These rich buttery crescent rolls are a delicious addition to your holiday table. They’re delicious on their own but absolutely amazing pulled apart and spread with soft butter and cranberry sauce. 

Can You Freeze These? Yes, you sure can! Bake them and let them cool completely and then throw them in a freezer bag and pop them into the freezer. Pull them out a couple hours before you want to serve them and let them thaw at room temperature. 

How Are Crescent Rolls Different From Dinner Rolls? Crescent rolls are made with enriched dough which simply means the dough has eggs, butter, and milk added to give it a sweeter and richer flavor. They’re special! 

Ingredients Needed to Make Crescent Rolls:

(scroll down for complete printable recipe with measurements)

• water
• whole milk
• butter, I only buy and use salted butter 
• white sugar
• salt
• instant dry yeast 
• an egg
• bread flour 

How to Make Them:

Step 1:

Place the water, milk, and butter in a microwave bowl and heat for one minute. You just want it lukewarm, not too hot to kill the yeast. The temperature should be warm but not over 110 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Step 2:

Pour the warm butter mixture into the mixer bowl. Add the sugar, salt, egg, and yeast. Slowly add the flour and mix and knead until you have a smooth dough, about five minutes. 

Step 3:

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size, about an hour. 

Step 4:

Place the dough onto a floured surface and roll out into a large rectangle. Cut the dough in half lengthwise and then cut each half into 10 rectangles. Roll up each triangle of dough from the large end to the small end. Place them on a baking sheet, cover with a cloth, and let rise for thirty minutes. 

Step 5:

Bake in 375 degree preheated oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Happy Baking,

~Rachel Ballinger ☕️💕

More Bread Recipes You’ll Love:

• No Knead Artisan Bread
• French Bread
• Parmesan Garlic Knots
• Mamaw’s Homemade Bread
• Rustic Sourdough Bread

 

“A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”    ~Rachel

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Crescent Rolls

These rich buttery crescent rolls are a delicious addition to your holiday table. They’re delicious on their own and absolutely amazing when pulled apart and spread with soft butter and cranberry sauce.

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Keyword Bread, Christmas, Crescent Roll, Thanksgiving

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Rise Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 20 Crescent Rolls

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 4 tbsp salted butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp instant dry yeast
• 1 egg
• 4 cups bread flour

Instructions

• Place the water, milk, and butter in a microwave safe glass pitcher and heat for one minute till lukewarm but not too hot that it kills the yeast. Butter doesn’t have to be melted, just softened.
• Pour warm butter mixture into the bowl of a mixer. Add the sugar, salt, yeast, egg.
• Slowly add the flour and mix and knead for about five minutes until you have a soft smooth dough.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour or until doubled in size.
• Roll dough out into a rectangle, cut in half lengthwise, and then cut each half into triangles. Roll up each strip of dough from the large end to the small and place on baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
• Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

The post Crescent Rolls appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

This festive cranberry pecan pie is a delicious combo of sweet and tart. The sweetness comes from the brown sugar and maple syrup pecan custard and the cranberries add a pop of color and a burst of tangy tartness. 

I love pecan pie and I love how our family recipe uses maple syrup instead of corn syrup. When my older sister, Ruth made the bold choice of adding some cranberries to it we weren’t sure how it would turn out but it was amazing! And the cranberries add such a festive touch to the pie. It’ll look so good on your holiday table! 

Ingredients Needed for Cranberry Pecan Pie:

• a pie crust – I highly recommend my Old-Fashioned Pie Crust
• brown sugar
• salted butter
• all purpose flour 
• salt
• maple syrup
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• whole milk
• pecans 
• whole fresh cranberries 

How to Make The Pie:

Step 1:
Roll out the pie crust and place in a pie pan and crimp the edges as desired. My favorite pie pans can be found here.

Step 2:
In a bowl use a handheld mixer to mix up the brown sugar, butter, flour, salt, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat till combined.

Step 3:  
Add the milk, pecans, and cranberries. Mix to combine.

Step 4:
Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust. 

Step 5:  
Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake for another 45 minutes or until the center is set. The filling will bubble and crack but don’t let it boil and crack. You might need to put a piece of aluminum foil over the pie for the last 20 minutes of baking to keep the crust from getting too brown. 

Step 6: Let the pie cool completely before slicing and serving. That lets it set up nicely. 

