Tasty and simple dinners I make for my girlfriend, grandpa, and me.
Tonight
Sep 16
Chicken Skewers
Sep 16 · 12:06 PM
Chicken, red onion, and green bell pepper on the skewers with peach green chili jam over top to caramelize it all together. Serving it with Tex-Mex rice and a bit more of that jam to tie everything together.
Sep 15
McGuigan's Tavern-Style Pizza
Sep 16 · 12:06 PM
Another success. Pizza dough proven easy once again.
Sep 15 · 7:50 AM
Homemade dough, topped with sausage, mushroom, and black olives. Gonna be nothing short of fire.
Sep 14
Spaghetti with Grandpa's Sauce
Sep 15 · 7:50 AM
Buddy and I hiked Rocky Mountain National Park, so I was relieved of dinner duty. My grandpa makes really good spaghetti sauce in batches and freezes it, so we did two batches last night. Good stuff.
Sep 13
Green Chili & Caramelized Onion Smash Burgers
Sep 15 · 7:50 AM
A favorite of mine. Usually I'm the only one in the house who can handle the spice, but I've got a buddy in town with a high tolerance too. He told me to hit him with what I hit myself with. Wasn't sure how it'd go, but he handled it. Nice to have a fellow spice enjoyer in the house.
Sep 12
Cast-Iron Chicken Thighs with Apple Bacon Pan Sauce
Sep 15 · 7:50 AM
Of course gas. I extra candied the bacon this time and it was very worth it.
Sep 12 · 10:33 AM
Gonna be fire. I already know.
Sep 11
Carne Asada Burrito
Sep 12 · 10:33 AM
Madi and I drove down to Colorado Springs to see family in town, got back to Fort Collins around seven with no dinner plans, so we met Grandpa Pat at this Mexican spot. Highlight of the meal was Grandpa Pat trying the mango habanero salsa and having to run to the bar for a glass of water.
Sep 10
Sirloin Steak Dinner
Sep 12 · 10:33 AM
Steakhouse style. Sirloins, potatoes on the side, sautéed mushrooms. Real good.
Sep 9
One Pot Marry Me Chicken
Sep 12 · 10:33 AM
Wish the sauce ended up better. It was a little runny. Still good, but runny.
Sep 9 · 11:34 AM
Was hunting for a good one pot chicken recipe and found out this one went viral on TikTok a few years back. Already had beautiful bone-in skin-on thighs, not like it would've changed anything anyway.
Sep 8
Sticky Honey Garlic Braised Beef
Sep 9 · 11:34 AM
I hope people out there are braising beef at least a couple times a month, because oh my goodness. I think it's my favorite way to prepare beef. Had it with sweet potatoes, kimchi, pickled red onion, red chili pepper slices, sesame seeds.
Sep 7
Green Chili Smashed Burgers
Sep 9 · 11:34 AM
Spicy, but I only put green chilies on mine. The rest of the crib had normal cheeseburgers.
Sep 6
Seared Mahi-Mahi Tacos
Sep 9 · 11:34 AM
Pineapple, cucumber salad, honey lime crema. I might be in Colorado, but this fish was phenomenal far from the ocean too. Everything else on top was just me getting cute.
Sep 5
Chicken Alfredo
Sep 9 · 11:34 AM
Disgustingly easy. We did the math on the sauce against the store price. I don't remember the exact number, but you'd be disgusted if you're somebody who buys Alfredo sauce from the store.
Sep 4
Butter Chicken
Sep 4 · 12:36 PM
Back to some creamy butter chicken tonight. I got some garam masala for the first time for this recipe. Chicken has been marinating for about an hour. I've made this one before, quick and simple butter chicken, looking forward to it.
Dinner Log
Sep 3
Grandpa Pat's Spaghetti
Sep 4 · 12:36 PM
Had some Grandpa Pat spaghetti sauce from the freezer. Every two or three months he makes a batch of his own spaghetti meat sauce recipe and freezes a bunch of it. Whenever he pulls it out it's a treat. He gave me the night off since I've been on a cooking tear lately, so we had that and enjoyed it greatly.
