Easy Croque Monsieurs

I married into a French-Italian family. The best part of this is when my father-in-law would be talking to me and switch into French without realizing it, leaving me clueless. The worst part of this is when I first met my in-laws and my husband left me alone with them for about 10 minutes, leaving me to understand what they were saying through their thick accents. I just sat there and smiled.

 

My mother-in-law is an amazing cook, but her recipes are hard to recreate because she's the kind of cook that uses "a little bit of this and a little bit of that." One day I'm going to have to shadow her and write down what she does, or go crazy trying to perfect her homemade oatmeal and pea soup and half a dozen other recipes I dream about her making for me!

 

My husband didn't grow up on casseroles (what??!!) or traditional PB&J sandwiches. Instead, he had such sandwiches as Croque Monsieurs. Basically a French sandwich with Dijon mustard, ham, swiss, and pepper. Really simple but so good. I've had one at a French restaurant we found in Seattle and it was served with "pomme frites"aka fries (my high school French comes in handy sometimes). This particular sandwich was served with a thick bread, lots of ham, a Swiss cheese sauce, and a lot of pepper.  My recipe is slightly easier, I don't make a cheese sauce. I just use cheese. It's less messy and quicker to make.

 

A variation of the Croque Monsieur is the Croque Madame. It's similar to the Croque Monsieur except that it also includes a fried egg on top, sometimes with béchamel sauce included (again, a step I generally avoid because it defeats the whole "quick and easy" approach).

 

Lastly, Croque Monsieurs and Croque Madames can be eaten open-face or sandwich style. 

 

Did I mention my kids LOVE this particular dinner?! My six-year-old doesn't love Dijon mustard (he also doesn't love cheese...whose kid is he anyway?!) and I use butter on his sandwiches and everyone is happy.

 

 

Croque Monsieur Sandwich (or Croque Madame Sandwich)
by Girls in Aprons

Makes 4 servings, two open-faced sandwiches each

4 ciabatta rolls, cut in half
Dijon mustard
1/2 lb Virginia ham (or any ham, just not honey ham)
8 slices Swiss cheese
Black pepper
Butter (if making Croque Madame sandwiches)
8 eggs (if making Croque Madame sandwiches)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place sliced ciabatta rolls on a cookie sheet, cut side up, and place in preheated oven. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until tops are toasted. Remove from oven.

Spread each piece of bread with Dijon mustard. Top with ham (as much or as little as you desire) and a slice of Swiss cheese. Place back in oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with a pinch or so of black pepper.

If making Croque Madames, which sandwiches are in the oven, melt butter in a small pan and fry one egg per sandwich. If you don't want the yolk to be runny, break the yolk before flipping the egg over to cook the other side. Once the sandwiches are removed from the oven, top with pepper and then the fried egg.

Serve warm. We usually serve our sandwiches with a green salad and fruit.

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

My kids are spoiled. At least when it comes to pasta. Well, not even the pasta. It's the sauce that they are quick to judge.

 

For awhile they were fine with just about anything related to pasta. Cheap macaroni and cheese, pasta with butter, garlic spaghetti. Even Prego. It was my saving grace after a busy day. Within fifteen minutes my family could eat spaghetti with Prego and everyone was happy.

 

Then, my amazing sister-in-law, Melanie, gave me a recipe for a large batch of homemade meat sauce. I gave it a try one afternoon and within a few hours I was freezing 6 servings of meat sauce. And not just any meat sauce. The Best Meat Sauce.

 

Now, my kids refuse Prego. I can't even jazz up some Prego with a few home additions, such as a can of drained diced tomatoes, spices, or cheese. They can tell. It's not The Sauce. So while they will continue to eat pasta with butter and garlic spaghetti (and the occasional boxed mac and cheese, but that's another story)...we will forever use The Sauce for our spagetti dinners.

 

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
by Girls in Aprons

1 lb. spagetti noodles
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
2 small-medium carrots, diced
2 rib celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5 oz can tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 4-oz can mushrooms, drained (optional)

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the ground beef, onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Continue stirring until meat is cooked and vegetables are starting to be tender, 5-7 minutes. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, and mushrooms (if using) and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Toss with cooked and drained spaghetti noodles and serve.

