Menu Plan Monday - August 31, 2020

This year has felt like simultaneously the longest and fastest year ever. Things are becoming a little more normal at our grocery store and less and less is out of stock. I cannot believe how much just a month or two of people panic buying really screwed up that supply chain. I have been picking some easier recipes lately due to having a very full schedule of trying to study as much as possible while I have the time. Mason, our youngest, has to have assistance/supervision with his virtual learning, but they are staggered until after Labor Day. Thankfully, his days will be half days and that gives me the afternoon to do my studying and anything else I need to get done. Tell me how you and your family are doing! I'm curious how things are for everyone else since I don't really talk to many people who live in different places.

Monday - One Pot Hungarian Beef Goulash
Tuesday - Chicken Enchiladas
Wednesday - Italian Wedding Soup
Thursday - Asian Chicken Lettuce Wrap Chopped Salad
Friday - Kids' Menu Burgers [burgers with fries on top]
Weekend - Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins // Dill Pickle Meatloaf // 30-Minute Dinner Rolls // Ranch Mashed Potatoes // Easy Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread

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

Banana Pudding Cheesecake Blondies

One of the best crusts on a dessert I've ever eaten and topped with a fluffy smooth no-bake cheesecake, these Blondies will rock your socks off!

I absolutely love this recipe because of the crust - and you will not often hear that from me. I don't care for pie much because the crust is meh. But this crust...guys. It's very reminiscent of banana bread. I mean I would make just the crust and eat it alone. I did like the banana pudding flavored no-bake cheesecake layer too though. It's altogether such a great recipe. Easily a favorite.

Copycat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole

This no-fuss recipe is the perfect side dish for any big breakfast spread!

I couldn't share the pancakes recipe without sharing the reason why everyone goes to Cracker Barrel, right? I just assume that. This is easy to make and goes so well when you have to serve a crowd (when we're allowed to do that again, I guess) - especially for the holiday breakfasts.

Copycat Cracker Barrel Pancakes

This classic buttermilk pancake recipe is something you want to have in your recipe arsenal!

I love going to Cracker Barrel and eating from their breakfast menu. I honestly cannot think of a time that I got an actual main dish/lunch/supper recipe there. It's always breakfast! I love their pancakes and wanted to try out this copycat at home. I have to admit, it's missing something, but it's still a perfectly solid classic pancake recipe.

Menu Plan Monday - August 24, 2020

This week has a lot of quick recipes because it's officially the first day of school for my big kids, albeit online, but still. Mason has staggered kindergarten online, so his first day is Wednesday and that's all he has this week. It's going to be a learning curve for all of us, but we're hoping this will help even in the smallest of ways.

 Monday - 20-Minute Cheesy Veggie Pasta Bake
Tuesday - Crunchwraps
Wednesday - 30-Minute Broccoli Cheese Soup
Thursday - Pork Schnitzel Sandwiches
Friday - Best NY Style Pizza
Weekend - Coconut & Banana Oat Pancakes // Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Meatloaf // Garlic Parmesan Roasted Potatoes // Cream Cheese Rippled Pumpkin Bread

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

Salted Nut Roll

This classic candy has a nougat center wrapped in caramel and peanuts!

I have always loved Salted Nut Roll candy bars and was totally miffed when I moved to Tennessee and couldn't find them. I was really happy to discover that Paydays were the same thing. This candy is something I had often at holiday time as a child and it's not exactly the same as a Salted Nut Roll candy bar or Payday, but it's still really really great. Same concept :)

Copycat Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad

Sometimes you crave a cobb salad from Chick-fil-A, but it's a Sunday. Have no fear, make your own cobb salad copycat at home!

Chick-fil-A is one of the very few fast food places where I'll eat anything on the menu. I like the plain chicken sandwiches, the deluxe spicy and non-spicy, the grilled club, the wraps, and all of the salads. Every single salad is so good, but I especially love the cobb salad. Unfortunately, a lot of times that I am out and want a salad from Chick-fil-A is Sunday and as we all know, they are not open on Sunday. So when Sundays happen, you have to have a good copycat recipe in your arsenal!

Cheddar Jalapeno Meatloaf

Meatloaf takes a spicy jalapeno popper turn in this awesome recipe!

I make very comfort food-like recipes on the weekend - typically it could be pork roast, pot roast, some type of slow cooked chicken or ham dish, or meatloaf. I love trying new recipes, as per my personality trait of recipe hoarding might make apparent, so I was pleased to find this recipe for Cheddar Jalapeno Meatloaf. Anything with jalapeno and cheddar cheese is something I want to make because of how much I love jalapeno poppers (with cheddar not cream cheese). This particular recipe, like most meatloaf recipes, has a topping on it. However, I don't make mine with toppings because Nick doesn't like meatloaf toppings and it's hard to keep it from touching his pieces even if I leave it off his part.

Menu Plan Monday - August 17, 2020

 I was thrown off by my leftovers plan, but then realized it meant soup from the freezer. Only a few new recipes this week because sometimes I just need comfort food :) This is the last week before virtual school starts for all three kids, which is crazy because I will still be working through my masters (only 2 classes left!). It's about to be so busy.

Monday - Easy Pizza Pasta Casserole
Tuesday - Taco Chicken with the Best Avocado-Corn Salad
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - Three Envelope Chicken
Friday - Bacon Chili Cheese Dogs
Weekend - Blueberry Banana Nut Oatmeal // Garlic Butter Chicken Bites with Lemon Asparagus // Slow Cooker Chocolate Turtle Bread Pudding

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

Chicken Stroganoff

Find the recipe on The Recipe Jackpot

Easy Sausage Gravy

4 ingredients plus salt and pepper and you have the best breakfast gravy ever!

