Oh baby, baby!! Someone hold me back from shouting these chicken tenders across the universe because they are that damn good! Have I ever introduced to you Dot’s Pretzels? Forgive me if not, I’m sure you have seen them on my IG stories because they are a snack staple in our home. They are little sticks of pure magic, dusted in a seasoning that make your taste buds dance. So, what’s better than grinding up these pretzels in a fine crumb and coating chicken with it?? Don’t panic, if you cannot find Dot’s I have an alternative with regular pretzels and adding your own seasoning, I’ve got your back babe!

Can you even handle that golden crust? Give it to me!! Oh, and the honey mustard sauce is insanity, Dj + I both grabbed a straw and drank it straight out of the bowl…. Kidding, kidding – but it’s that good!

Pretzel Crusted Chicken Tenders

• 2.5lb Gerber Chicken Tenders
• 2 cup finely ground Dot’s Seasoned Pretzels
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

**If NOT using Dot’s Pretzels**

• 2 cup finely ground pretzels
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp paprika

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayo
• 2 Tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp honey

Let’s cook!

1. Preheat oven to 450* 
2. Spray a cooking sheet with nonstick spray 
3. Using a food processor, pulse the pretzels into a fine crumb, and pour into a bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk two eggs
5. Sprinkle salt + pepper over the chicken tenders
6. Dip seasoned chicken tenders into the eggs, shake off excess and then press chicken tender into the pretzel crumbs on both sides and place onto the prepared baking sheet
7. Bake at 450* for 10 minutes, flip and bake for an additional 8-12 minutes until the chicken is cooked through

For the honey mustard dipping sauce…

Simply whisk all of the ingredients together.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, and enjoy! 

Air Fryer version…

Timing all depends on the brand of machine you have, however, rule of thumb is to cook them at 400*.  Place chicken tenders into thee basket and spray with nonstick spray, I love Heinens Avocado Oil Spray, and cook for 8 minutes, flip, spray again and cook for an additional 6 minutes.  Make sure to check if chicken is cooked all the way through, add one additional minute if needed.  

I jumped on the Instant Pot bandwagon in the fall of 2020, just to see if it would live up to all of its hype.  Dozens of meals later, I am here to say that an Instant Pot is a fantastic tool to have in your kitchen! You can achieve a flavor profile that is usually only accomplished when you spend hours and hours cooking in the kitchen.  That’s the true beauty of utilizing an Instant Pot – it erases hours of cooking, and produces incredible dishes in a matter of minutes!

My Instant Pot Beef Stew is a prime example! Fork tender beef, loads of vegetables and a rich creamy sauce in just 30 minutes.  Spoon over a mountain of mashed potatoes, or you can try my Cauliflower Mash that pairs beautifully with this stew! 

Cooks note: This can also be made in a slow cooker, on HIGH for 4-6 hours, or LOW for 6-8 hours. 

Instant Pot Beef Stew

• 2.5lb Beef Chuck Roast, cut into 1” cubes
• 4 Tbsp Flour
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 3 cup Carrot, diced
• 3 cup Celery, diced
• 1 Medium Yellow Onion, diced
• 10 oz Mushrooms, halved (optional) 
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Oregano 
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder 
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 6 Cloves of Garlic
• 1/2 cup Red Wine
• 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 4 Tbsp Tomato Paste
• 2 1/2 cup Beef Broth

*If you prefer a thicker stew like me, at the end you will need 2 Tbsp flour + 2 Tbsp cool water*

Cooks note: If you have a few extra minutes, browning the meat prior to putting it into the Instant Pot is a great step to add another level of flavor.  

1. Browning the meat: Toss the cubed beef chuck in flour, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, salt and pepper – Brown in a sauté’ pan with a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high heat just for a minute or two until beef is golden on both sides. SKIP: Add flour-coated beef straight into the instant pot – 
2. Add the diced carrot, celery, onion and mushrooms to the instant pot
3. Add the seasonings – salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, bay leaf and garlic cloves
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wine, balsamic vinegar, tomato paste and beef broth
5. POUR the sauce over all of the ingredients in the instant pot, stir and lock the lid on
6. SET IT – Pressure cook on HIGH for 30 minutes, and then let the steam naturally release for at least 10 minutes. 
7. Once the pressure is released, (always check by pushing over the nozzle to vent to ensure the steam is all released) Open the lid, and turn the Instant Pot onto “SAUTE” in preparation for the thickening agent
8. Whisk together the flour and cool water in a small bowl, and add to the Instant Pot – Stir for 2-3 minutes on Sauté while the stew thickens
9. That is it! Serve over Mashed Potatoes of my Cauliflower Mash!

