15 Minute Pesto Pasta [+ Video]

Pesto pasta is a fresh, flavor-packed dish made with al dente penne, homemade basil pesto, and a touch of garlic and parmesan. It’s quick to whip up, full of bright, herby goodness, and perfect for tossing together on a busy night. All you need is a few simple ingredients and 15 minutes – yes, really!

This pesto pasta is fresh, flavorful, and ridiculously easy to throw together. The homemade basil pesto is rich with garlic, parmesan, and pine nuts, and it clings perfectly to every bite of penne. We’ve been making it since our basil started taking over the garden, and it’s still a favorite. Tossed, stirred, and devoured in minutes – this dish never lets us down.

Fresh basil has a way of sneaking into just about everything we make during the warmer months. Whether it’s tucked into a cheesy pasta or layered into something heartier, the flavor is always a hit around our table. When the mood calls for something extra cozy, we’ll go for our 20-Minute Cheesy Pesto Pasta – it’s like this dish’s rich, melty cousin. Or if we’re feeling that casual backyard dinner vibe, a slice of Pesto Pepperoni and Sausage Grilled Pizza totally hits the spot. And if you haven’t tried our Creamy Chicken Pesto Lasagna, you’re seriously missing out!

Ingredients for Pesto Pasta

This pesto pasta is proof that simple really can be spectacular. Just grab a few fresh staples, give them a whirl in the food processor, and boom – pasta night perfection.

• Penne Pasta: The perfect pasta shape to catch all that gorgeous pesto sauce in every nook and cranny. Spaghetti or rotini work well too!
• Pine Nuts: Lightly toasted for that buttery, nutty flavor that makes pesto sing. If you don’t have these in the pantry, walnuts or almonds are a good backup.
• Garlic: Adds a bold, savory depth to the pesto. We’re using fresh cloves for that extra zing!
• Sweet Basil: The star of the show. Use fresh basil leaves, packed tightly for the best flavor. No dried stuff here!
• Olive Oil: Helps everything blend smoothly and adds that classic richness. Stick with extra virgin for the best taste.
• Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated is best – trust us. Adds saltiness and a creamy texture to the pesto.
• Sea Salt and Fresh Black Pepper: Just a pinch or two to bring everything into balance.

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

5 Minute Easter Snack Mix [+Video]

Snack mixes are the easiest way to feed a crowd for any gathering. My kids love this Easter snack mix because of the little bunny snickerdoodle cookies in it and the candy. I love this snack mix because it comes together in 5 minutes and makes everyone happy!

This is a sweet snack mix with loads of spring colors. It is quick and tasty and disappears in our house in no time. Try these salty snacks to balance of the sweetness in this snack mix recipe: rosemary parmesan popcorn, best cheese ball, creamy artichoke dip, or the ranch slow cooker chex mix.

One of my absolute favorite holidays is Easter. I love the decorations, the food, the meaning behind everything, all of it!! As a kid I couldn’t wait to wake up and find Easter eggs hidden all over our house and oh how lucky we were if we got a giant chocolate bunny or those big Cadbury Eggs! 

Now I’ll be honest, I feel sick trying to eat those BIG Cadbury eggs, but man, those mini Cadbury eggs that are pure chocolate with a candy shell are irresistible! The best news is, no baking or cooking needed to make this treat!

What Goes into an Easter Snack Mix?

The beauty of a snack mix is that you can add anything that you want! Around the holidays, it is fun to find ingredients that really bring out the color of whatever holiday it is. This is Easter Snack Mix recipe is all about the beautiful bright pastel colors:

• Berry Cherrios
• Easter Pretzels (you could also make your own with the colors you want)
• Speckled Malt Eggs (I know a few people who don’t like malt…they are a wrong…but nonetheless, I saw they have speckled peanut butter m&m’s now which are delicious and will get you the same color)
• Annie’s Gluten Free Snickerdoodle Bunny Cookies
• Pastel Candy Corn
• Easter Caramel M&Ms
• Mini Marshmallows (I did just white because I already had some at home, but doing the multi-colored pack would be so fun)

How to Make this Snack Mix Recipe

There’s not much to make this recipe. You open all the bags of ingredients and pour them all in the large bowl. Stir everything together to combine, and then dig in! I like to serve it with some festive cups so people can snack from their own serving. It also makes a great gift for neighbors and friends or to put in Easter baskets.

Storing Snack Mix

This snack mix recipe can be stored for 4-6 weeks if it is kept in an air tight container.  The mini marshmallows and pretzels will get stale first, so we recommend keeping them separa

Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken Burrito Bowl

Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken Burrito Bowl is a quick and easy dinner recipe the whole family loves. A bright cilantro lime rice with flavorful Tex-Mex chicken, beans and lots of gooey cheese!

When we’re short on time and ingredients, this is a go-to meal at our house, and yes, you can totally swap any meats, beans or add-ins that you’d like! It’s like making a delicious Chipotle burrito bowl in the comfort of your own kitchen!

I’m finding that the older my kids get the more I desperately need quick and easy dinner ideas as we pretty much live a life of errands lately. It’s soccer, piano, clothes shopping because heaven forbid anyone stay the same size for more than a month and on and on. Anyone feel me?

Ingredients for Chicken Burrito Bowls

• Chicken Breasts: You want boneless, skinless chicken breasts and then chop them into bite-size chunks
• Oil: used to sauté the chicken
• Seasonings: Cumin, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper, Kosher Salt and Chili Powder
• White Rice: just simple long-grain white rice works great
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Chicken Broth: cooks the rice and adds more flavor
• Green Chiles: adds flavor
• Cilantro: adds bright herby freshness and flavor
• Lime: You’ll want to use the zest and juice for maximum flavor.
• Pinto Beans: Keep it simple by using canned beans. Swap for black beans if desired.
• Colby Jack Cheese: You can’t have a burrito bowl without the melty cheese! Colby jack is our favorite, but you can also go with Monterey jack or pepper jack.

