tried and true recipes

I don't know about you, but when it comes to dinnertime around our house, I need to search out ideas for dinner. Otherwise, I tend to stick to the boring standards that my family is sick of. My favorite source is Pinterest (for basically everything, if I'm being honest). Usually, I have an idea what I already have on hand or what meat or veggies I want to serve that night and do a search based on that. And usually I end up with a decent dinner!

My requirements are that they are easy, no crazy ingredients my kids won't eat, are quick, and one that doesn't require me to do a last minute grocery store run. I love a good crockpot meal - especially with our busy evenings with kids' activities, and I love a good hotdish - because I'm a good Midwestern girl.

Here are some recipes I've found on Pinterest that have been big hits in our family. Most of them require a bit of preplanning as I don't usually buy some of the ingredients on my regular grocery runs. But if I know that I plan on making any of these recipes that week, the ingredients are easy enough to pick up.

Parmesan crusted pork chops from Lil' Luna. These are so stinking good. Pork chops can dry out really easily, but this recipe keeps them moist and chewable (i.e. not tough)! I can do at regular dinnertime, and then keep them warm in the oven until the rest of the family is home. I'll usually roast some broccoli that can stay in the warm oven as well.

Crock Pot sausage & cheese tortellini soup from Recipe. Oh my gosh. This is a new favorite. Super easy and super yummy. It also reheats well for lunch the next day. The noodles get a little softer, but we don't mind.

French Dip from Stockpiling Moms. This one was a surprise. I'm not a french dip person. I'd never actually had it before cooking this recipe. Also, I didn't think my kids would like it. But the loved it! Really loved it! I had made this into a freezer meal and then transferred into the crockpot. Delicious.

Skinny tomato soup with cheesy orzo from Picky Palate. Doesn't the word 'skinny' sound unappetizing? Not so for this recipe! It has so much flavor and a little spice! I used an immersion blender just to make things easier on myself. I usually make some grilled cheese sandwiches to go along with this.

Granola from Crumbs & Chaos. This is a really easy granola recipe. Plus, it makes lots. Meaning - I don't have to make it very often. We usually eat it on our yogurt, but my husband likes it plain with milk.

These are my latest favorites. I hope you give them a try! Let me know if you've tried them, or if you have any favorites that I should try! Happy cooking!