Welcome to the weekend, my friends! This is the last week of my vacation from work and I plan to make the most of it. My brother and his wife are planning to drive up from Georgia and enjoy the snow with us. (I’m praying that the weather won’t impact that too much!) There will be lots of card games and puzzles (because I make everyone do them with me now.), video games and laughter, as well as oh-so-many of our favorite foods.

I’ll be back in the “work” kitchen next week, ready to share a bunch of new recipes with you. In the meantime, as always, if you have recipe questions, leave a comment on the recipe post and I’ll do my best to answer as I’m able.

ON OUR MENU THIS WEEK: We’ll be spending a few mornings this week brunching at home and at the top of the meal request list was a breakfast hash topped with a fried egg. This is a savory breakfast lover’s dream of a meal. (There are several hash recipes to choose from on the website, as this is a long-time favorite for breakfasts and for dinner.)

And for the sweet cravings, these Cranberry Pancakes are going to happen and I’m making a batch of my Grandma’s Orange Sauce to top them.

The theme of this week is snow, snow, SNOW. So, my meal plan is all about the warm comfort foods. I’ll be making my Aunt Judy’s Creamy Vegetable Soup (oh, my gosh, it’s SO GOOD!) and a big pot of Lasagna Soup as well. 

Spicy chile sauce meets up with creamy refried beans and plenty of cheese to make these Red Chile Chicken Burritos. One bite was all it took and we were hooked. These are not little burritos that you’ll be holding in your hand to eat. These burritos will have you grabbing a plate and a fork and diving right into that creamy, cheesy, chicken-filled awesomeness.

Creamy, rich, and saucy, Stovetop Mac and Cheese was another request and I’ll be cooking up some Garlic Butter Steak Bites to serve alongside it. I’m thinking some Roasted Brussels Sprouts will be perfect with that meal.

We’ll also be making Chicken Cordon Bleu Sliders (from my first cookbook) and of course, (no surprise here) Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

There’s a never-ending container of Read more

Quick and Easy Ravioli Skillet Lasagna [+Video]

I bet you never thought you could enjoy lasagna for dinner in just 30 minutes! This lazy ravioli skillet lasagna recipe includes tender pasta, a hearty meat sauce and a creamy cheese filling.

I was looking for a really quick and easy way to enjoy lasagna without going through all the hassle and this actually might be even better to me than lasagna. I mean, there is a time and place for classic lasagna, but most weeknights we are busy and I need something fast that I know everyone will love.

Oh, and I am not a fan of ricotta cheese in lasagna. It’s so dry and not once while visiting Italy, did we ever have a single lasagna on the menu that included ricotta cheese so if I don’t do a bechamel sauce I really do think, as weird as it sounds, that cottage cheese makes a better filling it’s creamier and just better overall.

If you’re looking for more of a lasagna soup, try our one pot lasagna pasta! Like this skillet lasagna, it tastes like lasagna but is just a different spin on it.

Ingredients for Skillet Lasagna

Lazy lasagna uses a fraction of the ingredients of traditional lasagna and it takes a fraction of the time and effort. Here are the ingredients you will need for this recipe:

• Rana Ravioli: We love Rana brand for quick pastas. They have several flavors that would be delicious in this recipe. We used the 4 Cheese flavor and two of the 10oz bags.

For the Filling

• Cottage Cheese: adds creaminess and texture
• Parmesan: adds flavor
• Egg: acts as a binder
• Basil: use fresh for the best flavor
• Parsley: fresh is best
• Salt and Pepper: adds flavor

For the Sauce

NOTE: If you have the time, I would make our authentic Bolognese sauce instead of this quick and easy sauce. You’ll only need half a batch, so you can save half for another night. If you are aiming for that 30 minute dinner, then this is what you will need

Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Soup [+Video]

Warm up with a delicious and hearty pot pie soup filled with chicken or turkey, vegetables, and a creamy broth.

Take your favorite comfort food and turn it into the best cold weather soup ever, chicken or turkey pot pie soup! We even added biscuits on top!

It’s like taking our classic chicken pot pie and eating it inside out. We make the filling a little creamier so it’s more soup-like and instead of being in a crust, we top it with golden crispy little biscuits. They are totally optional but I love the extra texture and flavor it adds.

Ingredients for Chicken Pot Pie Soup

All of these ingredients come together in one pot and this soup so simple to make. Here are the ingredients you will need:

• Olive Oil: used to sauté the onions and garlic
• Onion: adds flavor
• Garlic: an aromatic that adds flavor
• Fresh Thyme and Fresh Parsley: adds fresh flavor
• Yukon Gold Potatoes: Russet potatoes or even red potatoes could be used. I just love the flavor and texture of gold potatoes in this soup.
• Flour: helps thicken the soup
• Kosher Salt and Fresh Black Pepper: adds flavor
• Rotisserie Chicken: I just grab a rotisserie chicken at Costco and break it down myself or buy the packaged rotisserie chicken at Costco.
  • NOTE: If you don’t want to use rotisserie chicken, you could cook your own whole chicken or cook 3 chicken breasts in whatever your favorite method for cooking chicken is – grilled, baked, boiled (please never), etc.
• Half and Half: Adds creaminess and richness to the soup. For a healthier soup use milk instead.
• Chicken Broth or Stock: adds flavor and more substance to the base of the soup
• Heavy Cream: add more richness and creaminess to the soup
• Bay Leaf: adds flavor
• Frozen Carrot and Pea Mixture: can be bought in the freezer section at the grocery store

