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Meet your newest Super Bowl appetizer!! If you've never made or tasted hot honey this recipe is a fabulous start. It's simple, only takes 5 minutes, and is not overly sweet or spicy, it's the perfect balance of both. My fiancé put these over chick-fil-a sauce so, yeah, they're that good. Garlicky meets sweet meets spicy. Literally a taste bud explosion in this five minute recipe. I used the air fryer to make the tenders because it gets them extra crispy. But you could bake them at 400F for 15 minutes, turning halfway, if you don't have access to an air fryer. For the honey, I recommend a good quality honey. You want the authentic, delicious natural sugars. Not the artificial stuff, trust me it's worth it. Maple syrup too but that's for another day. Garlic Hot Honey Chicken Tenders (Air-Fried) 4 Servings | Cook time: 5 min (sauce) 20 min (chicken) Notes: The delicious marrying of spicy and sweet. The perfect appetizer, entree or side dish for all types of eaters. Ingredients: Chicken: 1-1 1/2 lb chicken breast 1/4 cup bread crumbs 2 tbsp grated parmesan 1 tsp Italian seasoning 3 tbsp unsweetened original almond milk 1 tbsp egg whites Sauce: 1 tsp hot sauce 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp honey 1/4 tsp paprika 1/8 tsp cayenne Pinch red pepper flakes Directions: Chicken: Quarter each chicken breast into 4 equal logs. Cut the logs in half so each breast is in about 8 pieces (give or take depending on size of breast). Set up three bowls to bread your chicken tenders. Dish 1: Whisk flour, salt and pepper together. Dish 2: Whisk egg whites and milk together. Dish 3: Whisk breadcrumbs, oregano, basil and parmesan together. Dredge each tender in the flour, shaking off any excess, following by a dip in the milk/egg dish and lastly cover each with the breadcrumb layer. Place chicken in the air fryer and cook for 15 minutes at 350, flipping halfway. If your air fryer is very small you may need to do this in two batches. Garlic Hot Honey Sauce: Space a small nonstick sauté pan with nonstick spray over medium heat. Add all of the sauce ingredients to the pan and whisk together until smooth. Bring the sauce just to a boil and then lower to it’s lowest setting, to just a simmer. Simmer for 5-10 minutes (until the chicken is done). Drizzle the sauce over the chicken tenders while still warm and serve immediately. Note: if not eating right away, make the chicken ahead of time and pop in the air fryer for a minute or two to reheat. Wait to make the sauce until ready to serve, it’s best fresh but can be reheated if needed! Simply place back over heat and return to a simmer before drizzling. Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used. Nutrition fact provided for just sauce and chicken tenders with sauce.

Simple. Simple. Simple! A sauté pan and 15 minutes is all you need for this recipe! Just a few seasonings and sauces take traditional ground beef to the next level. It's perfectly sweet while maintaining the original flavor of the beef. I serve this with some simple jasmine rice and roasted veggies. You could even toss the veggies with the beef almost like a stir fry. You could even get creative and make Korean Beef Tacos! Spoon the beef into a soft tortilla and top with some of my sesame pickled veggies and crunchy greens like arugula and scallions! Delicious! If you haven't tried the killer combination of brown sugar, sesame and soy sauce - you need this recipe in your life! It's perfect for all level cooks too because it can be dressed up or down and the only skills you need is to toss everything in a sauté pan! Korean Ground Beef 4 Servings | Cook time: 15 minutes Notes: This slightly sweeter meat is incredible served simply over jasmine rice. Or get fancy and serve it in a flour tortilla with pickled veggies and crunchy greens on top! Ingredients: 1 lb lean ground beef 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced or 1/4 tsp ground ginger 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce 1 tsp sesame oil 2 tbsp brown sugar 1/8-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 1/4 tsp pepper 1 tbsp diced cucumber, scallions or sesame seeds for garnish Directions: Add 1 tsp sesame oil to a sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger to the oil and cook for a minute or two until fragrant. Add ground beef to the pan and use a wooden spoon to break up. Allow the meat to brown for 2 minutes undisturbed before tossing it around and continuing to break up into small pieces. Season the meat with red pepper flakes and pepper and continue browning until cooked through. Add brown sugar and soy sauce to the meat. Bring the mixture to a boil and turn down to a low simmer, cooking until the liquid thickens slightly to a sauce consistency, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, garnish with diced cucumber, scallions or sesame seeds. Serve alongside jasmine rice, veggies and warm pita. My sesame pickled veggies side dish would be delicious with this! Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.

