Robust Recipes

Healthy, Flavorful Food

Lasagna Soup (One Pot)

By

Lasagna soup is the best invention since sliced bread!!! It's literally lasagna, in soup form!!!  You cook very similar ingredients as a lasagna, and turn it into a soup. Then, you top with with ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese.  Pure genius!!! The best part, it is easier to make than real lasagna, IMO, because all you have to do is sauté things in a pot, dump more things into the pot, and then cook the lasagna noodles - all in the same pot!!! It's a one pot … [Read more...]

Perfect Pot Roast with Gravy (Slow Cooker Option)

By

Usually all I want to eat during the winter is soups, and chilis. They're comforting, they warm me up, and they make great leftovers. Let's switch it up! How about some pot roast instead? This perfect pot roast checks all of my boxes. It's incredibly warming, and comforting, and it makes great leftovers.  The chuck roast is fall-apart tender, the carrots are sweet and succulent, and the potatoes are perfectly cooked. I added mushrooms, which aren't always traditional in a pot roast … [Read more...]

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili (Healthy)

By

Are ready for another chili recipe? It's a healthy white chicken chili, all made in the instant pot. It's thick and creamy, bursting with veggies, and chicken. It's satisfying, yet light. It's perfection in a bowl. White chicken chili is quite different than the beef chili I  made last week, yet, it is very delicious in it's own right.  This recipe was originally published in 2018. It was an update from a slow cooker white chicken chili I made in 2016. Since 2018 I have made … [Read more...]

The Best Beef Chili (with Beans)

By

This beef chili recipe is very special to me. It's based off of my Grandma's chili. Since I have such a great food memory (yes, it's a thing), I never forgot what a steaming bowl of grandma's chili tasted like. It was such a huge part of my childhood. Although, my grandma didn't write the recipe down, my mom told me the gist of how she made it. Making this beef chili has become a tradition of mine. Every year, once the days start to become shorter, and the temperature starts to dive, I … [Read more...]

Healing Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

By

Allow me to offer you a bowl of healing, roasted tomato and red pepper soup. It warms the soul on the gloomiest fall evenings. This recipe was originally published in 2016. It has been a very popular recipe during the fall and winter months. It was finally time for a glow up. If you are a fan of this recipe, don't worry, I kept the recipe true to the original with the exception of a few additional ingredients that are listed as optional. Such as, heavy cream, smoked paprika, and an … [Read more...]

Pesto Pasta Salad with Shrimp

By

Last week I shared one of my all time favorite summer recipes, basil pesto. It's such a great way to use up basil that grows abundantly in the garden this time of year. I almost always have some pesto on hand during the summer.  So, why not showcase a great way to make use of that basil pesto sauce, by making a pesto pasta salad with shrimp?!?! It's so incredibly easy to make. This recipe takes 20 minutes to make, 30 minutes, if you need to make the pesto. You can easily make it … [Read more...]

Greek Chickpea Salad with Shrimp

By

It's officially summer, and nothing says summer, more than a big fat salad that's served chilled. It's Greek chickpea salad time, my friends!!! Much like my Italian pasta salad with salami, this Greek chickpea salad is packed with veggies, can be made in advance, and is super easy to make. You've got the tender, meaty chickpeas along with the crunchy cucumbers, some artichoke hearts, crunchy red onion, black olives, and kalamata olives, juicy grape tomatoes, plenty of feta cheese for tang, … [Read more...]

Easy Italian Pasta Salad with Salami

By

If pasta salad doesn't scream summertime, than I don't know what does. Pasta salad is a summertime staple here in the Midwest. You can expect to see it served at picnics, backyard parties, pool parties, etc. Today, I am sharing my take on an Italian inspired pasta salad. It's got loads of Italian veggies and flavors, all dressed in a zesty Italian vinaigrette. It's ideal for any summertime party situation...or for an easy meal at home. Italian pasta salad is loaded with crunchy veggies, … [Read more...]

Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas (30 Minutes)

By

With tomorrow being Cinco de Mayo, what better way to celebrate than with some FAJITAS?!?! Shrimp fajitas, to be exact. All made one one, single sheet pan, in the oven! If you saw last week's post for homemade fajita seasoning, you already knew that some sort of fajitas recipe was coming this week. We LOVE fajitas so much in this house, that it only made sense to make my favorite fajita seasoning in bulk form so that we are one step closer to Mexican fajita vibes...even on … [Read more...]

Traditional Irish Shepherd’s Pie

By

Happy first week of March. We've almost made it friends, we are almost to spring!!!  And....IT IS ALMOST ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!!  What better way to celebrate than with some good ol traditional Irish Shepherd's Pie?! If you've been following along for a while, you know that I go crazy for St. Patrick's Day because I studied abroad in Dublin, Ireland while I was in College. The obsession with anything Irish has never left me. It was an experience that shaped who I am today. I … [Read more...]