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Is there anything better than homemade macaroni and cheese? It's a staple in our house and is what most would consider a national treasure. Its ooey-gooey cheesy goodness makes it the ultimate comfort food, making it the perfect side dish for a busy weeknight dinner or any celebration. This recipe comes together in record time and will be a fan favorite for sure! Yield: 8 servings Ingredients 16 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked al dente and drained ½ cup reserved pasta water 12 ounces evaporated milk ½ cup butter 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly shredded 1 teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon dried parsley Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water. Drain pasta. In a 6 quart stockpot, melt butter. Return pasta to stockpot. Slowly stir in evaporated milk. Add 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese and ½ cup Parmesan, then mix in the seasonings. Heat pasta through and allow sauce to slightly thicken, approximately 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add mixture to a greased 3-quart baking dish. Top with remaining cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are golden brown. Serve warm.

A classic, summertime favorite full of cheesy goodness! Serves 6 Ingredients 2 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced 2 medium green zucchini squash, thinly sliced 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced 6 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons oil ¼ cup sour cream ¼ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup half & half 1 large egg, lightly beaten ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon fine sea salt ½ teaspoon chili powder 2 teaspoons dried parsley 2 cup shredded cheddar cheese Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion in oil for approximately 5 minutes or until it becomes fragrant and translucent. Add in minced garlic and sauté for approximately 1-2 minutes. Carefully add sliced squash to pan and cook for approximately 10 minutes or until slices become tender. It may be necessary to work in batches. Turn off heat. Remove squash to a paper towel lined plate and allow to drain. Gently use an additional paper towel to remove any excess moisture from the top. In a medium bowl, combine egg, sour cream, mayonnaise, half & half, one cup shredded cheese, and seasonings. Lightly coat a 9x9 baking dish with non-stick spray. Place one layer of squash on the bottom, followed by a layer of cheese mixture. Continue this process until it is complete. Top with the remaining one cup of shredded cheese. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Fried okra is a Southern classic and is a year-round favorite in our house! It can be served as a delicious snack or appetizer, or as a side dish to other Southern favorites. I recommend you use fresh okra rather than frozen - fresh okra will keep its crunch and the batter will stick better! I like to serve them with homemade Buttermilk Ranch dressing. Want to save this recipe for later? Pin it! Ingredients 1-pound fresh okra, washed and sliced into 1-inch-sized pieces 1 cup buttermilk ½ cup flour ¾ cup cornmeal 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon black pepper ½-1 cup vegetable oil Directions To a medium-sized bowl, mix okra with buttermilk. Allow to soak for at least 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, and spices. Over medium-high heat, add ½ to 1 cup oil. Working in small batches, drop okra pieces into flour mixture and coat evenly. Carefully, place battered okra into prepared skillet. Fry okra for approximately 3-4 minutes or until all sides are golden brown. Remove cooked okra to a paper towel-lined plate and allow excess oil to drain off. Continue working in small batches until all okra is cooked. Serve warm.

This recipe comes together in under 30 minutes and is full of zesty flavor! It offers a beautiful, rich, and creamy tomato-based sauce with a zest of spice. This pairs perfectly with my Simple Sautéed Green Beans. Serves 6-8 Ingredients 16 ounces egg noodles 1-pound lean ground beef 1 medium onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 10 ounces tomatoes and green chilies, undrained 1 cup beef stock 1 ½ cup half and half ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon salt + ½ teaspoon for pasta water 2 Tablespoons parsley Directions In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water and ½ teaspoon salt to a boil. Add dry egg noodles and cook for approximately 7-9 minutes or until tender. Drain. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until cooked through and browned. Sauté onion for approximately 3 minutes or until tender and translucent. Add garlic and sauté for approximately 1 minute or until fragrant. Carefully add tomatoes and green chilies, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, half & half, and spices. Stir well to combine. Simmer on low heat for approximately 15 minutes. Add cooked egg noodles to the sauce and gently combine. Top with parsley.

There is absolutely no food more comforting than a warm bowl of homemade soup on a cold, rainy day. This soup has been my absolute favorite for many, many years and I look forward to making it every time. It can be made on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. It also freezes beautifully, making it the perfect go-to for an easy weeknight dinner in the fall and winter! Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef, cooked and browned 1 large onion, chopped 3 stalks of celery, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 4 cloves garlic, finely minced 1 tsp oil 32 ounces frozen mixed vegetables 24 ounces spaghetti sauce 32 ounces of beef stock 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes Parmesan, freshly shredded, if desired Directions: In a large stockpot, cook and brown ground beef over medium-high heat. Drain. Saute onions, peppers, celery, and garlic in oil for approximately 5 minutes or until vegetables become soft and begin to brown. Return meat to stockpot. Add all remaining ingredients, and cook on low-medium heat for approximately 45 minutes or until vegetables are completely cooked. For the slow cooker: Add cooked ground beef to the slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Top with freshly shredded parmesan cheese, if desired.

