Moist and Flavorful Roast Chicken Leg Quarters

My kids LOVE chicken legs, but my hubby does not. I came up with this recipe so that we'd have legs for the kids and thighs for the hubby and me. It's super simple and very flavorful. You can make enough for your family, or mass quantities for a big group. I've had several requests from family and friends for this recipe so I figured that I should finally get it posted.

Mexican Chicken Soup

We love Tex-Mex food at our house, which I'm sure you already knew based on the number of times Tex-Mex ends up on the menu. When the kids were really little there was a Mexican restaurant over by my parents that we would sneak away to on dates. It had this delicious Mexican chicken soup that they would serve topped with avocado slices, sour cream, and cheese with chips on the side. It was a favorite of mine and I finally got it mastered using my 8 qt. Instant Pot. It has tons of flavor and is fairly simple with the help of the Instant Pot.

Apple Pork Tenderloin and Baked Potatoes

I made this delicious dish for my hubby's birthday on this year. It was super easy to throw together and cooked up nicely with baked potatoes on either side of my roaster in the oven.

Pork Schnitzel à la Holstein

A few years ago, my hubby and I tried a new restaurant out for Valentine's Day. The restaurant was fantastic, but then, I've come to expect nothing less than that from a Bartolotta restaurant. My hubby had pork schnitzel with arugula, shaved mushrooms, a fried egg, and Foenegreek gouda for his entree and it was delicious. So delicious, in fact, that I had to work at recreating it so we could have it at home with the kids. Here is my version of the Rumpus Room's pork schnitzel.

Texas Caviar Casserole

Tex-Mex is a favorite cuisine in our family. Rice, beans, cumin, chili powder, garlic, cilantro, cheese, etc., it's all good. I love how this recipe combines all those flavors into one big dish. This dish is inexpensive, versatile, full of flavor, and contains a variety of textures. It can be used as a main dish by adding meat to it, a side with or without meat, an appetizer with tortilla chips, breakfast (leftovers topped with eggs and hot sauce), or maybe even a bedtime snack. The vinaigrette can also be used as a marinade or salad dressing for other dishes. It easily feeds 6-8 people.

Buffalo Chicken Pot Pie [Skillet]

Today was National Pi Day 2016 and my hubby suggested that we should have pie for supper, Buffalo Chicken Pot Pie in particular.
It's been at least a year or more since my last attempt and I couldn't find the recipe that I'd used, which meant I must experiment.
Now, it was less than two weeks since my last experimental meal and that had totally flopped (only Mr. R. enjoyed it). I even had a hard time finishing my helping at the time, which just shows how truly terribly it was. With that in mind, I wasn't real excited about experimenting tonight. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how well this dish turned out and will probably start putting it on the menu more regularly. Why? You ask. A few reasons: 1. I love chicken pot pie (even if it's non-traditional), the family loves buffalo chicken wings, and 3. it's a one dish meal and we all know how much I love those (since I really don't enjoy doing the dishes).

Versatile Chipotle Vegetable Chili

We all love Tex-Mex, and chili is a favorite. I have recipes for white chicken chili, traditional tomato based chili, and cowboy skillet (basically chili cooked in a large cast iron skillet topped with cornbread batter and baked). When I saw a recipe for sweet potato and black bean chili I decided to get creative. It was delicious and has become a new favorite for my hubby. I have made it 3 or 4 times and am finally getting the recipe posted for you. The great thing about this dish is it's versatility. You can use whatever veggies you have in the house. You can use up leftover turkey after the holidays. You can even make this recipe for your favorite vegetarian by leaving out the meat and using vegetable stock.

Creamy Turkey and Rice Soup

We enjoy brining and roasting turkey for Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving since my hubby isn't a huge fan of ham and grilling steak for 6 people isn't as cheap as turkey. The only problem is using up the abundance of leftover turkey. There's only so many dishes that you can throw together, oh so I used to think. I came up with this recipe a few months ago and it has continued to be a big hit with our family. It's an inexpensive meal and my kids usually eat one and sometimes even two helpings without a fuss, which is always great.

Creamy Cajun Pasta

Tonight I just couldn't decide what to make for supper. It's been a crazy busy last few weeks and I haven't had time to work on October's menu so I had zero ideas. So I did what every mom does when she's out of ideas on what to make for dinner. I took a mental trip through the fridge, freezer, and pantry to see what I had to work with. Then it hit me, I'd throw together something with the smoked sausage, shrimp, veggies, and pasta that I had on hand. I had also just picked up a bottle of cajun seasoning so I decided to wing it and make dinner up as I went. It was a hit with everyone.

Pretzel Coated Fish and Tartar Sauce

We really enjoy a good fish fry but they can get really expensive for 6 people and sometimes they just aren't very good. So we came up with our own version of a Friday night fish fry, but with pretzels instead of batter. This coating gives the fish a nice crispy exterior while leaving a tender, flaky interior. It's also really quick and easy to make, which works well when you've got 4 starving hungry kids asking if the food is going to be ready soon. The homemade tartar sauce also adds a nice tangy flavor to your crispy, flaky fish.

Kale Salad with Lime Dressing

Yummy!

