Cheesy Shrimp Nachos.  Need I say more?

A few years ago, after a particularly exciting and interesting week of teaching, I determined that my Friday night desperately needed nachos.  Cheese, you see, is my ultimate comfort food.  It is the way to my heart. It solves any problem.  On that fateful Friday evening I discovered a recipe on Pinterest by Shaken Together that has been single-handedly responsible for a diet- or two- over the years.  I have added a few of my own twists to her recipe to make this delicious concoction I bring before you today.  I've found that if I pair it with a Caesar salad, I don't feel quite as bad about eating half of the pan.

Not that I felt that bad about it to begin with.

By the way, if you don't follow me on Pinterest, you can find me here!

Once upon a time, some of our friends actually offered to pay us to make these nachos for them for dinner.  We declined the money, of course.  We could eat these once a week!

So I guess I should start with the most important thing: CHEESE!

What would life be without it?

These delicious nachos will require heaps of both Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheese.  
Let's start with beautiful, creamy Monterey Jack.

Kick things off by sprinkling about 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese all over a pan of your favorite tortilla chips.  I try to restrain myself to only using about 3/4 of the bag of chips.

Also, it is best to use a large sheet pan with edges. 

​I love it when a nacho recipe asks you to use a pan with edges.

Pop that into the oven at 350 degrees for just a few minutes, until the cheese is melted.  Meanwhile, season and heat up the shrimp.  I like to keep it simple: olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.

I decided to buy pre-cooked salad shrimp and just heat it up.  During the work week, I just don't have the physical and mental fortitude to take on fresh shrimp.

Just sayin'.

 Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet on low heat.  Add a clove of minced garlic (or a 1/2 teaspoon if you can buy it in the jar).

Season your shrimp in a bowl with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Add them to the garlic/oil mixture and let 'em heat up for a while.

Don't forget your chips!  I always set a timer because, inevitably, I will be distracted by Reed, or Oliver, or my phone, or a song on the radio... 

Say it with me! "I am a person with self control.  I will not eat these chips until they are finished."  Repeat this mantra for as long as necessary.

Time to start on the glorious cheese sauce!  Add 2/3 cup of milk and 3 ounces of cream cheese to a medium sauce pot to get things rolling.

Time for more cheese!  I always find myself adding more than my recipe instructs (darn temptation) and then my sauce is too thick.  If that happens to you, just add a little milk to the sauce to thin it out.

I'm going to add 1/2 cup of Parmesan, 2/3 cup of Monterey Jack, and 3 cloves of minced garlic to the milk.

Keep a careful eye on your sauce as everything melts.  Stir it often, and don't let the heat get too high!  You know it is ready when it is smooth and at a thin enough consistency to pour easily over the nacho chips.

As you stir the cheese sauce, cut the shrimp into small, bite-sized pieces.

Go ahead and spread the shrimp over the baked cheese chips.  Sprinkle 1/3 cup of parm on the chips as well, and heat your oven to broil.

Time to pour the cheese sauce!  I think I hear a heavenly chorus!

Pop the pan back into the oven for just a couple of minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the chips are beginning to brown.  Keep an eye on them- they'll burn quickly!

While the chips are in the broiler, I'll give you a little update on the current state of things.  First of all, and I find I am way more excited about this than everyone else I talk to, I repotted my beautiful classroom ivy plant!  He (yes, he) was getting pretty cooped-up in his old pot.  Look at how beautiful he looks!

I wonder if my students will notice it when I take it back?

Secondly, Reed-man is practicing his senior picture pose.  I have a few new camera things, and he is a fun test subject.  He is keeping busy with all of his construction toys and blocks until spring shows up.  Someday.  It is snowing today... the 16th of April and it is 39 and snowing!!

Obviously, there is not much going on around here.  Which is kind of a good thing!  With Jacob's new job, my coursework at Miami, and the 4th quarter kicking off at work, I'm happy to take "boring" right now.

Plus... I have shrimp nachos!

Look at all of that beautiful cheese!  Dig in, baby!

Creamy, warm, deliciously cheesy, these nachos hit my cheesy/salty craving any time!