Never in a million years did I think that a gravy recipe would make its way to my favorites list, but here we are! I started making gravy more regularly a few years ago because Nick and Cami both like it on mashed potatoes and in the 13 1/2 years I've been married, I basically never made gravy or purchased it for mashed potatoes. I was really surprised at how easy and quick it is and since Nick, Cami, and Matthew all love biscuits and gravy, I wanted to learn how to make a proper sausage gravy for them. I wanted to try it and give it another chance and it turns out that I really liked it too! A win all around!

Crispy Sriracha Cheesy Chicken Bake

This recipe takes a few ingredients and easy prep to go into the oven and bake - it's so easy and turns out super delicious!

I loved this recipe a whole lot but admittedly haven't been able to eat it again because the chicken is coated in mayonnaise before it's dipped in the panko/Ritz cracker mixture and Nick will not eat anything with mayonnaise. Even though you do not get any of the flavor with the coating. I particularly loved how crunchy and flavorful the breading is with the panko and Ritz mixture. I remember a lot of homestyle good ol' meals that had Ritz cracker crumbled on top and so this is very nostalgic, but with a hint of something new with the sriracha.

Menu Plan Monday - August 10, 2020

This week I have a few old recipes on the meal plan and a few new. I'm excited to try out Tuesday's side as I just made homemade refried beans and they were so good! So I'm hoping this recipe of Spanish rice will be a keeper too. My oldest requested a junk food night, so we're doing buffalo popcorn chicken, bagel bites, loaded potato skins, and taquitos.

Monday - Italian Chicken Casserole
Tuesday - Tacos // Flavorful Spanish Rice
Wednesday - Dill Pickle Soup
Thursday - Korean BBQ Steak Bowls
Friday - Junk Food Night
Weekend - PB&J Muffins // Mississippi Pot Roast // Chocolate Root Beer Bundt Cake

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

Salsa Verde Pepperjack Chicken Salad

Every salad should be like this with perfectly marinated chicken and lots of veggies with a fresh mango dressing - a little spicy and a little sweet!

I adore a salad for dinner and I have been enamored with many of the recipes I've tried lately including this one. It checks the salsa verde box for my husband (who wants all the salsa verde all the time) and it has spicy pepper jack cheese cubes throughout it, avocado, corn, bell peppers, and mandarin oranges. I cannot even with how awesome the combo from veggies with oranges was! We don't eat a lot of oranges because my oldest is allergic, but this was fine because I didn't have to put oranges with his salad. I really loved the mango dressing - it's yogurt based and fabulous!

One Pot Philly Cheesesteak Pasta

A wonderful one pot pasta recipe with all the best parts of a Philly cheesesteak!

I'm testing out a new print feature and I hope it works out alright. I was using Google sites but the new version doesn't format correctly nor does it automatically bring up the print window like the classic version did. So I'll have to work on that here and there and it will probably take an eternity. 10 years of recipes will have to be converted over - AAH. Anyways, here's another lifesaving one pot recipe that is perfect for when you have to do time-consuming, repetitive, mind numbing blog work :P

All kidding aside, I do love one pot meals. It took me a bit to get used to the right amount of stirring and ensuring the pasta gets cooked properly and doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan, but once you master that, these are the best kind of recipes for really busy nights. Love having all the classic flavors of Philly cheesesteaks in pasta form!

Salted Caramel Muffins

Sweet dense little muffins with a salted dulce de leche swirl and caramel bits on top!

This is one of the breakfast recipes I had on my monthly meal plan for years. I know that sounds crazy but I really hate making breakfast recipes and so I stopped trying to do three a week. I tried 2 a week and it still wasn't working. Now I only plan one a week and most weeks, I don't make it *awkward shrug* I am not a morning person and sometimes I get too wrapped up in things to make a breakfast recipe for the next day. I like muffins because they are quick to throw together and if I manage to not make too much of a mess in the muffin tin, fairly easily clean up versus making pancakes or waffles or donuts. I loved the salty caramel in this SO much.

Menu Plan Monday - August 3, 2020

Looking forward to making my own refried beans for the first time! I'm also excited for spaghetti and meatballs, ramen, and guberburgers! We ended up having brinner last weekend, but totally game for more this weekend! Hope you all have a safe and wonderful August.

Monday - Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs & Spaghetti

Tuesday - 20-Minute Baked Cilantro Lime Chicken // Homemade Refried Beans
Wednesday - Unstuffed Banana Pepper Soup
Thursday - 15-Minute Garlic Butter Ramen
Friday - Guberburgers
Weekend - Coconut Crunch Donuts // Brinner: Alton Brown's Waffles, Scrambled Eggs, Sausage Patties, and Diner Style Home Fries // Copycat Dole Whip

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

Creamy Spinach Artichoke Chicken

Have your dip and eat it too with this Creamy Spinach Artichoke Chicken!

Today is my blog's 10th birthday! I cannot believe I have blogged for 10 years. 10 years worth of recipes. What's funny to me is that this is the first time I will add the label for artichokes as an ingredient. In 10 years of blogging, I've never posted a recipe with artichokes!

I've been on a spinach artichoke streak lately where it's what I'm craving and so I've tried out a few recipes that are not specifically spinach artichoke dip because that's basically the only way I've ever eaten it. I have been trying to eat less red meat (still) and I'm trying to find new chicken recipes that don't involve pasta. I really enjoyed this recipe. I would love to try my hand at handling a fresh artichoke soon!