Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Remember that Low Country Boil I made for my birthday party I told you guys about on Monday? Well it pretty much got gobbled up and I didn't have too much leftover, but there were a lot of potatoes. Turns out when theres sausage, crab legs and shrimp to eat people kind of skip the potatoes. So I was left with about 3 pounds of leftover cooked potatoes. What to do?

Common sense says potato salad, duh. But I don't really like potato salad. It was suggested that we have steak for dinner and I remember a deli salad I had before that was "loaded baked potato salad." It has all the flavors of a baked potato, but cold and delicious! Perfect for a summer night. We even ate outside on the patio on my new patio furniture. This is one time where I was loving some leftovers!

Keep Reading for the Recipe!

Low Country Boil

Well, it happened. This past week I turned 30. I didn't want it to happen, but it did. Fortunately, I had a wonderful party with my best friends and family there to celebrate. I love throwing birthday parties. LOVE it. I threw myself an "under the sea" theme party this year. I spent a lot of time pinning and thinking of decoration ideas but still had no clue what to make to serve everyone!

I didn't want to be in the kitchen all day like I was on Easter.. I wanted to enjoy the party with everyone else! I decided to do a low country boil, it's easier than it appears and went with my theme perfectly! Everyone was happy and it is a great social meal. Maybe a perfect idea for your 4th of July get together this weekend?? This recipe fed 12 of us with some leftovers.

Keep Reading for the Recipe!

Sausage and Cheese Crustless Quiche

I have somewhat of a love/hate relationship with breakfast, especially on the weekdays. I'm not hungry when I wake up, but by the time I do get hungry I'm already in the middle of my morning. I have eaten one too many hard boiled eggs, and I try to steer clear of the sugary granola bars.

Every time I have made this quiche on a Sunday, it makes my weekday mornings so much better. We enjoy the quiche hot with fruit during our relaxing Sunday breakfast, then I package up the rest in baggies for the week. I eat the slice hot or cold and its good either way! 

This would even be great for company, and I promise you won't miss that pie crust! Low carb and full of flavor and protein, this is a good breakfast for any occasion.

Continue Reading for the Recipe!

Crock Pot Cajun Boiled Peanuts

Let me just start off by saying, boiled peanuts have not always been my favorite thing. You can get them from a variety of places here in Wilmington, but they're almost always flavorless and overcooked. If you feel this way about boiled peanuts, I beg you to keep reading! Also, if you like them any way they come, still keep reading.

This recipe produces perfectly cooked, spicy, juicy boiled peanuts. They are seriously the best snack to have while watching tv or even while hanging out drinking a beer. The best part is that they only take TWO ingredients, and all you really have to do is dump the TWO ingredients into the crock pot.

Keep Reading for the Recipe!

Grilled Chipotle Lime Pork Chops

If you're anything like me, I'm always trying to find new ways too cook our favorite proteins. With summer pretty much here, grilling is the way to go! Marinades and dry rubs are our friends, but it is easy to get stuck into a rut.

We all know chipotle and lime go well together, and this is my take on a classic flavor pairing! Bright and full of flavor, with a little heat on the back end, these little guys are perfect for summer. 

Continue reading for the recipe, and let me know if you try them!

Cheesy Ranch Meatloaf Muffins

Have you ever had meatloaf muffins? Of course you have. They're everywhere, and for good reason. These little guys are so delicious! I have posted a recipe before for meatloaf muffins, with a good old fashioned meatloaf flavor. I was looking to jazz it up a little bit this time though, and that is exactly what I did!

If I had to pick my favorite condiment, it would be ranch. Hands down. I want all the ranch. I prefer homemade, but bottled will do in a pinch. 

In all honesty, sometimes I think about what life was like before ranch. Italian dressing on my salads? Dipping my chicken nuggets in honey mustard? What the what? 

Also, cheese. Oozy, salty, delicious sharp cheddar cheese. I mean that's all I really have to say there, right? 

Keep reading for the recipe!

Balsamic Marinated Roasted Summer Vegetables

You guys, I don't think I've ever liked vegetables as much as I do after eating this recipe tonight.

I made it to go with grilled chicken and we both agreed that the veggies were the star of the meal. I went and got more and topped my chicken with them. The flavors are so deep and complex and all of the textures are different. I highly suggest using sweet potatoes in place of regular potatoes!

Like I mentioned in my previous post, we had a lot of fun at our local produce stand. Since we weren't sure about the weather situation, I decided we will have some roasted summer veggies to go with our baked chicken breasts tonight! 

I know the thought of heating up the oven in the summer makes some people cringe. These veggies would also be great cooked up on the grill! Feel free to throw in whatever you have, just remember to throw the potatoes in first so that your other veggies don't fry to a crisp while the potatoes are cooking through.

After roasting, I topped the hot veggies with some fresh basil from our patio for a bright flavorful pop that screams:

Welcome Summer!!

Continue Reading For the Recipe