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DINNER #1: Cilantro Lime Chicken | Total time: 35 minutes | Serves: 6 | Versatile

This cilantro lime chicken is the first recipe I made from Modern Proper and I’ve been obsessed with their recipes ever since. These chicken thighs are flavorful, can be used in a bunch of ways and never disappoint. We recommend that you serve these with rice and a veggie on the side, but do whatever you like! Remember you are making double for taco salad later this week!

Notes:

• On quantities: The recipe as is serves 6 with 3 pounds of thighs, so adjust your quantities based on how much your crew eats and how much you want leftover. I would recommend growing the recipe a little (to 4-5 pounds of thighs) if you are feeding more than 2 people and want leftovers.

• Cook how you like: The recipe calls for making these in a skillet, but feel free to cook how you like. We grill often!

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You’ve seen this Bang Bang Salmon before, so you’re an old pro at it now! Between having made it before and how fast it cooks, you’ll have dinner handled in no time. The sauce takes two minutes to mix and does all the heavy lifting. This is genuinely one of the fastest dinners we make and it feels way fancier than the effort deserves. The longest part of this recipe is cooking rice to go with it, so if you need to get this on the table in 10 minutes or less, check the notes!

Notes:
Make it Quick: Use microwave or minute rice and either a premade salsa or quick veggie like frozen steamed broccoli.
Swap: You can swap about half of the mayo for greek yogurt if you need or want to. The cucumber salsa is yum, but you could use another fruit like orange, mango or pineapple here if you want to mix it up..
Check your fridge: You’re using sweet chili sauce in two recipes this week, but since we’ve made this before, check to see if you have it leftover!

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DINNER #1: Coconut Shrimp with Springy Rice | Total time: 45 minutes | Serves: 4
I’ve been making this coconut shrimp for years and somehow it’s the perfect spring meal to me. It’s full of unusual flavors and uses ingredients that I don’t always think of, like shredded coconut and peas, without being ingredients that are hard to find. The coconut crust gets perfectly crispy while the inside stays tender, and the sauce tastes like honey mustard and honey butter had a baby. It’s a little more labor intensive than I usually recommend, but if you don’t mind a few extra minutes in the kitchen it’s a great one to mix up your norm!

Notes:
Swap: if you don’t eat shrimp, I’ve tried this with bite sized pieces of a white fish (like mahi mahi or cod) and it works great!
Add more: I do find that I’m scraping the bowl for enough of the coconut coating. Feel free to increase it to about 1 cup of coconut and panko if you like plenty of coating. We also love the sauce and find that we like to make a little extra of it as well.
Don’t Stress: the amounts in this are really just suggestions. Feel free to eyeball it and it should work well. Including the peas, your bag of frozen peas may be a little more or less than it calls for and that’s fine!

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Cooking Pork Tenderloin in the air fryer was a game changer for me and makes this classic dinner so accessible. In true Kitchen’s in Law fashion, we are using this pork tenderloin for two different meals, so you will double what the recipe calls for when you cook it. If you are only making one recipe, adjust accordingly when you finalize your shopping list and just cook the amount the recipe calls for. Make it with the best roasted brussels sprouts and you’ve got dinner on the table!

Notes:
Short cut: The spice rub included here is good, but if you are short on time or patience the air fryer method would still work well with a pre marinated pork tenderloin from the grocery store.
Oven: If you don’t have an air fryer, you can roast your pork tenderloin in the oven.
Serve with: This is a moment for your favorite sides, we’ve planned for Roasted Brussels Sprouts, but you can swap out for something like crispy potatoes if you want more carbs or even frozen steamed broccoli if you need something easy.

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Now that we have that out of the way, I’ll also tell you that everyone else in my life loves egg bites as a make ahead breakfast option, so I’m sharing the base recipe plus a handful of variations so that you can feed your loved ones, or yourself, egg bites too.

Ingredients:

8 large eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ cup shredded cheese of choice
½ cup-ish of “add ins”

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F.

2. Whisk the eggs in a medium size mixing bowl.

3. Add the remaining ingredients: Cottage cheese, salt, pepper, shredded cheese, and add ins. Stir until combined

4. Evenly distribute the egg mixture among the cups of a 12 cup silicone muffin tin (or use silicone liners)*

5. Bake for 23-25 minutes. Until firm in the middle and browned on the edges.

6. Store in an airtight container in the fridge

*We find that a silicone muffin tin is FAR easier to clean up. If you must, you can use a metal one, but grease it well and just know that there will be some clean up required.

Variations:

Here are a few variations that we like, but we encourage you to get creative and use what you have or what sounds good to you! We usually do about 1/2 a cup of cooked meat plus 1/4 cup of veggies when it adds flavor, but you can leave the extra 1/4 cup out or adjust to your preferences. These are a few of our favorites but honestly almost anything works

• Bacon, green onion & gruyere

• Sausage, caramelized onion & cheddar

• Pulled Pork & Cheddar

• Pizza: Pepperoni & Mozzarella

• Sausage & Red Pepper
  

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Scroll all the way to the bottom for your grocery list or the Walmart cart that means you can grocery shop in just a few clicks.

DINNER #1 - Elote Ground Beef Bowl
Total time: 35 minutes | Serves: 4

If I’m honest, I couldn’t get on board with the viral ground beef bowl last year…it just didn’t work for me! However, whether you liked it or not, this is a rift on that bowl that makes street corn with the blended cottage cheese (in case you can’t get on board with the texture like me) and it’s creamy, tangy, and way more interesting than the original

Notes: if you don’t have fire roasted corn, plain frozen corn works just as well here. I put it in a colander and run water over it to thaw it quickly and then pat it dry. You could toss it in a hot skillet if you wanted to char regular corn a bit.

