Dinner

Let Me Tell You About This Creamy Mushroom Soup So, imagine this—one rainy Tuesday, I came home, shoes slightly muddy, craving that warm, hug-in-a-bowl kind of meal. Penne pasta? Nah, not tonight. I opened the fridge, mushrooms staring at me mournfully. (Does anyone else anthropomorphize their produce?) That’s when I whipped up what’s now become …

Pull Up a Chair: Let Me Tell You About Goulash I don't know if you grew up with a pot of goulash bubbling away on the stove, but for me, it always meant something big was happening—usually feeding a crowd, or at least my perpetually hungry teenage brother. Did it solve sibling squabbles? No, but …

Old School Oven Crispy Bread and Crumbs Pork Chops—And Why I’m Still Making Them Let me paint you a quick picture: It’s Tuesday, I’m tired, and all I want is to avoid half an hour of dishes. I grew up eating crumbed pork chops on, well, actually it was usually on Sundays but does that …

The Cozy Pasta Bake That Became a Weeknight Classic I have this vivid memory of trying to impress my cousin with a pasta bake, and—and you'll laugh—halfway through the sauce, I realized I'd used sweetened pumpkin puree (don't worry, this recipe doesn't make that mistake). Still, it actually turned out edible, and she said it …

So, Let Me Tell You How I First Made This If you could have seen the mess I made the first time I tried Irish Chicken in Whiskey Cream Sauce... It was for St Patrick's one particularly soggy weekend, and I'd somehow convinced myself I could cook like an Irish granny. Spoiler: I'm not. But …

Let's Talk About Mardi Gras Pasta (and Why My Cousin is Still Mad at Me For It) Okay, let me paint you a picture: it's a steamy Saturday in Louisiana, and I'm standing over a bubbling pot, debating if adding more cream will actually make this Pappadeaux Mardi Gras Pasta better or just land me …

So, Shepherd’s Pie Baked Potato… this one kind of happened by accident because I’d made a whole bunch of mashed potatoes (like, an embarrassing amount), then realized I was completely out of casserole dishes. But there I was, staring at these lovely baked spuds in the fridge, and suddenly thought—what if the best of both …

Okay, So Let Me Tell You About This Crockpot Chicken Pasta… I still remember the first time I threw together this garlic parmesan chicken pasta in my crockpot. Honestly? It was one of those “what’s in the fridge?” evenings – my brain was fried from work, the kids were eyeing the cereal box like they …

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 …