Even The Picky Eaters Will Be Fighting Over The Last One!

When I was growing up, we never used to have hot and spicy food at home. I guess my parents were used to milder, traditional dishes and they weren’t big fans of spicy flavors. I never really thought I would like spicy food, either – my cousin made me try plain hot sauce when I was about 8 years old and I thought, that was it. I didn’t want to have anything to do with spicy flavors after that!

It wasn’t until I was about 20 when my boyfriend, now husband, lured me into having some spicy food. He was smart enough not to scare me with a bunch of extra hot chili – he just made me a dish he thought had a little bit of heat in it but not too much to make me cough.

Things have changed a lot since then! These days whenever we get takeout, I choose the spiciest option there is – and probably still drizzle some Sriracha on top of my serving at home. I’m always trying to find new dishes I could try; like these super delicious stuffed jalapenos from Hilah Cooking. These are amazing!

Recipe and image courtesy of Hilah Cooking.

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Quick Tip: Serve with sour cream or your favorite dip.

This Casserole Is Sure To Be a Hit With Your Family And Friends

I am a Northerner, through and through, but I absolutely LOVE Southern food. I mean, I’d be in complete denial if I were to say that the Southern folks didn’t know how to cook.

From casseroles to amazing entrees our friends from the south were blessed with magical cooking hands. That is why I’m totally on board with giving this grits and greens casserole a shot. It looks unbelievably creamy and it has bacon in it. Score! I think it will make a wonderful addition to my holiday table.

The robustness of this recipe makes it a wonderful addition to any meal. It’s quite filling, so a little goes a long way. I’ve had great success dividing the dish before baking and then freezing it. Simply add the bacon and cheese when you’re ready to do the final baking. I always add a little more bacon when I make this dish (I’ve done 2 practice runs and each time the casserole comes out divine.) My husband and kids are big bacon and cheese eaters so they barely noticed the greens in this casserole. Yay!

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Quick Tip: Add extra bacon to this dish if you prefer.

Fill Your Belly With This Awesome Twist On A Classic

I’m sure most of you understand what a struggle it is sometimes, trying to manage your work and personal life, while making sure you’re kids are properly dressed and that there’s food on the table. They say it gets easier over time, but I don’t know! It seems to me some teenagers are even pickier than some 5-year-olds… Then again, some teenagers love food so much that I’m having a hard time keeping up with them in the kitchen.

I happen to have both kinds of teens in the house. The other one cringes inside whenever I try to serve a new, out-of-the-ordinary dish. She dares not say anything (smart girl…) but I can see she’s not really enjoying certain meals. My son is completely different. He eats anything and everything – and when I say everything, I really do mean everything. There was once a time when we used to have leftovers in the fridge, but we don’t, anymore.

Trying to keep both of them happy is quite a challenge, and I’m always on the lookout for recipes that are easy on my wallet but also tasty enough for my other teen.

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Quick Tip: Choose the salsa to your taste – I went with extra hot!

What A Change From Your Plain Ol’ Chicken Recipe!

Do you have Mexican Mondays at your house? We do – well, not always on Mondays but we usually have Mexican food at least once a week. What can I say; my husband and I really like the food and I guess we’ve raised our children the same way! The only issue so far has been that all of our favorite Mexican-style recipes have been filled with cheese. Lots of it.

There’s nothing wrong with cheese, of course, but when you’re trying to eat a little healthier and perhaps even shed a pound or two (or twenty, ahem) you kind of start looking at cheese in a different way. I still want to eat all that ooey-gooey goodness, but I try not to eat it every single day!

This recipe was like hitting the jackpot! It is Weight Watchers-approved, incredibly juicy and flavorful, and absolutely perfect for your Mexican meals. Try serving this with rice, potato wedges or maybe just steamed veggies, for an extra delicious and lean dinner!

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Quick Tip: Serve with rice or potato wedges.

I love lasagna. It reminds me of the birthday parties when my mom had no idea what to serve the hungry crowd so she would either cater or make her own lasagna. She always said it was cheap to make or buy and easy to serve and totally filling. She did not need to buy sides (unless she really wanted garlic bread) and did not need to buy special plates for this. Regular ol’ paper plates would do and really made her life easier.

After some time of making regular lasagna, she tried her luck at other varieties. For a while she was making a plantain lasagna which I must admit, was absolutely delicious. That lasagna was layers of fried plantains, white cheese and ground beef. Man, was it good! After a stint making that, she tried a new kind: Mexican lasagna. This was a delicious, hearty and filling meal of layers of Mexican goodness which turned into what seemed like a lasagna. I will admit, it was probably even better than the classic one she used to make. Loaded with cheese, nachos, ground beef, veggies, queso dip and more, you really cannot go wrong with it. This was the dish I have always wanted but never knew about!

Photo and recipe courtesy of I Heart Nap Time.

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Quick Tip: Add any veggies you’d like for this.

How’s it going, everyone? I’m just sitting here drooling over this picture of savory white bean chili. I’m a HUGE chili fan, and always have been. I’ve participated in chili cookoffs, chili cookouts, and plenty of chili eating. However, I’ve never experienced chili without tomatoes.

In fact, the whole concept just seemed silly to me when my husband suggested that I make a white chili. I was all, “Whatchu talkin’ bout Willis,” as he slowly backed away from my condescending glare. However, being the good wife that I am, I decided to give this recipe a shot, and boy, am I glad that I did. White bean chili is the cat’s meow!

Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home.

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Quik Tip: I added a few sprinkles of shredded cheddar cheese to my bowl and a dollop of sour cream. It tasted magnificent!

Making a snack that everyone will love can sometimes be a chore. These pork nachos are unbelievably good and super easy to make. I served them at my husband’s Superbowl party last year, and I don’t know what got more cheers, the nachos or the game!

The guys loved the nachos, us ladies loved the nachos, and even the kids loved the nachos! One of the best things about preparing this snack food is how simple and easy it is. For the most part, everything gets laid out on a cookie sheet or baking dish and goes into the oven. It’s a quick and effective way to feed hungry bellies. I’ve also made these pork nachos for dinner before and served them up with Spanish rice and refried beans.

Recipe courtesy of Pork Be Inspired.

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Quick Tip: Feel free to top these awesome pork nachos with anything you like such as jalapenos, diced tomatoes, black olives, onion, etc.