Cauliflower Mash

• 1 head of Cauliflower, cut into florets 
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt 
• 1/8 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/4 cup Heavy Cream

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and place the cauliflower florets in for 10 minutes, or until tender
2. Drain cauliflower and add to a food processor
3. Add the butter, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and heavy cream to the food processor and blend for 3-4 minutes until the cauliflower is smooth and fluffy. 
4. Add additional salt and pepper to taste if need be, serve right away! 

Dinner done in a flash!

This pasta dish is officially one of the boys new favorites! I was kind of shocked quite honestly, sun-dried tomatoes with little ones is kind of pushing the envelope. BUT – I am here to say it has been the most requested dinner since I have made it and I am not mad about it!

The only thing that takes the “longest” to cook is the sausage, which you can totally hack by buying pre-cooked chicken sausage and warming it through much quicker!

Creamy and cheesy, this sauce is done in the time it takes to cook the pasta – wicked fast! It is a flavor-packed pasta dish that is sure to please! If you are not a fan of sun-dried tomatoes, don’t let this dish be forgotten, simply omit – OR – you can swap it for a few Tablespoons of pesto! YUM!

Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Sausage Orecchiette

• 1lb Mild Chicken Sausage Links

• 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 Large Shallot, minced (3Tbsp)
• 2 Tbsp Flour
• 1 cup Chicken Stock
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan
• 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 1/2 cup Sun-dried Tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup pasta water reserved

First, let’s cook the chicken sausages …
1. Pre heat oven to 400*
2. Lay chicken sausages on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes, or until sausage is cooked all the way through

Boil water for the Orecchiette, and cook according to package.  Be sure to reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining to help thin the sauce out at the end

For the sauce …
1. In a shallow dutch oven, or deep sauté pan, over medium heat – sauté the garlic and shallot with butter until fragrant and slightly translucent (1 minute )
2. Add the flour, and stir for 30 seconds to cover the shallot and garlic
3. Pour in the chicken stock, heavy cream, salt, pepper and oregano
4. Turn the heat down to medium-low and stir for a few minutes as the sauce thickens
5. Add the cheeses, and stir together until sauce is creamy and smooth – if it is too thick, add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to thin
6. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and stir in
7. Add the drained orecchiette and stir to coat the pasta evenly in the sauce
8. Lastly, plate with the sliced chicken sausages and enjoy!

Simply the best, better than all the rest.

Be prepared to throw away every other Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe you have tried – because this one, my friends – is a panty dropper. Can I say that? Damn straight I can – If Dan made me these cookies himself he would have a 10/10 chance to gettin’ lucky tonight. Unfortunately, he did not. So no goodie-goodie for him, but allllll the chocolate chunk cookies for me.

You snooze, you lose.

Back to these COOKIES!! For over a decade I have tried various chocolate chip cookie recipes, and last year I landed on one that took the cookie cake. Gooey, chewy, super-soft and with a barely there crisp to the edge. They fluff up in the oven, and collapse into its chewy center once pulled out – YUM!!!

MUST-DO for perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies, every time!!

• Use a cookie scoop! This ensures that your cookies are all an equal size, and will result in evenly cooked cookies! My favorite –
• Whip’ up that butter, sugar, vanilla + eggs until light + fluffy
• FLUFF that flour before you add it into the measuring cup, just stir it with a fork a bit so it is not heavy
• DO NOT over mix the flour when added – just enough to incorporate
• DO NOT over bake!! These cook for 9-11 minutes, and will be so soft you will swear they are raw. They are not! They finish cooking while cooling

Let’s Bake!

