Butterbeer Cupcakes

To celebrate the birthday of the Boy Who Lived (despite the author), these cupcakes are full of butterscotch flavor!

Oof. A hard post to get to write after some of the behavior of the alleged author of the Harry Potter series, but I am not condoning or agreeing with any of her stances. They are wrong. She is wrong. I wanted to post this recipe today because it is Harry's birthday. I have yet to have butterbeer from Universal and don't know if I'll ever get around to it to be honest. Especially not in the near future.

These are fantastic little butterscotch cupcakes. The cupcakes base is cream soda/vanilla flavored and then you have a butterscotch filling that goes into the cupcakes and into the frosting AND drizzled on top. You don't have to be a Potterhead to enjoy these sweet little cupcakes!

Copycat Maggie's Pizza Burgers

Pizza and burgers together are a great combination - in addition to pizza toppings, this burger has fried mozzarella half moons too!

Occasionally, Nick will request we make a food he has eaten somewhere. It took forever, but we finally got around to making a copycat for a burger he had at a restaurant in upstate New York where we lived for 7 years. I had never been to the restaurant. I want to say he went for someone's retirement or promotion or PCS or something. I'm not sure. The problem is that when he told me how to make it, he didn't tel me the precise order of ingredients. So my pictures don't match what it should be in its final form. Also, my provolone had molded, so no provolone here. Follow the directions below and eventually I will get more accurate pictures of this fantastic burger!

Menu Plan Monday - July 27, 2020

I am shocked at how quickly July flew by and also how long ago the first of the month feels. I'm a bit bummed for August because in the beginning of 2020, we anticipated our youngest going off to school and me starting my career (finally). But we were given the choice of in-school or distance learning and chose the latter because we have the ability to do so and we want to ease the burden on teachers and other students - and also try and keep our family from catching COVID-19. Tell me how life has been where you live. And hope you all find a new recipe to try in my meal plan this week! I'm still trying my best to make some more side dishes.

Monday - Grilled Chicken Pasta with Basil Cream Sauce
Tuesday - Easy Tatertot Enchilada Bake
Wednesday - Jalapeno Popper Chicken Soup
Thursday - Double Crunch Honey Garlic Pork Chops // Parmesan Garlic Roasted Potatoes // Sauteed Lemon Garlic Brussels Sprouts
Friday - Stromboli
Weekend - Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins // Slow Cooker Pork Roast // Loaded Scalloped Potatoes // Soft Lemonade Cookies

What are you having for dinner this week?
Feel free to leave a link to the recipe in the comments!

One Pot Ground Beef Tortellini Casserole

30 minutes and a deep skillet is all you need for this fantastic, hearty tortellini casserole!

I don't make a lot of tortellini but occasionally I really crave it. I wanted to find a quicker recipe that didn't involve a long stewed sauce or crockpot or anything like that. One pot recipes are fantastic and there are more and more of them now. This recipe was quick and easy and made for such a hearty and filling dinner!

Lemon Raspberry Dutch Baby Pancake

Breakfast has never been better with this huge, airy pancake with tart lemon curd and raspberries!

I tried Chrissy Teigen's  Dutch Baby Pancakes recipe and posted it a few months ago (I even mentioned this recipe in the bottom of the post!) - I've kind of had them on my mind since then and really wanted to make a recipe with berries (as I mentioned in that post). I have never in my life had lemon curd and wasn't sure how I would feel about it. It was SO good. The kind I got was very tart - honestly reminded me a little of a Warhead but without the bitterness. This dutch baby was insanely good. The raspberry and lemon curd combo was killer. I cannot wait to make more of these with different flavor profiles - and try more recipes with lemon curd.

Strawberry Lemon Snack Cake

Sweet and sour and absolutely perfect for a snack or a little treat after dinner!

I have been trying for years to get behind lemon sweets and so far, to date, it has failed. I just don't like purely lemon desserts. Now throw a berry in there and I love it. I knew I would enjoy this dessert because strawberry is my favorite berry with lemon. I loved the consistency of the cake. It sort of reminds me of a cobbler in some ways. The lemon was just in the glaze although it would be great with a little lemon zest in the batter, in my opinion.

Menu Plan Monday - July 20, 2020

It's going to be a good week for food (which I mean I feel is every week...) and I'm excited for the few new recipes we'll be trying out (Tues and the weekend). I'm not a fan of watermelon even though I like the flavor, so I'm hoping I will enjoy a slushie made from watermelon!

Monday - Sausage & Pea Pasta
Tuesday - Grilled Salsa Verde Pepper Jack Chicken
Wednesday - Stir Fry Soup
Thursday - Japanese Steakhouse Chicken & Steak Hibachi
Friday - Philly Cheeseburgers
Weekend - Double Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins // Sunday Meatloaf // The Best Potato Rolls // Watermelon Slush

What are you having for dinner this week?
Feel free to leave a link to the recipe in the comments!

Copycat Marion's Pizza

This pizza copycat is straight out of Dayton, Ohio - an okay imitation at best - the real thing is too good!

When I had first met my husband, all I heard about was this amazing pizza place in Ohio called Marion's Piazza (and Skyline too). We met in 2004 and it took me until 2016 to actually go to Marion's and have this infamous pizza. In particular, my husband's favorite is the one with Italian sausage and banana peppers. It's a thin crust pizza that's cut into squares. Marion's crust reminded me a lot of the pizza crust at my childhood favorite pizza place, Pizza Ranch. :) I'm still trying to find a good thin crust recipe that tastes like the ones at restaurants and it's driving me bonkers.

