Need a new spin on your weeknight pasta? This Three Pepper Pasta is kind of like pizza, but in pasta form. It has crispy pepperoni and a trio of colorful peppers for extra flavor,...
Recipes under $10
It’s hot outside, y’all. Too hot to turn on the oven and make my AC work overtime. So, today I let my slow cooker do all the work and it made me this wonderfully...
I’ll openly admit that I’ve tried to make paella on more than one occasion and failed miserably. It’s probably a combination of not having the right paella pan or not using the correct method,...
While I was scrolling through Pinterest last week I saw a photo of Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce and my mouth started to water. I knew that’s what I had to cook next. But when...
I’ve wanted to make a BBQ Chicken “bowl” meal for a couple weeks now. I love bowl meals because they are easy to prepare, hold up well in the fridge, and offer a great variety...
For the past year or so I’ve been working on the side making step by step photo tutorials for Food.com. Ever since I made this basic meatloaf tutorial, I’ve wanted to make it again and...
Pork chops, meet blackberry sage pan sauce. Pan sauce, meet pork chops. I just know you two will get along beautifully and live a long, happy life as blackberry sage pork chops (until I eat you, anyway)....
Earlier this week I made a big batch of sunny and fresh Cumin Lime Coleslaw, but I didn’t intend to just eat coleslaw all week. So, I used the coleslaw to top these super...
When in doubt, pasta + Parmesan + vegetable = a really good meal. For this version of that quick dinner classic, I added some mushrooms for extra umami, garlic because you gotta have garlic, and...
I’ve been craving Broccoli Cheddar Casserole for quite some time, and I finally got around to making it for lunch today. Yay! This awesome homemade version contains NO “cream of” soups and, thanks to...
I’m a sucker for crunchy homemade granola, but I always wish there was a way to make it without loading in the oil and sugar. Well, when I made a batch of Pumpkin Spice Granola last...
I’m so over the cold and dreary weather. How about you? With the arrival of this latest arctic blast, I felt myself craving a warm, rich bowl of chili, but I didn’t want to spend...
Happy Mardi Gras!! It was an icy cold and grey morning here in New Orleans, so instead of going out and enjoying the parades, I decided to take it easy, stay warm, and cook up a...
I’ve been craving nachos ever since the Super Bowl. Seeing every single blog and food website feature nachos during the weeks leading up to the big game made them impossible to resist, so I finally gave in...
Hooray for simple dishes! I came across this post for Tomato and White Bean Stew with Chicken Sausage on Domesticate Me the other day and thought, “What a wonderfully simple and delightful dish! I...
I’ve been making so many “one pot” recipes lately that I feel like it’s been ages since I’ve made a good ol’ side dish. Well, I had a bag of orzo sitting in my...
I get a lot of emails from readers with recipe suggestions and I love them all, but don’t get the opportunity to make many of them. Every once in a while, though, an email...
Ever since I discovered how delicious pasta is when cooked in broth instead of water, I’ve been experimenting with all sorts of different ways to play up this simple trick. By simply changing up the...
Ooooh wow, my house smells like a spice market! While working on a freelance project this week, I came across this Five Spice Chicken cooked in a rice cooker, and it looked so good...
For the entire month of September, I’ll be participating in the SNAP Challenge and attempting to eat on $4.50 per day. Read more here. **UPDATE: Well, I overlooked the fact that you can’t buy rotisserie...
This Penne Pasta with Sausage and Greens one of my favorite “sweep the kitchen” recipes. It’s a no brainer pasta and sauce dish with a little Italian sausage and whatever frozen greens I happen...
After going through a week of hunger in week one of the SNAP Challenge, I knew I had to rethink my strategy. Luckily, the hunger allowed me to pinpoint certain ingredients that really keep me...
For the entire month of September, I’ll be participating in the SNAP Challenge and attempting to eat on $4.50 per day. Read more here. Whew. I meant to post this days ago, but this week...
PASTA. When I get stressed, I crave pasta. Cheesy or creamy pasta. So, when I saw this recipe for Sour Cream and Jalapeño Chicken Enchilada Pasta, my stomach was all like, “FEED ME, NOW.” But,...
So I made this awesome Blackened Tilapia a while back, but didn’t use all the seasoning. The leftover seasoning had been sitting on my counter in a little Ziploc container staring at me ever...