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, @ room temp
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs 
• 3 cup flour 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 XL Hershey Dark Chocolate Bars, chopped (roughly 1 1/4 heaping cup) 
• A few extra dark chocolate chips to decorate

➖With a mixer, beat together the butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs until light and fluffy. 

➖Add the flour, baking soda, and salt

KEY: Fluff the flour in your bag with a fork before scooping with measuring cup ✔️

➖Mix everything together for just a few seconds until the flour mixture is JUST barely combined, and dump in the chopped chocolate chunks

➖Finally, mix a bit more until chunks are scattered throughout 

Stop there! Do not over mix 

➖Preheat oven to 350*

➖Scoop 1.5 Tbsp worth of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet 

(I use an @OXO medium cookie scoop)

➖Top each cookie dough ball with an extra chocolate chip or two + a sprinkle of sea salt

➖BAKE for 9-11 

➖PULL OUT no later than 11 minutes – they will be SUPER soft, and will set a bit more 

Here is the cookie scoop I use, in the medium size – this is such a nice tool to ensure your cookies will bake evenly because they are all the same size!

A recipe that will change the way you eat fish in your home! Do you guys eat fish? My boys LOVE seafood so much, so we incorporate it into a few dishes a week.

The simplicity of sheet-baking cod creates the most mild, flaky fish that is a fantastic base for a healthy dish.  I like to kick it up a notch by pouring a spoonful of my chimichurri sauce to baked cod, and WA-BAM! You’ve been punched with flavors that will make you dance in your pants. Get ready for it!

The chimichurri stores beautifully in an airtight container in thee fridge for up to a week, and is delicious over fish, steak, chicken or pasta dishes.  This dinner is complete in 15 minutes, pairs perfectly with a pasta, salad or roasted vegetables. 

Let’s cook!

For the Cod –

• 2lb Wild Alaskan Cod Fillets
• 1tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• Lemon, sliced

Chimichurri – 

• 1 bunch of Parsley, cut off bottom stems
• 1 bunch of Cilantro, cut off bottom stems
• 1/2 Red Onion, diced
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• 3 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar 
• 3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• 1 tsp Chili Pepper Flakes
• 1 Tbsp Oregano, fresh – or 1/2 Tbsp Dried Oregano
• 1 tsp Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400*

1. On a baking sheet, place the cod fillets and drizzle with olive oil.  
2. Sprinkle the paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper all over both sides of the fish. 
3. Place sliced lemons on baking sheet.  

4.   Bake at 400* for 15 minutes, until fish is cooked through

For the Chimichurri – 

1. In a food processor, add all of the ingredients listed above
2. Blend for 1 minute or so, herbs will be finely minced, no large pieces of herbs

That’s it! 
You’ve just created a healthy dinner for your family in 15 minutes! You can pair with my One Pan Lemon Parmesan Orzo – delish!

Ever stumped on what else to put on your dinner plate alongside your protein? Well, look no further than this one-pan wonder that is my Lemon Parmesan Orzo! Creamy orzo dressed with plenty of lemon juice + zest, this pasta side is so satisfying! I’d pair with roasted chicken, seafood of any sorts, or steak! Oh! And a vegetarian option of a roasted cauliflower tossed with pest would be insanity, damn that sounds good – making that next!

You can even simply stir in my famous Garlic Expressions Shredded Chicken that you have on hand for quick meals, so easy!

One pan is all you need, ready?!

• 3 Tbsp Shallot 
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• 1.5 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup Orzo
• 2 1/2 cup Vegetable Broth
• 1/4 cup Heavy Cream 
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• Heaping 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan 
• 3 Tbsp Chopped Parsley 

1. In a deep sauté pan, or shallow dutch oven, over medium heat sauté the shallot and garlic cloves with a drizzle of olive oil until fragrant and slightly softened (1-2 minutes)
2. Add lemon juice and zest, stir
3. Add Orzo, and a drizzle of olive oil, stir for a few seconds to coat the orzo in the lemon juice and zest
4. Pour in the vegetable broth, heavy cream, salt and pepper and let simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes until the orzo is aldente
5. Once orzo is cooked and the majority of liquids are absorbed, add the grated parmesan and chopped parsley
6. Stir everything together and serve immediately 

Spice it up with a few shakes of chili pepper flakes too! YUM!