Main Dish

This easy dirty rice with sausage recipe makes a quick and flavorful dish that is full of sausage, rice, and veggies cooking in Cajun spices! It’s easy on the budget, easy to customize with what you have on hand, and works well as a side dish or as a main dish your family will love.  Dirty rice is a staple dish of Cajun cuisine that is super popular across the nation and it’s not hard to see why. Bulk pork…

Have you ever tried to make Wonton Chicken Tacos at home? Kind of a pain, isn’t it? And also, pretty messy trying to fry all those wontons into taco shells.  Enter the Wonton Chicken Taco Salad. Tastes like Wonton Chicken Tacos, but a fraction of the work needed.  Last year we didn’t really get to eat at our favorite restaurants much, so I decided to take some of my favorite restaurant appetizers and make them into easy main dish recipes. …

Rich and decadent meets quick, cheap, and easy in this creamy Spaghetti Carbonara.  I have a controversial opinion, I think spaghetti carbonara is like the fried rice of Italian food. It’s cheap and filling. It’s super quick and easy. And it just takes a handful of ingredients to make it amazing. Today I’m sharing one of my favorite versions of this classic pasta dish. It’s not a traditional spaghetti carbonara, but it is tasty and more importantly, it has easily…

 Take leftovers to the next level with these BBQ Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. Hearty baked sweet potatoes are stuffed with shredded bbq and topped with coleslaw for an easy, healthy and filling main dish that comes together in less than 15 minutes! My father in law loves to smoke meat and we love being the recipient of his efforts. The only problem we run into is not being able to eat all of it! Unfortunately my kids are super picky about…

If you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner that will feed your whole family, have I got a winner for you.  French Onion Smothered Pork Chops are so easy to make with only 4 ingredients and are ready in under one hour.  We like to eat these creamy baked pork chops with mashed potatoes and green beans for a simple weeknight meal. This might sound weird, but people that I know give me food, specifically random ingredients, all the time.…

Jalapeno Bacon Mac and Cheese is creamy and cheesy, with a spicy jalapeno kick and smoky crispy bacon! A one pot recipe that starts on the stovetop and moves to the oven for a simple but wow dish.   Hey all you mac and cheese lovers, this one is for you!   This mac and cheese is a simple recipe that can be made completely in one pan! I make it my trusty cast iron skillet. That thing gets used ALL the…

Southwestern Egg Roll Bake has all the taste of Southwestern Egg Rolls with a fraction of the work! This easy main dish casserole is a play on one of my favorite appetizers.  I love egg rolls of about any variety, but I don’t really like making them at home. It’s time consuming and messy and greasy. Basically any time I make something that’s individually fried it’s a labor of love towards whoever I’m cooking for.  My Southwestern Egg Roll Bake…

These classic Midwestern Loose Meat Sandwiches are simmered in a savory sauce made with spices, beef consomme and Worcestershire sauce. They are cheap, quick and easy. A delicious sandwich with the charm of small town Americana!  Where I live in the Midwest, loose meat sandwiches are a cult classic. Speckled around Missouri you’ll find tiny little locally owned burger joints with such loyal followers that they go back generations. If you’ve never gotten to enjoy a loose meat sandwich ordered…

Wild rice stuffed peppers take wild rice mix, sausage, bell peppers and veggies and turn it into a colorful and fresh main dish. These stuffed peppers are easy to make, delicious, and make a pretty presentation on the dinner table. Perfect for when you have guests over for dinner!  I often buy bell peppers in bulk when they are on sale because we love to eat them fresh in things like Bell Pepper Slaw, but I also chop them up…

Tomato Rice Soup is full of veggies, rice, herbs and, of course, tomatoes! This easy and budget friendly tomato soup makes a great light lunch or dinner and is perfect for meatless meals. Serve it up with a grilled cheese sandwich for a classic, but totally upgraded combination. You know what’s weird? Most of my family doesn’t like tomatoes, but they love tomato soup which I find to be a conundrum. They even love this tomato soup which is the…