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Chicken Fajita Pasta | quick family meals

#shop #kraftrecipemakers

#shop Chicken Fajita Pasta #kraftrecipemakers

Chicken Fajita Pasta is a healthy and quick family meal made delicious using a Kraft Recipe Makers meal kit!  

After a long day of  juggling two kids, their activities, naps (or no naps), the big question is ‘what’s for dinner tonight?’  While we often have big ideas of recipes to try, what we really end up needing is a quick, easy meal.  We want something healthy too.  This Chicken Fajita Pasta is just that – healthy, easy and delicious!  It is made with fresh chicken, vegetables, cheese and a delicious sauce, which is actually my new secret weapon.  This little secret of mine is Kraft Recipe Makers!

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Lighter Frosted Pumpkin Cake

Frosted Pumpkin Cake

Frosted Pumpkin Cake

Frosted Pumpkin Cake is a classic pumpkin sheet cake topped with cream cheese frosting.  Delicious and made on the lighter side!

In case you haven’t noticed by now, I love baking with pumpkin!  While it is always fun to get creative, there is something to be said about the classics.  This Frosted Pumpkin Cake is absolutely a classic.   The moist cake is filled with pumpkin and warm spices of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice ~ the epitome of Fall pumpkin baking.  Topped with a cream cheese frosting,  Frosted Pumpkin Cake is a favorite classic combination…and it is made on the lighter side!     …

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Three Bean Vegetarian Chili from Alida's Kitchen

Three Bean Vegetarian Chili #WeekdaySupper

30 Minute Three Bean Vegetarian Chili from alidaskitchen.com

Three Bean Vegetarian Chili is so good, carnivores will not miss the meat!  This healthy chili takes only 30 minutes to make, and leftovers reheat well. {vegan, gluten free}

Three Bean Vegetarian Chili, also known as “Veg Head” Chili, is one of our favorite recipes to make during the cooler months. This chili is hearty enough to satisfy meat eaters and vegetarians (and vegans!) alike…due to the addition of the third bean ~ refried beans!  The refried beans are an unexpected addition that thickens the chili perfectly and gives it a the nice hearty texture.  Combined with the other beans and all of the vegetables and spices, this chili has quickly become a family favorite….

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Vegan Lentil Marinara Pasta Sauce

Lentil Marinara Pasta Sauce #SundaySupper

Lentil Marinara Pasta Sauce - heatlhy, vegan, delicious from Alida's Kitchen

Lentil Marinara Pasta Sauce is a protein-packed, thick and hearty pasta sauce, made vegan using lentils in place of meat. {vegetarian, vegan without cheese, sauce is gluten free}

Lentil Marinara Pasta Sauce a thick and hearty, like a meat sauce, using lentils instead of meat.  I love using lentils as a meat substitute in recipes.  They are very meat-like in that they are high in protein, take on flavors in a sauce (or salad) and are very versatile.  Unlike meat, lentils are high in fiber and easy on the budget.  They do not require soaking or long cooking times, making lentils a wonderful choice for quick, easy and healthy meatless meals.

Lentil Marinara Pasta Sauce is very easy to make and takes roughly an hour to get a thick, hearty meatless pasta sauce.  The first step is sauteing the onions and garlic.  The next step is to add the lentils and broth to cook the lentils.  The last step is to add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients to make the pasta sauce and let it simmer for about 40 minutes, letting the flavors come together.  The result is a healthy, protein-packed,  hearty meatless tomato pasta sauce made with lentils that is delicious, nutritious and suitable for a variety of dietary needs.  Lentil Marinara Pasta Sauce makes a generous amount of sauce, and leftovers reheat nicely….

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Barbecue Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes from Alida's Kitchen

Barbecue Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potato #WeekdaySupper #FamilyDinnerTable

Barbecue Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potato is a delicious combination of tangy-sweet barbecue chicken with a sweet potato, topped with green onions (and optional cheese).   This super easy dish is perfect for a weeknight! 

Barbecue Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potato | Alida's Kitchen

One of our favorite summer meals is to grill barbecue chicken, served with a side of sweet potato fries and a green vegetable or side salad.  Barbecue Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potato is kind of a spin on the meat and potatoes of that meal, only simplified.  Instead of peeling and cutting the sweet potatoes, just scrub, poke and bake.  For the chicken, I typically utilize one of three go-to options:  1) The easiest option is to use any leftover Baked Barbecue Chicken; 2) Poach and shred chicken breast; or 3) Pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store and shred it.  With whichever method is used, just toss the shredded chicken in a sauce pan with additional barbecue sauce to warm up and moisten the chicken.

Last Sunday, the Sunday Supper Movement partnered up with American Family Insurance as they launch their Back to the Family Dinner Campaign.  The theme was big Sunday Supper meals that make leftovers to be reinvented into Weekday Suppers.  Barbecue Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potato is one of my favorite recipes for using up leftover Baked Barbecue Chicken, and I am pleased for the opportunity to share this with you for this Weekday Supper!…

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Baked Barbecue Chicken ~ easy and healthy!

