recipes

Name: Instant Pot Sausage Rigatoni
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 12 ounce of fully cooked Italian sausage, sliced; 12 ounces of rigatoni pasta; 1/2 yellow onion, diced; 1/2 red pepper, diced; 2 tablespoons of minced garlic; 2 tablespoons of olive oil; 2 cups of crushed tomatoes; 2 cups of chicken broth; 3/4 cup of grated parmesan; 1 cup of heavy cream; 1 teaspoon of salt; 1 teaspoon of pepper; 2 cups of baby spinach

Instant Pot Sausage Rigatoni Recipe

September 27, 2021 by Rachel 1 Comment

Autumn is officially here. And, as a resident of the Midwest, I am HERE FOR IT! And, as much as I love soup, sometimes you just need a hearty pasta dish. We’re still dealing with crazy, insanely, busy evenings. And that means breaking out the Instant Pot to make some quick, homemade meals for the whole family. This Instant Pot Sausage Rigatoni Recipe is super easy and incredibly delicious. You MUST try it!

What you’ll need to make Sausage Rigatoni

This recipe is super easy, but using a pressure cooker is seriously the best way to elevate a stellar recipe.

Here are the other ingredients you’ll need:

12 ounce of fully cooked Italian sausage (I use chicken sausage)
dry rigatoni
yellow onion
red pepper
minced garlic
olive oil
crushed tomatoes
chicken broth
grated parmesan
heavy cream
salt
pepper
baby spinach

It’s simple. It’s easy. And it’s incredibly well-loved by my whole family.

Instant Pot Sausage Rigatoni Recipe

Instant Pot Sausage Rigatoni

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

12 ounce of fully cooked Italian sausage, sliced
12 ounces of rigatoni pasta
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cups of crushed tomatoes
2 cups of chicken broth
3/4 cup of grated parmesan
1 cup of heavy cream
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
2 cups of baby spinach

Instructions

INGREDIENTS -

STEP 1 -

Set instant pot to sauté and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot (approximately 5 minutes), add onion and pepper. Sauté until onions are translucent.

STEP 2 -

Add garlic and sliced sausage and continue to sauté until sausage has a nice, brown crust.

STEP 3 -

Turn off sauté. Add broth to deglaze the bottom of the Instant Pot. Then add the crushed tomatoes.

STEP 4 -

Add pasta and spinach. Do not stir. Push pasta so that it is covered in liquid.

STEP 5 -

Seal the Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for seven minutes and quick release when finished. Once pressure is released, remove the lid.

STEP 6 -

Once pressure released, remove the lid and add Parmesan and cream. Stir for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened.

STEP 7 -

Serve and ENJOY!

If you’re looking for other easy recipes, head here!

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Instant Pot No Yolks Taco Soup Recipe

September 22, 2021 by Rachel 8 Comments

Sweater weather is, indeed, upon us! And I’m totally here for it! Honestly, I’m not a Summer person. Like, I’m zero percent a Summer person. Give me all things Fall — yes, the sweaters. But also the iced coffees, pumpkin patches, and soups! Most of all, the soups! My all-time favorite way to get into the ‘sweater weather’ season is to make Instant Pot No Yolks® taco Soup!

Why I use No Yolks Extra Broad in my Taco Soup

Well, first and foremost, my kids are obsessed with No Yolks Extra Broad. And when I find something they like to eat, we stick with it. Second, No Yolks Extra Broad cook up light and fluffy, which is the perfect addition to a hearty soup without the ‘heavy’ feeling. In fact, it’s low in sodium and there’s zero cholesterol. So that full feeling from a hearty soup? You can be confident it is not from a whole bunch of unnecessary sodium, and say hello to fresh, filling soups.

I pick up my favorite No Yolks pasta when we run to Kroger for our weekly grocery pickup, along with all of the other ingredients we use for Instant Pot No Yolks Taco Soup. Shopping from the Kroger app is super convenient, and it helps me to plan out my meals in advance. One thing we always do? Buy extra of the No Yolks pastas (including the No Yolks White Pasta Dumplings), so that I have an easy backup for lunches during the week.

