This savory pasta is packed with ooey gooey cheese, a rich pork sauce, and satisfying cavatappi noodles. Its an easy inexpensive family friendly dish. 

Ingredients: 

16 ounces cavatappi noodles

8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

4 ounces shredded parmesan cheese 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 pound lean ground pork 

Lavender Salt

Freshly Ground Pepper

2 cups tomato sauce

1 tablespoon italian seasoning

6 springs fresh basil

2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions: 
In a pot of salted water, boil your pasta until slightly under done, about 6 minutes. In a large skillet over medium high heat, warm your oil. Add your pork and heat until browned and cooked through (about 8-10 minutes). Add your lavender salt, pepper, and garlic. Cook for an additional 30 seconds. Then add your sauce, italian seasoning, and basil. Stir until combined. Grease a 9x13 pan and pour your noodles into it. Then cover the noodles with the sauce and mix. Then cover with both the parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400 degrees until the cheese on top is bubbly and golden, about 20 minutes. You can top with additional basil leaves if desired. 

This is a quick, no brainer meal that will leave everyone in your family happy and with a full tummy. Enjoy!

This week I want to highlight some of my favorite easy meals. We are a pizza house over here. Peggy makes the most delicious homemade pizza. Pizza is a cheesy, carby delight, what's not to love? It's also relatively inexpensive to make for a crowd, and the Nelson's love to entertain. Well my husband recently introduced me to a super simple cheater way of making last minute pizza. It's super delicious, and takes less than 3 minutes to put together! 

What's the secret? Using a loaf of french bread rather than making homemade dough! In this particular photo I used a delicious seeded honey wheat loaf, but we've had lots of success using everything from plain french bread to asiago cheese loafs! The best part is you can buy a bunch of loafs and simply freeze them. That way they are waiting for you whenever you are having a "I'm feeling lazy and I don't want to cook tonight" moment. It will save you from running to get take out, and its way more delicious! I promise. 

Ingredients:

Any loaf type bread 
Fresh mozzarella cheese
Your favorite jarred pasta sauce
Fresh Basil 
Balsamic Glaze 

Simply slice your loaf in half, cover each side with sauce, top with cheese, basil, and your glaze. Pop it in a 400 degree oven until the cheese is nice and golden and bubbly. Tada! A super simple, super satisfying meal that you can whip up in less than 3 minutes. If you don't have baslamic glaze, you could just do regular balsamic as a drizzle. We also add pepperoni, chicken, olives, whatever pizza toppings you have laying around. This is a super flexible dinner idea. We hope you enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan is a great meal to whip up when you haven't had a chance to run to the grocery store. It uses mostly pantry and fridge items that most of us keep on hand. This dish has a great crunch from the breading but the inside of the chicken is tender and moist. It has a nice salty bite from the mozzarella as well. Its a wonderful way to please your family's palets with not a ton of work. You can make this dish in under 30 minutes! 

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 pounds of chicken breasts
1/4 cup whole wheat flour 
1 tablespoon italian seasoning 
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cups crushed cornflakes
1/3 cup grated parmesan 
Salt and pepper 
2 tbs olive oil
16 ounces marinara sauce
1 lb fresh mozzarella 
3 leaves fresh basil 

Directions: 

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut your chicken into 8 cutlet type pieces. Pat each piece with a paper towel and then salt and pepper the chicken on each side. 

Make 3 shallow bowls to bread your chicken in. In bowl #1 place your flour. In bowl #2 place your eggs and beat them. In bowl #3 place your parmesan, cornflakes, and italian seasoning. 

 In a large skillet, heat your oil over medium high heat. When your oil starts to bubble, place your chicken in the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes on each side until its nice and golden. 

Pour your marinara into a large baking dish. Nestle the chicken on top of the marinara. Cut up your mozzarella log into thin slices and top your chicken with the cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden, about 25 minutes. Top with fresh basil leaves. 

This is a satisfying meal if Ive ever had one. The sauce and cheese make this chicken taste decadent. Its salty and creamy, and will certainly have you going back for seconds! 

Enjoy!

This is an easy 20 minute dish. The curry is satisfying without being spicy. Its a great way to get out of a boring old chicken rut. 

2 cups white rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds chicken breasts
2 bell peppers, sliced
2 tablespoons yellow curry paste
1/4 cup water
1 can coconut milk (15 ounces)
Salt and Pepper
4 large thai basil leaves chopped
1 lime, sliced into wedges
1/4 cup peanuts, crushed

Cook your rice in a rice cooker. Meanwhile heat your oil in a skillet. Chop and season your chicken with salt and pepper. Brown your chicken in the skillet. Add bell peppers and water to your skillet and cook for 3 minutes until tender. Add your curry, coconut milk, and simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Add your basil and cook for 1 additional minute. Serve your chicken over rice with your lime wedges and crushed peanuts as garnish. 

Who doesn't love a delicious dinner that comes together in less than 20 minutes prep?