Everyone thinks I’m a great cook and I might be but these are the base recipes I often alter to make my own that are hits for my family!
Sections
8
Sheet pans
Pastas
Crockpot
Dump and bake
Toddler favorites
Recipes that take a little more work
Sheet pans
Another new one that made the top of the family’s list. Pro tip: bake the potatoes for 20 minutes before you even think about putting anything else in the oven. I also prefer to cut my chicken into cubes so that each bite is crusted. Also don’t be to...
Parmesan Crusted Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
My toddler can be convinced to eat just about anything if he can dip it in ranch dressing and this is no exception. A huge hit the first time I made it and it’s become a weekly staple. Grocery shopping has been simplified between the repeat veggies a...
Sheet Pan Ranch Chicken
All the goodness of kebabs with half the work! Marinade the chicken when you’ve got time. Chop the veggies while the kids are napping. Dump it all on a sheet pan and make some minute rice and boom a delicious toddler approved meal.
Hawaiian Chicken Sheet Pan: A Tropical Escape for Dinner
The easiest tenders! They’re perfect dipped in yum yum sauce!
Sesame Encrusted Chicken Tenders
Pastas
Again. I’ve got beef with the prepackaged food industry and if I can make it homemade I will. A great dupe for the beef pasta hamburger helper!
Creamy Beef and Bowtie Pasta
Aka- Lazy lasagna as I like to call it. Tastes like lasagna with half the work (and dishes) I have the carote pan set with the removable handles so I literally brown my beef (and venison mix) then I add the sauce and cream cheese. Then I’ll mix in th...
Easy Cheesy Baked Tortellini
Crockpot
A quick and easy dump and go that everyone will rave about! Just snag some buns on the way home and easy sandwiches!
The Best Shredded BBQ Chicken!! (Easy Slow Cooker Recipe)
Dump and bake
Surprisingly a toddler hit! I had made the Mississippi pot roast before but wanted to try it with chicken. So easy! Literally Chicken, banana peppers, aus jus, ranch seasoning and butter. I added mozzarella cheese on top and it was amazing. My husban...
Oven Baked Mississippi Chicken (5 ingredients)
The easiest quick meal! Shred a rotisserie chicken. Pull out those handy frozen veggies and fridge crescents and assemble! Who needs actual mini pies anyway. This is just as good!
Chicken Pot Pie Crescent Ring
This is my true lazy I don’t know what else to cook default. The ingredients are always on hand. The cheese might vary but I use whatever’s on hand whether it be sliced cheese, shredded or a block I have to cut up or shred. My home has a cheese drawe...
Pepper Jack Chicken and Stuffing
Toddler favorites
So call me crazy but I put my tin foil hat on a long time ago and made it my mission to stop buying prepackaged foods if I could make them myself and these nuggets are so easy and delicious.
Homemade Chicken Nuggets with Ground Chicken
The fluffiest toddler approved pancakes!
Light, Fluffy Pancakes Made Easy with Pantry Staples
These are my son’s favorites! They’re so easy to make and we go through them so fast that I make a double batch of dough while I have the mixer out just to have on hand when I inevitably have to make another batch 2 days later! These seriously are so...
Animal Crackers Recipe (Egg Free)
Ever since I learned how terrible goldfish crackers are from the store I made it a mission to make them myself! While these don’t have the same crunch as a store bought goldfish might they’re still just as tasty and to a toddler who’s only ever had t...
Homemade Healthy Goldfish Crackers
My son loves these banana waffles and I feel better about him constantly wanting pancakes/waffles if I can sneak this slightly healthier alternative in there. While my pancakes are delicious they’re not as nutritious but these are slightly better for...
Banana Waffles
Recipes that take a little more work
I grew up moaning and groaning the second I asked what was for dinner and my mom said stuffed peppers 🤢 Little did I know how delicious they could be with a few tweaks (sorry mom). I always make extras because this recipe will still overstuff 4 larg...
Stuffed Peppers
Another staple. This one was a stumble upon pleasant surprise. I wasn’t sure if it’d be a hit or not but I didn’t know what to cook. I happened to have all the ingredients in my pantry so we tried it.
Funny story with the ingredients being on hand ...
Cowboy Cornbread Casserole
This one is a loose guideline. When I cook the egg I use 5 eggs to up the protein. When adding the onion I add in some frozen peas and carrots. When adding the sauces I add 4 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Then I add in chic...
Hibachi Fried Rice Recipe
My son loves cheeseburgers and bacon. But put them together and it’s a meltdown. Put them in a sloppy Joe? Perfect.
Bacon Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes
While I’m sure it would be just as delicious as this creator intended it to be. In our home we love this recipe as filling for a sandwich.
Philly Cheesesteak Meal Prep
Soup
My favorite gnocchi soup recipe. I used a rotisserie chicken if I don’t feel like boiling and shredding my own chicken. I buy mini gnocchi’s just because my family prefers to have small gnocchis in each bite instead of big ones. Also time saving mom ...
Chicken Gnocchi Soup
This one is SO good. Man I’m a sucker for a good soup recipe and this one is one of my favorites
Italian Sausage White Bean Soup
Soup, soup, SOUP 🤤
I’m a sucker and this one is perfect. I skip the sausage and replace with ground venison. Those handy frozen carrot, onion, and celery mix bags speed the prep time up.
Italian Wedding Soup
Baked goods
Imagine the Trader Joe’s cinnamon coffee cake but better. We used to live 10 min away from a Trader Joe’s and I used to buy one weekly. Then we moved and the closest TJ ended up being over an hour away. I found this and now I make this every week. Th...
Authentic Amish Cinnamon Bread
The BEST cookies. I made them even better with a happy accident. I use a food scale for everything so this recipe is fantastic to have that option. But one time I made these without double checking the pantry and I was short on chocolate chips but ra...
Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies - Live Well Bake Often