Heavenly Homemakers

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Quick Crock Pot Spicy Pasta Dinner

June 19, 2022 by Laura 1 Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

This Quick Crock Pot Spicy Pasta Dinner came about on a day I was cleaning out leftovers. Therefore, this recipe is a winner that happened by accident!

Have you made my Cream Cheese Salsa Dip? It’s incredible, super easy, and our entire family loves it!

However, one of the recent times I made the dip, it somehow got shoved to the back of the fridge and forgotten. I’d just gotten back from a big grocery run, so I was in major “make lunch with whatever food I find tucked away” so that I could make room for all the fresh food.

And there I found Cream Cheese Salsa Dip.

Aha, thought I. This is going to somehow turn into our lunch.

I was just about ready to take our littles out for a long walk, so I dumped some pasta and this dip into the crock pot to see what would happen while we were gone. Sure enough, the results were just like I’d imagined. The pasta was soft and ready to eat in just three hours without any effort from me! I added a shot of cream and stirred in some cooked meat, and we had our meal!

Here’s the easy recipe:

Quick Crock Pot Spicy Pasta DinnerYum

Quick Crock Pot Spicy Pasta Dinner
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 10-ounces uncooked pasta, any variety
  • 8-ounces softened cream cheese
  • 32-ounces salsa
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 pound cubed ham or cooked hamburger meat (optional)
Instructions
  1. Empty package of uncooked pasta into a crock pot.
  2. In a blender, whip together cream cheese and salsa until smooth.
  3. Pour salsa mixture over the pasta in the crock pot.
  4. Cook on low heat for 3 hours.
  5. Stir in heavy whipping cream and meat if desired.
  6. Serve.
3.5.3251

Using up leftovers to create new meals is one of my favorite ways to be efficient in the kitchen!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Simple Homemade Pizza

September 9, 2020 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Pizza might be one of my favorite meals, so of course, we need to have Simple Homemade Pizza recipe options!

Confession: I order pizza more often than I used to now that we have little ones again. Ok, that’s not really a confession, it’s just truth, but I don’t actually feel that it needs to be confessed. As if ordering pizza is evil??

Sure, I don’t make every single thing from scratch anymore. Sure, not everything we eat is top-notch anymore. We still strive to eat nourishing foods so we can stay healthy. How else are we going to keep up with this tribe?! But God’s strength is bigger than ours, and that’s the real way we’re thriving through this journey.

So. I order pizza sometimes. Guilt-free. I praise God for this option on busy days I have to be at court hearings or team meetings while juggling littles and bigs.

Also, we eat it on paper plates. This is a beautiful thing.

Well anyway, pizza. The homemade kind. It truly tastes better, and we have fun building it to our liking. Here are my top three homemade pizza methods, from easiest to hardest. But the hardest way isn’t really hard, because do you even know me at all?

How to make simple homemade pizzaYum

  1. Buy pre-made crusts. Keep them in your freezer. Add toppings and bake. SO EASY. Plus cheaper and better tasting than ordering pizza.
  2. Make crust from Stir and Pour Bread recipe. Flour your hands and press it onto a pan. Add toppings and bake. VERY EASY.
  3. Make Whole Wheat Pizza Crust, because it is the most delicious. Make crusts ahead and freeze them if you’re as ambitious as I used to be and may be again sometime. Add toppings and bake. STILL EASY.

Here are the crust recipes for you!

Stir-and-Pour Pizza Crust

Simple Homemade Pizza
 
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Author: Laura
Serves: 2 large pizzas
Ingredients
  • 4 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground hard white wheat)
  • 2 teaspoons active rise yeast
  • 2 Tablespoons sucanat or sugar or honey
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 cups warm water
Instructions
  1. Stir all ingredients together.
  2. Cover and allow it to sit for 30 minutes.
  3. Spread dough on two *well-buttered* large pizza pans (three if you want a thinner crust)
  4. Bake in a 375° oven for 10 minutes.
  5. Pull partially baked crust out of the oven and top it however you like.
  6. Bake for 10-15 minutes more or until cheese has melted and becomes bubbly.
3.5.3251

