This one is another recipe my Mom made when we were growing up. It’s a true comfort meal and of course, kid friendly. She always served it with Poppyseed Bread, and so do I! I make mine with homemade condensed soups so that I can control the ingredients, but feel free to use canned for convenience. I honestly think that the homemade soups taste better, but they do take a little extra work. This is a great recipe to have the kids help you with. They can pour the ingredients into the casserole dish and place the tater tots on top. I use Sprout’s brand Tater Tots, as they don’t have extra added sugar. It’s crazy to me how many brands of frozen potatoes add sugar. Why?! Anyway, this is a great Winter meal. I hope your family loves it as much as mine does! For this recipe, you will need Cheddar Cheese Condensed Soup and Cream of Celery Soup. My Mom’s original recipe also called for a can of Veg-Alls, but I sub frozen organic veggies. Feel free to use the can of Veg-Alls if you prefer.

Start by browning the ground beef with the onion. Drain and transfer to a casserole dish. If you want a thicker casserole, you can use an 8×8 or 9×9 pan (which is my preference actually, but in these photos I used a 9×13, because that’s what I had clean…it works fine too). Add the soups, milk, and veggies. Stir well.

Top with frozen Tater Tots and bake at 350 for 1 hour, until bubbly.

Tater Tot Casserole

• Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

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1 lb ground beef

1 Tbsp onion, minced

1 can cream of celery soup

1 can cheddar cheese soup

3/4 cup milk

1 cup frozen green beans

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup frozen peas and carrots

Tater Tots

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Instructions

Brown the ground beef and onion; drain.  In a 9×13 baking dish, add the ground beef mixture and remaining ingredients, except for the tater tots.  Stir well to combine, then layer the tater tots on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, until bubbly.

If using homemade condensed soups, use 1 1/4 cups of condensed soup in place of 1 can of store bought soup.

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Every time I travel to Raleigh for work, I hit up a local restaurant that has the best grain bowls. My favorite is The Med Bowl. Since I can’t get it at home, but have majorly been craving it since my last trip, I decided to recreate it! I’m so thrilled with how it turned out – it’s exactly like the real thing! This bowl makes the perfect flavorful, healthy lunch and has been on repeat at my house for the past few weeks!

Make the pickled cabbage in advance and store in the fridge for up to a week.

The Med Bowl

• Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

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1 cup green or black lentils, prepared according to package directions

1/2 cup chopped cucumber

1/2 cup arugula

1/4 cup crumbled feta

1/2 cup pickled red cabbage

3–4 Falafel, prepared according to package instructions

1/2 to 1 Tbsp Harissa

2 Tbsp Green Goddess Dressing

Crushed Pita chips – optional

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Instructions

Layer the lentils in the bottom of a bowl.  Top with remaining ingredients.

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How beautiful is this pork roast?!

This is just the perfect main dish to serve for the holidays. It’s really not all that difficult, but definitely delivers on the “WOW” factor! The flavors are perfect – onion, fennel, dried cherries, and sage. Let me walk you through just how easy this fancy dish really is!

Just a hint to make this even easier on yourself. Prep the roast, brown it, then pop it back in the fridge until about 20 minutes before you are ready to bake it. Let it sit on the counter while your oven preheats (my oven is painfully slow and takes about 20 minutes to get to 400). Pop it in the oven, work on your side dishes, and make the glaze last while the roast rests (you can go ahead and pre-measure the ingredients for the glaze, just wait to boil the glaze until right before serving).

Start with finely chopping the onion and fennel. That’s all the chopping required! Cook it in a skillet with a little olive oil until it’s soft, add in chopped garlic for just a minute, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Combine with remaining filling ingredients.

Next, butterfly the pork loin roast by slicing horizontally through the middle, not cutting all the way through to the other side. Lay plastic wrap over the butterflied pork and use a meat mallet to pound to about 1/2 inch thick. Brush with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the filling mixture over the pork and roll as tightly as possible, securing with kitchen twine.

