taco pasta

The only thing I love more than my Crockpot is one-pot recipes. Serves 4.

• 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey

• 1 small onion, diced

• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 14.5-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes - do not drain (or plain diced)

• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

• 1/2 cup uncooked pasta (elbows, ziti, rotini, etc.)

• 1 4-ounce can diced green chile peppers

• 2 tsp chili powder

• 1 clove minced garlic

• 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese

In a large pot, cook meat, onion, and garlic until the meat is browned. Drain off fat.

Stir in beans, tomatoes, sauce, pasta, chiles, and chili powder. Bring to boil and then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. Stir often.

When you are ready to serve, remove from heat and sprinkle cheese over the top.

quiche

Looks fancy but is super easy. Make it for your mom and she will be super impressed. Makes 8 servings.

• 1 premade pie crust (if you buy the frozen ones, leave it out for 20 minutes before baking)

• 6 eggs

• 2/3 cup milk, half and half, or heavy cream

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• any/all of the following to taste: baby spinach, shredded cheese, broccoli, diced onions, minced garlic, fresh basil, sliced cherry tomatoes, red pepper flakes, cooked ham, bacon, sausage… this is perfect for using up your leftovers.

Preheat the oven to 375º. Combine all ingredients and then pour into pie crust. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the middle isn’t wiggly. If the edges are getting brown but the middle isn’t set, cover just the edges with tinfoil. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

onion rings

Worth the work, I swear. Makes 2 very large appetizer quantities.

• 2 large sweet onions

• all-purpose flour

• 4 eggs

• 2 tbs mayo

• black pepper

• seasoned bread crumbs (either buy the pre-seasoned ones or make your own)

• cooking spray (I like the olive oil kind)

Preheat the oven to 425º. Tinfoil and spray a cookie sheet.

Slice the onions into 1/2 inch rings. To do this, peel the onions and cut off both ends. If you mess up any of the rings, you can still use them - they just won’t look as nice. Soak the finished rings in a bowl of water while you’re slicing to remove the skins.

Grab two dinner plates and a bowl. On the first plate, combine a handful of flour and the black pepper. In the bowl, combine the eggs and the mayo. On the second plate, pour out the breadcrumbs.

Remove each onion ring from the water, and drop it briefly on a paper towel. Use tongs for this unless you enjoy breading your own fingers. Dip it in the flour, then the eggs, and then the breadcrumbs. Make sure it’s completely covered. Drop on the baking sheet and repeat until your hand cramps.

Spray the finished onion rings with more cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes on each side.

dijon wine chicken

This is worth making for the smell alone. Great for using up random leftovers in your fridge. Serves 4.

• 1 cup white wine (whatever you have on hand, seriously)

• 1/3 cup heavy cream, half and half, or milk

• 3 tbs dijon mustard

• 4 cloves minced garlic

• 2 pounds chicken breasts - boneless, skinless

• 2 tbs thyme

• 1 tbs sage

• 2 tbs butter

• 1 cup frozen peas

• 1 handful baby spinach or kale

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese

In the Crockpot, combine the wine, milk/cream, mustard, and garlic. Season each chicken breast with thyme, sage, and black pepper before adding to the Crockpot. Add the butter.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours. When there is 30 minutes left, stir in the spinach, peas, and cheese.

Serve over mashed potatoes, quinoa, rice, or pasta.

honey soy pork chops

Let it be known I don’t like pork chops, but I ate these. Would be good with rice or steamed veggies. Serves 2 but can be doubled if your cast iron skillet is big enough.

• 2 boneless pork chops

• 1/2 cup flour for dredging, season with black pepper

• 3 tbs butter

• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

• 1 tbs low-sodium soy sauce

• 1 tbs honey

• 4 cloves of minced garlic

Coat the pork chops in the flour/pepper. Add 1 tbs butter to a cast iron skillet on medium heat. Add the pork, and cook for 3-4 minutes each side.

Meanwhile, whisk together the broth, soy sauce, honey, and garlic in a small bowl. Once the chops have been cooked on each side, add 2 tbs butter and the sauce to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the pork is white all the way through.