This summer we are sharing a garden with our neighbors and decided to grow kale as both our families enjoy it. I like kale in soup, salad, smoothies, etc. and our kale has done fantastically well. With the kale doing so well and us trying to eat healthier, I decided to make a kale salad for our ladies mission society's annual picnic. The nice thing about a kale salad is the fact that it really doesn't wilt. You can make up most of this salad the day before and then just add the remaining ingredients a couple of hours before serving. It also pairs nicely with some grilled chicken if you decide to make it a "Salad as a main dish" sort of night.

[Crockpot] Tex-Mex Rice Bowl

I thoroughly enjoy a good crockpot meal on Sundays (or any day that I'm at the office).
You know, the kind that's simple, quick, and ready to eat as soon as I get home from church. Well, this is that kind of dish. It takes about 15-20 minutes of prep time and 4 or more hours in the crockpot. Our family loves Tex-Mex food so it's also one of those meals that I don't have to "force" the kids to eat. Bonus!

Killing Two Birds with One Stone: Deli-style Turkey Breast and Homemade Stock

The finished product, YUMMY!

We love deli sandwiches and wraps here, but deli meat is so expensive and often leaves much to desired in the flavor department. Since attempting deli roast beef last year, I have wanted to try my hand at other deli meats, namely turkey. So after stopping by the deli only to find that turkey was a whopping $4.48/lb on sale, I decided to pick up a couple of turkey breasts while I was at the store, which I got for $1.99/lb. I know that some of the weight is the carcass (ribs, wings, and such) so I knew I'd probably only get about half the weight in actual meat but decided that having some homemade stock on hand would be a good thing. I will admit that the process takes a few days to complete but it's fairly easy to do and taste A-MAZING. So here goes...

Blackened Chicken over Dirty Rice

The hubby and I really enjoy spicy food (and the kiddos are beginning to). I have always been a fan of blackened chicken so I decided that it was high time I attempted some. It was so simple, spicy, moist, and delicious we will definitely be making it again! You can prep your chicken (pound and lightly rub with oil ahead of time) and seasoning mixture ahead of time (combine and store in an airtight container), then quickly throw it together at suppertime. I used the spice rub from Guy Fieri's Cajun Chicken Alfredo and served it with my version of Emeril's Dirty Rice.

Philly Cheesesteak Flatbread Sandwiches

One night, I decided that I didn't want to make sub bread for Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches. I determined that I would much rather have flatbread, but...I didn't want to run to the store with the kids. Yes, a lot of the time it's just more work than making something from scratch or finding a substitute that I have on hand. So, I determined to find a flatbread recipe. I am so glad I did, too. I LOVE it! It's fairly quick and easy to make and has such a great texture and versatility to it. Anyway, I made up my flatbread on the grill and then decided to try cooking the filling on the grill as well. I pulled out my awesome 14" cast iron skillet on created something delicious! In fact, it
was so delicious that there wasn't anything left over.

[Guest Post] Grain Free Pizza Crust

I have several friends who are allergic to gluten and one of them recently shared a recipe with me that she

developed for grain-free pizza crust. I asked if I could share it here for your benefit and she so graciously agreed.

• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 1/2 cups of tapioca flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut flour

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium sauce pan, combine the butter, water and salt and bring to a boil. 
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the garlic and then the tapioca flour. 
4. Combine well and let cool for about 5 minutes. 
5. Next add in the eggs, combining well and then the coconut flour. Knead the dough until it comes together nicely. 
6. Plop the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread it out with your fingers. 
7. Place it in the oven for 35 minutes. The underside should be a golden brown. Take out, and top with your favorite toppings. 
8. Place back in oven at 425 degrees for about 8 minutes, until the cheese is melted & browned. Enjoy!

Pigs in a Blanket

My kids love pigs in a blanket and, well, I guess I do, too. I mean who wouldn't - a hot dog (turkey, pork, or beef) and cheese encased in a crescent roll "bun". No more hot dog falling out of the bun or the bun breaking apart. :)

Pepperoni and Sausage Flatbread Pizza

Ever since I learned how to make flatbread a few weeks ago I've worked to expand my list of uses for it. I've made sandwiches, appetizers and finally I've even made pepperoni and sausage pizza for supper. I'm almost to the point where I like grilled flatbread crust more than my usual hand-tossed crust. The crust comes out nice and crunchy like a wood-fired thin crust pizza. This recipe makes 3 pizzas.

Pepper Crusted Steak with Mushrooms and Onions

I really wanted a major "wow factor" type entree for our last Dinner at 8pm. We'd had a super busy and stressful couple of weeks leading up to it so I needed something amazing yet quick and easy. This pepper crusted steak recipe is all of those. The flavor is "out of this world" good, super tender and juicy, and, best of all, simple and easy!

Dinner at 8pm: September 2013

The entire meal (including dessert and coffee)
only cost us between $25-$30. If we would
have gone out, the meal would have cost us
between $50-$70 with tip, plus another
$40 or so for a sitter. 

This summer has been so incredibly busy that we've had no time for date night "in". With school starting, and the craziness it brings, I decided that Dinner at 8pm was a must! I love how it gives time to cook and chat with each other (without interruption) on a completely different level than when the kids are awake. I will also admit that I enjoy the fact that it's way more economical for us than hiring a sitter and paying for dinner, dessert, and coffee. On September 13th, we will put the kids to bed a little early, make ourselves a delicious dinner, and enjoy some time together without breaking the bank. :) Here is our delectable menu for the evening. By the way, everything except the rice and frozen yogurt will be prepared on the grill so the kitchen will be quiet, which helps the kids to fall asleep faster.