Tater Tot Casserole

I have a TON of cookbooks. I have ones that are for specific meals, like desserts, pasta, and chicken. I have others that are geared towards cooking methods, like cooking in foil pouches or using slow cookers. I have a few dedicated to TV shows and cooking contest winners. And I have a bunch that cover everything from soup to nuts. But my absolute favorite cookbooks are the ones that only have recipes using 4 or 5 ingredients. This recipe came from one of those, maybe 7 years ago, and it used to be one of the most requested dishes in our house. I haven't made it in a while, but Andrew has been begging for it lately, so I finally gave in. It's quick, it's easy, it's a real family-pleaser, and I'll bet you already have all of the ingredients on hand.

Cheddar Mushroom Patty Melts

I have a thing for mushrooms. And cheddar cheese. And beef. Do you remember a while back when Wendy's had those burgers that were topped with sauteed mushrooms and warm cheddar sauce? They were the messiest thing ever, with the cheesy sauce oozing out everywhere and you needed about 327 napkins just to get through it. They advertised them for weeks before they finally started selling them. The day they actually launched them, I think I was in line before they even opened. Do you remember? Well, this is kind of like that, only better. My son calls them beef-stuffed grilled cheese and that just about sums it up.

The Best Beef Stew

When the weather turns cold, I love soul-warming dishes like chili, pasta fagioli, and red lentil soup. But at the end of the day, nothing beats a really good beef stew. With February winding down and visions of spring gardens dancing in my head, I thought this would be a perfect recipe to share. With a few special ingredients, this stew has such a deep, flavorful sauce. Potatoes, carrots, and peas never had it so good. What's that? You don't see peas in the picture above? That's because I received a special request to leave them out. Again. (I think Andrew thinks he might die if he actually eats one.) If you have your own picky eaters to deal with, dish theirs out first, then add the peas to the pot.

Mini Meatloaf

Meatloaf is one of those things that sounds so simple. After all, you're just shaping some meat into a big patty and cooking it. Easy, right? Not so much. It burns, it dries out, it ends up sitting in its own grease. Not to mention it takes forever to cook. But, after making it a time or two (dozen), I have finally figured out 3 foolproof steps for turning out perfect meatloaf every time. And this particular meatloaf will be ready in less than 30 minutes. (Let's be honest, that's the part you're really excited about.)

Taco Salad




I suppose if I'm going to tell you that my two favorite foods in the whole world are pancakes and tacos, that I'd better post recipes for both. I already shared my mini breakfast pigs-in-blankets, so here are some tacos.

Meatball Noodle Soup and Italian Bread




One of my New Year's Resolutions this year is to make soup and bread on Sundays. While I realize it is not technically the New Year yet, yesterday was Sunday and I was itching to do this one right away. I raided my cabinets, pantry, and freezer and this is what I came up with. It's cheap, filling, and it makes a ton - just the way I like it!

Mini Meatballs




Maybe it's because I'm Italian. Maybe it's because I like beef. Maybe it's because unadorned spaghetti is so sad to me. But I love meatballs. Not just a ball of meat, meatballs are like mini meatloaves, with all kinds of yummy good stuff rolled up in them.

Eggplant Lasagna

There are 4 people in my house, yet I cook as though there were 12. This is good and bad. Good because extra food means leftovers, which means there is a chance I may not have to cook some other night. Bad because I hate leftovers. Nothing annoys me more than eating the same exact thing twice in a row.

Eggplant Casserole

Eggplant is an acquired taste - you either love it or you hate it. I love it, Andrew hates it.

I grew up on fried eggplant. My mom would bread it and fry it, just like you do when you are making eggplant parm, but we stopped before the cheese and sauce stage and ate it as is.

That was my only experience with eggplant until recently. I started perusing recipes and looking for other ways to serve this pretty purple veggie. This casserole is one of my favorites, and if you have leftovers, you can turn them into Eggplant Lasagna!

Super-Stuffed Peppers

After reading the recipe, you will probably notice that the
peas and carrots are missing from this pepper.
Yup, I totally forgot to put them in.


The last time I went to the little vegetable stand across the street from the grocery store, they had the nicest looking green bell peppers I had seen in a while. I bought like ten of them. I made fajitas with some, froze some, and saved the best ones for stuffed peppers. So simple, so easy, and you can skip the meat if that's your thing. I personally can live without it, but Andrew is still very pro-meat, so I throw a little in there to keep everybody happy. (When I made the Cheesy Chunky Veggie Soup the other day, his only comment was, "This is good - you should definitely add some meat to it, though.")

Super Simple Chili (A.K.A. Even-people-who-hate-chili-will-love-this Chili)

I hate used to hate chili. I have tried so many chilis, but they were too spicy or too bland, and the beans were always still hard or total mush. I finally realized the only way I was going to get a chili I liked was if I made it myself. I have been serving this up for years and have converted many other chili-haters. Enjoy!