Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

Can you believe I'm actually posting a recipe?!? I haven't been trying any new recipes lately mainly because I don't have time to sit and look up new ones to try in the midst of keeping my 3 month old alive and moving to our new house in Charlotte. But...I made this the other night and it was good enough to share! Next time I think I will add some red pepper flakes for some spice and maybe try to "doctor up" the meat a little more, but for a first time new recipe it was great! And the husband really enjoyed it as well which is always a good thing!

Please forgive me for not taking as many pictures as I normally do with recipes. My reasons for the lacking photos...see above.


What you need (no picture - because well...see above)

- 4 green bell peppers, cut in half with seeds and ribs removed
- 1.5 lb deli sliced roast beef
- 16 slices provolone cheese
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 T butter
- 4 T coconut oil
- Salt and pepper to taste


Directions

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees

- In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat the butter and oil over medium-low heat

- Add the onions and garlic and sautee until caramelized, about 30 minutes. You'll want to stir them often to keep from sticking

- Once the onions have caramelized, add in the roast beef and cook an additional 5 minutes to let the flavors combine. Add salt and pepper to taste

- Line each pepper half with a piece of provolone cheese

- Fill each pepper half with the beef/onion mixture and top with another piece of cheese

- Arrange peppers in a casserole dish and bake 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese becomes golden and bubbly

- Serve and enjoy!

I served ours with white rice and we enjoyed cutting up the peppers and mixing it all together!


More new recipes coming soon!

Black Bean Soup

You all know I am a huge lover of soup. There really is no designated "soup weather" for me, I can eat it and love it anytime of year. The other day I had a serious craving for black bean soup and since it was a "healthy" craving I decided to oblige.

I'm going to have a serious wake up call when I'm no longer pregnant and still have these "cravings."

Anyway, the husband is not the biggest fan of black beans. He usually prefers pinto beans if given the choice but because he's the best husband ever and knows not to argue with a pregnant lady by now, he happily ate this (and said he enjoyed it and would want it again!)

I served this over yellow rice (another craving) so it became a bit thick. You don't have to serve it this way if you want it "soupier." Hope you all enjoy it!


What you need

- 2 cans black beans, undrained
- 2 C chicken broth
- 1/2 green pepper, diced
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 T cornstarch
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- yellow rice (optional)







Directions

- In a large pot, heat 1 T oil (I used my trusty coconut oil) over medium heat

- Add the onion, pepper and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes

- While the vegetables are cooking, add one can of black beans and the chicken broth to a blender

- Puree for a few seconds. You don't want it completely smooth

- Add the pureed beans and the other can of beans to your vegetables

- Add in the spices and cornstarch and bring to a boil for 2 minutes

- Taste and add more seasoning if necessary. If you want it to be a bit spicy you can add some crushed red pepper flakes.

- Serve over yellow or white rice and top with sour cream. Yum!

This is a great and filling meatless meal and the leftovers are great too!

Tuscan Chicken Pasta

I know it's been a while since I've posted a recipe. Sorry! We've definitely got baby on the brain these days as we draw ever closer to Joshua's arrival.

But this isn't a baby update (that will come later this week).

I have a new recipe for you all that was easy and delicious. The only problem is I have absolutely no photos of the process or finished results. I was too hungry and my feet were too swollen by the end to care. Sorry, I'm lame. But I promise it came out delicious and the husband had two platefuls! Hope you all enjoy it!


Tuscan Chicken Pasta - adapted from Melskitchencafe.com

This wasn't a gluten free recipe to start with so I had to make some changes. I was a little apprehensive using GF flour and almond milk but boy did it turn out well! I also don't find peppers appealing right now so I subbed sundried tomatoes instead. I also made this a pasta dish (similar to chicken alfredo) but the original recipe keeps the chicken breasts whole and serves the sauce on top. I also didn't bread the chicken. Whatever you want to do and have time for is absolutely fine!


What you need
- Chicken breasts or cutlets, cubed (If you're cutting the chicken like I did, use cutlets - cheaper and cooks faster)
- 8 oz GF pasta (I used fusilli but you could use penne, elbow or fettuccini/spaghetti)
- 1/4 large onion, diced
- 1/4 C sundried tomatoes, chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 T tapioca flour
- 1/2 C chicken broth
- 6 oz fresh spinach
- 1/2 C heavy cream
- 2 T cornstarch
- 1 C almond milk (or whatever milk you have)
- 1 C grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste


I know that looks like a lot of ingredients but it goes really quickly I promise!

