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 Taste Of a Classic, Only In A Soup

I love making and eating soups. I think that on a brisk day nothing beats a big bowl with some fresh breadstick to just warm you up from the inside out. We lived in MN for nine years and believe me, there were lots and lots of soup days.

When we moved back to Northern California we lived in the Sierra Mountains. It was a wonderful feeling to have a big pot of soup or stew on the stove when snowflakes started to fall.  The perfect meal after a day of sledding or shoveling the walkway!

Then we made the move to San Diego area. I have to admit I miss the seasons. Not only is it hard to think of fall or winter when you are still wearing flip flops and short sleeves, we don’t eat soup very often. At least not as often as I would like, but thankfully I hear temperatures are going to be dropping soon. We might even have a few mornings where you will be able to see your breath when you walk outside. If there is a dusting of frost, well down in SoCal they refer to that as a weather event.

This is what Jen of Yummy Healthy Easy has to say about her recipe.

“If you’re like me and struggling to find new meals to make during the week, you MUST try this lasagna soup! My boys absolutely loved it and it’s now a new soup on the menu rotation.”

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Quick Tip: You can substitute chicken sausage for ground beef if you prefer. I LOVE a chicken sausage I just tried with basil. Yummo. It would be great in this and good for those watching their calories as well.

Recipe and Image courtesy of Jen and Yummy Healthy Easy

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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

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This Might Just Be The Best New Recipe You Try All Fall

Let’s just be totally honest here. I love American food just as much as anyone else such as hamburgers and French fries, Mac and Cheese, where the cheese just connects your fork to the plate it is so stringy and gooey, and pizza. So when I saw a recipe where all these flavors were mixed together in one skillet I was a bit skeptical. I mean is this like a “Clean out the fridge and see if anyone notices.”  Kind of a recipe?  The answer to that is NO! This literally where you cook everything using only one pan, wave your magic wooden spoon, and smell the magic happen!

I should have known this would be amazing when I saw it had bacon in it. Now the biggest hurdle is to see if my family loves it.

The apples and Brussel sprouts are perfect cooked this way, which is a huge deal for me. I am not the biggest Brussel sprout fan, but my family just could not get enough of this once I put it one the table. In fact, they already asked me to put it on the menu again and want me to make a double batch so we have enough for lunch left-overs.
This is what Erin of Well Plated has to say about this healthy dish.

“With sweet potatoes, apples, Brussels sprouts and bacon, this healthy Paleo chicken skillet is packed with flavor and delivers every food group in one pan!”

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Quick Tip: This meal stays good for three days in fridge but when reheating you may want to add a bit more chicken broth to keep from drying out.

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You Don’t Have To Be Amish To Eat This Country Casserole

My mom used to make us Hamburger Helper once in a while. It was usually when we had driven up to where my parents were building a cabin. My mom didn’t have her stove or over yet, so being able to brown up hamburger and onion, then dump ingredients out of a box, add water, and cook it in an electric skillet was an great option.

After a while all the meals tasted the same. To be honest as a kid I would have rather had a grilled cheese sandwich. We had a big light where the dining room was going to be. It attracted moths. Remember we were building a cabin so this was in the beginning stages and it was kind of like camping at that point.  The last night we were getting ready to eat the “fresh from the box” dinner and I looked at my fork. My noodle moved. Then I noticed it wasn’t a noodle but a cream covered moth that had flown into the pan unnoticed and must have tried to do a few butterfly strokes to swim out of the sauce.

From that night on I skipped the main course. I think the moth just pushed me over the edge. When I tasted this dish I realized this was the taste Hamburger Helper had tried to copy. This dish is so amazingly good that you won’t mind eating it several nights in a row!

This is what Linda says about her recipe.

“It’s quite a large dish, but so tasty, all of us had second helpings.”

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Quick Tip: you can use sausage instead of ground beef or a blend.

Recipe and image courtesy of Linda at With a Blast

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Would Your Hungry Family Rather Eat Something Out Of A Can Or Sink Their Fork Into This?

Don’t you love a happy ending? I do. I am kind of a sucker for movies that are so predictable you could see it coming. Seriously, who didn’t know that You’ve Got Mail, the character that Tom Hanks played wasn’t totally going to sweep Meg Ryan’s character off her feet. I have probably watched that movie twenty times and I still love the ending. Why? Because it is nice to know that something’s turn out better that we could have hoped for. That is the key to chic-flick books and movies. We need the reassurance that things work out, even if it is a fictional story that ends in the middle Central Park.