I can't stop taking pictures!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
- 1 bag of tortilla chips
- 1 2/3 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- Approximately 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 4 cloves of minced garlic
- 8 ounces of salad shrimp (1 small bag)
- 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2/3 cup milk
- 3 ounces cream cheese

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread about 1/2-3/4 bag of tortilla chips on a large sheet pan.

2. Sprinkle 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese all over the chips.  Bake until cheese is melted, just a couple of minutes.

​3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil on low heat in a medium skillet.  Add 1 clove of minced garlic to the oil.  Season the shrimp with a squeeze of lemon juice and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Heat the shrimp in the garlic oil for a few minutes.  Set aside.

5.  Pull your chips out of the oven and heat 2/3 cup of milk in a sauce pot on low heat.  Add 3 ounces of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of shredded parm, 2/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack and 3 cloves of minced garlic.  Stir until melted, add milk to thin if needed.

6.  Heat oven to broil.  Spread shrimp on chips along with 1/3 cup of shredded parm.  Drizzle cheese sauce all over chips.  Broil for a couple of minutes, until cheese is bubbly and chips begin to brown.

'Tis the season for casseroles! Sharing one of my favorites today, one that takes me back to my momma's dinner table.  Our family of five could clear out an entire dish of this delicious casserole in 20 minutes- no problema.  This is a meatless, super-cheesy twist on her ziti that we all shared so many moons ago.

Reed ready to work- armed with a wooden spoon and toothy smile.  How I love that smile!

The ingredients are simple for this one: alfredo sauce, marinara sauce, rigatoni, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesean, and an italian blend of cheeses.  It's a quick dinner too; I made two batches, took pictures, and baked this in under an hour.  Oh, yeah!

First, fill a pot with water to boil an entire box of pasta.  Heat the water as you prepare the sauce.  As soon as it starts boiling, add the rigatoni and cook according to the instructions on the box.

Over medium heat, add a jar of Alfredo sauce to a large stock pot or sauce pan.

Add an entire jar of marinara.  This is so complicated!

Next, add a cup of mozzarella cheese.

Stir in 1/4 cup of the Italian cheese blend and 1/2 cup of Parmesan.

Putting the little guy to work here as my "stirrer".   He takes his stirring job very seriously. With great cheese comes great responsibility.

Stir, stir, stir!  Add 1/2 cup of creamy ricotta cheese.

Sorry about the "cheesy" jokes!

Ok, ok, I'm finished.  I couldn't help myself.

​Drain the pasta.

Add the pasta to the sauce.  Mix it together really well.

Normally, I would grease a 9x13 pan, pour all of the noodles in, and call it a day.  But Jacob's on his first business trip this week, and I felt bad keeping all of that cheese to myself.  Plus, we currently have in our family right now a very sick person, another person taking care of the sick person, and two pregnant women with toddlers.

Time to share, and this is the perfect recipe!  We split the casserole into two smaller pans.  I chose a 2 quart and an 8x8 pan.  Reedie did the scooping.

Cover the noodles with a cup of mozzarella and 1/2 cup of Parmesan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.   Simple, easy-cheesy goodness.

One for us, one to share- that's what casseroles are made of.  I just popped this one in the fridge overnight and delivered it the next day.

We cleared out our whole pan in one sitting!  This is everything I want in an easy weeknight dinner.  I know you will love it, too.  

Looking for some other easy, delicious weeknight dinners?  Check these out:

Easy Chicken Quesadillas

Simple Pasta Salad

Melty Cheese and Chicken Wraps 

Ingredients:
-1 pound of rigatoni, cooked
- 1 (15 oz) jar of Alfredo sauce
-1 (24 oz) jar of marinara sauce
-2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
-1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
-1/4 cup Italian cheese blend
-1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Instructions:
1.  Cook pasta.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large stockpot or sauce pan, mix alfredo sauce, marinara, 1 cup of mozzarella, 1/2 cup parmesean, italian cheese blend, and ricotta on medium heat.
3. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.  Add cooked pasta and mix well.
4. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish and add pasta.  Cover with remaining cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup parmesean cheese.
5.  Bake for 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and golden brown.

This recipe is a family favorite!  We usually just call them "chicken wraps", but that name doesn't really do these hot, cheesy, spicy roll-ups justice.  I thought "melty" was just right.