Enjoy,

~Rachel Ballinger ☕️

More Pie Recipes You Will Love: 

• Cranberry Apple Pie
• Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
• Classic Cherry Pie
• Zesty Key Lime Pie
• Blackberry Pie
• Old-Fashioned Pie Crust

”A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”     ~Rachel

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Cranberry Pecan Pie

This festive cranberry pecan pie is a delicious combo of sweet and tart. The sweetness comes from the brown sugar and maple syrup and the cranberries add a pop of color and a burst of tangy tartness.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Christmas, Cranberry, dessert, Pecan, pie, Thanksgiving

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 pie crust unbaked
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 heaping tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 cups whole fresh cranberries

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Place pie crust in pan and crimp if desired.
• In a bowl using a handheld mixer, beat together sugar, butter, flour, salt, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla. Add milk, pecans, and cranberries and mix till combined.
• Pour into prepared pie crust.
• Bake in 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, then turn oven down to 375 degrees and bake for another 45 minutes or until the center is set. The filling will rise and crack but don’t let it boil and bubble. Place a piece of aluminum foil over pie for the last 20 minutes to keep the crust from getting too brown.
• Let cool before serving so it sets up. Serve and enjoy!

The post Cranberry Pecan Pie appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

This creamy side dish of Baked Mac n Cheese is full of soft elbow macaroni pasta, warm melted cheese, and a hint of nutmeg which makes for a classic cozy comfort food.

My goal in creating this recipe was to make it very kid friendly. No weird ingredients and nothing green! So I used the shredded cheese that we always buy in bulk and I resisted the urge to add chopped parsley to the top and it paid off, the kids love it. 
Buying blocks of cheese and grating it yourself will give you the creamiest results and it melts the best because it doesn’t have the anti-caking agents in it that pre-shredded cheese does but let me tell you what I end up doing most of the time and it works! I buy a giant bag of shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese Blend at Sam’s Club and that’s what I use. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s delicious. It’s a busy mom hack so please don’t judge me! 

Ingredients Needed to Make It:

(Scroll down for complete printable recipe with exact measurements)

• elbow macaroni 
• salted butter
• all purpose flour
• salt
• black pepper
• garlic powder
• nutmeg 
• whole milk
• shredded Monterey Jack cheese 
• shredded mild cheddar cheese 
• shredded Parmesan cheese 

How to Make Baked Mac n Cheese:

Step 1:
Heat water in a large pot and cook the elbow macaroni to al dente. Pour into a colander to drain. 

Step 2:
In the same large pot, melt the butter and then add the flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and nutmeg. Whisk to combine and sauté for a couple minute to let the flour become lightly brown and aromatic. I love this handi-stir whisk from Rada Cutlery. 

Step 3:
Add the milk and whisk well. Heat low and slow until thick and bubbly. You don’t want to heat it too fast or it will “break the sauce”. Don’t let it boil. I remember the time I was telling a coworker that I made Mac n cheese but the sauce never got thick and it was grainy. She said “oh no, you broke the sauce!” I had never heard that before but now I’ll never forget it. Lol! So don’t heat it too quick and hot! Low and slow is the way to go. 

Step 4:
Once the sauce is thick and bubbly, add the cheese and stir till melted. Then stir in the cooked pasta. 

Step 5: 
Pour it into a 9”x13” baking dish and sprinkle the Monterey Jack, Cheddar, and Parmesan cheese on top. 

Step 6:
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Then turn on broil and heat it for about it 3 minutes until nice and browned on top. Stay by the oven and keep an eye on it when you’re doing this because it burns quickly. 

Step 7:  
Serve while it’s nice and warm and melty. Enjoy! My family loves it and so do I! 

