Chicken Spaghetti

Chicken, spaghetti, and plenty of cheese baked together in a creamy sauce make this casserole a hit. It’s easy to put together and absolutely delicious. This is a weeknight win!

Chicken Spaghetti has been a family go-to for more than a decade. It’s a comforting crowd-pleaser that I can count on whenever I need a slam-dunk dinner for everyone.

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Slow Cooker Honey Mustard Pulled Chicken

I think slow cookers are under appreciated during the summer months. Everyone loves the hearty stews and chilis when the weather is chili – but how often do you break it out when it’s hot outside?

I really is the perfect kitchen tool on hot days because it cooks without heating up the house. The trick is to pick a meal that doesn’t feel like it’s made for fall.

These sandwiches are a perfect example. These are saucy, but not heavy and the slaw makes them feel fresh and perfect for a hot day.

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Slow Cooker Frito Pie

The slow cooker has been saving me in this season of life. Seriously. It’s the only way I get dinner on the table in any sort of timely fashion on Mondays, and it’s been in heavy rotation on weekends too.

There’s something about kicking back and watching football while the slow cooker does the work that just fills my heart. It truly feels like a break.

This game day dinner is a recent hit here – an all-day-long simmered chili served over corn chips and topped off with cheese and sour cream. It was a hit with everyone

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Apple Bacon BBQ Chicken

This quick-prep dinner uses just a few ingredients to make a dish packed with flavor. In about 5 minutes, you’ll have dinner prepped – the most time-consuming part is shredding an apple.

Let it simmer all day in the slow cooker or make it quickly in the instant pot – it’s perfect for any night!

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10 Recipes to try this Crocktober

Welcome October, welcome Crocktober!

October is all about sharing slow cooker dishes. It makes total sense – the weather is cooling down and schedules are hectic so it’s the perfect time to break out the slow cooker and make cozy, hands-off meals.

Pictures of slow cooker sandwiches and soup, with the words, "10 Recipes to Try this Crocktober".

I’m excited to share some new slow cooker recipes this month – and some updated favorites. Today, I’m kicking things off with 10 previously-blogged recipes you should add to your meal plan this month!

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Hearty Minestrone

I realized last week it’s officially soup season here – we couldn’t leave the house without sweatshirts in the morning! Really can’t say I’m sad about the return of fall weather.

Cooler days mean I’m craving cozy dinners – and this one just hit the spot! It’s an old favorite – and a fresher-tasting version of the soup you get at an Italian chair restaurant. (If you know, you know!)

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Honey Barbecue Chicken Wraps with Broccoli Slaw

The kids are finally back to school.

After a stint of virtual school and then a year of homeschool, having them back in school feels so weird. We’re definitely out of practice of having to leave the house on time every day.

Cross-section view of a wrap stuffed with barbcue sauce-covered chicken tenders and broccoli slaw.

And, I had totally forgot how done everyone is by the time dinner rolls around. They are tired and hungry and our days of leisurely family dinners are officially on sabbatical. “What can I get on the table quickest?” is the current name of the game.

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Pork Verde Stew with Cornbread Dumplings

I received product samples from Sam’s Fresh Salsa to help in the creation of this post. All opinions are my own.

Yes, it’s summer, but the weather here hasn’t felt like it the last week or so. All the dreary, rainy days have me craving comfort food so I took one of my summer staples – salsa! – and turned it into the perfect rainy-day dinner.

Tender chunks of pork are stewed in a couldn’t-be-easier verde sauce and then buried in piles of fluffy cornbread dumplings. Finish with a dollop of sour cream and you have the perfect meal!

A bowl with chunks of pork smothered in a verde chile sauce with a cornbread dumpling to the side. The bowl is on an orange napkin and a blue pot is in the background.

I created this recipe for Sam’s Fresh Salsa Blogger Recipe Challenge and couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out!

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Summer Steak Salad

There are so many traditional cookout foods – and so many of them are light on vegetables. I love a good potato salad but I also love my greens so I’m always excited when they find their way into an outdoor party menu. Thus, it seemed appropriate to wrap up #BBQWeek with a hearty salad that’s still perfect for an outdoor gathering.

This salad is full of the bounty of summer and make-ahead friendly which is perfect for entertaining. Simply dressed greens, tomatoes, and grilled onions are topped with grilled steak, avocado, basil, and almonds in this drool-worthy dish. It will serve four as a meal in itself – or more as part of a larger spread.

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Vegan BBQ Chickpea Salad

Today is Good Friday, the last Friday of Lent – which means it’s time to wrap up this year’s Lenten Friday series. I hope you’ve enjoyed the vegan meal ideas I’ve shared over the last six weeks! I’m closing out this year’s posts with a great recipe for the meal I struggle with most on Lenten Fridays – lunch.

For me, breakfast is always easy. Dinner is always well planned. Lunch, though? Lunch is always just grabbing whatever – and not usually plant based in this house so vegan lunches have been lackluster at best.

Salad with bbq chickpeas, corn, cucumber, pickles, red onion, carrots, and tahini ranch dressing.

This salad, though, was the best lunch I had during Lent this year hands-down. It doesn’t take long to make, but the elements are also perfectly meal-prep friendly if you want to make it ahead. The warm, bbq chickpeas paired with all my favorite barbecue-inspired flavors (including dill pickles!) was such a satisfying mid-day meal.

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