We’re firmly in the “I do it myself!” stage of toddlerhood. Including at the dinner table, where my daughter insists on serving herself.

This is great, because this is how little humans learn table manners! So I definitely want to encourage it as much as I can. One of the best ways I’ve found to do this is by serving platter meals.

Things like a breakfast charcuterie board (my daughter LOVES prosciutto so so much) and an elote bar aren’t just fun for toddlers. They’re truly a great way to eat for all ages.

One of my favorite dinners lately is one of my unique food board ideas – a fajita bar. Whether you have multiple proteins and allllll the fajita toppings, or choose just a few that you love best, it’s a great way for everybody to customize their plate.

Instead of filling up your counter space, you can create a large board of all your favorite fajita staples and place it in the center of the table, and have everyone gather around.

Your taco Tuesday and fiestas will be forever changed after creating this fajita platter. It’s perfect for a weeknight, or a game watching party (maybe with a football charcuterie board or a crostini pizza bar too!).

The post The Best Fajita Bar Ideas and Toppings appeared first on Foxes Love Lemons.

Taco Mac and Cheese

People often think that because I went to culinary school and run a food blog for a living, that my family eats fancy meals like goat cheese risotto or salmon stuffed with crab every night.

The truth is, we’re just like every other American family: busy all day long trying to balance work and childcare. When we sit down for dinner, we pretty much just want frozen lasagna recipe cottage cheese, or tacos and mac and cheese like everybody else.

Sure, once in awhile (mostly on the weekends when we’re feeling ambitious), it’s short rib tacos or pimento mac and cheese. But for the most part, it’s ground beef tacos with taco seasoning or classic elbow noodles with lots of gooey cheese.

This Mexican macaroni recipe is inspired by a mac and cheese with ground beef dish that Jeff used to make quite often in college, to cheaply feed a crowded house full of students.

I’ve written this taco mac and cheese recipe to be something you can easily get on the table in less than 30 minutes to deliciously satisfy your family on a weeknight.

The post Taco Mac and Cheese Recipe appeared first on Foxes Love Lemons.

Why you’ll love this Slow Cooker Burrito Chicken Bowl

• You can control the ingredients, making it a bit healthier than takeout if you want.
• Perfect for meal prep lunches, or a make-ahead dinner for a busy weeknight.
• Customize with whatever toppings your family likes best.

The post Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowl Recipe appeared first on Foxes Love Lemons.

Sometimes, when my husband and I are out to dinner, I look around, and can easily spot the couples in the restaurant that are on a first date. You know, the awkward small talk, cautious flirting, and most especially, eschewing of any super messy menu items.

At one of our favorite places in town, one of the best menu items is elote – roasted corn salad that is slathered in butter/mayo/sour cream and then covered in crumbly cheese.

You know, the kind of dish that is absolutely delicious, but gets all over your face, hands and even arms as you eat it. Not first date fare, but hey – I’ve been married eight years next month. I have no qualms about ordering the elote and digging in!

(more…)

The post Salsa Verde Elote Bites appeared first on Foxes Love Lemons.

For a short time during culinary school, I had a part-time job at the “gourmet prepared foods” counter of a local grocery store. It was the type of place that charged $19.99/pound for cooked chicken breasts sprinkled with spices.

Insane, I know. The two most popular items were mini turkey meatloaves and lentil burritos. Which mean that all day long, my shift basically involved people leaning over the counter and asking “Ya guys got any lentil burritos?”.

(more…)

The post Lentil Burritos appeared first on Foxes Love Lemons.

Welcome to Foxes Love Lemons’ WEEK OF DIPS! I’m bringing you all sorts of dippin’ goodness so you can find a recipe your party crowd will love for the big game!

We’re still in the prime snacking season of the year. New Year’s Day (the ultimate snacking day in my household) has come and gone, with pulled pork nachos and Asian-style chicken wings being our snacks/meals of choice. Oscar night is on the horizon next month, which calls for elegant snacks to complement the fancy evening gowns on television. And the big game is next weekend! Some say that the food for this event is their favorite part (more so than the game itself), and I couldn’t agree more.

(more…)

The post Bean & Chorizo Dip appeared first on Foxes Love Lemons.