When I make these, I make at least three dozen.  Yes, three dozen!  We eat until we are stuffed and refrigerate the rest for a few lunches and a dinner during the school week.  They reheat really well, and the mix can even be frozen separately.  It's a beautiful thing. 

To begin, sprinkle salt and pepper on 4 large chicken breasts.  I like to use seasoned salt for a little extra kick if I have any around.

Bake the chicken for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

After the chicken cools a bit, shred it or chop it into small pieces and compile your remaining ingredients: one stick of butter, Velveeta cheese, and two cans of cream of chicken soup. Perhaps not very healthy, but oh, so yummy!

In a large saucepan, stir together the two cans of cream of chicken, the stick of butter, and the Velveeta on medium-low until combined.

Add the chicken.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and break out the tortillas.  Butter one side of each tortilla and spoon about 1/4 cup of filling in the tortilla (not the buttered side).  Roll it up, butter side out!

Bake the roll-ups for about 20 minutes, then turn them and bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown. I like to eat mine piping hot with plenty of sour cream and salsa.

The Little Outdoorsman couldn't wait to eat!  I think he bit off a little more than he can chew.  He ate an entire roll up with a big dollop of sour cream.  Growing boy!

Ingredients:
- 30 small tortillas
- 4 large chicken breasts
- 1 stick butter
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup
- 16 oz Velveeta cheese (Mexican flavor, if possible)
- Salt and pepper

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.  Allow to cool and dice or shred the chicken.
In a large saucepan or pot, melt together the butter, cream of chicken soup, and Velveeta cheese.  Add the chicken once the mixture is melted.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter one side of each wrap, fill with the chicken mixture, and roll up.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, flipping about 15 minutes in.  Enjoy with salsa, sour cream, or both!

My #1 weeknight go-to, right here.  I don't know how I would get through a school year without this recipe.  Seriously!  Simple.  Easy.  VERY yummy.  Easy. Kid-friendly. Easy.  I always have the ingredients.  No quesadilla maker required.  And did I mention they are easy? Honestly, I have made them several times since I started up the blog, and each time I was too busy and tired to take pictures.  That's the kind of meal they are.  So if you are looking at these, I'm going to assume you are probably busy and tired, so let's get into the recipe!
(Full recipe at end of post.)

Step one: Bake or grill 2-3 chicken breasts.  I can usually get 1.5-2 quesadillas from each chicken breast.  Just season them with a little salt, black pepper, and  Cajun seasoning, and bake them at 400 degrees on the broiler pan for 10-15 minutes (or until internal temp reaches 165 degrees).

Step two: Dice the chicken into small pieces.  For my little guy, I like to finely dice or shred the chicken.  Go ahead and get a nonstick skillet heating to medium heat (about a 5) while you chop.

Step three: This is one of the most important steps!  Don't skip it! Spread a layer of butter or margarine on one side of each tortilla.  Don't skimp on the butter, and only butter one side.  The butter will make the quesadilla crispy and crunchy, will keep it from sticking to the pan, and will give the outside that lovely grilled-brown color.

Step four: Flip the tortilla over so the buttered side is on the cutting board, and spread a layer of cheese over the entire surface of the tortilla, leaving about an inch uncovered around the edges.  I just like to use the Mexican cheese pre-shredded packs at the grocery store, but feel free to use monterey jack or cheddar, too.

Step five: Spread a layer of chicken over the cheese.  Feel free to add other toppings here as well.  Sometimes I add corn, black beans, onions, or bell peppers, too.  Let me know if you use any different toppings in the comments!  Finally, sprinkle another layer of cheese on top of your chicken. The cheese kind of acts as a glue to keep everything inside the tortillas.

Step 6: Place the other tortilla on top, buttered side up, and place it in the hot pan.  (Note: obviously, you also have the option to build the quesadilla in the pan.  I can just be a little slow or distracted sometimes, so I usually build it on a cutting board.)  After a minute or two the quesadilla should be ready to flip.

Step 7: After both sides are browned, slide the quesadilla off of the skillet, cut, and serve with your favorite dips and sides!  We love ours with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or pico de gallo- or all four!