Sep 2
Braised Pulled Beef Hawaiian Roll Sliders
Sep 4 · 12:36 PM
Ended up going with the same Braised Pulled Beef Hawaiian Roll Sliders. Found some Hawaiian rolls on sale at the store, a 12 pack for like a dollar or something. I literally could not pass it up. Since I had the chuck roast and we knew that was good, I ended up doing that with it again and it did not disappoint.
Sep 1 · 9:47 AM
Chicken thighs went on sale so the chuck roast gets delayed a night. Letting it sit in the fridge another day uncovered, salting it up for an even better crust.
Aug 30 · 11:26 PM
Pulled out a chuck roast for Tuesday. Not sure what I'm gonna do with it yet.
Sep 1
Cast-Iron Chicken Thighs
Sep 1 · 9:47 AM
Got a bunch of chicken thighs on sale yesterday, crazy deal, couldn't pass it up. Apple bacon peach jam chicken thigh plate tonight. The first time I made this Madi said it was her favorite thing she's ever had, so it'll be a good one.
The Korean ground beef bowls last night were so good. We tried them with kimchi for the first time. You just make them with cucumber, rice, sesame seeds, and the beef, and it was really good. Quite a bit of kick, the whole crowd loved it. I'm a fan of the kick more so than Grandpa and Madi, but it was a great dinner.
Pulled some ground beef out of the fridge earlier today. Already planning on Korean ground beef bowls for dinner tomorrow. It'll be an easy late Monday dinner.
Aug 30
Honey Garlic Wings
Aug 30 · 7:41 PM
Crushed the wings, they were so good. In the oven for about 40, made the glaze while they were roasting, brushed it on, broiled for a couple minutes, brushed another layer on once they came out. Absolutely fire. I didn't make enough. I wish I had something to dip them in while we were eating, but yeah, absolute fire.
Heading to the store now to grab what I need for these wings. First time doing wings from home. These look like they should be easy and they'll be gas. I use this honey garlic glaze for some other stuff. I got the recipe from my smoked salmon but I've been using it for other stuff. It's phenomenal.
Aug 29
Tavern Style Pizza
Aug 30 · 7:41 PM
Made a cinnamon sugar dessert pizza with the leftover dough today for a little Sunday snack. Easy gas.
Pizza was so good. Just like pie crust, I've learned how easy it is to make my own pizza crust. Super easy: instant yeast, flour, corn oil, a little bit of salt, a little bit of sugar, and some water. I can't believe it. Crunchy, just like back at home. No complaints. The duo collab pizza with Grandpa Pat and I was a massive success.
Aug 29 · 4:44 PM
Just finished prepping, same day. It's about to sit and rest for an hour to an hour and a half. Once it's done I'll roll it out, let it sit for another 20, then that za is in the oven.
Aug 28 · 11:06 AM
It's a classic, we love this. Grandpa Pat makes such a good loaded pizza. Mushrooms, sausage, black olives, pepperoni, all types of stuff. It's just so good. That's why it was my birthday request. He's doing the top this time and I'm on the dough and crust. This is the first pizza dough I've made from scratch so we'll see how it goes. I'm trying to make a thin crust just like the tavern style pizza places that are popular from the Chicago suburbs where I grew up. There's a place called Vita Bella I delivered pizza for and this is sort of supposed to be like that thin crust style.
Aug 28
Out for Mexican
Aug 29 · 4:44 PM
Ended up grabbing a jalapeño popper burger, crushed it. A little bit of guac on there, a little cream cheese, all types of goodness. It was fire. Got a free brownie and some ice cream at the end of the meal too so that was awesome.
Aug 28 · 11:06 AM
Not sure what I'm gonna get yet. I usually am a burrito guy at a Mexican place, but I'm open to something different tonight. We'll see if something catches my eye on the menu. I might switch it up, but I just don't know.
Aug 27
Braised Pulled Beef Hawaiian Roll Sliders
Aug 27 · 8:33 PM
The braise came out around 7:05 PM. Let it rest, assembled, and on the table at 7:45 and my worries about the spice were put to rest immediately. The little heat from the liquid was the best part of the meal. Tons of leftovers for the fridge. Another variation of chuck roast added to the cookbook.
Diced up the veggies this morning. Just got everything sealed up and placed in the oven, ready to braise. Loaded with green chilies, hopefully not too spicy.
Aug 26 · 11:49 PM
Braised pulled beef on Hawaiian roll sliders. Eating them tomorrow, and there should be enough to stretch the day after. We'll see. Not confirming that yet.