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Simple Homemade Pizza
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 2 large pizzas
Ingredients
  • 5 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground flour from hard white wheat)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 4½ teaspoons active dry yeast (or 2 pouches)
  • 2 cups warm water (The water should feel warm, but not hot.)
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients together, knead for 3-4 minutes, then allow the dough to “rest” for about 10 minutes (give or take).
  2. This dough makes 2 large pizzas, or 18 mini pizzas.
  3. Shape dough into desired pizza sizes and place on baking sheets.
  4. Bake in a 375° oven for 5-7 minutes.
  5. Remove crusts from oven, allow them to cool, then freeze in freezer bags.
  6. Or, top hot pizza crusts with desired pizza toppings.
  7. When you're ready, bake the pizzas at 375° for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.
3.5.3251

What’s your favorite kind of pizza?

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

How to Serve a Special Breakfast without Breaking the Bank

June 14, 2020 by Laura 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Want to serve a special breakfast without breaking the bank? Here’s how!

Yum

How to serve a special breakfast without breaking the bank

In short, the answer is pancakes.

And crepes.

With pretty fruit.

And whipped cream.

See, here’s how I came to learn about this special breakfast. I mean, I already knew about it. But I guess I didn’t realize how amazing it really was. I thought I was just feeding college kids while simultaneously cleaning out my fridge (shh, don’t tell!).

As it turns out, I was giving them a feast that made them think I had gone to a lot of trouble and expense. They were amazed and grateful and overjoyed when they saw our buffet. Which was?

A tower of pancakes and whatever fruit I could find in my house.

We already know that pancakes are cheap to make in bulk. And we already know that most people love pancakes. So this is a great meal to feed a larger group of people.

So as I flipped the cakes, I kept pulling out whatever I could find to go with them. Matt sliced some bananas. I whipped some cream. Then I got out frozen fruit stuffed and forgotten in the back of my freezer and turned it into syrup.

We got out half empty full jars of applesauce. We pulled out a few fresh berries. We set out homemade peanut butter.

The buffet ended up looking so pretty and fun! The college students (who this time happened to be a bunch of soccer athletes who can EAT and who also have a soft spot for our Boy Babes – oh my heart) were simply thrilled with the food options.

We fed about 10 extras that night for just a few dollars. But seeing their faces beam and their plates fill and their hearts soften as they loved on our littles – it was entirely priceless.

For the record, I did decide to save money and make “syrup” by heating and stirring together brown sugar and water in a saucepan. Again, they all thought it was fancy since I’d made it myself. I was kinda feeling stingy about such a large group dousing their pancakes in our hard-to-come by and pretty pricy real maple syrup. So that was my money-saving solution to that. :)

So that’s that.

If you need to feed a crowd and you want to do it on the cheap, make a pile of pancakes and clean the frozen fruit out of the back of your freezer. Make your own “syrup” (I’ll post the details soon!) and put a big smile on your face. Offer this meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner – it is a winner any time of day!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Busy Day Baked Chicken

March 1, 2020 by Laura 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Bring on the Busy Day Baked Chicken!

Every day is a busy day! (Though it’s important that we are intentional about taking time to slow down and find restful days too!)

But for those extra-busy days – I am loving this idea for Busy-Day Baked Chicken!

This idea came from Anne, a cherished HeavenlyHomemakers.com reader. She says:

Laura, I have a favorite recipe idea to share! It was a lifesaver for me when I was a working mother (now retired). We call it “Wishbone Chicken.”

Wash and trim the fat on a whole chicken and place it in a pan. Sprinkle it with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt and slather it with Wishbone Italian Dressing. That’s it. Bake about an  hour at 350 degrees. Smells divine! Easy peasy!

As a working mom, I’d buy 3 or 4 whole chickens when on sale. I’d lay each cleaned chicken in foil and cover with the salt and dressing. Then I’d wrap each tightly in the foil and put in the freezer. On a work day, I’d take one out before I left for work, unwrap it, place in a pan, and put it in the oven (frozen). I’d set the oven to come on at 2:00 pm at 325 degrees. The chicken would be partly thawed when the oven came on. The kids and I came home from school around 3:30. We’d walk into a luscious smelling house and a delicious homemade dinner was all ready for us! – Anne

I’ve taken Anne’s great idea and we love it so much! I especially love the idea of buying the chickens on sale and making several ahead of time to freeze, then pull out and bake as needed!

