A Few Easy Dinners

I don't get crazy with weeknight meals and have a lot of easy recipes saved up. These Cheesy Baked Pork Chops were incredible! The garlic and brown sugar rub was just perfect and it doesn't get any faster than couscous. I think I'm missing some green garnish though...oh well!

Next up, some Buffalo Chicken Sliders with Blue Cheese. I made them even quicker by using precooked chicken and adding the Frank's Buffalo Sauce. My hubby thought the blue cheese was a bit over-powering but what does he know right? I love me some stinky cheese!

Lastly a big bowl of Sausage and Pepper Pasta. I chose Bowtie pasta because they're just so cute! Lots of chili flakes and finally got some garnish!

It's Finally Fall!

I LOVE everything about Fall! The weather starts getting cooler, the leaves start turning pretty colors and of course, it's the official start of the HOLIDAYS! In our house, it only means one thing...COMFORT FOOD! I just love all the flavors of fall especially pumpkin so I decided to make Pumpkin pasta with sausage. It's just Pasta Roni Shells and White Cheddar with some canned pumpkin and spicy sausage stirred into the sauce. SO EASY and SO YUM!

The cooler whether also means it's time to take out my slow cooker! I remember my mother-in-law gave us a slow cooker at our first apartment. (Thanks mom!) It was HUGE and I'd use it to make a dozen chicken thighs, which my hubby loved! I'd shred the meat and freeze most of it and it would last us months! Then I decided to get a smaller slow cooker for making less food and it worked out great. These are super easy BBQ Short Ribs and they were incredibly good! I just turned the slow cooker on in the morning and it did all the cooking while I ran errands. By the time I got home, our kitchen smelled like the best BBQ restaurant in the world! The meat just fell off of the bones and I served them over stuffing (another Fall Fav!). I cannot WAIT to make more slow cooker meals!

Another cold-weather fav at our house is pork chops! These are Rachael Ray's Pork Chops Smothered with Peppers and Onions. They were featured in an episode titled Man Food, so I KNEW I had to make them for my MAN! LOL. I served the chops over, what else, STUFFING! BEST SUNDAY NIGHT EVER!

I Discovered Cheddar Cheese Soup!

I can't believe that after years of cooking with Cream of Mushroom Soup, I never discovered Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup until now! This isn't the ordered cheese flavor either. It's the Nacho Fiesta kind and it was PERFECT in tonight's Cheesy Beef and Bowties! Oh YEA! Talk about Sunday Night Done RIGHT!

Just Ranching It!

If we lived in Hidden Valley, my hubby would still not eat veggies but Hidden Valley Ranch and sausage, now that's a winner! I also added some mushrooms to make it seem a bit healthier. :)

You'll NEVER Guess THIS Came from a BOX!

Does this meal look like it came from a box? I doubt it but it certainly started there! I took a box of Mac and Cheese and turned it into a gourmet meal with ground beef, mushrooms, chili flakes and just to take it over the top, a BIG FRIED EGG! OH YEA!

We're Never Without Heinz!

My hubby LOVES Heinz Ketchup! I mean, he'll literally put it on anything and everything so we're never without an ample supply. That's why I knew any recipe featured on their website would be a winner like tonight's Beef and Zucchini Pasta except instead of zucchini, I added mushrooms instead. The verdict? As yummy as I expected if not more and yes, you can totally taste the ketchup!

Chicken Cordon Bleu in Pasta Form!

This is a recipe that I came up with using some of my favorite convenience items like Foster Farms Crispy Chicken Strips and Pasta Roni Shells. I'm also a big fan of the salad bar where I picked up cooked ham and mushrooms. VERY easy and totally tastes like Chicken Cordon Bleu!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil 
1/2 c cooked ham, diced
4 crispy chicken strips, chopped into bite-size 
1/2 c mushrooms, sliced
Pasta Roni Shells, cooked 
1/4 c Mozzarella cheese, shredded 
Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

Prep: 

1. In a pan, heat oil on medium. Add ham, chicken and mushrooms. Cook until mushroom is softened.

2. Stir in pasta and Mozzarella and cook until cheese is melted. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Easy Beefy Mac and Cheesy!

Like my "Cheesy" title? LOL. Tonight we had a very easy but very yummy dinner. Delmonte's Beef Mac and Cheese featuring ground beef, Italian-style tomatoes and of course, lots of CHEESE! AND just for kicks, I added mushrooms too cuz that's just how I roll!

Cajun-Style Fettuccine

We LOVE Cajun flavors cuz well, it's SPICY! Ok, I'm sure this isn't authentic but I figured if I add paprika and cayenne, I'm getting close! Tonight's dinner features Fettuccine with grilled chicken, mushrooms and bell peppers. ALL that in less than 20 minutes. Not THAT'S impressive!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp butter

1/2 c sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 c bell pepper, diced

1/4 c onion, diced

1 c diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Cooked chicken, cubed

Fettuccine, cooked

Prep:

1. In a pan, melt margarine over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, bell pepper and onion; cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender.

