Dinner

Ever Just Want a Cozy Casserole? Here’s Mine! Okay, so picture this: It’s raining outside (again!), you’ve somehow ended up with both leftover chili and a random box of cornbread mix in your pantry, and everyone’s hungry—but not patient. That’s usually when I make this chili cornbread casserole. Actually, the very first time I threw …

Right Then! Let’s Talk About Truffle Pasta Alright, so you know how some meals just sort of wiggle their way into your memory? For me, that’s truffle pasta. There I was, years ago, standing in my tiny flat—window half stuck open, pasta pot bubbling away—when I first tried making this dish after tasting the “real …

Alright, Let Me Tell You About Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs… So, picture this: it’s a rainy Sunday, and I’m rummaging in my fridge wondering why I bought so much ground turkey again. Suddenly, inspiration (or hunger) strikes—why not make meatballs that taste like Thanksgiving every time? That’s pretty much how these Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs …

Oh, Spaghetti Pie – The Quirky Crowd-Pleaser So, let me tell you about the time I first made Spaghetti Pie. Fully thought I’d invented it. Little did I know, the rest of the world had already caught on (typical, right?). This was back when my kids thought ketchup was a food group and my husband …

So, sausage and white bean soup—let me tell you about it I can't even count how many times I've made this sausage and white bean soup recipe. The first time was actually by accident—I'd forgotten to buy chicken (typical, right?), but I had some spicy sausage rolling around in the back of the fridge and …

If You Like Burgers and Tacos, This One's For You Alright, let me just get this out there—Smash Burger Tacos were my culinary lightbulb moment one rainy Tuesday. Was it born out of creativity or a near-empty fridge? Honestly, a bit of both. My son asked for burgers; my daughter wanted tacos. (Of course they …

Pull Up a Chair While I Tell You About This Meatloaf Meatloaf, huh? Just saying the word makes me think of that goofy old loaf of a pan my uncle gave me when I first moved out (I thought he was joking, but that pan has survived everything, even the oven fire of 2016—which is …

If You Ever Needed a Hug in Meat Form… So, let me tell you, I wasn’t always a meatloaf person—heck, when I was a kid, I basically thought it was a weird brick my aunt made just to torture us. (Sorry Aunt Jan, but your sauce really was like ketchup and regret.) Then one winter, …

The Meatloaf That Never Leaves My Dinner Table You know those meals that somehow turn a regular Tuesday into something almost special? That’s Meatloaf, at least in my world. I don’t know how many times I’ve made this classic homemade meatloaf recipe—let’s just say if I had a slice for every time, I’d… well, have …

Wait—Have You Tried Ina Garten’s Meatloaf Yet? Okay, so picture this: It’s pouring outside. I mean, proper cats and dogs. I’m looking for comfort food, the kind you can smell from the hallway (or two flights up, honestly), and this Ina Garten’s Meatloaf recipe just sort of calls my name. The first time I made …

Let Me Tell You About My Meatloaf Mishaps So, confession time: when someone says “meatloaf,” I immediately flash back to the lumpy brown brick my dad used to make in the 90s. (Usually accompanied by peas that looked *very* suspicious.) But this — THIS is not your standard loaf. The first time I made this …

Why This Meatloaf Is Basically Part of My DNA Okay, so, you know those dishes that just teleport you straight back to your childhood kitchen? This is mine. Mom’s easy Meatloaf was a regular in our house—frankly, it was almost suspicious how often it hit the table (I’m still convinced it was her way to …

Meatloaf Memories and a Kitchen Full of Laughter So, let me tell you: Meatloaf was the very first "fancy" dinner I tried to make in my old (read: falling apart) apartment kitchen. It was a Tuesday night, I only owned one pan (and even that had a wonky handle), but the end result was pure …

The Cozy Meatloaf That Never Lets Me Down So, meatloaf. If there's one dish that feels like home for me, it's this. I probably made my first loaf when I was about fifteen (with questionable results—a case of too much ketchup), but over the years I've landed on a classic meatloaf recipe that's actually worth …

Alright, Let's Talk Meatloaf (and Why My Socks Are Always Missing) You know, every time someone mentions Meatloaf, I picture my dad humming to Fleetwood Mac in our old kitchen while trying not to "overwork the meat." Honestly, I’m not sure what that looked like, but the rich smell of that sweet brown sugar glaze …

Let's Get Cozy with Creamy Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup Alright, so here’s the thing about this soup—every time I make it, the kitchen ends up smelling like you just stepped into a tiny trattoria somewhere in the hills of Umbria. No kidding! The first time I cooked it, I tried to impress my (slightly fussy) …

Let's Talk Oven Fried Potatoes & Onions Okay, if I'm honest, this is basically the dish I grew up on—my mom called it "the lazy cook's breakfast" but she served it for dinner, too, which I loved (and lowkey still do). The first time I made it solo, I accidentally used twice as much onion …

Let Me Tell You About This Monterey Chicken Spaghetti Okay, so—full honesty—this Monterey Chicken Spaghetti recipe was sort of a happy accident the first time I tried it. You know those days when you’re staring into the fridge, and you just mash together everything that *almost* needs to be eaten before the guilt sets in? …

Let Me Tell You About This Potato Soup Situation Okay, so here’s the deal—if you’re craving something that absolutely hits the spot on a cold day or just when you can’t be bothered to cook (yep, that’s been me far too often), this Easy Crock Pot Crack Potato Soup is my comfy-go-to. Last week, I …

Let Me Tell You About These Cheesy Potatoes & Kielbasa! Alright friend, so if you’ve ever had one of those days (you know, the ones where you swear you just sat down for coffee and suddenly it’s 6 PM), this is the dinner I reach for. I grew up with a version of this after-church …