This chicken is delicious and ridiculously easy!!

Busy-Day Baked ChickenYum

5.0 from 1 reviews
Busy Day Baked Chicken
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
  • Whole chicken
  • Seasoning Salt
  • 1½ cups Italian Dressing
Instructions
  1. Place a whole chicken on a rack, placed on a baking sheet.
  2. Sprinkle liberally with seasoning salt.
  3. Drizzle Italian Dressing over the chicken.
  4. Cover and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
3.5.3229

This is my favorite Seasoning Salt. And here’s our great and easy recipe for Homemade Italian Dressing if you’d like!

Do yourself a favor and make this chicken! Serve it with a salad and steamed veggie and you have the easiest meal in the world that is extremely delicious and nourishing.

Thank you, Anne!

Psssst! Everyone be sure to grab our Simple Real Food Recipes cookbook full of amazingly tasty and simple real food recipes like this one!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Simple Popcorn Chicken Tacos

March 12, 2019 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Here’s an idea for you. Make extra Popcorn Chicken to serve in tacos for a super simple meal! Popcorn Chicken Tacos are surprisingly good and of course, super fun.

Here’s our very easy, very delicious Popcorn Chicken Recipe. I love making a double, or triple, or quadruple batch of this chicken and then freezing it to reheat at another time for a super easy meal. As an extra fun variation, I reheat it and we use it to build tacos any way we like!

Simple Popcorn Chicken Tacos

Simple Popcorn Chicken Tacos
 
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Author: Laura
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 pound pre-made popcorn chicken*
  • 8 whole grain flour or corn tortillas
  • Fresh taco fixins like tomatoes, lettuce, black beans, sweet peppers, corn, cilantro, onions, salsa, olives, etc
  • Shredded cheese
Instructions
  1. Rewarm popcorn chicken.
  2. Prepare taco fixins and set out a buffet for each person to build Simple Popcorn Chicken Tacos per their preference!
3.5.3229

*Find our Simple Popcorn Chicken recipe here.

Want toasted tortillas? Simply warm them in a skillet over low heat for about 1 minute on each side until they turn lightly brown and barely crispy!

Want More Simple Recipes?

We’ve got a huge list, and it keeps growing!

  • Simple Baked Salmon and Asparagus
  • Simple Crock Pot Chicken Soup with a Kick
  • Simple Skillet Taco Pasta
  • Last-Minute Lentil Chili
  • Simple Sweet and Sour Baked Chicken Legs
  • 20-Minute Taco Soup
  • Simple Cheesy Baked Chicken
  • Simple Creamy Chicken Stew in the Crock Pot
  • Simple Italian Beef and Broccoli Skillet
  • Simple Bacon Ranch Chicken
  • Simple Hawaiian Crock Pot Chicken
  • Simple Taco Rice Dinner
  • Simple Last Minute Nacho Plate
  • Simple Chicken Cheeseballs with a Kick
  • Simple Beanie Weanies
  • Simple Crock Pot BBQ Spareribs
  • Simple Pizza Chicken Bake
  • Simple Italian Chicken and Green Bean Bake
  • Last Minute Creamy Bacon Spaghetti
  • Simple Hamburger Soup
  • Simple Parmesan Broiled Fish
  • Simple Overnight Saucy Crock Pot Chicken
  • Simple 15-Minute Meal
  • Simple Overnight Melt-in-Your-Mouth Beef Roast
  • Simple 3-Cheese Crock Pot Pasta
  • Simple Oven Fried Chicken
  • Simple Honey Mustard Chicken Legs
  • The Easiest Mashed Potatoes in the World
  • Simple Garlic Butter Shrimp
  • Simple Crunchy Ranch Chicken Strips
  • Simple Crock Pot Shredded Ranch Chicken (for salad or tacos)
  • Simple Crock Pot Pizza Casserole
  • Simple Barbecue Beef Roast
  • Simple Spanish Rice Bowls
  • Simple Roasted Rotiserie Chicken
  • Simple Green Chile Chicken
  • Simple Tex-Mex Creamy Chicken
  • Simple Waffle Omelets
  • Simple Crock Pot Taco Pasta
  • Simple Grilled Chicken
  • Simple Hawaiian Beef Roast
  • Simple Crock Pot Creamy Stew Meat
  • Simple Cheese Stuffed Burgers
  • Simple Hashbrown Casserole (For Instant Pot, Crock Pot or Oven!)
  • Simple Lasagna Casserole (For Instant Pot or Crock Pot)
  • Simple Chili Mac
  • Simple Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
  • From Burrito Bar to Casserole (a 5-Minute Meal!)
  • Simple Bacon Cheeseburger Roll
  • Simple Garlic Parmesan Chicken Legs
  • Super Simple Lasagna
  • The Simplest White Chicken Chili
  • Simple Lentil Nachos
  • Simple Tuna Patties
  • Simple Banana Pancakes
  • Simple Crock Pot Applesauce BBQ Chicken
  • Simple Hashbrown and Egg Nests
  • Simple Cornbread Waffles with Chili
  • Simple Veggie Fritters
  • Simple Lemon Garlic Chicken Legs
  • Simple Noodle Soup
  • Simple Three Cheese Spaghetti
  • Simple Crock Pot Salsa Shredded Beef
  • Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cups or Casserole
  • Easiest Beef Roast in the Instant Pot
  • Simple One-Dish Chicken Florentine
  • Simple Creamy Layered Enchiladas
  • Simple Ham and Hashbrown Casserole
  • 5-Minute Cheesy Hamburger and Potatoes
  • Simple 10-Minute Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
  • Simple Creamy Chicken Soup
  • Simple Broccoli Bacon Chicken
  • Simple Cheesy Salsa Chicken
  • Simple (Mostly Real Food) Tator Tot Casserole
  • Simple Cheeseburger Noodle Crock Pot Dinner
  • Simple 5-Minute Shredded Chicken
  • Simple Popcorn Chicken