2. Stir in tomatoes, milk, paprika and cayenne. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.

3. Reduce heat. Cook uncovered 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in fettuccine and chicken. Cook uncovered until thoroughly heated. 

Not So Original Ranch Beef and Noodles Skillet

I came across this Ranch Beef and Noodles Skillet from Hidden Ranch and couldn't wait to try it. I mean, ground beef and Ranch Dressing? How can that NOT be good? Well, mine wasn't made with the Original Hidden Ranch (hence the Not So Original title) because I used the generic Safeway brand. (Hey, I'm cheap!) It turned out amazing! Creamy and flavorful and of course, I had to add a bit of a spicy kick with some Crushed Red Chili Flakes!

More Easy Dinners!

Here are 2 more very easy meals for our weeknight dinners. First up is Chicken Pasta-Roni with grilled chicken and mushrooms. Next is Mac and Cheese with Imitation Crab (our fav!). Dinner in less than 20 minutes. Can't beat that!

On A Ranch Kick Lately!

Raise your hand if you like Ranch Dressing. No keep it up if you like easy meals. Still there? Well, then let me introduce you to THE EASIEST and THE MOST AMAZING Pasta Sauce recipe in the world! Take a packet of Ranch Dressing Mix and add half a cup of milk and half a cup of sour cream. Stir and you're done. Really, it's that simple and it is the PERFECT sauce for pasta and whatever else you choose to put in. These 2 meals featured sausage in 1 and ham in the other and of course, mushrooms because we LOVE mushrooms!

Pasta-Roni to the Rescue!

Growing up, we never had Pasta-Roni (or Rice-a-Roni) at our house since my mom only cooked Asian food. I mean, we had American goodies like pizza and fried chicken, but none cooked at home. Actually, I think the only time I had pasta was when I ate frozen meals for lunch during summer breaks. (Hello, Stouffers!) Anyway, I was recently turned onto Pasta-Roni thanks to a huge sale at the grocery store and my new crazy work schedule. They're not as quick as frozen meals but definitely tastier! I also like how easy the pasta was to customized. Below are a few of the meals I've recently made.

Macaroni and Cheese with Roasted Chicken

Macaroni and Cheese with Spicy Sausage

Cheesy Shells with Roasted Chicken

Easiest Dinner from the Fridge!

Some nights I just don't have the time or energy to deal with recipes so I turn to my fridge for ideas. Tonight was one of those nights. I opened my fridge and some spicy sausage stared back at me along with my usual onions and mushrooms. My house is never without canned tomatoes and dried pasta so a very quick and easy dinner was born. Gotta love a stocked kitchen!

No Time to Grocery Shop!

Now that I'm back to work, some weeks I just have NO time for grocery shopping. What do I do? I turn to my well-stocked pantry, of course! I always keep a few cans of salmon and boxes of different pastas around and my fridge is never without butter and heavy cream. So tonight, we enjoyed a yummy salmon pasta dinner without a trip to the store!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp butter
1/2 c green onions, chopped
1/4 c seafood stock
1/4 c heavy cream
1 (5 oz) can salmon
Pasta, cooked

Prep:

1. Melt butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until tender, 5 minutes.

2. Add stock and deglaze. Stir in cream and simmer until thickened, 2 minutes.

3. Add salmon and pasta and toss to combine. Serve warm.

Beef and Macaroni ALL in 1 Skillet

You can't go wrong with a Skillet Macaroni recipe especially when it involves ground beef and Picante Sauce! A while back I ordered some Cream of Mushroom in bulk so I'm constantly looking for ways to use them. This recipe did NOT disappoint! The combination of the spicy sauce paired really well with the creamy soup. A perfectly comforting yet effortless meal!

Ooey Gooey Baked Pasta with Sausage!

For a quick and comforting weeknight meal, there's nothing better than Baked Pasta with Sausage and Fire-Roasted Tomatoes! Baked with ooey gooey cheese on top! YUM!

Dijon Mustard Sausage and Pasta, YUM!

Another easy and yummy recipe from Aidells. Life is good and saucy!

Spicy Sausage and Heavy Cream, What's NOT to LOVE?

I have an obsession with any type of baked pasta dish so when I came across Baked Pasta with Tomato Cream and Spicy Sausage, I just couldn't resist. It was such a quick and easy meal too! Spicy and creamy, a winner all around!

BBQ Beef and Bowties, Who Knew?

I'll admit, I was a little bit skeptical when I came across BBQ Beef and Bowtie but since I do trust Betty Crocker and we already had an open bottle of BBQ Sauce in the fridge, I thought I'd give it a try. Guess what? It turned out great! I used the corn salsa from TJ's instead of regular corn to kick up the flavor even more. My hubby said it tasted like BBQ Sloppy Joe mixed with pasta which sounds a bit weird but we loved it!