Stuffed bell peppers are awesome, but I always find them slightly awkward or difficult to eat. Can’t I just throw the ingredients in a bowl and eat it with a fork?! (I feel that...
If you think a salad can’t fill you up, think again. This awesomely crunchy and flavorful salad has chicken, almonds, and lots of fiberlicious kale and celery to keep your belly full. And flavor?...
I’m loving these one skillet meals not only because they’re so easy to make, but because they’re so easy to eat. Instead of filling my plate with a main dish and a couple of sides,...
I’ve gotten a little lax with my grocery spending lately, so during the month of June I’m making it my mission to use up as many things in my pantry and freezer as possible....
What happens when you take thinly sliced vegetables, layer them in a dish, and give them the “pizza treatment” (herbs + marinara + cheese)? You get this insanely delicious Oven Roasted Ratatouille, aka “the vegetable dish...
So, you remember how much you love those Taco Chicken Bowls? And how they’re so easy because you just pour everything into the slow cooker and press go? Well guess what… You can do...
You may be looking at that picture and thinking, “But where is the falafel?” Well, it’s not a salad with falafel, it’s a salad made out of falafel ingredients. Falafel Salad, get it? You see, I was...
I’m really digging these one pot pastas lately. It’s so nice to just cook everything in one pot and have less to wash (especially when you don’t have a dishwasher, like me!). Not to...
I’m kind of breaking my own rules with this post, but let me explain. If you’ve been following my blog for a while then you know that I never do promotional, affiliated, or underwritten posts....
Say what?! Yes, beef and pineapple. A little savory, a little sweet, and a little spicy. Those three things are all you need to make something seriously WOW-worthy. These super simple enchiladas are stuffed...
Okay, so it’s not really alfredo because it doesn’t even have any cream, but it’s close enough that I’m going to call it that. This fake-out alfredo is a little lighter and doesn’t hit your...
Jambalaya is one of the easiest, filling, and inexpensive dishes you can make. Just ask anyone from Louisiana—we live off the stuff. Flavorful sausage, savory aromatic vegetables, and rice all cook together in one...
Can I talk about anchovies for a second without you running away screaming? K, good. Anchovies have a reputation in the United States as being this stinky pizza topping that nobody really likes, but...
After a long egg breakfast phase (fueled by this simple technique for soft boiled eggs), I’ve begun craving my old standby, baked oatmeal. I had the intention of making a carrot cake-esque baked oatmeal,...
I gotta give a big shout out to Neil, whose tweet inspired me to try again with a recipe that I completely failed with the first time around. Neil tweeted about an amazing vegetable...
If you don’t live in Louisiana, you might not know that we’ve got a big carnival going on right now. Parades, marching bands, crazy costumes, and (of course) beads are daily sightings for the...
Guess what time it is? Comfort-food-o’clock! And what makes better comfort food than a rich creamy pasta dish, like this One Pot Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff? This is yet another “better than the box” meal. It’s...
Hooray for quick skillet dinners! This one is so fantastically easy that it kind of feels like cheating. Between the Italian sausage and marinara sauce, the dish has all of the seasoning built in,...
(a.k.a. ANGRY BIRDS) I got an email a while back from a reader who wanted to know how to make arrabbiata sauce, so I set out to find out how to do so. I...
OMG… This Chunky Lentil and Vegetable Soup is my new all-time favorite soup! I’ve already eaten two bowls since I made it today at lunch and I don’t think I’ll even need to freeze...
The reign of sriracha is not over yet. The price for a bottle of this magic sauce remains stable at my local grocery store, so panic is averted for now. I fell in love...
Oh baked oatmeal, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways… There’s Cranberry Apple, Banana Bread, Lemon Raspberry, Pumpkin Pie, and let us not forget Blueberry Banana. With each flavor I fall...
I’m working on a big side project right now and it has required me to buy a lot of extra groceries. You know how I hate to see food go to waste, so I took...
Are you ready to blow everybody’s mind at Thanksgiving this year? This insanely easy, but super posh side dish is the perfect way to say “Yeah, I own side dishes.” No more marshmallow sweet potatoes or...
How fitting that just days after I make these scrumptious sriracha glazed turkey meatballs, the Huy Fong Foods factory is in danger of temporary shutdown. So, you know what that means? You better make these...