Adding quinoa to your buffalo chicken wrap is a GAME CHANGER. It soaks up all of that yummy buffalo flavor and creamy homemade ranch and serves as a blanket for all those fresh produce flavors. Warm or cold this wrap is delicious! I like to warm the filling up slightly and drizzle it with extra buffalo sauce or my homemade ranch dressing. If you're looking to save a few carbs or make it a lighter meal you can sub the tortilla for a bed of greens and add some extra dressing. I like to do a combo... eat the wrap over the extra greens so you have a second meal with what falls out of the wrap onto the greens! Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Wrap 10 Servings | Cook time: 20 minutes | Prep time: 10 minutes Notes: The heart healthy quinoa in this makes it a nutrient dense, filling and delicious meal. You could omit sub the wrap for a big bowl of greens and extra dressing! Ingredients: 3 cups or 300g celery, diced 2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered 5-10 cups romaine lettuce, chopped 1/2 cup hot sauce 2 cups or 100g red onion, diced 2 lb skinless boneless chicken breast, diced 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper Optional: 1/2 tsp buffalo seasoning 1 cup quinoa, dry 2 cups water 10 wraps, multigrain tumaros, siete tortillas or carb smart tortillas are some of our favorites 5 oz bleu cheese crumbles 5 servings ranch dressing, recipe below Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. Season chicken with salt, pepper and buffalo seasoning (I use franks red hot buffalo and original seasoning blends). Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and spray with nonstick olive oil spray. Sear chicken for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Flip and sear another 2-3 minutes. Drizzle the chicken with a few tablespoons of hot sauce and transfer to the oven to bake for 15 minutes until cooked through or an internal temperature of 165F. While the chicken is cooking, prep the quinoa. I like to cook mine with 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water in an instant pot at high pressure for 1 minute before allowing to naturally release. You can also cook on the stove over low for 10-15 minutes. Once cooked and all of the liquid is absorbed, fluff with a fork and set aside. Remove the chicken from the oven and set aside to cool. In a large bowl combine celery, tomatoes, red onion, quinoa, chicken, bleu cheese crumbles, hot sauce and 5 servings ranch dressing. Scoop 230g chicken mixture onto a tortilla. Top with chopped romaine. Tightly roll the tortilla into a burrito by tucking in the sides and rolling around the filling and lettuce. For a lower carb option add extra lettuce and serve as a salad instead of in a tortilla. Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Homemade Ranch Dressing: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used. Nutrition provided for both chicken mixture and then the full burrito on a #Tumaros wrap.

