ALDI DINNER IDEAS | CHINESE MEAL AT HOME

We have been shopping at Aldi for over a year now and we are still LOVING it. There are so many things that I love at Aldi, that I will one day post about (#aldifavorites), but today I wanted to share one of our go to meals from Aldi's. It is easy, cheap and makes for a quick clean up.

- General Tso's chicken

- White rice

- Mixed vegetables + edamame

The chicken takes about 20 minutes to cook, I boil the mixed vegetables, and the edamame can be steamed in the microwave...in the bag it comes in (my FAV). We usually cook one bag of chicken at a time and it is enough for 3 meals. If we want more leftovers for the week we'll make two bags. 

You just can't beat easy and delicious meal ideas, especially when they are budget friendly!

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ALDI DINNER IDEAS | CHINESE MEAL AT HOME

CREAMY TOMATO SOUP | DINNER RECIPE

We have been having a lot of soup around here lately with all this cold and rainy weather. I typically always have a couple of cans of tomato soup on hand for a quick and easy dinner, and we have been loving it! Recently I thought, I could probably make this on my own instead of buying the can version. I found a recipe, tweaked it a bit, and we ate the whole thing. It even reheated well for a couple of lunches throughout the week. This recipe has definitely added to our meal rotation now!

Adapted from The Pinning Mama

Ingredients:

- 1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes

1 can 28 oz diced tomatoes

- 1 can 6 oz tomato paste

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp Basil

1 tbsp onion powder

2 Tbsp sugar

2.5 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup butter

1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Combine the tomatoes,tomato paste, broth, and garlic bring to a boil and let boil for 10 minutes.

2. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the sugar and butter and mix until they are dissolved, melted and well combined.

3. Stir in the basil and onion powder.

4. Very slowly pour in the heavy cream while simultaneously stirring until all the cream is combined and the soup is creamy.

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CREAMY TOMATO SOUP | DINNER RECIPE

ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND POTATO SOUP | DINNER RECIPE

I made this last week on one of our snow days and ended up eating it for a few meals. 

So delicious, warm, and filling...aka the perfect meal for a cold night!

Ingredients:

- 5 cups of potatoes, diced

- 1lb of Italian Sausage

- 1 cup of celery 

- 1/2 cup of onion

- 32oz of chicken broth

- 2 cups of milk or heavy cream

- 1 cup of shredded cheese

- Bacon bits for garnishing

Directions:

- Brown Italian sausage and then drain

- In a soup pot, over medium to high hear, combine the potatoes, chicken broth, onions, and celery and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage and onions to the soup pot. Add the milk and cheddar cheese, stirring until all ingredients are combined and warmed.

- Garnish with shredded cheese and bacon bits.

My MIL introduced me to these containers and I am obsessed! Matthew isn't a fan of this soup, so I put the leftovers in individual containers to freezer for future meals. 

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ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND POTATO SOUP | DINNER RECIPE

POTATO WEDGE FRIES

I had extra potatoes leftover a couple of weeks ago, so I decided to make some potato wedge "fries". I remember my mom making these when I was younger and I haven't had homemade ones since I was a kid, we called them potato wedge fries. They were just as good as I remember, and really easy to make!

Ingredients:

- 4 or 5 small/medium potatoes

- 1 Tablespoon of garlic powder

- 1 Tablespoon of onion powder

- 1 teaspoon of parsley

- 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning 

- 1 teaspoon of salt

- 1 teaspoon of pepper

- drizzle of olive oil

Directions:

- Wash potatoes and then slice them. I slice them thinly because we like them crunchy!

- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl

- Pour onto a baking pan and bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes.

- Salt lightly as soon as they come out of the oven, if desired.

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POTATO WEDGE FRIES

CHEESEBURGER PIZZA | DINNER RECIPE

I cheated and bought the pre-made pizza crusts, and they were just as good! The good thing about them is that they come two to a pack at Aldi and are very cheap, and I already had all the other ingredients on hand which made this easy meal even easier. I decided not to drizzle the ketchup and mustard over my pizza, but to just dip it in them and that worked for me. Play around with the recipe and make it fit your cheeseburger needs ;)

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. ground beef 1 Tbsp seasoned salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/2 onion, diced 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp onion powder 1/4 cup mayo 4 Tbsp ketchup, divided 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 1/2 cup sliced dill pickle chips, drained Mustard (for topping, if desired)
Directions: 1. Brown the hamburger in a skillet over medium heat with the seasoned salt, black pepper and diced onion. Cook until no longer pink and drain any excess fat.
2. Meanwhile, combine the mayo, 3 Tbsp ketchup, garlic powder, and onion powder together and whisk until smooth. Spread this mixture over the base of the pizza dough with the back of a spoon. 
3. Top with the cooked ground beef.
4. Spread the shredded cheese over the top. Drizzle the remaining ketchup and mustard over the top of the pizza, followed by the dill pickle chips.
5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until center is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Let it cool for 5 minutes before slicing. 

