Author: Ashley

Deep Dish Brownies Stuffed with Hershey Kisses and Topped with Coffee Icing

Deep Dish Brownies Stuffed with Hershey Kisses and Topped with Coffee Icing

I love frosted brownies and these were perfect for Halloween. The coffee icing enhances the chocolate flavor and the Hershey kisses add bits of gooey chocolate in each bite. Ingredients: 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce or vegetable oil 4 ounces semisweet chocolate 

One Pot Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta

One Pot Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta

One pot dishes are wonderful on busy nights when you don’t have time to do a lot of dishes. You can add more or less Cajun seasoning to adjust the spice level to your liking. You can also prepare this using just cream cheese for 

Roasted Green Bean Salad with Sundried Tomato Dressing

Roasted Green Bean Salad with Sundried Tomato Dressing

I don’t think I tried sundried tomatoes until a year or so ago and I absolutely love them.  The dressing on top of these roasted green beans also tastes great on salads.

Ingredients:

Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing

½ cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes with oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

Roasted Green Bean Salad

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 red onion sliced

1-2 pounds green beans (wax beans work too)

Salt, pepper, olive oil spray

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a little salt.
  3. Toss the tomatoes and onion in a bowl with a little salt, pepper, and olive oil spray.
  4. Spread the tomatoes and onions on a aluminum foil lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
  5. Add the beans to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water.
  6. Spread the green beans over the tomatoes and onions and bake for 5-10 more minutes.
  7. Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, honey, and some salt and pepper to a food processor and pulse until smooth.
  8. To serve drizzle the dressing over the roasted vegetables.
  9. Save leftover dressing in an air-tight container and use as a dressing on salads.
Zucchini and Meatball Lasagna

Zucchini and Meatball Lasagna

Every time I make this lasagna I change up the recipe a little.  I have made this with only zucchini noodles and I have made it using a layer or two of no-boil lasagna noodles to add structure. I often use fresh meatballs with Italian 

Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are easy to make and customize depending on what you are craving. These stuffed peppers were filled with ground Italian sausage and the pepper tops as well as some marinara sauce topped with shredded Italian cheeses. Ingredients: 6 bell peppers tops and stems 

Pop Pulled Pork

Pop Pulled Pork

I love pulled pork sandwiches and wraps.  The sweetness from the root beer in this recipe really made the flavors pop!  I like to eat pulled pork on a wrap with a coleslaw mix, but it tastes amazing on a bun too.  This is a perfect meal to throw in a crock pot until you are ready to shred and serve it up. I served this with roasted green beans with a sundried tomato vinaigrette and air fried potatoes.

Ingredients:

2 pounds pork tenderloin

1 onion sliced

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder

8 ounces root beer (or other soda)

12-18 ounces BBQ sauce

Directions:

  1. Spray a slow cooker with nonstick spray.  Spread the sliced onions in the base. 
  2. Place the pork tenderloin on top of the onions and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
  3. Pour the soda around the pork.
  4. Top with the BBQ sauce and gently spread the sauce over the tenderloin.
  5. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
  6. Use forks or shredders (I have Pampered Chef tools I love) to shred the pork.
  7. Use a slotted spoon to drain excess liquid and serve on buns or wraps.
  8. Enjoy!
Shrimp Pad Thai

Shrimp Pad Thai

My favorite pad thai comes from a restaurant near my husband’s work, but this recipe is a close second and is easily made at home. Ingredients: 2 pounds shrimp peeled and deveined 2 tablespoons fish sauce (more if you really like the flavor) 3 tablespoons 

Strawberry Muffins

Strawberry Muffins

I love muffins in the morning as my pre-workout snack.  These are the perfect spring muffin when strawberries are fresh from the farmers market.  I made strawberry yogurt glaze I added as I served the muffins so they wouldn’t get mushy. Ingredients: Muffins- ½ cup 

Sweet Potato Hash

Sweet Potato Hash

This dish works for breakfast or dinner.  The roasted sweet potatoes and vegetables under a sunny side up egg pair well together. I served this with breakfast sausage and toasted whole wheat English muffins with jam.

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes cubed

1 bell pepper diced

½ sweet onion diced

2 cloves garlic chopped

1 teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

4-6 large eggs

¼ cup green onion sliced

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450. 
  2. Arrange the sweet potato in a 9×13 dish and spread out in an even layer.
  3. Cover with aluminum foil and roast for 20-30 minutes until they begin to soften.
  4. Add the peppers and onion. 
  5. Sprinkle with paprika, salt, and pepper.
  6. Bake for 10-15 more minutes.
  7. Meanwhile cook 4-6 eggs sunny side up.
  8. To serve place a large scoop of the sweet potato mixture on a plate or bowl and top with the sunny side up eggs.
  9. Enjoy!
Caribbean Grilled Chicken

Caribbean Grilled Chicken

Whenever I make grilled chicken, I like to marinate it in advance so it can soak up the flavor.  This chicken was tender, moist, and bursting with flavor.  I served this chicken with mango coleslaw and roasted sweet potato. Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts cut into