I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families yesterday. We ate a lot of food and enjoyed a quieter day catching up with one another and watching a few movies on TV. I really enjoy Thanksgiving leftovers maybe once for dinner, but then I’m ready for something new on my plate. After cooking and serving a big turkey dinner, the last thing I feel like doing the next day is spending a lot more time in the kitchen. Sometime a girl just needs a break! These Cheesy Pepper Jack & Turkey Breakfast Burritos are a quick and delicious meal that will help you use up your yummy turkey leftovers!

My husband and I are headed out for a little holiday shopping today, but when we get home I’m sure we’ll be hungry. This recipe literally only takes 5 minutes to prepare so it’s the perfect low key meal to serve your family. If you’ve got shopping, decorating or Christmas cards to write, or cookies to bake these tasty burritos are for you!

To get things cooking, beat your eggs with a dash of cream or milk, season them with a little salt and pepper and pour them into a buttered and hot skillet. Add a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach, a few cups of shredded leftover turkey and give it a good stir. Once the eggs start to come together nicely and set, add in a cup or so of freshly grated Pepper Jack cheese. Yum!

Stir the cheese in well, turn off the heat and you’re ready to fill your burritos. You can always eat this just as a scramble if you are watching your carb intake. It’s delicious that way too!

I warm my multi grain tortillas on a plate in the microwave for about 40 seconds making them soft and more pliable so I can roll them up nicely without any cracking. Take a big spoonful of the cheesy turkey and egg filling, place it in the middle of your tortilla, fold in the sides in and roll them up firmly. That’s it!

Grab a piece of fresh fruit and a glass of orange juice and you’ve got yourself one yummy meal in only 5 minutes! Now I know the title states that these are breakfast burritos, but these are great for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Enjoy!

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Pasta always makes a great meal at our house. There’s so many different shapes and sizes of pasta to choose from along with the variety of fresh sauces, meats and vegetable additions you can add to it for a well balanced, delicious meal. I love One Pan meals, especially during the work week. This yummy Chicken, Spinach & Mushroom Alfredo Pasta is a wonderful dinner that can be on your table in about 10 minutes!

Tender grilled chicken breast strips are tossed along with fresh baby spinach, sliced cremini mushrooms and perfectly cooked penne pasta covered in a homemade Alfredo sauce for a meal your family is sure to request again! You won’t mind making it either, because it’s all done in one pan for convenience and easy clean up too!

After a long day at work, it’s nice to have a few convenient items on hand that can help you with your dinner prep. On my last grocery trip to Walmart, I picked up a package of Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken Strips (Great for quick dinners & they are fully-cooked, 98% fat free and have no preservatives ) along with Barilla’s NEW Pronto Pasta to help save me a little time in the kitchen with dinner this week!

Barilla Pronto pasta is a one pot, no boil, no drain pasta that cooks in under 10 minutes!

To make this family friendly meal, you’ll also need some fresh ingredients like baby spinach, sliced cremini mushrooms and Parmesan cheese.

Set your timers…because you won’t believe how quick & easy this is to make! Start by heating a little olive oil in your large skillet.

Add the frozen, fully cooked chicken to the pan, stirring until heated through. Add 3 cups of water with salt, pepper and garlic powder to the skillet and bring it to a low boil. Add your Barilla Pronto Penne Pasta, stir and cook for 10 minutes.

Add your butter, a few handfuls of spinach, a cup of sliced mushrooms, your freshly grated Parmesan cheese, heavy cream and stir well.

That’s it! Simple & Delicious! Top with a little more freshly grated cheese, serve with a fresh garden salad and crusty bread and you’ve got yourself a really nice family meal. Sit down for this nice dinner, enjoy your family and relax. Who said weeknight dinners can’t be great?!

Check out more inspiration for #EverydayEffortless HERE!

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Summer is a great time to load up your plate with freshly picked fruits and vegetables. Summer is also a great time (especially with this heat & humidity we’ve been having) to cool off with delicious homemade fruit filled desserts and creamy ice cream. To help keep things balanced, I try to eat a salad everyday for lunch. Sometimes salads can get boring, so I love coming up with tasty combinations that keep me coming back for more, just like this yummy Blueberry, Almond & Goat Cheese Spinach Salad.

