Cottage pie

I don't know that I've ever truly had a shepard's pie. I worked for an Irish pub in college and we served it, but I never tried it. The meals always looked really good though. When I came across this recipe, I was excited to give it a try.

It wasn't anything spectacular, but was a very cozy food. I'd definitely call it a comfort food. I prepped it the night before, put it in the refrigerator then warmed it up instead of having to do everything the night of.

The original recipe calls for putting all the ingredients into four individual serving dishes. I definitely could've done this, however, since it's just me and Scott, I opted to make one big pan. Plus, I got to use one of my new Rachael Ray casserole dishes-isn't it awesome?!

Cottage pie-adapted from Dinner Tonight: Done! by Real Simple
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves 4

• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (about 3), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup carrots, diced

If you are assembling and cooking right away, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Otherwise, you can assemble these up to two days in advance, just add 10-15 minutes to the cook time.

Place the potatoes in a large pot filled with enough cold water to cover them. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender. Drain and return to the pot. Add the milk, butter and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper to taste. Mash to desired consistency.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the beef and cook until no longer pink, 5-6 minutes. Stir in ketchup, Worchestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Fold in carrots.

Transfer beef mixture to a baking dish (or individual baking dishes), and top with mashed potatoes. Baken until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

Green Beans with Balsamic, Mushrooms and Parmesan

Seeing the title of this just made me want to eat it. On top of that, I found this on Pinterest, so, of course, the original poster's image is amazing! A great new twist for your side dishes. I put this together the night before, covered & put in the fridge, and had Scott put it in the oven once we were ready to eat. It worked out great!

Green Beans with Balsamic, Mushrooms and Parmesan-adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 6

• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 pound frozen french green beans
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for the cheese. Toss to coat well. Place mixture on a large cookie sheet. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until beans are tender-crisp. Top with parmesan cheese.

Farmer's Casserole

I recently finished up having all my wedding showers. They were ah-ma-zing! Here's just a few pictures from my trip to Eau Claire to prep for the wedding, and then the weekend in Minneapolis where I had two beautiful showers and felt so blessed to be surrounded by friends and family!

Beer Cheese Soup from Acoustic Cafe. Pretty much the recipe we've been trying to recreate for years (and we've been unsuccessful at it :(

The absolutely stunning, Pinterest-perfect towel cake that my cousin (and Maid of Honor) gave to me. I was so sad to take it apart.

My parent's cat, Dash. Such a weird cat that's obsessed wtih rubber bands. She won't eat them but plays with them constantly.

My mother and I before the shower my Maid of Honor threw me!

The next weekend, Scott's sister and mom threw me yet another wonderful shower! My parent's drove to Milwaukee from Minnesota to be there. My mom and I went to Savvy Bride to try on my dress and all my accessories for her. While we were doing that, I put this egg casserole in the oven and my dad and Scott played cards. We then sat down as a family to eat this fantastic brunch! It was a bit heavy on the potatoes for our taste, but I'd definitely make it again because it hit the spot on Saturday, and for a few days after at work as leftovers as well! Add your favorite omlet toppings and cheeses to make it your own.

The Farmer's Casserole. Plus, our newly gifted plates & silverware. I LOVE that I know have nice looking pictures with white placeware :)

Farmer's Casserole-adapted from Recipe Girl
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves 8

• 32 ounces frozen hashbrowns
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups cooked diced ham
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 8 large eggs, beaten
• 24 ounces evaporated skim milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Sour cream or salsa for serving, if desired.

Grease a 9x11 inch baking dish. Arrange potatoes in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with cheese, ham and mushrooms. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over potato mixture.

At this point you can refrigerate the dish overnight if you wish. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered for 45-55 minutes if not chilled, 50-60 minutes if chilled first. Serve with sour cream and salsa, if desired.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps

So this is really a recipe that doesn't need a recipe. You can really make it your own. But I wanted to give credit where credit is due. We got the idea for this recipe one night from Pillsbury's Fast and Healthy Cookbook (definitely one of our favorites). If you are new to cooking, or just like to add cookbooks to your collection, buy this one (pictured below)! Almost everything we have made from here has been fantastic!

Chicken bacon ranch wraps are probably mine & Scott's go to wrap. It's simple and always delicious. We're huge ranch fans! I love that this recipe calls for the rotisserie chicken. I think this is genius! When you just don't feel like cooking or don't have the time, just pick up an already cooked chicken at the store! We've put it in casseroles, salads, and now, wraps! It's always delicious and just makes life easier-which is always good! 

This recipe is definitely a 4/5. You can make this to your liking. We added some onions, and realized we like a little more lettuce in the wraps as well. Use what you have on hand to make it your own! We didn't do the first step in the recipe. We just made our wraps as we wanted. But you can definitely make everything ahead of time to have a week's worth of wraps! One last tip-heat the tortillas to make the rolling go smoother!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves: 8 Wraps

• 2 1/2 cups shredded deli rotisserie chicken
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 4 slices cooked bacon
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1 cup fat-free ranch dressing
• 1 package flour tortillas for burritos (8 inch)
• 4 cups shredded lettuce

In a large bowl, gently mix all ingredients except tortillas and lettuce. Cover; refrigerate up to 3 days. (if desired)

To make 1 wrap, in a small microwavable bowl, microwave generous 1/3 cup chicken mixture, loosely covered, on High 30 to 45 seconds or until hot. Spread chicken mixture on tortilla and top with 1/2 cup shredded lettuce. Roll up.