#my family always made pot pie to use up leftovers from a Big Chicken Dinner

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I bought a chest freezer recently so I can finally indulge my grandma instincts of Make An Unreasonable Amount Of Food For Not Much Money And Eat Of It For Months

Today I bought two rotisserie chickens and made SIX large chicken pot pies (9" pie tins), used the leftover carcasses and have chicken stock going in the slow cooker, with enough leftover chicken meat and veg to make chicken rice soup tomorrow for DnD and probably have quite a bit to freeze as well.

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Real Women Approved: 30 Tried and Tested Fall Recipes You’ll Love

Velvet leggings: Spanx–one of my favorite pairs of pants in the winter! I never take them off! They run true to size–such a fun alternative to regular leggings, and so warm! Turtleneck: J.Crew’s tissue turtleneck…duh..when am I not wearing one? I own one in every color (and pattern!) They run true to size! (I always get asked what size I wear–the one I’m wearing here is size small, but I also have them in XS…it just depends on how you want them to fit!) Cardigan: this one is old from last year, but similar here, here and here! 

What are you cooking this fall?

Happy Friday, guys!

I can’t believe it’s already been a YEAR since I originally published this post! With so many amazing recipes, I decided I had to refresh it for 2018 again! So–that means, even MORE recipes to make this year!

I asked for your submissions on Instagram and got sooo many incredible recommendations! I tried my best to include as many as I could! This post (originally published last fall) was actually my second installment of my “Real Women Approved” series (where I round up YOUR recommendations on varying topics) and it was really fun to see how many more posts we’ve published since then! (Find them all right here!) These are some of my favorite posts to create because I think the best ideas come from you guys, and I have so much fun collaborating all together!

A change in seasons always re-ignites my excitement to get back into the kitchen (I’m always partial to warm winter recipes! I think everything tastes better roasted, braised, or cooked in a dutch oven!) I’m always on the hunt for new recipe ideas (aren’t we all?) so I figured this would be an awesome topic for my next reader favorites roundup!

I might be a little biased, but I think you guys have the best recommendations around! 😉(Like your book recco’s for example? LIGHTS OUT! Or your most praised all-purpose totes for work and travel? AMAZING.)

Personally, one of my favorite things to make in the fall and winter is lentil soup–it’s so simple, rustic, and delicious.

The best part about lentil soup is that you can really go any way you’d like with it–I always start with this classic base recipe and then riff off of it based on what I’m feelin’ that day. (I love to finish it with a squeeze of lemon and freshly grated parmesan cheese!) Lentils are so good for you, so I love this soup when I want a detox but want something heartier than a salad. Despite the fact that it doesn’t have meat in it, it’s one of Neal’s favorite soups! (Sometimes I add kale as well!)

If you’re feeling a little indulgent, add bacon when you’re sautéing the veggies, and a bit of wine while the soup is cooking. You could also give it an Eastern twist adding spices like tumeric or curry powder, and a splash of coconut milk. It’s so easy to make your own and is perfect for a cozy night in!

Now, even more fun–below are LOT’s more fall recipes recommended by my favorite gals–you guys! Get ready for pumpkin and butternut EVERYTHANG. (And make sure to follow along on Insta stories so you can weigh in on our next reader roundup topic! I always love to hear all your opinions!)

Fall Recipes

TJ’s Cauliflower Gnocchi Hack:

Melissa says, “I’m obsessed with this TJ’s Cauliflower gnocchi hack from Kai and the Kitchen! It’s a bag of frozen gnocchi, rotisserie chicken, mushrooms (I buy them pre-sliced, obvi), butter and sage. Best weeknight hack that is good enough for the weekend!” 

Fall Chicken Skillet

Jean says, “You have to try the Fall Chicken skillet from Well Plated! SO good with apples, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts yummm!” 

Veggie Fall Casserole

Reader Molly loves this broccoli cauliflower brown rice casserole for fall! She says,“it’s great for when you need to use up extra veggies or want something meatless!

“Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good!”

