Winter weather makes me want to eat soup for every meal! This Chicken and Rice Soup is the perfect way to stay warm and get a healthy serving of veggies and protein. I often add peas, bell pepper, or any other extra vegetables I have on hand to the soup. I also often use rotisserie chicken to make this simple soup even easier to throw together. This recipe makes a large serving that is perfect for dinner and leaves enough leftovers for lunch the next day. Enjoy! xoxo
Cook rice according to instructions and set aside. In a large pot, heat olive oil and cook celery, carrots, onion, and garlic until tender. Add roasted tomatoes, shredded chicken, and chicken broth. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add cooked rice and serve warm.
I have to give Alex credit for being the “idea guy” in the kitchen. He is constantly coming up with crazy menus and requesting things, like lasagna, on a whim. After insisting multiple times that lasagna was too time-consuming, I caved and start working on a less time-consuming recipe. Most classic lasagna recipes call for a bechamel and ragu sauce, but I don’t know anyone who really has time to prepare sauces all day long. I cut the bechamel and left the cheese as is and turned the ragu sauce into a modified version of my classic tomato sauce. I prefer beef, but you can easily substitute the ground beef in the sauce for ground pork or a combination of the two. Enjoy! xoxo
2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning (oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, onion, parsley, and sage)
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 lb. ground beef chuck (10% fat)
3 tablespoons triple concentrate tomato paste
15oz crushed tomatoes
8 oz. dried lasagna noodles
1 lb. ricotta
12 oz. low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely grated (about 3 cups)
Purée bell pepper, onion, garlic, tomato, olives, capers, Italian seasoning, cumin, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes (optional) in a blender or food processor until mostly smooth.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high. Cook beef, tomato paste, and blended mixture breaking up the meat and stirring often until liquid is evaporated, and meat is starting to brown, 20–25 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes and let simmer on low until lasagna is ready to assemble.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles, stirring often, until very al dente, about 4 minutes (noodles will finish cooking in the oven). Drain noodles and stack them flat in layers, separated by parchment.
Lightly oil a 13×9″ baking dish. Spread a heaping cupful of sauce in the dish. Lay a single layer of noodles over the sauce. Spread 1 cup of sauce over the noodles. Season ricotta with salt and pepper; evenly spread half of the ricotta over the sauce. Scatter one-third of the mozzarella over top. Repeat the layering process. Finish with remaining sauce, followed by remaining mozzarella. Cover with a lightly oiled piece of foil.
Bake lasagna until bubbling around the edges, 40–45 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Uncover the lasagna and continue to bake until the top is golden brown, 15–18 minutes more. Let sit 15 minutes before serving.
Sweet Potato Casserole is always a part of our family’s Thanksgiving meal! I know a few people who top their sweet potatoes with marshmallows, but I personally prefer crispy brown sugar pecans as my topping. This side dish could almost belong on the dessert table with the crisp sugar topping but this casserole is too good to pass up. Check out my Cranberry Sauce, Pumpkin Pie, and Pecan Pie recipes to complete your Thanksgiving meal. Enjoy! xoxo
Peel, cut, and boil sweet potatoes until tender. Mash potatoes and mix with sugar, eggs, baking powder, vanilla, butter, lemon juice, and milk until well combined. In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, butter, and pecans until well combined. Pour sweet potato mixture into a casserole dish and top with brown sugar mixture. Bake at 375 for 25-30 mins until the topping is crispy. Best served warm.
Breakfast in bed is a birthday tradition in our house, and I recommend everyone start this tradition! Last year Alex whipped up his own version of mini frittatas and I was very impressed. I love the light airy texture of frittatas and these mini frittatas make serving a crowd effortless. This recipe can easily be altered with different meats, vegetables, and cheeses. I have also tried a version with bacon and sharp cheddar, but nothing beats the lightness of turkey breakfast sausage. Enjoy! xoxo
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 12 muffin tins, set muffin tins aside. Whisk eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and paprika until well combined. Pour egg mixture evenly into the prepared muffin tins. In an oiled skillet, sautee the chopped shallot and mushrooms until tender. Add turkey sausage to the skillet and cook until browned. Evenly spoon sausage mixture into each muffin tin on top of the egg mixture. Top each muffin tin with a pinch of shredded Asiago cheese. Bake for 16-18 minutes until tops are slightly browned. Best served warm.
