This cheeseburger soup is the perfect way to enjoy the delicious flavors of a burger without breaking out the grill! Thick and hearty with ground beef, diced potatoes, and a creamy cheesy sauce, this frugal comfort food meal will be a winner with the whole family! Ground beef is a staple in our house. It’s an inexpensive protein, easy to find organic or grass-fed, includes healthy fat, and you can literally ... Continue Reading
Caramelized Banana Bread
This caramelized banana bread recipe is moist, healthy, simple, and SO SO delicious! Kick your basic banana bread recipe up a notch! We eat a lot of bananas. They’re cheap all year long and easy to consume. High fives for a no-cook snack! The problem, though, is they often go brown before we can eat them all, ESPECIALLY when it’s warm outside. In the past, my go-to has been this Banana Muffin recipe. ... Continue Reading
Crock Pot Poached Pears
Serve crockpot poached pears for a light, healthy, budget-friendly dessert that looks impressive without a lot of effort. With just 4 ingredients, you’ll come back to this just-sweet-enough dessert again and again! Here’s how the weeknight dessert conversation goes at my house: Halfway through dinner, one or both children will ask whether dessert is being served that evening. Almost every night, I ... Continue Reading
Pickled Jalapenos
Use this super easy method to make pickled jalapeño peppers in under 10 minutes! Crisp, crunchy, and bursting with flavor, you’ll have a yummy addition to taco night. Vegetable gardens can be hit or miss. My first year growing peppers, I had four plants and got maybe 3 peppers in total. One plant didn’t produce any fruit at all! The next year, though, I had two jalapeño plants that ended up producing more ... Continue Reading
Croutons
Make deliciously crispy, golden brown croutons with this easy method. Customize the seasonings for croutons packed with flavor and you’ll want to eat these straight off the pan! When I was a kid, I used to pick off the croutons of my salad and save them for last. Honestly, I still do this, because croutons are the best part! Sadly, I went for several years without eating croutons on my salads, partly ... Continue Reading
Instant Pot White Rice
This quick and easy Instant Pot rice turns out light and fluffy every time! Perfect for an easy side dish or freezing for future meals. I’ve fallen in love with my Instant Pot and use it ALL THE TIME for recipe staples like Instant Pot Beans and Instant Pot Chicken Stock and even Instant Pot Oatmeal. And as much as I like Instant Pot Brown Rice – that’s ready in 22 minutes, and it turns out perfect every ... Continue Reading
Shepherd’s Pie
This easy shepherd's pie is a comfort food classic – meat and veggies in a savory gravy sauce, smothered in cheese and mashed potatoes. Yum! Enjoy for dinner tonight and make an extra to freeze for a future meal. I’ll be the first to tell you I like to try all sorts of new flavors, different ways of eating, and food preparation methods. But sometimes, it feels good to get back to the basics in the kitchen – ... Continue Reading
Fall Recipes for September 2024
Make your September easy with this one-month meal plan! Full of real food Fall recipes your family will love like rosemary olive oil bread and homemade chicken alfredo. Use as is or for inspiration to make your own meal plan! Ah… September. The month when summer heat meets autumn cool. Zucchini mingle with squash, tomatoes hang out with apples. I think September is one of my favorite months really. Any ... Continue Reading
Tortilla Chips
These baked homemade tortilla chips are super easy, perfectly crispy, and taste fantastic! A great option to use up leftover tortillas, and you can flavor them any way you like. There’s not much better than taco night, and we have one almost every week! To me, a perfect taco night includes fresh, warm tortillas, a yummy filling like Carnitas, and plenty of delicious toppings. What DOESN’T sound perfect ... Continue Reading
Maple Pecan Blondies
Try these easy maple pecan blondies made with simple ingredients, including the secret star: beans! Full of maple flavor, this allergy-friendly dessert will have you scrambling for seconds before they disappear! Do you remember the blind taste testing I did with my Black Bean Brownie Recipe? Let me refresh your memory: I made those black bean brownies several times for several different people – my kids, ... Continue Reading
