Chicken + Broccoli Casserole

okay... this was a MAJOR hit with my twins. If the boys like it, it's a total win in my book, and will probably become a staple in my house! Such a good comfort food dish... absolutely perfect for fall!

INGREDIENTS

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast

s+p to taste

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 cup of milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 can cream of chicken

8oz frozen broccoli florets, steamed & drained

1 1/2 cups club or ritz crackers, crushed

1. place chicken in slow cooker & season with s+p to taste. pour a little water or chicken broth into the slow cooker, just to cover the bottom of the pot (not to cover the chicken). Cook on high for 4 hours. Once cooked, shred and place into a large mixing bowl.

2. preheat oven to 350.

2. add salt, pepper, paprika, milk, cheese, cream of chicken to the shredded chicken and mix until combined. 

3. grease a 9x9 casserole dish & place half of the chicken mixture into the dish. 

5. scatter broccoli evenly over chicken mixture

6. sprinkle crackers on top of broccoli

7. add in the remaining chicken mixture to the top

8. bake for 25 minutes & enjoy!

what's for dinner + burrito bowls

another week of meal planning.. done! Nothing makes me happier than planning out dinners, so I don't have to rush around and scramble every night thinking of what to make....just makes my life a little bit easier! My absolute favorite this week that I'll be making is the Southwestern Pizza. It's been one of my favorite "pizzas" of all time... such a fun change instead of a normal pizza dish! 

I hope everyone had a fun weekend!! We spent Friday going to the peds for checkups for the 3 boys. We got lunch after & took our first trip to Target since quarantine started! We came home, ordered take out, & watched movies with the kids. Perfect Friday night! Saturday we woke up & went to visit my nana K. The boys were so excited to see her & she was just as excited to see them. We spent the rest of the afternoon at my parents swimming & I brought leftover chicken bbq for dinner. Sunday was also spent at the pool! We actually stayed there most of the day & had a delicious dinner made by my mom. It was a great weekend altogether! I hope you all have a great week!! 

Baby's First (solid) Foods!

I've had a few moms message me and ask me what table foods I started Arie with, so I figured I would share! I exclusively nursed Arie since he was born. He is just about 10 months (he also has 8 teeth) so he is OVER eating pouches & puffs... he just doesn't prefer them anymore, and would rather have more "solid" foods. I do still nurse him in the morning & before bed around 7:30-8:00...& occasionally during the night if he reaches for me/is fussing. Other than that though, we are almost full force with the solid foods! And he couldn't be happier about it..... Obviously!

Since I started Arie on table foods, we mostly stick to BLW (Baby Led Weaning)...meaning I cut up the food and let him feed himself. We actually started that quite early with him, unlike we did with the twins. I do feed him with a fork/spoon with some things... mostly yogurts, apple sauce, etc.

these are just what we are comfortable with giving him. I hope it gives you some ideas & I hope your little one loves them as much as Arie does! Happy Feeding!!

*IMPORTANT* 

almost all of these foods I either cut up or break up into VERY tiny pieces. Please do not give your baby anything too big, as their airway is extremely small. If in doubt, cut it up more! Never leave them while they are eating! And make sure they get plenty of water between bites. :)

• scrambled eggs
• mac & cheese (we typically use Annie's)
• chicken nuggets
• french toast sticks
• buttermilk pancakes + waffles
• hotdogs (skin off & cut lengthwise into 6 long strips, & cut in the tiniest of pieces)
• arrowroot biscuits (Gerber)
• breakfast sausage (cut lengthwise into 4 long strips & cut into small bites)
• homemade mashed potatoes
• shredded cheese or cheese sticks
• meatballs
• pasta/rice
• little muffins (we get Entenmann's)
• riced veggies
• whole milk yogurt (Gerber)
• strawberries
• hard boiled eggs (no yolk)
• apple sauce pouches 
• sweet potato + broccoli bites (we get Aldi brand)
• veggie straws
• banana cookies (Gerber)
• peanut butter + jelly on wheat bread (I flatten the bread & cut off the edges before assembling) 
• lil crunchies (Gerber) /little munchers (Little Journey-- Aldi)
• baked oat bars-- we love Brekkie Bites by Simply Nature (Aldi)

Zucchini Cakes

There's nothing better than a fresh zucchini in the summer! We have a garden out back & every year our zucchini/squash take off...and this is the recipe I love to make with them (unless we grill them)! My brother Brendan (@Brendan_in_tucson) actually gave this recipe to my mom YEARS ago when I still lived at home & I loved it ever since! If you don't know my brother, he is a GREAT cook. He makes up recipes all the time and they are always sooo good. He's working on a cookbook now, so when it comes out, I'll let you all know!