Crunchy Tilapia "Chicken"

No, it isn't actual chicken. But this one has a story.

My husband and I lived with my parents for a year while he was waiting results from his bar exam and looking for a job. During that time, I learned a lot of recipes and cooking techniques, such as grilling. I'd never grilled before I lived with them!

One recipe I learned pretty quickly was this delicious tilapia recipe. If you've never had tilapia, it's relatively inexpensive and pretty mild. It has a very suble fishy flavor. While my kids had had fish before, it was somewhat of a practice in bribery to get them to eat it. So when my dad made this recipe (a montly staple at the very least) he called it tilapia chicken. The name sorta stuck. And best of all...the kiddos ate it up.

It's now a monthly staple at our house, and the kids now know it's fish, but they still eat it up and ask for more. I get my tilapia in bags in the frozen section. I find it at Albertsons on a buy 1 get 2 free promotion, so we're always prepared. And yes, use panko. Without it you won't get a crunchy effect which is one of my favorite parts.

And surprisingly, you barely taste the ranch. It offers an herby flavor that compliments the dry herbs in the panko bread crumbs. Trust me, this recipe is a keeper.

I just use two plates for the preparation but the one with the panko is bit higher on the sides. I think a normal plate would be fine as long as you're careful.

I always have panko in my pantry. And I never buy it seasoned. No matter what I use it on, it comes out crunchier than normal bread crumbs.

You know that random roasting pan you get with your oven and you don't know what to do with it? I use it for cooking the tilapia. It allows the bottom of the fish to get crispy, not soggy. My dad found some metal cookie sheets at a restaurant supply store. Those work well too. Just place a cookie sheet underneath to catch crumbs.

Crunchy Tilapia "Chicken"

by Girls in Aprons

6 tilapia fillets, patted dry

1 cup ranch dressing

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1Tbsp dried oregano

1Tbsp dried basil

Place ranch dressing on a plate. In a shallow bowl or plate, mix together panko bread crumbs, oregano, and basil.

Dip each tilapia fillet in ranch dressing, coating all sides. Let excess drip off. Coat in panko bread crumb mixture, pressing to make sure coating adheres and every part of the fish is covered.

Place on a metal cookie sheet or roasting pan. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until fish is cooked through and top is lightly browned. Serve immediately.

BLT Supreme

It's really hard to feed my family on our current food budget. We're not exactly eating Top Ramen every night, but neither are we eating steaks, either. And the suggestion that we eat fish at least once a week? Yeah, right. We're lucky to get fish once a month, and no, I'm not counting fish sticks.

A lot of our meals are thrown together by what I have on had. Pasta is mixed with different cheeses and leftover meat for a meal. Salads are a mix of veggies and beans I happen to come by. We have eggs and toast whenever my husband isn't going to be home, and Little Caesars has found its way into our kitchen occasionally :)

So when I was creating the menu for this week, I asked my husband for ideas. Sometimes I just can't think past the first few days of the week. I listed a few things on sale at the grocery store (or stores, I stalk three different grocery store ads) and when he heard bacon, he immediately answered with "BLTs". Why didn't I think of that? Oh, because I don't like tomatoes. Don't judge. I'll eat them in a hot dish, but not fresh. Sorry.

As I was preparing dinner last night, my eyes wandered to the avocadoes that were supposed to be used in our burritoes but were too ripe. I was sure that they were close to being over ripe at this point. I decided to make an avocado spread to put on top of the BLTs. And add cheese. Our family loves cheese, and I just happened to have sliced swiss cheese. Perfect with bacon and tomato. And now avocado!

Mix avocado, Greek yogurt, lime juice, and salt together in a food processor. You can totally use a bowl and fork and get a chunkier version. If you use a food processor, reserve the last avocado and mash it in afterwards to get some texture to the sauce. By the way, I'm digging the color!