Lots of Love,
~Rachel Ballinger 🧀

Some Of My Other Pasta Recipes You Might Enjoy:

• Butternut Squash Mac n Cheese 
• Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti
• Chili Mac n Cheese
• Baked Penne Pasta
• Parmesan Ham Pasta
• Lasagna Soup

“A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”    ~Rachel

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Baked Mac n Cheese

This creamy side dish of baked Mac n cheese is full of pasta, warm cheese, and a hint of nutmeg and makes for a classic cozy comfort food.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Baked Mac n Cheese, cheese, Pasta,, Side Dish

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8 Servings

Author Rachel Ballinger

Ingredients

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 8 tbsp salted butter
• 6 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 4 cups whole milk
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, and 1/2 cups parmesan cheese mixed together to sprinkle on top before baking

Instructions

• Cook the pasta in boiling water until soft. Drain in colander.
• In the pasta pot, melt the butter and stir in flour. Sauté for a couple minutes till browned and aromatic.
• Whisk in milk and salt, pepper, garlic powder, and nutmeg. Heat and whisk till bubbly and starting to thicken. This will take some time but heat it low and slow. Heating it up too fast will break the sauce and make it grainy and it’ll never get thick.
• Once the sauce is thick, add the cheese and stir till melted and smooth. Stir in the cooked pasta. Taste and season if needed and add more milk if desired.
• Pour the cheesy pasta into a 9”x13” baking dish. Sprinkle the mixed Monterey Jack, Cheddar, and Parmesan cheeses on top.
• Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes until browned and bubbly. I like to broil it on high for about 3 minutes at the end to get a nice brown on top. Stand by the stove and watch it or you’ll burn it!
• Serve while nice and warm and melty. Refrigerate leftovers.

The post Baked Mac n Cheese appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

This moist apple sheet cake is filled with sweetness and warmth from the brown sugar and cinnamon and tied together with lots of fresh chopped apples. It’s a great dessert to enjoy in the fall when apples are in season. 

I love sheet cakes because they are really fast to mix up, they bake pretty fast, and they can feed a crowd. This apple cake takes a little longer because the apples add so much moisture to the batter. But the wait is worth it. 

Ingredients Needed to Make Apple Cake:

(scroll down for complete recipe with measurements) 

• all purpose flour
• white sugar
• brown sugar
• ground cinnamon 
• salt
• baking powder
• baking soda
• olive oil
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• buttermilk – if you don’t have buttermilk just make your own with milk and a splash of lemon juice to make it thicken 
• apples, any variety will work 

Making this cake is literally so simple. I make it in a mixing bowl with a spoon. 

How to Make Apple Sheet Cake:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
2. Add the wet ingredients and mix. 
3. Add the peeled and chopped apples.
4. Spread evenly in pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until the center of the cake tests done with a toothpick. Make sure you’re not sticking the toothpick in an apple chunk! 
5. Let the cake cool and enjoy! 

I hope you enjoy the apple sheet cake!

~Rachel Ballinger ☕️🍎

More Apple Recipes for You to Enjoy:

• Oatmeal Apple Cookies
• Apple Cinnamon Scones
• Cinnamon Apple Dutch Baby
• Cranberry Apple Pie

“A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”    ~Rachel

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Apple Sheet Cake

This moist and delicious apple sheet cake is full of brown sugar and cinnamon goodness and stuffed with apples. Perfect fall treat!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Apple, Apple Sheet Cake, Cake, dessert

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 24 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup olive oil
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 4 large apples peeled and diced

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and oil a sheet pan.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
• Add the wet ingredients and stir to combine well.
• Add the apples and mix in.
• Scrape into greased sheet pan and spread batter evenly.
• Bake for 40 minutes or until the center tests done with a toothpick.
• Let cool completely before cutting into it.

The post Apple Sheet Cake appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

Banana Bread Cake is your classic warm and cozy banana bread with chocolate chips and a hint of cinnamon but baked in cake form! It bakes faster and is so easy to serve. 

This recipe is a great way to use up bananas that are overripe and rotting on your counter. It seems we always have some of those bananas laying around. My daughters love to tease me and dramatically open the trashcan and pitch the old bananas in while saying “YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BAKE THE BREAD, MOM!” Hahaha! They’re right more often than not. But everybody sure does love it when somebody gathers the mental fortitude to actually bake the bread instead of pitching the bananas. It’s such a yummy cake! I hope y’all love it.

Ingredients Needed to Make Banana Bread Cake:

(scroll down for complete recipe with measurements)

• ripe bananas
• melted butter, I use salted butter for everything 
• baking soda 
• salt
• ground cinnamon 
• white sugar
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• all purpose flour
• semisweet chocolate chips 

How to Make Banana Bread Cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9”x 13” baking pan with olive oil. Here’s the link for my baking pan. 
• In a bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork. Add the melted butter and mix.
• Stir in the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Then add the flour and mix. 
• Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Pour into prepared cake pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
• Remove from oven, let cool, cut and serve! 