When I’m not in the mood for soup, but still long for those savory flavors found in one of our Italian favorites, I turn to this recipe. It's perfect for when the weather is beginning to turn warmer, and comes together in no time. I like to serve this recipe with a Caesar salad and my honey yeast rolls topped with garlic butter. Ingredients 5-pound bag yellow potatoes 1-pound hot pork sausage 3.5 ounces fresh kale 2 Tablespoons butter 2 Tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ½ teaspoon dried basil ½ teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 ½ cups freshly shredded, mozzarella ¾ cup freshly grated parmesan Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash potatoes and poke each with a fork. Cut any large potatoes to match the size of whole potatoes to allow even cooking. In a large pot, bring potatoes to a boil and cook until fork-tender, approximately 15-20 minutes. Drain, gently smash, and set aside. While potatoes are cooking, begin browning pork sausage in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Place cooked sausage on a paper towel lined plate and set aside. In medium skillet over medium heat, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter. Add flour to melted butter and stir to combine. Cook roux for approximately 7-9 minutes or until golden brown. To roux, add 2 cups chicken stock, 2 cups heavy whipping cream, and seasonings. Stir gently to combine. Bring sauce mixture to a gentle and stir often to prevent scorching for approximately 5 minutes. Add sausage, kale, parmesan, and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese to sauce mixture. In a 9x13 baking dish, begin layering potatoes and sauce mixture. Bake uncovered for approximately 35 minutes. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

What goes better with burgers than fried potatoes? These fried potato chips are definitely a crowd-pleaser at our house! I like to serve them with my Homemade Greek Burgers and my Homemade Tzatziki Sauce for a fun Greek-inspired meal. Yield: 6-8 servings Ingredients 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced 1-quart oil, such as olive oil or vegetable oil 1 Tablespoon salt Ice and Water Directions Place peeled and sliced potatoes into a large bowl with ice, water, and salt. Soak for about 30 minutes. Drain potatoes and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. In a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, bring oil to a temperature of 365 degrees. Working in small batches, carefully add potatoes to hot oil. Fry potatoes for approximately 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove potatoes from Dutch oven with a metal slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain off any excess oil. Continue working in small batches until all chips have been cooked. Notes I use a standard box grater with slicing slits on the side like this one. You could also make short work of slicing by using a food processor with a slicing attachment. The old-fashioned way of a sharp knife also works, just be very careful! Soaking the potatoes before frying will help to draw out the starch from the surface and prevent the sugars from browning before the potato is cooked, resulting in crispy chips that don’t stick together during the frying process.

Do you reach peak “adulting” status when you have a favorite vegetable? I believe I must have because these green beans are hands down my absolute favorite! I have always been a fan of garden fresh vegetables in general but this recipe is so simple and so delicious that it makes a great side dish to just about any meal. I usually serve them with my Classic Meatloaf or Homemade BBQ Meatballs. Add my White Cheddar Loaded Mashed Potatoes and you will have your new family favorite dinner on the table in no time! Ingredients 1 pound fresh green beans 2 Tablespoons Garlic and Cayenne Infused Oil ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ½ teaspoon fine sea salt ¼ teaspoon onion powder ¼ teaspoon garlic powder Crushed red pepper to taste, optional Directions In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil to coat bottom of pan. Carefully add green beans to hot skillet and add seasonings. Sauté for approximately 10 minutes or until beans begin to char and are desired tenderness.

Who doesn’t love “Taco Tuesday”? We're big fans of Tex-Mex food and look forward to it anytime it's on the menu. This casserole is fantastic as-is, but you can also serve it over nachos or as a burrito filling. I have even added some tomato sauce and beef broth to make a taco soup from the leftovers. Talk about budget-friendly! I actually started making our taco filling this way about 12 years ago, as a way to stretch the meal and allow for leftovers for lunches. During that time, I was in college, we had our first daughter, and were living on a very modest single income. Finding creative ways to save money and stretch the money we did have was almost like a job to me. I wanted us to enjoy eating at home and not feel like we were missing out by not going to restaurants that were out of the budget. Serves: 6 Ingredients: 1 pound lean ground beef (I used 90/10) 15 ounces of corn, drained and rinsed 15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed 10 ounces diced tomatoes & green chilies 2 cups rice, cooked 1 medium onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 jalapeno, finely minced ½ cup taco seasoning (or 3 seasoning packets) ¼ -½ cup water 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded Directions: In a large skillet, cook and brown ground beef over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno to ground beef and cook for approximately 5-7 minutes or until vegetables become soft. Gently stir in diced tomatoes and green chilies, corn, black beans, and rice. Add in the seasoning and water. Mix well to combine. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and your additional favorite toppings.

