One-Pot Mediterranean Pasta

This dinner is the ultimate meal for a busy night. With a few pantry staples and less than 30 minutes, you’ll have dinner on the table in no time! And my favorite part? There’s almost no chopping – it’s all just dump-and-go.

This one-pot pasta cooks the spaghetti right in the sauce, so it’s faster and results in fewer dishes. Add in a salad and some bread to complete the meal.

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Grilled Nachos

I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who didn’t like nachos. Even the pickiest kids are usually totally cool with chips covered in cheese. Thus, nachos may just be the perfect dish to bring to a party – and a cookout is no different because they also can be made on the grill.

I love making a big, loaded up tray for our family for dinner, but a nacho bar would be such a fun idea for a cookout! You could set up all the ingredients separately and use loaf pans for individual servings. Write names on the foil covering to keep track of everyone’s custom orders!

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Peach Panzanella Salad

We put in a big garden this spring. It’s something we’ve had plans for but with quarantine, we finally made the jump and did it. We knew it would be a learning year – and it is. I’m having more fails than successes.

One huge success? Our tomatoes.

This simple salad is one of my favorite ways to use up our tomatoes. If you’re going to make this, I highly suggest using tomatoes from a farm or your garden – they’re just so good right now!

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Sheet Pan Gnocchi & Vegetables

Today marks three weeks of social distancing for us. We are trying to stay home as much as possible in this weird, temporary normal, which means my 2-3 grocery trips per week have been severely cut back – we made it 18 days before our first grocery run and we’re hoping to make it another 2-3 weeks before going back.

If you’re trying to space grocery trips, this is an ideal meal for week two. The vegetables used here hold up pretty well to a week in the fridge – and even if they start getting a little soft, you’ll never be able to tell after roasting them!

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Summer Vegetable Pasta Bake

We have a few more weeks of summer here, so I haven’t quite wrapped my head around back-to-school. We’re entering a brave new world this year – Kindergarten! – and I’m not ready to give up our relaxed summer schedule.

I know a lot of our friends are starting to head back, though, and I’ve gotten quite a few requests for easy back-to-school dinners. This dinner is perfect – easy, but still full of the fresh flavors of the season.

Summer Pasta 3

This dump-and-bake pasta couldn’t be easier – you don’t even have to pre-cook the pasta! We used leftover grilled chicken, but you could use a rotisserie chicken too. This is also easily made vegetarian by skipping the chicken and using vegetable broth instead.

A few minutes to chop and assemble and then your hands are free to help with homework or spend some quality time with the little ones who have been at school all day!

Summer Pasta 1

Thanks Ellen from Family Around the Table and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures for hosting our Farmer’s Market Event!

Wednesday Farmer’s Market Week Recipes

 

Summer Pasta 2

Summer Vegetable Pasta Bake

Serves 6-8

2 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 large tomato, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1/2 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
12 oz. uncooked uncooked penne pasta
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, divided
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9×11″ pan with nonstick spray.

Set aside 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup basil.

Pour the rest of the ingredients into the pan and stir to combine. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Uncover and stir. If pasta is not al dente, cover and cook for a few more minutes.

When pasta is al dente, sprinkle remaining mozzarella over the top and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with basil, and stir.

Summer Vegetable Pasta Bake

Italian Chopped Salad

Did you know May is National Salad Month? It seemed like the perfect reason to round up some food blogger friends – today we’re sharing all kinds of awesome salads to celebrate!

Italian Chopped Salad 1

The salad I’m sharing today has been one of my go-tos for the last few months.

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Slow Cooker Pepperoni Pizza Soup

Happy National Soup Swap Day! It’s seriously one of my favorite days of the year.

I mean, really, what is better than getting together with your friends on a chilly January Saturday and eating lots of soup?

pepperoni pizza soup 3

This Slow Cooker Pepperoni Pizza Soup is my contribution to this year’s soup swap. Since it’s essentially pizza in a bowl, it’s a crowd pleaser – and especially a hit with the kids.

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Bacon Pierogi Bake

I’ve found that when life gets busy, I always return to what I know works. Go-to outfits, go-to routines, and of course – go to meals.

Bacon Pirogi Bake 2

This is one of our go-to meals – and has been since I first posted it in 2011.

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