There is something so comforting about casseroles. The taste. The ease of creating. The yummy smells as it's baking. Also, I feel like I'm living in a different era when I throw one together. And, of course, casseroles are usually super adaptable for what you have on hand in your fridge, freezer, and pantry! PLUS...most are freezer friendly so it's easy to whip up a … [Read more...]
Butternut Cranberry Rice Pilaf
All the flavors of fall in a dinner dish. That's this rice pilaf! When making this, I used 1/2 cup of wild rice because I have some in the pantry and I'm trying to use it up! You could use all brown rice or even all wild rice if you have some. Wild rice is expensive, which is why I try to use it sparingly and stretch it out! This pilaf has roasted butternut squash, … [Read more...]
Baked Pumpkin Pancakes with Homemade Pumpkin Syrup
The pumpkin insanity continues. From my Spiced Pumpkin Latte to my beloved Pumpkin Pie French Toast...we are adding this to list of Erin's best pumpkin recipes. Y'all. Holy Pumpkin-Moly. Y'ALL. Seriously. You have to make these. If you're part of our $5 Meal Plan, you'll be trying these soon. And it's going to be REALLY hard for me not to add them to the plans … [Read more...]
Homemade Sloppy Joe Sauce
No need to buy the cans of sloppy joe mix (with funky ingredients), when you can make it yourself with spices that you probably already have in the pantry, plus a can of tomato sauce...give it whirl and let me know what you think! (As always, add spices to taste and salt and pepper to taste!) Cooked sloppy joe meat is easy to freeze, thaw, and serve quickly! Homemade … [Read more...]
Vegetable Alfredo Sauce
Have you ever made your own Alfredo sauce?! If not, I implore you. Challenge you. Demand you. (hehe!) No, I really think you should try it! I love playing with homemade white sauces, and in this case an Alfredo sauce with veggies. Creamy, cheesy, salty and delicious over pasta! For this Alfredo sauce, I decided to save myself a few calories and used whole milk instead … [Read more...]
Homemade Freezer Jam
I will only say one thing about this freezer jam...it's the best way to make your own jam if you don't have all the canning supplies, or if you're afraid to 'can' them or just don't want to! I've got the easy step by step directions waiting for you... Homemade Freezer Jam (No Sugar Added) Favorite Freezer Cooking Supplies: Deep Steam Table Foil Pans 30 ct (8.5 x … [Read more...]
Southwest Macaroni ‘n Cheese
This is a creamy, creamy and delicious version of mac n cheese with a little zip and zest mixed in! Balance the zip and zest with some black beans and corn and you've got the perfect one dish dinner! So many homemade mac 'n cheese recipes call for making your own cheese sauce. This can be intimidating, I know. Which is why I created this recipe for you...no homemade cheese … [Read more...]
Homemade Freezer Friendly Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
Our family loves pizza. Even the dairy free kids. (They get special cheese.) There is just something about pizza. The crust, the sweeter sauce, the cheese, the flavor explosions from the toppings. Or maybe this Americanized Italian food somehow transports us to a world across the ocean to the boot shaped country...and we dream and long for a vacation or trip there. {Oh … [Read more...]
Freezing Herbs & Homemade Spice Mixes
SO. It's getting towards the end of the growing season and it's time to think about what to do with your fresh herbs from the garden. Of course, if you have the right space in your house, you could bring them inside and keep them growing. Or you could get them into the freezer...so that you can have a delicious homemade spaghetti sauce with basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano (or … [Read more...]
Freezer Friendly Sweet & Savory Breakfast Muffins
Having a stash of goodies is essential for making it through busy weeknights and weekday mornings! I love having breakfast muffins in the freezer for a quick 'grab n go' breakfast. I recently heard a stat from a trusted source that the average American spends 7 minutes on breakfast. All parts of breakfast...preparing it, cooking it (or not!), eating it. 7 minutes. That's … [Read more...]