Well you are in luck. This recipe will always bring you a happy ending.  I have probably made this as often as I have watched You’ve Got Mail and every time it is perfection.

I think because this recipe, like a good chic-flick, starts out with a real good cast of character that we call ingredients, and puts them in the perfect setting. When you put those two elements you have a match made in Heaven.

Why not make a pan of this creamy, cheesy, chicken and pasta and watch the story unfold. Instead of needing a Kleenex you can use a napkin!

This is what Kristyn has to say about this family favorite cheesy casserole.

“Yes, it’s true – my  kids are getting pickier and pickier (insert sad face here), so I really enjoy making recipes that I know everyone loves. And everyone LOVES pasta!! That’s why I share so many pasta recipes on the site. They are all different and have different ingredients and sauces, so we love the variety, and I love changing each dish up a bit.”

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Quick Tip: Make a batch of breadstick and toss together a green salad and you are ready to serve a great meal!

Recipe and image courtesy of Kristyn at Lil’ Luna

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I Just Saw This Recipe In A Food Magazine And Thought I Would Try It Myself!

Want to know a little secret of a super busy mom. True confession time. When I am really not sure what I am fixing for dinner and need to stall a bit while I come up with something. I do this..really! So far it has worked pretty darned well so I am hoping that no one in my family ends up reading this.

I cut up an onion and mince a clove or two of garlic. Put some butter in a small pan and saute them over low heat.

As soon as my family walks in the house they  pause for a huge inhale and say, “Something sure smells great in here!”

“Oh,” I reply, “I am just getting dinner ready!”

Bur the reality is that there have been quite a few times I had absolutely no idea what I was going top make.

This recipe really saves the day. Most of the ingredients I keep in the fridge and in the pantry and guess what? It really does start out with sauteed onion and garlic.

Now, if only dealing with the huge mounds of laundry was this easy to solve. Oh, well at least dinner will be awesome.

This is what Stacy of Six Dollar Family has to say about this main dish casserole.

“Does anyone else remember the days of tuna noodle casserole being served for dinner? It was that famous blue box, a can of peas and a can of tuna. I don’t know about you, but these days, my tastes are a bit more complicated.”

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Quick tip: Not a huge tuna lover? Go ahead and swap out for 3 cups of cubed or shredded chicken.

Recipe and image courtesy of Stacy at Six Dollar Family

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]]> http://urbanretrorecipes.com/fishing-compliments-make-dinner-see-happens/feed/ 0 http://urbanretrorecipes.com/stuck-dinner-rut-fix-chicken-way-will-not-sorry/ http://urbanretrorecipes.com/stuck-dinner-rut-fix-chicken-way-will-not-sorry/#respond Tue, 05 Sep 2017 13:29:32 +0000 http://urbanretrorecipes.com/?p=1961 If I Had A Nickel For Every-time Someone Asked Me For This Recipe… There are so many awesome casseroles and one skillet meals out there, but sometimes you really want to eat a nice tender piece of chicken. This baked chicken is better than a fried version because it is less calories and a lot let […]

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If I Had A Nickel For Every-time Someone Asked Me For This Recipe…

There are so many awesome casseroles and one skillet meals out there, but sometimes you really want to eat a nice tender piece of chicken.

This baked chicken is better than a fried version because it is less calories and a lot let mess. Plus, the taste is so memorable that you might be asked to make it every week.

The first time I had something similar to this was when I was staying over at my grandma and Grandpa’s house. I watched my grandma Doris pound out the chicken into thin strips, coat them, and then dredge them through crushed cornflakes. This recipe takes it up a notch as far as flavor. I am sure if she had thought of French fried onions she would have loved that!

Because of the oil, the chicken remains super tender when it is baked. Think of a homemade chicken tender only better!

I have to admit, I love making this chicken so much that I will often make up a double batch so I can cut up the chicken later and put on a tossed green salad for lunch.

I also love that every time I make this family favorite I think of my creative and beautiful Grandmother who taught me how to make this. Now all I need is a side of her potato casserole and this meal is ready!

This is what Valerie of Valerie’s Kitchen has to say about this recipe.

“A super family-friendly meal idea!”

