Welcome to the second post in my “What’s For Dinner Wednesday” series! In last week’s post, I shared how I’ve recently really gotten into finding quick or simple meals to make for supper. As much as I love an ambitious recipe (and enjoy cooking), I’m also a big fan of an easy supper that I can pull together with our busy 15-month-old daughter nearby! 🙂
I’ve been perusing Pinterest for recipes, looking for meal ideas in Facebook groups, and even watching YouTube mamas’ recommendations for easy weeknight meals. I’m also trying out a free month of Plan to Eat (an online account and app that stores recipes for you, helps you plan your meals out, and creates your whole shopping list! – click here to try a free month of it for yourself!)
I think each of us appreciates some fresh ideas now and then, so hopefully this post will be inspiring to you!
** Note: The meals I’m sharing for “What’s For Dinner Wednesday” aren’t ALL of the exact recipes I’ll be making that week, although I’ll make sure to include some of the meals in my weekly meal plan amongst the recipes in the list. 🙂 Enjoy!
PS – This week, I’m also including a couple ideas from Just Bee’s readers that have been shared with me lately! Thank you!!
Cheesy Baked Tortellini:
Ingredients:
1 (12-oz.) package cheese or any kind of tortellini
4 bacon strips
3 tsp. minced garlic
2 T. flour
2 cups milk
3/4 tsp. salt
pepper
1 tsp. dried basil
2 cups chopped frozen spinach
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup. grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp. lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook as directed on the package. Cook bacon and cut up. Reserve bacon fat from pan. Add garlic and cook for a minute or two. Add flour to the pan and whisk for a minute. Add milk and mix until smooth. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice and basil and bring to a simmer. Drain tortellini and add back to the pot. Turn to low heat and add spinach and most of the mozzarella, Parmesan cheeses and bacon. Add sauce and stir until well combined.
Add to an 8×8 or 9×9 dish. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and bacon. Cover your dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Crockpot Pesto Chicken:
This recipe is courtesy of Rebekah from More Radiance. Thank you for sharing, Rebekah!
Ingredients:
several chicken breasts
1 can diced tomatoes
1 jar pesto
Directions:
Place all ingredients into crockpot. Cook on Low for 6 hours or High for 2.5-3 hours.
Mac ‘n’ Cheese With Tuna:
Thank you, Samantha K., for sharing this one! I love hearing new ways to dress up basic mac ‘n’ cheese. 🙂
Ingredients:
mac ‘n’ cheese
1 (or more) cans tuna, drained
1 can peas, drained (or I may do a cup or 2 of frozen peas that we have!)
shredded cheese
garlic powder
onion salt
seasoning salt
Directions:
Prepare mac ‘n’ cheese as usual. Stir in the drained tuna, peas, spices, and add shredded cheese to your liking!
Low-Carb Creamy Southwest Chicken Skillet:
Ingredients:
olive oil
2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic
small can diced green chiles
1/4 cup heavy cream (I’ll be using whole milk because that’s what we have on hand)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
refried beans
avocado slices
Directions:
Heat large skillet with oil over medium heat. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. Saute until brown on both sides, adding onions about halfway through. Add garlic and cook for another minute. If needed, deglaze the pan with a little water. Add green chiles and cream, and simmer until chicken is done on both sides and the sauce is thickened. Top with shredded cheddar or jack cheese, and serve when cheese melts. Serve with refried beans, salsa, avocado slices, etc. Can also serve alongside a salad.
Chickpea Stew:
Shared by Jessica! Thank you! 🙂
Ingredients:
2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, drained (could boil 1 cup dry chickpeas instead)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 cloves minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups liquid from boiled chickpeas (if boiling chickpeas instead..otherwise, can use vegetable broth)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Directions:
Heat oil or water in a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring. Add bell pepper, tomatoes, carrots, chickpeas, parsley, basil and oregano. Add tomato paste and vegetable broth or reserved chickpeas water, cover, and bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer for 20-30 minutes or until thickened. Mash some of the chickpeas with the back of a fork to thicken stew. Check seasoning, add cayenne pepper and extra salt and pepper as needed. Delicious served with brown rice.
Have you heard of any of these recipes before? What’s a favorite go-to meal in your household?? (Seriously! I love hearing these ideas!) I hope these meal ideas brought you a little inspiration for your week! Let me know if this is a type of post you’d like to see more of around here!