This dish is similar to a chicken piccata plus bacon because bacon makes everything better! For this I used turkey bacon but if you're a traditional bacon Stan feel free to swap it out! I love a thin chicken cutlet for this. You can buy them pre-cut or you can easily cut them yourself! I will take a large breast and trim off the excess fat. Use a sharp knife to slice it horizontally into 2 to 3 thinner breasts (depending on initial size of breast). For an extra thin cutlet you can a heavy bottomed object of meat tenderizer to pound it to about 1/2" thick. If you've never tried capers in this dish, you gotta! They give it that little bit of salty flavor it needs. The sauce here is a flavorful and classic lemony garlic sauce. I added some parmesan cheese to thicken and salt at the end but a dairy free version- just omit entirely! Pan Seared Chicken and Bacon Piccata 4 Servings | Cook time: 30 minutes Notes: Chicken Piccata meet Bacon. Yes please. I served this alongside some lemony roasted broccoli, delicious! Ingredients: 1-2 tbsp flour 1/2 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 -1.5 lb chicken, thinly sliced or pounded thin 1 tbsp butter 1/2-1 cup low sodium chicken broth 8 oz linguine, spaghetti, angel hair 4 slices Turkey bacon bits (cooked and chopped into bits) 2 large cloves garlic 4 cups spinach 1/4 cup capers 1/4 cup grated parmesan plus shaved or grated parmesan for topping 1/4 cup lemon juice + 1/2 lemon thinly sliced Directions: If cooking bacon- start by searing that in the pan. Once cooked remove and set aside. This can also be baked in a 400F oven until crispy, turning halfway, to save time. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium. Mix flour, salt and pepper on a plate. Dredge chicken breasts in flour, shaking off excess, and add to the sauté pan. Sear the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and an internal temp of 165F each reached. Timing will depend on thickness of chicken, I used pretty thinly sliced breasts. Once cooked, remove the chicken and set aside. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Salt and add the pasta. Cook according to box directions, under cooking by about 1 minute. Strain water, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice to deglaze the pan and turn the temperature down to medium. Add butter and garlic to the pan for a minute or two. Add in spinach, capers, bacon bits and sliced lemon to wilt. Turn heat up to medium and add in chicken broth and remaining lemon juice and bring the sauce just to a boil before turning down to simmer. Add pasta and toss to combine. Return chicken to the pot and cover to cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in grated parmesan and serve warm topped with additional parmesan. I served this alongside some lemony roasted broccoli. Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.

A one dish meal is always a winner in my book. Not having a sink full of dishes with a home cooked meal on the table in 30 minutes, yes please! For this recipe I used my always pan that I got for Christmas! But any stove and oven safe saute pan or dutch oven works. I love the flavors in this dish. The base is greek with the use of paprika and feta. Subbing for fish would work as well, I think I would skip the initial sear if I was using shrimp or a white fish though because those cook much faster. I LOVE this feta sauce. It is so versatile and I will definitely be incorporating this going forward. For salad dressing you could thin it out with some water, more yogurt, lemon juice or olive oil. It would also be delicious on burgers, sandwiches, etc. One Dish Paprika Chicken and Quinoa Bake with Feta Sauce 6 Servings | Cook time: 30-35 minutes Notes: I LOVED this dish. I served it with a warm pillowy soft pita and some greek olives. The feta sauce is so versatile! Ingredients: Chicken and Quinoa Bake: 2 tbsp paprika 1/8 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 bell pepper, diced (~200g) 2 cups cherry tomatoes 1/4 cup fresh oregano 1 1/2 cups quinoa, dry 2 tbsp olive oil 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast 4 cups chicken broth or water water plus 1 tsp salt Equipment: large oven safe skillet or dutch oven Feta Sauce: 1/4 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt 1 cloves garlic, minced 1 oz lemon juice 6 oz fat free feta 1/8 tbsp paprika 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes Directions: Preheat the oven to 400F. Toss 1 tbsp olive oil and paprika, salt and pepper with the chicken breasts in a large bowl until well coated. Heat remaining tbsp olive oil in the pan over medium heat. Sear chicken breasts about 2-3 min per side until golden brown, they don’t need to cook all the way through. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside. Turn the heat down to low and add balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan. Add tomatoes and diced bell pepper to the pan and sauté for a minute or two until they start to soften. Add minced garlic and toss until fragrant. Add quinoa, water and fresh oregano to the pan and mix until well combined. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the mixture just to a boil. Turn the heat off, return the chicken to the dish on top of the quinoa. Cover with oven safe lid or tin foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the chicken is cooked through (an internal temperature of 165F). While the chicken and quinoa are cooking, make the feta sauce. Add all of the ingredients but paprika and red pepper flakes to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add the paprika and red pepper flakes and pulse until combined. Remove the chicken from the oven. Serve warm topped with additional fresh oregano and a spoonful of feta sauce. OPTIONAL: If you like olives I recommend sprinkling a few on top and serving with warm pita. Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.