For the Biscuits

• Flour: Just regular all purpose flour is all you need.
• Sea Salt: adds flavor
• Sugar: adds a touch of sweetness
• Baking Powder: gives the biscuits their rise and fluff
• Buttermilk: adds acidity, flavor, and rise to the biscuits
• Egg: gives the biscuit structure
• Shortening: adds fat and richness
• Butter: adds fat and flavor

All of the measurements and details for the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Chicken Pot Pie Soup

If you have the time in the morning, the best way to make this soup is to get it all going in the morning and then let it sit in the fridge all day. Right before

Garden Veggie Homemade Marinara Sauce [+Video]

Looking for a healthy and delicious pasta sauce recipe? This garden veggie homemade marinara sauce is packed with flavorful vegetables and can be made in under 30 minutes. Watch the video tutorial and try it out tonight!

Every kid loves pizza, many love spaghetti so a marinara sauce is a great way to get your children to enjoy more veggies. Try vegetarian marinara sauce!

I’ve never been a big fan of sneaking veggies into food as I’d rather my kids learn to love vegetables, but I see nothing wrong with packing something full of them in an easy to eat way like vegetarian spaghetti sauce.

What is Sautéing?

The word sauté (pronounced “saw-TAY”) refers to a form of dry-heat cooking that uses a hot pan and a small amount of fat to cook the food.

Why Sauté?

There’s only one step that I insist on for this entire recipe, please make sure you take a moment to sauté the vegetables before making the sauce. Think of it like corn or grilled corn. Isn’t grilled corn so much more delicious? Same thing with sautéing vegetables for a dish, the heat breaks them down and really brings out the flavor.

I mean, it’s like eating raw carrots with your roast at Sunday dinner or nice and caramelized carrots from baking in the pan with that beefy babe.

I think that’s one of my favorite tips about cooking. To some it may seem obvious but to a large portion of the public something like sautéing everything versus just throwing it all in a pot to simmer may not be.

Ingredients for Vegetable Marinara Sauce

This sauce really doesn’t need much fuss either. A bunch of veggies, a little cheese and a dollop of butter and you’re good to go. The secret is a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. I don’t know why it works but it does. I’ll wait for America’s Test Kitchen to figure that one out. Here is the ingredients list:

• Olive Oil
• Herbs and Seasonings: Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, Kosher Salt, Fresh Basil Leaves, Dried Oregano and Black Pepper
• Vegetables: Garlic, Zucchini, Carrot, Baby Bella Mushrooms, Red Bell Pepper, Yellow Bell Pepper, Orange Bell Pepper and Crushed Tomatoes
• Tomato Sauce
• Brown Sugar
• Butter
• Parmesan Cheese
• Balsamic Vinegar

The measurements and details for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Homemade Marinara Sauce

Honestly, the most time consuming part of this chopping all the veggies before sautéing them. After that, it’s a total breeze! Here are all the steps:

1. Sauté: Place a dutch oven on the stove top over medium heat and add the olive. Let it heat up until it’s shimmering. Then add the garlic and crush red pepper. Stir for about a mi

6 Ingredient Crockpot Chicken and Rice

This easy and delicious crockpot chicken and rice recipe is the perfect comfort food for a busy weeknight. Just set it and forget it for a warm and satisfying meal.

Throw everything in the crock pot and in a few hours you have a delicious, creamy tender chicken dish that can be served over rice, noodles, or potatoes!

Yup, this Crockpot Chicken and rice is the old classic you grew up eating. We will post the originally recipe of shredded chicken with a soup and cream cheese mixture and add the adaptations that we make.

This Crock Pot Chicken recipe is such a reader favorite that we are often looking to share new chicken recipes you can make in a crockpot. Sadly we sometimes forget about the old recipes so it was time to bring back the classic.

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice

My favorite thing about this recipe, except for dang good it tastes, is that it uses just 5 simple ingredients that I usually already have on hand. Check this list to see if you already have everything in house:

• Cream of Chicken Soup: You can use store bought or you can make your own. See section below for making it from scratch.
• Butter: I like to use unsalted butter so that I can better control the saltiness of the dish.
• Italian Dressing Seasoning Dry Mix: You can find this by the salad dressings by the other dressing packets.
• Chicken Breasts: Boneless skinless chicken breasts are what you are after. You can even throw them in frozen and it will work great.
• Cream Cheese: Full fat cream cheese provides the best flavor, but the less fat version works fine too. Avoid the fat free.
• Rice: You can make white rice, brown rice, pasta or mashed potatoes to serve with this creamy chicken.

The measurements for each ingredient is listed in the recipe card at the end of the post so keep scrolling for all the details.

How to Make Crockpot Chicken and Rice

If you’re looking for the easiest dinner recipe ever, then you have come to the right spot. It is everything a crockpot recipe should be. The prep time is literally 2 minutes. Then start the slow cooker and walk away. Here are the steps:

1. Mix: Add cream of chicken, butter and Italian seasoning to the crockpot and mix together then place chicken breasts in the crockpot.
   • PRO TIP: Spray the inside of your crockpot with cooking spray before adding any ingredients too it and you’ll be happy when it comes to clean up time.
2. Cook: Set the slow cooker to cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-3 ½ hours.
3. Shred: Use two forks to shred the chicken then add the cream cheese.
4. Stir: Stir everything together until smooth. If it seems really thick, add a little milk or chicken broth