One-pan meals are my savior for quick weeknight dinners when I’m trying to wrap up work and wrangle a toddler during the dreaded 5:00 meltdown hour. It’s an added bonus if I can prep everything during Jane’s nap time, toss it together in a pan, and leave it in the fridge until it’s ready to roast in the evening. This recipe is one of those meals that is key for a busy week! Three main ingredients get added to the pan — chicken breast, red onion slices and carrot medallions. Then everything gets coated in a simple sauce made of butter, dijon mustard, maple syrup and honey and seasoned with chili powder. The flavors come together when roasting as the carrots and onions caramelize and the sauce gives the chicken a sweet and tangy flavor with a touch of spice! I ate this on its own for lunch when I first made it, and then served the leftovers (which reheated very well!) over some rice pilaf the next day. Get the full recipe below: read more

I took a little poll recently on my instagram about some new blog post ideas, and one that got resounding positive feedback was Trader Joe’s hack recipes! I love Trader Joe’s and I rely on so many of their frozen foods, great sauces and specialty items for making quick and easy dinners at home. This recipe is one of those fast-fix meals, and the best part is that it can be made in one-pan for minimal clean-up. It starts with their popular cauliflower gnocchi, which gets added to the pan while still frozen and tossed with tomatoes, olive oil, herbs and seasonings. It roasts for about 30 minutes and tossing the ingredients once or twice mid-cooking helps everything get coated in the blistered tomato juices and ensures the gnocchi has a perfectly crisped outside and fluffy texture inside. It’s so simple to make I even had time to make it for a lunch last week! Get the full recipe below: read more

I have been really good lately with my healthy-eating since kicking off the new year with some goals around losing weight (gotta slim down for my Maid of Honor duties when my sister gets married this fall!). But gosh, sometimes you just need a good bowl of pasta and have to break the healthy streak. Last week was one of those times, I was desperately craving some al dente noodles and decided to make a quick dish for lunch while my mom was visiting. This pasta recipe hit the spot — the sauce comes together with butter and garlic, white wine and reserved pasta water. The warm pasta gets tossed into the pan with parmesan cheese, lemon zest and parsley for tons of flavor.  Bright green steamed asparagus and broccolini give the dish color and texture, and the veggies make me feel a tiny bit better about inhaling all of that pappardelle! Get the full recipe below and save it for when you’re ready for your own emergency pasta-fix:
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