Happy Baking!

~Rachel Ballinger ☕️💕

More Cake Recipes You Might Like:

• Strawberry Shortcake
• Italian Whole Orange Cake
• Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing
• Carrot Cake Scones

“A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”     ~Rachel 

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Banana Bread Cake

This is your classic banana bread with chocolate chips but baked in a cake form. So fast and easy and delicious!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Banana, Cake, Chocolate Chip, dessert

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 18 Servings

Ingredients

• 6 ripe bananas
• 2/3 cup butter melted
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9”x13” pan with olive oil.
• In a mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until smooth. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas. Mix in the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the flour and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and cool completely before slicing and serving.

The post Banana Bread Cake appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

These glazed peach scones are crisp and moist and packed full of peachy flavor. Scones are so fun and quick to make and the result is so worth it. They look fancy and are perfect for breakfast and brunch.

Scones are one of my favorite things to bake for several reasons. They are fast and easy to mix up and yet they feel fancy. I love working the dough with my hands and then cutting them into triangles. They’re a delicious mix between a biscuit and a cookie. They’re not dry if they’re made right but moist and full of flavor. 
Most sources will tell you not to mix the dough in a mixer and gently work it by hand but I’ve found that I can successfully mix it up in a mixer being careful not to overmix and then shape it into a circle by hand and they turn out great. Not dry at all. 

Ingredients Needed for Glazed Peach Scones:

(scroll down for complete recipe with measurements)

• all purpose flour
• white sugar
• baking powder 
• ground cinnamon 
• salt 
• salted butter
• whole milk
• vanilla extract 
• a peach, peeled and chopped 
• powdered sugar 

How to Make these Peach Scones:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• In a mixer, combine all the dry ingredients.
• Add the butter and mix until it’s small pea sized lumps. It’ll take awhile but be patient until you get there. If the butter is left and baked in too big of chunks, there will be craters and dips in the s ones that don’t look nice.
•  Mix in the milk and vanilla extract and then add the peaches and mix just till combined. 
• Place the dough on a floured surface and divide into two equal pieces. 
• Shape each piece into a circle and cut into 8 triangles with a dough cutter, pizza cutter, or knife. 
• Place them on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 17 minutes or until golden brown on top. 
• Remove from oven and place on parchment paper to cool.
• Mix up the glaze ingredients and pour into a ziploc bag. Snip a tiny corner of the bag and drizzle the glaze across each scone.
• Enjoy a delicious glazed peach scone! 

These scones are perfect for a tea party, breakfast and brunch, and they also make great gifts. I make them in all different flavors and it’s so much fun! 

Happy Baking,

~Rachel Ballinger ☕️💕

Here are some more of my favorite scone recipes for you:

• Chocolate Chip Orange Scones
• Apple Cinnamon Scones
• Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Scones
• White Chocolate Cranberry Scones
• Carrot Cake Scones

”A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”    ~Rachel

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Glazed Peach Scones

These glazed peach scones are moist and packed full of peachy flavor. Scones are so fun and quick to make and the result is so worth it. They look fancy and are perfect for breakfast and brunch.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword dessert, Peach, Scones

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes minutes

Total Time 32 minutes minutes

Servings 16 Scones

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp salted butter
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 peach peeled and cubed, about 1 cup

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp whole milk
• Sprinkle of ground cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In your mixer combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Cut the cold butter into smaller pieces and add to the dry mixture. Mix together until the butter is broken into small little pieces. It will take time so just be patient and it will break down!
• Mix in milk and vanilla extract until moistened. Add the chopped peaches and mix till combined.
• Turn out the dough onto a floured surface. Divide dough in half and by hand form both sections into circles. You want the dough about an inch thick. Then cut each circle into 8 pieces like a pie with a pastry cutter, sharp knife, or pizza cutter.
• Place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven for 17 minutes or until golden brown.
• Mix glaze ingredients and drizzle on cooled scones. Store in an airtight container.

The post Glazed Peach Scones appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

These delicious pumpkin chocolate chip bars are really easy to make and a great way to enjoy the classic pumpkin chocolate combo that we all love. 

I can mix these bars up in about ten minutes and have them in the oven by the time it preheats. They bake fast because it’s a thin cake. You could ice them with some cream cheese icing but you honestly don’t need it because it’s so moist and delicious just the way it is. 