Suddin says, “We make ‘pumpkin stuffed with everything good‘ every fall. It’s bread, cheeses, herbs, etc stuffed into a pumpkin and baked. I look forward to it every year. I usually grab a small pumpkin from Trader Joe’s and it’s the perfect size for two!” 

Roasted Tomato Soup with Everything Grilled Cheese

Tina, who also has a great food blog, Shredded Sprout–says soup is her fall go-to, especially roasted tomato soup with everything grilled cheese. YUM!

Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma

R says, “Just made this oven roasted chicken shawarma last night and it was super simple, but so easy and so tasty! The notes at the bottom give good tips on what to include so I added bell pepper along with the chicken as well as homemade pita and rice pilaf! 

Autumn Glow Salad

Kimberlyn says, “This is a delish salad perfect for fall. It has sweet potatoes and apples (AKA the Fall faves!) and keeps well for 3-4 days in the fridge so it’s perfect for meal prep. I usually make one big batch on Sunday and eat all week!”

Chipotle Pumpkin Soup with Chorizo

Laura is hooked on Halfbaked Harvest’s has chipotle pumpkin soup with chorizo! She says, “It has all the warming fall flavors you need and you can use soy-rizo/cut back on the cheese to make it healthier! I am obsessed with it 🔥”

30 Minute Thai Peanut Chicken Ramen

Carly says, “I made 30 Minute Thai Peanut Chicken from @halfbakedharvest via Cooking w/ Liz (@lizadams) last week and it was delicious! Plus, it was also quick, easy, and such a cozy meal.” Side note, if you don’t follow Liz, you definitely need to! I know you will love her–she does an Instagram live series called “Cooking with Liz” and it’s always so much fun!

Creamy Squash Rigatoni

Hannah says, “This pasta recipe has been my go-to fall recipe for YEARS! It’s basically like an inside out butternut squash ravioli! I’ve started using canned pumpkin (not the pie filling–the plain, unsweetened kind) instead of roasting the squash when I don’t have time!” 

Chicken Chorizo Chili

Karen describes this yummy Chili as “Spicy, easy, and a different take on chili. Such a cozy dish for a cold weeknight. And anything topped with cheese and sour cream is a MAJ victory IMO.” 

Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Cat says, “Okay, so this recipe takes some work, but I kid you not, everyone in my family is now OBSESSED with this pie an dI HAVE to make it every Thanksgiving! All of Sally’s recipes are so great because they give you small tips that you wouldn’t otherwise realize so just be sure to read the entire thing before baking!” 

Spiced Pork Tenderloin

Kathleen says, “For the past couple years when the weather gets juuust crips enough, my husband and I have a lightbulb moment: ‘IS IT SPICED PORK TIME?!’ We use this recipe just as a guide and basically dump tons of the spices onto the tenderloins for maximum fall flavor. It’s very quick easy, and low cal for a busy weekenight, and it’s absolutely delicious!” 

The Best Creamy Chicken Soup:

Helen says, “For this recipe, I use leftover rotisserie chicken and substitute half and half for heavy cream but it smells amazing (thank you, celery!) and it freezes wonderfully so you can eat it later in the season. My boyfriend and I love to eat it with crusty bread or homemade grilled cheese!” 

Panko Crusted Chicken Thighs:

Emma says,  “Right now, my favorite is this Bon Appetit Panko Crusted Chicken with carrots. It’s UNREAL. So fast, so easy, so cozy on a cold night. It’s comfort food for me, plain and simple. And pretty inexpensive. Usually I use chicken breast instead since that’s my go-to. Whatever floats your boat!” 

One Pan Autumn Chicken Dinner

Bethany says, “I love the One Pan Autumn Chicken Dinner by @cookingclassy ! It’s easy, makes the whole house smell amazing, and goes perfectly with a glass of 🍷!” 

Instant Pot Short Ribs

Clementine loves Tyler Florence’s ultimate short ribs with parsnip purée. “Omg so good “ she says, and shared her time-saving hack: “I did it in the InstantPot in under an hour last week if you aren’t into using a Dutch oven!” 