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Recipe and image courtesy of Valerie of Valerie’s Kitchen

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]]> http://urbanretrorecipes.com/stuck-dinner-rut-fix-chicken-way-will-not-sorry/feed/ 0 http://urbanretrorecipes.com/made-double-batch-seriously-pull-apart-gone-5-seconds/ http://urbanretrorecipes.com/made-double-batch-seriously-pull-apart-gone-5-seconds/#respond Sat, 02 Sep 2017 19:42:15 +0000 http://urbanretrorecipes.com/?p=1851 The crazy thing is that I had all the ingredients I needed  already in my fridge! Our family loves pizza! Seriously, I think they would have pizza night every night if I made it! But sometimes I don’t have time, and sometimes we really don’t need a full meal, just something for an after school […]

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The crazy thing is that I had all the ingredients I needed  already in my fridge!

Our family loves pizza! Seriously, I think they would have pizza night every night if I made it!

But sometimes I don’t have time, and sometimes we really don’t need a full meal, just something for an after school snack, movie treat, and something hot and yummy. Something that is more filling and is more nutritious than chips or a handful of crackers.

This is exactly the kind of thing you could make any time of day for a quick snack or even part of a meal..heck if the kids or grandkids are coming over and having a slumber party! Pizza Out!

Since this is made in a casserole or even a Bundt pan you don’t even have to worry about forks and plates since you can just pull this apart and eat with your fingers. Napkins, however, are always a good idea!

Okay, now I am getting hungry! Time to raid the fridge and whip of a batch of these!

This is what Sara of Budget Savvy Diva has to say about this Italian inspired recipe.

Just whip it up and your family will have fun pulling apart the casserole ?Oh did I mention the recipe is done in under 30 minutes ( woot woot )

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Quick Tip. I love using a basil white sauce on pizza as well, so go a head, make up a pan of both!

Photo and Recipe courtesy of Sara and Budget Savvy Diva

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]]> http://urbanretrorecipes.com/made-double-batch-seriously-pull-apart-gone-5-seconds/feed/ 0 http://urbanretrorecipes.com/salad-toss-one-bowl-meal-changer/ http://urbanretrorecipes.com/salad-toss-one-bowl-meal-changer/#respond Thu, 08 Jun 2017 14:11:47 +0000 http://urbanretrorecipes.com/?p=1042 I just ran the numbers! And this packed with flavor meal is only 10 points for Weight Watchers!   I can’t do it anymore! I have a whole stack of clothes that I love but are just too tight. I have to make a decision, just pack them up and donate them to the local […]

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I just ran the numbers! And this packed with flavor meal is only 10 points for Weight Watchers!

 

I can’t do it anymore! I have a whole stack of clothes that I love but are just too tight. I have to make a decision, just pack them up and donate them to the local thrift store, or seriously lose the weight.

Right now they are just collecting dust and I keep thinking “One Day..”. I know that if I don’t take action in getting this 20 – 25 pounds of extra weight off, it isn’t going to just melt off by itself.

I have always struggled with my weight and it does make me feel self-conscious. Now that we are starting to welcome little grandbabies to our family I don’t want to be the one to always hides behind the camera. I want to be in the photo!

So I made the decision to join Weight Watchers. Paid for 3 months to get the ball rolling and went to my first weigh-in.

I was afraid I would have to give up some of my favorites, and it is true, I will have to re-think what I eat. Instead of a huge serving, I might only be able to have a small slice. But, nothing is off the menu with Weight Watchers Smart Points. Whew! It is not a diet, but rather a shift in eating habits.

I took one of my favorite recipes and ran it through the recipe builder to see how many points is was. I even added extra chicken. I was afraid to hit calculate but when I did I was doing the happy dance. 12 points!

This is what Karina says about her flavor packed one bowl salad.

HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN, AVOCADO + BACON SALAD, WITH A CRAZY GOOD 5 INGREDIENT DRESSING THAT DOUBLES AS A MARINADE!

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Quick Tip: If you are planning to make this salad to take for lunches. Go ahead and cook up all the chicken. Get out 4 wide mouth pint sized mason jars or airtight containers and layer your salad, starting with dressing on the bottom, then chicken, lettuce, tomato, corn, and so on. Put the bacon in a little sandwich bag so it stays crisp and also do the same with the avocado. When you are ready to eat, just dump the salad onto a plate or bowl. the chicken and dressing will then be on the top. BRILLIANT!

Recipe and photo courtesy of Karina of Cafe Delights.

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