Tag: Main Dishes

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

This roasted red pepper pasta can be served vegetarian or you can add Italian sausage – spicy or mild. I love this because it comes together so quick but it tastes different than the classic pasta with marinara. Sometimes you want pasta but you want 

Beef and Veggie Soup

Beef and Veggie Soup

One time when I went down to New Orleans to visit my parents, my dad made this epic beef and veggie soup. His was really simple – basically everything thrown in the pot and boiled/cooked down. It was brothy and tasty and I craved it 

Chuck Roast Chili

Chuck Roast Chili

Chuck roast chili came about on the first cold day here in Tennessee, when I wanted chili but didn’t have ground beef on hand. It uses the same cut of meat you’d use in a pot roast – but with all of the ingredients and flavors of a chili! This chuck roast chili also uses beans, which I know is a polarizing addition to chili, but it’s our favorite way to eat it.

See the instagram post here

Chili for all ages!

Arden is 7.5 months at this point and he seems to prefer bold flavors in his food. Who could blame him?! I wanted to make us chili for dinner but as always, I like him to eat what we eat. Since a good chili involves a lot of salt and a lot of spices, I made his in a separate bowl entirely. If you have older kids who like some kick, there’s no need to separate it.

As always, I use Solid Starts to double check foods against my baby’s age for introduction.

What you’ll need for Chuck Roast Chili

  • Large dutch oven or stove top pot and a smaller pot for baby’s portion
  • Cutting board to chop your veggies

Ingredients Needed:

  • Olive oil
  • Chuck roast (pot roast)
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Bell peppers
  • Poblanos (for adults)
  • Rotel (for adults)
  • Corn (fresh or frozen)
  • Black beans
  • Kidney beans
  • Tomato paste
  • Low sodium broth (vegetable or chicken or beef)
  • Apple cider vinegar (or whatever vinegar you have on hand)
  • Spices: coriander, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika (optional), kosher salt, cayenne (optional)

How to make this chili

Step 1:

Cut off a small piece of the beef for baby and set aside. Salt the big piece liberally. Brown the big piece in a large Dutch oven in a little oil and the baby portion in a smaller pot in a little olive oil as well. Remove both once browned and set aside.

Step 2:

Dice the onion, bell peppers, and poblano (keep this one separate) and mince the garlic.

Add ~90% of the diced veggies (and all of the poblano) to the large pot and the other 10% to the baby one. Sauté until soft.

Step 3:

Then add, again, 90% of the beans and corn and all of the Rotel to the big pot and remaining beans and corn to the baby. Then add the rest of the ingredients according to pot size and bring to a simmer and stir well.

Step 4:

Nestle the meat in their respective pots and cover. Cook on low for 4+ hours.

Step 5:

Remove the meat from the big pot and shred it. While you’re doing that, bring it to a boil and reduce the liquid down. Add meat back in. Blend the baby version in a high powered blender. Serve with your favorite chili toppings!

Storage

To save for later: cool chili entirely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Other Great Soup Options:

Chuck Roast Chili

A chili using chuck roast instead of ground beef. Recipe has adjustments for babies
Course: Baby Food, Dinner, Soup
Keyword: Baby Food, Baby Led Weaning, Chili, Chuck Roast

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs chuck roast beef
  • 1 small sweet onion diced
  • 2 bell peppers diced
  • 1 poblano, diced adult portion only
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 can black beans rinsed
  • 1 can kidney beans rinsed
  • 1 can rotel adult portion only
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste adult portion
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste baby portion
  • 1 cup low sodium broth adult portion
  • 1/4 cup low sodium broth baby portion
  • splash apple cider vinegar
  • dash coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder for baby portion
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt adults
  • 3 tbsp chili powder adults
  • 2 tbsp cumin adults
  • 1 tbsp coriander adults
  • cayenne as desired

Instructions

  • Cut off a small piece of the beef for baby and set aside. Salt the big piece liberally. Brown the big piece in a large Dutch oven in a little oil and the baby portion in a smaller pot in a little olive oil as well. Remove both once browned and set aside.
  • Add ~90% of the diced veggies (and all of the poblano) to the large pot and the other 10% to the baby one. Sauté until soft.
  • Then add, again, 90% of the beans and corn and all of the Rotel to the big pot and remaining beans and corn to the baby.
  • Then add the rest of the ingredients according to pot size and bring to a simmer and stir well.
  • Nestle the meat in there and cover. Cook on low for 4+ hours.
  • Remove the meat from the big pot and shred it. While you’re doing that, bring it to a boil and reduce the liquid down. Add meat back in. Blend the baby version in a high powered blender. Serve with your favorite chili toppings!
Chicken Soup with Rice

