Shepherds Pie

With it being the month of March, many people start looking forward to celebrating St. Patrick's Day.  Wearing of the green, eating corned beef & cabbage...those are just a couple of the traditions surrounding this holiday.  However, I'm not here to talk about those things.  I'm here to tell you that you can enjoy at least one of the traditions associated with St. Patrick's Day all year around!!

Smoked Queso Dip

We love our smoker.  Summer, winter (or in between), there's always a reason to use them!  Slab of ribs...a pristine Boston butt...simple burgers or porkchops...even veggies on skewers...they ALL taste better after being cooked on a smoker.  We keep several types of wood chips handy for smoking, too...pecan, hickory, apple, peach...there are SO many choices, and they each give a distinct flavor profile.

Smoking, at a low-and-slow temperature, leaves meats super tasty and so tender they'll practically fall off the bone!!  BUT...I'm not here today to tell you about smoking meats.  Instead, I'm going to offer you a recipe that will leave you (and your family/friends) clamoring for more.  Today's offering is Smoked Queso Dip (courtesy of my sister Emily... thank you SO much)!!

Chicken Marsala

I love chicken.  It's a fairly lean meat, an excellent source of nutrition, and lends itself well to SO many dishes.  Of course, there's always the normal debate...white or dark meat.  Some types work better in certain recipes than others.  Chicken Marsala is a delectable way to use white meat without the worry of it being "dry".

Authentic Ramen Soup

There probably isn't a person alive that hasn't, at SOME point, eaten Ramen.  It's simple...it's cheap...and it's filling. The problem?  It's not very healthy.  There, I said it.  IT'S NOT HEALTHY!!!  Those little packages that are so convenient are chock full of everything except nutrition (the salt content alone is staggering).

Today, that's gonna change.  Making a fresh, healthy Ramen bowl isn't hard...it really isn't.  Yes, it takes a little time, but honestly, what meal worth eating doesn't?  If you want to change your view on how to eat, this recipe can do that.  The real beauty of it?  It's SUPER versatile!!

Cheese-Stuffed Manicotti

We LOVE Italian food.  Pizza, lasagna, spaghetti, alfredo...it's pretty much an anything goes when it comes to Italian food. No...it's not exactly "diet" food.  But, considering the fact that millions of Italians have lived on this food for centuries and they still have relatively LOW stats for obesity and heart disease, it's always going to be served in our house!

Jalapeno Popper Hasselback Potatoes

Potatoes are a norm in our house.  They're versatile...they're cheap...and they are handy for filling out a nice meal.  But, like so many things out there, they can become boring.  Baked...fried...mashed...pretty much every recipe calls for one of those methods of cooking.  So, what to do?  Well, perhaps, instead of trying to figure out another way to cook them, we should be looking instead to ramping up how they TASTE!!

No-Knead Skillet Bread

Making bread used to be normal in virtually every household in America.  In fact, it was commonly made every day!  Sadly, not as many bake their own bread anymore (though, that has improved over the last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic).  The primary reason I hear as to WHY freshly baked bread isn't the go-to?  The time and work involved...after all, making bread can be a chore.

Today, however, is going to change your life.  I have a recipe for scrumptious, freshly-baked bread that doesn't involve as much work, but delivers ALL the flavor!!  With only 5 simple ingredients, this bread will make you forget about store-bought bread completely.  All you need is 2 bowls, 1 large skillet, an oven, and a little patience (and that's only for the rise time)! Extra notes for variations (and even a short Q & A) are included at end of recipe.

Crock-Pot Apple Dump Cake

I'll freely admit it...I'm a dessert-a-holic.  I love sweets, and sweets made with fruit are a particular favorite.  I'll also freely admit it...I can be a lazy cook.  If there's a way to make what I want without a lot of muss and fuss, I'll find it.  Enter...the Crock-Pot.

While most of us have already learned the value of having a crock-pot for easy meals, not as many are aware of the vast array of recipes for desserts that use this valuable tool!  My question is WHY? Well, today I'm going to give you a fantastic reason to bring that crock-pot out...a homemade apple dessert that will knock your socks off!!

Reuben Crescent Bake

We love reubens.   Thinly sliced corned beef...melted swiss cheese...tangy sauerkraut...the thought just gets me drooling!!  We don't do them often enough, though - main reason being the time involved in cooking each individual sandwich (even my largest pan can only handle 3 at a time...and it's a pretty big pan).

Double-Crunch Honey Garlic Pork Chops

Who here loves pork?  I know we do!  It's a versatile meat, too...it can be baked, fried, and if you're cooking greens, it can even be used as seasoning! It's also very lean (well, for the most part), so it's a good addition to any balanced meal. The problem is sometimes it can come across as...well, as boring.

My recipe today is going to spotlight pork chops.  Bone-in or boneless, pork chops are a budget-friendly option for feeding a family.  In our house, we'll invest in a full pork tenderloin, and I slice it myself.  Out of a typical tenderloin, we get at LEAST 3-4 meals.  That's feeding 4 adults with a little leftover (which we tend to use to make sandwiches).

Chicken & Rice

Back when I was a child, one of the things we always did as a family was "Sunday Dinner".  A good, soul-warming meal with the people you love meant so much.  Unfortunately, times have changed...and it's not always easy to make a full meal that everyone can enjoy together.  Whether it's concern over the time it takes, or coordinating schedules, or whatever...I certainly wish it happened more often.

French Onion Soup

Today, I'd like to address something that will really warm you up...soup!  Soup is a highly underrated mainstay for meals, especially during cold months.  What surprises some is that it's not that hard to make a soup worthy of any nice restaurant.  My offering today proves that!

World-Champion Potato Salad

Years ago, I worked at an up-and-coming restaurant called Red, Hot & Blue.  It was a BBQ place formed by a few US reps from the state of Tennessee to address a problem they were having getting "decent BBQ in Washington" (no, seriously...they really did).  Their decor was decidedly "Memphis-style Blues", with a replica of "Lucille" (BB King's famous guitar) displayed in every location.  Their food was phenomenal, winning prizes in various categories on a regular basis.