Directions

- Bake chicken at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes. Set aside to cool. I seasoned my cutlets with salt, pepper and granulated garlic.

- Cook pasta according to directions.

- While the pasta is cooking, start the sauce.

- In a large skillet, heat 1 T of oil (I used coconut) over medium heat

- Add the onion, tomatoes (or red pepper) and garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the onions begin to sweat.

- Add the tapioca flour and cook 1 minute

- Add the chicken broth and reduce heat to a simmer for 3-4 minutes (It will get thick)

- In a measuring cup, whisk together the cream and cornstarch. Add to skillet and stir well.

- Add the milk and spinach and a bit of salt and pepper

- Continue to simmer until the sauce is thick and the spinach is wilted

- Stir in parmesan cheese

- Add the cooked pasta and the cubed chicken and stir together, making sure the sauce evenly coats everything.

- Add salt and pepper to taste and serve!

*If you want to serve it like the original recipe, leave the chicken breasts or cutlets whole, place on a bed of noodles, and spoon the sauce over the top. *

Here's a picture of the original recipe. Doesn't it look yummy?!

Happy Tuesday! Baby Josh update is coming soon!

Shrimp and Grits

This is another Brown family favorite recipe! And while it's not necessarily the healthiest recipe, it sure is one of the tastiest! Jon absolutely loves shrimp and grits and even though I've known this for a while, this was my first time making it for him. I'd say it was a tremendous success (and mommy and Joshua enjoyed it too!) Thanks to my mother-in-law, Gisele, for passing on the recipe and my sister-in-law, Stephanie, for originally posting the recipe so I could follow it!


What you need

- 1 C grits
- 1/4 stick of butter
- 1 C shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 strips of bacon, chopped
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used frozen)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp dried parsley

*optional:
- 1 C chopped green onion
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

I left the optional things out because of my preggo heartburn but it's really yummy with a little spice!






Directions

- Cook the grits according to the directions on the box

- After they have simmered, add the butter and cheese. Stir and set aside

- Cook your bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove and set aside but DON'T drain the pan!

- Run warm water over your shrimp (if using frozen) and remove the tails

*NOTE: I usually buy fresh shrimp but I can't really stand the smell of the seafood counter at the grocery store these days, so I bought the frozen kind and they worked great!

- Add the garlic, shrimp (and red pepper if using) to the bacon grease and cook for 3 minutes.

- Add the lemon juice, parsley (and green onion if using) and immediately pull off the heat

- Add in the cooked bacon and stir

- Add the shrimp mixture to your grits. Be sure to not waste any of the delicious juices left in the pan!

- Stir well and serve. You can top with more cheese if you like (which we did!)

*CONFESSION: I ate 2 bowls. It was SO delicious! Hope you all enjoy!

Stephanie's Rigatoni Macaroni

This is my beautiful sister in law, Stephanie's, recipe. She made it when she and her husband (Jon's brother) Taylor first started dating and it quickly became a Brown family favorite! The only change I made to her original recipe is subbing gluten free pasta. It's quick, easy and delicious...my 3 favorite things when it comes to cooking dinner! Jon had 2 huge plates of this and declared it amazing. It made plenty for the two of us, plus leftovers for lunch. It's definitely going in the dinner rotation often! Thanks Steph!


What you need

- 1 Rotisserie Chicken, diced
- 12 oz GF pasta (I used little spirals)
- 1 tub Alouette garlic and herb cheese
- 1 C milk (I used almond)
- 1/2 C sundried tomatoes, diced
-  2 C broccoli (I used frozen florets)
- Salt and pepper to taste










Directions

- Cook pasta according to directions and drain. Set aside

- Cook broccoli and set aside

- Dice up your chicken and tomatoes. *You can cook your own chicken if you want. I'm still having trouble seeing and cooking raw chicken so I took a shortcut.*

- In a large pot, combine milk, cheese, tomatoes and a pinch of pepper. Over medium heat, stir until the cheese is melted

- Add the pasta, broccoli and chicken to the cheese sauce. Stir gently to coat and taste. Add salt and pepper to taste.

- Top with parmesan cheese and serve!

Enjoy!

