When I was younger, there were nights when dad was in charge of feeding us kids. Now, truth be told, my dad is an amazing cook. But on a busy weeknight, he was known to feed us one of our quick and easy favorites: Beanie Weenie. A delicious mixture of hearty baked beans and juicy hot dogs, this easy dinner is sure to please kids and dads alike. Everyone knows you can combine a can of pork-and-beans with a package of hot dogs to make this fast and tasty dish. But I’ve designed a “souped-up” version of this weeknight favorite that piles on a few extra layers of flavor.

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Here is a nice, light, springtime dish for a weeknight meal or a fun dinner party. The fresh lemony flavors, delicate crab meat, colorful veggies, and tangy feta make this a wonderfully complex, yet simple dish.

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So it’s a rainy day in Georgia, dear readers. It’s one of those chilly, damp, almost-spring-but-not-quite days when you just want to curl up at the end of the day with a meal that will warm you from head to toe. So driving home this afternoon, I started to think about chili. Then I started to think about chili dogs. Then my mind wandered to a nice pot pie. And then I thought, why not go with ….. all of the above???

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My husband made me dinner tonight, and it was fabulous! This is a perfectly flavorful and light pasta dish to add into your rotation. The addition of the lemon to the traditional pesto flavors really adds an extra zing and freshness. And I absolutely love the idea of adding white beans to a light pasta dish for that added flavor and texture (not to mention protein and fiber). The original recipe does not call for chicken, but I loved the combination of the textures of the beans and the chicken in this delicious and zesty dish. If you’re looking for a vegetarian option, simply omit the chicken.

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Most people think of corned beef when they hear the word “hash” – this is not a corned beef hash recipe. This is a plain ol’ delicious ground beef hash recipe.

This incredibly simple dish is great for a quick and delicious weeknight dinner. It’s one of those dishes that has that magical ability to transform into something much more than the mere sum of its parts. With three main ingredients, this dish goes beyond the juicy ground beef, tangy-sweet onions, and crispy potatoes.

Hash was a staple in our household as I was growing up, and it was a staple of my mom’s childhood as well. In my opinion, it is imperative that you top your hash with a healthy dollop of ketchup. That said, this is a pretty versatile dish – you could add your own creative toppings or ingredients to suit it to your family’s tastes.

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