Favorite Recipes from January

 

I thought I would share with you some of our favorite recipes from January! It was a full month of trying new-to-us meals as well as tried-and-true loves.  Here were the winners:

Breakfast Burritos: Even though I have zero talent at rolling a proper burrito, so mine are basically just quesadillas, we did love making these at the start of the month. Know what made them even better? Our first stab at homemade tortillas. I’m ruined for all other tortillas now, I fear.

Monterey Chicken: This recipe from Dashing Dish was so tasty, but if you’re looking for something super simple and free of assembly, this might not be your first choice. I loved making it when I had extra time to cook, but this wouldn’t be something I would choose on a busy day. Still – from a fancy-feelin’ and flavor perspective, it’s a solid win. (We paired this with steamed broccoli.)

Turkey Taco Skillet: This one WAS fast to assemble. Anything that can be put together in a skillet format is usually a win in my book. This had a nice little kick to it, and we enjoyed it. Ryan ate his with chips, and I ate mine plain, and we were both happy!

Veggie Ham and Cheese Egg Casserole: This one kept me going for quite a while, because it made a 9x13, and Ryan didn’t help me eat too much of it! I assembled it one evening when I had time to chop and sauté, because that all took a while, but then I warmed it up one serving at a time, and when paired with an apple or a couple of clementines, it made a fabulous and flavorful breakfast.

Three Bean Turkey Chili: I normally avoid anything with “three bean” in the title, because it just feels like I’ve become my grandma in some way. (And both my grandmothers were lovely ladies…I am not speaking ill of them. But one especially loved beans, so I always associate bean dishes with her.) But I overcame my bean aversions to try this and am so glad I did. The recipe calls for a slow cooker, but I (possibly) forgot about that and ended up making it on the stovetop. Worked just fine for us and made a lot of leftovers to carry us through a busy week!

One Pot Orzo with Sausage, Spinach, and Corn – I have two favorite types of meals to prepare. One is the kind that goes in the slow cooker and prepares itself while I do other things and the other is the kind that comes together quickly on its own, yet still feels like a proper cooking experience. This was the second kind of meal. Orzo is a new-to-me pasta within the past year, and I like it. It cooks quickly, because it’s small, like rice. It has the flavor of pasta without being heavy like pasta can be. This came together quickly, had all the elements of a meal in a single pot, and tasted really yummy!

Healthier Hot Chicken Salad – This is a recipe from my own blog (one I made a bit healthier from the original version I posted years ago). I don’t think I’ve made this in well over a year, but one night this month we were just shy of grocery night, and I had exhausted my meal plan. I realized I had all the ingredients for this on hand, so I threw it together on a weeknight, and it was so good. Comforting and healthy all at once!

Poppyseed Chicken – This one isn’t on the healthy end of things, but it sure is delicious! This general dish (not this exact version, necessarily) is a staple in Ryan’s family, and they were the ones who introduced it to me. I found this version on Pinterest, made it for small group this month, and it was a winner! (Note: I did not layer ingredients as this recipe instructs. I mixed it all together in the dish. So much easier.)

Big Mac Smash Burgers – I absolutely loved this recipe, because I could make it quickly, and it felt like fast food at home. I cooked them on our Griddler, and the seasoning was perfect. I also really liked the sauce, which is a healthier version of what you’d get in the restaurant.

Coleslaw – I found this recipe last summer and we’ve enjoyed it several times since then. It was perfect this month with burgers and sloppy joes.

Crispy Granola Bars – I love granola bars, but the ones from the store are loaded with preservatives, I know. This is the closest recipe I’ve ever found to my favorite store-bought crispy bar. I make these regularly to have on hand for dessert or a snack. (I bake mine 5 minutes under what the recipe calls for or I can’t chip it out of the pan in bar-size pieces.)

Chorizo Breakfast Bowls – These were so good. A protein-rich bowl built from roasted potatoes, turkey breakfast sausage, eggs, Feta, and avocado, these were huge on taste and really filling. I even shared with Ryan! 😊

Protein PB&J Smoothie Bowl – I tried this recipe back in the summer and absolutely loved it. I brought it back this month one day when I needed a quick, portable breakfast. It honestly tastes like ice cream. I used my cherry berry blend that I buy by the bag – and I did add a little more milk than the recipe called for because it was too thick to blend without it. This for real tasted like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, minus the bread.

                Enjoy! I hope you find some new-to-you keepers from this list! (Note: The Dashing Dish ones may only be accessible if you have a membership, and if that is the case, I’m sorry…but also, we find that membership cost worth it!)