilantro, tortilla strips, chicken breasts, taco seasoning, greek yogurt, garlic, lime

{Wednesday}
EZ Samoa Donuts // Cheddar Broccoli Soup
biscuits, caramel candies, coconut, chocolate chips* // celery*, carrots*, onion, double cheddar sauce (2), broccoli

{Thursday}
Chicken Bruschetta
chicken breasts, lemon, fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes, fresh basil, onion, ground black pepper


{Friday}
Ultimate Stuffed Crust Pizza
pizza dough*, shredded mozzarella, pizza sauce*, pepperoni, salami, shredded Parmesan, Italian sausage

{Weekend}
Cinnabons // Cherry Cream Cheese Pie
brown sugar, cream cheese // cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lemon, cherry pie filling, graham crackers


Total Spent: $121.75

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Saturday, April 18, 2015

Chili Cheese Tatortot Casserole

Chili Cheese Tatortot Casserole | This casserole/hotdish is for all you chili cheese fry-lovin' folks! No condensed soup needed! #recipe #casserole #hotdish

I grew up eating tatortot hotdish (we call it hotdish in Minnesota)...I posted my mom's recipe on the blog in the very beginning of Fantastical: here. Then I tried a recipe that used cheddar cheese soup and broccoli: here. My husband and his family had never had tatortot hotdish, but I made it and turned them into believers. I made this recipe shortly after I moved down to Knoxville - while I was staying with my in laws until we bought our house. What I really love about this one, other than the amazing flavors (think chili cheese fries!)...is that there is NO condensed soup in it. It's been a few years now where I don't really cook with condensed soup anymore, so it's nice to keep the trend going :)

Chili Cheese Tatortot Casserole | This casserole/hotdish is for all you chili cheese fry-lovin' folks! No condensed soup needed! #recipe #casserole #hotdish


Thursday, April 16, 2015

Creamy Orzo with Sausage & Veggies

Creamy Orzo with Sausage & Veggies | A killer one pot meal with zucchini, tomato, sausage, and delicious orzo pasta #recipe

Recently, we've been having a ton of dishes with kielbasa...and by recently, I mean the last year or so. When I was pregnant with Mason, I craved it.  The original posting of this recipe left the meat choice up in the air. You could go with chicken sausage or kielbasa, so I decided to go with the chicken sausage for variety and also because I knew the store had some (at this time, I was still in New York). I was not overly enthusiastic about this decision once I had made it though. I think kielbasa is the way to go. The chicken sausage was a little sweeter than I'd hoped for. The dish was still pretty durn good, but it definitely needed the savory, salty kielbasa!

Creamy Orzo with Sausage & Veggies | A killer one pot meal with zucchini, tomato, sausage, and delicious orzo pasta #recipe


Monday, April 13, 2015

Menu Plan Monday - April 13, 2015

Menu Plan Monday | My week of meals, grocery list, and how much I'm spending on these delicious treats! #menuplan #groceries

This weekend is a drill weekend, so I planned a lunch and a dinner for us to have. I'm very excited (as always) about this week's recipes. I'm coming up with a copycat recipe on Friday and that will be tons of fun.

{Monday}
Chinese Green Beans with Ground Turkey Over Rice
rice*, green onions, ground turkey (2), chili garlic sauce, hoison sauce, green beans, rice wine vinegar*

{Tuesday}
Individual Cheese Danish // Prosciutto & Gruyere Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Broccoli [side], and salad [side]
crescents (2), cream cheese, pie filling // chicken breasts, proscuitto, gruyere, fresh basil, dried basil, pasta sauce, broccoli, mixed salad greens

{Wednesday}
Slow Cooker Tuscan Sausage & Bean Soup
kielbasa (2), onion, carrots*, celery, kale (2), red kidney beans, great Northern beans, Italian diced tomatoes

{Thursday}
One Pot Cheesy Pasta & Sausage
grape tomatoes, onion, Italian sausage, fresh basil, linguine, shredded Parmesan*


{Friday}
Blueberry Walnut Baked Oatmeal // Hella-peno Burger and fries [side] (Original Recipe - to come)
milk // ground beef (2), jalapeno poppers, jalapeno (2), cheese sauce, hamburger buns, fries*

{Weekend}
Chicken, Spinach, & Cream Cheese Tortilla Wrap // One Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
spinach wraps, cream cheese, green chillies*, bacon bits, chicken tenderloins, spinach //  shredded Parmesan, chicken breasts, angel hair, grape tomatoes, onion, fresh basil

* - denotes something I have on hand

Total Spent: $147.52
Chicken is hella expensive. That is all.

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Friday, April 10, 2015

Fantastical Friday: Favorite Food Finds of the Week

It is Friday and I am posting my Fantastical Friday today! Go me! I've been trying to get on more of a schedule, but still struggling to push out my blog post when I want to have them go live. It's sort of driving me nuts, but I'm working on it. This week, I have 15 wonderful recipes to share with you. It's mostly cheesecake, but that's okay, right?!