An authentic greek salad doesn't use any lettuce which makes this recipe the perfect make ahead. I like to toss it in the Italian dressing or white wine vinegar the day I make it so it marinates throughout the week. If I'm using hummus or tzatziki I like to drizzle that on the day of. You can play around with it however you'd like! For tzatziki you can buy this at the store- usually located with the hummus- or you can make your own. For our homemade recipe click here. I used Joseph's pita pockets for these because I like that they're pretty thin and they open up to fill with the salad. We also frequent Kontos card smart pita's in this house. They don't open up but are pillowy soft and high in protein. I made these two ways. One more filling option with olives and chickpeas tossed with Italian dressing for the boys and a lighter options sans olives (not my fav) and chickpeas and sub dressing for tzatziki for me! Then I served mine over spinach for extra volume. Both options got rave reviews. Greek Pita Pockets 8 Servings | Prep time: 20 minutes Notes: I made this two ways. In one I included chickpeas and olives and dressed it with Italian dressing. In the other I omitted both and dressed it with tzatziki for a lighter option. Ingredients: 1.5 lbs chicken breast 1 tbsp fresh oregano 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 4 oz fat free feta 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered 1 red onion, diced (~250g) 2 cucumbers diced (~250g) 1 bell pepper, diced (~160g) 1 cup acini di pepe or orzo 2 tbsp white wine vinegar 8 pitas, halved and opened Optional: 1 cup pitted olives Optional: 1 can drained and rinsed chickpeas (can also sub chicken for these for a vegetarian version) Dressing options: 1/2 cup homemade or store bought tzatziki, see below 1/2 cup Italian dressing 1/2 cup hummus Directions: Grill chicken according to preference. I like to season liberally with salt, pepper, and mediterranean seasoning blend and sear on an oiled cast iron skillet about 3 minutes per side. Then transfer to a preheated 350F oven for about 15 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165F. Cook orzo or acini di pepe according to box directions. Dice onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and chicken into uniform pieces. Toss together with garlic, feta, chickpeas, olives, pasta, salt, pepper and oregano. Toss with white wine vinegar and (if using) Italian dressing. If adding hummus or tzatziki I prefer to add when ready to eat throughout the week but you can add it here if you’d like I just like to preserve the original consistency of the hummus/tzatziki. When ready to serve, scoop into opened pitas, I used Joseph’s pitas. Enjoy! I like to serve with a bed of spinach for extra greens to make into a partial salad with the pita droppings! For tzatziki recipe, click here! Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Tzatziki recipe: here! Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used. Nutrition facts provided for recipe with and without chickpeas and olives for conveinence. Nutrition facts do not include dressings as they will vary depending on choice: tzatziki, Italian or hummus.

My NYE dinner menu was the perfect combination of fancy and easy. It presented as this feaster with delicious sides but I was able to prep it entirely in the hour or two between brunch and shopping and our wine and cheese happy hour. This left me plenty of time to set the table, get my house in order and get myself ready- many things that get left behind when hours are spent in the kitchen. For NYE I wanted something I could prep entirely before so I could just relax, spend time with my parents and enjoy the night! We actually checked out a local wine & cheese pop up before dinner so hours in the kitchen was not an option. My grocery shopping was done from my phone- the best- on our travel day from Boston back to Philly. Week to week I will go to the grocery store myself because I enjoy it but on travel days or busy weeks, grocery delivery is key. For the main dish I prepped a boneless roast pork shoulder, get the recipe for this at the bottom of this page! I got the picnic roast and got plenty of meat- about 7 lbs. I definitely didn't need 7 lbs but loved having it for leftovers throughout the week for lunches. I've been