BakeAwayGirl

 We've tried this dish a few different ways, tweaking the seasoning, cheese, and veggies to match the theme. If we are going Italian, we do Italian sausage, oregano and basil, and mozzarella. You can do it however you'd like, it's really a blank canvas. One Pot Cajun Pasta Adapted from here Avocado oil, or oil of choice 1 large onion, diced 1 package (12oz) andouille sausage, sliced Salt and pepper, to taste Cajun seasoning Garlic (powdered or fresh) Smoked paprika 4 cups chicken broth 2 cans (14oz) diced tomatoes 1 cup milk 16oz pasta 1 cup (8oz) shredded pepper jack cheese Heat olive oil in a large pot (we prefer our Dutch oven). Add onions and sliced sausage. Stir to coat in oil. Coat in salt, pepper, paprika, Cajun seasoning, and garlic. Toss well. Cook until onions are translucent. Pour in tomatoes (do NOT drain), chicken broth, and milk. Stir in uncooked pasta noodles. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until pasta is cooked through, about 12 min

 This particular recipe started as a chicken thigh recipe. However we were making something with chicken already that week and wanted to change it up. I suggested pork, and Jeff immediately decided on pork shoulder. Now, I can't imagine it any other way. Chili Soy Pork Adapted from  here 2lbs pork shoulder, cut into bite sized pieces 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons gochujang 2 tablespoons spicy chili sauce 1/4 cup oyster sauce 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 cup scallions, diced Cut the pork into bite sized pieces and place in a ziplock bag or a bowl Combine soy sauce, gochujang, chili sauce, oyster sauce, garlic and scallions. Whisk together and pour over pork, coating well. Marinate at minimum 1 hour, recommend overnight. Preheat the oven to 425F. Add oil to a hot pan and sear each side of the pork for 1-2 minutes, or until browned. Remove from pan onto a cookie sheet. Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice with veggies of your choice.

 Definitely the hit of the season. Easy, quick, cheap, and SO delicious. This is definitely going to be a favorite in our house. Notes: it is enough for us for now... but in the near future, we will need a lot more. The rice is delicious because the chicken cooks in it, so unfortunately, we can't just make more rice. It could be done in the oven, though, so you could easily bake a second dish. Cilantro Lime Chicken & Rice Adapted from here 2-3 tbsp olive oil 4-6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on Salt Pepper 3 cups chicken broth 2 cups jasmine or basmati rice 2 tbsp butter Garlic powder 2 limes, juiced 1/3 cup cilantro, finely diced Coat the bottom of the Dutch oven with oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper liberally over both sides of your chicken. Arrange the chicken in the oil of the Dutch oven, skin side down. Turn on medium heat. Cook chicken 8-10 minutes, untouched, or until skin releases easily from pan. Flip and cook an additional 3-5 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and turn he

 More Dutch oven.  Why not? It's absolutely delightful and so easy. First of all, this calls for "stew meat." What is stew meat? Google says round steak or chuck steak. Take your pick. We tried this 3 ways over the course of the winter. First we added the potatoes into the stew as the recipe suggests. That was fine. Unremarkable but fine. Then we skipped the potatoes in the stew, made a separate bowl of mashed potatoes, and served the stew over those. Oh yes, this is how it was intended to be. The pure definition of warm comfort food. Last, we put the stew over white rice made separately. That was Jeff's favorite. Ultimately, my suggestion is to skip the potatoes in the stew and make whatever starch you want for your bowl, whether it's mashed potatoes or rice. Beef Stew Adapted from here 1 tbsp butter 2lbs stew meat, diced 1/2 cup flour Salt Pepper Garlic powder Paprika Thyme 1 cup dry red wine 1 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 small can tomato paste (about 2-3 tablespoon

 I'm on a Dutch oven kick. Why not? I can cook the entire meal in one pot, usually on the stove, and it looks pretty too.  It helps that it's so cold outside. I have no measurements for my seasonings. I season with my heart. I season until my British Isles ancestors roll in their graves. Chicken & Dumplings Adapted from here Soup 2 tbsp olive oil 1lb chicken breasts 1 medium onion, diced 1 cup diced carrots 1/2 cup diced celery Salt Pepper Thyme Garlic powder Onion powder 4 cups chicken broth 1/4 cup heavy cream Dumplings 1 cup flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 egg 1/2 cup milk 2 tsp dried parsley 1 tsp salt Dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven. Add chicken and onion. Season as you stir. Cook for 5 minutes. Add carrots and celery, cooking for another 3-4 minutes. Pour in broth and season again. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes until veggies are soft. Add cream. In a separate bowl, mix the dumpling ingredients together with

 Our neighbor brought us a basket of fresh picked strawberries, and while our kids inhale strawberries, we had just picked up a bunch from the grocery store. There was no way we could eat them all.  Well, there was, but it would be ridiculous. So instead, I headed to Pinterest for ideas. This particular recipe was so delicious that we immediately made it again, substituting the strawberries for raspberries and lemon. It was way more tart with the raspberries and lemon, but I also went hard with lemon, so it's possible to sweeten it up.  The point is, you can use most berries in some form. It's worth noting that this does go bad relatively quickly when left at room temperature, even when well wrapped.  We didn't quite finish the last pieces of either version before they went bad... and we ate it fast. So either store it in the fridge, or bring it to share within a day or two. Strawberry Oatmeal Bars Adapted from here 1 cup rolled oats 3/4 cup flour 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/4 ts

Homemade Cornbread Adapted from here 1 cup yellow cornmeal 1 cup whole milk 1 cup flour 2/3 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 large egg 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted Preheat oven to 400* Mix the cornmeal and whole milk together in a mixing bowl. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. DON'T TOUCH. After 10 minutes, stir in the rest of the ingredients. Make sure you stir well to incorporate all of the ingredients. Pour into a greased 8x8 pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.