Join Simple Meals!

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We love how Simple Meals has been saving family time for so many, and helping people put great food on the table each night! Join us for just $1/week!

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Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Simple 5-Minute Shredded Chicken

February 28, 2019 by Laura 4 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Just in case you have forgotten this truth, here it is again: Cooking meals for our families does not have to be a difficult job. This Simple 5-Minute Shredded Chicken is going to drop-kick the “cooking is hard” lie straight out the window.

Even if you don’t enjoy cooking, you can make this. Even if you don’t have time to cook, you can make this. Even if you can’t afford to spend much on groceries, you can make this. Even if you forgot to thaw meat, you can make this. Even if the idea of making a homemade meal brings tears to your eyes – wipe your tears, find 5-minutes, and make this. Even if you’re allergic to poultry…oh wait. That one is for real. If that is the case, please don’t make this.

To sum up, unless you are allergic to birds, there is no reason you should not make this (overuse of negatives, anyone?). Just make the chicken.

Let’s take a moment to get excited together about why making this Simple 5-Minute Chicken is a fabulous idea:

  • It takes 5-minutes of “work.” This was obvious, but worth shouting about because no one can even go through a drive-thru in 5-minutes.
  • You can make several meals worth of this chicken at the same time, storing it in the fridge or freezer, then pulling it out to add to meals as needed. This means that if you make 3-meals worth of this chicken at once, your 5-minutes of effort turns out 1.6666-Minute Chicken. #mathintherealworld
  • If you have made this chicken ahead of time and you are storing it in your fridge, you now have ready-made chicken which has now become 0-Minute Chicken.
  • Simple 5-Minute Chicken tastes really good and it is real food. We can’t say that about all convenience food, now can we?

Please note that the following recipe is barely a recipe. I am here to make your real food cooking life EASY. Simply get out chicken and get out spices. Place in crock pot, sprinkle, plug in, walk away, enjoy.

Simple 5-Minute Shredded Chicken

5.0 from 1 reviews
Simple 5-Minute Chicken
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 2-3 meals
Ingredients
  • 3-pounds boneless chicken thighs or breasts
  • Any seasonings you like (I use garlic powder, sea salt, paprika, and parsley flakes)
Instructions
  1. Place chicken in a crock pot and sprinkle with any herbs or spices you like.
  2. Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
  3. Shred chicken to use in any of your favorite recipes or to serve in tacos, or even as a main dish as-is!
3.5.3229

How to use your 5-Minute Chicken

Add it to:

  • Alfredo Sauce with Pasta
  • Baked Three Cheese Chicken Pasta
  • Chicken Burritos
  • Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole
  • Easy Noodle Stir Fry
  • Tacos
  • Chef Salads
  • Pasta Salads
  • Quesadillas

Or eat it plain with veggies on the side. So easy and delicious!