What you’ll need to make Instant Pot No Yolks Taco Soup

First and foremost, you’ll need an Instant Pot. If you’ve followed my recipes for a bit, you’ll know that I use my pressure cooker as much as possible. It’s not only time-saving, but by pressure cooking these meals it adds so much extra flavor!

Here’s what else you’ll need:

ground beef
Olive Oil
yellow onion
Taco Seasoning Mix
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Oregano
Salt
Ground Pepper
Black Beans
Pinto Beans
Corn
diced tomatoes or Rotel
Beef Broth
1 (12 ounce) bag of No Yolks Extra Broad Noodles

That’s it! Your family will love this delicious soup as much as mine does, I just know it. And it’s perfect for these cool, Fall days.

The full recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Instant Pot No Yolks Taco Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 4 minutes

Additional Time 15 minutes

Total Time 29 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound of ground beef
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
1/2 a yellow onion, diced
1 packet Taco Seasoning Mix (approximately 3 Tablespoons)
1 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon of Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon of Oregano
1/2 teaspoon of Salt
1/2 teaspoon of Ground Pepper
1 (14 ounce) can Black Beans, rinsed & drained
1 (14 ounce) can of Pinto Beans, rinsed & drained
1 (14 ounce) can of Corn, rinsed & drained
2 (10 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes or Rotel (depending on your families preference to spices)
5 cups of Beef Broth
1 (12 ounce) bag of No Yolks Extra Broad Pasta

Garnishes (optional)

Sour Cream
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Cilantro, roughly chopped
Avocado, sliced
Jalapeño, sliced

Instructions

INGREDIENTS -

STEP 1 -

Turn Instant Pot to Saute. Heat for 3 minutes. Once hot, add the ground beef and brown until cooked through (about 5 minutes).

STEP 2 -

Once browned, carefully remove browned meat from pot and strain fat. Set aside.

STEP 3 -

Add 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil to Instant Pot and chopped onion. Saute until onions are soft and translucent (about 3-4 minutes). Turn off Sauté feature.

STEP 4 -

Return ground beef to Instant Pot with onions.

STEP 5 -

Add spices to pot (taco seasoning, onion powder, salt, pepper, and oregano).

Stir to combine.

STEP 6 -

Add black beans, pinto beans, corn, and tomatoes to the Instant Pot. Stir to combine.

STEP 7 -

Add 5 cups of beef broth to the Instant Pot -- do not stir!

STEP 8 -

Add No Yolks Extra Broad Noodles to Instant Pot and gently push down to cover No Yolks Extra Broad Pasta completely with broth.

STEP 9 -

Place lid on Instant Pot and set to seal. Set to Manual, High Pressure, for 4 minutes.

STEP 10 -

Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure. After cooking for 4 minutes, turn knob to quick release the pressure.

STEP 11 -

Once pressure has released, open the lid, stir, and serve.

STEP 12 -

Top with favorite optional ingredients and ENJOY!

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Back-to-School Dry Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix Recipe {BONUS} Teacher Thank You Printable

September 20, 2021 by Rachel 4 Comments

I may be homeschooling my kids this year (for health reasons), but I am still very appreciative of our local school teachers. For those who don’t know, we live next door to our elementary school. Our family is very close to the staff, teachers, and administration. We still see them daily — just from afar! And, just because this year looks different, doesn’t mean I appreciate them any less. In fact, I am still bringing them back-to-school treats to kick off this new school year. And what better way than by making your very own Dry Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix?! Customize it from your children by using the included printable and you are good to go.

Why make a mix instead of cookies?

Baked goods as gifts are wonderful, right? But we don’t know what is going on in the recipients life. Maybe they just received a bunch of edible gifts at once. Why risk that the baked goods that you give may never get eaten.

By giving the gift of a dry mix, the recipient is able to have the ingredients prepped. All they need is the perfect afternoon to bake them. I personally can’t think of a better edible gift!