Thai Butternut Soup

Charmain says, “this is my favorite go-to recipe for those comfort food days and it’s really so simple to make. Everyone I’ve made it for always raves about how tasty it is and then is shocked at just swapping out milk for coconu tmilk and adding a few unexpected spices turns ordinary butternut soup into something amazing!” You can see the recipe posted on her instagram right here! (Plus, her feed is so pretty, too!)

Crock Pot Zucchini Lasagna

Do you follow my friend Lauren from Lakeshore Lady? She shares TONS of amazing recipes–but her crock pot zucchini lasagna is one of her go’to’s for Fall! “Super cozy, and once everything goes into the crock pot, you can forget about it until it’s time to eat! Stress free!”

Quick Apple Turnovers

Whitney says, “These apple turnovers are SO simple and made with ingredients that most people have on hand during the holidays. They taste best when hot from the oven and served with vanilla ice cream!” 

Winter Vegetable Chowder

Katie loves Rachael Ray’s Winter Veggie Chowder–she says, “I made it in a Crock-Pot on high for four hours. It’s easy but there’s a lot of chopping–just throw veggies in the crock and heavily salt. HEAVILY. )You think it’s too much but it’s not–because it will draw the liquid from the veggies, which is where your borth comes from!) I just let the veggies sweat it out in there, and then add the remaining ingredients!” 

Skinnytaste Pumpkin Chili

Lee recommends this pumpkin veggie chili from Skinnytaste–“My husband who is a total meat-a-tarian (you know what I mean?) even says this is his favorite chili. Seasonal, delicious, lower guilt, even more delicious as leftovers with some shredded cheese and tortilla chips.”

Pumpkin Spice Latte Protein Smoothie

Do you guys follow Morgan on Instagram? She’s a Chicago fitness and health blogger and she’s my go-to for EVERYTHING healthy and workout related! I might be her most annoying follower with how many questions I ask her on a weekly basis. Example: she actually didn’t SUBMIT this Pumpkin Spice Latte Protein Smoothie recipe for this post roundup, I saw her post it on Instastories and pestered her for the link so I could include it 😂 I’m really lazy so let’s be honest I probably won’t ever have Medjooll dates or multiple kinds of nut butter on-hand so my version will likely never be quite as healthy or as delicious as Morgan’s, but hey, include what you have and I’m pretty sure it will be fantastic.

Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Muffins

Haley says, “I LOVE pumpkin muffins, we use the yellow Trader Joe’s pumpkin dry mix and add in chocolate chips. Voila! Muffins!” 

Winter Corn and Squash Veggie Chili

“This is my favorite plant based chili,” Allison says! “It’s healthy (from my favorite magazine, Cooking Light) easy (either slow cooker or on the stove), flexible (you can throw in whatever you have around.) I always add in some cinnamon, because I don’t think you can have chili without it! It’s also freezable (because making soup for one person is difficult!) I swear by the recipe and make it several times each fall. It pairs amazingly with homemade corn bread!” 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cinnamon, Butternut Squash, Cranberries and Pecans

Jessie calls this roasted brussels sprouts recipe “the most delicious fall dish EVER!” If you’re in charge of bringing a side dish for Thanksgiving, I think this one would be such a great one to try out! Different than every other Brussels sprout recipe I’ve ever seen, but still with traditional fall flavors. Yum!

“Too easy” Pumpkin Waffles

Nina shared the most genius hack EVER. “My newest fall thing is pumpkin waffles. I make them the easy way. I follow the directions on a regular box of waffle mix and then add in pumpkin puree! It’s so easy it feels like cheating!” HAHA I like Nina’s style!!

Spiced Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Lindsey raves about this recipe for pumpkin spiced coffee cake (UM. YUMMM?) because it’s 1. Idiot Proof. and 2. Uses a boxed cake mix, but tastes completely homemade! Sign me up!

She says “I took it to a weekly group meeting and received so many compliments! Also, I live on a TINY island in Washington state and none of our grocery stores had the pumpkin spice pudding mix, so I used regular vanilla pudding and added a tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice! Delish!” 