Ingredients Needed to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars:

• all purpose flour
• white sugar
• salt
• baking soda
• baking powder
• ground cinnamon
• vanilla extract
• eggs
• olive oil
• pumpkin puree 
• semisweet chocolate chips

How to Make the Bars:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. 
• Spread in a greased half sheet pan and sprinkle a couple chocolate chips on top so they show up once baked. 
• Bake for 25 minutes or until it tests done in the center with a toothpick.

I bake the bars in a half sheet pan. These pans are so handy for all kinds of things like these bars but also for sheet cakes, roasting veggies and potatoes, and for freezing fruit. You can get my favorite pans here.

Enjoy the bars!

~Rachel Ballinger ☕️💕

Here are a couple more pumpkin recipes you’ll want to check out: 

• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
• Pumpkin Chili

”A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”   ~Rachel

 

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

These delicious pumpkin chocolate chip bars are easy to make and give you a delicious way to eat the pumpkin chocolate combo that we all love!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Chocolate Chip, dessert, Fall, Pumpkin

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 24 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips mixed with 1 tbsp flour to keep them from sinking to the bottom

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Put all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix together thoroughly.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and beat until well mixed.
• Pour the batter into a greased half sheet pan and sprinkle a couple chocolate chips on top.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

The post Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

Chili Mac n Cheese combines two classic comfort foods into one warm and cozy meal that will become a favorite in your house! The chili, ground beef, and beans mixed with the macaroni and melty cheese is so good especially when topped with some extra cheese, sour cream and cilantro and Fritos.

I love it when I’m making dinner and my family members wander into the kitchen and ask what I’m making and when it’s something new, they’ll be very curious and rather reluctant to like it. It’s ridiculous! They love our classics and don’t like to stray from them too much. But the first time I made this chili mac n cheese and they asked me what was for dinner, they said “hmm, ok, it does smell really good.” And then, guess what? They absolutely loved it and it’s become one of our favorites. Winner, winner, it’s what’s for dinner! I hope your family loves it too. 

Ingredients Needed to Make Chili Mac n Cheese:

(scroll down for complete recipe with measurements)

• ground beef
• onion
• salt
• black pepper
• minced garlic 
• chicken broth (beef will work too)
• canned diced tomatoes – I always prefer petite diced tomatoes 
• tomato sauce
• kidney beans – light or dark work 
• cumin
• chili powder
• dried oregano
• elbow macaroni 
• Shredded Monterrey jack cheese
• Desired Toppings: frito chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, and chopped cilantro

How to Make This Recipe:

• In a large skillet or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef and onion. Season with salt, pepper, and minced garlic. 
• Add the recent of the ingredients except the cheese. Stir occasionally and simmer till the macaroni is al dente.
• Remove from heat, stir in the cheese, and serve! 
  We love it with frito chips, sour cream, shredded cheese, and chopped cilantro.

I hope you try and enjoy this recipe!

~Rachel Ballinger ☕️💕

“A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”    ~Rachel

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Chili Mac n Cheese

Chili Mac n Cheese combines two classic comfort foods to make one warm and cozy meal that will become a favorite in your house! The chili ground beef and beans mixed with melty cheese and topped with zesty cilantro and sour cream is a delicious meal.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword beans, beef, Chili, dinner, Main Course

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 tsp minced garlic
• 4 cups chicken or beef broth
• 1 can 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes
• 1 can 15 oz. tomato sauce
• 1 15-oz. can kidney beans, drained
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 3 cups

  shredded Monterrey Jack cheese


• Desired Toppings: frito chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, and chopped cilantro

Instructions

• In a large skillet or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic once it’s almost done cooking so it doesn’t burn.
• Once the meat is browned add the broth, diced tomato, tomato sauce, beans, macaroni, cumin, chili powder, and oregano.
• Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is thick and the macaroni is al dente, about 12 minutes, stirring frequently to keep from burning on the bottom.
• Remove from heat and stir in the cheese.
• Serve, topping with frito chips, sour cream, cilantro, and more shredded cheese if desired.

The post Chili Mac n Cheese appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

This hearty beef stew is full of thick chunks of beef, potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions and tied together with some diced tomatoes and herbs in a savory gravy. I like serving it with a crusty loaf of no knead artisan bread or a pan of steaming hot skillet cornbread. 
It’s your classic meat and potato dish that is warm and comforting and cozy. It fills you up and feels like home. 