Brown all sides in a skillet, then transfer to a roasting pan. Pour in a couple cups of chicken broth to the bottom of the pan and place in a 400 degree oven for 45-55 minutes, until internal temp reaches 140 degrees. If the broth starts to dry up in the bottom of the pan, just add more.

Remove the pork from the oven when the internal temp reaches 140 degrees and let it rest while you make the glaze. Slice and serve with the glaze!

Now you’re ready to impress!

Holiday Stuffed Pork Roast with Balsamic Cherry Glaze

• Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

For the Pork

3 cups chicken stock, divided

1/2 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

3/4 cup finely chopped fennel bulb

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 cup sourdough breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp butter, melted

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1 (3-pound) boneless pork loin, trimmed

For the glaze

4 Tbsp good balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup cherry preserves

1/8 cup red wine

1 tsp chopped fresh sage

pinch of salt and pepper

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 cup of the chicken stock and the dried cherries.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes to soften the cherries.  Let stand while you prepare the rest of the filling.  

In a skillet, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion and fennel until soft.  Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl.  Add the thyme, sage, breadcrumbs, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and melted butter to the mixing bowl.  Drain the cherries, reserving 1/4 cup of the chicken stock they were softened in.  Add that 1/4 cup of reserved stock to the filling mixture and stir to combine.  

Slice horizontally through the center of the pork roast, but do not cut through to the other side.  Lay it flat and cover with a piece of plastic wrap.  Use a meat mallet to pound to about 1/2 inch thickness.  Brush with 1 Tbsp olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.   Spread the filling mixture evenly over the pork.  Roll up, starting with the short side and secure with kitchen twine.  

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to the pan.  Add the pork and brown on all sides.  Transfer the pork to a roasting pan.  Pour 2 cups of chicken stock into the bottom of the roasting pan.  Roast at 400 degrees for 45-55 minutes, until the center reads 140 degrees.  Remove from the oven and let rest while you prepare the glaze.

For the glaze

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Let cook at a boil, continuing to stir, until the sauce thickens, about 5-8 minutes.  

To serve

Slice the pork into about 1 1/2 inch thick slices.  Spoon the balsamic cherry glaze over the top.

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I love my Greek dinner with homemade pita, but it’s just not practical for a weeknight. I love the flavors in this dish, and it uses the same chicken recipe, but in a much easier, faster way for a quick and healthy weeknight dinner. Not only is it delicious, it is an absolutely stunning dish with the vibrant colors. This has become one of my go-to dinners for weeknights or having friends over. It’s super easy to feed a crowd with this meal!

Start by spreading the chopped veggies on a pan. Pour about 1/4 cup of the marinade mixture over the veggies and toss well. Place the tomatoes on the vine on top (you can use cherry tomatoes instead, but on the vine gives a really pretty, gourmet look with no effort!). Place the halved chicken breasts on top of the veggies and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

When finished baking, top with Kalamata olives, cubed feta, and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley. This meal is great served with my Loaded Hummus and pita (store bought for simplicity’s sake!

Mediterranean Sheet Pan Chicken

• Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

For the marinade:

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest

1 1/2 tsp greek seasoning

1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

For the chicken and veggies:

4 chicken breasts, halved across the width of the center

1 red bell pepper, chopped into 2 inch pieces

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped into 2 inch pieces

1 orange bell pepper, chopped into 2 inch pieces

1 red onion, cut into wedges

1 15-oz can artichoke hearts, drained

1 package on-the-vine cherry tomatoes (or 15-20 cherry tomatoes)

1/2 block of feta, cubed

1/2 cup sliced Kalamata olives

Fresh parsley, chopped

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Instructions

In advance: Make the marinade by whisking together the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, greek seasoning, poultry seasoning, and oregano. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade and refrigerate until ready to use.  Pour the remaining marinade into a Ziploc bag.  Add the chicken, seal the bag, and turn the bag over a few times to cover all of the chicken pieces with marinade.  You can refrigerate for 1 day or freeze until ready to use (thaw the chicken before cooking).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spread the veggies (except for the tomatoes if they are on the vine) on a sheet pan, pour over 1/4 cup of the marinade, and toss to combine well.  Lay the tomatoes on top.  Remove the chicken from the marinade and place the chicken breasts on top of the veggies.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove from the oven and top with olives, feta, and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

