12 ounces fully cooked chicken sausage {I used spinach & feta}

16 ounces penne pasta {I used whole wheat pasta}

1 red onion, thinly sliced

4-5 ounces fresh spinach

1 pint grape tomatoes

3 tablespoons store-bought pesto

3-4 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese {I used fat free}

Olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Begin by cooking the pasta according to package directions. Reserve about 1/2 cup of water in case you need to loosen the sauce at the end. In a medium-sized skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Slice the sausage into bite-sized pieces. Place the sausage in a hot skillet and cook until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Once sausage is cooked, place on clean plate and set aside. Meanwhile, in a separate large skillet, heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and add the onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the onion is soft, about 6-7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 2-3 minutes, just until the tomatoes begin to soften. Turn the heat down to low and toss in the spinach. Place the cooked onion, tomato and spinach mixture in a large serving bowl, followed by the cooked pasta. Mix with the pesto and toss with the sausage and feta cheese. If the sauce seems too thick, you can gradually add, 1 tablespoon at a time, the pasta water to help loosen the sauce. Serve and enjoy!

I made this fun Mediterranean pasta dish this past weekend and it did not disappoint! With all the fresh vegetables and the whole wheat pasta, this is one meal you don’t have to feel guilty about eating. As you may recall, I definitely have an obsession with chicken sausage {see a few other recipes here & here} and I love trying it in different dishes! If you aren’t a fan of chicken sausage, you could replace it with a grilled or baked chicken too. This was one of my quicker weekend meals, so I would most assuredly recommend this for a weeknight dinner too! 

Thanks for stopping by and happy cooking!

Happy Friday! I’ve been all about quick and easy weeknight recipes the past few weeks. There is so much to accomplish before Christmas {can you believe it’s only 20 days away?!} that I have been trying to come up with quick dinners so I am able to get a few things done on weeknights after work. This is such a simple, yet delicious, recipe that is perfect for any weeknight! Customize it with your favorite toppings for your own unique Mexican flatbread! 

Have a fabulous weekend, everyone!

Mexican Flatbread

1 pound ground beef {or ground turkey}

2 sheets flatbread {something like this would be perfect!}

1 15.5 ounce can black beans, rinsed & drained

4-6 ounches shredded Mexican cheese

1/2 tablespoon cumin

1/2 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt & pepper

Store-bought salsa, sour cream and guacamole for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay flatbread on a dry baking sheet and place in oven for just 2-3 minutes to allow the flatbread to get a little crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside. Meanwhile, cook the ground beef {or turkey} in a medium-sized skillet over medium high heat. Season with cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook until brown; drain off the excess grease. To assemble flatbreads, spoon a layer of the cooked ground beef all over the flat bread {leaving enough room for a “crust”} followed by a layer of black beans. Top with desired amount of Mexican cheese and place back in the oven for 2-3 minutes, just to allow the cheese to melt. Garnish with salsa, sour cream, guacamole or your favorite toppings!

Today, I am sharing a few pictures from Thanksgiving weekend back in Ohio. From the delicious food {I’ve included just a few of the amazing dishes!} to the Turkey Trot to Black Friday shopping, it was a wonderful weekend back at home with family!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

This past weekend, I made a mini version of Thanksgiving for my husband and I. We are headed back to Ohio for Thanksgiving where we will have a huge meal, but I wanted to share a few recipes that can be used for just two {or double/triple them to feed more}! There was no reason to cook a huge turkey for only two people, so I went the turkey tenderloin route and they turned out fantastic! They typically come three tenderloins per package and they are super easy to work with. I also made two sides that were semi-traditional, but with a little spin: instead of mashed potatoes, I roasted fall vegetables together to create the most delicious mixture of the season’s best flavors; and a dressing with leeks, mushrooms and prosciutto. It was literally to die for! No matter how many people you are serving this Thanksgiving, take a look at these recipes below, and try incorporating them into your menu on Thursday! 

Happy cooking!

Turkey Tenderloin for Two

1.25 pounds turkey tenderloin

1/4 cup chicken stock {you could also use white wine}

1 tablespoon butter, melted

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons fresh thyme

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and evenly distribute the turkey tenderloins in the dish. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, chicken stock, rosemary, thyme, garlic and salt and pepper. Spoon mixture over the turkey. Bake, basting occasionally, for 30-35 minutes until the thickest part of the turkey reaches between 165 degrees and 170 degrees. Allow turkey to stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Fall Roasted Vegetables

I cut all my vegetables into circles with about a 1/2 inch thickness so they didn’t shrink too small once baked. 

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced

2 parsnips, peeled and sliced

24 ounces baby potatoes, sliced

4 medium-sized carrots, peeled and sliced

12 ounces frozen brussels sprouts, cooked according to package instructions

1/2 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

6 (about) basil leaves, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the vegetables with a few tablespoons of olive oil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, salt and pepper. Spread vegetables out onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Leek, Mushroom and Prosciutto Dressing  

1 loaf of day-old Italian bread

1/2 stick + 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2-3 leeks, cleaned and chopped

1 teaspoon thyme

16 ounces sliced baby bella mushrooms

2 ounces prosciutto, chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 eggs, beaten

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup gruyere cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut bread into 1/2 inch cubes {If the bread is still fresh, place bread cubes on dry baking sheet and cook at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes to dry them out}. Transfer bread cubes to a large bowl. Heat 1/2 stick of butter in a large skillet. Add the leeks, thyme and salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat. Meanwhile, in a separate skillet, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and cook the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to small bowl and set aside. In the same skillet, heat a few tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and cook the prosciutto until crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer crispy prosciutto to a separate small bowl and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, beat 2 eggs and add the parsley, stir to combine. Add the egg and parsley mixture to the bread cubes, stir to coat. Add the leek and chicken broth mixture and the mushrooms to the bread mixture and stir to fully incorporate. Add the prosciutto and the gruyere cheese. Transfer to baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray and scatter 3 tablespoons of butter on top of dressing. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes until golden brown.