This Soup's Got a Story (and a Little Attitude) Let me tell you, making Zuppa Toscana for the first time was a comedy—imagine me setting off the smoke alarm because I got distracted binge-watching that British baking show (the irony, honestly). My friend Maria swears her Nonna would make this even on the hottest days …

A Shepherd’s Pie That Feels Like a Hug If there’s one dish that absolutely screams, “Home is where the mess is,” it’s Shepherd’s Pie. I grew up with my mum clattering pans in the kitchen, the unmistakable smell of browned mince and buttery potatoes drifting round every corner (and, yes, our old dog waiting stage-left …

Gratin Tales: Why I Keep Coming Back to This Dish So, there’s this particular memory I can’t seem to shake—my first ever attempt at making a gratin. I was home on a blustery Sunday, windows fogged up; the type of day that’s practically crying out for oven heat and something, anything, smothered in cheese. My …

Pull Up a Chair—Let’s Talk Momma’s Meatloaf So, here’s the thing—Momma’s Meatloaf is practically a family member at my house (not kidding—I think my brother loves it more than me some days). I started making this when I moved into my first flat, and let me tell you, I’ve made it through hangry roommates, impromptu …

Let's Talk Pork Chops, Friend! You ever have one of those days where you open the fridge, stare at that pack of Pork Chops, and sigh? That's me, at least once a week. But then I remember this easy baked pork chops recipe and suddenly, dinner doesn't seem so intimidating. First time I made these, …

Let Me Tell You About This Fried Cabbage (Friend to Friend!) Alright, so picture this: it's late, your fridge is a little, well, uninspiring, and there you are staring down a forgotten half-head of cabbage. That's where Easy Fried Cabbage swoops in all heroic. I've been whipping this up since uni (when money was vanishing …

Let Me Tell You About This Old Fashioned Beef Stroganoff Alright, gather round—I'm about to spill the beans (er, the beef?) on my version of Old Fashioned Beef Stroganoff. The first time I made this, I accidentally grabbed cinnamon instead of paprika. Thankfully, the dog was the only one brave enough to eat that version. …

Let Me Tell You Why Steak Bites and Gnocchi Always Win at My Place Alright, here's the thing—when I've slogged through one of those days where my coffee goes cold before I even get to sip it (you know the days), I end up making this Steak Bites and Gnocchi. The first time was a …

So, About This Mac and Cheese Story... I swear, my stovetop mac and cheese probably deserves its own fridge shelf by now. It's been my ‘emergency dinner’ since college, and that’s saying something, because you learn a whole new kind of creativity (or desperation?) when your meal budget could fit in a parking meter. Anyway, …

You Won't Believe How Easy (and Tasty) This Is Alright, let me just start by saying Tater Tot Casserole is one of those classics that shows up in my kitchen whenever winter's biting or when, frankly, I've lost all patience for bringing out ten pans just to put dinner on the table. The first time …

Well, This Is My Cowboy Soup (and a Little Backstory) Alright, friend, let me tell you—I did NOT grow up on a ranch (unless you count that one time I tried to ride a sheep at the county fair), but I’ve been cooking this Cowboy Soup for ages. There’s something about a big, bubbling pot …

Let Me Tell You About This Cheesy Tomato Tortellini Soup If you’d told me a few years ago that the soup my cousin Andrea whipped up after a soggy soccer game would become my rainy day standby, I’d have raised an eyebrow. (Andrea claims she invented mixing cheese tortellini with tomato soup, but I suspect …

Let Me Tell You About This Magical Soup Okay, you know when you just feel blah—maybe you caught that annoying cold everyone seems to have, or just want something that hugs you from the inside out? That's when I grab my soup pot and make a big batch of what my family jokingly calls “Italian …

Let Me Tell You Why This Soup Has a Special Place in My Heart You know those days when the weather is trying to crawl into your bones, and all you want to do is curl up and watch telly with something warm and cozy? That’s when I almost always end up making this Spanish …

Let Me Tell You About This Soup (and a Story) Okay, so picture me last winter: slippers on, fuzzy robe, sniffling and generally looking like I lost a wrestling match with a cold. That’s when I remembered my Aunt Rosa’s legendary "Italian Penicillin" Soup—she swore this was the ultimate healing elixir. And you know what? …

Oh, this one’s for those nippy evenings when you stroll in (shoes half off, keys somewhere in the bottom of the bag) and just need something warming—fast. I first cobbled this coconut curry soup with dumplings together after a rainy grocery run left me holding a can of coconut milk, half a bag of forgotten …

Gather 'Round for Cozy Soup Weather Alright, so picture this: it’s pouring outside, I’ve got one sock mysteriously missing (it happens, don’t ask), and all I want to do is make something my crew will gobble up without complaint. This Slow Cooker Creamy Sausage & Tortellini Soup? It’s my actual hail Mary. First time I …

Let Me Tell You About This Cajun Potato Soup… I still remember the first time I tried making this Creamy Cajun Potato Soup with Andouille Sausage. I was craving something warm (and honestly, a little over the top) after an apocalyptically rainy Tuesday here in Louisiana. The kind of day where you either want to …

A Quick Story Before We Start Alright, so you know how every family has that one dish that just mysteriously disappears at every get-together? For us, it's this Easy Street Corn Pasta Salad. The first time I made it, I figured I'd have leftovers to feed a small (and honestly, very hungry) army. Nope. Vanished …

Alright, Here’s Why I Love Making These Pork Chops You ever have one of those nights you just can’t face another boring dinner? That’s how I stumbled on this "Crispy Bread and Crumbs Pork Chops in Oven" recipe. I was honestly, like, out of ideas—and, to make matters worse, my fridge was mostly just a …