Balsamic Roasted Vegetables and Sausage

Hey everyone! I know it's been a while since I've posted a recipe (mostly because these days I'm not trying anything new!) But I have a great one for you today! I made this the other night and the husband and I both really enjoyed it. This was originally a recipe that I found on Pinterest but I tweaked it a little. Thanks to the husband who went to the store (twice) for me to get things I'd forgotten in order to make this. And thanks to whoever decided to build a Publix right across the street. It's super convenient for my forgetful pregnancy brain these days! Here's the recipe!

What you need (adapted from KayoticKitchen)

- 4 sausages (funny story about what I used below)
- 4-5 potatoes (I used red)
- 1 C baby carrots
- 1 red bell pepper
- 2 small onions
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 T oil
- 1/2 C chicken broth (or veg. broth)
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 4 T balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper

Directions

- Preheat oven to 425 degrees

- Cut all your vegetables however you like and place them in a roasting pan

 - In a small bowl, combine the oil, broth, vinegar and italian seasoning

- Pour the vinegar and spice mixture over the vegetables and stir well

- Season liberally with salt (the potatoes need it!) and pepper

- Roast for 40 minutes

- When the vegetables have about 10 minutes remaining, cook your sausage.

*Story time: I had bought organic chicken sausage for another recipe that I didn't end up making so I froze the sausage until later. Once I thawed it out it was in the fridge for a couple days before I went to use it for this recipe. Now, I don't know if it was actually "bad" but it sure smelled kinda funny to me (thank you pregnancy super nose) so I threw it out. Thus my husband's 2nd trip to the grocery store to get some more. This time around we got beef kielbasa and it was delicious. But feel free to use whatever you like and whatever smells good to you! *End story time.

- Once the sausage is browned, add to the vegetables and roast for 3-4 minutes. This allows the sausage to soak up some of the vinegar sauce.

- Remove and let cool a bit before serving. Stir well to get all the juices up from the bottom. 

- You can easily add other vegetables to this. Broccoli, green beans, sweet potatoes, squash...whatever you like!

- Enjoy!

Easy Lemon Chicken Cordon Bleu

Even though the husband and I try not to eat meat super often (usually only once or twice a week) we both REALLY love chicken. My husband will usually pick a steak over a chicken dish if we go out but since beef is expensive and a little more challenging for me to cook well, we do a lot of chicken at home. This is a recipe that I have made a lot and it is delicious! It isn't the traditional chicken cordon bleu (usually coated in breadcrumbs and accompanied with a mustard sauce) but we both love it, especially the husband who hates anything with mustard in it.

Unfortunately since we found out about our little guy on the way, I haven't been able to cook (or even look at) raw chicken. I wasn't even able to eat it without gagging a little until a month ago. I can eat it fine now if I don't have to prepare it, but if it's raw forget about it. Thus, there aren't any step by step pictures to go along with this recipe because I didn't actually make it recently. But...I HAVE made it in the past and it's quick and easy enough for a weeknight meal but also turns out well as a freezer meal. I hope you guys enjoy it and I can't wait to make it again after our little dude is born!


What you need (original recipe from canyoustayfordinner.com)

- Chicken Breasts (1 for each person), butterflied
- Thinly sliced ham (1 for each person)
- Provolone cheese (1 for each person)
- 1 lemon, sliced thin
- Coconut oil (or olive if you prefer)
- Seasoned salt and pepper
- Dried parsley


Directions

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees

- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside

- Butterfly each chicken breast to look like this

(picture from canyoustayfordinner.com)

- Season the inside of each butterflied breast with salt and pepper

- Place a piece of ham and a piece of cheese on on half of the butterflied breast. You may need to tear the ham and cheese a little so it doesn't extend over the edges of the chicken

- Fold the other half over and secure with a toothpick

- Brush the top of the breast with oil and generously season with salt, pepper and a little dried parsley

- Put a lemon slice on top of the chicken bundle

- Repeat until all the chicken breasts are filled and seasoned

- Bake for 20 minutes and serve!

(picture from canyoustayfordinner.com)

Freezer Cooking Day Part 2

Welcome to Freezer Cooking Day 2! As I mentioned in the previous post, I really enjoyed splitting up the cooking over 2 days. It helped me not feel rushed or stressed out and I knew what my stopping points were for each day. You don't have to do it this way by any means, it's just what helped me the most this time around.

Since I had the most time on Saturday, I decided to use Sunday as the "no cook" recipe day. We went to church, I came home and took a nap, made these recipes, and STILL had time that night to relax and hang out with my husband. Here's a list of the recipes (with links) that I made on day 2:

- Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas (Follow freezer directions in post)

- Crockpot Italian Chicken (Follow freezer directions in post)

- Honey Garlic Chicken (I made this twice because its so easy and a favorite!)