Looking for more breakfast recipes? Check out my posts here:
Dark chocolate is no doubt my favorite dessert, especially when paired with the creamy flavor and crunch of hazelnuts. This dark chocolate ganache nut tart is not only a total crowd-pleaser but also very simple to make. I used walnuts and hazelnuts for the crust, but I have made this tart with a crust of walnut, hazelnut, and pistachio that was equally delicious. The shaved nuts on top can also be replaced with a sprinkle of sea salt, but I prefer the dark chocolate taste instead of the sharp sea salt. Enjoy! xoxo
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, plus more room temperature for pan
2½ cups mixed raw nuts (such as walnuts, blanched hazelnuts, pistachios, and/or almonds)
¾ tsp. kosher salt
12 oz. dark chocolate (70% or more), chopped
1 ½ cups heavy cream – maybe 1 and ¼
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1″ pieces
Lightly butter tart pan with removable bottom; line with a round of parchment paper cut to fit just inside the pan. Pulse nuts in a food processor until finely chopped. Add salt and melted butter, and pulse until nuts begin to clump together and the mixture looks sandy. Evenly press mixture into bottom and up sides of the pan. Bake crust at 350 degrees until golden brown, 20–25 minutes. Let cool.
In a heat-proof bowl, add chopped chocolate and top with pieces of butter. Heat cream in a small saucepan until just beginning to simmer; immediately pour over chocolate and butter. Let sit, undisturbed, for 5 minutes. Whisk chocolate until smooth and glossy. Pour ganache into the crust and smooth out any bubbles. Chill, until set, at least 1 hour. Remove tart from pan; sprinkle shaved nuts on top. Slice into wedges with a hot knife.
This strawberry rhubarb pie is the perfect summer treat! It is tart with just a hint of sweetness and is best served chilled. I included my standard pie crust recipe below but doubled it so there is enough dough for the lattice on top. Do not skip over the note to fully let this pie chill. I know it smells amazing right out of the oven, but it has to have time to set properly or the filling will run everywhere. If you like sweeter desserts over tart desserts, I recommend adding an additional ¼ cup of light brown sugar to the filling. Enjoy! xoxo
16 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (cut into smaller pieces)
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons ice water
In a food processor combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter pieces and pulse until the mixture forms large, coarse crumbs. Add the ice water a little at a time and pulse until the dough begins to form. Transfer the dough to a work surface and shape it into two 9-inch rounds. Chill until ready to use.
Filling
1 ½ pounds rhubarb, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 pounds strawberries, hulled, halved, quartered if large
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch of kosher salt
1 large egg
1 tablespoon raw sugar
Preheat the oven to 425°. Let dough sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften. Working one at a time, roll out two disks on a lightly floured surface (about ⅛” thick). Carefully transfer 1 dough round to the pie dish (make sure it’s a deep pie dish). Lift edges and allow the dough to slump down into dish, trim, leaving about a 1″ overhang.
In a large bowl, add rhubarb, strawberries, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Mix well. Gently scrape filling into dough-filled pie dish.
Cut the remaining round of dough into ½-inch strips. Lay strips in a lattice pattern over the filling and crimp edge as desired. Beat egg with 1 tsp. water in a small bowl and lightly brush over top of the dough. Sprinkle with raw sugar.
Bake pie for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°. Continue to bake until crust is deep golden brown and juices are thick and bubbling, 60-75 minutes longer.
Transfer pie to a wire rack and let cool at least 4 hours before serving. Yes, it smells amazing, but if you don’t give it time to set up properly, the filling will be runny when you cut into it.
