Dinner

So, Here's the Scoop on This Garlic Parmesan Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes Picture this: it's Wednesday night, you're already zapped after work (honestly, who isn't?), and all you want is something warm, a little cheesy, and okay, that makes it smell like you've been cooking all day (even if you, you know, definitely have not). …

Well, Here's the Story Behind My Crock Pot Pepper Steak You ever have those days where the idea of standing in front of a stovetop feels like climbing a mountain in flip-flops? (Spoiler: It's not a good idea.) That's usually when I dust off my trusty crock pot and make this pepper steak. Actually, I …

Let's Get Cozy: Why I Can't Stop Making These Meatballs Okay, so full disclosure: I'm a sucker for anything that smells like Sunday dinner the minute you open the door. This Comfort Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs recipe? Absolute nostalgia bomb. I first made it by accident during a snowstorm (long story, too many cans …

A Hearty Hello (and a Little Story) Alright, so here's the thing: Wholesome crockpot beef stew is seriously the culinary equivalent of a warm hug. I remember making a clumsy first attempt years ago because my old roommate (shout out to Amanda, wherever you are!) swore her slow cooker was magic. Well, first time around, …

Catching Up Over Lemon Feta Orzo Roasted Shrimp Hey, pull up a chair—I've just made this Lemon Feta Orzo Roasted Shrimp again, and honestly, the kitchen still smells like late spring (a good thing, in my books). I first threw this together on a rainy Wednesday when I was feeling just a bit blah and …

Alright, Let’s Talk Crispy Garlic Butter Potatoes I have a metaphysical connection to carbs. No shame in it. There’s just something about biting into a crispy, golden potato smothered in garlic butter that feels like catching up with an old friend; warm, salty, maybe a little too indulgent but totally worth it. My sister claims …

The Story Behind My Bacon Cheddar Gnocchi Soup I admit it, soup has sort of become my thing—especially on those weeks when the laundry never seems to finish and everyone in the house keeps asking what’s for dinner before I’ve finished lunch. A while back, I found myself staring mournfully at a bag of gnocchi, …

The Story (Or, Why I Keep Coming Back to These Potatoes) I still remember the first time I made these Baked Potatoes with Spinach Cheese and Mushrooms—it was some random Tuesday when I was too tired to think and just tossed stuff I found in my fridge. Honestly, I was half-expecting a mess (did not …

I made this crispy orange chicken for the first time after a long day when I should have just ordered takeout, but you know that stubborn feeling when you want something hot and glossy and yours. I had a couple oranges loitering in the fruit bowl, some chicken thighs, and a mood. Fifteen minutes later …

If you were standing in my kitchen right now, I would hand you a warm slice of this garlic Parmesan chicken meatloaf and say, just trust me. The first time I made it, I was half distracted, chatting with my neighbor about her tomato plants that mysteriously thrive while mine look like they need a …

If we were hanging out in my kitchen right now, I’d hand you a slice and say, okay, listen, this Cast Iron Skillet Pizza saved my Tuesday more than once. The first time I made it was in a tiny apartment with a smoke alarm that thought it was a DJ. I blasted the oven, …

If we were hanging out in my kitchen right now, I would hand you a spoon and say here, taste this sauce before we tuck it under that golden lid. Chicken Pot Pie Bake is my go to when the weather is being moody or when I promised dinner and then remembered I have exactly …

If we are being honest, Pepperoni Pizzadillas are what I make when dinner has to happen now and everyone is hovering near the fridge like seagulls at the beach. The first time I made these was during a game night when the sauce bubbled over, the smoke alarm chirped once in protest, and my neighbor …

If we were neighbors, I’d probably hand you a warm bowl of this before you even said hello. Crockpot Garlic Butter Beef Tips and Potatoes is one of those set it and forget it dinners I make when the day runs away and we’re all a bit peckish and cranky. I tossed it together once …

If you came over on a Tuesday and asked what I make when everyone is a little hangry and I want applause without drama, I’d slide a skillet of chicken scampi onto the table with a big bowl of garlic parmesan rice. I learned this one the hard way, after a rainy grocery run where …

If you popped by my kitchen on a drizzly Tuesday, you would probably catch me in slippers tossing things into the slow cooker while trying to remember where I left my tea. This Crockpot Creamy Potato & Hamburger Soup Recipe started as one of those make it work dinners and now it is our stick …

If you popped by my kitchen at 6:32 on a Tuesday, there’s a good chance you’d find me flipping these salmon patties with a tea towel over my shoulder and the radio mumbling in the background. I started making them when my neighbor dropped off a mountain of canned salmon after a Costco run gone …

I made this Spaghetti Squash Carbonara on a Tuesday when the smoke alarm kept chirping and the dog gave me that why are you like this stare. Anyway. It turned out so good I had to write it down before I forgot. The whole thing has that creamy carbonara vibe, but lighter and a little …

If you came over on a Tuesday when I am in comfy socks and the Spotify is doing its thing, there is a good chance you would find this bubbling in the oven. I first learned a rough version of this form my neighbor who swears by extra garlic, and honestly, she is not wrong. …

So, this zucchini side I keep making on repeat Picture this: it’s Tuesday, I’m wearing mismatched socks, and the fridge is looking a wee bit sad except for two glossy zucchinis and half a lemon rolling around like it owns the place. That’s usually when I make low-carb Sautéed Zucchini. I started doing this back …

If we were hanging out in my kitchen right now, I’d hand you a slice of this Steak Stuffed French Bread and say, careful, it’s hot, then probably tell you about the time I first made it for game night and absolutely overfilled the loaf so it looked like a bubbly canoe of cheese and …

A quick hello and why I made this again You know those recipes you make once for a potluck and then suddenly every aunt and neighbor asks for it like you are running a tiny pasta cartel from your kitchen. That was me with this Mexican street corn pasta salad. The first time I took …

If you and I were neighbors, I would absolutely drop a pan of these creamy seafood stuffed shells on your doorstep with a goofy grin and say, just pop it in at 375 and call it a day. I started making this when I had a jumble of leftover shrimp and a little crab hanging …

If you popped by my kitchen on a Tuesday, you would probably catch me stirring a skillet of these creamy paprika steak shells with a wooden spoon in one hand and a curious kid poking a noodle with the other. The first time I made it, I was trying to impress my cousin who swears …

If you know, you know. That rectangular, corner cheesy, tray baked school pizza we all traded snacks for in the lunch line. I tried to recreate it once during a snow day and accidentally used bread flour for everything, which was a choice, but the family still devoured it while arguing about which corner piece …

If you ever needed a sign to make a messy, melty, slightly ridiculous dinner that people demolish with grins and napkins tucked like tiny capes, this is it. I made these Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes after a long day when I was this close to cereal for dinner. I flipped on a playlist, chopped an …

Last October, I made Spooky Halloween Spaghetti and Cheese Stuffed Meatballs on a whim after my niece asked for pasta that looks like a haunted forest. I laughed, then tried it, and now we make it every year while the neighbor cat, Pickles, supervises like a tiny pasta inspector. It is messy, it is wildly …

If you and I were neighbors, I’d probably show up with a pan of these Baked Italian Sub Sandwiches and a sheepish grin because I always make one more than we need. The very first time I baked them like this was after a long day, I put on a playlist, forgot the time, and …

I made these Cheesy Pepperoni Roll-Ups for a snow day once, when the power flickered and the cat decided the pepperoni was a toy. Everyone was cranky, I was hungry, and I just thought, fine, we’re rolling everything in dough and calling it dinner. Turns out, that was a great call. Now I pull this …

If you ever swing by my place after 9 and I look suspiciously calm, it is probably because I just tossed together Spaghetti Aglio e Olio and ate half of it straight from the pan. Not proud, just honest. The smell of garlic hitting warm olive oil feels like a gentle drum roll for dinner. …

If you and I were chatting at my kitchen counter right now, I would be pushing a spoon your way and saying just try a bite while it is still bubbling. This Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Bake is the sort of weeknight saver I leaned on after a long day when the sweet potatoes were …

When I say this roasted thinly sliced cheesy squash saved a Tuesday, I mean it. I made it once after my neighbor dropped off a mountain of zucchini, the sort of gift that feels kind and slightly chaotic. The first pan was a little too brown, the second one perfect, and then my kid asked …

Some dinners feel like a hug in a bowl, and this is one of them. I made this creamy garlic parmesan chicken on a Tuesday when the laundry was giving me side eye and everyone was hangry. I browned the chicken a smidge too hard the first time and thought I’d wrecked it, but then …

Okay, friend, here’s the soup I make when life’s a bit mad The first time I made One-Pot Macaroni Cheeseburger Soup, I was starving, it was raining, and the dog was staring at me like I owed him rent. I tossed everything in one big pot out of pure stubbornness, half expecting chaos. Instead, hello …

If we were neighbors, I’d probably hand you a warm square of King Ranch Chicken Casserole on a wobbly little plate and say, try this while it’s still melty. I learned to make it after a church potluck where my aunt swore hers was the best, which is exactly the kind of family competition I …

If you popped by my kitchen on a chilly Tuesday, you would probably find me stirring this big pot of chipotle black bean and sweet potato chili while chatting about my day to whoever is within earshot, cat included. The first time I made it, I was trying to impress a friend who says they …

If you dropped by my kitchen on a chilly Tuesday, you’d probably catch me poking a pot of white chili while negotiating with a very opinionated wooden spoon. This one got me through a snow day when the power flickered and the kids asked if dinner could also be a snack, which yes, obviously. I …

If we were hanging out in my kitchen on a drizzly Sunday, I would hand you a wooden spoon and tell you to lean in, because this Sunday Slow Cooker Beef Ragu Recipe is the one I put on when the day looks long and the laundry pile looks even longer. I learned the bones …

If we were hanging out in my kitchen right now, I’d hand you a spoon and say, here, taste this lemony rice while it’s still steamy. I make it when the day runs long and I want something sunny but simple. The first time I cooked this for friends, I squeezed the lemon straight over …

If you came over on a Tuesday when I look mildly frazzled but determined, this is what I’d feed you: my Easy Creamy Spinach Mushroom Lasagna. I started making it after a long day when I didn’t want tomato splatters everywhere (though I love a red sauce, cross my heart), and now it’s just comfort …