I am always looking for good chicken dishes and this one was super quick and simple. My kids ate it without complaint and it made good leftovers as well. I served it with pasta but you could also serve it as is with a salad or roasted broccoli. Recipe and photo courtesy of cookiesandcups.com.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) jar Alfredo Sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (7 ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes, drained and diced
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 8 ounces fresh baby spinach

In a large, 12- inch skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place the chicken in the hot skillet. Cook for 5-6 minutes on each side, until browned. In a large bowl stir together the Alfredo sauce, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and cheese, mixing combined. When chicken is browned, turn the heat down to low and pour sauce on top of the chicken. Stir to coat, and cover the skillet and cook for 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked. Add the spinach to the skillet, pressing down into the sauce as much as you can. Cover and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the spinach is wilted. Stir to combine evenly and serve.

A few months ago I was trying to get better about meal planning and decided to pick one cookbook/website and choose a handful of new recipes to try in and amongst my usual recipes. This month I chose twopeasandtheirpod.com because when I first started really cooking their website was one of the ones I checked frequently and I realized it had been a while since I had checked it out. This pasta recipe got a 10/10 rating from my youngest and so I knew it needed to be added here for easy recall. Recipe and photo courtesy of twopeasandtheirpod.com.

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup freshly-grated Pecorino Romano cheese (can use Parmesan cheese)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cubed (can use pancetta)
• 3 cloves garlic
• minced Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• chopped fresh parsley and extra cheese for garnish

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and cheese together until there are no clumps. Set aside. In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the bacon (or pancetta) and cook for about 8 minutes, until fat is rendered, and the bacon is crispy. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring so it doesn’t burn. When the pasta is done cooking, reserve 3/4 cup of the starchy cooking water. Use a colander to drain the pasta. Add the hot, drained pasta to the skillet. Make sure the pasta is still hot so it will cook the eggs. Toss the pasta with tongs until the pasta is well coated in the bacon fat. Remove the skillet from the heat. Pour the egg/cheese mixture over the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken. Make sure you do this off the heat and quickly, so the eggs don’t scramble. To thin out the sauce, add a little bit of the reserved pasta water and toss until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste. Transfer the pasta to plates or bowls and garnish with fresh parsley and extra cheese. Serve immediately.

The best thing about this dish is that it can all be made in a single pot. It combines two of my favorite foods, tacos and spaghetti. My family is pretty sensitive to spice so next time I’ll use mild Rotel but other than that I loved how easy and delicious this dish is. Recipe and photo courtesy of damndelicious.net.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning
• 1 (10-ounce can) Rotel
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 8 ounces spaghetti
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add ground beef and cook until beef has browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; stir in taco seasoning. Drain excess fat. Stir in Rotel, tomato paste, spaghetti and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13-16 minutes. Remove from heat and top with cheeses. Cover until melted, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with tomato and cilantro, if desired.

I’m making an effort to incorporate more fish into our dinners and this recipe was a huge success. My six year old even asked for seconds. It is my favorite kind of recipe, quick, delicious and a crowd pleaser. Recipe and photo courtesy of cafedelites.com

• 2 pounds (1 kg) side wild salmon fillet
• 2/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
• 4 cloves garlic , minced
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• Salt and pepper

Position the rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400.  Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the salmon fillet, skin side down, on the baking sheet. Set aside. Mix together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley and garlic in a small bowl. Pour in the melted butter; season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/3 teaspoon pepper (or to taste).  Mix the ingredients together until the breadcrumbs absorb the butter (about 40 seconds). Pour the mixture over the salmon, pressing it into the top until the fillet is completely covered. Lightly spray salmon with cooking oil spray for a golden crumb. Bake uncovered for 12-15 minutes (depending on the thickness of your fillet), until the crust is golden and the salmon is cooked and flakes easily with fork. Serve with your choice of vegetables.

I tried this recipe as a time saving option to frying chicken and I was very happy with the results. I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs but you could use chicken breast as well. I would just make sure it has the skin on it otherwise it’s not truly fried chicken is it? Recipe and photo courtesy of raegunramblings.com

• 6 pieces chicken
• 1/2 cup Bisquick
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, for coating
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• garlic salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Once to temperature, place a large, oven safe dish with a tablespoon of butter in the oven.  You want to make sure your chicken will fit in a single layer. In a large bag combine Bisquick, flour, salt, onion powder, and Italian Seasoning. Shake to mix and set aside. Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and pepper to taste on both sides. Toss chicken in flour mixture to coat fully. Swirl the melted butter in the dish to evenly distribute and then place coated chicken skin side down in hot dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip over so skin is up and then cook until finished, about 10 more minutes. If skin isn’t getting crisp, finish under a broiler.

This recipe reminds of the 80’s. I’m not sure why, maybe it’s the Ritz crackers, but whatever the reason it is simple, delicious, and incredibly easy to make. My husband loves it, my boys love it and so do I.  Recipe and photo courtesy of cookiesandcups.com.

• 1 1/4 lb chicken breast
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1 sleeve Ritz crackers
• 1/2 cup butter
• garlic powder
• salt
• pepper

Start by putting the Ritz crackers in a bag and smashing into crumbs.  (This would be a great way for your kids to help with dinner.)  Pour the crumbs into a bowl and set aside. Whisk your two eggs in another bowl and set aside also.  I like to slice my chicken breasts lengthwise to make them thinner, or you can flatten them with a tenderizer. Dip the chicken into the eggs, then into the cracker crumbs and place in a greased 9×13 pan. Continue until all the chicken has been coated, then sprinkle the spices over the breaded chicken.  If you want you can add the spices to the crumbs before coating the chicken, but I like to sprinkle it on so I can control how much is on each piece. Then, slice up your butter and put all over the chicken.  Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes, or until the juices run clear.

My son came home from school the other day with a Betty Crocker Bisquick cookbook he had checked out of the library.  This recipe is one of the ones we picked out together to try and I’m so glad we did. It was simple to prepare and incredibly hearty. If you don’t have Bisquick on hand you can use the prepared Pillsbury biscuits.

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 16 oz can baked beans
• 1/2 cup barbeque sauce
• 2 cups Original Bisquick mix
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425.  Brown ground beef in a oven-proof skillet (I use my cast-iron one). Drain off the excess fat, then add in the beans and barbeque sauce. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, mix the biscuit ingredients until a soft dough forms.  Drop by large spoonfuls on top of the meat mixture.  Bake for 15-20, or until brown.  Take out the skillet and sprinkle on the cheddar cheese, returning to the oven to melt the cheese. Serves 6.

*If you don’t have an oven-proof skillet you can transfer the meat mixture to a ungreased casserole dish and finish the dish in that.