All of the pieces to the puzzle. Ciabatta bread (the best for sandwiches in my opinion), tomatoes, mayo, Swiss cheese, lettuce, avocado spread, and bacon. The grapes are for a side dish, not necessarily for the sandwich :)

You can take some of the breading out so that your sandwich isn't so thick and jaw-breaking. I did this for my kids so that they could actually attempt to eat it, although to be honest they sort of just took the whole sandwich apart and ate it piece by piece. They just don't understand a masterpiece when they see one!!

BLT Supreme

by Girls in Aprons

1 loaf ciabatta bread, slices in half and then into fourths (to make four sandwiches)

1 lb bacon

2 large beefsteak tomatoes, sliced

4-6 slices Swiss cheese

1 head lettuce, leaves torn

Mayonnaise

For avocado spread:

3 ripe avocados

3 oz Greek yogurt (half of a 6oz container)

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tsp salt

Cook bacon in large pan over medium high heat until crispy. Let drain on a paper towel.

Meanwhile, cut the avocados in half, remove the pit, and, using a spoon, remove the avocado flesh from the peel. Place two of the avocados in a food processor fit with a metal blade. Add yogurt, lime juice, and salt and pulse until smooth and creamy. Pour into a bowl and, using a fork, mash in the remaining avocado until desired consistancy.

To assemble, spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the top half of the sandwich and then generously add the avocado spread. On the bottom half, layer in the following order: lettuce, cheese, tomato, and bacon. Place top half on the sandwich and enjoy.

Optional: Using a grill pan or a grill on low heat, grill the tomato slices and the ciabatta slices until grill marks appear. Assemble sandwich as normal.

You can also toast the sandwich by placing the cheese, tomato, and bacon on the bread and toasting under a broiler before adding the lettuce, mayonnaise, and avocado spread.

Caramel Apple Salad

I don't know why it is, but whenever I'm invited to a potluck or asked to contribute to a group meal of some sort, I take it as a challenge. Not that I'm judging those of you who grab a dozen cookies from Walmart instead of baking your own, but I feel it's my culinary duty to find something delicious and new to bring. And maybe I thrive on the compliments that I get...and get a little offended if there are still leftovers.
I get it. I'm a little snobby about my food.

Anyway, my work had a summer potluck last week and I signed up for fruit. I'd originally considered making patriotic fruit kabobs with strawberries, blueberries, and marshmallows. But of course, last week nothing was on sale. And as much as I like to show off my love of food, I also have a grocery budget. So I asked my mom, who suggested her apple salad with Snickers. It's so easy and apples are always on sale.

I was inspired at the grocery store to use Rolos instead of Snickers. Partly because I'm pretty sure someone at my work has a peanut allergy, and partly because I'm in love with Rolos. If you cut the Rolos in half you release some of that caramel heaven and it blends with the whipped cream and the tart apples to make a salad that tastes just like caramel apples.

Sorry about the picture quality, it was taken with my phone at work :)
Caramel Apple Salad
by Girls in Aprons

4 large Granny Smith apples
1 1/2 cup whipped cream
1 cup Rolos, halved

Cut apples into small, bite-sized pieces. Place apples and whipped cream into a bowl and mix together. Add Rolos, tossing everything together. Serve immediately.

Classic No Bake Cookies

Okay this is a recipe that brings back some serious memories for me. I can remember clear as day my mom stirring the ingredients for these cookies over the stove, and then spooning them on wax paper, and me waiting impatiently for the cookies to set so I could eat them (although to be honest they are super yummy while they are hot still, you just have to eat them with a spoon!).

If you've never had no bake cookies, you are missing out. They are awesome because, well, they taste yummy! Peanut butter, oats, and chocolate. And I add a little coconut too! You don't have to slave over baking batches and batches. Waiting for one to finish cooking, spooning more dough on a pan, and waiting again. You cook over a stove for like five minutes, spoon onto wax paper or foil, and wait for them to set. That's it. It's like magic!

