Creamy, spicy, pasta with bell peppers and sausage is a 20-minute meal that everyone loves. My family will happily eat this Cajun sausage pasta any night of the week.

Cajun Pasta with Sausage

I love the ease of using seasoning mixes for simple recipes like this one. Technically, there are only five ingredients in this recipe, but with a great seasoning mix there is an abundance of different flavors in the dish.

I shared this Cajun Seasoning Mix in The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook. The seasoning blend has been a staple in my pantry for quite a few years now. I figured it was long past time to share it here so that I can more easily link to it for easy access.

After you whip up that Cajun spice blend (it only takes a minute), you’ll be ready to make this delicious pasta.

Pasta with Bell Peppers

My family loves creamy pasta dishes, but I sometimes find them to be a little too bland. The bell peppers and the sausage help keep things interesting. This recipe satisfies both my family’s love of cream sauces and our need for a little more heat.

This meal starts by browning the sausage in a pan. Because spicy sausage already has so much flavor, it’s the perfect foundation for so many of our favorite meals.

Add in a few bell peppers for color and flavor, plus heavy cream and Cajun spices and you get an extra creamy sauce to toss with your pasta.

With regards to the cream in this recipe

Oh. Wow. This Chicken and Bacon Fried Rice has been established in our home as the best “unplanned and amazingly delicious” meal ever.

Initially made on a whim one night when I had leftover rice in the fridge, I’ve been making this fried rice with bacon and chicken for years now and finally was able to get some updated photos so that I can share it with you.

The whole family very happily gives this dinner two thumbs up each time I make it.

Chicken Bacon Fried Rice

There really aren’t many meals that top the convenience of combining leftover rice with a bit of bacon and some leftover chicken in a way that delivers so much deliciousness.

Chicken fried rice and bacon fried rice have become such staples in our weeknight dinner plans, I regularly double or triple the amount of rice needed for a meal, just to make sure there is plenty leftover for a fried rice dinner too.

And for the easiest “leftover” chicken ever, I often pick up a rotisserie chicken at the store. Full disclosure, with two teenage boys and a very rapidly growing 10 (almost 11) year old in the house, there’s rarely anything truly leftover after most meals.

And if there is? You just might find it in my fridge with a giant note on the container that says “DO NOT EAT THIS” if I actually want it to be there for a recipe the following day. Anyone else relate to this?

Fried Rice with Bacon

Can you go wrong adding bacon to fried rice? I say that it’s impossible. As evidenced by this mouthwatering Chicken and Bacon Stir Fry that we’ve been making for almost ten years now, the combination of chicken + bacon + Asian flavors is absolutely fantastic.

Tender chicken, salty bacon, along with bites of egg, onion, and peas in a very flavorful rice skillet? Oh yeah, you need to make this.

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The BEST chicken tetrazzini recipe begins with chicken, mushrooms, and pasta tossed together with a creamy, garlicky sauce.

Layer that deliciousness in a baking dish and sprinkle it with just a handful of cheese before baking just long enough to melt everything together. Served with warm bread and a salad, this meal is a hit every time.

Almost 18 years ago now, my sweet friend Lisa brought my family a pan of this Chicken Tetrazzini. It was a night just a few days after my middle son was born; and in the midst of our new baby fog and sleep deprivation, we managed to eat an absurd amount of this dish.

You know those dishes you taste once and can’t stop thinking about? This chicken Tetrazzini recipe is one of those. When you’re exhausted from a new baby, a hot meal at the end of the day is extra divine.

I promised Sean I’d get the recipe as soon as possible. Lisa shared her recipe with me and this pasta has made regular appearances on our table ever since. 

Best Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe

At the time, this was the best chicken and pasta dish we had ever tasted, giving it the honor of being christened “The Best Chicken Tetrazzini.” (And it still stands as one of the tastiest chicken pasta dishes you’ll ever make!)

It’s an easy and comforting dinner that I make so often I can just about cook it from memory at this point. And I have a feeling that chicken tetrazzini will be a meal my boys think of when they think of favorite family dinners from their childhoods.

My whole family enjoys this meal very much and one of my boys would happily do his best to eat this entire recipe on his own! As I began to make this for dinner last night, I was surprised to realize that I didn’t already have this recipe on the blog.

It’s become such a favorite, I

Crisp warm tortillas filled with chicken, bell peppers, and plenty of melting cheese are a terrific dinner or an excellent way to use up just a bit of leftovers. Who would turn down a piping hot chicken fajita quesadilla for lunch? (Not me!)

Fajita Quesadilla

My sister taught me how to make absolutely irresistible quesadillas many years ago and ever since then, they’ve been a regular breakfast, lunch, and dinner option in our home.

Quesadilla fillings are endlessly fun to play with and we’re really loving these fajita quesadillas lately. Grilled bell peppers or roasted peppers and onions are excellent in quesadillas.

But, if you don’t happen to have these on hand already, it will only take a few minutes to toss the peppers and onions in a hot skillet and saute them.

Add some beef, chicken, pork, or shrimp and you’ll quickly be holding a fajita quesadilla that will put anything you can order in a restaurant to shame.

What are fajitas?

Fajitas are a Tex-Mex dish, typically centered around thinly sliced grilled meats served with bell peppers and onions on a tortilla. While traditionally, everything is grilled, there are endless ways to combine meats and vegetables for quick and easy fajita dinners at home.

We are long-time fans of fajitas and we’ve been making these chicken fajitas for over 12 years now. (And yes, it’s desperately in need of new photos.)

Beef strips, peppers, and onions are slowly cooked with Mexican seasonings and a generous squeeze of lime to make these slow cooker steak fajitas. This is one of the easiest crock-pot meals we make.

I call these slow cooker chicken fajitas a “fast crockpot meal,” meaning you can start them when you have a spare moment in the

Red potatoes seasoned with Mexican spices are roasted and then tossed with sauteed onions, peppers, and beans, finished with a handful of barely wilted, warm spinach in this Black Bean Breakfast Skillet.

Topped with a soft egg or scrambled eggs, this is a hearty and filling, slightly spicy weekend breakfast that can easily be doubled to feed a crowd.

Black and White Beans

Hash has been a staple at my house for breakfasts and other quick meals for years, now. This skillet with black and white beans falls perfectly in line with so many of our other favorites.

Plus, cleanup is a breeze with just one sheet pan and a skillet. I love cooking, but I am not a fan of dishes. So, this is a recipe that lets me enjoy a fabulous breakfast and then get on with my day.

Beans for Breakfast

Super easy to make, this skillet is perfect for a relaxing morning when you’re craving black beans and eggs for breakfast. The best part? You can mix and match your favorite veggies and proteins to really make it your own.

Give this simple breakfast skillet a try, and it might just become one of your go-to morning meals. Just be sure to let me know what you add to the mix, if you change the recipe up. I’m always looking for a fresh take!

Beans and Potatoes

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

• olive oil
• onion and bell peppers
• black and white beans and potatoes
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