Fantastical Friday | Favorite Food Finds of the Week - including 15 of the best recipes on the web #recipes #collage #collection #roundup #food

Tiramisu Poke Cake from The Domestic Rebel - Recipe | Pin it
Classic Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce from Making Miracles - Recipe | Pin it
Vanilla Chai Crumble Muffins from Living Better Together - Recipe | Pin it
Homemade Dole Whips from The Domestic Rebel - Recipe | Pin it
Caramel Pecan Bars from My Baking Addiction - Recipe | Pin it
Easy Cheesecake from The Gunny Sack - Recipe | Pin it
Funfetti Cheesecake Dip from Baked By An Introvert - Recipe | Pin it
Chocolate Cookie Stack from Deliciously Yum - Recipe | Pin it
Jalapeno Popper Deviled Eggs from I Wash... You Dry - Recipe | Pin it
Banana Pudding Cheesecake from Spicy Southern Kitchen - Recipe | Pin it
Philly Cheesesteak Pull-Apart Bread from Real Food By Dad - Recipe | Pin it
Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies from Deliciously Sprinkled - Recipe | Pin it 
Fettuccine in Cream, Tomato, and Basil Sauce from A Family Feast - Recipe | Pin it
DIY GoGurt from Make the Best of Everything - Recipe | Pin it
Copycat Lipton's Onion Soup Mix from Coupons & Freebies Mom - Recipe | Pin it 

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Thursday, April 09, 2015

World's Best Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

World's Best Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies | Just what your chocolate chip cookies needed: PEANUT BUTTER!! #cookies #recipe

These cookies claim to be the world's best pb chocolate chip cookie...I'm not necessarily sure they are the world's best, but they certainly are fantastic! I was a little thrown off by the recipe initially because I don't think I've ever added milk to a cookie recipe - ever. But I really liked that addition. It made the cookies more smooth.

World's Best Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies | Just what your chocolate chip cookies needed: PEANUT BUTTER!! #cookies #recipe


Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Cheesesteaks

Cheesesteaks | It's a basic cheesesteak, but don't let that fool you - you'll go back for seconds! #recipe #cheesesteak

In the last 5 years, I have really grown to love cheesesteaks. We have a favorite go-to recipe, but occasionally like to try something new. This recipe has components of what I think of as a traditional cheesesteak: onions, green bells, steak, and Provolone. However, it is NOT heavy on any seasoning in particular. Our favorite uses A1, Worcestershire, and Italian seasoning - this one lets the ingredients speak for themselves. And it worked, it really did. It was so hard only having made four because all four of us wanted to go back for more!

Cheesesteaks | It's a basic cheesesteak, but don't let that fool you - you'll go back for seconds! #recipe #cheesesteak


Monday, April 06, 2015

Menu Plan Monday - April 6, 2015

Menu Plan Monday | My week of meals, grocery list, and how much I'm spending on these delicious treats! #menuplan #groceries

No grocery list this week - just a quick menu :) I'm so off after the kids having a 4 day week of school and having Friday off and then Easter Sunday and then Nick having today off. It's thrown my whole schedule for a loop!

{Monday}
Brown Butter Very Blueberry Muffins // One Pan Spicy Lemon Chicken with Tomatoes, Asparagus [side]

{Tuesday}
Taco Bell Quesarito Copycat

{Wednesday}
Sausage, Potato, & Spinach Soup

{Thursday}
Beef with Asparagus Stir Fry


{Friday}
Secret Recipe Club recipe // White Chocolate Toffee Doodles

{Weekend}
Sticky Pecan Mini Buns // Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies


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Saturday, April 04, 2015

Fantastical Friday - My Favorite Food Finds of the Week

I might as well just start calling this Fantastical Saturday, right?! I am determined to post FF next week ON Friday! Again, I'm sharing my favorite food finds - gotta spread the blog love :)

Fantastical Friday | My favorite food finds of the week #recipe #collection #collage #bloglove #roundup

Wednesday, April 01, 2015

Pumpkin Streusel Cookies

Pumpkin Streusel Cookies | Soft pudding cookies with all that pumpkiny goodness topped with a crumb streusel! #recipe #cookies #pumpkin

Nick loves to tease me because there will be nights where at 9pm, I'm craving cookies...and I'll start baking a batch. Although it's not pumpkin season now, I definitely had to share these...and I had made them last summer when it wasn't pumpkin season then either. But a girl's gotta have her pumpkin when she wants it! Nick also claims to not be big on sweets, but this recipe really made an impression on him. He loves streusel topping (in fact, that's the only way he agrees to eat muffins) and I think that's what really did him in with this cookie recipe. He's been on the hunt since the day I made them for the pumpkin pudding. I had some stocked up in my baking cabinet and they were about to hit their "best by" date, but we haven't been able to find them since then :(

Pumpkin Streusel Cookies | Soft pudding cookies with all that pumpkiny goodness topped with a crumb streusel! #recipe #cookies #pumpkin