These cookies are easy to make, but a little tempermental if you over or under cook them. But no worries! They are yummy either way - and if you overcook them and they get hard and crumbly? Crumble them over ice cream or in yogurt. Add them to trail mix. Something! Did you undercook them, and now it's runny and won't set? Spoon it over ice cream (see a theme??) or do what I do...grab a spoon and a bowl, and eat way too much.

But don't you fret!! I will tell you how to make these perfect EVERY TIME- and you will only over or under cook your no bake cookies if you want to. You know, because you want to eat them with a bowl and spoon. I do it all the time, so it's perfectly okay!

Combine the sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa powder in a pan over medium-ish heat.

I love Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder. For a while I couldn't find it and my world starting crumbling...but then it reappeared on my grocery store aisle and all is well now in Celeste World!

Anyway, you stir the first four ingredients until they boil. Wait for it to be at a FULL boil (not just a pretty simmer) and set your timer for 1 minute 30 seconds. Remove from heat and add vanilla, peanut butter, and oats (and coconut if you choose to use it). Stir well.

Spoon your mixture onto foil or wax paper into little mounds (the size is completely up to you!)

Serve with a glass of milk and will power - because it's very possible to eat the whole batch!

Classic No Bake Cookies

by Girls in Aprons

1 3/4 cups white sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

4 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter (you can use creamy if you prefer)

3 cups quick cooking oats

1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional: 1/3 to 1/2 cup shredded coconut

In a medium saucepan combine the sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa powder. Bring to a full boil, and cook for one and a half minutes (set the timer!). Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the peanut butter, vanilla, and oats. Also, if you are using coconut, stir it in at this time as well. Drop by spoonful onto wax paper or foil. Let is set until cool, about one hour.

**Tip - to measure peanut butter and other sticky foods, spray your measuring cup with cooking spray. The peanut butter will slide right out!



Just Like Winger's Sticky Fingers!

I'll admit it. I have four crazy kids. Well, that's not true. I have three crazy kids and one in training. He's only 9-months old, but by the way he studies his brothers and watches their every move, he is going to be just as crazy. Sometimes I forget that they are crazy and my husband and I take them out to dinner somewhere other than McDonalds. These other places have no play place and no tolerance for kids running up and down aisles, throwing food, or screaming bloody murder. It's times like this that my husband and I look at each other and say "Oh, yeah. Now I remember why we don't take them out to dinner!"

So, needless to say, we don't get out much. Babysitters are expensive, and adding the money that it costs to pay for dinner and maybe a movie or something, it could climb up towards $100 for one night? Not worth it for me! I'd rather stay at home, put the kids to bed early, and make something restaurant worthy for my husband and I. You know, like a mini-celebration for surviving the day with all four kids still breathing and the house intact (mostly).

We usually have a monthly "nacho night" where we make a huge cookie sheet of nachos with all the fixings, but while nursing my youngest I couldn't have dairy. Nachos with cheese is about the saddest thing in the world. Seriously. So we got creative and stumbled upon homemade Winger's sauce. I love Winger's! I know you can buy their sauce, but you get a small amount for like $8. That is not a good deal. But homemade sauce is! And you will be surprised how easy it is to make. It even passed the husband and brother-in-law test (they are Winger's people) and they thought it tasted the same.

And just FYI I did not make up this recipe, but if you Google "Winger's sauce" or "Homemade Winger's Amazing Sauce" the recipe is all over the web. And no one is giving credit to anyone, and who knows who actually came up with this knock off? So I will credit "the web" as my source.

Combine the hot sauce, brown sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Stir until combined, heating until simmering. Dip your cooked chicken strips in the sauce with tongs. Place the dipped chicken on your serving platter.

So yummy! We served ours with fries and a salad.

Just Like Winger's Sticky Fingers
submitted by Girls in Aprons

6 T Frank's Original Hot Sauce (you can use Frank's Buffalo Sauce, but it HAS to be Frank's!)
3/4 packed brown sugar
2 T water
25 oz. package breaded chicken strips (I like Tyson's)

In a small saucepan mix together hot sauce, brown sugar, and water. Heat until simmering and remove from heat.

