Plus, I had a whole airport fiasco that ended up in my being stuck in the Vegas airport for over 7 hours before I finally got to board a flight (and not my original). The flight I was supposed to be on got delayed almost 2 hours because of strong winds in Phoenix which would have meant I would miss my connection and be stuck there overnight. I kept being told that I would make the connection and they had me board then right before leaving the gate they called my name and pulled me off the flight saying that I wouldn’t make the connection…no way, the flight didn’t board until 6:40 and my connection was to take off at 7:20. Sooo, they put me on a direct flight at 8:20. I had to wait a little longer but at least I wouldn’t be stuck somewhere overnight. Once I got to my new gate, I found out it was delayed until 10:10 meaning I wouldn’t get home until 3 a.m. Luckily, my bag made it and I eventually got to my parents around 3:30. I got about 3 hours of sleep before Noah woke up and we had to drive the hour home so that Joel could get to work. It was a rough day to say the least.

I’m sure many of you out there get to the end of the day exhausted and needing to whip up a quick and easy dinner so today I’m sharing some of my favorite 30 minutes (or less) main dishes that I have featured here. Many of these are regular rotations for us during the week.

Veggie Stirfry, Skinny Bang Bang Shrimp, Ultimate Grilled Cheese, Oven Tacos

Stovetop Mac-n-Cheese, Honey Mustard Pork Burgers, Catalina Taco Salad, BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

Steak Bites, Sesame Noodles, Buffalo Sloppy Joes, Salt and Pepper Pork Chops

This is now my go-to recipe for like, ever. We made our first crust into a cheesesteak pizza and used the second to make a stromboli. Just imagine all the possibilities for this delicious crust!

Best Pizza Crust
recipe from Annie Eats

½ cup warm water (about 110°)
1 envelope (2 ¼ tsp.) instant yeast
1 ¼ cups water, at room temperature
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 ½ tsp. salt
olive oil or non-stick cooking spray for greasing the bowl

1. Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup.  Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes.  Add the room temperature water and oil and stir to combine.

2. Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Briefly combine the dry ingredients at low speed.  Slowly add the liquid ingredients and continue to mix at low speed until a cohesive mass forms.  Stop the mixer and replace the paddle with the dough hook.  Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.  Press the dough to deflate it.

3. To bake, place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven.  Heat the oven to 500° for at least 30 minutes.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Divide the dough into two equal pieces.  Form both pieces of dough into smooth, round balls and cover with a damp cloth.  Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.

4. Working with one piece of dough and keeping the other covered, shape the dough and transfer to a pizza peel or round of parchment dusted with semolina or cornmeal.  Top as desired.  Slide the dough onto the pizza stone.  Bake until the crust edges brown and cheese is golden brown in spots, about 8 to 12 minutes.  Repeat with remaining ball of dough or freeze for later use.

This is a wonderful way to spice up the pizza night routine!

Stromboli

1 loaf Rhodes bread dough, risen
8 oz. shredded cheese (use your favorite)
6 oz. diced pepperoni*
1/2 lb. Italian sausage, cooked and drained
Olive oil for drizzling
Kosher salt, to taste
Dried Basil, for garnish
1 recipe pizza sauce, for dipping

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll dough into an 18×12″ rectangle on a floured surface.

2. Evenly distribute sausage and pepperoni through the middle of the dough (lengthwise), leavin an inch edge on the short ends and about 4 inches on the long sides. Top with cheese then roll lengthwise and pinch tightly to seal.

3. Carefully move stromboli to pizza stone. Drizzle with olive oil and brush it over the top and sides. Sprinkle with kosher salt and basil to taste.

4. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

*I place the pepperoni on a paper towel lined plate and microwave it for 30-60 seconds to get rid of all that excess grease. After microwaving, blot with more paper towel.

3 Cup Chicken
recipe from Simply Vicky

1 lb. ground turkey
8 ounces of  canned refried beans (1/2 a can)
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 batch homemade taco seasoing (or half if you like things less spicy)
3/4 cup shredded cheese
Approximately 10-12 hard taco shells
Lettuce, salsa, sour cream, for serving

1. Brown ground turkey. Drain off any fat and add refried beans, tomato sauce, and seasoning.

2. Spoon mixture into taco shells.

3. Place filled shells into a baking pan, standing up. Sprinkle with cheese.

4. Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes or until heated through.

1 pizza dough recipe, or store-bought crust
1/4 cup ranch or bleu cheese dressing
3/4 cup buffalo sauce, divided
2 raw chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
3/4 cup mozzarella
6 slices provolone
Bleu cheese crumbles

1. Marinate chicken in 1/2 cup buffalo sauce for at least an hour. Heat skillet over medium heat and cook chicken until no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet and toss with remaining 1/4 cup buffalo sauce.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out pizza crust then pre-bake for 10 minutes if using the pizza dough recipe. Remove from oven then top with dressing of choice. Scatter evenly with chicken then sprinkle mozzarella, blue cheese and top with provolone slices.


3. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Broil for a few minutes to get the cheese brown and bubbly (make sure to keep an eye on the pizza as it can burn quickly).

After trying several pizza sauce recipes, I made this one and have never looked back.  Iron Mike’s sauce has a sweet background which is so unique and delicous.  The original recipe was a bit too sweet for our taste so I adapted it, using less honey and brown sugar.

