Barbecue Chicken Pasta

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One of the things that I prepare, that my husband loves most, is my barbecue chicken pizza. I really enjoy it as well, but I wanted to change things up a bit. I decided to take that recipe and create something new out of it. This pasta is easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner, kid friendly and also super flavorful at the same time. The chicken, barbecue sauce, pasta and cheese all come together to create something so tasty, and the cilantro and green onion round this dish off with exactly the flavors it needs.

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Strawberry Streusel

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Strawberry season is almost upon us, and I am oh so excited! Three foods represent summer to me: sweet corn on the cob, steamed blue crabs (I miss them so much out here in the midwest!) and fresh strawberries. I am yearning for summer, so I decided to make a recipe to remind me that it is just around the corner. This strawberry streusel has a delicious Golden Oreo crust, a whole pound of strawberries and a decadent streusel topping.

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Balsamic Parmesan Potato Salad with Arugula

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With life so crazy lately, I have been trying to come up with recipe ideas for dinner that I can prepare ahead of time but that will still be delicious when dinner time rolls around. This potato salad is great because it is so versatile. It is delicious if you serve it right away, and it is also amazing if you have it chilled hours later. This would be great for anything from a weeknight dinner to a barbecue this summer.

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Braised Short Ribs

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Short ribs are something that I love to make when I want to feel like I am having a fancy dinner, but I don’t want to put a ton of work into making that dinner. Braised short ribs, when done right, are super easy, incredibly flavorful and oh so tender and delicious. My recipe for braised short ribs includes only about 10 minutes of prep time. Once everything is in the oven, it is just a waiting game. This is a great recipe to make when you are having dinner guests, because it is sure to impress, but you won’t have to slave in the kitchen to make it.

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Rigatoni Bolognese

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Pasta is by far my favorite when it comes to types of comfort food. There aren’t many pasta variations that I do not like, but tomato based sauces are always what I lean towards. I have always loved all of the different flavors that come through in a bolognese sauce, so I decided to create my own version of it. I chose to use rigatoni with this bolognese because I love how it holds on to so much of the sauce on each noodle.

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with Reese’s Eggs

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In my opinion, Easter has the best candy of any holiday by far, and the best candy of all is Reese’s Eggs. There is just something about the ratio of peanut butter to chocolate that is so much better in the eggs than the regular peanut butter cups. You have to get the right eggs, too. There are multiple sizes. The BEST Reese’s Eggs are the bigger ones. You know, the ones that come in a six pack. Don’t get me wrong, all of the Reese’s are delicious, but these are hands down the best! With Easter coming up, and these eggs calling my name from every aisle of every store, I felt like I needed to make a recipe using them.

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Chicken Fried Rice – Quick, Easy & Better Than Take-Out

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Chicken Fried Rice

Last night was one of those nights when I just couldn’t think of anything to make for dinner. I didn’t have a lot of stuff on hand, and I was not about to head out to the store in the rain with four little ones. So, I opened up the fridge and started looking for inspiration. I had some rice leftover from dinner a couple nights before, and it hit me – chicken fried rice! This is a great recipe because leftover rice is really better than fresh (fresh will work too, though). It also uses a lot of stuff you may already have on hand.

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Sheet Pan Asparagus, Tomatoes and Bacon with Dijon Vinaigrette

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I love the idea of sheet pan side dishes and meals, I really like being able to throw everything on one pan and go. Unfortunately, a lot of these sheet pan dishes, to me, can lack in flavor. I happened to have some asparagus left after making my asparagus, brie and prosciutto tart, so I decided to create an easy and flavorful sheet pan side dish that could be served with a weeknight dinner, to guests or even at a large gathering.

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Carrot Cake Cookie and Cream Cheese Icing Sandwiches

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I have been racking my brain trying to come up with a great Easter dessert to share with you guys. Of course carrot cake was what I kept thinking about, and I absolutely love carrot cake, but I feel like there are already so many amazing carrot cake recipes out there. I was inspired to do something different. I had the idea to do carrot cake cookies, and I worked on a recipe for those. I was ready to roll with that, but then I started to realize that one of the best parts of carrot cake, for me, is the cream cheese icing. Don’t get me wrong, these cookies are delicious on their own, but I just felt like I would miss that icing. Then I decided, why not have the cookies AND the icing?

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Slow Cooker Au Gratin Potatoes – Easy & Delicious!

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Slow Cooker Au Gratin Potatoes

One of the hardest things about hosting a holiday gathering, is managing your oven space. I feel like I am always trying to plan everything out just right to make sure that I will be able to fit everything in the oven and have it ready on time, and there is always that one guest who arrives with something that they need to stick in the oven. I dream of having double ovens one day, but I don’t have them now, so I have had to get creative with my holiday meal planning. These Slow Cooker Au Gratin Potatoes cook completely in the slow cooker, so oven space is freed, and you can set it and forget it. It’s always nice to have one less thing to worry about!

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