Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Pot Pie

 

Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Pot Pie

This was a mish mash of a few different recipes from TikTok that I've been seeing around. So it actually had a really good flavor, but it was super salty. I didn't add any salt but I guess just all the ingredients combined were too salty. My teenager also had a garlic breadstick.

Ingredients:

- 1 tub already pulled rotisserie chicken

- 1 16ox tub Panera broccoli cheddar soup

- 1/2 cup sour cream

- 1/2 tbs Kinders rotisserie chicken seasoning

- 1 small bag frozen mixed veggies

- 1 box frozen Red Lobster cheddar biscuits

- 4 tbs butter, for the biscuit toppings. Next time I would do 2 tbs and unsalted

- A sprinkling of grated parm. Next time I'd skip

Mix the first 5 ingredients, and bake for 15 minutes at 400, uncovered. Then add the frozen biscuits and cook for 35 minutes or until the biscuits are golden. As soon as you pull out the biscuits add the butter/seasoning sauce from the biscuit box and sprinkle with parm.

So this isn't a full fail, I'd make this again for sure with some tweaking,

Ground Beef Fajitas

 

Ground Beef Fajitas

I was looking for a recipe to use a pound of ground beef that I had in the freezer that wasn't burgers, spaghetti or meatloaf. So I of course went to BudgetBytes, that's usually my main source of recipes. I hadn't seen this one before, and we literally all the ingredients so I thought....perfect!

It's super quick and easy. Instead of making the fajita seasoning, I just used 2 1/2 tbs of the Kinders fajita seasoning that we had, and I didn't have fresh lime so I just used a little bit of the bottled stuff. Oh I also warmed the tortillas in a pan and sprinkled some Monterey Jack cheese on them after because I had it to use up.

I loved it, my son said it was good and my husband just said "it was salty". Sigh. He doesn't really like anything too different, like he loves actual fajitas, but he said he'd never heard of anyone ever using ground beef for fajitas. He says it's "too cute" to make anything a bit creative. I get it, but I want to use up some stuff we already had, so I'm seeing how much cooking I can do without buying groceries. Plus honestly, I love finding and trying new recipes. I get that from my grandma, she rarely made anything twice unless it was requested. 

I would definitely make this again, and I think it would also be super good in a rice bowl or even over greens as a salad.

Click here for the Ground Beef Fajita recipe from BudgetBytes

Lazy Butternut Squash Chicken Lasagna

 

Lazy Butternut Squash Chicken Lasagna

This was another one of the "dumb dinners" from @itsmesaramartinez on TikTok. These are not flavors my husband would typically like, but it's been so cozy and "fall like" that I wanted a fall recipe. I really liked that it was a quick dump and go recipe!

 I tasted the sauce while I made it and it was good, so I can't wait to taste it fully! It's kinda late and I'm going to bed, so no one has actually tried it yet lol. I couldn't start cooking until a little later because of the baby, and it didn't even cross my mind that it would take like an hour to cook. So my husband just had some ramen, and my son fell asleep after school, but I'm sure he will be up in the middle of the night and will grab some. Teenagers. I will try it tomorrow. 

I did air fry the meatballs and tried one, they are so good. I will definitely try the other flavors too.

I made it almost exactly as written, but I added in some onion and thyme seasoning. Just because I was worried it could be bland, but it didn't seem to be.  Oh wait no I added canned parm to the sauce, and I added some shredded parm to the top with the mozzarella, just because I already had it. 

Ingredients:

- 9 oven ready lasagna noodles broken into big pieces

- 1 bag frozen already cooked chicken meatballs

- 3 cups butternut squash soup from a carton

- 1/2 cup heavy cream

- 1 tub 15oz ricotta

- 1/4 tsp dried sage

- 1 tsp garlic powder

- 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper

- 2 big handfuls spinach

- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

- 3/4 cup grated parmesan 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

Dump the ricotta into a sprayed 9x13 pan.

Add the parm & spices

Pour in the soup and heavy cream, and stir until creamy

Break in he noodles, add the meatballs and spinach

Stir until noodles get coated, and press them as much as possible under the sauce

Cover tightly with foil, and bake for 45 minutes

Uncover, add the mozz and bake for 15 more minutes

Let sit for 10-15 minutes to solidify before cutting and serving

Update:

   It had almost an Indian type or curry flavor for some reason? Maybe it was how the butternut squash soup was seasoned? I actually really liked it, it was different. My husband never tried it and my son ate it because he was hungry lol, but he didn't really care for it.

Beef Stroganoff

 

I've been making this beef stroganoff recipe from BudgetBytes for like a decade or something, it's always easy, filling and tasty. But the last several times I made it, it was not good for some reason. Turns out the recipe was changed! Luckily she posted the old recipe too, so I saved it. It's much better then the newer one. 

Here's the link to the new beef stroganoff recipe from BudgetBytes. It's okay, it's just way thinner and more bland.

I wasn't able to get a picture because my 13 month old was not happy tonight, so I had to be quick and cook while mainly holding him lol.

