So many recipes are shared on Facebook, and most of the time I just scroll past. This recipe shared  by Buzzfeed managed to catch my eye around "back to school" time. A balanced meal I could make in the morning and the kids would quickly gobble up? That's exactly what we need on busy weeknights! I didn't love the recipe quite as written, but loved the concept. Combining it with the seasoning from my mom's macaroni & cheese recipe, it has turned into something nutritious and delicious that has been a hit at our house!

I've tried varying the the vegetable quantity, but these are the measurements that have been most successful. I've learned from experience that too many carrots really changes the texture of the sauce! You can add your own seasoning to the sauce to make it more like your usual family recipe. A pinch of nutmeg, a couple dashes of hot sauce...whatever floats your boat! My kids like this as is. I add a little salt and pepper to my dish, or some corn salsa if its in the fridge!

I came across two similar recipes on Pinterest (here and here), and used them as inspiration for a new side dish. We absolutely loved this...so much so that I made it twice in a week! Traditional ratatouille is stewed, slow cooked, and layered, while this dish is quick and painless to throw together. It certainly isn't a true ratatouille, but what would you call it?

The quantity listed below worked well in a pie plate, as pictured. The second time I made this, I was out of  brie and wanted to make a larger amount. I doubled everything and made it in a 9X13 dish, topping it with a little bit of shaved red onion before adding the Parmesan, olive oil, and salt & pepper. Both combinations were delicious! This is a simple and versatile way to prepare your vegetables, and a great Make It In The Morning option too.

 I've told you before about how my wee ones love Chicken Pie. They gobble it up, and I couldn't be happier to have a healthy meal that's a hit with everyone. Isaac is my picky-eater who frequently requests things like "plain chicken", "no sauce on mine", and "leave off the spicy." Chicken Pie fits the bill as plain enough for him, and tasty enough for the rest of us. (Can I just use all this "plain talk" as an opportunity to ask people to cease using the expression "Plain Jane?" I think my dislike for it is self-explanatory.)

I didn't feel like making pie crust the other day - actually, to be honest, I didn't feel like washing the food processor, which I use to make my pie crust. (Am I the only one that makes decisions based on laziness like this?!) I remembered seeing a recipe for all the flavours of Chicken Pie in a pasta, so I thought I'd create something similar. My version is below, which was inspired and adapted from this recipe. 

I was intrigued when I came across this recipe on Pinterest, because it was a side dish that could easily be served hot or cold. Serve cold as a side salad with dinner, and enjoy the leftovers reheated for lunch the next day (at least that's what I did!). The recipe below is adapted for the original recipe for Sukjul Namul, as seen on MM's Kitchen Bites. 

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp rice vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

A few grates fresh garlic

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1/2 Lb bean sprouts

Handful red peppers, thinly sliced

Handful snow peas, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

1 Tblsp (+/-) sesame seeds (optional garnish)

Boil a large pot of water. Add bean sprouts and blanch for 20-30 seconds. Plunge into ice cold water to stop them from cooking any further. Drain. Add red peppers, snow peas, and green onions. Stir to combine. Whisk all dressing ingredients together, and toss with vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds when serving, if desired.

Sometimes I make a big meal on a weeknight, and feel really thankful to be a stay-at-home mom with the time to do that. But guess what? With a little planning, anyone can have a "Sunday Supper" on any night of the week. Use your slowcooker to cook a whole chicken while you are at work, and then quickly prepare some vegetables when you get home.

When whole chickens are on sale, it can be a really easy and inexpensive way to make several meals. Start with a chicken dinner, then have chicken sandwiches for lunch, make chicken pie for dinner, and have chicken nachos for a Friday night snack. All those servings from one $8 chicken!

3-4 Lbs whole chicken

1 yellow onion, sliced into thick rings

1 tsp coarse salt 

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp smoked paprika

Lay thick slices of onion on the bottom of the slow cooker. This keeps the chicken elevated just a bit so fat and juices can drain. 

Rinse chicken, and pat dry with paper towel. Lay chicken breast side up on top of sliced onions. Combine spices, and rub onto chicken. 

Cover slowcooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or high for 2 1/2-3 hours. Internal temperature should reach 180`. Remove from slowcooker with two large serving spoons and place on cutting board. Allow to rest at least 5-10 minutes before carving.

When I see Degenhardt's sausage on sale, I can't resist them. The Degenhardt family makes the most delicious sausages I have ever tasted, and the do it right here in New Brunswick (though you can purchase them across Canada and the US).  They contain no fillers, no gluten, and no MSG, and they are Celiac certified. 