What you’ll need to assemble Dry Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

First and foremost, you’ll need some clear mason jars. I prefer using small, 8 ounce mason jars and have made the mix accordingly; but you can always pick up 16 ounce jars and just double the ingredients.

Here’s what you’ll need for each 8 ounces of mix:

1/2 cup of flour
1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips

How to make Dry Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

Yield: 8 ounces (4 cookies)

Dry Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Materials

1/2 cup of flour
1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips

To Prepare - Ingredients (to make cookies)

1/3 cup of butter at room temp
1 egg yolk
1/3 teaspoon of vanilla

Tools

8 ounce mason jar

Instructions

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

STEP 1 -

Add each ingredient into the jar one at a time, in order listed, to create a beautiful layer effect.

If you desire to mix before adding, you can.

HOW TO PREPARE COOKIES (ADD NOTE ON GIFT TAG):

STEP 1 -

To prepare, preheat oven to 350° F.

STEP 2 -

Add the butter, egg, and vanilla to a mixing bowl and mix until smooth. Reduce mixing speed to med and slowly add the jar of mixture. Mix until cookie batter is well-blended with wet ingredients.

STEP 3 -

Using a small cook scoop, plop uncooked batter on a sprayed cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

STEP 4 -

Cool and enjoy!

Customize and Deliver with this printable card

The best part about making these little treat containers for the teachers is delivering them. My kids love, love, LOVE to personalize their gifts. The absolute easiest way to make these is to duplicate the recipe by however many you need to handout.

Next, just print off this sheet of gift tags and have the kids personalize them. Here are some close ups of the gift cards:

Be sure to use this PDF copy to print!

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Hot Dog Mummies – Kid-Friendly Halloween Recipe

September 13, 2021 by Rachel 13 Comments

Halloween is just around the corner. And my kids are here for it! Honestly, we are just in need of a reason to celebrate. And sure, it might still reach 90 degrees on some afternoons, but it’s not stopping us from celebrating the spooky season. So on days when I need to create a little bit of extra joy in my kids lives, we make this hot dog mummies recipe for dinner. They’re easy, delicious, and just a little spooky.

What you’ll need to make this Halloween snack

These spooky Halloween snacks are extremely simple and you will kick yourself for not making them sooner! Honestly, my kids freak out every single time I make them for dinner (which, honestly, is a lot lately). So here’s what you’ll need:

1 package of of Hot Dogs
1 can of refrigerated Crescent Rolls
Candy Eyes
Cooking Spray
Ketchup & Mustard (optional)

That’s it! Easy peasy. I just highly suggest that you use cooking spray to make sure that the crescent roll dough doesn’t get too hard or cook too quickly. If you’re looking for a light spray, we love this Avocado Oil Spray.

Hot Dog Mummies Recipe

Halloween Hot Dog Mummies

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes

Total Time 19 minutes

Ingredients

1 package of of Hot Dogs
1 can of refrigerated Crescent Rolls
Candy Eyes
Cooking Spray
Ketchup & Mustard (optional)

Instructions

INGREDIENTS -

STEP 1 -

Preheat oven to 375°.

STEP 2 -

Unwrap the crescent roll dough and lay flat on a clean surface.

Pinch together the perforations in the dough to form one large rectangle.

STEP 3 -

Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into about 10 long skinny pieces.

STEP 4 -

Wrap 1 piece of dough around each individual hot dog to create the look of the mummy. Make sure you leave a space for the eyes.

STEP 5 -

On a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, place wrapped hot dogs about 1⁄2 inch apart. Lightly spray the hot dogs with cooking spray.

STEP 6 -

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the dough is a light golden brown and the hot dogs are cooked through.

STEP 7 -

Add dots of ketchup or mustard to the back of the eyes, this will also serve as a "glue" for the candy eyes.

STEP 8 -

Serve warm and ENJOY on a spooky night with the family!

Looking for other fun Halloween recipes? Try these cake pops and serve alongside the hot dog mummies.

