Healthy & Easy Kid-Friendly Spaghetti Sauce

November 30, 2020 Amanda Plott

I'm calling this kid friendly spaghetti sauce because, I generally like to put actual onions and garlic into my spaghetti sauce. However, my little one would turn her nose up at that in a heartbeat, and seeing as how she specifically requests spaghetti every week, I figured that I ought to oblige her with something that would suite her desires!

Besides, who doesn't enjoy eating like a kid again? In my mind, that's one of the perks of being a parent; reliving all the things that you loved when you were growing up!

Though my mom was more of a Hamburger Helper sort of spaghetti maker.

She swears by Hamburger Helper 'Spaghetti' to this very day. Ugh…

Pumpkin Gnocchi

November 13, 2020 Amanda Plott

Ever had the pleasure of trying gnocchi?

If you aren't familiar, these are sort of the italian equivalent to dumplings.

Gnocchi are traditionally made with semolina, flour, egg, potato, breadcrumbs, cheese, or other similar ingredients. These soft little pillows of pumpkin heaven are the perfect replacement for usual gnocchi, making any dish even more fall-friendly!…

Individual Pizza Pot Pies

October 4, 2020 Amanda Plott

Yep! Pizza in the form of a pot pie. Turned upside down into a delicious individual bowl of pizza goodness. This pizza pot pie makes it’s very own pizza crust bread bowl that is perfect for a single serving of cheesy sauce ‘deep dish’ style pizza!

The best part is that you can alter each individual pizza to have your own favorite toppings. I left the main part of these as ‘cheese pizza’ so that you can customize and add your other pizza topping favorites. I added pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, and jalapeños to mine…

Air Fryer Lasagna Fritta

August 15, 2020 Amanda Plott

Pasta is one of my favorite things. So is cheese. So, of course I love myself a good Lasagna Fritta. What’s a Lasagna Fritta, you ask? It’s an Olive Garden appetizer dish that I adore. But, you know… fried stuff. Being as I’ve got a handy dandy air fryer, I thought I’d try my hand at a Lasagna Fritta copy cat dish that’s made a bit more healthy!

This Air Fryer Lasagna Fritta got rave reviews from around the table. I literally got a thumbs up from my brother and was told that I should make it again sometime really soon. I too was surprised with how GREAT this Air Fryer Lasagna Fritta turned out. Air fryers can be one of the most amazing kitchen gadgets to have. For cooking CERTAIN things…

Chicken Parmesan Lasagna

August 5, 2020 Amanda Plott

Almost everyone loves a good lasagna. It’s hard not to. Noodles, sauce, cheese… it’s a heavenly mixture. Today I decided to take it step further and turn a regular lasagna into one that’s chicken based! No, no… not alfredo. Chicken parmesan style!

Chicken parmesan is another Italian-American favorite. Breaded chicken, sauce, and cheese. Who says lasagna has to be sausage? With ground chicken used instead, and the addition of some bread crumbs for crunchy texture, this lasagna is the perfect blend of two classics…

Shisho Pesto

August 3, 2020 Amanda Plott

So, I realized the other day that due to the shape of world right now that I didn’t get to do as much with my backyard herbs as I generally do during the Spring and Summer. Usually I have a yard that’s plentiful with basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, limes, and grapes! Sometimes there’s some strawberries and tomatoes out there too.

With all the basil I end up making pesto all through the Spring and Summer months. And being as I didn’t have any this year? I haven’t been able to make my homemade pesto. Craving the tasty green stuff, I decided to be a little creative. I got my hands on some Shisho, which is an herb that’s used often in Japanese dishes…