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CHEESEBURGER PIZZA | DINNER RECIPE

PARMESAN CRUSTED PORK CHOPS | DINNER RECIPE

Ingredients: 4 boneless pork chops ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese 2-3 TB Italian breadcrumbs (dried) ⅛ tsp. paprika 1 tsp. dried parsley ½ tsp. garlic powder 2 TB olive oil ¼ tsp. pepper

Directions: 1. Mix Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, paprika, parsley and garlic powder and place on a plate. 2. Dip pork chops in the mixture (making sure mixture sticks) and sear in a pan of olive oil on medium-high heat. Sautee for 5 minutes on each side. 3. Place pork chops in a glass baking dish and cook according to thickness. I cooked mine for about 40 minutes. 
I had a little help in the kitchen the night I made these ;) 

Here they are when they were finished. I paired them with green beans, rice and a side salad!

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PARMESAN CRUSTED PORK CHOPS | DINNER RECIPE

RAVIOLI LASAGNA - DINNER RECIPE

Ingredients:

- 2 cans of pasta sauce

- 1 bag of frozen ravioli 

- Mozzarella cheese

- Italian seasoning 

Directions:

1. Boil the Ravioli for around 7-10 minutes

2. Drain the ravioli and let it cool for a couple of minutes while you put a couple of Tablespoons of pasta sauce in the bottom of your dish.

3. Start layering your ravioli to cover the whole dish.

4. Add more pasta sauce to cover the ravioli. Make sure it's all covered, because the ravioli will soak it up while it's baking!

5. The next layer is cheese. Cover the whole dish with cheese, I would say I used about 1/4 cup per layer. Then add Italian seasoning. I just sprinkled on enough to cover the whole dish, lightly. 

6. Repeat steps 3, 4, & 5 until you run out of ravioli

7. Cover with tin foil and bake at 340 for 30 minutes

8. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes

It might not be a super healthy meal, but it's cheap and super easy to make for those nights when you are crunched for time!

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RAVIOLI LASAGNA - DINNER RECIPE

LASAGNA | DINNER RECIPE

As mentioned yesterday, we love lasagna. We probably have it at least once a month in our home, as it is definitely in our 'favorites rotation'.

The recipe that I am sharing today is my MIL's recipe and it is GOOD! Since it is just the two of us, I like to make them in smaller portions, so that we aren't eating lasagna for every meal all week. When I do make lasagna for dinner I like double the recipe and it ends up making six small ones (which would be equivalent to two regular sized pans of lasagna) and freeze the other five. One small pan is enough for our for three meals (dinner that night, lunch the next day and then either lunch or dinner another day that week).

Ingredients: 1 lb. ground chuck 1 lb. hot sausage 2 28-oz. jar spaghetti sauce 10 oz. lasagna noodles 2 eggs 2 c. small curd cottage cheese 2 c. ricotta cheese 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese 2 T. parsley flakes 1 t. salt 1/2 t. pepper 1 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions: 1. Brown meat slowly. Spoon off excess fat. Add 1-1/2 jars of spaghetti sauce and mix.  2. Cook noodles in large amount of water until tender; drain; rinse. 3. Beat eggs and remaining ingredients, except mozzarella cheese, in a separate bowl 4. In this order layer these ingredients: 1 T of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the pan, noodles, cottage cheese mixture, meat/spaghetti sauce mixture, and then sprinkle with thin layer of mozzarella cheese. Repeat until pan is full.   5. Pour remaining jar of spaghetti sauce on top and sprinkle top with shredded mozzarella cheese. 6. Bake, covered, at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

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LASAGNA | DINNER RECIPE

CREAMY RANCH CHICKEN + ETSY SHOP REVIEW

This meal turned out so easy and required minimal effort and ingredients! 

Ingredients:

1 package of dry Ranch dressing mix

1 package of Zesty Italian dressing mix

1 can of Cream of chicken soup
4 oz onion and chive cream cheese (half of the container)

3-4 chicken breast

Directions: 

- Mix dry ranch seasoning and zesty Italian seasoning together.

- Then mix the two with the cream of chicken soup and pour over chicken breast in crock pot.
- The last 30 minutes it's in the crock pot add in the cream cheese.

- Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4.

I put my creamy ranch chicken over white rice, but you can do any type of rice or noodles.