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Halloween Cauldron Cake Pops Recipe

September 8, 2021 by Rachel 12 Comments

There’s a slight crisp in the air and the leaves are beginning to fall. I’m officially declaring that it’s spooky season. And what better way to start the Halloween season than with a fun treat for the kids. Making these Halloween cauldron cake pops is time consuming, but the end result is absolutely worth it.

What you’ll need

As far as ingredients, these cute little cake pops are super easy. Here’s what you’ll need:

1 box of Devil’s Food Cake Mix (including ingredients for the box cake mix)
cream cheese frosting (or any frosting of your choice such as buttercream, or chocolate!)
cocoa chocolate melts
green chocolate melts
orange chocolate melts
vanilla almond bark
Green and orange sprinkles
and approximately 20 cake pop sticks

As far as the process itself, the recipe might appear to be daunting — but don’t be alarmed! The extra time is mostly just accounting for cooling times. And please, please do not skip out on the cooling times! It’s super important for the consistency of the pops that they are cooled properly before assembly.

How to make Halloween Cauldron Cake Pops

Halloween Cauldron Cake Pops

Prep Time 5 hours

Cook Time 40 minutes

Assembly Time 2 hours

Total Time 7 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 box of Devil’s Food Cake Mix (including ingredients for the box cake mix)
1/4 cup cream cheese frosting (or any frosting of your choice such as buttercream, or chocolate!)
12 oz cocoa chocolate melts, melted
4 oz green chocolate melts, melted
4 oz orange chocolate melts, melted
1 oz vanilla almond bark (1 square), melted
Green and orange round sprinkles
20 cake pop sticks

Instructions

INGREDIENTS -

STEP 1 -

Bake your cake according to the box mix instructions. Once cooked, allow to completely cool.

STEP 2 -

In a large mixing bowl, add your cake and frosting. Mix well.

STEP 3 -

Using a small cookie scoop, or spoon (you can even eyeball it, but you want to make the pops as much as the same size as you can.), scoop your cake mix. With the palms of your hands, roll into a ball.

STEP 4 -

Dip your pop stick into a very small amount (the size of your pinky nail) of the melted chocolate. Then immediately stick into your cake pop. Repeat until all pops have been made.

STEP 5 -

Prepare a cookie sheet, plate, cutting board, etc. Any flat surface will do. Add a sheet of parchment paper.

STEP 6 -

Dip each cake pop into your melted chocolate. I prefer to use a large bowl, and by using a spoon, coat each part of the cake pop. Once coated, hold the stick, and lightly tap your cake pop on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Once you feel that most of the excess is done, put your cake pop upside down (stick up). Repeat until done.

STEP 7 -

Dip about 1/3 of the cake pop in the melted orange and green chocolate. Hold the stick, and lightly bang the stick on a hard surface causing the “drip” effect. Immediately add your round sprinkles to the top of your cake pop while it’s still wet.

STEP 8 -

Use a piece of styrofoam to place the cake pops in, as you’ll need to allow it to dry.

STEP 9 - Once the chocolate has dried, serve and ENJOY!

If you’re looking for more Fall-themed treats, check out these delicious cookies. They are chocolatey thumbprints from scratch. And I promise you will love them!

Tell me — what’s your favorite recipe or activity to get into the Halloween spirit?!

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Instant Pot Apple Butter Recipe — Easy and Delicious !

September 1, 2021 by Rachel 13 Comments

It’s finally the beginning of September and we’re enjoying a slight cool off in weather here in the Midwest. And, as much as I enjoyed our Summer, I am one-hundred percent ready for all things Autumn! After apple picking last year, I needed creative ways to go through about 25-pounds of apples. One of my favorite ways to enjoy those apples all year is to make this Instant Pot Apple Butter Recipe!

What you’ll need

If you’ve followed along with some of my other recipes, you’ll know that I am very partial to my Instant Pot. It’s so easy to use and makes the recipes extra delicious. But you can use any other electric pressure cooker. Besides that, you’ll need the following ingredients: