Dinner

Let's Talk Shrimp and Grits—Just Like Sunday at My Place I still remember the first time I made shrimp and grits—way back before I knew what I was doing in a kitchen. My uncle sat at the counter heckling (nicely!) and threatened to order take-out if I burned the shrimp again. We laughed so hard …

Let Me Tell You About Smoked Mac and Cheese I’ll be real with you — the first time I tried smoked mac and cheese, I massively underestimated how much my family would love it, which is saying something considering we’re all cheese fiends. It was a lazy Saturday, my neighbor was firing up his smoker …

Okay, let’s get real for a sec about birria tacos. The first time I ever tried making real-deal birria at home, I was sweating over the pot for what felt like years and my dog kept giving me looks like, "Is this ever gonna be dinner?" I mean, *so* worth it—until you remember you have …

Let Me Tell You About Bruschetta Chicken (And That Time I Burnt It – Oops) Hey there! So, Bruschetta Chicken, right? I have to laugh because the very first time I made this, my kitchen looked like a tomato crime scene. I was pretty sure everything was ruined (it wasn't, but my pride definitely needed …

The Story Behind This Everything Bagel Chicken So, let me just say: if you love the flavor of an everything bagel—but secretly wish you could smother your dinner in cream cheese—this is basically your spirit animal. The first time I made Everything Bagel Chicken with Scallion Cream Cheese Sauce, I was having one of those …

So, Let’s Chat About These Honey Mustard Chicken Sliders Full confession: I only started making Honey Mustard Chicken Sliders because I misread a potluck invitation (thought it said “finger food;” it was actually “finger painting” for the kids, but ANYWAY) and showed up with a whole baking sheet of these beauties. Amazingly, nobody complained—actually, folks …

Okay, so you know those dishes that look insanely fancy but secretly only take, like, half an hour? This is definitely one of those. I call it Millionaire Gnocchi with Creamy Sauce because, well, it tastes like it should cost a small fortune at some swanky Italian joint (but, one, I'm not paying for valet, …

Let's Chat About Chickpea Potato Soup (And Random Soup Memories) Alright, so you know that feeling when you've just gotten home, it's raining sideways out there, and all you want is something hot and filling but you're too knackered to measure every little thing? That's exactly how I landed on this chickpea potato soup ages …

So... About This Baked Chicken Stroganoff I only started making creamy baked chicken stroganoff after a cold, drizzly Tuesday when I realized I'd run out of clean pans, and the pile was so big it teetered like a Jenga tower. (Don’t ask what was under it, I’m still scared.) This dish became my answer to …

Let's Chat About Smashed Cheeseburger Tacos (Yes, Again) Okay, I know everyone’s all about fusion food lately, but my earliest run-in with these Smashed Cheeseburger Tacos actually started with pure desperation. One night, I had a serious burger craving but only tortillas on hand (turns out, bread disappears fast in my house). Now, I'm not …

Let's Talk About Green Bean Alfredo Casserole (and Why It's Become My Weeknight Hero) Okay, so let me set the scene: It’s one of those weirdly rainy Thursday evenings, the kind where maybe you forgot to defrost the chicken (again) and everyone in the house is giving you the side eye. That’s when I first …

Let me tell you straight off: the first time I tried to make a Blackstone Crunchwrap, my tortilla split right down the middle and I may or may not have let out a string of words that would make my nan blush. But I didn’t give up—no way. There’s something about the sizzle on the …

Shrimp Dirty Rice: My Cozy Kitchen Classic With Personality to Spare Okay, so let me tell you straight away: Shrimp Dirty Rice is one of those dishes I make when I'm either (a) a bit frayed around the edges after a long week, or (b) half-heartedly avoiding takeout on a Tuesday, or (c) honestly craving …