A few generous handfuls of fresh baby spinach are layered with plump, juicy blueberries, creamy goat cheese and crunchy slivered almonds for a simple salad that’s delicious and makes you feel good. This salad is really refreshing and completely satisfying for lunch or a simple dinner. To be honest, after a long day of working in my garden, I’ve even had this salad for a snack. There’s just something about those sweet berries, salty cheese and nutty flavor that goes great with those fresh greens. I think it’s perfect with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, but it’s nice with your favorite vinaigrette dressing too.

If I don’t have fresh spinach from the garden, it’s always nice to stock up on it when you go to the grocery store. It’s great to have on hand to add to smoothies, soups and of course to use in your summer salads to get in your daily dose of veggies. At our house it’s okay to have dessert as long as you’ve gotten in your fruits and vegetables first. Sounds good, right?

If you’re having a hard time getting your 5 a day, this salad can also be made ahead of time on the weekend for lunches during the week. This way you can just grab it and go with absolutely no excuses as to why you didn’t get some of those great vitamins and minerals into your meals. Having family over for a cookout? Make a big bowl of this salad and serve it as a side. Take advantage of those fresh summer flavors while they are here! I know I’m going to miss them in a few months.

Enjoy!

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*Linking up at The SITS Girls, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, Home Stories A to Z, Foodie Friends Friday

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I don’t know about you, but I love a good breakfast casserole.  I like having a little bread, meat and veggie all wrapped up in a one pan or one dish meal, especially first thing in the morning.  There’s nothing like getting everything all assembled and then just popping the whole meal right in the oven to bake in morning.  It saves time, but also is so convenient for those mornings where you don’t feel like being stuck in the kitchen.  With this Cheesy Ham & Spinach Overnight Breakfast Casserole, you and your family can enjoy a wonderful breakfast or brunch without all of the hassle.  You won’t believe how easy this yummy dish is to make!

Fresh baby spinach, sweet cherry tomatoes, chopped ham and shredded Swiss cheese are layered along with a little onion, garlic and cubed, day-old french bread in a large casserole dish, then topped with lightly beaten eggs, more cheese and baked in the oven for a wholesome meal everyone will enjoy.

I actually made this meal after what I planned on making my kiddos for breakfast didn’t work out.  I planned on making them French Bread Breakfast Pizzas, but after I thawed the french bread I had stored in the freezer, I noticed that there was a hole in the bag. Ugh!

The french bread had gotten really hard on the outside and it just wasn’t going to work.  I hate wasting food, so I sliced the bread with a sharp, serrated knife into cubes and made it into this casserole.  I had all of the ingredients on hand which made this a really convenient meal to make.  No last minute trips to the grocery store! Yay!

This hearty Breakfast Casserole really can be served for lunch or dinner as well.  It’s savory and goes well with fresh berries or fruit.  I’ll admit that when I made it for dinner, I paired it with a glass of wine!

If you’re looking for a quick yet delicious breakfast to serve on Mother’s Day or any weekend for that matter, consider this recipe!  I think you’ll love it!

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*Linking up at Yesterfood, Pint Sized Baker, Home Stories A to Z, Stone Gable, Karen’s Up On The Hill, Three Kids and a Fish, Life with Garnish, Elizabeth & Co., My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Just a Girl and Her Blog, Savvy Southern Style, Carolyn’s Homework, Buns In My Oven, Place of My Taste, Living Well Spending Less, The SITS Girls, Diana Rambles, Coffee With Us 3, The Shabby Nest, Rooted In Thyme, Sunflower Supper Club, Thoughts from Alice, It’s Overflowing, Skip To My Lou, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage

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I love meals that are quick and easy during the week.  From the time my children step off of the school bus until the time they go to bed, it’s really busy around here.  Even though it’s busy, it’s important to me that we sit down together for dinner each night.  Now that my children are getting older, they are able to help with the little things like setting the table and can even help me with the preparation of the meals as well.  This simple Creamy Chicken & Spinach Alfredo Pasta is a delicious, family friendly meal that the whole family will enjoy!

This pasta meal combines a tasty homemade, quick and easy alfredo sauce, fun bow tie pasta, tender rotisserie chicken and chopped spinach.  It’s then then topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese for a wonderful dinner that can be on your table in 30 minutes!  This pasta meal is also great served with a fresh salad, crusty bread and even a glass of wine for the adults.  Want to make it meat free?  Just omit the chicken!  It’s still just as delicious with the creamy alfredo sauce, pasta & spinach!

