Holiday Feast Side Dish Alert... I love sweet potato casserole...I really do. Especially when there is a crunchy, nutty topping or layer in the dish. But what I don't always love is the prep-work. If you're hosting the holiday feast, it's a flurry of madness getting everything ready and sometimes you just want simple and easy. THIS. Is simple and easy. Slice the … [Read more...]
Cheesy Potato Casserole
Before we start into this delectable side dish, I need to make the following disclaimer. Calories don't exist on holiday feast day. They just don't. They can't really. ;) I'm teasing...there are ways to be smart about calories at a holiday feast...but I like to pretend they don't count or exist. (hehe) Making this calorie disclaimer is important with … [Read more...]
Garlic and Herb Shepherd’s Pie
Two Shepherd's Pie in one week. (Here are the "dinner cupcakes," if you missed them!) Yup yup. Because...meat and potatoes is the name of my feeding 5 boys game! ;) I love a great Shepherd's Pie meal because it's hearty, filling and budget friendly to boot! This garlic and herb shepherd's pie tasks the flavor up a few notches...and is the perfect savory dish for a … [Read more...]
Muffin Tin Shepherd’s Pie
These cute mini Shepherd's pies can be the perfect treat for getting your picky eaters to eat dinner. The small size of these muffin tin shepherds pies are fun for kids and great for serving a crowd. (Think: grab n go holiday party appetizer or snack!) You can also pack these for lunches, freeze them for dinner on a busy night, or make them "fresh" and serve them piping … [Read more...]
Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Kinda makes you wanna lick the screen doesn't it??? Holy melted butter...and cracked pepper. This is the kind of recipe that makes me fall in love with mashed potatoes all over again. I seem to fall in love year after year...about this time...just before Thanksgiving! These creamy mashed potatoes will make everyone at your table drool. Seriously, they will. PRO TIP: … [Read more...]
Chocolate Covered Potato Chips
And........... we have a new favorite after school snack. The first time I made this, the boys were super confused as to why I had 2 pots (the double boiler) sitting together on the stove. I've used them many times before, but they never noticed until now. We had a quick little science lesson about the double boiler, how it worked and why the chocolate needed to be melted … [Read more...]
Crash Potatoes
Adore these potatoes. When I serve red potatoes in this "crash" style, plates are polished. My boys love them. And they also love talking about "crashing things" - because BOYS. It starts as "mom, are these those crash potatoes?" And then they proceed to tell me their best crashing stories. I try to sit there and try not to cringe, I try to be a good "boy mom" who doesn't … [Read more...]
Roasted Chicken with Mustard-Chive Sauce
If you're growing herbs and chives, you must make this. If you're thinking about starting an herb garden, now is the time to get it started. Be sure to add chives to the list. If you're just not that into gardening, grab a packet of fresh chives from the produce section. Or you could use the freeze dried chives on the spices aisle too. However you want to get your … [Read more...]
Gnocchi Minestrone Soup
Yes, yes...I know...2 Minestrone Soup recipes in one week. This one below is a typical minestrone soup that uses gnocchi in place of pasta. A few weeks back, I found a 2 pack of 24 oz. gnocchi bags at Costco for $5.99. That makes 4 meals worth for us and it significantly less expensive that what I see at my grocery store. So...I bought a pack and dropped them into … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Curried Pork and Potatoes
The Curry obsession...it continues on! This time...in the form of an amazing pork loin and potatoes curry that's made in the slow cooker. The pork loin is perfectly cooked in a sauce loaded with Thai flavors and coconut milk is stirred into the juices to make a delightful curry. I'm always on the lookout for best deals on canned coconut milk. I grab a bunch when I see it … [Read more...]