Baked Barbecue Chicken #SundaySupper #FamilyDinnerTable

Baked Barbecue Chicken ~ easy and healthy!

Baked  Barbecue Chicken is a quick and easy recipe for enjoying a classic favorite, made in a healthy way.  For some reason, Barbecue Chicken always makes me think of summer, but we enjoy this dish no matter what the weather is outside – even when there are several feet (!!) of snow on the ground!  Perhaps it’s a little too early to be discussing snow…

The concept of Baked Barbecue Chicken is not new to the blog.  I have made a few tweaks to the previous recipe to simplify the process and yield a shorter cooking time ~ all with great results.   This recipe is very easy.  You can make your own barbecue-style sauce (like this easy pantry sauce or this one if you like some spice).  If you prefer, a store-bought sauce also works great.  The recipe can easily be adjusted to yield more or fewer servings to fit your needs.   I like to make plenty of extras because barbecue chicken is so versatile  and leftovers can be transformed into something different for a quick and easy weeknight supper….

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Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili #SundaySupper

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili from Alida's Kitchen

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili is a chunky, spicy chili with a hint of sweetness that combines two superfoods into an easy, healthy, one-pot meal.  {vegan, gluten-free}

As the temperatures get cooler, we tend to gravitate toward warm comfort foods, such as baked pastas, soups, and chili. This is one of the many reasons that Fall is my favorite time of year for cooking and baking!  On Sundays, I love to make a big pot of chili or a pan of baked tortellini to have leftovers for lunches or easy dinners throughout the week.

While I have several favorite old standby recipes, I am am always looking to find new recipes to try.  This Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili will definitely become part of the regular rotation.  Sweet potatoes and black beans are two of my favorite superfoods that go so well together; there are lots of vegetables; there is plenty of spice to warm you up; and this recipe is very simple to make in under 45 minutes using just one pot.  (which also means easy clean up!)

The theme for Sunday Supper this week is one pot recipes.  Since one pot meals are typically easy recipes, this theme is right up my alley!  The group is sharing recipes for slow cookers to desserts and everything in between that can be made in one pot or pan or dish, you get the idea.  Be sure to check out what everybody made below.   …

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Garlicky Spaghetti with Roasted Broccoli

Garlicky Spaghetti with Roasted Broccoli #WeekdaySupper

Garlicky Spaghetti with Roasted Broccoli

With 10 cloves of garlic, Garlicky Spaghetti with Roasted Broccoli is garlic lovers dream!  This easy recipe is quick to make, healthy and perfect for a weeknight.

When pressed for time, pasta one of our go-tos for a quick and easy dinner.  While it can be simple,  pasta is also versatile enough to allow for creativity…or at least some variety.  Whenever I try a new recipe, I look at the garlic amount and typically double it.  Not necessary with Garlicky Spaghetti with Roasted Broccoli.  It has 10 cloves of garlic!  I wondered if the garlic might be overwhelming, but it is tempered when sauteed and nicely balanced with the cheese and crushed red pepper.  Roasted broccoli adds a wonderful little crunch as well. …

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Sweet and Spicy Roasted Pepitas

Sweet and Spicy Pepitas #SundaySupper

Sweet and Spicy Pepitas {roasted pumpkin seeds}

Sweet and Spicy Pepitas are roasted pumpkin seeds made into a crunchy snack that is a little sweet, a little spicy and a lot delicious!  {naturally nut-free, gluten-free and vegan}

With Fall upon us, I am in full pumpkin mode.  So far I have made pumpkin cakepiepastamuffins, and still have more pumpkin recipes I want to make this season.   Not only do I love pumpkin puree, I also adore pumpkin seeds and pepitas!  Pepitas are  the lovely little raw green seeds inside the pumpkin seed shell.  They are a great alternative to nuts, yet offer many of the same health benefits.  Like nuts, they are packed with protein, vitamins and antioxidants.  I find them in the bulk bin at the grocery store or sometimes near the bags of sunflower seeds….

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Tortellini Primavera - a quick and healthy pasta dish made on the lighter side!

Tortellini Primavera #WeekdaySupper


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Tortellini Primavera is a creamy, cheesy pasta dish made with with lots of vegetables.  It is quick, easy and healthy ~ perfect for a weeknight!

Like most people, we are always looking for quick and easy recipes for weeknight dinners.  While frozen pizza or takeout seem like a quick fix for those busy nights, we always prefer something healthier, tastier, and homemade.  But like I said, it has to be easy, right?  This Tortellini Primavera is all that, plus it’s super tasty!  With all the vegetables, the cheese, the creaminess, the cheese-filled tortellini, and being easy to make, you really can’t go wrong.  …

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