So, it finally got cold here. Like, I actually had to wear a sweater when I left the house the other day! :o That made me crave chili. Warm, hearty chili… But of course, I...
Hindsight is 20/20. As I sat there hungrily devouring one of these BBQ Bean Sliders, beans were falling out of the bun and BBQ sauce was getting all over my hands and face. That’s when...
I had some split pea soup from the hospital cafeteria the other day and while it was satisfying, something about it just didn’t taste genuine. So, I thought it was time to make some...
It’s time to stock my freezer with some portions of homemade chicken soup for the cold winter ahead. I’ve made a classic chicken noodle soup in the past, but I wanted to try a...
My love for quesadillas is right up there with pizza. They’re like brothers from a different mother. Both combine melty cheese, crispy bread, and whatever other creative combination of ingredients you can think of....
I’ve been a little under the weather this weekend, so you know what that means? COMFORT FOOD! Fast and easy comfort food… Because I’d really like to crawl back under my blanket and get...
Chicken and pumpkin? Sounds weird, right? Well just wait until you taste it… I made this simple pumpkin soup ages ago and decided to make a newer, better, more powerful version today. I took...
oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! This Spicy Shrimp Tomato Pasta has me excited. I’m not a person that goes crazy over anything that has shrimp in it, but this Spicy Shrimp Tomato Pasta...
My love for pizza runs deep. I like pizza in any form. From gourmet to frozen and deep dish to thin & crispy, I love it ALL. I really enjoy making my own pizza...
Happy Fourth of July! I know most of you are out having burgers and beer (and I’m about to myself), but I had this Ham & Potato Frittata recipe waiting in the queue, so...
I got an email from Megan last week asking if I could recreate her favorite frozen noodle bowls from Costco. There isn’t a Costco in New Orleans (yet), so I wasn’t familiar with that...
Need something easy and flavorful to throw on the grill this weekend? This Greek Marinated Chicken is it. The marinade for this chicken (similar to what I used for this Chicken Shawarma ) takes...
THIS is the salad of the summer. This Lemony Cucumber Couscous Salad is so fast, so easy, and SO refreshing! I just love it. Bring it to a potluck, eat it as a cold refreshing...
Last weekend I got an email from Robyn with a link to this really cool recipe over at Apron Strings. I love cooking pasta and rice in liquids other than water, so this idea...
If you’ve spent any time on Pinterest, any time at all, you’ve surely seen a pin for Maple Dijon Chicken. Pretty much every blogger out there has made it and it has been pinned to...
Ahhh, it’s everything I love in one place: eggs, salsa, cheese, chips, and cilantro. Oh, and black beans, too! Just feed me this every day for the rest of my life and I’ll be...
Sometimes, when I’m suffering from a creativity block, all I need to do is take a stroll through the freezer aisle. Yesterday, as I was perusing the freezer goods, I saw a frozen dinner...
STOP. THE. PRESSES. I’m sure I was getting some pretty weird looks in the lunchroom today because I was audibly moaning between every bite of my Chipotle Sweet Potato Burger and staring at it...
I was talking with a friend recently who was so excited to be finally getting stove in the house that he’s been remodeling and living in. So I asked, “What is the first thing...
I’ve been eating these Black Bean and Avocado Enchiladas for lunch all week and the fact that I only have one serving left almost makes me want to cry… I might have to make...
Oh the mighty banh mi. It’s one of my favorite foods in the entire world. It’s truly the perfect sandwich. If you’re unfamiliar with banh mi (Vietnamese submarine sandwich), check out this excellent little...
I think we’re experiencing one of the last cold spells of the year here in Louisiana, so I wanted to make one last hearty, soul-warming soup. This Navy Bean Soup was incredibly easy, but...
The slow cooker wins again! This incredibly easy recipe boasts big flavor and very, very little work. Just mix up a fragrant spice rub in your blender, slather it over the chicken, and then...
Oooh, these Easy Oven Fajitas are my new favorite thing!! I love fajitas, but have had a hard time replicating their smoky goodness at home. I don’t have a grill or a cast iron...
I’m still all about these easy, one dish dinners. This one is very similar to the ultra popular Taco Chicken Bowls, but it’s made in the oven and takes about an hour, as opposed...