Gnocchi With Spring Vegetables

 

Gnocchi With Spring Vegetables

This was so good! My son and I loved it, my husband just said it was okay....but he's not a big fan of gnocchi. Weirdo :P It was super fast and fresh tasting, I'd definitely make it again. 

Click here for the Gnocchi With Spring Vegetables recipe from BudgetBytes

Lemon Parmesan Chicken & Rice

 

Lemon Parmesan Chicken & Rice

Huge portion for my teenager lol. This was really good. It reminded me of the chicken & rice recipe that my son loves. I made it almost as is, the only change I made was that I coated the chicken in the seasoning instead of putting it in the rice. I feel like it flavors the chicken more and there is plenty flavor with the rice. Oh yeah I also only used 1.75 cups of water, I think 3 cups would of been waaay to much since the rice was a smidge mushy even like that. But it was really good! I'd make this again. We served it with a bagged Caesar salad kit. I love lemon flavors and I think it would really be upgraded with a fresh herb like basil or parsley. 

Click here for the Lemon Parmesan Chicken & Rice recipe by The Clean Eating Couple

I gave some to my 6 month old (along with peas and carrots) and he didn't care for it. But to be fair it was too close to bedtime so he didn't want any real food, just to nurse lol.

Taco Pasta

 

Taco Pasta

I forgot to grab a picture! Dinnertime is a bit chaotic because the baby is about ready for bed by then so he's a bit grumpy.

This was okay. I wouldn't make it again unless someone asked for it, but it was easy and budget friendly. It was a smidge bland and could have used more cheese. My son didn't say anything about it, and my husband was on a work trip so he didn't try it.

Click here for the Taco Pasta recipe from BudgetBytes

Chili Mac

 

Chili Mac

Terrible picture but baby was being fussy so I just had to snap it real quick. I try to write down these recipes so I can remember what I've made and what we thought of it....even if I'm no photographer.

This was okay. I mean the flavor was good but it really was more like a bowl of chili with elbow noodles. I don't think I'd make it again because I've made BudgetBytes version before that was less chili-like and more pasta-ish, and we liked that a lot. It was still tasty and great for the super cold snowy day though!

Update: The second day was much better because it was fully absorbed and more pasta-like. 

Click here for the Chili Mac recipe by Chelsea's Messy Apron

Chicken Cobbler

 

Chicken Cobbler

I made the recipe exactly as written, but instead of making the biscuit topping I used a box of Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuits. I liked it, my son loved it and my husband didn't care for it. He said it was too mushroomy. Next time I would halve the amount of mushrooms and add more veggies. But I would make it again!

Click here for the Chicken Cobbler recipe from BudgetBytes

Skillet Lasagna with Taylor Farms Jalapeno Popper Salad Kit

 

Skillet Lasagna with Taylor Farms Jalapeno Popper Salad Kit

Walmart was out of full fat ricotta so I got low fat instead. Apparently low fat doesn't brown when broiling! I kinda burnt the mozzarella when I was trying to get some color on the ricotta. So weird. Oh well I know better for next time and it was still good.

I've made skillet lasagna before, but I've usually done like sugar free sauce, drained the fat etc trying to make it healthier. This time I didn't drain the fat and I used the Italian sausage and garlic Prego. Full fat cheeses and all the flavor lol. It was so good! Normally Italian's not my fav, but I really liked this.

There's 4 cups of spinach in it, and my husband doesn't like when I put spinach in recipes. But it's so good for us and the recipe called for it so I did it anyway. He kinda made a face while I was cooking, but he said he didn't even taste it and he loved the dinner.

This salad kit was also super good! I was kinda worried it would be too spicy for my son (he's not a huge lover of spicy) but nope, it's just full of flavor. The dressing tastes like ranch which is always good. 

My teenager also got some bread & butter and watermelon because he's always hungry. Bread and butter always reminds me of being young and my dad, I really don't know why. I mean I remember him once microwaving bread & butter, but I'm not sure why that stuck with me lol.

Click here for the Skillet Lasagna recipe by Olive & Mango

Broccoli Cheddar Orzo with Chicken

 

Broccoli Cheddar Orzo with Chicken

This was excellent! The only thing I did differently was that I tossed the chicken in a little salt/pepper/garlic/smoked paprika instead of cooking it unseasoned. Oh and the broccoli bag I bought was 12 oz instead of 10oz like the recipe said. There's tons of flavor and I like all the veggies in it. Not to mention it's fast! It's definitely going in our rotation.

Click here for the Broccoli Cheddar Orzo with Chicken recipe by The Clean Eating Couple

French Onion Chicken with Cheesy Waffle Fries

 

French Onion Chicken with Cheesy Waffle Fries

This was the second recipe I made from the "Homemade-ish" cookbook by Lauren Mcduffie. This one one was much better! It was easy, flavorful and filling. I'd definitely make again. I was worried it would just be mush with the beef broth but it wasn't. The leftovers will probably be mush though lol. 