Butternut Squash and Bacon Soup

Carley says, “this soup is so flavorful and delicious! It’s my husband’s favorite dish and I took it to Thanksgiving last year and it was a hit! If you enjoy this, her blog has a ton of great recipes as well!” (Jess’ note: I agree–Damn Delicious is one of my favorite food blogs!)

Pumpkin Alfredo

Rachel recommends Pinch of Yum’s Pumpkin Alfredo! “It’s definitely indulgent (not healthy at all) but it is so so yummy. It’s rich with lot’s of flavor. Also, surprisingly, it only has 5 ingredients and is ready in 20 minutes! It’s the perfect weeknight meal when you’re craving pasta!)” 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Laura’s go-to recipe for fall is this one for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! “They are super easy and always fly off the plate,” she says. “My friends and family love them!” 

Pumpkin Maple Pecan Granola

Kaylee says “this pumpkin maple pecan granola tastes like fall and is super easy to make! I love eating it on Greek yogurt with a little bit of honey or even just a snack on its own! It’s delightful!” 

  Bon Appetit! What have you been cooking lately? I would love to hear your reccos! Tell me about your favorite Fall recipes below (links are even better!)

Shop my outfit: 

Source: https://thegoldengirlblog.com/what-are-you-cooking-this-fall-13-reader-approved-fall-recipes-to-try-this-season/

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What’s the best way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken?

Photo: RondaKimbrow (iStock / Getty Images Plus)

Is there anything better than a nicely roasted rotisserie chicken from the store? Just pick one of those bad boys up, and you’ve got dinner already halfway made. Depending on the size of your family, though, you might end up with a few pieces of leftover bird. In honor of our rotisserie chicken smackdown (and we’ve got a lot of chicken in our fridge), we asked our staff and chef experts: What’s your favorite way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken?

Pot pie

Toss together your own pie crust (or cheat and get some frozen dough), make a sauce or even just use a can of cream of mushroom soup, and then add some shredded chicken and a few veggies for an easy take on the dinner no one can resist.—Gwen Ihnat, Deputy Managing Editor, The Takeout

Crispy chicken tacos

As a taco junky I always have corn tortillas, fresh pico de gallo, and pickled red onions in the fridge at home. I love to take left over rotisserie chicken, shred it, crisp it up in a griddle or cast iron pan and make some tasty tacos. —Drew Watson, owner/chef, Hops & Pie, Denver

Vietnamese-style caramel chicken

I’ve been making this forever. First I pull the meat off. I make a sauce of minced garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, a little bit of ginger, rice wine vinegar (fish sauce if you have it!). Reduce that to a syrup. Then toss the chicken in to warm it up, and add a bit chicken stock and reduce everything down a bit more. I’ll serve this with rice, cilantro, and lime. —Ross Henke, executive chef, Quiote, Chicago

Breakfast skillet, pasta, quesadillas

I often start with a starch—pasta, rice, potatoes, tortillas—and build off of what I have. Fresh vegetables? I often sauté up any vegetables I have with the chicken and mix in pasta—finish with either nice olive oil or tomato sauce depending what’s in my pantry. Sometimes I even crisp up potatoes, add the chicken and mix in some eggs for a very easy breakfast skillet. Rotisserie chicken also makes great leftover quesadillas! Cheese, tortillas, chicken and anything else you want to use up. —Julie Warpinski, executive chef, Big Star, Chicago

Singapore noodles

A friend just gave me a Ronco Rotisserie a couple weeks ago and I’m using the shit out of it. I rarely have rotisserie chicken leftovers, but when I do I’ve used it mostly for Singapore noodles [stir-fried vermicelli], switching out the shrimp for chicken. In a wok, saute peppers, onions, scallions and snow peas and chicken with boiled and cooled rice noodles. Hit it with a mix of fish sauce, minced garlic, pepper, Shaoxing wine, sugar and yellow curry powder. P.S. This recipe also doubles as a hangover helper.—Matt Troost, chef, Good Measure, Chicago

