Light. Easy. Summer. Salad. The quinoa cooks on the stove top in just a few minutes. If you really don't want to have any heat in your kitchen, cook the quinoa in a rice cooker out on your patio. Once the quinoa is cooked, the rest is dump and stir. A refreshing light salad - perfect for the dog days of summer! Four Bean Salad with Quinoa Light and … [Read more...]
Fiesta Beans and Rice
Rice and beans will always be a $5 Dinner. Unless, of course, you go all sorts of crazy and add in expensive spices like saffron or cardamom (2 of the more expensive spices). Rice is crazy cheap - especially if you buy in bulk. And beans might be even cheaper when you buy dried beans and cook them yourself. (They are really easy to cook - if you haven't tried it, you should. … [Read more...]
Lentil Minestrone Soup
Ever since becoming a mom, I've felt like life just keeps getting faster and faster. And faster. We have a gazillion things happening in each of our days, but that doesn't mean we have to sacrifice important things like a healthy dinner. Or our sanity. I wanted to share this Lentil Minestrone Soup with you guys because it is very low maintenance (as most soups are) saute … [Read more...]
Honey Mustard Lentils & Rice Casserole
What's with the crazy half-fluffed photo, Erin? I know that's what your thinking. I haven't lost my mind. Well...since this cooking method is probably a new concept for many of you, I decided to just fluff half of the dish before snapping the photo so that you can see what it will look like when it comes out of the oven. And what it will look like once it's … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Ham & Beans
Y'all...I'm thrilled to be bringing another great recipe from HurstBeans, a longtime partner of $5 Dinners. We all know how delicious, filling and hearty beans can be...in fact, just this evening I was talking with the boys about how we'll be enjoying many a beans-based meal in their lifetime...because they are bottomless pits. And beans fill bottomless pits well. And they do … [Read more...]
Chili Pasta Bake
Our church is experiencing a flurry of new babies and I'm on the team that delivers meals to new mamas! I adore getting to see the tiny humans when I drop off the meal and I LOVE getting to serve new moms in this way. A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of taking a meal to a family I hadn't met who just had their first little girl...a fiery little red head. She was so sweet … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Pasta E Fagioli
This recipe is part of our 6th Costco Meal Plan: 20 Slow Cooker Freezer Packs from Costco for $150! Pasta E Fagioli. Or "Pasta and Beans" in Italiano. This is a delicious and simple twist on the classic Italian soup. PLEASE...pay close attention to the directions on when to add the pasta into the slow cooker. It's not when you think it is! :) Couple notes about this … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Honey Ham and Bean Soup
Seriously, dinner doesn't get any easier than this. This is what I call a "Chop, Dump and Run" kind of dinner. (And if you added carrots, it would be a one dish slow cooker dinner...my absolute favorite kind.) This soup is sweet from the honey, with a touch of smoke, and a slight bite from the chili powder and cracked pepper. You're sure to love the soup, the flavor, the ease … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Chili Mac
This recipe is part of our 6th Costco Meal Plan: 20 Slow Cooker Freezer Packs from Costco for $150! Stop. Before you go any further. YOU NEED TO READ THESE DIRECTIONS. (Ok, do I have your attention?) I don't want you to miss this. Do not. I repeat DO NOT. DON'T. DO.NOT. add the pasta when you start the slow cooker in the morning. It will turn to complete MUSH. … [Read more...]
Cajun Turkey & Andouille 15 Bean Soup
Y'all know that I'm not a huge fan of turkey...but I'm also not a fan of tossing anything out, so when my mom sent us home with just about a turkey's worth of leftovers, I thought I might be in trouble. What am I going to do with all of this? First off...I divided it up and put it in the freezer. And I left one portions worth in the fridge...to make this soup. I knew … [Read more...]