I had some chicken thighs I needed to use up, but it’s February and so something warm and filling was called for. This recipe is nice because it uses one pan and you don’t have worry about fiddling with a pie crust. Recipe and photo courtesy of castironskilletcooking.com

For the Filling:

• 1 1/2 lbs cubed and cooked chicken (I used chicken thighs)
• 1 bag frozen, mixed veggies
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, garlic, onion, powder and oregano
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese, optional

For the Biscuits:

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons frozen butter, grated
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

For the filling, saute onion and garlic in butter until soft. Stir in seasonings and flour. Add milk and broth, stir until it thickens—about 5 minutes. Stir in veggies, chicken, and cheese, remove from heat. For the biscuits, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in butter until everything is mixed well. Add milk and mix well. Once the dough holds together, transfer to a lightly floured wooden cutting board. Flatten the dough out, then fold in half and flatten. Repeat 2 more times. Cut out biscuits using a cookie cutter or the rim of a cup. Set the biscuits on top of the filling and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

I realized recently that it had been far too long since I had updated my website so prepare for a slew of new recipes! This one is the perfect party/football food and the second I tried one I knew it would be in frequent rotation. Recipe and photo courtesy of cookiesandcups.com. The one change I made was to use Gary’s Frozen Quick Steak that I get at Sam’s Club. It was the perfect cut, but if you can’t find it, deli roast beef is what the recipe originally called for.

• 24 slider rolls
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
• 2 green bell peppers, thinly sliced (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (1- ounce) packages dry onion soup mix
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds deli roasts beef, sliced into strips
• 5 slices white American cheese, cut in half
• 5 slices deli provolone, cut into 1 1/2- inch slices
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 11×15- inch jelly roll pan with foil. Coat with nonstick spray. Without separating the individual rolls, use a serrated knife to cut the slider rolls in half placing the bottoms of the rolls into the prepared pan. Set the tops aside. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add in the onions and green peppers and cook until softened and onions and translucent, 8 – 10 minutes. Add in the garlic, 1 packet of onion soup mix, salt, and pepper and stir to incorporate. Add in the sliced roast beef and stir, breaking apart any clumps of meat. Cook for 2 minutes, until the steak is warmed. Remove the pan from the heat. Evenly distribute the steak mixture on top of the slider rolls. Place the cheese slices on top of the meat, alternating the American and Provolone slices, so each slider has both types of cheese on top. Place the tops of the slider rolls on the cheese and press down slightly. Place the 1/2 cup butter, and remaining packet of onion soup mix in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 30 – 45 seconds until melted. Stir to combine and drizzle the mixture evenly on top of the slider buns.  Cover the pan tightly with foil. Place the pan on a large cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove the pan from the oven and keep covered for 5-10 minutes before uncovering and serving.

This is another quick and easy meal that is simple and delicious and can pair with any side dish you can think of. Even my family who doesn’t like mustard likes this chicken.

• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/3 cup dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• honey for drizzle if desired

Preheat oven to 400°; if you have a convection feature in your oven it will help brown the crumbs. Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment, then spray with cooking spray. Pat dry and trim any extra fat off the chicken thighs. Melt your butter in a microwave safe bowl, then mix in the dijon mustard. Combine the panko, parmesan, salt and pepper in another bowl. Coat the chicken thighs in the butter/dijon mixture, then into the panko mixture. Place the chicken on the prepared sheet then spray the tops with more cooking spray to help with crisping. Bake for 25-30 minutes until coating is crispy and brown and the internal temp is 165. Drizzle with honey if desired and serve with your favorite side.

This was first attempt making pizza completely from scratch. I was really pleased with how it turned out, and my kids raved about it so it had to make it here.

Tomato sauce:

• 1 lb tomatoes, I used Campari
• 2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• sprinkling of onion powder
• 3 basil leaves, chopped or torn
• olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

Pizza:

• 1 serving homemade pizza dough
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 400. For the tomato sauce, chop up the garlic and halve the tomatoes. Drizzle a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil and add your garlic, onion powder and tomatoes, halved side down. Roast for 20-30 minutes, or until the skin starts peeling from your tomatoes. Add the basil and roast for another 7 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and put the contents of the pan into a blender and blend until smooth. (I used an immersion blender, so just use whatever you have in your kitchen.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Put in a jar and set aside.

Increase the temperature of your oven to 450. For the pizza dough, dust a cookie sheet with cornmeal and stretch or roll your dough out into a roughly circular shape. Spoon about a 1/4 of cup of tomato sauce onto the dough, then top with shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. At this point you can add whatever toppings you like on a pizza; I only had cheese on hand so that’s what I went with. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are golden and the cheese is melted and starting to brown.