While sauce is cooking, heat chicken according to package directions.

When chicken is done, dip each piece in Winger's sauce, coating all the way. You can dip it twice for extra sauce. Place on serving tray. Makes 4 servings.

**I like to double the sauce so there is enough for dipping at the table.

Taco Soup

This is one of my "go-to" meals - I always have the ingredients on hand, it's really filling, and perfect for these long, cold winter days that just won't go away! Seriously, nothing makes me happier than walking in the house from a freezing cold day than a nice hot bowl of yummy soup!

This recipe is from my mother-in-law, who taught me to make gravy (something I am eternally grateful for!) and to this day I can't make a roast like she can! The best part about this recipe is how easy it is. It's so easy that I didn't even bore you with pictures on how to make it. Really, it would've been an insult to your intelligence! You brown meat, dump cans, serve. Ta-dah! Like instant dinner! And feel free to have seconds (or thirds if you can fit it in your tummy) because it's a healthy dinner too! Lots of protein and veggies!  And have I mentioned it's yummy?

We usually serve it to my kids topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, and crushed tortilla chips. But my hubby and I really like it with sliced, fresh avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese, and freshly chopped cilantro. (Remember the part where I said it was a healthy soup? That's pre-toppings!!) But top it any way you like! Add sliced jalapenos, green onions, guacamole, fresh tomatoes, or queso fresco. It's all about how you like your soup!

Taco Soup
by Girls in Aprons

1 lb. hamburger
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 to 1 onion (depending on how much you like onion!), diced
1 14.5-oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 10.75 can tomato soup
1 15 oz can black beans
1 15 oz can pinto beans
1 15 oz can kidney beans
2 cups frozen corn
Toppings (optional): sour cream, green onions, crushed tortillas chips, shredded cheese, avocado, guacamole, chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro, hot sauce, jalapenos

Brown hamburger. When it's about half way cooked through, add chopped onion. Cook until browned and onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain any fat and add taco seasoning, tomatoes, tomato soup, and beans. Stir to combine and simmer about 10 minutes. Add corn and stir until corn is warmed through. Serve warm with desired toppings.

Spinach-Almond Pesto

I'm always looking for easy, homemade recipes that my family will love. Emphasis on the word "easy". With four boys ages seven and under, a part time job, a house to maintain, PTA responsibilities and church duties, my plate is pretty full. One thing I love to do is make big batches of sauces and freeze them for easy dinner making later. Things like spaghetti sauce, enchilada sauce, and verde sauce. But one sauce that I love but had never made was pesto. Little did I know how easy it is to make pesto!

Traditionally pesto is made with basil, garlic, pine nuts, and parmigiano reggiano. But that doesn't mean you have to make it that way! With this recipe you can for sure substitute the basil for the spinach and the pine nuts for the almonds, but I almost always have almonds in my pantry and they are cheaper than pine nuts. Parmigiano reggiano is a bit pricey (you can find it in the specialty cheese aisle) but you only need a third of a cup, and you can substitute Kraft parmesan if you want. It won't be as amazing, but it will still be really good. Try it both ways, and if you can't tell the difference or don't care about the difference, use the Kraft stuff!

I used pesto as a condiment on open-faced chicken sandwiches. You can also toss it with pasta, use it in place of pizza sauce, dip crusty bread in it, or use it as a spread for paninis. Make a big batch and freeze part of it, and store what you are going to use in a sealed container for the week. It's pretty healthy (you use olive oil and just a little amount of nuts) and super yummy, a nice change up from the usual condiments you might find in your fridge!

Place your spinach, garlic, almonds, and cheese in your food processor. I think it is oh so fun to play with my food processor! Something about watching everything get pureed or whatever. And then slowly adding the olive oil and watching it all come together. Ahhh...the small things in life.