Having Alfredo? Just add Simple 5-Minute Shredded Chicken…

Want More Simple Recipes?

We’ve got a huge list, and it keeps growing!

  • Simple Baked Salmon and Asparagus
  • Simple Crock Pot Chicken Soup with a Kick
  • Simple Skillet Taco Pasta
  • Last-Minute Lentil Chili
  • Simple Sweet and Sour Baked Chicken Legs
  • 20-Minute Taco Soup
  • Simple Cheesy Baked Chicken
  • Simple Creamy Chicken Stew in the Crock Pot
  • Simple Italian Beef and Broccoli Skillet
  • Simple Bacon Ranch Chicken
  • Simple Hawaiian Crock Pot Chicken
  • Simple Taco Rice Dinner
  • Simple Last Minute Nacho Plate
  • Simple Chicken Cheeseballs with a Kick
  • Simple Beanie Weanies
  • Simple Crock Pot BBQ Spareribs
  • Simple Pizza Chicken Bake
  • Simple Italian Chicken and Green Bean Bake
  • Last Minute Creamy Bacon Spaghetti
  • Simple Hamburger Soup
  • Simple Parmesan Broiled Fish
  • Simple Overnight Saucy Crock Pot Chicken
  • Simple 15-Minute Meal
  • Simple Overnight Melt-in-Your-Mouth Beef Roast
  • Simple 3-Cheese Crock Pot Pasta
  • Simple Oven Fried Chicken
  • Simple Honey Mustard Chicken Legs
  • The Easiest Mashed Potatoes in the World
  • Simple Garlic Butter Shrimp
  • Simple Crunchy Ranch Chicken Strips
  • Simple Crock Pot Shredded Ranch Chicken (for salad or tacos)
  • Simple Crock Pot Pizza Casserole
  • Simple Barbecue Beef Roast
  • Simple Spanish Rice Bowls
  • Simple Roasted Rotiserie Chicken
  • Simple Green Chile Chicken
  • Simple Tex-Mex Creamy Chicken
  • Simple Waffle Omelets
  • Simple Crock Pot Taco Pasta
  • Simple Grilled Chicken
  • Simple Hawaiian Beef Roast
  • Simple Crock Pot Creamy Stew Meat
  • Simple Cheese Stuffed Burgers
  • Simple Hashbrown Casserole (For Instant Pot, Crock Pot or Oven!)
  • Simple Lasagna Casserole (For Instant Pot or Crock Pot)
  • Simple Chili Mac
  • Simple Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
  • From Burrito Bar to Casserole (a 5-Minute Meal!)
  • Simple Bacon Cheeseburger Roll
  • Simple Garlic Parmesan Chicken Legs
  • Super Simple Lasagna
  • The Simplest White Chicken Chili
  • Simple Lentil Nachos
  • Simple Tuna Patties
  • Simple Banana Pancakes
  • Simple Crock Pot Applesauce BBQ Chicken
  • Simple Hashbrown and Egg Nests
  • Simple Cornbread Waffles with Chili
  • Simple Veggie Fritters
  • Simple Lemon Garlic Chicken Legs
  • Simple Noodle Soup
  • Simple Three Cheese Spaghetti
  • Simple Crock Pot Salsa Shredded Beef
  • Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cups or Casserole
  • Easiest Beef Roast in the Instant Pot
  • Simple One-Dish Chicken Florentine
  • Simple Creamy Layered Enchiladas
  • Simple Ham and Hashbrown Casserole
  • 5-Minute Cheesy Hamburger and Potatoes
  • Simple 10-Minute Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
  • Simple Creamy Chicken Soup
  • Simple Broccoli Bacon Chicken
  • Simple Cheesy Salsa Chicken
  • Simple (Mostly Real Food) Tator Tot Casserole
  • Simple Cheeseburger Noodle Crock Pot Dinner

Join Simple Meals!

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We love how Simple Meals has been saving family time for so many, and helping people put great food on the table each night! Join us for just $1/week!

