Fakeout takeout are some of my favorite meals - especially the Chinese inspired ones! This is a simple Kung Pao Chicken with veggies and use a store bought Kung Pao sauce. I've tried to make a homemade sauce a few different times and ways and it's just not the same as what you'd get...so for this particular meal, I default to store bought Kung Pao sauce :) If you have a … [Read more...]
Unstuffed Peppers
I'm just gonna put this out there...I'm not sure why it took us 9+ years to get an Unstuffed Peppers recipe here onto $5 Dinners. 9 years. We've had stuffed peppers, slow cooker stuffed peppers, walking stuffed peppers, poblano stuffed peppers and more. Finally, we get to unstuffed version. This is a simple ground beef skillet meal...brown the ground beef, add the … [Read more...]
6 Ingredient Substitutions for Healthier Cooking
If you love to cook and cook often, you might be looking for ways to make your meals healthier. Using a great deal of fat and sodium in your cooking isn’t a healthy way to live, but luckily there are ways you can tweak your recipes into healthier versions of themselves. Take a look below at 6 ingredient substitutions for healthier cooking, so you can keep … [Read more...]
Peppered Pork Chops
My oldest son hasn't met a pork chop that he didn't like. But when he tried these, he declared them #1 and they are now at the top of his list. I'll be honest...I was a bit worried that the black peppered look to the pork chops would scare him (and the other boys) away...not really scare them away, but maybe make them not want to try them. I did assure them that the pepper … [Read more...]
Thai Peanut Pork Chops
Let's talk about delicious shall we?! Let's talk specifically about how delicious these Thai Peanut Pork Chops are!!! With these babies, we're taking some Thai Peanut Sauce that you find on the Asian aisle or in an international market and thinning it out with coconut milk. Then, saute and simmer a few veggies that complement the peanut and Thai flavors with the pork chops in … [Read more...]
Barely Seasoned Rice
Rice - it's one of our favorite side dishes. Because it's easy. It's cheap. It's filling (hello, 4 growing boys!!!). And it's super 'customizable.' As a kid, we grew up eating simple rice as a side dish. I think it was minute rice, cooked in water. I liked to add butter and garlic salt to mine. Just a smidge. My brother would drown his in salad dressing/vinaigrette - … [Read more...]
Asian Orange Pineapple Pork Chops
There's something about pairing pork chops with tangy fruit sauces. Ridiculously delicious! You are going to go bananas over this meal! Seriously, it's phenomenal. We polished our plates and my oldest (the resident pork chop lover) wanted thirds! (Growth spurt + amazing meal = I can see the future and I'm going broke when they're all teenagers!) Also, this … [Read more...]
Green Chicken Burritos
It seems that I just can't get away from the shredded chicken recipes. If you haven't heard yet, we just finished up a month of sharing shredded or rotisserie chicken recipes every day! {31 Days of Rotisserie Chicken Recipes} Welp, we're back with another one...this time using tomatillo salsa and other green tex-mex-y toppings, like cilantro and avocado. These are some … [Read more...]
Grilled Flank Steak with Tomatillo Salsa
This, my friend. This meal was so so so so scrumptious. The rice, the beans, the steak...and the spicy, fresh tomatillo salsa. The spicy part is entirely optional, so don't let that scare you away. Flank steak is a fantastic cut of meat - it's inexpensive, takes on flavor well and grills up in a matter of minutes. And tomatillos - they have such a rich and fresh … [Read more...]
Jambalaya Kebabs
All the flavors of Jambalaya on a stick...yyyy'aaaaalllll! *said in my best southern LA drawl* We've got shrimp. We've got chicken. We've got onions and peppers. We've got tomatoes. And we've got a whole-whole-whole lotta Cajun seasoning too! I served this over white rice to give it a 'complete Jambalaya feel.' Only thing missing from these kebabs are slices of … [Read more...]