Dinner Casseroles
Make-Ahead Casserole Recipes
There’s nothing better than having dinner ready to go on a busy night. Who doesn’t love a warm, gooey casserole? Especially casserole recipes that can either be tossed in the fridge till dinner the next day, or frozen for weeks (or months)! To me, casseroles are one of the best comfort foods out there, and make-ahead casserole recipes are the best. THE BEST! A friend who’s due any day with her second baby recently asked me if I’d help her prep a few freezer meals to tuck away until after the baby’s born. (For the record, I was not that smart with my food prep. For either child.) Those of you who’ve raised…
Baked Creamy Chicken Spaghetti
There’s nothing like the bite of a crunchy, salty topping against the cheesy goodness of creamy chicken spaghetti casserole. I’m all for comfort food, and when I saw The Pioneer Woman’s recipe for chicken spaghetti a few years ago, I thought, “Is there a way to make that better?” The answer is no. It’s just about perfect the way it is. BUT, when one craves chicken spaghetti, but one doesn’t necessarily have all the ingredients to make THE chicken spaghetti … one must improvise. And truly, some of the best recipe twists come from using things I already have on hand, versus traditional menu planning! Like transforming The Pioneer Woman’s chicken spaghetti into…
Cast Iron Skillet Lasagna
Cast iron skillet lasagna is crispy around the edges and full of ooey-gooey mozzarella and provolone! The other day my parents spent a few hours cleaning out the chicken coop. We used to live on the same property as them, and the coop was about twenty feet from our front door at one point in time. My folks maintain the coop and the chickens primarily, but I knew enough to help out when they were out of town, or if they weren’t feeling well: collecting eggs, getting them in to roost for the night, replenishing their water, feeding them, etc. They’re pretty goofy, those girls (as I fondly call them).…
Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake
You’ll love this creamy chicken pasta bake — the seared chicken thighs are what makes it! When I was at ALDI last week doing my grocery shopping, I picked up a package of fettuccine nests in the pasta section. They were perfect for shrimp pasta the kids and I had the other evening! Then, last night I decided to use them for a casserole I was throwing together, after originally considering broken up pieces of spaghetti. This particular fettuccine has sort of an “egg noodle” bite to it, which definitely lends itself to being a perfect casserole base: smooth and velvety, but still with a bit of tooth to it. This creamy chicken…
Homemade Chicken Tetrazzini
This homemade chicken tetrazzini recipe will satisfy a hungry crowd! Normally I wouldn’t be crazy-excited for a homemade chicken tetrazzini casserole recipe at the end of August. To me, most casseroles are the perfect comfort food for crisp fall evenings — not the dog days of summer. Although I’d make an exception for things like baked ziti, which I could eat weekly throughout the year without feeling like I’m betraying summer menus. This August has been strange though. We haven’t seen the thermometer pass 90°F in weeks … maybe even a month. This is unheard of in Maryland in August, when it’s normal for the daytime heat and humidity to both…
10 Budget Friendly Family Recipes
Who doesn’t love a few new ideas for budget friendly family recipes? We all get into a rut, cooking the same few things week after week, often out of habit and routine rather than the fact that our families love the recipes. Unless, of course, you’re one of those really great meal planners that spends a great deal of time sifting through cookbooks and recipe sites to craft the perfect weeknight menu … posted on the kitchen chalkboard. Sometimes that’s me, admittedly, but not all the time. That said, I do try and throw new recipes into the mix at least once a week. Sometimes ideas stem from what I’ve…
Creamy Baked Chicken Pasta
I love Tetrazzini. Chicken or turkey – it really doesn’t matter. Creamy pasta, crispy topping, rich sauteed mushrooms, all baked to delicious perfection – and even better the next day for lunch leftovers. Yesterday after getting home from my daughter’s dance competition – we were in Baltimore, Md. for a night – I was craving some sort of comfort food, and I was exhausted. Yes, she did all the work, but after standing for 8 hours on the concrete floor of the convention center on Saturday, with awful food options, I was ready to collapse. And eat really good food. For whatever reason, I was craving Tetrazzini. Except – I…
Vegetarian Lasagna Rolls
The other day I was in the mood for Italian food, but not spaghetti, fettuccine, or baked ziti. Something else…. I had one bunch of kale left over from my last Hometown Harvest bag, and thought maybe that would be tasty in a lasagna, sautéed first with some garlic and olive oil, and then added into the ricotta mixture. My vegetarian sister happened to be in town from Brooklyn (and eating with us!), so I thought she’d be a fan of the combo too. I warmed the olive oil and minced the garlic. Then, I pulled the kale out from the fridge. “Hmmm…this kale looks odd,” I thought. Then, I…