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Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

How to Cook a Frozen Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot

February 19, 2019 by Laura 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

What is it with me and frozen meat? Can I not get my act together and actually thaw the meat before cooking it? No, I cannot. I’ve come to terms with it. My chicken has come to terms with it. Gratefully, my Instant Pot has agreed to my terms. And that, my friends, is why we can cook a Frozen Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot in one hour or less! How incredible is it that we can take a frozen solid chicken from the freezer and have a great dinner an hour later!

I’ve been wanting to try this ever since I invested in an Instant Pot. A year and a half later, I finally gave it a go (no time like the present).

I love that my Instant Pot allows me to cook almost every variety of frozen meat! I cook several pounds of frozen hamburger meat in it (in just 30 minutes!). I cook frozen boneless chicken thighs in it. I even cook frozen beef roast in it. Now, introducing How to Cook a Frozen Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot!

How to Cook a Frozen Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot

How to Cook a Frozen Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 3-5 pound whole chicken
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • Sea salt
  • Pepper
  • Parsley Flakes
  • Garlic Powder
Instructions
  1. Set trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot.
  2. Pour 1 cup broth into the bottom.
  3. Set Chicken on the trivet.
  4. Sprinkle with your desired amount of herbs and spices.
  5. Seal and cook at hi pressure for 10-minutes PER POUND of chicken. (i.e. 3 pound chicken=30 minutes)
  6. Allow pressure to release naturally.
3.5.3229

This chicken pairs great with Stick of Butter Rice. And of course, you can steam or roast a veggie or two and get out the salad fixin’s. Talk about a super good, super nourishing meal!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Simple Summer Suppers: Sloppy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

July 8, 2018 by Laura 1 Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Have leftover Sloppy Joe Meat? Use it to quickly make Sloppy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches!

How’s that for a twist on Sloppy Joes and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches? Sure it’s a tiny bit messy. That’s the point. The flavor is super fun and delicious with the butter, the cheese, and the meat.

These can be thrown together quickly and served with simple sides like fresh fruit and raw veggies. You can have your entire meal on the table in ten minutes!

I’m quite sure most of you know how to make a Grilled Cheese Sandwich. I’m also quite sure that it’s obvious that to make a Sloppy Grilled Cheese Sandwich you simply add sloppy joe meat to your grilled cheese. Thus, writing specific directions below to describe exactly how to make a Sloppy Grilled Cheese Sandwich was an interesting adventure. How did I do? Please be impressed.

Sloppy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

5.0 from 1 reviews
Simple Summer Suppers: Sloppy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Ingredients
  • Leftover Sloppy Joe Meat (recipe link above)
  • Whole grain bread
  • Softened butter
  • Cheese slices (we like Colby jack or Pepper jack)
Instructions
  1. Rewarm sloppy joe meat in a saucepan until bubbly.
  2. Butter two slices of bread and place on a warm/hot griddle.
  3. Lay a piece of cheese on each unbuttered side of bread, allowing cheese to melt.
  4. Spread warm meat over one piece of cheese bread.
  5. Place the other slice of cheese bread onto the sloppy joe/cheese bread to make a sandwich.
  6. Cook until both sides of bread are golden and cooked to your liking.
3.5.3229

Add as much or as little Sloppy Joe Meat to your sandwich as you like. We think these are delicious!

Have you seen our other Simple Summer Suppers? Here’s a running list:

  • Simple BLT Wraps
  • Simple Bacon Broccoli Salad
  • Simple Sloppy Joes

Don’t miss any of our new ideas we’ve got coming! Subscribe for free so all the latest can come directly to your inbox!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Simple Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cups (or Casserole)

April 29, 2018 by Laura 9 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Sometimes I experiment with recipe ideas and they turn out to be big flops. You don’t know about these because they don’t get shared here, for all the obvious, not-so-tasty reasons. This Simple Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cup or Casserole recipe got rave reviews at our house, making it definitely blog worthy. How can cooking real food continue to get easier??!

Have I mentioned that I discovered Mr. Dells Frozen Hashbrowns at the grocery store and declare them to be a fabulous option? They contain one ingredient: Potatoes. Other frozen hashbrowns at the store have a slew of ingredients listed that I can’t pronounce. So either make your own frozen hashbrowns or see if you can find a brand like Mr. Dells that includes plain ol’ potatoes. I try to have big bags of these on hand at all times now as they are super convenient!