making sandwiches with it all week- served in a roll toasted with provolone, sliced pickles and dijon mustard. A delicious take on a cuban! For sides I did some roasted veggies, smashed potatoes and avocado Caesar salad. I roasted fresh broccoli, Brussel sprouts and acorn squash with olive oil, salt and pepper earlier in the day. I choose these because I knew they are hearty enough that I could roast them in advance, transfer them in a casserole dish and return the dish to the oven when we're almost ready to eat without them withering away to nothing. I also made my garlic and chive red smashed potatoes, get the recipe here. These I boiled in my instant pot (uncovered) and then mashed them in there and left it on the keep warm setting until I was ready for them! Perfect for make ahead and I've also found the instant pot doesn't burn the potatoes like if I had heated them on the stove. For the salad course, I made my favorite avocado Caesar dressing in the afternoon- grab the recipe here. I baked some Turkey bacon (when I was baking the veggies) and then tossed the dressing with romaine, croutons, chopped bacon and fresh parmesan when ready to eat! We served all of this with a loaf of French bread and some wine!! A fancy dinner party entirely prepped ahead of time!! Menu: Caesar Salad with Avocado Caesar Dressing Boneless Pork Roast with Herb Chimmichurri (recipe below) Garlic and Chive Smashed Potatoes Roasted Vegetables French Bread Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version:

Hey spinach and artichoke dip let me introduce you to chicken noodle soup... The perfect mash up of two delicious classics- spinach and artichoke dip and chicken noodle soup. This recipe has the best of both worlds, it's cheesy and packed with flavors of the delicious dip plus it has the heartiness of a bowl of soup with tons of chicken and noodles. I recommend going easy on the salt at first, tasting it and adding more as needed. Since we use canned artichokes and their juices they pack in the salt already you may not need any more to flavor the soup. I prefer to only add half the cheese and save the remainder to broil on top of individual bowls. This ensures each bite has that perfect cheese pull we love in spinach and artichoke dip. Spinach and Artichoke Chicken Noodle Soup 8 Servings | Cook time: 25 minutes Notes: Spinach and artichoke meets chicken noodle soup in this delicious cold weather recipe. Ingredients: 1/2 tbsp olive oil 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breast 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 large onion, 200g, diced 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp salt, plus more as needed 1 tsp pepper 8 cups low sodium chicken broth Juice of half a lemon 2 15 oz cans quartered artichoke hearts and their juices 2.5 cups egg noodles 2 tbsp half and half 4 cups fresh spinach 1 cup parmesan cheese 1 cup part skim mozzarella, finely shredded, divided 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped Directions: Heat the olive oil in an instant pot or large pot. Add the chicken breasts to sear for 2-3 minutes. Flip the chicken and sear another 2 minutes. Add garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Sear another 2 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on soup for 15 minutes if using an instant pot. For a pot, bring the mixture to a boil, low to a simmer and simmer, covered for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, if using instant pot, allow to naturally release for 5 minutes before opening and continuing to next step. If using a pot, continue to step 4. Open the pot, remove chicken to shred or dice. Return the chicken to the pot along with noodles, artichoke hearts and fresh spinach. Return the soup to a low boil (turn on sauce feature for instant pot or just turn the heat up to medium/medium-high for pot) for 7 minutes or until the noodles are fully cooked. Turn off the heat and stir in parmesan cheese and half of the mozzarella. Stir in fresh parsley. For serving: Turn the oven on to broil. Spoon the soup into bowls and top all of them with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and place on the top rack under the broiler for 2 minutes until the cheese starts to bubble and brown. Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.