Chicken Soup with Rice

Chicken Soup with Rice is the ultimate comfort food – for adults AND babies! This recipe is creamy and full of healthy foods, great for us and for littles. We also read the book Chicken Soup with Rice to Arden on a very regular basis, 

Spatchcock BBQ Oven Roasted Chicken

Spatchcock BBQ Oven Roasted Chicken

This spatchcock BBQ oven roasted chicken gives the flavor and vibes of a chicken that was smoked in a fancy bbq smoker all day, but it’s actually done quick and easy in your oven! The marinade is amazing. You’ll wow everyone. You can use this 

One Pot Creamy Chicken Tortellini Tomato Soup

One Pot Creamy Chicken Tortellini Tomato Soup

This one pot creamy chicken tortellini tomato soup is easy enough to be a weeknight dinner. I’ve been making big pots of soups and stews to eat for dinner with plenty leftovers to freeze some for when the baby gets here, and this is a perfect addition! It even has added spinach to add a little extra veggie kick to it. You could substitute the spinach with kale and you can use whatever kind of tortellini you want!

It was inspired by a recipe that is super popular on the subreddit “r/slowcooking” but this one is done on the stove rather than the crockpot, and it’s changed up just a tad. Their recipe includes microwaving a bunch of ingredients and adding them to the slow cooker which just sorta weirded me out.

What you’ll need for this One Pot Creamy Chicken Tortellini Tomato Soup

  • Large dutch oven or stove top pot
  • Cutting board to chop your veggies and shred the chicken
  • Immersion blender (stick/hand blender) or a normal blender

Ingredients Needed:

  • Olive oil
  • Sweet onion (omit if sensitive to alliums)
  • Bell pepper
  • Garlic (omit if sensitive to alliums)
  • Tomato paste
  • All purpose flour
  • 28oz can San Marzano tomatoes
  • Chicken broth or water
  • Basil, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper
  • Chicken breast
  • Cheese tortellini (or whatever kind of tortellini you prefer!)
  • Fresh spinach
  • Half n half or heavy cream
  • Parmesan cheese (freshly grated is preferable)

How to make this one pot soup

Step 1:

Dice the veggies and mince the garlic. Measure out your flour and tomato paste. Open the tomatoes and set aside. Measure out the chicken broth or water.

Step 2:

Heat the pot or dutch oven to medium heat and add in the olive oil. Saute the veggies and garlic until soft – about 5 minutes or so. Add in the tomato paste and flour and stir well with the veggies.

Step 3:

Add in the broth and tomatoes and stir well. Add in the spices and herbs. Place the uncooked chicken in the mixture and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a low simmer and cover.

Step 4:

After about 20 minutes the chicken should be cooked through – check with a thermometer that it is 165F. Remove from the soup and shred. While chicken is removed, blend the remaining soup with an immersion/stick blender (or carefully add to a normal blender and blend until smooth). Add the shredded chicken back in.

Pour the uncooked tortellini into the soup and stir. Add in the spinach and stir. Cook another 5-10 minutes, until spinach is wilted and tortellini is cooked through (check the box to see how long it may take).

Step 5:

Stir in the half n half or heavy cream and the parmesan. Serve warm!

To save for later: cool soup entirely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3-4 months.

Other Great Soup Options:

One Pot Creamy Chicken Tortellini Tomato Soup

Course: Dinner, Soup
Cuisine: Soup
Servings: 8 people

Ingredients

  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 sweet onion (omit if needed) diced
  • 1 bell pepper diced
  • 2 cloves garlic (omit if needed) minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes
  • 4 cups chicken broth or water
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 lb chicken breast uncooked
  • 1 container tortellini filling of your choice
  • 2-3 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 cup half n half or heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated

Instructions

  • Heat large pot to medium heat and add in the olive oil. Saute the bell pepper, onion, and garlic until fragrant.
  • Add in the tomato paste and flour and stir well. Saute a minute.
  • Stir in the broth, can of tomatoes, and herbs and spices. Bring mixture to a boil.
  • Add in the uncooked chicken and reduce heat to low simmer. Cover and allow to simmer 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and internal temp is 165F.
  • Remove the chicken and shred. While it's removed, blend the soup using an immersion/stick blender or carefully add to a normal blender and blend until smooth. Add the shredded chicken back in.
  • Stir in the tortellini and fresh spinach and cook another 5-10 minutes, depending how long the tortellini needs to be cooked through (check the instructions on the container).
  • Once tortellini is cooked and spinach is wilted, stir in the half n half and the parmesan. Serve!
Dry Brine Turkey Method

Dry Brine Turkey Method

This was a big hit on Instagram so I figured I’d give it a more permanent spot on my website. If you are more of a video person, check out the saved story highlight “Turkey Time” on my home instagram page. Give More Love To 