I simmer this sauce for about an hour and sometimes more as we enjoy a thick, rich sauce.  This is great to top pizza or dip calzones in. And it is just so easy to prepare that it seems silly that I bought premade sauce for so long. Another plus to the recipe is that it makes a big amount so I freeze the remainder in batches in freezer bags (makes about 3 pizzas worth).  And it thaws quickly in the microwave or on the counter.

Pizza Sauce
recipe adapted from Iron Mike’s Sweet Tomatoe Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
1 teaspoon dried onions, minced or chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cloves fresh minced garlic
1 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon brown sugar
fresh ground pepper, to taste

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute the garlic for a minute.

2. Add the Tomato Puree; watch for splattering.

3. Add everything else and simmer uncovered on low, stirring frequently, for 30-60 minutes, until desired consistency has been reached.

Noah and I opted to go with turkey burgers without all the fixings but I did take a bite of Joel’s burger and it was pretty darn delicious. I especially loved the extra crispy hashbrowns…I’m a total sucker for hashbrowns.  As the pictures show, Noah is a lover of cheeseburgers just like his daddy. That boy of mine cracks me up!

Breakfast Burgers

1 pre-made burger patty
1 slice sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup frozen hashbrowns
Olive oil
1 egg
sour cream to taste
1 bakery style bun

1. Grill burger until desired doneness is reached (use indoor grill if it’s too cold outside). While burger is on the grill, cook hashbrowns in olive oil until golden and crispy.

2. Spray a small saute pan with non-stick cooking spray. Over medium heat, crack egg into pan and cook until done then flip and cook until light brown.

3. Place cheddar cheese on burger so that it will melt. Slice bun in half and spread with desired amount of sour cream. Place burger on bottom half then top with hashbrowns and egg. Enjoy!

Recipe linked to Mangia Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.Full Plate Thursday, Friday Food and Fusion Fridays.

But while living in the south I did pick up a love for their food. Fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, macaroni and cheese, barbeque and chicken and dumplings are just a few of my favorites. These chicken and dumplings are so satisfying and filling. The flour in the dumplings thicken up the broth to create a great, creamy sauce. While this dish does take some time and effort, it truly is a perfect and comforting winter meal.

Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings
recipe from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 1

Chicken and Broth
3 quarts water
1 3- to 4-pound chicken, cut up
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 small onion, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and quartered
1 bay leaf
4 to 6 whole parsley leaves
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Dumplings
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup plu 2 Tbsp. milk

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add the chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf and parsley to the pot. Reduce heat to simmer and cook the chicken, uncovered, for 2 hours. The liquid will reduce by about one thrid.
2. When the chicken has cooked, remove it from the pot and set it aside. Strain the swtock to remove all the vegetables and floating scum. You only want the stock and the chicken, so toss everything else out.
3. Pour 1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) of the stock back into the pot (keep the leftover stock, if any, for another recipe–it can be frozen). You may also want to use a smaller pot or a large saucepan for this. Add coarsely ground pepper, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the lemon juice, then reheat the stock over medium heat while preparing the dumplings.
4. For dumplings, combine flour, baking powder, salt and milk in a medium bowl. Stir well until smooth, then let the dough rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface to about a 1/2-inch thickness.
5. Cut the dough into 1/2-inch squares and drop each square into the simmering stock. Use all of the dough. The dumplings will first swell and then slowly shrink as they partially dissolve to thicken the stock into a white gravy. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes until thick. Stir often.
6. While the stock is thickening, the chicken will have become cool enough to handle. Tear all the meat from the bones and remove the skin. Cut the chicken meat into bite-size or a little bigger than bite-size pieces and drop them into the pot. Discard the skin and bones. Continue to simmer the chicken and dumplings for another 5 to 10 minutes, but don’t stir too vigorously or the chicken will shred and fall apart. You want big chunks of chicken in the end.
7. When the gravy has reached the desired consistency, ladle four portions into bowls and serve hot.

Recipe linked to Full Plate Thursday, Fusion Fridays, Mangia Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, These Chicks Cooked and What I Whipped Up Wednesday.

But oh man was it worth the 30 seconds of disgust. I don’t mean to brag but this was probably the juiciest and tastiest roasted turkey I have ever had. Brining really does make all the difference. Any turkey cooked in my home will always be brined…no question.

Because I’ve never made a turkey before, Joel has never had to carve one so he got a little lesson from his dad.

This turkey seemed like a lot of work…more work than I had time for so I skipped the homemade turkey stock and simply basted the turkey with chicken stock. I also just made a simple pan gravy with the drippings and a cornstarch slurry. If you want to be a total allstar, you can click the source below to get the details.

Brined and Roasted Turkey
recipe from Emeril Lagasse

1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey
Brine, recipe follows
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large yellow onion, cut into 8ths
1 large orange, cut into 8ths
1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken or turkey stock, for basting

1. Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water. Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.   Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels, inside and out. Place breast side down in a large, heavy roasting pan, and rub on all sides with the butter. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, and thyme. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string.

3. Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, turn, and baste with 1/2 cup stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock.

4. Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Brine
1 cup salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 oranges, quartered
2 lemons, quartered
6 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs rosemary

To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, plastic garbage bag.) Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary.

Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.