Main Dishes
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Marry Me Chicken: Believe the Hype!
I did it! I finally got my boys begging for home cooking. All it took was six days of illness and a near-constant stream of Door Dash deliveries for me to hear the magical words . . .”Mom, will you PLEASE make dinner?” Yes. Yes, I will. During those first few sick days, I’m sure…
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Mom’s Fix Everything Chicken Noodle Soup
At the moment, all three giants in my house are sick . . . like flu sick. Raspy-voiced and watery-eyed sick. Limp, listless, can’t-get-out-of-bed sick. Even, “Mom, can you tickle my back?” sick. So I am in full how-can-I-fix-it mode. There have been doctor’s appointments, runs to Walgreens, refilled electrolyte drinks, temperature checks, comfort checks,…
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Easy-Peasy Oven Pulled Pork
Boom. I love it when a new recipe wins a permanent spot at my table. After digging through a dozen pulled pork recipes, I finally developed my own—and this one’s a keeper. It’s one of those things I often think to cook but then get distracted by something more saucy. Also, I am not a…
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Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya
I love to entertain . . . always have. As a little girl, I had a café in my treehouse called Maria’s, where I made the most exquisite artisan mud pies. Customer traffic was a little light, but the hostess in me was alive and well before I hit middle school. Elaborate themed birthday parties.…
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Upside Down Shepherd’s Pie on Garlic Toast
I have been making this pure-comfort recipe for years, since gravy was “gwavy” and one toasty serving actually filled my guys up. It was a favorite long before the giants became giants. These days, I make a double batch of Upside Down Shepherd’s Pie, and it still gets rave reviews and heaping second helpings. Shepherd’s…
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Italian Beef Ragù with Pappardelle Pasta
Rarely does a new recipe earn instant Hall of Fame status but this beef ragù with thick pappardelle noodles achieved this distinction last night. Jon complimented it so many times Henry finally said, “Dad, we get it. You love it.” Jon said he finally realized what authentic Italian pasta sauce is supposed to taste like. …
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Sweet Heat: Make-Ahead Honey-Chipotle Chicken
I find the statement “Mom, there’s nothing to eat in this house” both hilarious and maddening. A huge amount of my precious time is devoted to feeding my ravenous crew. And yet my boys have a special knack for standing in front of a full fridge or pantry and groaning so loudly I can hear…
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Pastrami Reubens with Homemade Russian Dressing
This summer, Hunter and I went on a food—I mean college—tour of the East Coast. We visited some great schools and gave him plenty to think about as college looms on the horizon. We also ate like champs. We cracked crabs in Maryland, ate cheesesteaks in Philly, explored historic food markets and had the obligatory…
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Blackened Chicken Fettucini Alfredo
I have a lot of teenagers in my life, 400 of whom I get to have lunch with. Every. Single. Day. And there is not a meal they get more excited about than fettuccine Alfredo. They slurp down piles of thick, saucy pasta and go back for seconds and thirds until the lunch lady finally…
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Hunter’s Green Chile Chicken Soup
My oldest, Hunter, never asks for anything. His Christmas list has never had more than five things on it. He is satisfied with simple things, saves his money instead of spending it and he is deeply gentle and good. So when this kid asks for something, I almost never say no. And in typical Hunter…
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Real Hungarian Goulash
On Sunday, Jon and Henry both strongly requested my Hungarian goulash for the week’s menu. It’s one of their favorites, so I spent a good chunk of the day browning beef and slowly braising it in a rich paprika sauce. Wednesday’s dinner was handled. Then Wednesday rolled around. Henry texted to say he forgot team…
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Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
I was in sixth grade when my opinion of chicken enchiladas was permanently transformed. Our middle school Spanish Club had a potluck, and a friend brought these giant, creamy, oozy chicken enchiladas that were gone before the whole club had arrived. Luckily, I got one—and immediately asked for the recipe. Yes, I was cooking in…
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