Pumpkin Thyme Mac & Cheese

I love baking with pumpkin in the fall. I've posted recipes in the past for some of my favorite pumpkin baked goods: pumpkin pie, pumpkin chocolate chip bread, pumpkin spice bread, pumpkin chocolate chip scones, pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin cream cheese bars (and more!). I decided the time had come to branch out and use pumpkin for something other than baking, and this recipe ended up being delicious! It sounds a little weird to use pumpkin in a pasta, but trust me - you should try it!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
1 lb rotini pasta
2 1/2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 1/2 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 oz smoked gouda cheese, grated
2 oz white extra sharp cheddar, grated
salt and pepper to taste
Panko bread crumbs, to garnish

Directions:
1. Stir together milk, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle flour over melted butter and whisk together. Cook flour mixture for 2-3 minutes, then stir in thyme.
4. Whisk pumpkin-milk mixture into flour mixture until fully incorporated. Simmer over low heat until thickened, about four minutes.
5. In a separate bowl, mix grated cheeses and lemon juice. Stir the cheese mixture into the pumpkin sauce just until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Stir pasta into the sauce little by little and serve!

Pumpkin mixture simmering!

Butter + Flour

Adding thyme to the thickened butter/flour mixture...

Pumpkin mixture combined with flour mixture...

Adding the cheeses and lemon juice...

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Banana Nutella Pancakes

We've been eating these pancakes for breakfast and for dinner around here lately because they're too good to be limited to just mornings! They re-heat well in the toaster oven for a quick one-handed-while-holding-the-baby lunch too. And thanks to the oats and a little coconut oil and white whole wheat flour and banana/Nutella as sweetener, they seem healthier than regular pancakes, right? Haha. Regardless, they're super tasty and highly recommended!

Recipe adapted from here (makes 6 small-ish pancakes).

Ingredients:
1 very ripe banana
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp Nutella
1 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp milk
1/2 c old-fashioned oats
1/4 c white whole wheat flour
2 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat a skillet to medium heat.
2. Mash banana with baking powder. Add egg, oil, salt, vanilla, Nutella, and milk. Stir to combine.
3. Stir in oats and flour until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Scoop 1/4-cup portions of batter onto preheated skillet and cook for 2-4 minutes on each side.

(mashed banana and baking powder)

(batter before oats and flour)

(completed batter)

(cooking pancakes)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Buttermilk Bread

I love breakfasty breads, especially the really moist delicious ones that taste like something from a fancy coffee shop (which this bread most definitely is!). This recipe is great for using up that extra cup of buttermilk that seems to end up in my fridge periodically, and its fanciness to effort ratio is nice and large. :)

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1/2 c butter, softened
1 1/3 c sugar, divided
1 egg
1 c buttermilk
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
1. Cream together butter, 1 c sugar, and egg. Add buttermilk, flour, and baking soda and mix until combined. In a separate bowl, combine 1/3 c sugar and cinnamon.
2. Put 1/2 of the batter into a greased loaf pan. Sprinkle 3/4 of the cinnamon mixture on top of the batter. Add the remaining 1/2 of the batter and top with the rest of the cinnamon mixture. Swirl with a knife.
3. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

(butter, sugar, egg)

(after mixing in buttermilk, flour, and baking soda)

(all pretty and ready for the oven!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Ginger Beef & Mushroom Stir-Fry

This recipe is so simple and tasty, and it's full of spinach and mushrooms even though it hardly tastes like you're eating veggies! You can even prepare the steak/marinade ahead of time to make this a really quick-and-simple weeknight dinner!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp corn starch
2 tsp ground ginger
ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb thinly sliced sirloin or flank steak
2 cloves garlic. minced
2 tbsp olive oil
16 oz baby bella mushrooms, quartered
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Rice, for serving

Directions:
1. Whisk together soy sauce, chicken broth, rice wine vinegar, corn starch, ginger, and pepper in a bowl to form a marinade.
2. Add the steak to the marinade and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
3. Once steak has marinated, heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Remove steak from the marinade (reserving the marinade) and add steak and garlic to the pan. Saute for 2-3 minutes, or until browned. Remove steak from the pan and set aside.
4. Add mushrooms, spinach, and reserved marinade to the pan. Stir to combine and cook, stirring often,  for 5-7 minutes, or until the spinach has wilted and the mushrooms are tender (the sauce should thicken as well).
5. Return steak to the pan and toss to combine. Serve over rice, garnished with sliced green onion.

(marinade)

(marinating steak)

(cooking steak)

(cooked and set aside)

(cooking mushrooms and spinach)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Our Top 40 Recipes

I've posted lots and lots of recipes over the years. I recently went through the Recipes page and deleted any "it's pretty good" recipes so the whole list would be just "LOVE this!" recipes. But even though the entire list is full of delicious things, there are a few that I just keep making over and over (and over and over) for some reason, so I thought I'd share those ones with you all!