To make this recipe, simply brown meat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Spread mixture into a casserole dish (easy!!) or scoop the mixture into muffin tins (still easy but one more step). Bake and serve. Enjoy the deliciousness!

Simple Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cups or Casserole

Simple Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cups or Casserole
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 24 cups or 6-8 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground beef, lamb, or turkey
  • 15-ounces frozen shredded hashbrowns
  • ½ - 1 cup ketchup (depending on how much your family likes ketchup)
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 Tablespoons dried minced onion
  • 2 cups shredded cheese (we like Colby jack or pepper jack best, but any variety will work!)
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Brown meat in a skillet until no longer pink.
  2. Mix cooked meat and remaining ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.
  3. For Cups: Scoop mixture into prepared muffin tins (I find that it works best to melt a bit of oil in each tin so that the baked nests pop right out!) Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
  4. For Casserole: Spread mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
3.5.3229

Freezer Friendly!

Make this recipe into a casserole, cover, and freeze. When you’re ready to bake it, take it from the freezer, cover it with foil and slide it into a cold oven. Bake at 250 degrees for 2.5 hours or until bubbly.

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Simple Build-a-Spanish-Rice-Bowl

April 23, 2017 by Laura 8 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Sometimes I think I have picky eaters at my house. Then I realize that my kids eat a huge variety of foods and I should be grateful.

I mean, when I was a little girl, I liked exactly two varieties of fruits and vegetables: green beans (canned) and apples (with the peeling off). Somehow this kept me alive, I made it to college, and learned to eat salads (to avoid the Freshman 15, of course). Later, I got married and found out about a thing called broccoli. Little by little through the years, I’ve tried and liked dozens of fruits and veggies, expanding my repertoire many times over.

Though I still don’t like jicama.

It’s okay though because I often sit in my recliner snacking on raw spinach, which isn’t even weird, not even a little bit, am I right? I can’t figure out why my teenagers tease me about this.

Well anyway, my kids aren’t really picky, I’m realizing, because they like and eat a big variety of fruits and veggies. But still, we all have our preferences. Some of us really like cheese and some of us think it’s fun to snack on spinach.

Because of our wide variety of preferences, sometimes, instead of making a meal that everyone has to eat whether they like it or not, it’s fun to instead set out a big buffet of choices and everyone can build their own plate or bowl.

I love this idea so much that I include a category for this every single week in our Simple Meals plans. Build-Your-Own buffets are a huge time saver and make for a really fun meal too!

Today’s idea is Build a Spanish Rice Bowl.

I used to make Spanish Rice all in one pot, but some people like corn and some don’t. Some like black beans and some don’t. Some want sour cream and some don’t. I have found it easiest to simply set out all the fixin’s and let everyone build their bowl the way they like.

We each pile in our favorites:

spanish rice bowl41

Then stir it up and dive in.

spanish rice bowl11

The bowl above has a lot of greens (bet you can guess which mom that belongs to), no rice (can we even still call it spanish rice?), a whole lotta ground beef and black beans, and a dollop of sour cream.

But this one got piled up with rice, meat, beans, corn, and salsa without the greens and sour cream.

spanish rice bowls21

So it got stirred up to look like this.

spanish rice bowls31

At the end of the meal, everyone was satisfied and happy because their bowl was filled with everything they wanted and nothing they didn’t want. Of course, many participants in this meal filled their bowl more than once, which is also fun because they could either choose to fill it the same way as the first time or create something new the second (or third) time around.

Build a Spanish Rice Bowl

5.0 from 1 reviews
Simple Build-a-Spanish-Rice-Bowl
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground beef, seasoned with chili powder, garlic powder, and salt
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 1 can black beans
  • 1 can sliced olives
  • Shredded cheese
  • Sour cream
  • Salsa
  • Fresh greens
  • Cooked corn
Instructions
  1. Set out any or all of the ingredients listed above, along with anything else your family might like.
  2. Allow each person to fill their bowl the way they like.
3.4.3177

Those are just some of the foods you might want to set out for your Build a Spanish Rice Bowl buffet. I’d love to hear of any add-in ideas your family might like.

Build a Spanish Rice Bowl

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