Every time I go to the grocery store, I grab a rotisserie chicken.  Having one (or two) in my refrigerator during the week can be really convenient for salads, sandwiches, or quick pasta or casserole meals like this one.  I usually take all of the meat off of the chicken as soon as I get home from the store so it’s ready to go when I need it.  I often keep the bones too, so I can make a comforting soup during the week if it’s chilly out or if someone has the sniffles.

I find that if I plan my meals for the week ahead of time, things seem to go smoothly in the evening.  If you’ve got a busy household like me and are longing for more of a routine, give meal planning a try and don’t forget to put this yummy meal on you to do list!

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*Linking up at Skip To My Lou, White Lights On Wednesday, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, Living Well Spending Less, Table for Seven, Pint Sized Baker, Home Stories A to Z, Savvy Southern Style, Buns In My Oven, Place of My Taste

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Fall is officially here and I have been getting things around the house done to prepare for the colder weather that’s on it’s way.  I’ve been busy taking things out of my garden and planting tulip bulbs so I can enjoy a beautiful colored landscape in the Spring.  I definitely work up an appetite working outside all day though.  The problem is, is that when I come inside the last thing I want to do is make dinner.  It would be oh so nice if someone would make dinner for me, but that isn’t going to happen.  It’s always great to have a few simple and quick meal ideas on hand that you can throw together on a busy evening like this Easy Cheddar & Spinach Quiche.

This Easy Cheddar & Spinach Quiche is one of my favorite quick meals to make.  It can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner and takes only a few minutes to prepare.  It uses ingredients you probably already have on hand (no running to the grocery store) and can quickly be assembled.  Chopped spinach is blended with eggs and Sharp Cheddar Cheese then baked in a pie crust for a tasty and filling meal that can be on your table in a little over 30 minutes.  The buttery, flaky crust is delicious with the savory filling.  I love to serve this with fresh fruit or even a salad.

If you’re afraid that your children might not like this because of the vegetable appearance this has, rest assured that this is very kid friendly!  I have picky little eaters at my house and all 4 of my children gobbled this up!  To be honest, I was quite surprised that there were absolutely no complaints about the “greeny” look of it!

If you’ve got an extra handful of veggies from your garden, you might want to add that into this quiche too.  The best part about this recipe is that it is very versatile.  The next time you are looking for a quick dinner, I hope you give this tasty recipe a try!

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*Linking up at Living Well Spending Less, The Best Blog Recipes , Foodie Friends Friday, Diana Rambles, Skip To My Lou, Feeding Big, Pint Sized Baker, Hun What’s For Dinner, The New Mrs. Adventures, Buns In My Oven, Simply Gloria, Savvy Southern Style, Yesterfood, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, Couponin Diva

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Cooler weather is here and that always means a lot of comforting and cozy meals at our house!  Soups are among my favorites, because they are simple, and taste delicious.  Best of all, if someone is feeling a little under the weather with the sniffles or a sore throat, soup always seems to soothe the aches for a bit.  My family has a lot of soup favorites, but I love trying new combinations of meats, vegetables and seasonings to come up with something new that my family will love, just like this Italian Sausage, Potato & Spinach Soup.

This flavorful, semi- lightened up cream soup is fairly simple to prepare and gets a lot of it’s flavor from the Italian Sausage.  I like to use Turkey Sausage to keep it a little more lean.  You can add mild, spicy or sweet sausage too, it doesn’t matter! The sausage is added to sauteed carrots, potato, onion, celery and garlic to brown and then simmers in chicken stock with fresh spinach.  After the soup is covered and simmers for 20 to 25 minutes, you can then add the Cannellini Beans.

A cup of half and half is then slowly added while stirring to give the soup a little of that creamy and rich flavor.

This is really nice, cozy soup.  I love to feel the warmth of the fire (we had our first one of the season last weekend ) and just enjoy a comforting meal with the ones I love when the weather gets cold.  This soup is also great to make when you have some extra time on the weekend and then keep in the refrigerator for the upcoming busy work week.  It can simply be warmed up on the stove and taste like you have been cooking away all day after work.  I always think soups taste best after a day or two anyways because the flavors really have a chance to mingle together nicely.  I hope you have a chance to give this tasty soup a try very soon!

*Linking up at Diana Rambles , Miz Helen’s Country Cottage , Feeding Big , Savvy Southern Style, Buns In My Oven, The New Mrs Adventures, The Pin Junkie, Cooking With Curls, Simply Gloria, Skip To My Lou

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Once the warmer weather is here, more fresh fruits and vegetables are available in the grocery store and at local stands, and I just can’t get enough.  I love the bright colors and delicious taste!  Salads are such a quick and easy lunch or dinner that can fulfill your daily fruit and vegetable requirements too.  Have you ever spent all day in the garden, to come inside and find that it’s already late and you have nothing prepared for dinner?  I have!  For evenings like that, I make a simple salad.

