Chicken Pot Pie

Y'ALL. This stuff is crazy good. It was my first time making chicken pot pie and it turned out perfectly. It was ridiculously easy to make. I made two individual pot pies and they turned out super cute :) The recipe could easily be doubled if you want extras or need to feed more people. I'll definitely be making it several more times during these cold months! I found the recipe via Pinterest (love) and the original post was from culinary.net. 


Makes 2 large servings (or 4 small servings if you use a pie plate).
Total prep and cook time: 30 minutes


Items you'll need:

• 1 c of cooked chicken breast, cubed
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 9 oz of frozen mixed veggies, thawed
• 1/2 c milk
• 1 egg
• 1 c all purpose baking mix (I used Bisquick)
• medium size mixing bowl
• 2 small oven proof bowls (2 cup capacity) OR 1 pie plate
• cooking spray or vegetable oil
• small mixing bowl
• baking pan

Spicy Pasta Salad with Smoked Gouda, Tomatoes, and Fresh Basil

This pasta salad is great. Found it on PW's website.  I will definitely be making it again and again. It can be served as either a main dish or as a side with some type of meat. This pasta salad was very easy to throw together. It's a nice 30 minute meal!

Quotes from the taste testers:

"This is the best pasta salad I've ever had!"

"Freaking delicious."

Make it.

Makes 8 servings.
Total cook and prep time: 25 minutes.

Taco Tomatoes

Here's an easy recipe that came from my fiancé's head. The concept is taco ingredients stuffed inside a hollowed out tomato, covered in cheese, and baked to perfection. They turned out really well. Thanks to my co-worker Morgan for providing all of the fresh tomatoes. I also used some of the tomatoes in the Mexican Rice that I served on the side. 

Here's what you'll need:

• 6 large tomatoes
• kosher salt
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 pkg taco seasoning
• 1/4 onion, diced (I used white)
• 1 T cilantro
• 8 oz velveeta cheese, cubed
• salt and pepper, to taste
• shredded cheddar cheese for topping (optional)
• large mixing bowl
• baking pan

Steak with Onion-Bleu Cheese Sauce

My fiancé and I made this delicious meal a few days ago. We first tried the onion-bleu cheese sauce at a friends house and it was delicious. I know of a few other people who've made it too and knew that I needed to make it when we bought these steaks! It doesn't take much time to make and tastes divine. This recipe comes from PW's site.

Makes 2 servings. 

Prep and cook time: 20 minutes

Here's what you'll need:

• 2 steaks, seasoned/marinated to your liking (we used sirloin)
• 4 T (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 large onion (yellow or white)
• 1 c heavy cream
• 1/2 c bleu cheese, crumbled
• grill or something to cook your steak on
• large skillet

Pasta with Alfredo, Chicken Sausage, and Asparagus

This is an extremely yummy meal. It's super flavorful and filling. I made it tonight for my sweet boyfriend and fave gal pal, Katie. This recipe comes from Pink Parsley. I altered the portions of the original recipe and chose a different sauce to toss the pasta in. I used the alfredo sauce from the Pioneer Woman's Fettuccine Alfredo recipe. It turned out super well! 

Makes 8 servings.

Cook time: 30 minutes or less

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs fresh asparagus (2 bunches), tough ends snapped off and discarded
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 5 links of chicken sausage, sliced to 1/4 or 1/2 inch thickness
• 12 oz small shaped pasta (I used a combo of rotini, bowtie, and shells)
• 1/2 c salted butter (1 stick)
• 1 c heavy whipping cream
• 2 c shredded parmesan cheese

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes!! Do you love sloppy joes? I hadn't had one in years and made these last night. These were super good. Probably because these are fresh and homemade and a can of Manwich was not in the picture. This is the Pioneer Woman's recipe which automatically tells you it's delicious. Thanks PW, your recipes rule the Earth.

Makes 4 sandwiches.
Prep and cook time: 30 minutes or less

Club Sandwiches

I made these yesterday for lunch. PW posted this recipe a couple of days ago and I luckily was able to make it soon after. It's my new favorite sandwich! The ingredients are very flexible. Just use what you have on hand or according to your preference. I think these would be great for a gathering too, on a platter toothpicked into individual triangles. Try it! You'll love it.

Makes 2 sandwiches. 

Prep and cook time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 whole slices of bread
• 1 T traditional basil pesto
• 1 T sun-dried tomato pesto
• sliced lunch meat of your choice (I used turkey pastrami); you'll need around 8 slices
• sliced cheese of your choice (I chose muenster); I used four slices total
• lettuce or fresh spinach
• 4 slices of bacon, cooked to your desired preference (I used turkey bacon)
• 2 whole avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced into strips

Healthy Shrimp Stir-Fry

Sometimes I get on healthy kicks and now is one of those times. I've been searching the internet the past few days for healthy, low calorie meals. Here's one! I found it on PW's website, believe it or not. This is a very veggie filled meal. It's light, fresh, and delicious. It's a perfect, colorful meal to fix during the Spring or Summer. And it alllll takes less than 30 minutes to throw together.


Makes 2 large servings.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes

Bowtie Lasagna

This jazz is delicious. It takes less than thirty minutes from start to finish to make, too. It calls for only a few ingredients and was so easy to make! The recipe is from the Tasty Kitchen website.

Makes 6 servings.
Cook and prep time: less than 30 minutes


Ingredients:

• 5 c bowtie pasta
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 lb ground meat (I used turkey)
• 3 c spaghetti or pizza sauce (I used Mama Mia’s cause it’s local!)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 c sour cream
• shredded parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for over a year now and just got around to making it on Valentine’s day. I found it on my friend Courtney's blog and I freaking love it. It turned out way better than I imagined it would. Possibly the best enchiladas I’ve ever had. This is definitely a recipe I’ll be making frequently from now on!

So please be sensible and try it out. It calls for a small number of ingredients and took no time to prepare. I served mine with Mexican Rice, sour cream, and guac.

Makes 6 servings.

Bake time: 15-20 minutes

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

This tasty dish comes from my lovely mother, who made it quite frequently as I was growing up. It’s a super easy meal to whip up. 

Reasons you should make this:

1. You can make the entire meal by using only one pot.
2. It's less than 300 calories per serving.
3. It only takes 30 minutes from the time you prepare it to the time you serve it.
4. It smells like Rotel dip while you're cooking it.
5. It’s a delicious and comforting meal.

Makes 8 servings.

Calories per serving: 237

Total Prep and cook time: 30 min