Aug 26 · 11:49 PM
Salted the beef up around 9 this morning. Really looking forward to this one, I love a braised beef. Found a party pack of Hawaiian rolls on sale, some Monterey Jack, and a cheese the guy at the store said was like Swiss. Not even sure exactly what it is, I'll figure it out later. Turning it into little sliders. I've done a bacon cheeseburger version with ground beef and Hawaiian rolls, so these should be solid.
Aug 26
Butter Chicken, Rice & a Baguette
Aug 26 · 11:49 PM
Crushed that butter chicken. So good, all of it. The baguette pulled it all together, left over from a two-pack I bought at Costco for the lasagna. Turned out to be a good use.
Into the yogurt yesterday at 2, and it's been sitting ever since. Pulling it out 25 minutes before dinner and bringing it all together over rice with a baguette to drag through the sauce. It's gonna be gnarly.
Aug 24–25
Costco Lasagna
Some nights it's Costco lasagna, and that's fine.
Aug 24–25
Had lasagna in my planner both nights because I like using the planner, but the honest log says these two were straight out of the Costco freezer. Fed everybody, no complaints.
Aug 23
Ragù Bianco
I was sure this was going to end my streak.
Aug 23
It simmered watery for so long I gave up on it in my head, and I'm not even a big pasta guy, so I figured this was the dinner that broke a good run. Then the last 10 to 15 minutes, the pasta went in with its pasta water and it came together. Phenomenal. I knew it was possible. I just didn't believe it until it happened.
Run to the store, grab yesterday's marked-down deli thighs, dinner's basically done.
Aug 22
You already know how I feel about these. So good, quick, and easy. Grabbing the deli chicken they put out on sale in the morning and turning it into this is one of the best cheap dinners I make.
Grandpa said he'd never had a burger like it. Madi ate the leftover half for breakfast.
Aug 21
My grandpa made a comment about how many burgers we'd been having lately, and Madi was nervous the green chilies would be too spicy for her. Then Grandpa told me he'd never had a burger like that, and Madi had the other half of a leftover one for breakfast the next day. That's the review.
So good the first night I smoked a second round the next.
Aug 19–20
I'd fallen for the smoky flavor on the prime rib and wanted it on thighs. Made them one night, loved them, made another round the next. Had a couple left over, threw them in the pan with scrambled eggs the morning after. Fire breakfast that was too.
We go in on a quarter cow once a year. This is what you do with it.
Aug 18
Did something fancy with the prime rib, lightly hickory smoked, and it was so worth it. Grandpa and I sat there afterward guessing what this plate would've cost at a restaurant. I won't flatter myself with the number, but it was dang good.
I used to not be a big chicken guy. Turns out I just wasn't making the right kind. This is the first thing I got creative with using chicken thighs, and it's simple, easy, and so good. Stuff like this saved me.
I'm a cheeseburger maniac. Then I found out caramelized onions are elite.
Aug 16
Always been a cheeseburger guy, I don't know who isn't. Growing up I figured out caramelized onions are elite, and I love that flavor so much. Smash burgers with those onions is the move.
Aug 14–15
Beefy Skillet Mac
Homemade Hamburger Helper, and I mean that as the highest compliment.
Aug 14–15
First time I had Hamburger Helper was in college, that was when I learned you could do something with ground beef other than sloppy joes. This is my favorite homemade version. So simple, so good, a straight-up classic.
Madi said it was the best thing she'd ever tasted. I made it again the next night.
Aug 12–13
Phenomenal. The first night, Madi said it was the best thing she'd ever tasted. I'd only planned to make it once, but Grandpa heard how good it was, so I ran it back the next night. Absolutely love this one.
My first-ever homemade crust. Flabbergasted by how easy it was.
Aug 10–11
Grandpa had been buying the Costco pot pies for the freezer, so I said I'd take a shot at one. It was pretty good, and I was flabbergasted how easy pie crust actually is. This first one wasn't great, just decent, but the big lesson was don't overfill it. A soupy, overflowing pie is a nightmare to get the top on. The next one I made after this, I pretty much had it figured out.
I'm fascinated by how easy, tasty, yet simple can be. I started organizing my recipes as files on my computer, and it's turned into this.