This lentil and mushroom gravy over mashed rutabaga-potatoes with brown butter and crispy sage is a hearty, nutrient-dense comfort meal. This award-winning recipe—recognized as “Best Written Recipe” by Bauman College—builds rich, savory flavor from lentils and mushrooms paired with a creamy rutabaga-potato puree. Finished with …

There are a few secrets to Mom’s Easy Meatloaf with Tomato Sauce Topping including the type of ground meat and the oven cooking method.

Perfectly Seared Brown-Butter Steak Bites—is there anything more delicious than the combination of butter and tender, medium-rare red meat? I’ve had steak bites at restaurants as an appetizer and I’ve always wanted to make them. The most popular version on the internet uses lots of …

Braising a pot roast low and slow in the oven is the absolute best way to guarantee a fall-apart, moist, and tender pot roast. I have made a few overcooked dry pot roasts. So, I can tell you with absolute certainty, the foolproof way to …

Prime Rib Rub Seasoning is easy to make. You’ll want to make it in large batches. This is like having your own top-secret house seasoning, because not only can it be used on its namesake rib roast, but it’s also great on steaks, burgers, and …

I’ve been making French Chicken in a Pot with Garlic and Herbs for years. It’s a lovely fall and winter dish because it slow braises in a Dutch oven for 1 hour and 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Besides searing the garlic cloves, …

I’ve had a bottle of Marsala wine in my pantry longer than I care to admit. And, I’ve been meaning to use it to make Chicken Marsala. Finally, I got around to it. I have no idea why I waited so long. It’s not a …

This Pan-Seared Oven-Finished Tri-Tip has a robust beefy flavor, and is easy enough for a weeknight meal. I never had a tri-tip until I lived in California, and even then I didn’t know what to do with it, so I made these Slow Cooker Tri-Tip …

Guess what? You don’t need a barbecue to make delicious flank steak or skirt steak. All you need is a clean oven heated to the broiler setting. The clean oven tip is from a cautionary tale. Since, an oven on broil gets to 500 degrees, …

This is one of our favorite meals to serve to guests.  I’ve served this hearty salad after-church for a Sunday lunch as well as a weeknight dinner for guests. Actually, this is more than a mere salad. It’s a meat-and-potato salad. This is a meal …

What do you think of when you hear the word “meatloaf?” For some, it may be an all-beef meatloaf with a ketchup glaze. Others may think of  a meatloaf with a thick gravy on the side. This recipe is not all beef, does not have …

Yes, you can make Greek meatballs using ground turkey. My husband and I love my all-beef Greek Meatballs. We often serve them to guests with rave reviews. I wondered if they would taste just as good with extra-lean ground turkey. The answer is yes! The …

There is nothing like crispy chicken skin. It’s to chicken what bacon is to pork. I remember fighting to get “one more bite” of chicken skin as a kid. Then sadly during the low-fat craze of the 80’s and 90’s the family threw it away …

If you are carb conscious one of the very first things you learn is skip the bun on a burger and swap it for a lettuce wrap, or have the burger with a side salad. That’s why I love Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar. They have …

Hamburger gravy is something that my Mom made often when I was growing up. It was one of my favorites. I decided it was time to give mom’s recipe a make over in order to replace that beloved can of cream of mushroom soup with …

Flat iron steak is my new favorite steak for two main reasons. One, it tends to be a bit less expensive than flank steak. Two, it’s easy to cut into even portions which is perfect for entertaining. The other day I bought a 1.5 pound …

When you don’t have time (or a smoker) you can make brisket in half the time using a gas grill and finish it in the oven. For the last three years my husband and I have bought a half side of beef. It’s an amazing …

Whether you are enjoying the bountiful abundance of vegetables from the produce section of your grocery store, your local farmer’s market, or your own garden this is a delicious way to infuse more veggies in an otherwise traditional pasta sauce. Pasta used to be a …

I love to grill chicken as long as the temperature is warm enough. I plan on doing as much outdoor grilling as possible. Two of my favorite things about grilling: That open-flame flavor (especially if I add wood chips on the grill). A clean kitchen …

Raise your hand if you’ve had at least one box of “Hamburger Helper” in your lifetime. We all love those one pan meals! Now we can enjoy some nostalgia with a simple low-carb version and stay in ketosis. I’ve made this once a week for …

I thought I bought three packs of chicken breasts. But, no, turns out I bought boneless skinless chicken thighs. I must say that thighs are not my favorite. As a matter of fact, it’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve started liking …