Ingredients Needed to Make Hearty Beef Stew:

(scroll down for complete recipe and measurements)

• stew meat, I’ve used beef, lamb, and pork and they’re all good 
• olive oil
• all purpose flour
• beef broth
• water
• onion
• celery
• carrots
• russet potatoes
•  canned diced tomatoes 
• salt
• black pepper
• garlic powder 
• oregano 

How To Make Beef Stew:

• In a large pot on medium high heat, sauté the beef chunks in the olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. 
• Sprinkle the flour on the meat and sauté for a couple minutes. 
• Add the broth, potatoes, veggies, and seasonings. Simmer till potatoes are soft. 
• Add tomatoes and heat through.
• Serve with cornbread or crusty bread. Enjoy! 

I hope you enjoy this recipe! 

~Rachel Ballinger ☕️💕

”A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”     ~Rachel 

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Hearty Beef Stew

This hearty beef stew combines chunks of beef, potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes in a flavorful broth to make a delicious and comforting stew. Serve it with cornbread or some crusty artisan bread for a cozy dinner.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword beef, Main Course, Potato, soup, Stew

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 12 Servings

Ingredients

• 3 lbs beef stew meat
• Olive oil
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 4 cups beef broth
• 6-8 cups water
• 1 large onion chopped
• 4 stalks celery sliced
• 4 large carrots sliced
• 4 russet potatoes peeled and diced
• 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp oregano

Instructions

• In a large pot, brown stew meat in olive oil.
• Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Once mostly cooked, about 10 minutes or so, add the flour and stir well as it browns a little. A nonstick pot works best for this stew to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.
• Add the beef broth, water, onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano.
• Bring to a simmer and cook till veggies are soft, about 30 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and simmer for a couple more minutes to let the flavors blend.
• Serve with skillet cornbread or a rustic loaf of crusty bread.

The post Hearty Beef Stew appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas are a zesty and flavorful recipe that can be prepared quickly enough to make it a wonderful weeknight dinner. It’s roasted chicken with bell peppers and onions wrapped in a warm flour tortilla with your favorite toppings. 

Serve them in warm flour tortillas and it’s easy to take the whole meal up a notch by making your own homemade tortillas. Check out my flour tortilla recipe! 

Ingredients Needed:

• chicken breasts or thighs 
• onion
• bell peppers
• olive oil
• dried oregano 
• smoked paprika
• cumin
• honey
• lemon juice
• garlic 
• salt
• black pepper
• flour tortillas 
• your favorite toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, lime juice 

How To Make the Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas: 

• Place chicken, bell peppers, and onions in the marinade in a bowl and let rest in the fridge for half an hour or longer. 
• Place marinated chicken and veggies on a parchment paper lined sheet pan and bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes or until tender with an internal temperature of 165 degrees. 
• Remove from oven and let chicken rest for ten minutes. Slice the chicken thinly.
• Serve the chicken and veggies in a flour tortilla with your favorite toppings.
• Refrigerate the leftovers. 

I hope y’all enjoy this delicious meal!

~Rachel Ballinger ☕️💕

”A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”    ~Rachel

Print

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Sheet pan chicken fajitas are a zesty and flavorful recipe that can be prepared quickly enough to make it a great weeknight dinner. It’s roasted chicken with onions and bell peppers wrapped in a warm flour tortilla with your favorite toppings.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Chicken, dinner, Fajitas, Main Course

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken breasts or thighs, about 2 to 2.5 pounds
• 1 large onion cut into rings
• 2 bell peppers red, yellow, or orange, cut into rings
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 8 flour tortillas
• Toppings: Sour cream shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, lime juice

Instructions

• On a cutting board, place the chicken, two pieces at a time in a gallon size plastic bag and pound with a meat mallet until about 1 inch thick.
• Place the chicken, onion, and bell pepper in a bowl.
• Add everything else except the flour tortillas and toppings. Mix, cover, and refrigerate for half an hour or more.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place marinated chicken mixture on a parchment paper lined sheet.
• Bake for about 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
• Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes and then slice it with a sharp knife.
• Serve the chicken and veggies in a flour tortilla with your favorite toppings.

The post Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.