- Cinnamon Rolls (I made 2 batches. Follow freezer directions in post)

Here was my game plan:

Step 1: Assemble and prepare all ingredients for Fajitas and place in gallon freezer bag.

Step 2: Place ingredients for Italian Chicken in gallon freezer bag

A 3 ingredient meal! Love it!

Step 3: Assemble and prepare ingredients for Honey Garlic Chicken and place in gallon freezer bags

I made this recipe twice because we love it so much!

Step 5: Clean counters and prepare cinnamon rolls. This was the longest recipe because it required some mixing. But the others were literally 10 minutes at the MOST to prepare.

Step 6: Clean up and RELAX! All done!

This gave us about 17 meals (including lunch leftovers for myself and Jon) plus the granola to snack on and cinnamon rolls for 2 mornings. I'd say it was definitely worth all the hard work! I mapped out when to serve each meal but obviously things change and happen (like um...finding out you're pregnant!) and meal plans get thwarted. All that to say I will definitely be doing this again before the baby comes so that we have have meals ready to go! 

I hope this inspires you all to take some time (even if it's just a few hours) and get some meals prepared! I promise it will be worth it!

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

You may have seen a few pins floating around (if you're a Pinterest sort of person) about these oven baked fajitas. Well I when I was searching for new recipes and easy things I could make on my Freezer Cooking Day (I promise...that post IS coming soon) I decided to give this one a try.

The husband and I normally aren't very big fajita eaters. We prefer tacos or enchiladas but I wanted to try something different and I knew that the husband would like it as long as it was Mexican. This recipe turned out pretty well for my first crack at it! It was super quick and didn't require ANY cooking on my freezer day (score!) and when it came time to make them, everything was finished in 20 minutes. The seasoning wasn't spicy enough for the husband so I'll probably add some cayenne or red pepper flakes next time. Overall though, it was a greet weeknight meal and I will make it again!

What you need (adapted from Six Sister's Stuff)

- 2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 1 can Rotel
- 1 small onion, sliced
- Bell pepper, sliced (I used 1/2 red, 1/2 yellow)
- 2 T coconut oil, melted
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Corn tortillas
- Additional toppings on serving day




Directions

- In a small bowl, combine the oil and spices. Mix well and set aside

- In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, Rotel, onion and bell pepper

- Pour in the spice mixture and mix together well

- Place chicken mixture on a baking sheet or in a baking dish

- Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through

- Wrap in warm corn tortillas, add toppings and enjoy!

We had beans, lettuce, cheese, onions, salsa and sour cream as our toppings!

Freezer Cooking Directions

- Follow the steps until "place chicken mixture on a baking sheet." Instead, place chicken mixture in a gallon size freezer safe bag and store until ready to cook.

- When ready to bake, let the chicken thaw a bit before baking

- Follow same baking instructions. So easy!

Husband in the Kitchen!

The husband and I try to have a date night every week. Sometimes we go out and sometimes we stay in, but we always try to schedule out time for each other each week. Our hope is that by making it a habit now, early on in our marriage, that it will be something that we continue to do in the years ahead. A while ago my husband mentioned that he wanted to be responsible for cooking dinner at least one date night per month. Well I wasn't about to turn down that offer! The first time he made dinner he did an awesome job following my jambalaya recipe (you can find it here). I had to talk him through a couple of things, but for the most part I got to sit and relax...score! This time around he made what I ended up calling Red Beans & Rice with Sausage. It was yummy and he did it all on his own! I was allowed to take pictures and brag about him on the blog. Can't wait to see what he makes next!

What you need

- 1 lb chicken sausage (spicy is good!)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 C cooked brown rice
- vegetable, chicken or beef broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- cajun seasoning, or red pepper flakes





Directions

Having fun in the kitchen! Don't worry, I sat down and let him work after this!

- Slice sausage into rings

- Heat 1 T of coconut oil in a large pot. Add sausage and begin to brown

- While the sausage is cooking, dice up your vegetables

- When the sausage is browned add the vegetables and cook about 5 minutes

- Add a palmful of salt and pepper

- Add in the drained red beans and stir

- Add in 1/4 tsp cajun seasoning or red pepper flakes

- Add in the rice and a little bit of broth and stir well

- That's it! I topped mine with some sliced green onion

- It was great! Thanks honey!