PESTO! It's such a fun color, perfect for St. Patrick's Day coming up!! *HINT HINT* But seriously, my kids thought it was so fun to dip their bread and carrots in this stuff. I just set out a bowl before dinner and they snacked away, which, by the way, is a great way to get your kids to eat veggies. Set out a plate of cut up fruits or veggies before dinner when your kids are starving (well, at least my kids are starving) and watch them gobble up all that healthy stuff.

Spinach-Almond Pesto
by Girls in Aprons

2 cups packed spinach, tough stems removed
2 T slivered almonds
1/2 clove garlic
1/3 cup parmigiano reggiano
3-4 T olive oil

In a food processor combine the spinach, almonds, garlic, and cheese. While combining, slowly add your olive oil until it's at your desired consistency.

SEE! SO EASY!!

Cashew Chili

I'll be honest. I'm pretty competitive. I like to win and don't usually mesh well with other competitive people. Especially if they are winning instead of me. But luckily I married a guy who isn't competitive, and he's brought me down a few notches.

Until...somebody said our church was having a chili cook-off. I have to win! I started digging around for good chili recipes that I could take bits and pieces from and make my own recipe. In fact, the first recipe I ever created on my own was a chili recipe (which I'll post at a later date). But back to the cook-off. So I mentioned to my sister and fellow Girl in Apron Carissa that I needed a good chili recipe and she told me about this crazy thing called Cashew Chili. A friend of ours (hey Susan!!) had made this chili recipe for a church function and Carissa said it was amazingly good. Susan says she makes it every year on Halloween as tradition. I made it once a week as tradition because it's so good!

Yes, it's weird, to think of cashews in your chili.How did someone ever come up with this recipe? Did they like accidentally knock a container of cashews in their chili and realize they'd stumbled upon something brilliant? But really they go so well with the recipe. The different textures of the cashews with the hamburger and the beans (especially the garbanzo beans!) make this a unique and tasty chili. And it's not spicy but rather sweet (hmmm....sounds like me) although you could for sure add any spice you want to add some heat. So give this recipe a try! It's pretty healthy, easy to make, and so yummy.

Cook one pound hamburger with green pepper and onions. Season meat with salt and pepper. Drain any fat!

Add one can each of black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and baked beans. I drain all of the beans except the baked beans. I like my chili thicker. You can adjust your chili the way you like it. Add one can diced tomatoes.

Add chili powder. I just estimate in my hand because it's not an exact science. And I like to pretend sometimes that I'm Rachael Ray ("Just eyeball it!") 

Add brown sugar - sometimes I add a little more than the recipe calls for because I'm a rebel like that.

Seriously, I could just dip into this with a bag of chips!

Right before serving add the cashews.

Top with sour cream and cheese.

Cashew Chili
Submitted by Celeste, adapted from Susan Gehring

1 pound hamburger
1 sweet onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (optional - I used it for this post, but I think next time I'll omit it)

1 24 oz. can baked beans (I used the country-style)

1 14 oz. can black beans, drained
1 14 oz. can kidney beans, drained
1 14 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
1 14 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 to 2 tsp chili powder
2 to 3 T brown sugar
1 cup cashews

Cook hamburger, onions, and pepper until cooked through and onions are tender. Season meat with salt and pepper. Add beans and tomatoes. Add spices and sugar. Simmer for 30 mins and then add cashews.  Top with sour cream and cheese.

**Variations - you can omit the meat and make this a vegetarian dish. You can also switch up the beans to you whatever you like or have on hand. I highly recommend using the garbanzo beans! I like the combination in the recipe, but to each his own! And you can make this in the crock pot. Just cook up the meat, onion, and pepper and throw everything in the crock pot on low for 6 hours or so.

Quick & Easy Fried Rice

About a year ago I was what you would have called "mostly organized". My house was cleaned top to bottom every Saturday. I had a meal plan for each week and had groceries stocked at any given moment. I knew what days we had basketball practice, church meetings, and play dates. Everything in my house had a place and, if one of my kids or my husband asked where something was, I could direct them to the correct place to find said item.

Fast forward one year. Insert new baby in June.