Chicken pot pie was one of my favorites growing up. Coming home after a soccer practice in the cold to a hot chicken pot pie from in the oven was the best! I've created my own variation that is not only healthy, but cooks in half the time. The original recipe is for a two person pot pie which uses a skillet to ensure perfect browning on the crust. Recently we took this to the next level and used ramekins to make person pot pies! I’ve always wanted to make my own chicken pot pie but it seemed intimidating. For starters- its massive- but also a homemade crust seemed daunting and those store-bought ones just wouldn't cut it for me. This brought me to the idea of a two person pot pies using my tried and true greek yogurt based crust. Whether you make it in a skillet or personal ramekin it's the perfect portion. Of course I had to take a stab at a healthier version of the classic. There’s two places for improvement (health wise) in the classic recipe: the crust and the sauce. The key high calorie ingredient in the crust is butter, and in the sauce, cream. By modifying my favorite healthy 4 ingredient bagel recipe I created a butter-free crust that browns just as beautifully as ever and by subbing the cream in the filling for almond milk you save hundreds of calories but lose NONE of the flavor. The pies cook in 25 minutes flat and how cute is this little ramekin? Half the time compared to other pies which take over an hour to cook. I didn’t mess with the classic too much though and kept the bones the same. All the classic veggies and big hunks of chicken are still the key contenders that swim in a silky sauce of creamy perfection piled between a doughy crust. You won’t believe the serving size for this. I wrote 2-4 servings because it was almost too much for me to eat in one sitting, but according to calories and macros, 2 servings is a normal sized dinner for this guy! I’d recommend cutting it into 4 servings to serve as a lighter lunch or with a nice salad. For a main course the serving size really is only for 2 people... I know, crazy! & yes, that's half the pie!! I’ll post the nutrition at the end for both options though. Healthy Chicken Pot Pie (Skillet or Personal) 2 Servings | Cook time: 35 minutes Notes: A delicious, hearty, home cooked meal with a healthy take. Kitchen Equipment: Skillet- 8” Cast iron skillet Personal- two 16oz ramekins/oven safe soup bowls Ingredients: Filling: 1 tbsp butter 1/2 cup celery, diced (~50g) 1/2 cup onions, diced (~50g) 1 cup carrots, diced 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried thyme 1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup cooked chicken, 6oz raw, cubed or shredded 3/4 cup peas 3/4 cup corn 2 tbsp flour 1 cup unsweetened original almond milk Crust: 3/4 cup flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (~5.5oz or 165g) 1 egg white Additional flour for rolling Directions: Start by making the crust, combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add yogurt and use a fork to combine ingredients until roughly combined. Use the palm of your hand to knead the dough in the bowl until all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated. Place the bowl in the fridge. Preheat oven to 400. In a sauté pan melt 1 tbsp butter. Add celery, carrots and onions to pan and cook until veggies start to soften. About 5-10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and fresh thyme. Add chicken, garlic, corn and peas and cook until heated through, another 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle everything with flour and cook another 2 minutes. Pour in almond milk and stir to combine. Bring mixture a simmer and reduce for another 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. The pie can either include a thick top crust or a thinner top AND bottom crust. My preference is the thick top crust, it is also easier… I will explain the thick crust option here and the 2 crust option in the notes. Spray skillet or two ramekins with non stick spray. For the ramekins, divide dough in half. For the skillet, leave whole. Roll dough into a circle, the size of the skillet or ramekin, on a floured or greased surface. Divide the filling into the two ramekins or to the skillet. Cover the filling with the rolled out dough. Use a fork to press the dough up against the edge of the dish. Whisk egg whites until fluffy and brush the top of the dough with them, get the edges too (this is what makes it nice and brown)! Using a knife, cut 1/2 in slits into the center of the dough to allow air to escape. Place the skillet in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. If additional browning is needed, turn the oven on to broil for a minute or so at the end. Tips: If the edges brown too quickly before the center has cooked to your liking, cover the edges with tin foil to prevent additional browning. For a pie with crust on the top and the bottom (I recommend this only for the skillet option, the ramekins would be too small for the bottom dough). Divide the original dough in half. Place half the dough in the bottom of the greased skillet. Use your hands to delicately stretch the dough up the sides a bit. After adding the filling cover with the second layer of dough. Use your fork to seal the bottom half to the top half of dough. Whisk the egg whites and add the slits the same as you would in the original recipe. Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.