We love a variety of their sausages, but the chorizo sausage is a real treat. When I arrived at the store to see an in-store special on both chorizo sausage and green peppers, I knew stuffed peppers should make their way into our meal plan. After a bit of searching online, I couldn't find a recipe that seemed like what I wanted. I improvised and came up with this recipe, which used a variety of leftover odds and ends in the fridge. I love when leftovers don't feel like leftovers! These were fresh, flavourful, and just a little spicy. I'll definitely be repeating them!

This recipe from Simply Reem was intended for bone-in chicken to be baked in the oven. I used the recipe to marinate and grill boneless chicken breast and the results were great: moist, tender chicken with a sweet and spicy glaze. We enjoyed it with a green salad and corn on the cob, but it would also be great served with Asian Coleslaw.

Joanna from Lofty Pines shared this recipe with me, and I drooled a little when I read it. Such a quick recipe with so many of my favourite flavours together! I'm no good at doing what I'm told (at least when it comes to recipes), so these stuffed sweet potatoes are a variation from the original, but they were divine. So filling and full of flavour! You could use them as a side dish....but we just pigged out and made them our whole meal!

In my mind, the best thing about having a chicken dinner (or turkey dinner) is making meals from the leftovers: Hot chicken sandwiches, chicken soup, chicken nachos, chicken pie! Chicken pie is one thing that my pickiest eater will gobble up every time...but don't have the time or the inclination to make a chicken dinner each week. As a result, I think I've perfected the "chicken pie without a chicken dinner".

While this isn't a true "make it in the morning" meal (because I haven't had great results letting the filled pie sit in the refrigerator all day), you can certainly make it ahead and freeze...or make the filling in the morning, and the crust just before baking, or (gasp!) use a store-bought pie crust. Whatever works for you!

Chicken Pie Filling

2 Tblsp butter

2 Tblsp flour

1 C chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste 

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1 cooked chicken breast, chopped fine (about 1 C) 

3 C mixed frozen vegetables (peas, corn, carrots, etc)

Melt the butter in a medium-sized pot over low heat. Stir in the flour until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. Gradually whisk in the chicken stock until smooth. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly, and boil for 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat, and stir in frozen vegetables and chopped chicken to coat.

2-Crust Pie (from this Betty Crocker cookbook)

2/3 C + 2 Tblsp shortening

2 C flour

1 tsp salt

4 Tblsp cold water

Put shortening, flour, and salt in to food processor. Pulse until mixture is crumbly. Turn food processor on low and pour all the water in at once while it is running. Stop the food processor when the dough leaves the sides of the bowl, but before the dough forms a ball.

Shape the dough in to two balls with your hands. On a well floured surface, roll one ball into a circle (about 1-2 inches larger than the upside-down pie plate). Place dough in pie plate and press well against the bottom and sides of the plate. Fill the crust (recipe above). Roll remaining ball into approximately the same sized circle, and top the pie. Fold the top crust edge around the edge of the bottom crust and flute to seal. Using sharp knife, slit the top crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake at 425` for about 35 minutes, until crust is golden. If edges are browning too much (often the case after about 20 minutes), wrap long thin strips of foil around the pie's edges.

(Just noticing there's a wierd smudge on the camera lense. Ooops!)

When I was meal planning last week, I asked if anyone had tried the slowcooker beef and broccoli recipe that was being shared all over Facebook. While the original source wasn't cited, a quick google search lead me to this recipe. "Just a Pinch" seems like an interesting recipe sharing site, so I'll have to look around and see what other yummy things I can find there!

The original recipe called for a boneless beef chuck roast. This is a prime example of something that can be really frustrating when trying a new recipe (particularly one with beef): nothing at my local grocery store is labelled "boneless beef chuck roast". There are quite a few different names for the same cuts of meat. I've found  this list to be a great source for identifying different names for various cuts of meat, and finding potential substitutes using other cuts. Since the original recipe called for chuck (which is a shoulder portion), you can go right to the chuck section of that site to find some suggestions. I wanted something that was economical and that came in a smaller portion at my grocery store, and I settled on a cross rib quick roast.



I tweaked the recipe ever-so-slightly, because it was just asking for some ginger and I thought 1/2 cup was way too much soy sauce. I drastically cut back the cooking time when I checked on it at the halfway point, and it was fully cooked. If the original recipe tells you to slice the beef into thin strips, how on earth do they expect it to cook for 8 hours? After 4 hours on low, the beef was practically falling apart when I touched it with a fork. Perhaps the faster cooking time was a result of using a different cut of meat, but I really don't feel like the difference in tenderness would result in an extra 4 hours of cook time. All said and done, we liked this recipe...but we didn't absolutely love it. I think I just really prefer the texture of both the beef and the broccoli when stirfried. I like beef in a stirfry to have the texture of steak, and this is obviously roast beef. My husband, Josh, liked it a lot more than I did (I think because I'm not a big beef-eater anyway), so I may save this recipe for nights when I am leaving him dinner on my way out. If you are a roast beef fan, I bet you'll really enjoy this recipe. The sauce is very flavourful without being spicy.

