All revved up for my 18th back-to-school season! Although it is still likely that Day 1 of classes will blow up in my face because I’m not actually ready for this… Luckily I have a good 783 more years to try to get the hang of it.
But the one thing I AM prepared for is dinner. So as I’m frantically refreshing the registrar’s page trying to rearrange my schedule at the last minute, at least I will be eating well.
I chose these nine recipes because they’re quick, low-stress, customizable, and have naturally become some of my life-saving go-to meals over the years. We’re going for a balance of protein, veggies, complex carbs, and fats achieved with simple ingredients; and that home-cooked comfort-food indulgence factor is essential as well.
(Also, nine fits nicest in an 8×10 collage…)
Introducing the Superheroes
1. Cheesy Pomodoro Shrimp Penne with Mushrooms, Peppers, and Olives
2. Naan Pizza
If you don’t have pizza dough ready-to-go, try a good whole wheat naan for the crust! It completely redefined the way I think about pizza night.
- Add all toppings except the cheese. Bake (preferably on a holey pizza pan) at 450º for 8 minutes.
- Remove and quickly add the cheese.
- Lower heat to 425º. Bake ~4 more minutes, or until crispy and melty.
For topping inspiration:
Fruity BBQ Bacon Pizza (which I most recently tried with roasted/smashed cherries, and it was EVERYTHING)
I have a thing for BBQ sauce on my pizza…
3. Orange Chicken and Rice Bowl
4. Easy Cheesy Grits Bowl with Egg and Veggies
Bouns: Try crab instead of bacon for an indulgent twist.
5. Frittata!
Bacon Veggie Sun-dried Tomato Frittata
Hawaiian Bacon Cheddar Veggie Frittata
and more ideas!
6. BBQ Chicken Baked Sweet Potato
7. Creamy Spinach, Artichoke, and Sun-dried Tomato Penne
Get the secret for creamy cheesy pasta with no cream necessary. 🙂
Hearty Italian pasta and bean soup. Be sure not to forget the cheeeeeeeese…
9. Healthy Mac n’ Cheese
Again, creamy indulgent goodness without the butter or heavy cream! With a flavorful homemade spice blend, crisp turkey bacon, sharp cheddar and chives.
Served here with Bourbon BBQ Chicken:
- Pound chicken breast halves to even thickness, as needed. Sprinkle with dried oregano. Lightly coat a skillet with oil and heat over medium. (Or use the same skillet after cooking the bacon for the mac n’ cheese.) Cook chicken on each side until done (about 5 minutes per side). Set aside.
- Lower heat. Add a splash of chicken broth and sliced onion (yellow or Vidalia) to the skillet; stir to scrape up browned bits. Cook about 5 minutes, until onions are softened. Then add chopped garlic (there’s no such thing as too much) and cook a couple minutes longer. Add additional broth as needed.
- Stir in a splash of bourbon (1/2 tsp per serving), BBQ sauce (2 tsp per serving; I recommend Stubb’s), and additional broth to reach desired consistency. Simmer 1-2 minutes. Serve over chicken.
- Pair with healthy mac n’ cheese, roasted veggies, and/or your other favorite sides!