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weekly specialsAuthor Archives: Laura Youngquist
February 25, 2024
Enchilada Meatballs
Enchilada Meatballs are my new favorite creation 😊 They taste just like the real thing and have amazing Tex-Mex flavor. They are tender, juicy meatballs made from ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken (you pick), topped with a mild enchilada sauce, beans, corn, and plenty of melted cheese. Super yummy and super customizable. The recipe can be found here. Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F, then prepare all ingredients: mince the garlic, chop the cilantro, onion, and jalapeno, drain, and rinse the black beans, and drain the corn. Set all aside until ready to use. Add the ground meat (beef, turkey, or chicken) to a mixing bowl, along with the breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined. I like to use my hands to really mix everything together. I find it works better than a spoon but do what you prefer. Then use a cookie scoop (or your … Continue reading
February 21, 2024
Chicken Bacon Ranch Noodle Soup
Chicken Bacon Ranch Noodle Soup is an elevated version of Chicken Noodle Soup. It’s like Chicken Noodle Soup on steroids 😊 I’m all for anything chicken, bacon, ranch flavored and this soup does not disappoint. It’s packed with soft noodles, tender chicken, perfectly seasoned ranch broth, and the toppings bring it to a whole new level. It’s great for a cold winter night or when you are looking for a quick and easy weeknight meal because it doesn’t take long to prepare. Personally, I’ll be eating this soup year-round. It’s hearty without being filling, warms you up, is customizable, and makes great leftovers. The recipe can be found here. Start by chopping the bacon into bite sized pieces. Add to a skillet and cook over medium heat until cooked through and crispy. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain the grease and set aside. I find this the easiest way to cook the bacon for this recipe, so … Continue reading
February 17, 2024
Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
Philly Cheesesteak Pasta is a great one-pot weeknight meal the whole family will love! It tastes just like a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich and if you aren’t familiar, it’s thin sliced beef with sautéed onions and peppers on a hoagie that’s smothered with cheese. In this case, the bun is being replaced by noodles. It’s cheesy, melty, and the perfect comfort food. The recipe can be found here. Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F and prepare your ingredients – slice the onion and bell pepper and mince the garlic. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and 1 tsp of salt and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onions are soft and starting to brown. Add the bell pepper and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the peppers start to soften. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the ground beef, … Continue reading
February 13, 2024
Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps
Lettuce wraps are something I like to make when I want an easy meal, a delicious meal, a nutritious meal, and something light. Life gets in the way, and you get busy, or you have a long day at work and don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. That’s where these lettuce wraps come in! They are fast to make and taste great – and you only need about 15 minutes to prepare them. The meat is a lovely combination of sweet and savory, the lettuce adds a nice crunch to each bite and the rice balances everything out. From what I understand, Korean beef is typically a thin sliced steak, but I’m opting for ground beef (and ground chicken). It’s cheaper and almost everyone knows how to prepare it so anyone can whip up this meal 😊 I do have 2 variations of the same recipe, one with beef and one with … Continue reading
February 9, 2024
Chicken Meatballs with Homemade Spinach Alfredo Sauce
Chicken Meatballs with Homemade Spinach Alfredo Sauce is a hearty and rich meal your whole family will love! The homemade sauce is deliciously creamy and is paired with crispy, salty bacon, tender, cooked spinach, and flavorful chicken meatballs. The chicken absorbs some of the sauce and flavors while simmering making them super moist. It’s a savory dish you won’t want to miss out on trying! The recipe can be found here. Start by making the meatballs. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl and set aside. Add the onion, garlic, parsley, and sun-dried tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped then add to the bowl with the milk/breadcrumb mixture. Also add the egg, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and salt. Mix to combine all ingredients. Add the chicken and mix until just combined – do … Continue reading