I saw this recipe over at Kevin & Amanda the other day and immediately knew that I wanted to make it. Of course, I made some changes to fit the ingredients I had on...
What’s better than pizza? Pizza in a different shape! Okay, so stromboli isn’t exactly like pizza, but it’s pretty darn close. It’s like a sauce-less pizza rolled up into a delicious coil… and I...
Can I single handedly undo all of the healthy things I accomplished with the Quinoa and Black Bean Tacos? Challenge accepted. (I know, it’s like I have split food personalities sometimes.) But how can...
Shhhhhh…. They’re VEGAN! I decided to experiment a little more with vegan food in 2013. Now, before you get your panties all in a bundle, hear me out. I’m an omnivore and probably always...
2013 is going to be GREAT, I can feel it! This is the first recipe of the year and I already know that it’s going to go on next year’s “best of” list! It’s...
Okay, new rule: These Candied Almonds are NOT allowed in my house. I’m bringing them with me to work tomorrow. Hopefully I can survive the night without eating them all. These are some dangerous...
This Soy Dijon Pork Tenderloin is kind of an accidental fancy pants recipe, but sometimes you need to pull out your fancy pants and show them off. So, here’s a good reason to. I...
This recipe was a true labor of love. Sometimes food just taste better when you know you’ve put a lot of time into it. It’s not that this recipe was at all difficult, it...
This is a super easy, quick fix for dinner. I made the basic version with just chicken, pasta, sauce, and cheese, but you could get really creative with the add-ins. Try black beans, corn,...
This recipe comes courtesy of my dear friend, Ashley. She was looking for something to cook for dinner one night and decided to type the ingredients she had on hand into google (I think...
I know, I know, I just made a chicken soup-type dish. Well, sometimes you’ve gotta work with what you’ve got. I have a ton of chicken in the freezer, I had some chipotle peppers...
This recipe was born out of a craving for my mom’s meat pies, which I haven’t had in YEARS (like, 15 at least?). I don’t have the recipe, I just remember that it was...
I never really understood the point of baking spaghetti… it just seemed like an extra step that stood between me and eating it. But, there’s something about a hot, cheesy casserole straight out of...
Quesadillas might be one of my favorite foods. That and pizza. Why? Because you can put just about anything inside and the outer crispy tortilla shell somehow makes everything a million times better. For...
Mmmmm… I LOVE spinach pie. Whenever I eat at Greek restaurants, I always make sure to order some spanikopita. I love the flakey crust and the rich, warm, spinach filled interior. Popeye totally knew...
Aaaannnd WE’RE BACK! Yesss! I have electricity again! :D Life is good. For my first recipe after over a week of hiatus, I wanted to start with something super fast and easy. I had...
Cooking a whole bird is probably my least favorite task in the kitchen. Something about it just makes me want to moan and groan and … well, just find someone else to do it!...
Do you want evidence that this recipe is good? How about the fact that I’ve been eating it for lunch AND dinner for the past three days straight, and I still wanted a piece...
I was definitely slow to get on the curry bandwagon. In fact, I distinctly remember not liking curry spices for the first 20 years of my life. Luckily, people grow and change over time...
I’ve been dying to post this all week because these Sweet Potato Corn Cakes are SOOO good and I just know that you’ll love them as much as I do… and if you don’t,...
I’m in love. The dressing alone on this Apple Dijon Kale Salad was enough to make me swoon. It’s just a very simple Dijon vinaigrette, but it’s so good that I kept dipping my...
Meatloaf isn’t pretty. Let’s just get that out on the table. It’s so ugly, in fact, that I couldn’t stop giggling while taking these pictures. All I could think about were those silly post...
A week or so ago, I got a wonderful email from a fellow New Orleanian (is that a word?) who said she had seen some yummy looking tandoori chicken nuggets at Whole Foods and...
During the hot summer months all I ever want to eat is lemon raspberry slushies. There’s something about that sweet tart flavor that I find ultra refreshing. Lemon raspberry muffins are also pretty tasty,...
WARNING: Comfort food ahead! This dish contains pasta, beef, and cheese. It’s hearty and delicious. Proceed at your own risk! ;) Say you grew up on Hamburger Helper (no shame), but now that you’re...