Baked Chicken and Broccoli Mac-n-Cheese with Sourdough Breadcrumbs

Baked Chicken and Broccoli Mac-n-Cheese with Sourdough Breadcrumbs

Servings: 6-8 Mac-n-Cheese Ingredients:-16oz noodles of choice (I used gluten free brown rice rotini)-4 tbsp quality butter-1 tbsp garlic infused olive oil (or 1 tbsp olive oil + 2 cloves minced garlic)-1/4 cup all purpose flour (or gluten free flour blend)-2 cups whole milk-1 cup 

Roasted Squash Ricotta Ravioli for Beginners by a Beginner

Roasted Squash Ricotta Ravioli for Beginners by a Beginner

Full disclaimer: this was my very first time ever making pasta from home. I also do not have a pasta maker, so I rolled it all out by hand! I read a few different guides and explanations and sort of came up with my own plan for it, shown below. I was winging it most of the time and it was pretty time consuming to make ravioli. Next time, I’m definitely going to just make spaghetti or something more simple! This isn’t one of my typical “easy weeknight dinner” type of recipes – but it really was so so delicious that I thought it was worth posting! I hope you find this helpful, and be on the look out for more pasta recipes in the future!

RECIPE

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients

Pasta Ingredients:
-2 3/4 cup (350g) all purpose flour
-4 large eggs
-1 egg yolk
-1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-Pinch of salt

Filling Ingredients:
-1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped
-1 cup lacinato kale, diced
-2 cups whole milk ricotta
-1/2 cup parmesan
-1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-1 tsp sea salt

*Note: this will make WAY more than enough filling. I highly suggest making stuffed shells with the remaining filling! Or maybe even a lasagna!

Sauce Ingredients:
-1/2 cup butter
-1 tbsp dried sage
-1 pint small cherry tomatoes
-1 tbsp heavy cream

Instructions

Pasta Dough: (see photos below for a visual explanation!)

  1. Add the eggs, olive oil, and salt to a small bowl and set aside. Grab a bench scraper and keep it close – this will help in the end, or if you break the barrier of your flour mountain.
  2. Create a mountain and a crater out of your flour that will be big enough to hold all of the rest of the pasta ingredients.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients to the crater and use a fork to slowly and carefully break up the eggs and whisk them together.
  4. Slowly pull in some of the flour from the crater and incorporate it into the wet. Be careful not to break the barrier, but it you do, don’t freak out! Grab your handy bench scraper and push the flour up the walls to reform the barrier. If all hope is lost on the barrier, simply start to work everything together at this point.
  5. If you don’t break the barrier (I definitely did), then once the flour and wet ingredients have all come together, roll it up into a ball.
  6. Knead your dough for 10 solid minutes. This is tiring but it is worth it and necessary! After the 10 minutes your dough should be a deep yellow, smooth and soft to the tough ball of tight dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for 1 hour. This rest is crucial!

Filling:

  1. Roast the butternut squash cubes at 425 for about 30 minutes, until softened and browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
  2. Mash the squash with a fork or a potato masher and combine with remaining filling ingredients.
  3. Fill a piping bag or a large ziplock bag with the corner cut out and set aside.

Ravioli:

  1. Cut your rested pasta dough into 4 equal pieces. On a well floured surface, roll out two of the dough hunks as thin as you possibly can in equal shapes. This is where a machine comes in handy because this was exhausting and sort of hard – but you can do it!!
  2. Pipe out about 8-9 heaping tablespoons of filling a few inches apart from another on one sheet.
  3. Take the second sheet and lay it on top. Press out any extra air around the filling.
  4. Use a mason jar lid or a biscuit cutter to stamp out the individual ravioli. Press the edges closed with a fork.
  5. Repeat with the second two hunks of dough.
  6. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and cook your ravioli for 5-7 minutes, until dough has softened. Remove with a slotted spoon. You may need to do this in 2 batches to not overcrowd the pot.

Sauce:

  1. Melt the butter on medium heat and stir constantly.
  2. As soon as you see it begin to brown some, about 3-4 minutes in, add the sage and the tomatoes. Continue to stir until the butter has browned (but not burned!) and there is a nice nutty smell coming from it.
  3. Whisk in a bit of heavy cream to give it some body. Crush the tomatoes. Pour on top of the ravioli and enjoy!
Weeknight Chili (Instant-Pot or Stove-Top)

Weeknight Chili (Instant-Pot or Stove-Top)

Servings: 3-4 We eat this chili many times a month, no matter the season! It’s great because you can be very versatile with the vegetables. It is minimal clean-up, done in about 40 minutes total in the Instant Pot, and tastes as good as chili