These recipes are great when you have odds and ends on hand in your pantry that need to be used up. Every few weeks, I love to shop the pantry instead of doing another big grocery shopping trip. I hope you love these recipes!
For full step-by-step instructions on each recipe, checkout the YouTube video:
Recipes
Beef and Lentil Tacos
Beef and Lentil Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
- 1 Onion diced
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- ¼ cup dry Split Red Lentils
- 2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning or 1 Packet Low Sodium Taco Seasoning
- ⅔ cup Water
- 12 Crunchy Taco Shells
- 1 Tomato diced
- Lettuce shredded
- Cheddar Cheese shredded
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
- Hot Sauce
Instructions
- In a small pot, cook lentils according to the packaging.
- Bake the taco shells as directed on the packaging.
- In a large pan, cook the ground beef or ground turkey, breaking apart, until cooked through. And onions and saute until soft and translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more.
- Stir in cooked and drained lentils. Add Taco Seasoning and water and stir until combined. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the mixture reaches desired consistency.
- Serve in taco shells, topped with lettuce, tomato, cheese, greek yogurt or sour cream, and hot sauce, if desired. Enjoy!
Slow Cooker Chicken and Mushroom Risotto
Slow Cooker Chicken and Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
- For Chicken:
- 1.5 lb Chicken Breasts
- Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Dried Thyme
- ½ tsp Paprika
- ¼ tsp Pepper
- ½ cup Water or Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- For Risotto:
- 4-6 cups Chicken Broth 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 8 oz White Mushrooms sliced
- ½ Sweet Onion minced finely
- 1 ½ cups Arborio Rice
- ½ cup Dry White Wine
- 4 Tbsp Butter
- 3 Tbsp Chives finely chopped
- ½ cup Parmesan fresh grated
- Salt
- Pepper
- More parmesan for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry and drizzle with oil. Season on both sides with salt, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, paprika, and pepper.
- 4. 4. Place the seasoned chicken in a 2.5-6 qt Slow Cooker or Instant Pot (use the slow cooker setting) and add water. Cover and cook on low for 1.5-2 hours or until chicken is cooked to 165 degrees F. Cooking times will vary, so check the chicken at 1.5 hours and then cook for additional time, if needed. Keep chicken on warm while you prepare the risotto.
- Meanwhile, add the chicken broth to a pot and warm on medium to a simmer and then turn off the heat.
- In a large saute pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Remove mushroom and liquid to a bowl and set aside for later.
- In the same pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cooked until soft and translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in rice and cook until lightly golden but not browned, about 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the wine, stirring constantly, until completely absorbed. Start adding the warmed chicken broth using a ladle, about ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed.
- Continue adding chicken broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until liquid is completely absorbed before adding another ½ cup. Continue this process until rice is tender but not mushy. This will take about 20-40 minutes and you may not need the full 6 cups of broth, so be sure to taste after you’ve added at least 4 cups and see if the rice is tender.
- Remove from heat and stir in mushrooms. For more intense mushroom flavor, also add the liquid from the mushrooms. Stir in butter, chives, and parmesan cheese until butter is melted and cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste (This is very important!)
- Serve immediately alongside the cooked chicken. Top with more parmesan cheese, if desired. Enjoy!
Fresh Tomato Sauce and Pasta
Fresh Tomato Sauce and Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Tomatoes about 7-10
- ½ tsp Salt
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 clove Garlic sliced thinly
- Basil torn
- 1 lb Pasta any kind
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring water to a simmer. Carefully drop in tomatoes and allow to cook until skins begin to wrinkle, about 2-3 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and place in an ice bath.
- Slice tomatoes in half, peel off the skin, and squeeze out most of the seeds. Seeds can make the sauce bitter but a few seeds are ok. Chop the tomatoes and set aside.
- In a large saute pan, heat olive oil and saute garlic until soft but not browned, about 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir. Season with salt.
- Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to a low simmer, and allow to cook until reduced by about half, about 10-20 minutes.
- In the meantime, cook pasta in a separate pot, according to the packaging.
- Add cooked pasta to sauce and stir until completely coated. Add basil and stir.
- Serve with fresh grated parmesan and enjoy!
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb Chicken Breasts or Thighs
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Italian Seasonings
- ½ tsp Paprika
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- ½ cup Chicken Broth or Stock
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- ½ cup Parmesan freshly grated
- ¼ cup Sun-dried Tomatoes or Roasted Red Peppers chopped
- 2 cups Fresh Spinach
- 1 lb Fettuccine or any pasta
Instructions
- Season both sides of chicken with salt, Italian seasoning, pepper, and paprika. Place in slow cooker.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together heavy cream, chicken broth, garlic, pepper, Parmesan, and sun-dried tomatoes or peppers until combined. Pour on top of chicken.
- Cook on low for 1.5-3 hours or until chicken is cooked to 165° F.
- Once cooked through, remove chicken and set aside. Add spinach to slow cooker, stir, and cover.
- Meanwhile, in a separate pot, boil pasta in water as directed on the packaging. Strain and add to the sauce. Stir until sauce completely coats the noodles.
- Serve with chicken and enjoy!
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