I received this flag from Tammy over at Just Sew So in the mail last week and I love it! As soon as we moved in I knew we would need a garden flag for the front of our house. They are so cute and I think they just add so much. July 4th it right around the corner and I may or may not already have some of our patriotic decorations up. I just love them so when I received this flag I was beyond excited to add it to my patriotic collection. Like yesterday's sign, I can also pull this out for Memorial Day and Veterans Day. 

The detailing on this flag is absolutely incredible. I can't get over the flag ribbon on the loops and that adorable bow. Seriously, it's just too cute!!

She has so many cute things in her Etsy shop and for great prices! Pineapples are very popular this summer (I am obsessed with all things pineapples) and this pineapple garden flag is SO cute!!!!

You can find her Etsy shop, HERE.

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CREAMY RANCH CHICKEN + ETSY SHOP REVIEW

BEEFY-CHILI MAC - DINNER RECIPE

This recipe is so easy and we had plenty of leftovers for lunches the rest of the week. The best part about it is that you can change it up according to what you like or don't like. 

Beefy-chili Mac

Adapted from Mix and Match Mama

Ingredients 

- 1 lb of elbow noodles

- 1 lb of ground beef

- 2 (6 oz) cans of tomato paste

- 1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce 

- 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, halved. 

- 2 - 1-2 Tablespoon of chili powder

- 1/2 teaspoon of cumin

- 1 Tablespoon of parsley

- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder

- Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

- Preheat oven to 350

- In a large pot, cook noddles al dente and then drain.

- Meanwhile in another skillet brown your meat and then drain.

- Once meat and noodles are done mix the meat in with the noodles. Then mix in all of the other ingredients listed above. Only mix in half of the shredded cheese. 

- Once everything is mixed together well in the skillet, add to a 9 x 13 baking dish and top with remaining shredded cheese.

- Bake in the oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes. 

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BEEFY-CHILI MAC - DINNER RECIPE

BAKED CHICKEN PARMESAN - DINNER

During the warmer months I like eating lighter dinners, and this one proved to be the perfect fit! I'm excited to make this one again, and soon.

Baked Chicken Parmesan
By Skinnytaste

Ingredients:

- 4 chicken breasts, sliced in half to make 8

- 3/4 cup of Italian breadcrumbs

- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

- 2 Tbsp garlic powder (or more if desired)

- 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

- 2 Tbsp butter, melted

- 1 16 oz spaghetti noodles

- 2 Jars of spaghetti sauce (Matthew's favorite is Bertolli Five Cheese)

- Cooking spray

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 450. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set to the side.

- Combine breadcrumbs, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Melt the butter in another bowl. Brush the butter onto the chicken, and then dip into the breadcrumb mixture, make sure to coat both sides evenly. Place chicken on prepared baking sheet and repeat until all the chicken is coated.

- Lightly spray a little more cooking spray on top of chicken and then bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Turn chicken over and bake another 5 minutes.

- Remove from oven and add 1 Tbsp (or more if desired) of spaghetti sauce over each piece of chicken and then add 1 1/2 Tbsp of shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted. 

- Place on a bed of noodles and serve immediately. 

I used whole wheat linguine noodles.

So simple and delicious! Make this soon and enjoy it on the patio before it gets too hot outside. This also makes really good leftovers for lunches the rest of the week.

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BAKED CHICKEN PARMESAN - DINNER

EASY SALISBURY STEAK - DINNER

Last week I tried a new recipe and we really enjoyed it. Plus I already had most of the ingredients in my pantry, I love those kind of meals!!

Ingredients:
Patties:

1 lb Lean Ground Beef

1/3 cup Bread Crumbs

2 tsp Ketchup

1 tsp Mustard

1 tsp Worcestershire

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

Gravy:

2 packets Brown Gravy Mix

2 cup hot Water

1 tsp Ketchup

1/2 tsp Worcestershire

Directions:

1. Combine all patty ingredients in a large bowl until all ingredients are mixed well.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

3. Cook patties on both sides until no longer pink.

Lower the temperature to low, so they don't burn on the outside.

4. Whisk together gravy mix and water until well blended.

Whisk in ketchup and Worcestershire. 

5. Pour over patties in skillet.

Allow to simmer until gravy warms and thickens.

This was a screenshot from my snapchat video that I made while pouring the gravy in, and you can hear Matthew sneezing in the background lol.

I used my whisk to stir the sauce every few minutes as it thickened. I also kept flipping the patties so they wouldn't burn.

After it was finished I placed the salisbury steak over a bed of garlic mashed potatoes and then served it with green beans and corn. Such an easy and delicious meal!

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EASY SALISBURY STEAK - DINNER