Now this baby isn't my first. He's my fourth child. But something about moving from three to four kids turned my world upside down. I all of a sudden didn't have time to plan meals or grocery shop. I forgot meetings, misplaced coupons and gift cards (I'm still having a hard time getting over that!), and scrambled to keep my house halfway clean. During those first few months of my new baby's life I got really creative with dinners. I have picky eaters and a small grocery budget, so eating out or prepackaged foods are not an option. This recipe here was a lifesaver! It's kid friendly, cheap, and makes a ton. Seriously. A ton. We eat it for dinner, my husband takes leftovers for lunch, I eat it for lunch, and there is still enough to use the next day or so.

And this recipe can easily be changed up to suit your likes and what you have on hand. Use whatever meat you want, or skip it all together. Don't have onions? Use green onions. Celery is optional (carrots are not!). If I have cabbage on hand I'll slice some up really thin and add it to my veggie mix. Eggs are usually added in my recipes, but sometimes I get lazy and don't put them in. The recipe can be halved too for a smaller amount (this recipe easily feeds eight!). I usually use kielbasa (or rope sausage) and, I know, it's not really authentic to the meal. But my family prefers it because it gives the dish a great flavor. But really, the best part is that it whips up pretty fast, and once the veggies are cut, I can prepare it with one hand, while holding a baby in the other!

Your ingredient line-up

Dice your carrots, celery, and onions. I use the celery and the leaves of the celery. Don't throw them out! They have lots of flavor (I use them in stews too!)

I had to take a picture - it's so pretty!

When your pan and oil are hot add your veggies. Fry for about 2 minutes. Stir it every minute or so to make sure it doesn't burn.

Add meat and cook another 3 or 4 minutes or until veggies are tender (if using raw chicken, cook it first in the pan for 2 minutes and then add the veggies and cook.)

Reduce heat to medium. Scoop rice into pan. (This is why you'll want to use a big pan or wok!)

Add soy sauce. I usually eyeball the amount, but it's around 1/3 cup. Just enough to cover the rice. Taste it and add more if you need to!

Stir in peas and let them warm through.

While your peas warm (that sounds funny), heat a medium pan on high with about 1 tablespoon of oil. Add your bowl of whisked eggs once the pan is hot (you'll want to wait until it is hot - I usually drip a little bit of egg into the oil and if it sizzles right away you're good). Don't stir the egg - let it set up like an omelet. Once the top of the egg is no longer runny, flip it over and cook another minute or so.

Add to pan and break apart with spoon. You can just scramble your eggs in the pan, but this way breaks smaller and the fried egg is fluffy and, to me, more "fried-rice-ish". So just try it this way, okay?

Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of sesame oil on the rice. Stir to combine and taste it (see, being the cook has it's perks!). You can add more to taste, but know that with sesame oil, a little goes a long ways! If you've never cooked with sesame oil it will change your life! It's a little pricey but you only use a little at a time. And I've got other recipes to share that will help you use this wonderful stuff!

I dish up the rice and let my kids sprinkle their own sesame seeds. It's like decorating a cupcake, but for dinner. And with rice, not cake. Anyway, they love sesame seeds!

Yum! I'm digging in!

Quick & Easy Fried Rice
by Celeste

3 cups uncooked rice
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, diced
1 rope sausage, diced, or 1 lb. ham, diced, or 1 lb. chicken, cubed
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 12oz package frozen peas
3 eggs
Sesame oil
Sesame seeds
Vegetable oil

Cook rice according to package directions (or in your rice cooker). Set aside.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large pan or wok on high. When it's hot add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 2 minutes. Add sausage or ham (if using raw chicken cook it first for 2 minutes and then add vegetables). Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring often so it doesn't burn. Lower heat and add cooked rice, soy sauce, and peas. Stir to combine.

In a medium pan, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons oil on high. In a small bowl lightly whisk eggs together. When the pan and oil are hot, add the eggs. When the eggs are set on top (not runny) flip over and cook another minute. Add to rice mixture and, using a spoon, break apart and mix in. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon sesame oil (add more to taste) and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve hot or cold.