Seriously, this recipe couldn't be easier.  It is a crowd-pleaser.  I make these pretty often when The Little Outdoorsman has friends over, and they go like hotcakes.  Not even kidding.  I just stand at the stove and serve them up until the kids (and their mommies) are full and happy.  Gotta love those toddler bellies!

Easy Weeknight Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients:
2-3 chicken breasts
1 bag shredded Mexican style cheese
8-10 tortillas
butter
salt
pepper
Cajun seasoning
Optional toppings such as corn, black beans, onions, red bell pepper, jalapeno

Season raw chicken breasts liberally with salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning.  Bake at 400 degrees in a broiler pan for 10-15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.  Allow to cool and chop/shred finely.

Heat skillet to medium (about a 5).  Spread one side of a tortilla with butter.  Place in hot skillet.  Sprinkle a layer of cheese over the tortilla, leaving a 1 inch margin around edge.  Add other toppings, including chicken.  Sprinkle another layer of cheese, and top with a buttered tortilla (butter side up).  Flip when golden brown.

Brown other side of quesadilla.  Serve with favorite toppings.

Is anybody else ready for sunshine, fresh fruits and veggies, and eating and cooking outside?  I kicked off this past warm-weather week by making my favorite pasta salad.  Not only is this a quick weeknight meal, it packs up well for meals on-the-go.  Early weekdays don't look so bad when you have a few lunches of this colorful and delicious pasta salad ready for the week ahead!  And it's a meal all in one- no side dishes needed.

I made this pasta salad with my sister this past Tuesday.  I packed up Reed, Oliver, and the ingredients and hauled everything over to her place, just a few miles away.  We cooked while Matt and Reed played in the yard with Oliver and Jessie's husband, Brandon.  Tired and hungry, everybody enjoyed huge second helpings and we barely had some left over for packing lunches!  The best laid plans...

Start off with four chicken breasts.  I made the chicken the night before to save some time.  I seasoned four chicken breasts with salt and pepper and baked them at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the meat thermometer read 165 degrees.  Keep the chicken in the refrigerator until you add it to the pasta salad.

Boil your pasta first.  You want to do this at the beginning so the pasta is close to room temperature when you are ready to eat.  Additionally, if it is too hot, it may wilt or cook some of your veggies.  I like to use about a half of a box of penne and a half of a box of farfalle, or bow-tie pasta.  I think any bite-sized pasta would work well.

Drain the pasta and add a few tablespoons of olive oil.  The olive oil will keep the pasta from sticking.  Stir the pasta until all of the noodles have some olive oil on them.

It's time for the veggies!  This is my favorite part of the pasta salad.  I feel like I add more vegetables every time I make it!  I used all of my favorites like broccoli, cauliflower, red onion, red bell pepper, and carrots.  Feel free to add or takeaway whatever vegetables you enjoy.  I love using all different colors and textures of vegetables.

Yes, Reed is stuffing his face with pasta salad.  And he has broccoli stuck to his chin.  Don't worry about those veggies too much; this pasta salad is kid-approved!  Reed loved the colors and getting to add his own toppings (more on that later).  Plus, cold pasta is so refreshing on a hot afternoon!

Next, cut up the chicken and the veggies.  I like to keep everything around the same size, with the exception of the red onion, which I dice pretty well.  Everything else is in small, bite-sized pieces.

Layer your veggies on top of the pasta.  You will need a gigantic bowl, and you may also want to add a bit more olive oil if the pasta begins to stick.

Now it's time to stir it up!  Sometimes the veggies will go to the bottom of the bowl, so be sure to mix everything well.

Serve it up!  Doesn't this look beautiful?

Of course we ate outside!  I grabbed some parmesan cheese and ranch dressing, and we sat out on the deck and watched the neighbors' chickens, the cars driving down the street, and Reed stuff his face.  
I like to put a little of both parmesan and ranch on my pasta salad, and Reed did, too.  Don't add parmesan and ranch to the entire bowl before serving, though.  It is best to let everyone make their own. 

Food AND outside?!  Oliver is in heaven!  He might look all cute and cuddly, but don't look too deeply into those puppy-dog eyes.  He's a master manipulator when it comes to begging for food.