1 Lb (+/-) cross rib quick roast beef 

1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

---
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sauce from the crock pot after being cooked

3 Cups (+/-) broccoli florets

(Serve with rice. I rarely make anything other than Rooster Brand Scented Rice. Love that stuff!)

Slice beef in to thin strips and place in slowcooker. Combine broth, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Pour over beef and stir. Cook on low for 4 hours. Remove 2 Tblsp sauce and combine with 2 Tblsp cornstarch. Stir until smooth, then return to the slowcooker. Stir to combine with the remainder of the sauce. Add broccoli and stir to coat. Replace cover, adjust temperature to high, and cook for another 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

I'm thinking about a doing a series on  "Make it in the Morning" meals. Let me know if that's something you'd be interested in seeing!



Update: I made this again with the changes I mentioned above. Omitting potatoes and adding red pepper, orange pepper, zucchini, and red onions definitely did a lot to make this dish live up to the name "rainbow"... and it tasted great! We enjoyed it over rice.

Sometimes, when I have a few ingredients on hand that I want to use, I just put the list in to Google and see what comes up. A few weeks ago, I tried this salad as a result of one of those searches...and have made it at least three times since. It's so fresh tasting and filling! Two of my three wee ones like it too.

I've had this recipe on my 'to try' list for a little while. Reviewers suggested that it was a bit mild, so I added a little garlic and hot sauce to turn the flavour up a notch. We both loved this meal! It's super healthy, quick and simple to put together, and easy on the pocketbook. I think I'll be adding this to our "regular rotation."

In a large bowl, combine cheese, beans, spinach, corn, whites of green onions, 1 tsp cumin, and 1/2 tsp garlic. Lightly grease 2 8-inch baking dishes.Warm tortillas slightly in microwave to make more pliable. Spoon 1/3 C bean mixture onto centre of each tortilla, fold sides over filling, and place seam side down on greased baking dish. Once all enchiladas are assembled, spoon sauce over the top and spread to coat as evenly as possible. Bake uncovered at 400` for 20 minutes. Garnish with greens of green onion, and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

My Dad's birthday is Christmas Eve, which often makes it hard to plan a special meal with all the other preparations that need to take place that day. This year, we decided to have a selection of lasagnas along with salad and bread, so that everything could be made ahead of time or at the very last minute. It worked out great! I took on the seafood lasagna, and was really pleased with this recipe. It seemed rich and decadent, but it was easy to make.

Of course, I forgot to take a picture until it was cut and about to be served. The photo may not look super appetizing, but it was delicious - and so were the leftovers!

Melissa reads my blog and claims she needs cooking lessons. This is the first recipe she has ever shared with me, and now I know that she doesn't need any help in the kitchen. We loved this! I made a few minor variations, and had great results.

(Kenyon: I'd bet money that Steve will want to add this to the rotation)

I bookmarked this recipe a few weeks ago, and have been itching to try it. A few alterations to the original recipe for the sake of what I had in the house, and dinner was made. The syrup was a last minute addition as I found the soup a bit bitter. The syrup balanced it out nicely!

Combine all ingredients except maple syrup into slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Puree with immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender. Stir in maple syrup. Add cream into each bowl when serving.

I copied this recipe from Good Housekeeping magazine eons ago, but I just got around to trying it. (I've got quite a stockpile of "to try" recipes. I'll never catch up!) I omitted the chickpeas from the original recipe, because I thought that there was already plenty of protein from the chicken and fibre from the squash...plus, I put more squash than called for and didn't think I could fit it all in my crockpot!

I would have preferred it to be more spicy (a reoccurring theme of this pregnancy, it would appear), but my husband loved it.

I saved this recipe a long time ago and now that our CSA has been rich with squash, I decided to give it a try. I made a few alterations from Cara's recipe to use what I had in the house.

I came across this recipe for Chicken Taco Soup for the slowcooker ages ago an added it to my "to try in 2010" list. I've fallen off the wagon of selecting at least one new recipe off this list each week, so I got back in the saddle with this today. The above recipe turned into the inspiration for what I'll now call my Chicken Chili. It was a hit!