Click here for the French Onion Chicken with Cheesy Waffle Fries recipe by MyKitchenLittle

Cheesy Sausage Pasta

 

Cheesy Sausage Pasta

This was really good! I have to say I was worried because it doesn't actually call for any spices. So I did add salt, pepper and garlic powder just in case. I also added in some jarlic and a couple small bell peppers because I had them to use. I also had to substitute the monterey jack cheese for fiesta cheese because that's all they had. I used Target brand andouille chicken sausage. I'd make this again! I actually was going to add in some of the refrigerated squeeze cilantro because we have it, but I forgot. I bet it would add some bright flavor. 

Click here for the Cheesy Sausage Pasta recipe from BudgetBytes

Italian Chicken Sausage Alfredo with Roasted Broccoli

 

Italian Chicken Sausage Alfredo with Roasted Broccoli

    This was pretty much a random clean out the pantry meal. I had some Italian flavored chicken sausage that I sliced and cooked in butter & EVOO with a chopped onion. Then I added jarlic with a squeeze of basil from a tube, and seasoned it with Italian seasoning, salt, pepper garlic and red pepper. Then I added a jar of alfredo and filled that with hot water and shook it around and added it to the pan. Then I plopped in some chicken boullion and the egg noodles and let it cook with the lid on for 10 minutes. After it was cooked I added a couple handfuls of spinach and some grated parm.

   Delicious! Everyone loved it. The broccoli is tossed in EVOO, salt, pepper garlic and air fried at 400 for 15 minutes. Then I tossed it in a little spray butter, lemon juice and canned parm. 

Chicken and Dumplings

 

Chicken and Dumplings

  I've made versions of chicken and dumplings with refrigerated biscuit dough before, but never with making your own dumplings. My husband has always raved about his step mom's chicken and dumpling recipe, and apparently this still wasn't as good lol. Oh well I thought it was really good. The dumplings do soak up a lot of the broth so it's super thick and will need thinned out with some broth the next day. 

 Click here for the Chicken and Dumplings recipe by Tastes Better From Scratch

One Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta

 

One Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta

     Okay it's not a pretty picture but it's delicious! I used to make a pesto chicken dish similar years ago that everyone loved. It was basically cooked diced chicken with cooked pasta, tossed with a jar of pesto and sour cream with a few seasonings. I don't remember the exact ratios but I'm sure I saved it somewhere. We also had a side of green beans that I forgot to grab a picture of. 

    I loved this, my son loved this. My husband said "I don't like the spinach" We can add a little splash of veggies in this heavy dish lol. Next time I'll use broccoli which will be even better. 

Click here for the One Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta recipe by BudgetBytes

Spicy Orecciette with Chicken Sausage and Kale

 

Spicy Orecciette with Chicken Sausage and Kale

   This was really good, I'd definitely make it again. The only change I made was that I threw in a handful of cherry tomatoes I had to use up, and I could only find a sundried tomato basil chicken sausage. Oh yeah, and I used rotini because you can't find orecciette anywhere around here. I love that it was an easy quick dinner to make after work and you can throw in a ton of veggies. 

Click here for the recipe from BudgetBytes

Garlic Butter Chicken with Zucchini and Corn

 

Garlic Butter Chicken with Zucchini and Corn

  I know I say most of the recipes I post are super good, it's because I'm picky on what I think my family would like. Me.....I'll eat almost anything and love it. Although some weird sort of giant clam abalone looking thing was served once (I forgot what it was obviously) and I couldn't bring myself to try it.....I haven't tried clams either. People have said the texture is "snot like" and I just cant imagine slurping a big snot chunk lol.  Anyway, that has nothing to do with this dinner. This dish was delicious! I did make it Weight Watcher friendly by cooking it in chicken broth and a lil I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, and I admit the ICBINT tastes a lil weird and it would taste better with butter, but I gotta lose pounds okay. I served it with instant mashed potatoes for the rest of my family, I just ate it as is. Yum! 

Click here for the recipe from Julia's Album

One-Pan Chicken Thighs with Cilantro-Lime Pinto Bean Rice

 

One-Pan Chicken Thighs with Cilantro-Lime Pinto Bean Rice

   This was really good, the only difference I did was that I used pinto beans instead of black beans, and I sprinkled cotija cheese on the rice because we already had some. The salad was the dill pickle salad kit that we love. Quick and easy meal :)   I just remembered I was going to put in a little spinach to just add some more greens!

  Click here for the recipe from Julia's Album

One Pot Chicken and Rice with Roasted Broccoli

 One Pot Chicken and Rice with Roasted Broccoli

Click here for the recipe from BudgetBytes

    I made this on a whim a few months ago because we already had everything, and my 14 year old LOVED it. He's been asking for it again since I made it, and I was very surprised since it's so simple and my husband and I found it kind of bland before. But in the recipe most of the seasoning is straight on the chicken. This time I just put on S&P on the chicken thighs, and I put all the seasonings in the broth so it would be dispersed throughout the whole recipe. It was much tastier this time!