Curry-chicken dip

If I had leftover rotisserie chicken, I would pull or shred it and heat it in a pan with a little tomato sauce, Greek yogurt and a curry spice blend. Make some rice and dig in with a pita or piece of naan. —Evy Swoboda, executive chef, The Last Hotel, St. Louis

Chicken salad

What looks like a paltry few bits of leftover rotisserie chicken can stretch to an entire chicken-salad sandwich if you use substantial mix-ins. I usually use a combo of equal parts mayo and dijon mustard for the “sauce” part, plus whichever of the following I have around: diced celery, shredded carrots, dried cranberries, chopped apples, cubed-up tomatoes, chopped walnuts, etc. —Kate Bernot, associate editor, The Takeout

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This Week’s Meal Plan: 5 Healthy Weeknight Dinners

I’ve been a little off my meal planning game lately which means I’ve found myself running to the grocery store multiple times a week for odds and ends I need to feed our family. This translates to spending more than I would like to at the grocery store and also less healthy eating in general, two things I try to be mindful of in my day-to-day life.

In an effort to jump back into healthier eating,  I took some time to plan out our meals for the week yesterday morning and took Chase along for a much more organized trip to the grocery store in the early evening. I figured this week’s meal plan might make a decent blog post just in case you are anything like me and are always looking for healthy and easy dinner ideas. This meal plan is comprised of recipes I’ve made in the past so I can vouch for them and assure you they’re all delicious, clean and quite nutritious, too!

Meal Plan: 5 Healthy Weeknight Dinners

Monday: Rotisserie Chicken with Green Beans and Leftover Lentils

Since we were running out to do our grocery store shopping immediately before dinner yesterday, I was tempted to grab a frozen pizza and call it a night but thankfully the meal planner in me knew I’d be tempted by convenient food, so I planned to make Monday night’s dinner a ready-to-go rotisserie chicken. I paired it with Brittany’s easy green beans and leftover lentils and garbanzo beans we had in the fridge from a weekend cookout.

Tuesday: Easy BBQ Meatloaf with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Asparagus

When Ryan and I first moved in together, we ate SO MUCH meat loaf. We’d often let it cook in the oven while we took Sadie on a walk after work and loved coming home to a hot and tasty dinner that was ready for us to eat! BBQ meatloaf is both of our favorite and I love this easy BBQ meatloaf recipe since it makes it easy to incorporate veggies into the mix as well. I’m planning to pair the meatloaf with asparagus and roasted sweet potatoes topped with a little butter and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Wednesday: Paleo Pizza Spaghetti Pie + Fresh Fruit Salad

In my blog post about Healthy Meals to Make For Others, I mentioned this recipe because it’s a go-to for me to bring to someone after they had a baby. I’m bringing my friend Lauren dinner on  Wednesday and since I know her family tries to eat healthy, I am hoping this will be a welcomed dish for them to enjoy as they adjust to life as a family of four. Since I’m already planning to make this dish for Lauren’s family, doubling the recipe will be easy and we’ll have the same thing for dinner in our house that night, too!

Thursday: Crock Pot Shredded Pork Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

I made this dinner last week on a rainy day and it was the ultimate comfort food! I altered the recipe quite a bit from the original and added a chopped onion, potato and carrots to the crock pot with additional broth and it was SO good. I’m already excited to make it again this week, especially since it was so easy.

Friday: Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Bolognese Sauce and Side Salads 

There’s something about Friday nights that often cause me to crave pizza, spaghetti and lasagna. Anything with red sauce and lots of cheese! I’m already looking forward to digging into a big bowl of spaghetti with Bolognese sauce and love Gina’s delicious lightened-up sauce recipe which is easy to adapt to your own preferences (I love adding sweet peppers to mine). I’m planning to serve this topped with freshly-grated parmesan cheese and side salads. An added bonus: Chase LOVES Bolognese sauce so this one is almost always a hit with our toddler!

Question of the Day

What is one thing on the menu for dinner at your house this week?

[Read More ...] https://www.pbfingers.com/this-weeks-meal-plan-5-healthy-weeknight-dinners/