Wouldn't you like to start your day with these Apple Cinnamon Muffins? Remember when I posted the recipe for Strawberry Sour Cream Muffins? I have been meaning to tell you that I tried this with apple instead of strawberry, and I liked them even more! Just substitute apples for the strawberries and add cinnamon, and you've got yourself a healthy breakfast and a delicious-smelling kitchen! You can substitute plain yogurt for the sour cream for equally good results. Here's the apple version ... continue reading...
Easy Weekly Dinner Menu #6 – Kitchen Testing
As I've mentioned before, I try lots of recipes to find seven great meals for you every week, and some of them are flops. Recently, I have tried buttermilk oven fried chicken, cube steak sandwiches, turkey and spinach meatloaf, and baked ziti to name a few, none of them good enough to share with you, fellow chefs. What dishes have you tried lately that were not as good as you expected? Do you have a version of my recent flops that you would recommend? Maybe I'll try again with your ... continue reading...
Salmon Nachos with Black Beans
These easy Salmon Nachos are one of the very best meals I make. I think they'll be your favorite too! I'm not sure when Nacho Night first started in our family, but I have very clear, happy memories of enjoying salmon nachos when my oldest was very young, so about nine years ago. Matt and I would sit at opposite ends of the dining table, eating nachos and playing World of Warcraft together (did I mention we are total NERDS?), and a good time was had by all. My tall ... continue reading...
Pizza Muffins: A fun dinner or snack idea!
These fun and easy Pizza Muffins make for a great meal or snack! We have been implementing some new house rules at Weary Chef HQ this past week, a big one being reducing the mania at bedtime. I have always leaned towards the "kids need to express themselves and have fun" camp, while my husband is more on the "no running or yelling or acting like a wild animal in the house" team. I could no longer make much of an argument for running wild indoors after it resulted in this last ... continue reading...
Slow Cooker Asian Beef with Vegetables
This Asian Slow Cooker Beef is an excellent one-dish meal with fork-tender meat and a flavorful sauce. We live in San Francisco and are surrounded by fantastic Asian food, but this crockpot recipe gives our local takeout a run for its money! The first time I made this recipe, I added the vegetables at the start of cooking. The veggies were tasty but very mushy after several hours in the crockpot, so I recommend stirring them in for the last half hour or so while you cook the rice. I checked the ... continue reading...
Cajun Oven Fries: Perfectly crisp baked french fries!
These crispy Cajun Oven Fries use only three ingredients. Find out the trick to getting perfectly browned french fries right out of your oven! In the late 90s, there was a loud woman with short blonde hair who was a fitness and nutrition personality, regularly appearing on QVC. I believe she had lost hundreds of pounds and evangelized about eating healthy and exercising. Do you remember her name? For some reason, I must have actually liked this woman because I bought her cookbook. In ... continue reading...
Easy Weekly Dinner Menu #5 – Craving Casseroles
In the past two weeks, I have found myself at the emergency room with the boys three different times. This is especially amazing to me because I had never been to the ER in six years of parenthood until now. The kids are thankfully both fine, although The Tall One is now nursing a broken bone. All this to say, I have been extra weary lately, but weariness doesn't make me any less hungry for delicious dinners! This week I bring you mostly casseroles and one-dish meals with easy sides, just what ... continue reading...
Cajun Shrimp Boil: Make any day a party with this fun dinner!
Serving up a Cajun shrimp boil is about as easy as boiling water and doesn't take much longer. We have this meal for birthdays and on Christmas Even in our house, and it is always a treat. You can use pre-made cocktail sauce and garlic bread if you want to make it even easier, or use my recipes below. ... continue reading...
Easy Hashbrown Casserole with Ham
You won't regret starting or ending your day with this satisfying and easy hashbrown casserole with ham and cheese!You can make it ahead of time, and it's great leftover. I'm sure it will be a big hit at your house too. I guess this easy hashbrown casserole could be considered a breakfast dish, but I say ham, potatoes, and cheese are welcome at any time of day. I'm not sure why hashbrowns = breakfast and french fries = dinner. I don't need to pigeonhole my potatoes like that. I'll ... continue reading...
Thai Salmon Salad with Oil Free Dressing
This delicious Thai Salmon Salad is quick to prepare and uses a flavorful, oil-free dressing. I don't remember when we started enjoying this salad for dinner, but it was definitely before this blog was born. I absolutely love it. It's one of my very favorite meals! I think the dressing is the best part. It's a little salty, sweet, and spicy all at once, and you can't beat the fact that it is oil free. (Don't worry. You'll get plenty of oil from the salmon.) The dressing contains jalapenos ... continue reading...
Easy Weekly Dinner Menu #4: Quality over Quantity
When I got the idea for The Weary Chef, I was excited to bring you a menu of easy dinners every week, and I still love that mission. Each of my first three weeks, I brought you seven new recipes. I pulled from my tried and true classics and shared new dishes that I tested and loved. What I'm now realizing is that seven new recipes each week is ambitious, especially for a Weary Chef. Bringing you the best quick, easy, and delicious recipes I can find takes trial and error. Every new dish I try ... continue reading...
Easy Chicken Tostadas: A fun taco alternative!
These chicken tostadas are easy to make and a fun alternative to tacos or nachos. Set up a topping bar, and everyone can make their own tostada work of art! This is a favorite dinner at our house. It's amazing how something so simple can make for such a fun meal! The chicken in this recipe can also be used to top taco salad, fill quesadillas, or serve on its own. If you want a really quick dinner, use leftover or canned chicken instead of cooking the meat. These are even better served ... continue reading...