In 30 Minutes This One Skillet Meal Will Be ready to Serve

Don’t you just love it when something comes together perfect? That is exactly how I feel about this super yummy meal that can be on the table in 30 minutes. Really? All you have to do is add a salad and maybe sliced French bread and your family will be amazed that you can create food that is as healthy as it is tasty.

The big key to making family dinners memorable is in using fresh ingredients and not relying on powdered mixes to bring out the flavors of your food. One thing I noticed was that the tastier the food was the more time we ended up sitting at the table and savoring it.

Being able to add in spinach was a great way to get some extra greens in our diet as well as add color. The last time I made this was for one of my high school friends who was in town. She wondered if I wanted to meet for dinner but I suggested I make her dinner instead. We talked and laughed for about 4 hours! Something that would have never happened in a busy restaurant and she insisted on getting the recipe before she left.

This is what Jen has to say about her yummy recipe.

“This flavor bursting chicken is your answer to “what’s for dinner” when you only have time and/or energy for a quick, easy meal that still tastes scrumpdiddlyumptious!”

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Quick Tip: This is SOO good you might want to make a double batch if having a larger gathering!

Image and recipe courtesy of Jen at Carlsbad Cravings

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The Best Pasta Dish Hack I Have Seen and Is So Simple!

Do you ever wonder how restaurants like Olive Garden seem to nail it on all their dishes? I do! I often find myself looking at the plate of food before eating it just to see if I could recreate something similar in my own kitchen. I have been close, but there was always something that I wasn’t getting. Until now.

I had remembered to add all the ingredients but it still wasn’t the same. When I read this recipe I realized what I was missing.  I needed to know how to cook it. Utilizing the pasta water creates a sauce that clings to the ziti noodles like two lovers at the airport terminal saying goodbye.

Gone are the days of dumping plain pasta into a bowl and spooning over the sauce over it which just slides off into the bottom of the bowl. Why does it matter? Because the starch in the pasta cooking water emulsifies with the fat in the sauce causing it to naturally thicken. Brilliant and so easy to do from now on.

I still love going to Olive Garden once in a while, but it is nice to know that I can create something wonderful for those around my dining table any time I want.

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Quick Tip: Serve with asparagus tips, along with a salad and bread sticks.

Recipe and image courtesy of Holly at Spend With Pennies

The post This Is My Favorite Dish To Order At Olive Garden. Now I Can Make It Anytime I Want appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

If You Love Tomato Soup, You Are Going To Flip Out When You Taste This

I never knew how much I loved tomato soup until several years ago. My mom used to use the canned soup in recipes but she never made it to serve as a soup. I hadn’t really tried it until I was an adult. I just remember the first time I tried it at my favorite restaurant. It was the Soup of The Day so I figured it couldn’t hurt. But, after only one spoonful I knew I loved it. Seriously! On a chilly day there is nothing like that creamy soup that just warms you up from the inside out. I love adding in a few spoonfuls of my favorite salsa to heat things up a bit more and a small dollop of sour cream on the top to stir in.

I guess I had never thought to make this from scratch, which is hilarious since I make everything from scratch, including marshmallows!  Ree Drummond takes this recipe up a notch by making adorable croutons to float on top. They remind me of a smaller version of what I make for French Onion Soup.  Ree goes the extra mile in so many of the things she does. I hope one day I will have the opportunity to visit her Mercantile Store, because if it is anything like she is I am sure it is down home, practical and very personable.

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Quick Tip: If you are having a huge crop of tomatoes and are not sure what to do with them, consider lightly rubbing with oil, cutting them in half and placing them cut upside side down on a baking tray to place under broiler until blistered. It is a great roasted tomato taste.

Recipe and Image courtesy of Ree Drummond and Food Network

The post This Easy TO Create Recipe Takes Just Like The Soup At My Favorite Restaurant appeared first on Urban Retro Recipes.

You Don’t Need To Be Amish To Try This Casserole

This is the absolutely the best chicken casserole I have ever made. Probably because is so easy to put together and tasted great every single time I have made it. The great thing is that if you are super busy you can even pick up a rotisserie chicken.

Why is it called Amish Casserole? I have absolutely no idea except that this is super frugal and most likely uses ingredients that you probably already have in your freezer and pantry.

It is really tough when you have to stop at the store for just one or two items. If you are anything like me you end up getting several things you don’t even need. Your family will love it.

The reason some people don’t make casseroles? It is too much for just a few people to eat. No problem. Go ahead and divide this into three loaf pans and freeze two of them for later! Before you bake them go ahead and put them in the freezer. Take out the night before and bake as usual. So what are you waiting for!

This is what Merissa of Little House Living has to say about this recipe.

I came up with this casserole, based off of a traditional Amish chicken casserole recipe  using REAL ingredients, that has all the above reasons covered. It is delicious, easy to put together, and best of all, a huge hit with the family.

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Quick Tip: Add a tossed salad and you are ready for dinner!

Recipe and image courtesy of Merissa of Little House Living

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If You Can Boil Water You Can Make This Classic Dish

Last year we were hosting a couple of teens from Australia for a week. Our son was so excited and we really wanted to make them feel welcome. They had already exchanged information and had been messaging back and forth.

One of the boys loves soccer, our son loved football, and another kid loved skateboarding. There were so many things we learned about each other and each other’s country. The one thing I wanted to know was what to fix them. Did they love breakfast? Toast with Vegemite?

I found out that once of the boy’s favorite food was mac and cheese. He loved it so much, he didn’t care if I fixed it for every single meal and would much rather have the cheesy pasta over any of the desserts I made. So I decided to make several versions and have him pick out which one he loved the best. Every day the boys would do something different. One day they went kayaking, one afternoon they went to a museum, and one day they went to Sea World. Every night they came home to a main course, and over half the time, there was a pan of pasta and cheese on the table. Which one was our Aussie friend’s favorite? They were all so good he couldn’t decide!

This is what one of the boys told my son after they returned home.

“Tell you mum “Hi” and let her know I miss the mac and cheese!”

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Quick Tip: Want to add a little spicy heat? Scoop some salsa into the cheese as it is melting.

Recipe and image courtesy of Foot Network.com

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