Healthified Cheeseburger Helper (Instant Pot)

August 21, 2019 Amanda Plott

You know you’re getting older when you start saying things like ‘back in my day…’ But, back in my day, when my mom was the one in charge of dinner, we ate a lot of that infamous boxed ‘burger helper’. It was good stuff too. I’m not about to lie, that and fast food tacos are still a guilty pleasure of mine.

These days, now that I’m the mom and I’m in charge of dinner, I try to stay away from the boxed and pre-made options as much as I can. This Healthified Cheeseburger Helper is a nod to the classic boxed ‘burger helper’. It’s cheesy, meaty, full of noodles and… dare I say it, better for you too!…

Italian Breakfast Bake

August 16, 2019 Amanda Plott

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, they say. And I’d tend to agree. There is a reason they call it ‘breakfast’ too. The intention is to ‘break the fast’ of not eating overnight while you sleep. With being in the middle of an end of summer heat wave in Texas, I am avoiding my oven like the plague. The only time I’ll even consider using it is first thing in the morning before the heat of the day.

It’s been a while since I had a hot breakfast, so I figured it was about time to tempt the fate of the oven and heat and whip up a nice warm breakfast to enjoy. Breakfast casseroles are some of my favorite breakfast bites because it’s a ‘one and done’ situation. Meal prep at it’s finest. And this Italian Breakfast Bake is mmm-mmm good! Low carb, gluten free, and keto friendly…

The Best Chili (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, and Stove Friendly!)

June 25, 2019 Amanda Plott

I was thinking about this just the other day, about how always in summer here in Texas we end up with a few ‘chilly’ days. Okay, by chilly I mean that it’s not even 70 degrees here today. Which, if you know anything about Texas summers, you know that it’s full of 100+ degree days and a plethora of issues that go along with that.

Today though? We had a storm roll through and as I sit here, it’s a ripe old 69 degrees and thundering outside. You better believe that I’m content with that and with allowing my air conditioner the much needed rest. Even so. I’m going to make use of the weather and enjoy some chili!…

Skinny Leftover Turkey & Mushroom Pot Pie

January 5, 2019 Amanda Plott

Can you believe it…? I STILL have meat in my freezer that’s leftover from Christmas, y’all! The turkey has now OFFICIALLY been all used up. (Though there is still plenty of ham socked away. - Someone buy me a deep freezer please and stop this madness!) With all this meat still taking over my freezer, I’m still working on coming up with delicious ways to use it all up.

So far… it’s been in a quiche, which is one of my favorite ways to use up leftovers. Another fun way is… pot pie! Even though I’m a southern girl, I don’t think I ever had a homemade pot pie. And now that I’m an adult and sticking with this healthier lifestyle, this Skinny Leftover Turkey & Mushroom Pot Pie is as close as we’re going to get!…

Crock Pot Turkey & Cranberry Meatballs

December 23, 2018 Amanda Plott

This is an older recipe that needed it’s photos updated in a bad way. Nothing changed about it except for that! So without further adieu… here’s the original post with brand-spanking-new images!

It seems like I can't seem to have a traditional Thanksgiving anymore. Last year it was decided that we wouldn't be doing the cooking, and instead we went out to a nice restaurant to enjoy the day footloose and fancy-free. This year? We'll be (hopefully) tailgating at the UT game here in Austin. Sounds like a blast, right? Right?!

At first, I was anything but excited when this prospect came across my ears, but after some careful research and lots of thought on it... I soon became pretty excited about it! After all, this will be my first UT game and I've lived here for a good three years now. Plus, my brother is in his last year of college as a Longhorn - which makes the fact that I haven't been to a game yet even more shameful.

So what does all this mean? Game day versions of my usual Turkey Day meal!…

Egg Roll Soup

November 19, 2018 Amanda Plott

If you like egg rolls, and you like soup, then this is the soup for you! Remember a while back when I made that Egg Roll Bowl? Well, this is sort of a winter-ized take on that. It’s an egg roll that’s been turned into a soup!

Yes, all the flavors and components of a good egg roll are here in this soup; including onions, cabbage, carrots, and meat. Even though I made my last egg roll recipe with chicken, I decided to go with turkey this time around. This was for no other reason than texture. It’s low-carb, gluten-free, and ridiculously easy to make all in one pot…