Simply Tuesday and Dinner Inspiration

Happy Tuesday!  I posted yesterday that I had meal planned for the week, but I failed to mention anything more, so I thought I'd share some dinner ideas for anyone who might be in a rut.  The dish I made last night is one I've made two other times, the first time I made it as is, and the second time and then last night, I added one pound of browned ground beef.

I tried to find a picture, but to save time, I'll just give you the link.  This is French Onion Pasta.  Click here for the recipe, but know that it's a blog post by someone, so you have to scroll down.  If you want it a little more hearty, add the browned ground beef.  If not, leave it as is.  NOT ONE NOODLE was left in the dish from last night, if that tells you anything.  That's all we had, and it was plenty.  I did not double this, even, but the one thing I didn't do was measure the pasta I cooked, so I just dumped in a whole box of penne.

Tomorrow night Toddley and I have a fun date night planned, but I was still going to make dinner for the boys.  Then, my mom called them and asked them to come over to their house for catfish, and they gladly excepted.  Something I love to do is to put frozen chicken breasts into a crock pot (six, for the six of us), and then cover them with salsa and either chicken stock or water.  I like to use a lot of salsa, so I'll pour in a whole jar.  I let this cook on low all day, and then around four, I shred the meat with two forks and then put it back into the sauce.  We like to eat this several ways, but my favorite two ways are as nachos (chips, lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, avocado, and maybe some white cheese dip warmed up) or as a Mexican chicken bowl.  For that, I start the bowl with rice in the bottom of it, then add a heaping spoon of black beans, then the chicken, and then any other topping I already listed that we would also use for the nachos.  I top it off with a squeeze of lime juice and some cilantro.  That is one of my favorite meals, and it feeds Drew and I for lunch for days.  The boys always eat it with just rice, the chicken, and white cheese dip warmed up.

Another thing I'll make at some point this week are these sausage balls.

This image is from Mix and Match Mama.  Click here for a link to the recipe.  Everything I have ever made by this lady is phenomenal, and several of our favorite recipes are from her.  On the night I make this, I will also make pancakes.  Breakfast for dinner isn't Drew's favorite, but even he won't mind it with these sausage balls.  Look at the recipe, and read it, and you'll see why hers are so amazing.  She uses an ingredient I've never heard of anyone using in these.

So that's what we'll be eating for dinner around here this week.  If you're anything like me, you may need some inspiration.  I get in such deep cooking ruts.

True story.  Anyone else?

Thanks for reading!  Love to all.