Filled with Italian sausage and shredded vegetables before being fried crisp and golden brown, these Italian Egg Rolls are a fun and unexpected twist on pasta night.

This recipe was a spur-of-the-moment dinner years ago that turned out deliciously. While looking through the refrigerator for inspiration one night, I paused at a package of egg roll wrappers.

That was when I discovered that egg roll wrappers are technically a form of pasta. Did you already know that? Well, one thought led to another and I decided to try an Italian Eggroll combination.

I serve these Italian Eggrolls with 5 Minute Marinara Sauce on the side for dipping and they disappear FAST every time we make them.

The kids, my husband, and I absolutely devoured these eggrolls the first time I made them. My youngest son ate three of them! (The photo at the bottom of this post still makes me grin. I can hardly believe it’s been 11 years since my baby was that small!)

Kitchen Tip: I use this pan, these tongs, and this tray to make this recipe.

Italian Eggrolls

• sweet or hot Italian sausage
• shredded carrots
• shredded cabbage 
• garlic powder, salt, and pepper
• egg roll wrappers
• beaten egg
• oil for frying
• marinara sauce for serving

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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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Pina Colada Hawaiian Pulled Pork Nachos Recipe

Hawaiian pulled pork nachos…crispy tortilla chips topped with tender pulled pork, loads of melty cheese, pinto beans, sauteed peppers and a creamy pina colada sauce! It’s what every nachos recipe should be!

Whether you eat them as an appetizer on gameday or a quick weeknight meal, these nachos will get devoured by all the people. My kids think they’ve died and gone to heaven when they get to eat chips for dinner!

This pork nachos recipe will knock your boots off. In fact, they will probably knock you naked. And it will be worth it. They are the best dang nachos I’ve ever had. EVER. And that’s saying a lot because I really thought we loved our Italian nachos with chicken, wontons, and that yummy alfredo sauce…mmmmmm. Seriously though, these rocked our world.

Ingredient for Pulled Pork Nachos

Here is what you will need to make this nachos recipe:

• Pork Butt: 3-4lbs, if you have leftover pulled pork from the night before, that works perfectly
• Pinto Beans: drained and rinsed, and heated through in a pan on the stovetop
• Colby Jack Cheese: you could really use any cheese you want, but colby jack has such a delicious flavor for nachos and gets so creamy and melty
• Tostitos Scoop Chips: I love using scoops because they make the perfect nacho bites, but you could us any type of tortilla chip you prefer.
• Mini Sweet Peppers: I like to chop them into thin strips and then saute them.
• Olive Oil: helps saute the peppers
• Pina Colada Sauce: see recipe below…so creamy with the perfect blend of pineapple and coconut!
• Other toppings: You can load these up as much or as little as you want. Feel free to add more toppings such as tomatoes, diced red onions, fresh pineapple chunks, chopped cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, black olives, jalapenos, etc.

For the Pina Colada Sauce

• Crushed Pineapple: Be sure it is crushed and not the tidbits or chunks and no need to drain it. You want that yummy juice in there for flavor!
• Cream Of Coconut: You can find this by the margarita mixes and alcohol. It is usually in a can.
• Sour Cream: creates the creaminess for the sauce, you could substitute plain Green yogurt if you want

The measurements for all the ingredients and the instructions for making this recipe can all be found in the recipe card at the end of this post. You can also save or print the recipe from there. If you save it, it will be saved in “My Recipe Box” which you can access from the top right corner of any page on the blog. So convenient!

What is the Best Pulled Pork?

These nachos, are super easy to make, and I love that you can make a fresh roast or just use leftovers from dinner the night before. BOO-YAH.  We’ve include a recipe for making the pulled pork here, b

Shrimp and sausage fried rice has officially been added to the list of our favorite dinners. This easy recipe is a “two thumbs up,” kid-approved, hearty-as-can-be skillet meal; perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner! 

Shrimp and Sausage Rice

Okay, let’s just admit it. I’m fried rice obsessed. Ever since I tried my friend Julie’s tips for perfect fried rice, I’ve been making different versions at least once a week.

In case you’re wondering, oh yes, we still love the Fried Rice with Ham and Vegetables that I shared a while back. All three of my kids have declared fried rice to be one of their favorite meals now.

I love shrimp fried rice, as evidenced by this older classic shrimp fried rice recipe. I have tweaked it so much over the years, it is past due for an update. (Especially now that I’ve learned just how much better fried rice can be?!)

Sausage Fried Rice

Recently, I had some kielbasa sausage in the refrigerator and shrimp in the freezer calling my name, so this became the latest variation of fried rice that we’ve fallen in love with.

As soon as I tasted it, I knew I needed to share it with you. Sausage or kielbasa with shrimp is always a great combination.

The first thing to know when making fried rice is that you’ll need a large deep-sided skillet. Trying to use a shallow or smaller pan will just leave you frustrated and likely with a mess on your