I usually pair these with parmesan couscous & another veggie, but I didn't realize I didn't have any couscous left, so I decided to make it with fiesta quinoa from ALDI. They have the best frozen veggies/quinoa!! Happy Cooking!! 

INGREDIENTS

3 cups shredded zucchini (squeeze out excess water)

1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs

1 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay

2 eggs

1 onion, finely chopped

salt + pepper

[[honey mustard for dipping]]

 

1. preheat oven to 375

2. mix all ingredients together & form into patties. 

3. place on a greased baking sheet & bake for 20-25 minutes until sides/bottom are golden brown.

4. dip with honey mustard & enjoy!!

Spaghetti + Meatballs

recipe for meatballs adapted from here

what an easy, universal weeknight dinner. I don't make spaghetti & meatballs too often, when I do I usually switch up the recipes from time to time. This one is my most used though! I love the parmesan in the meatballs... so good!! After I bake them in the oven (if we are close to supper time), I'll throw them in a deep sided skillet & pour sauce on them to keep them warm. If I bake them in the morning, I'll just toss them in the crock pot on low with the sauce. Easy peasy. I'm always down to try new meatball recipes... send me your favorites!! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs (I use panko)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (I use preminced, so 1 teaspoon)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (I use shredded, but grated works too!)
• 3 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley 
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/2 box spaghetti noodles
• 24 oz jar pasta sauce (I use Specially Selected Marinara from ALDI)

1. preheat oven to 400

2. mix beef, onion, bread crumbs, garlic, egg, parmesan, ketchup, salt, pepper, parsley, and basil in a large mixing bowl. Form into 1 inch balls & place on a greased cookie sheet.

3. bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

4. cook pasta according to packaged directions. drain.

5. in a large pot or deep sided skillet, pour sauce to warm. add meatballs once cooked through & mix well with sauce.

6. serve with pasta & extra parmesan! enjoy!!

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What's for dinner: week of July 6th

Sharing what's for dinner this week in the Steigerwalt house! The twins baseball season starts tonight, so easy dinners are a must. We typically order out once a week, usually on the weekends if we are home. Most weekends we spend Friday & Saturday night at my moms & eat supper there with my parents, sister & her family. We are expecting yucky weather this weekend & my sister has plans, so were giving my parents a break from all of us (ha!!) If you're interested in any of the other recipes, let me know & I'll post them this week :) 

This veggie & sausage dish has been a favorite of mine for a few years. We actually got it from Home Chef & loved it, so I saved the recipe & I have made it ever since, with a few changes. Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

EVOO

4 cloves minced garlic (I use preminced, so 2 teaspoons)

1 red onion, diced

8oz grape tomatoes, cut in half

2 zucchini, cut in half moons

2 bell peppers, sliced (I use whatever colors I have in the fridge)

lemon juice 

chicken sausage 18oz, sliced into rounds (I used spinach & feta sausage)

orzo pasta 12oz

shredded parmesan

s+p 

1. bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. add orzo & cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Save 1/2 cup pasta water & drain the rest.

2. in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in sausage & cook until browned. Set aside.

3. heat another drizzle of olive oil in the pan & add onion & zucchini. Cook until softened.

4. add peppers, garlic & tomatoes. Cook until softened. Season with s+p.

5. add orzo & sausage into veggie mixture. add in 1/4 c of parmesan, squeeze in a little of lemon & a splash of the reserved pasta water & mix together.

6. serve with extra parm & enjoy!

xoxo

Erin