Perfect Steak with Herbed Butter

Steaks on the grill but with the best spice rub and herbed butter ever!

I have made multiple steak recipes with herb butter and, in my opinion, every steak needs a pat of herb butter. I enjoy how different recipes have marinades or rubs. This particular recipes has a spice rub and you cook the steaks on the grill, which I had never done. We all loved the recipe and will definitely be using this recipe regularly for grilling season!

Loaded Nachos

Nachos and cheese is classic, but why not load them up with fresh pico de gallo, avocado, and more!

Now that I'm Team Avocado, I've been trying to eat them as much as possible. They are also supposed to be a good food for when you have high cholesterol, so that's also a bonus. I was (for the longest time) the only person who would eat avocado, but after Nick took almost a year's worth of business trips to San Diego where he got very authentic Mexican food, he has also taken a liking to avocado. These nachos are the best because they are loaded with avocados and all the other best toppings, like fresh pico de gallo, lots of cheese, cilantro, beef, and beans!

Menu Plan Monday - July 13, 2020

Hello and good morning! This week I'm attempting to make a few side dishes that I for whatever just keep on passing by when I make my meal plan. Why do I have a side dish Pinterest board if I don't use it?!

Monday - Caesar Chicken Tortellini // Roasted Green Beans
Tuesday - 20 Minute Taco Salad
Wednesday - Egg Drop Soup
Thursday - Perfectly Made Schnitzel
Friday - Homemade Sicilian Style Sheet Pan Pizza
Weekend - Alton Brown's Waffles // Nashville Hot Chicken // Crockpot Corn Casserole // Ghirardelli Caramel Brownies

What are you having for dinner this week?
Feel free to leave a link to the recipe in the comments!

Cajun Chicken Alfredo

Chicken alfredo with a kick of cajun seasoning!

I feel like I may have made a cajun chicken pasta recipe before and it got rave reviews from the family. It's not my absolute favorite, but it's still a solid recipe. There are a few modifications you could make to make it a quicker meal, but I think it's fast enough and comes together nicely for a weeknight dinner!

Sausage Pesto Lasagna Rolls

Only 5 ingredients and way less heavy than a pan full of lasagna, this sausage and pesto combination is the best!

Sometimes it's a little difficult to find a lasagna recipe that we all like. Somehow it just so happens that none of us really care for lasagna. I personally think it's the ricotta cheese in it, but none of us will choose to eat it. However, I find so many recipes that I think...maybe this one will be one we enjoy. I think lasagna rolls are particularly a hit with us because they aren't as heavy as lasagna, nor are they as messy. Most of them do not use ricotta cheese in them and they are really quick compared to actual lasagna. My family loves pesto so I knew this recipe wouldn't let us down!

Pickle Brined Chicken Tenders

Calling all you dill lovers, these fried chicken tenders are brined in pickle juice!

Pickle brined chicken, y'all. It's genius! I have taken to saving jars of pickle juice after the pickles are gone for recipes like dill pickle soup. So I was ready for this recipe with my pickle juice jars. The chicken gets brined, then it gets soaked in buttermilk, then it gets breaded and fried. It's such a good combination of classic fried chicken, but with that little bit of something different. I highly recommend for a little switching up.

Menu Plan Monday - July 6, 2020

This week has loads of new recipes and I'm ridiculously excited! But most of all, I'm excited for Thursday's salad because it's my favorite salad of all time. I had it bookmarked to put on my meal plan for months and kept forgetting it was bookmarked until after I was done. So it's finally time!

Monday - Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs with Spaghetti
Tuesday - California Chicken with Avocado // Esquites
Wednesday - Crockpot Cincinnati Chili
Thursday - Copycat Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad
Friday - Loaded Mac Dogs
Weekend - Coconut Crunch Donuts // Chicken Parmesan // Pickle Dip Pinwheels // Soft Lemonade Cookies

What are you having for dinner this week?
Feel free to leave a link to the recipe in the comments!

Butterscotch Cheesecake

This lovely butterscotch dessert is made with pudding and has a touch of chocolate!

We've arrived at my husband's birthday cake for 2019 which I chose because he loves butterscotch. He also got butterscotch cake this year for his birthday too - I'll post it eventually. We do enjoy a good cheesecake every once in a while. I thought this was such a great recipe and I haven't had many cheesecake recipes that use pudding mix. Definitely worth a try! I added chocolate chips into the mix and it was a good addition.

Slow Cooker Roast Beef Philly Cheesesteak Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

These sandwiches are worth every bit of trouble - making them and saying the name of the recipe!

I haven't made a new Philly cheesesteak recipe in so long and this one was definitely a little labor intensive. However, I was ready for it because Philly cheesesteaks made with a pot roast - what could be better? What really sold this recipe was that it also had an element of French dip sandwiches as well. Basically, this is a total dream recipe for Nick who loves all three of those things. I honestly can't think of a time I ate a French dip sandwich and I cautiously tried dipping this. It was quite good and I think that's due to the fact that the bread is crunchy and not soft, so it doesn't get soggy when dipped. I really really want to make the pot roast on its own because it was one of the best pot roasts I've had.

Mediterranean Chicken Pasta

This easy pasta dish is ready in under 30 minutes and is full of so much flavor with seasoned chicken, spinach, tomatoes, basil, and feta cheese.

I have been trying my hardest to make all the Greek/Mediterranean food. Just an excuse to eat goat cheese really. However, only Cami and I like goat cheese. The boys do not. But I can get away with making things with goat cheese if I don't mix it in and that works for me. I enjoyed this recipe so much. It's got all the elements of Greek/Mediterranean food that I love in a simple pasta dish that is great for busy weekdays!