Chicken, Beans, and Rice Bowl

Easy to throw together! Lettuce, rice, beans (black and kidney), grilled chicken, and lots of cheese!

Not really photogenic after it is mixed up, but very tasty! I topped it with black olives and chips! I might use my leftovers to make a quesadilla or burrito tomorrow for lunch šŸ™‚

I’m Just a Simple Girl…

There are a lot of foods I love more than anything… pizza, tacos, cheese, an almost rare steak, bread with tons of salty butter; but my favorite is PASTA! There is nothing more comforting. I am not too picky about what kind of pasta. I will eat a plain bowl of pasta with just butter and parm; a trait which I have passed down to my girls. Heck, we will eat it plain out of the pot šŸ˜‰

Anyways, I had some wilting mushrooms and spinach, and I found about half of a pound of spaghetti in the pantry. I sauteed the mushrooms in olive oil while I cooked the pasta. Right at the end of the pasta cooking, I added the spinach to the mushrooms. Once it wilted, I added in the pasta and mixed them all together with a bit of pasta water and more olive oil. I also added about 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/3 cup Parmesaun cheese. Mix well. Add more pasta water, butter, olive oil, Parmesan cheese as needed.

Feel free to add some shrimp, scallops, or grilled chicken for extra protein.

Pantry Beef Stroganoff

So a few nights ago, I made this yummy pasta dish. Usually I make Beef Stroganoff in a crock pot , but this recipe is even easier!

I had these pretty pasta shells, a pound of ground chuck, frozen broccoli, a jar of Alfredo sauce, a little bit of heavy cream, and a little bit of stock leftover.

First I browned the meat, then I added the Alfredo Sauce, cream, and stock. Then I threw in the bag of frozen broccoli and mixed it up to combine. I let it cook until the broccoli was cooked through.

At first I wasn’t sure how the Alfredo sauce would be with the meat, but with the extra heavy cream and stock, it tasted just like my creamy beef stroganoff. You could use peas, mushrooms, whatever combo of veggies you have on hand. If you didn’t have stock, you could add in some Worcestershire Sauce with a little water if it is too thick. If it is too runny, you can make a little mug roux to add in to thicken it up (equal parts flour and water in a mug and mix really well with a fork or mini whisk).

What is even better, you only dirty up one pan. Less dishes always gets my vote! I will be make this again even when the quarantine ends!

Easy Peasy Yummy Chicken Parm

EASY and FAST Pandemic Meals

Here are a few meals I have made over the last few days. Hope they inspire you to cook at home!

Bacon Burger with a runny egg on top!
Spaghetti and Meatballs but this time I just used frozen meatballs. No shame in that at all! Plus one of my favorites, mozzarella bruschetta. I sliced an Italian loaf of bread in medium sized pieces and slathered on olive oil on each piece and topped with a slice of fresh mozzarella. I put that in the oven on the second rack halfway through the pasta baking. It about 8-10. The oven was at 350.
I chopped up 3 tomatoes, some fresh basil, and mixed it with a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of balsamic glaze with a bit of salt and pepper. Topped the cheese toast with the tomato mixture and topped with more balsamic drizzle and basil.
Jambalaya- I made this for the hubby for his lunch. I sliced one chicken thigh and cooked it in a cast iron pan. Then I added 2 pieces of sliced Andouille sausages until they were heated through. Lastly I added the shrimp and cooked it for about 2 minutes per side. Then I added the meat to a cooked box of Jambalaya Rice mix. Pretty easy to throw together. I had a few bites to taste test šŸ˜‰
Becca’s favorite- Shake and Bake Pork Chops. I always try to have a box in my pantry. Always a classic!