Pregnancy has been doing some interesting things to our weeknight dinner routine. For one, I’m super picky and I’ve never, ever been a picky eater. There are things I’ll have on repeat, to hubby’s chagrin, every single week, multiple times per week. PLUS most days I have 0 energy to actually make a nice dinner for us, so quick and easy really hits the spot.
These mozzarella stuffed sausages have been on REPEAT in our house, at least twice a week. It’s so easy, you need 3 ingredients!
Earlier this month, we went to Nashville for hubby’s 40th/CMA Fest. We had so much fun and also ate our weight in fried chicken. Let me tell you. That spicy fried chicken thing they’ve got goin’ on in Music City is to. die. for.
I wish fried chicken didn’t have calories, because I’d be making this on the reg. But, these sandwiches gave us just enough of a little taste of Nashville at home.
To kick these sandwiches up a notch, I generously added spicy honey on top of the fried chicken. And then, topped them with the Trader Joe’s sweet and spicy jalapenos that are amazing (and I literally add to everything these days) and some spicy pickles.
Guys, I am so into mint and basil chopped up on and in everything (see: herbed turkey meatballs). One of my 2019 Bucket List items was finishing dishes with fresh herbs or lemon/lime, and I’ve been all over it all year, but especially so now that the weather has finally broken.
This time of year begs for fresh flavors, crisp veggies, and overall light and quick meals. Really, who wants to turn on the stove anyway?! And less time in the kitchen means more time outside, or at the beach, lake or pool. Sign me up!
Oh how I love some grilled pizza, year-round, but especially in the summer. On Friday nights, we host a Fire Pit Friday with grilled pizza for all our friends and family. For that, we use the Trader Joe’s crusts, but when it’s just myself and hubby at the pool, we love to use a loaf of French bread, topped with pesto, mozz and cherry tomatoes. And it’s literally ready in 7 minutes!
Food poolside always feels like such a challenge to my creativity – kind of like when you’re trying to have a picnic and have to come up with something easy to eat, clean up and something that can hold up to the hotter weather.
Dinner ready in 30 minutes? Yes, please! I commute pretty far during the week (minimum 1.5 hours on the way home every day) and by the time I get into the kitchen I really don’t want to make something that takes a long time or a lot of effort. A turkey meatball is always a reliable choice, especially when they’re ready in 30 minutes (25 of which are spent in the oven)!
I like to strategically pick my weeknight dinners, usually opting for something that has to bake or simmer for at least 15 minutes. This gives me time to get at least one chore done while we wait for our dinner to be ready – love to switch the laundry, put a load away, do a load of dishes, or, more often than not, wash my face and put on pajamas.
Once dinner is made, I’m kind of down for the count. I’ll play with the pups, or work on a new recipe or do some “research” for “inspiration” on Pinterest. The last thing I want to do at night is clean! So, I get in a few minutes to tidy up while dinner does its thing.
Toast-for-dinner is one of my go-tos for nights when I have no time, or get home late, or feel incredibly uninspired. And then, every time we do actually have toast, it always feels like such a little treat!
It’s such a simple idea that once you make a few different variations, you’ll have them in your back pocket when you need a quick meal or are having one of those no-idea-what-to-make-for-dinner kind of nights.
If life is all about balance, what better dish than fried chicken and waffles? A little sweet, a little savory. Chicken is protein, so that’s healthy, right?! Balance, guys, balance. For this go, I opted for cheddar and chive waffles and WOW. They. were. great!
Cheddar and chive waffles are one of my favorites, and they really taste amazing with the fried chicken. Sometimes, you don’t really want a super sweet waffle to go with that crispy chicken, amirite?!
Don’t you find it so absolutely easy to fall into a salad rut? Especially if it’s something you have basically every day for lunch. How many times can you have chicken + lettuce + some kind of veg? Too many! So, I’m working in these cobb salads to help shake things up a bit. Plus, homemade ranch dressing doesn’t hurt either.
It’s all about the toppings with a good salad, isn’t it? For these, I just went with tomatoes, bacon, gorgonzola, hard boiled eggs, marinated grilled chicken and Trader Joe’s chili corn salsa (because I’m 100% obsessed with the stuff, but also because I forgot to buy an ear of corn). I’d also recommend throwing avocado slices on this guy, too!
If you don’t like grilled cheese, I’m really not sure we can be friends! Okay, maybe we can, I’ll take it under consideration. But guys. You’ve gotta try this grilled ricotta cheese!
The ricotta is so creamy, and a little salty. The bread has the best crunch. A little basil whipped into the ricotta and dropped on top – so summery!
I can’t tell you how many times I’m at the gym, or in the shower, or driving or shopping or see an ingredient at the market and come up with some random idea I scribble in a notebook or drop in the notepad on my phone. These are one of those ideas that kept coming up. Honestly, walked into these pomegranate glazed chicken wings not having a damn clue how I’d make them. But they worked and we loved them!
If you have about an hour, you can totally make these on a weeknight. Join me in the anti-grilled-chicken-and-broccoli-erryday-club, won’t you? Let’s really crank up the flavor for a weeknights. Let’s have something to look forward to during the week!