Delicious!  I know you will enjoy this recipe.  Let me know if you try it out!
​

Simple Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
- 1/2 box penne
-1/2 box farfalle
-3 T olive oil
-4 chicken breasts
- 1/4 red onion
-1 sweet red pepper
- 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped
-1 cup cauliflower, chopped
-1/2 cup shredded carrot
-Parmesan cheese
-Ranch dressing

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.
Boil pasta until al dente.  Drain and coat with olive oil.  Set aside to cool.
Chop all vegetables into bite-sized pieces and dice the red onion.  Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Add chicken and vegetables to pasta and mix well.  Add more olive oil if needed.
Serve with parmesan cheese and ranch dressing.

Busy peeps- take note!  I so know the feeling of just being plain worn out on weeknights.  It is amazing how quickly the time flies by.  Most nights I feel like by the time I make dinner and clean up, it is time for bed!  So, I have brought in the real cook of our home and I have his permission to share his easy chicken sandwich recipe.  Whenever Jacob has a night off, I beg him to cook dinner for a few reasons:
1. So I don't have to.
2. He is an amazing cook.
3. So I don't have to.

Seriously though, Jacob is an expert in the kitchen, especially when it comes to seasoning and meats.  So I bowed to his expertise this week, gladly relinquished the stove, and contented myself with taking pictures of my handsome man's cooking.  It's a rough life.

Note: Jacob hates hates hates getting his pictures taken.  So for the sake of marital harmony, there are no pics of my husband cooking.... for now.  He he he.

Start these sandwiches off by frying a half a pack or so of bacon on medium heat.  Yum-O!  Maybe we can just have bacon for dinner.  No?  Okay...  

Don't let the bacon get crispy in the pan because you will cook it a little more later.

Add a little butter to the bacon grease in the pan and increase the heat to medium-high.  This recipe requires quite a bit of butter.  We eat healthy around here every once in a while- I promise!

While the butter is melting, pound your chicken breasts pretty thinly.  We used three chicken breasts to make four sandwiches.  This was enough for dinner plus lunch the next day- we didn't eat two sandwiches each for dinner (even though I wanted to).

Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper on both sides.

Throw them in the frying pan!  We can only fry two at a time because of the size of our pan.  Once one side is nice and brown, flip it to cook the other side.  Add more butter if you need to.  These babies cook pretty quickly.

Look who decided to show up!  He was laying on the couch watching the Opening Day Reds game with TLO.  It's starting to smell pretty good.  

Meanwhile, set the oven to broil and compile the rest of your ingredients.  It's pretty simple: provolone cheese and some sub buns.  Hamburger buns work just fine, too.

Lay out the sub buns on a baking sheet or stone.  Spread butter across the subs, and then layer on your chicken.  Please try to ignore how well-loved my baking stone is.

Lay slices of provolone cheese over the chicken and sprinkle again with salt and pepper.  You really want to make sure you season these well.

Finally, pile on the bacon.  Pop these in the oven for a couple of minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Now I know I should've stopped here and added some healthy things to my sandwich like lettuce, tomato, onion, and avocado.  But I didn't.  Maybe next time.  These are just so yummy on their own!

Serve 'em up!  We like to eat ours with some fruit, or I sometimes eat them with a salad.  Sweet potato fries are pretty good with them as well- I'll post that recipe next week.  More weeknight dinners to come, too- and I'll try to make them a little more healthy.  Probably.  Maybe.  

Thanks for stopping by!  Recipe below....

Easy Chicken Club Sandwiches
Makes 4 sandwiches

- 3 large chicken breasts
- 6 slices of bacon
- 1/2 stick butter
- 4 sub/hoagie buns or hamburger buns
- 8 slices provolone cheese
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste

Fry bacon over medium heat in skillet.  Set aside and raise heat to medium-high.  Add 1 T of butter to bacon grease.  Pound chicken breasts to about 1/2 inch thickness.  Salt and pepper both sides of chicken and fry for a couple of minutes on each side, until golden brown, adding butter as needed.
Set oven to broil.  Butter inside of sub/hoagie buns generously.  Layer chicken, provolone, salt, pepper, and bacon.  Broil until cheese is melted.  Enjoy!