My children have always eaten salads, even when they were very little.  It use to take me a little bit of time, but I would chop up their salads into the smallest bites possible and they just loved it.  As they have gotten older, their tastes have changed slightly and everyone has their own list of things they will or will not eat.  I deal with this problem by coming up with a basic type of salad and if they want to leave a few things off or put a few more things on, then they can.

This Spinach & Watermelon salad is really versatile and is actually one of my children’s favorite salads.  Baby Spinach is topped with sweet and juicy fresh watermelon, roughly chopped walnuts, feta or bleu cheese crumbles and a few ripe blueberries for a healthy and flavorful meal.  Two of my children don’t like dressings, so they eat this plain.  My son likes this with a little drizzle of olive oil and no blueberries.  Me, I like it with whatever I have got on hand!  Spinach and Watermelon go so well with a variety of different things, so use what your family loves the best.  If I am serving this for dinner, I will often top this salad with grilled chicken and a little blue cheese dressing.  The possibilities are endless!

Do you make salads for dinner a lot in the summer?  What are your favorite fresh fruit and veggie combinations?

*Linking up at:

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Asparagus.  I just love fresh asparagus!  I know it’s available at the grocery store most of the time, but I am talking about fresh, you went to the farm and picked it that morning kind of asparagus.  My family and I actually head out to a small farm a few miles from our home almost every year in the Spring to pick this delicious vegetable.  Usually it’s so tender and has this wonderful slight sweetness, that you can just eat it plain, freshly picked.  It ends up being a great snack for my children too.  They love to eat the food that they picked all by themselves.  This year, unfortunately, we didn’t make it there for our own picking, but my husband was very sweet and made sure to stop at the stand on the way home from work one day and brought home a bag full!

Since I had an abundance of asparagus in my refrigerator, I have used it a lot this week in my cooking.  One of my favorite ways to eat asparagus is in this simple Baked Eggs dish.  This meal is so easy to prepare, it uses fresh and healthy ingredients and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner!  Fresh, chopped asparagus is sauteed with garlic, baby spinach, and grape tomatoes in a cast iron skillet topped with eggs, a little seasoning and Parmesan cheese and is then baked in the oven for a quick 15 minutes.  Add some fresh parsley and a little more freshly grated Parmesan for a delicious meal that can be served with bread and/or fresh seasonal fruit.  Sometimes it’s hard to get all of your fruits and vegetables into our diets, but this meal makes it easy.  Even on the weekends, you can quickly get this into the oven and take your time eating and drinking coffee on the front porch as the day begins.  What a great way to start the day!  Does your family like asparagus?  What are your favorite ways to eat it?

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The post Baked Eggs with Asparagus & Spinach appeared first on Cozy Country Living.

Good Morning!  I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!  I am so excited to finally have some warmer temperatures outside.  It’s been between 40 and 50 degrees here during the day, and with the snow melted, this weekend I was finally able to put on my mud boots and take a look around our yard and garden.  It’s an absolute mess and I have a lot of work ahead of me, but being able to just get outside and have a plan of attack makes me happy.  I also love seeing my daffodils and tulips starting to pop up through the ground.  Have you seen any signs of Spring in your yard yet?  If you are looking for some Spring lawn & garden ideas, head over to my Gardening board on Pinterest!  If you have your own gardening board on Pinterest, I would love to take a peak at what your are busy doing outdoors as well.  I am always looking for great new ideas to apply in and around my home.  With hours of yard and garden work ahead of me, a lot of simple, quick dinners are going to be on my family’s menu this month.

Today I am sharing this tasty Lemon & Spinach Pasta with you.  This meal takes only minutes to prepare and is perfect for Spring!  The light and fresh flavor from the lemon is mixed with cream, Parmesan cheese, garlic and scallions, then tossed with your favorite pasta, fresh spinach and of course topped with even more freshly grated Parmesan cheese for a great, satisfying week night dinner.  If your family prefers a heartier meal, you can always add some juicy grilled chicken to this dish.  Served with a fresh salad and bread, this meal is sure to please on a busy evening when you have limited time to spend in the kitchen!

*Linking up at:
Skip To My Lou 

Call Me PMC

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Pint Sized Baker

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