Had I known making my own Italian dressing would be so easy I would’ve been making it ALL the time! This recipe is very easy and you likely have all of the ingredients on hand. I found this recipe from The Whole Cook, so check out the original here! I love using this recipe in my Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken Tenders recipe.
Ingredients
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red or white wine vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp lemon juice
Directions
Add all ingredients to a jar, place the lid on the jar, and give it a good shake!
Just like with all vinegar based dressings, you’ll need to shake it up again before pouring to eliminate separation.
Cracker Barrel’s grilled chicken tenderloins have always been a favorite of mine. This easy air fryer recipe has all the flavor and little cleanup. You can find the original recipe at Love Bakes Good Cakes.
Ingredients
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons lime juice, fresh squeezed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound chicken tenderloins
Directions
Place the dressing, garlic, honey, lime juice, salt, and pepper into a large bowl, whisk until combined. Add the chicken tenderloins and mix them in, so they are fully coated.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it into the fridge for up to 1 hour to marinate.
Once ready to cook, preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Spray the basket with olive oil spray and place the tenders, not touching each other into the basket. You may need to air fry in batches.
Air fry for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Chicken is done cooking when the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
What isn’t good with some bacon thrown in? These lemon-pepper bacon wrapped Brussels sprouts are no exception! The original recipe comes from Garnished Plate if you’d like to check it out!
Ingredients
1/2 pound Brussels sprouts (I usually use 20 sprouts so I have an even number of bacon pieces)
spray canola or olive oil
lemon pepper seasoning
5 pieces center cut bacon
Directions
Place brussels sprouts in bowl and spray with a couple of spritzes of oil until just lightly coated.
Toss with lemon pepper seasoning.
Stack bacon and cut strips in half lengthwise and widthwise so that each pieces becomes 4 pieces.
Wrap each Brussels sprout with a piece of the bacon and place seam side down in air fryer.
Place in air fryer at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes depending on size of sprouts, checking every 5 minutes until tender.
I had mangoes that I completely forgot about and knew there was no way we’d be able to eat them before they were overripe, so I did what anyone would do… turned to the internet for a bundt cake recipe. I figured that might be the easiest way to use them. I adapted my recipe from one I found from Goodie Godmother. Check out the original! I didn’t make any glade since mango is so naturally sweet, but it would be excellent with a glaze, so I’ll include that in my recipe as well.
Ingredients
2 fresh mango, diced (more if using for garnish)
Juice from half a lemon
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup finely sliced almonds almonds
Glaze
1 Tbsp melted butter
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
2-3 Tbsp of milk, cream, or water
Directions
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F, then spray a bundt pan with nonstick spray.
Cut the mangoes, mix with the lemon juice, and set aside.
Combine the eggs, oil, vanilla extract, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a mixing bowl.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger, and salt.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Then fold in the diced mango and almonds.
Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake 45-50 minutes until a tester comes out clean and the cake lightly springs back when touched.
Remove from the oven and cover with a clean, slightly damp tea towel for 10 minutes. Remove the tea towel and carefully invert onto a cooling rack.
While the cake is cooling, and is nearly completely cool, make the glaze by combining the melted butter, salt, and 1 cup of the powdered sugar into a bowl. Work the powdered sugar in 1 cup at a time and then add milk, cream, or water 1 Tbsp at a time until the glaze has reached the desired consistency. Drizzle or pour over the cake and top with extra diced mango, if desired.
Pasta with cream sauce. Say no more 😂 This recipe is great because I usually have all of these ingredients on hand, they come together quickly, and it has great flavor. I adapted this recipe from one I found in Insider.
Ingredients
1 lb fresh penne or fusilli pasta
1 lb ground turkey
¾ cup heavy cream
4 sage leaves
4 regular shallots (or 2 banana shallots)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 leeks
1 lemon
A handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves
Freshly-grated parmesan cheese (for serving)
6 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
2 sage leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
Prepare all ingredients by grating or finely chopping the shallots and garlic and set aside. Finely slice leeks and set aside.
If you plan on freshly preparing your breadcrumbs, prepare those by adding two pieces of torn bread to a food processor and process until finely chopped. Otherwise, use plain breadcrumbs (I prefer Progresso).
Place a large Dutch oven over medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add shallots and garlic to the pot. Allow to cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
Put a large pot of water on a burner on high heat to prepare to boil the pasta. While pasta water is heating, add chopped sage leaves and ground turkey to the pot and cook 3-4 more minutes until turkey is lightly browned.
Add leaks to the pasta water once it begins boiling. Allow to boil for approximately one minute before adding pasta to cook. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
While pasta is cooking, add cream to the turkey mixture, combine well, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until ready to serve.
To prepare the breadcrumbs, place a frying pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Add finely chopped sage leaves to the oil. Mix in breadcrumbs and allow to brown slightly. This happens quickly, so closely watch the breadcrumbs while cooking.
Drain the pasta and leeks, reserving 2-3 tablespoons of pasta water, and add the pasta and leeks to the turkey sauce.
Add finely chopped parsley leaves and lemon zest to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add reserved pasta water if sauce is too thick.
Serve topped with breadcrumbs and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Quesadillas are great when you are stumped on what to have for dinner on a busy weeknight. I had just made a large pork loin in the slow cooker the night before and everyone was kind of burned out on pork and potatoes, so I figured quesadillas would be a good 180. They were a hit! These are easy to make, filling, and have great added flavor. I adapted my recipe from one I found from A Well-Seasoned Kitchen.
Ingredients
3 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil, divided
1/3 large yellow or red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 green, red or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
In a large, flat bottomed skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat.
Add sliced onion and bell pepper; sprinkle with a coating of taco or Mexican seasoning and cook, stirring frequently, until soft.