February 5, 2024
Blue Hawaiian Tropical Bucket Cocktail
Anyone else dreaming of warm weather and sunny days? I have a case of the Winter Blues and am thinking back to a fun summer weekend where we made “bucket drinks” to enjoy on a pontoon ride. If you aren’t familiar with “bucket drinks”, they are cocktails made in plastic buckets…. like a jumbo, fruity cocktail. And they are delicious! We made Blue Hawaiian Tropical Bucket Cocktails. As the name states, they are tropical… and full of booze and fruit juice and garnished with some fun fruit, candy, and glitter. We actually made them multiple weekends in a row after finding the perfect combination of each ingredient, and let me tell you, I’m craving a pontoon ride, sunshine, and a jumbo bucket cocktail right about now 😊 The recipe can be found here. You will need 32 oz plastic beverage buckets. You can find them on Amazon (click here) or perhaps a local party supply store. Make sure to wash them before … Continue reading
January 31, 2024
Sweets For Your Sweetheart
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. Do you plan to celebrate with your significant other, kids, or perhaps host a Galentine’s Day celebration? We like to do something every year but it’s never the same thing. Some years we go out, some years we stay in, and some years we postpone until we can figure out what we want to do. Whatever you end up doing (or not doing), I hope you enjoy it! One tradition of mine is to ALWAYS make a beverage or 2 and a dessert or 2 to celebrate during the month of February. I try to make simple recipes that don’t take a lot of time or ingredients and are something anyone could whip up at home. Here’s what I have for you this year: Strawberry Pink Hot Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake Martini Love Letter Pastries Strawberry Puff Pastry Hearts Now let’s walk through how to make each recipe: STRAWBERRY PINK HOT … Continue reading
January 28, 2024
Gridiron Grub
The Super Bowl is fast approaching. Are you ready for it? Do you plan to watch? Personally, I’m not watching for the game. I like to see the commercials and eat some good food with friends. And every year I like to create some tasty new recipes for our gathering. This year, my recipes are all appetizer/snack based, are easy to make, great finger foods for a crowd, something the kids will like, and make good leftovers. Here is what I have for you: Bacon Wrapped Potato Wedges Mini Chicken Cordon Bleu Sliders Taco Seasoned Oyster Crackers Mini Cheeseburger Bites Let’s walk through how to make each recipe: BACON WRAPPED POTATO WEDGES This is a simple recipe that combines popular ingredients to create a wonderful finger food. The potatoes are soft and tender, the bacon is salty and crisp, and the dipping sauce brings it all together. It’s like a baked potato you eat with your hands 😊 The nice … Continue reading
January 23, 2024
Frito Pie!
If you aren’t familiar with Frito Pie, it’s a popular dish in the Midwest and southern states and consists of chili, cheese, and corn chip (aka Fritos). However, it’s not actually pie but rather a pile of Fritos with chili and other toppings on top. It’s sometimes served directly from the bag of Fritos (think walking tacos) where the chili and toppings are added to the bag. Alternatively, you can pour the Fritos in a bowl or on a plate and add your chili and toppings. It’s comfort food at its finest and is packed with Tex-Mex flavors. I’ve made both a chicken and beef version and want to share the recipes with you today. Beef Frito Pie Chicken Frito Pie Both recipes are made the exact same way, but you choose if you want to use ground beef or ground chicken. Let’s walk through how to make it: Start by preparing your ingredients – chop … Continue reading
January 17, 2024
Guinness Beef Stew
It seems like the entire country has been battling freezing temperatures and horrible winter weather lately and MN has been no exception. On a cold day (freezing, subzero, arctic, or however you want to describe the weather we’ve had recently) something warm and cozy is all I want. Call it “winter warmer” food if you will. A hearty and flavorful Guinness Beef Stew is what I ultimately ended up making. Let me warn you, this recipe is not hard to make at all, but it does take a long time to make (aka it simmers for 2 hours) so you will need to plan ahead when making this stew. It’s great for a “meat and potatoes” type of person because that’s exactly what it is. Plenty of beef chuck, potatoes, and carrots that are simmered in a Guinness infused broth. The meat and broth are perfectly seasoned, the meat is tender and falls apart in your … Continue reading
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