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card down below. Once you serve up the chicken and rice, top with all your favorite burrito toppings. See section below for ideas.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Burrito Bowls

• Step 1: Chicken

Start by seasoning your chicken (onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper and chili powder) and then cook it in a little olive oil in your Instant Pot in “sauté mode”. You won’t need to cook it long, just enough to get a little sear on the outside, about 3 minutes.

• Step 2: Everything Else

Add the rice and garlic and stir it with the chicken for about 20-30 seconds. Then you add the rest of the ingredients (broth, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice and pinto beans) and change your Instant Pot to “high pressure”. Give everything a good stir and place the lid on the Instant Pot. Set the valve to “seal” and cook for 7 minutes.

Quick and Easy 10 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Recipe

Our garlic butter chicken is a super easy stovetop chicken recipe consisting of tender, juicy chicken tenders topped with a garlic butter sauce that is all ready in just 10 minutes!

This chicken is so rich and buttery and the whole recipe can be made in one skillet which is always a win! A quick meal with an easy cleanup is what I need e’ry day especially on busy weeknights!

You all know we love to get our kids in the kitchen and this is my oldest’s favorite chicken recipe. It is one of her go-to recipes when it’s her turn to make dinner.

Do you all cook with your kiddos? I know, it’s more work, more mess, and more stress…at least in the beginning. But I swear that it will change your lives, your relationships, and in the process, you’ll create capable and self-sufficient children. Not to mention the memories you’ll share forever.

Now I picture Peyton making this recipe in college and for her own family someday. That’s just pure joy for me! I’m getting sidetracked, but cook with your kids, people! You’ll never regret it!

Ingredients for Garlic Butter Chicken

Ok, back to this chicken…it doesn’t take many ingredients to make this easy chicken recipe. Most of these will be items you already have on hand. Here is your ingredients list:

• Chicken Tenders: cook quickly, white meat that is similar meat to the chicken breast but smaller
• Smoked Paprika: you can use regular paprika instead, but we just love the smoky flavor of the smoked paprika
• Poultry Seasoning: Montreal chicken seasoning is a great option
• Butter: adds so much richness and is the base for the sauce
• Garlic: packs all the flavor, use fresh and mince it
• Italian Seasoning Blend: you can buy an Italian seasoning blend or create your own, it is typically made of a blend of oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary (and occasionally marjoram)
• Cooking White Wine: you can absolutely use regular white wine (use a dry wine) or chicken broth if you don’t want to use alcohol
• Salt and Pepper: flavor
• Lemon Juice: fresh is best of course
• Parsley: fresh, minced fine

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

Tips for Making Garlic Butter Chicken

Here are a few tips for making this recipe:

• Use a cast iron skillet. If you don’t have one, a regular skillet will get the job done, but a cast iron skillet just sears so beautifully!
• Season the chicken tenders with the smoked paprika, poultry season and S & P before cooking and let it rest.
• Let the chicken get a good sear on it. Don’t mess with it, let it get golden and delicious!
• Read more

Instant Pot Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Casserole [+Video]

This Ground Beef and Rice Instant Pot Casserole takes only 10 minutes from start to finish! Perfect for busy weeknight dinners! Check out the video tutorial for step-by-step instructions!

Easy Instant Pot Casserole Recipe

Growing up, my mom called this “busy day casserole” because it was quick and easy to put together and throw in the oven to be ready at dinner time. With the Instant Pot, you can make this not only on a busy day, but on an ultra crazy insane day, which it seems like we are having more and more of here. Instant Pot Ground Beef and Rice Casserole for the win!!!!

Our original hamburger and rice casserole gets hundreds of pins every month. We just knew we had to create a recipe for the Instant Pot to make it an even quick and easier weeknight meal for your family.

Just like the original recipe, we have created two versions for this Instant Pot recipe. One is the super quick version, and one is the from scratch version. We like to make everything from scratch as often as possible, but sometimes life is crazy and you just need to open a can and pour it in to get dinner on the table.

I’ve mentioned several times that I was a picky eater growing up — sorry, Mom! Now my pickiness has come full circle and I have picky eaters of my own. Bless them! They love this Instant Pot casserole just like I did growing up. The flavors are kid-friendly and loved by everyone. It is the cure to picky eater syndrome, and it even is getting vegetables in their bodies! Woop woop! I only wish I could find 10 more recipes they all will eat! A girl can dream!

What’s Needed for Instant Pot Ground Beef and Rice Casserole?

As I mentioned above, we created two versions of this Instant Pot hamburger casserole recipe — one version uses some ingredient shortcuts, and one version is totally from scratch. For the quick and easy version, you’ll need:

• Ground Beef
• Onion
• Garlic Salt
• Cream of Mushroom Soup
• Long Grain White Rice
• Water
• Carrots
• Colby Jack or Cheddar Cheese

If making the from scratch version of this Instant Pot casserole recipe with ground beef, you’ll need to swap out the canned cream of mushroom soup for the following:

• Unsalted Butter
• Garlic
• Mushrooms
• All-Purpose Flour
• Chicken Broth
• Heavy Cream
• Salt and Pepper

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card down below so keep scrolling for all the details.

How to Make the Quick Version of This Instant Pot Casserole

I love using the Instant Pot to feed my family quick dinners, and the fact that we can now have this f