I'm calling this a grilled cheese but it's hearty like a panini. It's stocked full of chicken, spinach, spicy flavors and of course, cheese. I prefer to go lighter on the cheese here and heavy on the chicken mixture but then I also find myself dipping it into tomato soup so it could really go both ways! Is your mouth watering just looking at this stack or is that just me? By adding greens into my buffalo chicken grilled cheese, not only does it punch up the fiber and sneak in some vegetables but the spinach literally soaks up the buffalo and buttery flavors and keeps the chicken nice and moist. I'm not kidding I wouldn't make the sandwich without it because it really does add so much delicious flavor! Are you team celery sticks and bleu cheese or team ketchup and fries? Swipe to see! Do you dip your grilled cheese in ketchup? Personally I prefer tomato soup with mine and save the ketchup for that side of roasted sweet potatoes but, on more than one occasion in college, ketchup was a decent stand in. But if you have the time and the means to whip up a bowl of every grilled cheeses' favorite counterpart, I have just the recipe. For a sweet yet savory tomato soup, check out our Pumpkin Tomato Soup! This fun twist on a classic is the perfect companion for dipping a thick buffalo chicken grilled cheese. #brainsandbalance tip: always make a big batch of soup at a time and store perfectly portioned out leftovers in freezer safe bags. Label the contents, date and quantity of the freezer bags using a sharpie (ie. Pumpkin Tomato Soup April 1, 2020 1 serving). This way, when that grilled cheese and soup craving hits, you can just reach into the freezer, defrost and enjoy! Whether you're eating it with soup or without, this grilled cheese is sure to become a staple. I love mixing things up too. Sometimes I will get really crazy and add tomatoes into the chicken mixture once the spinach has wilted, like the stack above. I like the freshness tomatoes bring to the sandwich but they are definitely not necessary as it is seriously amazing either way! Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese 1 serving | Cook time (for chicken): 20 minutes | Assembly time: 5 minutes Ingredients: 3 oz chicken breast or 1/2 cup shredded rotisserie chicken 1/2 tbsp hot sauce (I use #Franks Red Hot) 1/4 cup water 1 tsp butter 1/4 tsp buffalo seasoning, optional (I use #Franks Red Hot) 1 cup spinach, chopped (fresh or frozen and thawed) 1-2 oz cheese (mozzarella, Colby jack, gruyere, cheddar, can be shredded or block) 2 slices of bread of choice (sourdough, country bread, ciabatta and sprouted bread are some of my classics) Directions: Prepare the Chicken: Instant pot: if using an instant pot, my preferred method, place chicken, water, buffalo seasoning and hot sauce to the instant pot. Close the lid and cook for 15 minutes. Allow pot to release naturally for an additional 5 minutes. (Note: if starting with frozen chicken, up the cook time to 20 minutes) Pan or oven: Season the chicken with buffalo seasoning prior to cooking. Grill or bake until cooked through. Boil: Fill a pot of water with enough water to submerge chicken. Boil chicken in water for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Rotisserie chicken: no cooking required Prepare the Filling: Once your chicken is cooked, remove it and, use two forks or an electric mixer to shred the chicken. If using an instant pot, return the chicken to the instant pot and turn onto sauté. For all other methods, place chicken in a sauté pan over med-low. Add remaining ingredients (will vary depending on method) to the pot/sauté pan with the exception of the cheese and bread (chicken, hot sauce, buffalo seasoning, butter, chopped spinach and water should all be in the pan/pot now). Sauté all of the ingredients until the spinach has wilted and the water has evaporated, tossing often. Assemble the Grilled Cheese: Place the bottom slice of bread on a cutting board and top with 1/3 cheese mixture. Top with 1/2 the chicken filling and another 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Top with remaining chicken filling and remaining cheese mixture. Secure it with a top slice of bread. Heat a saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Spray both the pan and the top slice of bread with nonstick olive oil spray. Flip the grilled cheese into the pan (olive oil sprayed side down onto the heat). Option to use a lid or light weight to press on the top of the sandwich. Allow the sandwich to cook until the bottom side is brown and the cheese has begun to melt (2-3 minutes). Spray the top slice with olive oil spray and flip the sandwich over. Brown the remaining side for another 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted and the outside is crispy. Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition facts are based off using 3 oz raw chicken breast, 2 slices of sourdough bread (totally about 27g of Carbohydrates) and 1.5 oz of full fat Colby Jack cheese. Nutrition facts may vary depending on brand, variety and quantity.