Stir in chopped, cooked pork and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place tortillas side by side on a cutting board or plate. Sprinkle cheese on half of each tortilla.
Spoon pork filling on top of cheese, dividing evenly between the 2 tortillas.
Sprinkle remaining Cheddar cheese on top of filling.
Fold tortillas in half around filling.
Reheat the same large skillet (no need to clean it out) over medium heat and spray with nonstick spray. Add stuffed tortillas, side-by-side in the pan. Cook until lightly browned on the bottom, around 3 to 4 minutes. Flip tortillas over and continue cooking until lightly browned on the other side, around another 3 to 4 minutes.
Cut each quesadilla into wedges (3 or 4 wedges per quesadilla) and serve with any or all of the recommended garnishes.
Artichoke, salami, banana pepper, fresh mozzarella, this one has it all! All the flavor is included in this recipe and it is phenomenal! I adapted my recipe based on ingredients I had on hand, but you can check out the original here!
Ingredients
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
⅓ cup chopped, marinated artichoke hearts
⅓ cup chopped salami
¼ cup chopped banana peppers (or pepperoncini if you prefer)
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar if you prefer)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano, plus more for garnish (can substitute dried oregano)
Mix 2 Tbsp oil, artichoke hearts, salami, banana pepper, vinegar and oregano in a medium bowl.
Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with pepper and add to the pan. Cook until starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Turn the chicken over and top each piece with the artichoke mixture and cheese. Transfer the pan to the oven and broil the chicken until the cheese is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken registers 165 degrees F, 3 to 4 minutes more. Serve the chicken with any pan drippings and oregano, if desired.
My sister-in-law was kind enough to share this Hello Fresh recipe with me. It looked so fantastic that I HAD to try it! I tweaked a few things based on ingredients I had in hand and this is definitely a new favorite in our house!
Ingredients
2 zucchini, sliced and quartered
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
zest of 1 lemon
1 lemon, quartered
16 oz whole wheat spaghetti (or any other preferred pasta)
20 oz chicken cutlets
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp chili flakes
3/4 cup chicken stock
Extra Virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp sour cream
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
6 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded
Directions
Bring a pot of water to boil for pasta. While water is reaching boiling, cut zucchini into slices, then into fourths and slice mushrooms. Zest and quarter lemon.
Cook pasta to package instructions, drain, add a small amount of olive oil and set aside in a bowl.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Sauté zucchini and mushrooms until golden brown, stirring occasionally (approximately 4-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Place a large drizzle of oil on the zucchini skillet on medium-high. Pat chicken dry, season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning on both sides. Add chicken to skillet and cook until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes or until internal temperature reads 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer.
Tuen off what and transfer chicken to a cutting board to rest. Once chicken is cool enough to handle, cut chicken crosswise.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in the pot used for the pasta on medium-high heat. Add garlic, half the lemon zest, and a pinch of chili flakes to the pot. Stir until fragrant, 20-30 seconds.
Stir in chicken stock and juice from 4 lemon wedges. Stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat.
Add pasta, zucchini and mushrooms, sour cream, and butter to the pot and toss to coat. Add half of the Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper.
Add pasta to bowls, too with chicken and garnish with remaining Parmesan, lemon zest, and a pinch of chili flakes. Serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.
Wedding soup has everything good: great broth, chicken, meatballs, pasta, and hearty vegetables! This soup can be made in the slow cooker or on the stove, so I’ll provide you with my recipe for both options!
Ingredients
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil (for stovetop recipe)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
2 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 pound frozen mini meatballs, precooked (regular size will work fine as well!)
1 cups Acini de pepe pasta, cooked to package instructions
Cooked diced/shredded chicken, according to taste (optional)
1-1.5 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (option for topping)
Stovetop Directions
Add olive oil to a large Dutch oven or stock pot and heat to medium high heat.
Add onion, carrots, and celery to the heated pot and sauté vegetables until soft. Add garlic and sauté another 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Add broth, water, and seasoning to the pot and bring to a low boil. Once the pot has reached a low boil, add frozen meatballs and turn heat to medium-low and allow to simmer covered for an hour or until vegetables are soft and meatballs are heated through.
While ingredients are simmering, cook Acini de pepe according to package directions and set aside.
Once all ingredients have simmered, remove soup pot from heat and add diced or shredded chicken and spinach. Stir until spinach is softened. Serve immediately with shredded mozzarella for topping.
Slow Cooker Directions
Add broth, water, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and seasoning to a slow cooker. Cook on low 7 hours or high 3 hours.
Add frozen meatballs to the slow cooker and cook another 30 minutes on high or until meatballs are heated through. Cook Acini de pepe according to package instructions and set aside.
Add shredded/diced chicken (optional), pasta, and spinach until spinach is softened. Serve immediately with shredded mozzarella.
Chick-fil-a’s Kale Crunch salad is one of my favorite salads. I was determined to find a great copycat recipe and this one fits the bill! If you’d like to check out the original, you can find it from State of Dinner.
Ingredients
1 small shallot finely chopped
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Kale Crunch Salad
4 cups curly leaf kale chopped
2 cups green cabbage or Brussels sprouts chopped or shredded
¼ cup almonds sliced or slivered
¼ cup shaved Parmesan (optional)
Directions
Whisk the chopped shallots, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and dijon mustard in a small bowl or jar.
Slowly pour the olive oil in with a steady stream while whisking continuously. You can also use an immersion blender to mix the oil into the dressing.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Toss the chopped kale and cabbage in a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with almonds and Parmesan cheese, if using.
Drizzle with the apple cider-dijon dressing and toss to coat.
The Engineered Mama 