Our Top 40 Favorite Recipes

Main Dishes:

Baja Chicken Sliders

Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage

Chicken Pot Pie

Creamy Green Chile Enchiladas

Indian Butter Chicken

Mexican Lasagna

Shrimp & Wild Rice Casserole

Lemon Basil Grilled Salmon

Classic Lasagna

Sweet Potato & Turkey Shepherd's Pie

Turkey Apple Brie Paninis

Breaded Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Marsala Sauce

Asian-inspired Turkey Sliders

Breakfast:

Blueberry French Toast with Blueberry Sauce

Strawberry & Granola Parfaits

Baking/Desserts:

Cornbread

Dinner Rolls from Scratch

Rosemary Parmesan Bread

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Bailey's Dark Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cookie Cheesecake

Oatmeal Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting

Strawberry Coconut Cake

Tres Leches Cake

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream Cheese Layered Brownies

Mini Sugar Cookie Fruit Tarts

Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing

Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

Lemon Berry Trifle

Oatmeal Chip Cookies

Side Dishes/Appetizers:

Spinach Cheese Dip

Mini Caprese Bites

Savory Zucchini Cakes

Lemon Garlic Green Beans

Roasted Broccoli with Manchego

Roasted Carrots with Olive Oil and Parsley

Roasted Curried Cauliflower

Spinach & Orzo Salad

Cheesy Zucchini & Squash Bake

So there you go, forty recipes that have my whole-hearted stamp of approval! Happy cooking!

Pizza Casserole

You know what's really wonderful? Recipes that make you eat a bunch of veggies without feeling like you're eating a bunch of veggies. This recipe does that perfectly! Plus you get to play food artist with the criss-crossed pizza dough on top. Sneaky veggies + creativity = best. recipe. ever.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5 oz cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
12 oz cooked chicken sausage or chicken meatballs, chopped
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 13.8 oz package refrigerated Pizza dough

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and peppers and cook for about 6 minutes. Add zucchini and garlic and cook for another 6 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, sausage, half of the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to skillet. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 5-7 minutes (until most of the liquid has evaporated).
3. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Spoon into a lightly-greased 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese.
4. Unroll pizza dough on parchment paper and cut into strips. Arrange pizza dough strips on top of the casserole in a lattice pattern. Sprinkle with remaining Italian seasoning.
5. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until crust is lightly browned and filling is bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

(these are the chicken meatballs I like to use!)

(veggies + sausage cooking)

(cutting the dough into strips... I use a pizza cutter!)

(My poor Macbook... it's constantly in the kitchen splash zone!)

(ready for the oven!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Broccoli & Sausage Egg Muffins

Mmm, egg muffins. Perfect for fancy-ish breakfasts or for breakfast-for-dinner. And so easy to whip up! I like to half the recipe and just make six for Jeff and me (which makes it a perfect use of the extra 1/2 lb of Italian sausage after you make this chili!).

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 lb Italian sausage
1 cup broccoli florets, cooked and chopped into small pieces
8 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp baking powder
salt and pepper, to taste
grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Directions:
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown Italian sausage until no longer pink (about 5-6 minutes). Add in broccoli and remove from heat.
2. Whisk together eggs, milk, oil, baking powder, salt and pepper.
3. Lightly spray a 12-muffin pan with cooking spray. Spoon the broccoli-sausage mixture evenly into each muffin hole.
4. Pour the egg mixture over the broccoli-sausage mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

(sausage + broccoli)

(egg mixture)

(sausage + broccoli)

(after adding the egg mixture)

(Parmesan on top)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Crock-Pot Pineapple Sausage Chili

Mmm, this is my new favorite chili. It's the perfect amount of spicy and the pineapple flavor just makes it so delicious! Perfect for chilly February evenings!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
24 oz Italian sausage (I use 16oz mild an 8oz hot, but you can adjust to change the spiciness)
1 medium onion, diced
1 20oz can pineapple tidbits
4 14.5oz cans diced tomatoes with chili seasoning
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
4 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
shredded cheese for topping

Directions:
1. Cook sausage and onions in a skillet over medium heat. Drain off fat and put sausage and onions in a slow cooker.
2. Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice and fruit separately. Add the juice to the slow cooker. Store fruit in the fridge for later use.
3. Add seasoned tomatoes, black beans, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, and garlic to slow cooker. Stir everything to combine.
4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Add pineapple and stir 30-60 minutes before finished cooking.
5. Serve topped with cheese.

(sausage + onions)

(sausage + onions in the slow cooker)

(all done!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Stir-Fried Green Beans and Turkey with Rice

Who knew that ground turkey could taste delicious in an Asian dish? I've been a ground turkey fan for a while, but even I was skeptical about using it in this recipe. But oh my goodness... it's just so yummy! You'll need a few weird ingredients from the international aisle at the grocery store (hoisin, chili garlic sauce, seasoned rice vinegar), but I think it's worth buying them... you'll want to make this dish over and over again, and there are plenty of other yummy recipes to use them in!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
2 cups rice, uncooked
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 bunch green onions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground turkey
2 tbsp chili garlic sauce (in the international foods aisle)
2 tbsp hoisin sauce (in the international foods aisle)
1 tsp crushed ginger
1 lb green beans, washed and ends trimmed
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar (in the international foods aisle)

Directions:
1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. In a large skillet, heat sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add green onions and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add ground turkey and saute for 5 minutes, separating into pieces with a spatula.
3. Add in chili garlic sauce, hoisin sauce, and ginger, and stir until mixed. Add green beans and soy sauce and stir.
4. Cook until green beans are slightly tender (about 10 minutes).
5. Add in rice vinegar and allow to cook for one more minute.
6. Serve over rice!

(green onion + garlic)

(ground turkey)

(after adding green beans and soy sauce)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!