This marinade works in just 30 minutes and will leave you with the most tender chicken. Chicken can be difficult because if you overcook it, it can be dry but not with this marinade! The greek yogurt makes the chicken so tender and the balsamic and spices are deliciously flavorful. You could even make the marinade ahead of time and freeze the chicken in it for later use. The recipe is as easy as- add it all to a bag and mix it up! In the summertime I prefer to grill this chicken to maximize those charred flavors against the balsamic (and to avoid turning my oven on). In the colder months I prefer this broiler method as it leads to the same results but doesn't leave me out in the cold. Balsamic Chicken Marinade 4 Servings | Prep Time: 30 minutes - 2 hours Cook time: 20 minutes Notes: The most tender chicken. Truly crispy on the outside and extra juicy on the inside. Serve with your favorite starch and vegetable! Ingredients: 1-1.5 lb chicken breast 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1/2 tbsp olive oil 1 oz plain greek yogurt 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp dried rosemary Directions: Marinate: Cut chicken into 4-6oz portions. Add chicken to gallon sized ziplock bag. Add in all of the marinade ingredients on top of the chicken. Seal and remove excess air. Use your hands to squeeze the closed bag to move the chicken around and mix the marinade. Continue this for about 2 minutes or until the marinade has been fully mixed. Place the bag in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. The yogurt in the marinade will work to tenderize the chicken and the balsamic and spices will flavor it. Cook: Preheat the oven to 400F. Bake the chicken for 12 minutes, turning the chicken halfway. Turn the oven on to broil, move the chicken up to the top rack and broil the chicken for 3-5 minutes each side. The outside should start to caramelize. The chicken is done when it’s an internal temperature of 145F. I leaving the chicken as whole ~10oz breasts it may take slightly longer to cook. Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.

For this recipe I used boneless pork chops because they cook faster and can be easier to work with. Bone in are absolutely an option and tend to pack in a little extra flavor but take longer and are more difficult. For this recipe I used a simple simple brine. A brine is essentially a salt water solution that you marinate the meat in ahead of cooking. It helps to trap in the moisture in the meat and even 30 minutes in the brine can result in drastically juicier and more flavorful pork chops. Again I kept things simple for the spice mixture using only basic spices and no other unnecessary ingredients. The focus here is the juicy inside, it doesn't need a ton of sauces taking away from it. I paired this with some sweet potatoes that I boiled and mashed with butter, cinnamon and a little broth. I also paired with with my favorite sautéed green beans. I steam them, blanch them and then sauté them with some olive oil, shallots and garlic. Lastly, apple sauce was served with the pork chops for dipping! Spiced Boneless Pork Chops with Simple 30 minute Brine 4 Servings | Prep time: 30 minutes-8 hours Cook time: 15 minutes Notes: I serve this with cinnamon mashed sweet potatoes and sautéed green beans with shallots and garlic. Ingredients: Brine: 4 cups water 1/ cup salt Peppercorns Bay leaf Pork: 4 boneless pork chops (if using bone in, additional cooking time will be necessary) 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp Paprika 1 tsp Garlic Powder 1 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp dried rosemary 1 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Pepper Optional: 1/8 tsp cayenne For serving: Applesauce Directions: To make the brine: Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small pot. Turn off heat and stir in salt until fully dissolved. Transfer to a shallow dish. Add remaining water, peppercorns and bay leaf. Water should be lukewarm now. Submerge pork chops in the brine. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours. Remove pork chops from the fridge. Take out of the brine and pat dry with a paper towel. Rub pork chops with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with spices. Rub spices into olive oil. Set aside for 10 minutes to bring pork to room temperature. Heat a large cast iron with 1 tbsp olive oil on medium high heat. Sear the pork chops 3-5 minutes per side or until an internal temperature of about 140F (use a meat thermometer to ensure accurate). Do not move the pork chops except to flip them. Transfer the pork chops to a plate and loosely cover with foil. Allow them to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve alongside creamy potatoes, a veg and apple sauce for dipping. Screenshot/Printer Friendly Version: Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.