Tender cabbage, savory ground beef, and a spicy, garlicky sauce make this Cabbage Stir Fry an instant favorite. Made with fresh vegetables and loaded with flavor, this 30-minute meal is an easy alternative to Chinese takeout.

Stir fries are a frequent fixture of my weekly dinner menus and stir fry noodles with chicken and vegetables is another one I make often. This week, since I had ground beef in the freezer, I switched things up and made a beefy cabbage version.

Cabbage Stir Fry

Similar to my egg roll skillet and sausage egg roll in a bowl, this has the ground meat, shredded cabbage, onion, and garlic you’d find inside a typical egg roll, and I’ve kicked up the flavor here with the punch of chili paste.

I expected the beef to be my favorite part of this stir fry. And as much as I enjoyed the savory meat, it’s the cabbage that kept me coming back for more. Cabbage is inexpensive and versatile, and when it’s sliced into noodle-like ribbons here, it’s perfect for lapping up all that incredible sauce.

I’m always amazed by how easy it is to turn an ordinary vegetable into a crave-worthy dish with just a few simple steps. I can’t wait for you to try this one.

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Oh, my friends. I am very excited to share this with you today. I dreamed up this quesadilla many years ago and finally got around to making it and taking photos of it last fall. And let me tell you, it fulfills every food fantasy I had and then some.

I made this quesadilla for lunch the day after Thanksgiving. And then I made it again for dinner for myself and for the rest of the family too. And then? I made it again on Saturday AND on Sunday. Yep, I did that. And I will happily be making this quesadilla again, on repeat, for as long as the Thanksgiving sides last this year.

I have made a lot of quesadillas. But, I am telling you that this Thanksgiving quesadilla is officially my favorite way to use the Thanksgiving leftovers, alongside my more traditional turkey quesadilla when those leftovers finally start running out.

Thanksgiving Quesadilla

From start to finish, this quesadilla only takes ten minutes to make. It’s built from leftovers, so it’s easy to adapt on the fly. So, don’t worry if you don’t have all the ingredients. Just use what you have.

I don’t even care if I sound crazy. I’ve been raving to all of my brothers and sisters, friends and strangers at the grocery store even, about this way to use up leftovers ever since I first landed on it, almost two years ago. A little bit of this and a little bit of that add up to whole lot of deliciousness!

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Ground beef is seasoned generously with Mexican spices and tossed with black beans and corn to create what we at our house consider “The Best Taco Meat”. It’s perfect for tacos, salads, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, you name it. Or, just served hot from the pan with plenty of shredded cheese (if you’re my nieces).

This recipe is so simple that I initially almost didn’t post it. But, I’ve come to realize that simple recipes are what most of us need as we try to balance all of our responsibilities while feeding our families. What could be better than the super easy recipes I turn to on my busiest days? Plus, if you keep some homemade taco seasoning on hand, this meal can literally be on the table in minutes.

Taco Meat

This taco meat recipe was my saving grace year after year when we got back into the routine of school and other activities. My boys declared that it was “The Best Taco Meat, Ever!” and so it was likely to be our lunch and/or part of our dinner at least once a week.

There are so many ways to serve it that my family never gets bored of having the same core ingredients over and over again. It’s an easy recipe that you can enjoy in tons of different ways. And, it portions and freezes beautifully, making it even easier for the kids to grab and go now that they’re older.

Rich, creamy Kielbasa Pasta with broccoli has been one of the highlights at our dinner table lately. With such a simple list of ingredients and incredible flavors that come together in no time at all, it’s sure to make multiple appearances at your table, too.

I love to fill out our pasta dishes with plenty of vegetables (see our one-pot jambalaya pasta as an example), so there is almost as much broccoli on display here as there is pasta. Add some hearty sausage and sharp, crumbly cheese on top, and you’ve got a weeknight meal with something for everyone.

Kielbasa Pasta

Many years ago, we had a dinner tradition called “not-eat foods”. Each of my boys was allowed to choose one food which they could skip tasting, if it was part of dinner that night. For several years, my eldest son chose broccoli as his not-eat food.

So when this pasta was a huge hit with ALL of my family, I knew I’d found a new dinner staple. My eldest went back for seconds, and even thirds! It makes me grin to watch my son who normally dislikes broccoli eat every single saucy broccoli bite.

Ingredients and Substitutions

The Pasta –

Creamy ranch dressing coats every bite of pasta and vegetables in this Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad. Sprinkled throughout with bacon and cheddar cheese, my kids went absolutely nuts over this salad.

I love making pasta salads and there is no end to the ways that we make them fun and interesting! (I’m looking at you, Deviled Egg Pasta Salad!) I made this pasta salad for the first time about 10 years ago and my kids dove into this for second helpings lightning fast. They polished off almost the entire recipe in one sitting!

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

I enjoy having easy recipes like this one at my fingertips for nights when it’s too hot to even think about being in the kitchen. A few minutes spent in the kitchen after breakfast and you’ll have dinner ready whenever you are hungry for it.

This salad is a frequent request on our meal plan. And I have to think ahead and stash a portion for myself in the back of the refrigerator if I want to have some left for my lunch the following day.

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