So Here's the Story with This Cheesy Garlic Butter Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Okay, full disclosure. The very first time I tried making this cheese-stuffed chicken, I'd just moved into my apartment after uni and, well, the smoke alarm decided to join the party. Apparently, butter at high heat is a whole thing. But you know …

So, About These Chicken Pillows with Creamy Parmesan Sauce... Hey! Okay, promise me you won't judge, but this is one of those recipes I stumbled into almost by accident. Ages ago, after a truly disastrous attempt at homemade ravioli (let's just say gluey pasta and my kitchen floor had a moment), I decided to try …

Let's Talk Cozy: My Cheesy Beef & Veggie Casserole Story I have a confession—casseroles are my crutch when life gets busy (which is...about every Thursday, or when I've lost the will to deal with more than one pan). Actually, the first time I made this Homemade Cheesy Beef & Vegetable Casserole Recipe was when my …

A Little Backstory (With Garlic on My Fingers) So, let me start by saying: my kitchen smells like garlic almost every weekend – and I’m not upset about it. This Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta kinda started out as a happy accident after a long day when I just wanted something cozy, but also impressive. Years …

How This Crunchy Tex-Mex Casserole Ended Up as My Go-To Okay, so here's the thing—I was not planning to become obsessed with this Crunchy Tex-Mex Casserole with Spicy Ranch Drizzle. It happened by accident (as most of my best kitchen disasters, err, discoveries do). I was trying to use up those bags of crushed-up tortilla …

A Salad for When You’re Feeling Cozy (or Just Hungry) You know that moment when you’ve hit the late afternoon energy wall and the only cure is probably carbs—well, that’s exactly when I started making this maple sweet potato salad with whipped tahini. One time my friend came over, caught me eating the leftover tahini …

Let’s talk arayes. Because honestly, if you haven’t tried Lebanese meat-stuffed crispy pita yet... Well, are you even living? The first time I made arayes, I burnt them just a tad (okay, more than a tad), but even then—oh wow, the crunchy outside and juicy inside makes it worth every smoky misstep. I first had …

Catching Up Over a Bowl of Thai Drunken Noodles Right, first off—have you ever had one of those evenings where you’re rooting through your fridge, hoping something magical will materialize for dinner? Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao) has become that dish for me. The first time I tried making it was honestly a disaster …

Let’s Chat About Why Salisbury Steak Meatballs Are a Thing I Make—A Lot I’m going to admit something right out of the gate: Salisbury steak meatballs with mushroom gravy is probably the most “accidentally fancy but secretly lazy” dinner I can make. The first time I cooked this recipe, I managed to burn the gravy …

Catching Up Over Sicilian Pork Chops Can I just say, if you're on the hunt for something that's as homey as a favorite sweater but way more delicious, these Sicilian Pork Chops are totally it. I, weirdly enough, first made these after rummaging through my fridge on a rainy Tuesday, not expecting much (I nearly …

Let’s Chat About Crockpot Chicken Alfredo Tortellini Okay, let me set the scene: last winter, during a string of those bone-achingly cold days, I’d just about had it with complicated recipes and a million dirty pans in the sink (I swear my spatula count multiplies by itself). So, trying to avoid both the cold and …

Let Me Tell You About My Go-To Soup (And That One Time It Nearly Boiled Over) Okay, so picture this: it’s a chilly, drizzly Saturday, and my kids are sprawled all over the couch like cats avoiding a bath. I’m in the kitchen trying to remember: did I buy sweetcorn or is that just wishful …

Let's Talk About Smothered Chicken and Rice (And Embarrassing Kitchen Moments) So, picture this: It’s a Tuesday. I’m elbow-deep in onions, simultaneously shooing my cat off the counter (seriously, why do they love raw chicken so much?) and pawing around the fridge for leftover stock. Smothered Chicken and Rice isn’t exactly the fanciest thing I …

Let Me Tell You About This Sweet Pork That Basically Saved Weeknight Dinners Alright, can I just start by saying there was a time my slow cooker gathered more dust than the old VHS player in the basement? True story. But once I discovered this Cafe Rio style sweet shredded pork recipe (I copycatted it …

Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake: The One Dish Everyone Loves Alright, so let me start by saying this Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake is the reason my friend Mel still invites me over for book club (pretty sure it's not my literary insights). The first time I made this, I was up way too late …

Why I Always End Up Making Chicken Flautas When I'm Tired (or Hungry... or Both) Okay, confession time! I learned to make chicken flautas in my tiny college kitchen, and let's just say, my smoke detector got quite the workout. There's something about rolling up tortillas with chicken and cheese and frying them that feels …

Sit Down—Let Me Tell You About Laura’s Tomato Bisque Soup Alright, friend, I’m going to let you in on a little secret: this soup has basically rescued me on more cold, dreary evenings than I can probably count. Laura’s Tomato Bisque Soup isn’t even originally mine—I kinda stole it (with love!) from my cousin Laura …

The Sheet Pan Dinner I Actually Look Forward To Making Alright, I have to admit—I'm a total sucker for dinners that require more enthusiasm to eat than to make (and trust me, after a long Tuesday, that's all I want). First time I made sheet pan sausage and veggies was on a whim—mostly because my …

So, About My History with Pollo Asado… If you’ve ever been hit by the smoky, citrusy, can’t-quite-describe-it aroma of Mexican grilled chicken floating through the neighborhood, you know what got me hooked. Picture this: it’s one of those lazy Sunday afternoons, my cousin’s daring someone (usually me, oops) to taste the marinade straight with a …

Let Me Tell You About Moroccan Couscous with Roast Veg (and That One Time...) You know how there are some dishes that just feel like a proper homecoming? Moroccan couscous with roast vegetables is totally it for me—it’s a hug in a bowl. I still remember the first time I tried to make it at …

Pulled Together Over Laughter (and Cravings) I’ll just put it out there: sometimes, a roast beef & cheddar melt sandwich is the only thing that gets me through a rainy Thursday on planet Earth. My first time making this, I was maybe twelve, using cold leftover roast beef we forgot was in the fridge (a …

So, Let's Talk Chili Garlic Chicken Pizza (and Why My Apron Is Still Stained) Alright, story time: the first time I tried to make anything even close to a Chili Garlic Chicken Pizza was on a rainy Tuesday because, why not? I’d been craving a proper smack of spice, something cheesy, crispy, but without dialing …

The Night the Cheesesteak Met Tortellini (and My Family Cheered) You ever stare at your fridge thinking, “How did I end up with leftover steak and a half-bag of tortellini?” Welcome to Monday at my place. Honestly, this recipe was born from one of those slightly frazzled nights where I just needed dinner to be …

Alright, Here’s Why I’m Obsessed With These Okay, if I’m being honest, the first time I made pepperoni pizza quesadillas I was mostly just panic-scrolling the fridge at 7:35pm trying to solve dinner while also stepping on a rogue LEGO (I have the foot scar to prove it). But turns out this became the meal …

How This Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken Ended Up in My Life (and Stuck Around) Okay, friend—so here’s the deal. The first time I made this Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken, it was one of those Tuesdays (you know the ones) where the fridge offered me exactly two sad chicken breasts, three bottles of not-quite-empty sauces, and …

Let Me Tell You About Brown Sugar Pineapple Chicken… Okay, so you know that weeknight moment where you really don't want another boring chicken breast, but also can't face the mess of like, gourmet kitchen circus? That’s honestly how this Brown Sugar Pineapple Chicken thing started for me—pure laziness and a need for something that’d …

How This Tumbled Into My Dinner Rotation So, the very first time I riffed on a Philly cheesesteak pasta was actually because I messed up shopping for subs (ordered the wrong buns, again), and my kids were not feeling another boring spaghetti night. I figured: what if I just tossed all the good stuff—steak, peppers, …