Parmesan Baked Zucchini

This is a go-to side dish for us that I make all the time. It's really low-maintenance, cooks quickly and tastes really good. This is one of my mom's recipes that I always loved growing up so I think it might be a good way to get your kids to eat veggies. I usually will prep these at the beginning of my cooking and set them aside until about 15 minutes before dinner. I use the toaster oven to cook them too which heats up quickly and doesn't heat up the kitchen. I love using the leftovers in omelets or scrambled eggs.

Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

I'm a big proponent of freezing cooked chicken and beef. It's always so great to have on hand for a quick and easy dinner like this one. The chicken I used for these was leftover from a rotisserie chicken I bought at the grocery. I like to buy those when they're on sale, even if I'm not sure how I'll use it. The meat is great in soups, casseroles, quesadillas and much more. I think I used half of that rotisserie chicken to make chicken tacos the day I bought it. Then, I just shredded up the rest of the chicken and stuck it in the freezer, taking it out later to make these sandwiches. This recipe is loosely based on one from Rachael Ray's 365 No Repeats.

Basic Salsa

When I posted my Red Chile Salsa, I mentioned that there is one other type of salsa I make often and this is it! The main difference is that this one doesn't have the dried chiles in it. I do vary my "recipe" almost every time I make it depending on what ingredients I have so feel free to change it up a bit to suit your tastes.

Katherine Hepburn Brownies

This is one of the easiest desserts to make. I like to keep all of the ingredients on hand so I can make a batch of these whenever I need a quick dessert to take somewhere. It's a great dessert for dinner parties too because you can prepare the batter in advance, then bake them off when you're ready. As you can see from my pic, they're not the prettiest dessert as they tend to fall apart when I cut them. That is easy to solve though by serving them with a giant scoop of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla on top. I guess I could try lining my brownie pan with parchment paper too. If you do that, let me know how it turns out. This recipe comes from Epicurious and has been re-posted on various blogs. I did add my own touch with a sprinkle of sea salt on the bottom of the pan. Enjoy!

Braised Short Ribs

I made these in anticipation of the Fall weather moving into Texas this week and they were so yummy. I took half over to our friends who just had a baby and I think they enjoyed them too. While it takes a long time to cook, it's mostly hands-off time so don't be intimidated. Oh and I'd suggest making the whole recipe too. The leftovers make some yummy grilled cheeses. The recipe is actually based on one from Bon Appetit that makes the short ribs specifically for the grilled cheeses. I served these over risotto with a salad on the side. Welcome Fall!

Risotto

This was my first attempt at risotto and it turned out quite well! There was a little too much onion, so I've suggested less in the recipe. I mentioned on the Cooking Rice post that I've had my share of issues with rice cookery so I was a little fearful of how this would turn out. This is different from regular rice though since you're monitoring it the whole time and I liked that there wasn't any guesswork. This recipe does require almost constant attention so don't make it while you're trying to sear chicken or do a million other things. It's great when you're making a main dish that doesn't require your attention like a stew, roast chicken, or something in your crockpot. The recipe is adapted from a number of recipes I read, including one from Rachael Ray's 365 No Repeats cookbook. Crazy though, she said she made this for her dog. Poor Reilly only gets steamed rice ;)