My husband and I love hosting big parties at least once a year. By big, I mean big. We hosted over 60 people on July 4th last year, and we counted 56 this year. We host other dinner parties throughout the year but this one …

The first time I had Pan Pizza—Restaurant Style at a friend’s house I begged shamelessly for the recipe. When I make this for guests they tell me it’s better than what they get at restaurants. You see, the “pizza lady’s” husband actually managed Pizza Huts …

If you are one of the many people making low-carb recipes a part of their lifestyle then this recipe might come in handy. I was able to transition from “needing” a bun to just putting the burger on a salad.  This is one of my …

Thick bone-in pork chops start in the oven, sear in a pan to finish so they don’t get dried out, and are topped with a quick pan sauce.

This is one of my favorite tried and true recipes. I’ve been making this recipe for over 10 years and I’ve made it dozens and dozens of times. I make them just for my husband and me. I make them for guests and they love …

I love making a big pot of chili for dinner. I have made chili with ground beef, chili with ground turkey, and chili with leftover roasted turkey. All of these variations are delicious. I crave them all from time to time. I couldn’t help but …

We love Caesar salad in our house. We make it often. So when we got our new Weber gas grill this summer the very first thing I made was a grilled chicken Caesar salad. By “grilled” I mean grilled chicken, grilled Romaine, grilled baguette slices, …

I’ve made “Pulled Pork” for sandwiches a few times. The spices that I use in that recipe are great for roasts and sandwiches, but not so much for Tex-Mex applications.  I love the pork served at Chipotle and wondered if I could even come close. …

Fresh, light, and filling are words my husband used to describe one of our new favorite weeknight dinners. These tostadas are a great use of the “Mexican Shredded Chicken” from my previous post. Dinner can be on the table in 30 minutes. Using fresh salsa, …

Have you ever gone to the store and seen chicken on sale because the “sell by” date is in the next day or two? Or, maybe chicken is on sale “just because.” A few days ago I saw boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale for …

I am a Buffalo Wing snob and this recipe is inspired by Outback’s Kookaburra Wings. I won’t go as far to call these a copycat. However, my husband and I agree they are so much better than wings we’ve had at many restaurants. We have …

Recently someone asked my husband who makes his favorite barbecued ribs. I was so proud when he said, “my mother-in-law.” My mom does make the best ribs. The ribs she makes are the bar by which I judge all other ribs. I grew up on …

After making Homemade Beef Stock I ended up with some leftover beef that was perfect for soup. I love it when my cravings go with what I have in the pantry: pearl barley, carrots, celery, onions, diced tomatoes, and homemade beef stock. Soup’s on! One …

This Oven-Roasted Peel-and-Eat Shrimp can be prepped in advance and broiled in minutes. The garlic-butter zip sauce from this recipe exists in my refrigerator as a staple, so I’m always looking for creative ways to use it. The inspiration for this recipe is from a …

When the itch for comfort food strikes, this “scratch” recipe for Salisbury steak will provide the relief you’re looking for without completely blowing your diet. Serve the Salisbury steak with “Smashed Cauliflower “Potatoes,” instead of regular potatoes or egg noodles then this dinner is low …

It was the day before Easter and I still didn’t know what to make for our Easter dinner.  This year it was going to be dinner for two, my husband and me. This was good news since “life” had been busy lately. I had already …

Friends recently came over with a large pot of gumbo in hand. I loved it, and after a brief interview, I began forming this recipe in my mind. My friend used different proteins, but shrimp and sausage gumbo sounded so good to me. However, I …

Scrambled eggs, bacon, Martha Stewart’s popovers, and mimosas has become my family’s go-to menu for holiday breakfasts. Whether it is Thanksgiving morning, Christmas morning, or Easter morning there is a good chance that my Mom is making this breakfast. Even though my husband and I …

Turkey Enchiladas with Homemade White Sauce is made with left-over turkey. It’s like a surprise to your palate—going from savory sage to spicy chili. Therfore, it’s one of my favorite leftover recipes after Thanksgiving.  I’ve had something similar to this recipe except it was made …

I remember being surprised the first time I ordered chicken in a restaurant and there was 1/2 of a chicken on my plate. I’m calling this Greek Lemon Chicken with Potatoes “restaurant style” because I’ve left the chicken cut in half like you get at …

This is not-your-ordinary fruit salad because tomatoes, olives, and avocados are not often thought of as fruits. Technically, they are fruits. Add apples to the ingredient list and that makes four fruits in this salad. This salad is a bit like a party in your …