When it comes to celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a meal, those of us who don’t love corned beef (except sometimes in corned beef egg rolls) don’t have a ton of options.

My colcannon soup is always tasty. And sure, we could just drown our sorrows in a beer charcuterie board and Baileys brownies, but you need something more than just cheese and brownies, right?

While my wine and cheese board can certainly make an argument for an entire meal based on cheese and alcohol, I have another idea.

This mini shepherd’s pie recipe is made in a muffin pan, producing perfectly portable, bite-sized versions of a classic St. Patrick’s Day meal.

If you’re attending a gathering this year, these would be perfect. No serving spoon needed, just grab them and enjoy!

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In culinary school, one of the early classes I took was called “Breakfast & Pantry.” Each morning, the class was responsible for putting on a HUGE brunch buffet that was open to the public for a shockingly small fee.

When I say huge, I mean huge. The class was divided into groups.

One group would do eggs, another would do meats, a third group would make pancakes and waffles and french toast, and the fourth group was responsible for fruit, salads, sandwiches and any other miscellaneous items.

On the finished buffet, there would be omelets, vegetarian quiche, scrambled eggs, eggs benedict, deviled eggs and frittatas on one line.

There was waffles AND pancakes AND crepes AND ice cream French toast in another section. Another area would have multiple kinds of sandwiches and a few salads.

There was a huge fruit platter or cups of fruit salad. There was sausage AND bacon (that was how I learned how to cook bacon in the oven), AND ham, AND usually a smoked salmon platter.

As if that wasn’t enough, there was always homemade biscuits with sausage gravy, homemade pastries and breads, and probably a bunch of other things I’m forgetting. Oh, and breakfast fried rice.

The best part was that I believe this buffet was $10 or less. I mean, this was back in 2010, but still – what a deal. Seriously, if you have a culinary school locally, see if they have a student-run restaurant that you can go to!

I’ve already shared many culinary school techniques and recipes with you, and today we’ll be chatting about breakfast rice!

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Salads for specific holidays are becoming something of a theme around here. It all started with my Thanksgiving salad, which Google liked enough to put it at the top of it’s search results, meaning lots and lots of people make this salad each year for their holiday dinner, and that makes me so happy.

From there, I expanded into Thanksgiving fruit salad, which was also popular. And then I tried my hand at Christmas salad and Christmas fruit salad.

So, it makes sense that today I’m back with, you guessed it – Easter Salad (I did Easter fruit salad also, of course). Serve this with ham with pineapple sauce and mashed potatoes with heavy whipping cream with homemade gravy for my idea of a perfect Easter feast.

Although, just like all of my holiday salads, it certainly isn’t meant to ONLY be enjoyed on that specific holiday.

Like my fried goat cheese salad, think of this more like a Spring salad idea that you can enjoy any time you want this season. It’d also be right at home on a Mother’s Day brunch menu, alongside bacon in oven and vegetarian quiche.

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I’ve been on a mission the past few years to bring you the best recipes that my family and I really love. They might not always be the fanciest or the prettiest (looking at you, crock pot ribs and slow cooker beef stroganoff), but they’re tried and true! And I hope that you’ve been enjoying them.

Often, our weeknight meals are a protein, a carb and veggies, all mixed together. There’s no better way to do that than with a pasta dish.

Salmon pasta (with lots of spinach stirred in), taco mac and cheese, and mushroom and lentil pasta sauce are all weeknight favorites around here, both for the adults and the toddler.

And then there’s this comforting recipe! Whether it’s salmon pesto pasta, or pesto pasta with chicken and veggies like this one, pesto + noodles is just SO simple and so good.

It comes together quickly, but it’s packed with delicious goodies like sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, and little balls of mozzarella cheese. I hope you love it as much as we do.

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Why I love One Sheet Pan Chicken Apple Curry

People often ask me what I eat for dinner when I don’t have a recipe to develop for a client, or a photo shoot to do that day. More often than not, the answer (especially in the fall and winter) is “whatever I can make in one skillet or on one sheet pan.”

I do SO many dishes for my job throughout the work week that when it comes to dinner time for my husband and I, one pan (plus an apple cider old fashioned) sounds like enough (even though my husband actually enjoys doing dishes, like a weirdo).

While a one sheet pan dinner for us is often just a few chicken thighs, some brussels sprouts and a sweet potato, lately I’ve been experimenting with slightly more exotic (although still simple and still ONE pan) dinners. My Skillet Mac and Cheese is a favorite.

I love this recipe because of the balance of flavors. The savory chicken and curry powder, combined with the sweetness of the Fuji apples and the raisins hits the spot for me. I love this curry topped with a dollop of tangy yogurt and a sprinkle of cashews.

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I know, it’s only the first week in March. But I’m just over winter. I’m tired of my boots, I’m tired of my hat, and I’m tired of the melting ice water that drips off the roof onto my head every time I reach out to get the mail. OVER IT. I saw some great fresh English peas at the store the other day, and decided I was going throw Spring a “welcome home” party. In my kitchen and on this blog, at the very least. I’m going to be lightening things up around here with a series of Spring salads this month. Who’s with me?

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I think the word “casserole” gets a bad rep. I know that I personally picture some gloppy, mushy mess of canned soup, some sort of creamy element, and little to no real vegetables.

When my old cheap rectangular baking dish finally decided to go to cooking equipment heaven, I decided to invest in a new, beautiful one that will be last me for the long haul.

I immediately put it work by baking up a big batch of bright and healthy goodness. But what to call it, if not a casserole?

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For several years now, a trip to Williams-Sonoma or any other kitchen store just hasn’t held the same allure. Don’t get me wrong, they’re full of amazing kitchen equipment and products. But the thing is – I’m all set.

I’m not the biggest fan of single-purpose gadgets, so since I already have a beautiful set of pots and pans, some sharp knives, and a few high-quality small appliances (as well as a tiny kitchen with limited storage), I’ve resisted bringing anything new home for awhile now.

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Fun fact about me: when I was a kid, it seemed like I won nearly every contest or drawing I entered. I had the best luck! Random drawings? I won them.

Coloring contests in the newspaper? I rocked those Crayolas. Reading contests? I read the most books. Contests to sell the most boxes of Girl Scout cookies? I went straight to the rich people’s houses in the neighborhood.

I even won “guess how many ____ are in this ___” contests. I distinctly remember the movie theater having a contest to guess how many gum balls or something were in a big jar.

I guessed closest, and thus received an Adult XL size “Honey I Blew Up The Kid” t-shirt. Perfect for a nine-year-old girl, yes?

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Who’s ready for spring produce? Picture me raising my hand really high, like a nerd in the front row of math class. While I love root vegetables of all kinds, I’m ready for some nice crunchy asparagus! I eat a metric ton of asparagus all through the spring and summer – mostly grilled, but I’ll take it anyway I can get it.

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