Have you ever been invited to a potluck and had no idea what dish you were going to bring? Do you wait until the night before (or the day of, eek!) to try to throw something tasty together quickly? Friends, that has happened to me more times than I can count and I usually resorted to stopping by a deli or bakery on the way to the event. Sometimes it's hard to think of something that will be different enough from what everyone else is bringing, but not so different that no one eats it. This recipe is one of my favorite go-to’s for potlucks because it is usually the only dish like it and people devour it quickly. I especially like that it takes little effort and planning, which really suits my procrastinating personality. Ingredients: 16 ounces of cheese tortellini 7 ounces sliced pepperoni 6 ounces of smoked Canadian bacon slices 6 ounces of sliced Italian salami 8 ounces Mozzarella cheese, cubed ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 12 ounces artichoke hearts 6 ounces whole, pitted black olives 16 ounces peperoncini peppers, drained 10 ounces grape tomatoes 1 small red onion, thinly sliced 1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 cup Italian dressing, more if desired (I prefer Ken’s Northern Italian) Directions: Boil pasta according to package directions. Allow to cool slightly. If your pepperoni, salami, and Canadian bacon are the larger slices, quarter them into bite-sized pieces. In a large serving dish, combine all ingredients. Gently stir to combine. If you refrigerate the pasta over night, give it a good stir. If it appears or tastes dry, add additional Italian dressing to taste. Serve at room temperature or cold.

When it comes to holidays and special celebrations, I always like to have a couple of appetizers available while waiting for the main course. I especially love appetizers that can be prepared ahead of time, These sausage balls are always a hit, and your guests will devour them quickly! The classic sausage ball recipe calls for very minimal ingredients: Bisquick, cheese, and sausage. I wanted to amp up the flavor and add more holiday flair to the taste buds. What better way to do that, than to layer in the flavors of wine, bacon, and peppers? If you want to prepare these sausage balls ahead of time, store them unbaked in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Allow them to come to room temperature and then bake accordingly. Yield: Approximately 48 1-inch balls Ingredients 2 cups Bisquick 1 pound Pork Sausage (I used Mild) ½ cup chopped Bacon (I used this one) 2 cups Pepperjack Cheese, freshly shredded 16 oz Cream Cheese, softened 1 cup Dried Cranberries, finely chopped 1 medium white onion, chopped 1 Jalapeno, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped ¼ cup White Cooking Wine 1 egg 2 Tablespoons Dried Chives 1 Tablespoon Paprika ½ Tablespoon Dried Parsley Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium skillet, brown sausage over medium-high heat. Place cooked sausage on a plate with paper towels to allow to drain. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeno to skillet and sauté for approximately 3 minutes. Slowly pour in white cooking wine. Stir gently, using a spatula to scrape any bits from the skillet. Cook for approximately 5 minutes or until the wine has evaporated. Allow mixture to cool for 10-15 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Using a mixer on medium-high speed, combine all ingredients thoroughly. If your mixture appears dry, add 2 Tablespoons of milk or water until it meets the desired consistency. Form into 1-inch balls. Using a small cooking scoop helps to ensure consistency in size and allows for even baking. Place balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for approximately 18-22 minutes. Remove from oven and serve warm.

I will share a secret with you, my friends. I am not a huge fan of leftovers. There are very few that I absolutely love “as-is”, but most of the time I like to reimagine them into a new and tasty dish whenever I can. Recreating a meal from leftovers doesn’t have to take a lot of time and effort. Leftovers from taco night? Make a fantastic spicy taco soup. Chicken and veggies? Combine them with some rice and cheese for a quick, weeknight casserole. Easy peasy. One of my favorite leftover foods? Baked potatoes. I like to lightly coat big, beautiful Russet potatoes with olive oil and sea salt and bake them in a 400-degree oven for about an hour. So simple and so delicious. Oftentimes, I will turn them into mashed potatoes or potato soup the next day. But this time, I wanted something just a little different than my usual go-to recipes. Bacon and Swiss are one of the tastiest combos I have ever had, no matter what it’s on. I knew they would be the perfect addition to my leftover baked potatoes. Using just a few spices and simple “pantry staples” I was able to throw this together in under 10 minutes. This casserole was everything I wanted it to be. The Swiss cheese provided a sweet nuttiness, while the cheddar added a tangy sharpness. Like icing on a cake, the savory bacon just brought it all together. This casserole is the perfect “company’s coming over” side dish and it is sure to impress! I like to serve this with a traditional homemade meatloaf or crispy fried chicken. Ingredients 8-10 baked Russet potatoes 8 ounces sour cream ¼ cup softened butter ½ cup milk (I used 2%) 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese 10-12 strips cooked & crumbled bacon 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon salt Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Begin by peeling most of the skin off of the potatoes and placing them into a large mixing bowl. Next, add sour cream, cheeses, and milk. Use a potato masher or mixer to combine ingredients and mash potatoes until slightly creamy while leaving some larger pieces of potato. Add bacon and spices, then gently stir to combine. Scoop the mixture into a 3-quart baking dish and spread evenly. Cover with Swiss cheese if preferred, then bake for 45 minutes or until heated through. Top with additional Swiss cheese and bake for 10 more minutes or until cheese is melted.