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I love this recipe because its a simple sheet pan dinner that can be ready from start to finish in about 15 minutes. It uses the chicken from my Smoky Pulled Chicken Tacos. When I make that recipe, we always have leftover meat, so I freeze it. It’s perfect for a quick meal.

Here’s how easy this meal is. Spread out tortilla chips on a sheet pan. Warm the leftover meat in the microwave and layer it on top of the chips. If you don’t have a batch of pulled chicken in the freezer, you can substitute shredded rotisserie chicken.

Add ranch style beans and shredded cheese.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Serve with your favorite nacho toppings! Shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, jalapeños, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and espinaca are my favorite toppings. I typically set out the toppings in little bowls and let everyone top their nachos with what they like!

Smoky Pulled Chicken Sheet Pan Nachos

• Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

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Tortilla chips

1 can Ranch Style beans

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese blend)

2 cups Smoky Pulled Chicken (or shredded rotisserie chicken)

For topping:

Shredded lettuce

Chopped tomatoes

Chopped jalapeños

Guacamole

Sour Cream

Salsa

Espinaca

Cilantro

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This is the spaghetti sauce recipe my Mom has always made for us. We always laugh because in our family cookbook, it’s called “Spicy Spaghetti” but there’s really nothing spicy about it! So, we’ll just call it Spaghetti. This spaghetti sauce happens to be Whole 30 compliant and it’s delicious over carrot or zucchini noodles. I serve it over organic, whole wheat noodles for my kids, but I often make carrot noodles for myself. However, my children will not be fooled by any sort of creative name for the carrot noodles – they know pasta isn’t orange and no non-carb alternative is acceptable. The great thing about this sauce is everyone can eat it on whatever they want. Side note – I buy the carrot noodles in the freezer section from Trader Joes. Means very limited work for me, which leaves me no excuse to not go the healthy, Whole 30 compliant route. I actually prefer carrot noodles over zucchini noodles. I think the texture is more similar to real pasta and they don’t water down the sauce like zucchini noodles can.

I keep jars of this spice mix already mixed up in my pantry, right next to the cans of tomato sauce. It makes a quick weeknight meal. This sauce also freezes very well – just thaw and reheat in a sauce pan.

This recipe is so simple and takes just a few ingredients – tomato sauce, spices, onion, and ground beef. I get ground beef from Trader Joe’s or Butcher Box. I always buy organic, 100% grass fed beef. I suppose that’s a debate for another day, but over the last year, I’ve really learned a lot about the importance of 100% grass fed and eating organic whenever possible. Trader Joe’s has great prices for 100% grass fed organic beef!

To start, add the onion and ground beef to a sauce pan.

Once the beef is cooked through, drain the grease. Then add the tomato sauce and spices.

Stir to combine and let the sauce simmer on the stove for up to a couple hours. If you don’t have time to let it simmer, that’s okay. Just let it go while the noodles cook and you’ll be fine.

I like to serve this meal with my Parmesan and Roasted Garlic Bread and Apple Kale Salad (pictured above).

Spaghetti

• Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

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1 lb ground beef

1/4 cup onion, chopped

2 15-oz cans tomato sauce

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried oregano

Sprinkle of dried parsley

1/2 tsp dried sage

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp marjoram

1 lb spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained

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Instructions

In a saucepan, brown the ground beef with the onion.  Drain the grease.  Add 2 cans tomato sauce. Add 1/2 can water.  Add the spices and stir to combine.  Let the sauce simmer, up to a couple hours if time allows.  (If not, serve right away).  Serve over spaghetti noodles.

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