I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to get back in the salad again. Although soup really is one of my g0-to favorite ways to fill up (any time of the year), salads are high up on the list as well (if you’ve been reading my blog for a while then you probably know how much I love salad by now!).

(more…)

The post Honey Lime Vinaigrette Dressing appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Believe it or not, after a fun-filled, relaxing summer, we are gearing up for back-to-school life. In fact, today is my kids’ official first day of school. I know, it just doesn’t seem right to start this early, does it? I say this every year.

With the transition to back-to-school comes a new schedule and routine that we are all very familiar with – one that includes homework, after school activities and sports and alarm clocks. For me, it means getting on the ball with putting dinner on the table – a meal that is nutritious, will be eaten by everyone and comes together easily. Back-to-school means it’s time for the slow cooker to help out in the kitchen during the week. My family loves creamy soups made with milk and this Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is one I make for them often. It’s filled with chicken, vegetables, whole grains and dairy that provides them with the fuel they need to jump back into their busy school life.

(more…)

The post Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

A couple of weeks ago my entire family got hit with a funky cold that was going around. It was not fun at all and I’m thankful it’s behind us. All 3 of my kids were home missing school, and then my husband came home sick from work on Wednesday night, just as I was making this Chicken Gnocchi Soup for dinner, the timing couldn’t have been better I guess you could say.

My kids aren’t huge soup people (though from the amount of soups that I post here, I obviously am). Both my kids discovered their love of the Chicken Gnocchi Soup at Olive Garden not long ago during one of our soup, salad and breadstick fixes and I knew that it was a soup I was going to have to make for them at home. They love gnocchi and when I found some adorable mini gnocchi at the grocery store the other day I knew it was time to make some soup.

(more…)

The post Healthy Chicken Gnocchi Soup appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Click here to pin this Slow Cooker Chicken and Farro Chili recipe.

My obsession with farro continues. I’ve been adding farro to salads for a while now, but the last couple of months I’ve been adding it to soup, and more recently this Slow Cooker Chicken and Farro Chili. Farro is an incredible addition to any soup or chili because of it’s hearty texture. This chili includes chicken but if you wanted to make it vegetarian it would be just as great with extra beans and vegetable broth.

If you are getting hit with the cold weather and snow that I’m seeing everywhere on the news and social media, then you more than likely have soup on the brain right now. There’s nothing better than pulling out your slow cooker to let it do the work all day especially with pantry staples like Bush’s Chili Beans. Our Florida weather isn’t what you would call soup weather right now, but I am a soup girl all year ’round!

(more…)

The post Slow Cooker Chicken and Farro Chili appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Today’s recipe is one of those that I wasn’t sure about sharing because it’s so easy, but from experience I know you all love those the best. 🙂 It’s my go-to way to make shredded barbecue chicken in the slow cooker – I use this chicken in so many different recipes (not just barbecue chicken sandwiches!). I love making shredded chicken like this because 1) it makes a lot so we get a couple of meals out of it and 2) it is very versatile (it’s seasoned well, but without sauce). You can always freeze what you don’t use as well. With a family a 5 I usually don’t have a problem using it all up, over a couple of meals.

Ideas for this all-purpose Slow Cooker Shredded Barbecue Chicken:

(more…)

The post {All Purpose} Slow Cooker Shredded Barbecue Chicken appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

I have a great Chipotle Chicken Chili recipe for you today. I love making chili and as often as I make it I tend to stick with my usual turkey chili recipe for most weeknight meals. This week I wanted to change things up and honestly, I wanted to specifically kick things up and make it spicier than usual. If you didn’t already know, I love spicy food and I really enjoy experimenting with different chili powders when I make chili. This Chipotle Chicken Chili is pretty simple to put together, but the flavor from the chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, Bush’s Chili Kidney Beans and my little secret ingredient is out of this world.

If you like a warm spicy flavor, then I think you will really dig this Chipotle Chicken Chili.

(more…)

The post Chipotle Chicken Chili appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

One big thing I’ve been doing lately is trying to cook from my cookbooks more. I have a huge cookbook collection that I covet, yet sadly they are just sitting pretty on a shelf in my kitchen the last couple of years. How did that happen? (The internet, that’s how). Well, things are changing. My kids have heard me talk about how I miss cooking from my cookbooks and they’ve been pulling some off the shelves and onto the kitchen table lately so that we can look through them and find something to try. This has been fun for all of us!

I bought this cookbook last year when it came out – Aarti was one of my FAVORITE Next Food Network Star contestants and I watched her show regularly after she won her season (did she win her season? I can’t remember now). Total sadness that it is no longer on air. My daughter loved her show too, and my husband and I pretty much were introduced to Indian food because of her (LOVE). This recipe for Kheema comes from her cookbook and made it to our meal plan this past week. We loved it.

(more…)

The post Kheema {Spiced Ground Turkey and Peas} appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Apparently it’s soup week here in my kitchen! That’s not a bad thing, right? Today I’m sharing a Lightened Up Broccoli Cheese Soup that is heavy on the veggie and light on the cheese. A good balance.

I recently picked up way too much broccoli at the grocery store (those sales always make me think I need more than I actually do, I’m a sucker for sale pricing). We can only eat so much roasted broccoli no matter how much we love it. Since I’ve been craving soup I searched around and found one that worked for me on one of my favorite healthy blogs, Skinnytaste (Gina’s Skinnytaste Cookbook is one of my favorites!). What I loved about Gina’s Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup recipe is that it wasn’t super heavy on cream or cheese, but was bulked up instead with vegetables that were eventually pureed so it got the creamy texture I was looking for. I made adjustments to the ingredients based on what I had on hand and the soup eaters in the family gave this one a big thumbs up.

(more…)

The post Lightened Up Broccoli Cheese Soup appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

My kids don’t believe me that Thansgiving is next week. Actually, they believe me now, because they looked into their school planners this weekend and saw that a 2-day school week is just around the corner. It creeps up pretty fast doesn’t it?

As we were discussing our Thanksgiving plans, of course we talked about what we would be eating. I love that my kids are now old enough to really get excited about food holidays like Thanksgiving and remember traditional parts of our menu, like my family’s Italian Thanksgiving Stuffing, which was the first thing they requested. The second thing they requested? Mashed potatoes. My kids love mashed potatoes so I decided to try out this Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes recipe out on them this past weekend.

(more…)

The post Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Click here to pin this Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Mushroom Bolognese recipe.

Spaghetti squash is back in my life thanks to my friend Katie’s recent post on Facebook. Why have I never thought to roast it whole in the oven like that? It makes it so much easier than struggling to try and cut it and fit it into a dish in the microwave. Yes, it takes about an hour (give or take) but once it’s in the oven that’s it. After it cooks and softens all you have to do is slice it longways, scoop out the seeds and fork out the strands – easy!

(Or – slice it into rings like my friend Beth recently posted about. Rings = longer strands that actually look like spaghetti. Genius! I’m trying this next time. But roasting it whole first.)

If you don’t have time to roast it in the oven and have an instant pot, here is how to cook spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot!

My favorite way to eat spaghetti squash is with a hearty tomato based sauce (like this one). I’ll never tell you that spaghetti squash will take the place of pasta, but if you are trying to cut back on calories, carbs or whatever – then this Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Mushroom Bolognese is for you. To me, it’s the next best thing to sitting down to a plate of pasta (and feeling really good about it).

Here are a few more healthy dinner ideas for you.

(more…)

The post Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Mushroom Bolognese appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.