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You are making both pulled pork and rice for meals later in the week, it will seem like a lot of food but remember that we are using them both again! I think pulled pork is one of the easiest and best ways to do meat in a crock pot. You may have a pulled pork recipe that you prefer, feel free to use that, but this one works like a charm if you don’t have a recipe you typically follow. The bowl is a delicious and fresh way to eat pulled pork rather than just on a hamburger bun like you would get at your local barbecue joint.

Notes:
Taste it: The pork needs a little extra salt for my preference so once you mix the juice in, taste it. If it’s a little bland to you add salt.
Simplify: You could totally leave out the green onions in the slaw if you can’t bring yourself to chop them (and the cilantro if you must, but I think it’s worth the effort for cilantro). Feel free to estimate the amounts in the entire thing. It’s not a finicky recipe, so getting close enough on the amounts is just fine.
Work Ahead: You will have a ton of leftovers from the pork and the rice. Just throw them in containers in the fridge and we will use it again later.
Quantities: This recipe makes enough for 8-12, it should work perfectly if you are making both recipes for 4-5 people however if you are cooking for 2 you will have leftovers. Here’s how we are handling the quantity. The pork freezes beautifully for another day (or find a friend and drop off dinner!). The recipe calls for 6 cups of cooked rice. I don’t think you need that much for the bowls so you should have leftover rice for your sushi bake. If you tend to use a lot of rice you can make 3-3.5 cups of uncooked rice to make sure you have enough.

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Sushi Bake | Serves 4-6 | Cook Time: 45 minutes

Rice Layer

• 1½ cups sushi rice (or any white rice)

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

• ½ teaspoon salt

Salmon & Crab Layer

• 8 oz salmon filet, skin removed, cut into ½-inch pieces

• 4 oz crab meat (imitation or lump)

• ⅓ cup mayo

• 3 oz cream cheese, softened (or ⅓ cup cottage cheese)

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon sriracha

• ¼ cup green onions, chopped

Spicy Mayo

• ½ cup mayo

• 2 tablespoons sriracha (start with 1 and work up)

• 1 teaspoon lime juice

• ¼ teaspoon salt

Toppings

• Avocado, sliced

• Green onions

• Cucumber, sliced

• Sesame seeds

• Seaweed snack pieces

Instructions

1. Cook your rice. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add rice, and cook for 20 minutes until cooked through. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes. Then stir in the rice vinegar and salt.

2. Preheat your oven to 425°F and spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.

3. Make the spicy mayo by combining mayo, sriracha, lime juice, and salt in a small bowl. Stir until smooth and refrigerate until serving.

4. Make the salmon & crab mixture. In a medium bowl, mix together the mayo, softened cream cheese, soy sauce, sriracha, and green onions until smooth. Add the salmon and crab and gently fold in, you want to keep the pieces intact, so don’t over-stir.

5. Assemble. Press the cooked rice into an even layer in your prepared baking dish. Spread the salmon and crab mixture evenly on top.

6. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the edges are golden and the top is bubbly.

7. Rest for 5 minutes before serving — it will be very hot straight from the oven. Top with your preferred toppings. Drizzle spicy mayo over everything and serve family style straight from the dish.
   
   

• Add finely grated carrots and finely chopped spinach or kale, riced cauliflower to anything you cook down on the stove. Spaghetti sauce, curry sauces, and chili are all go to’s for me.

• Add extra onion and garlic to anything that calls for it. Sometimes I don’t think of these as these veggies, but they are and they are great for you! I often add extra (even double) for flavor and more nutrients.

• Top your salads with more prodcue. I reach for any produce that’s in my house and doesn’t have a plan. Some frequent flyers are mini sweet peppers, chopped carrots, apples, oranges, kiwi, or nuts and seeds (sometimes I just use trail mix),

• Bell pepper works in almost every salad or stir fry and the meal can usually handle twice as much as you think.

Tell us your tricks! How do you weave more veggies into your meals?

We’re making chili and chicken early in the week, and both of them are pulling double duty later — the chicken shows back up in your caesar wraps, and if you want to add meat to your lasagna, you can brown it while the chili comes together and barely notice you did it. Four dinners, a make ahead breakfast, and a whole lot of overlap on the ingredients list.

As always, treat this as a starting point. Swap the greens, skip a meal, double the chili and put half in your freezer. You know your week better than we do.

You’ll find the grocery list and Walmart Add to Cart at the bottom of the page. Just delete what you have and add your extras and you are good to go!


DINNER #1: Chili & Cornbread
Total time: 25 minutes | Serves: 4 | Freezer - Friendly | Easy to Double
Every person we’ve made this chili for asks for the recipe and then is shocked when we share it with them. It’s one of the easiest things we’ve ever made which means we usually have the margin to make our very favorite cornbread to go with it (coming from people who don’t really like cornbread)

Notes:
Double it: Because this recipe is so easy it’s perfect to double or triple and freeze or give away.
Work ahead: if you want to add ground meat to your Lazy Girl Lasagna. You can brown it here and just reserve the portion for the lasagna before you add the other chili ingredients.

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Easy Chili:
1 can of beans of choice (I prefer kidney)
1 pound of ground beef
1 jar of cheap salsa (Pace or similar)
Chili powder to taste
Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, Fritos

Heat a pot over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Stir in beans and salsa. Season with chili powder (start with 1 teaspoon and add as much as you like) Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10-15 minutes until flavors are blended, stirring occasionally. Serve with cheese, sour cream, Fritos, or any of your favorite chili toppings.

Notes: If you love garlic and onions feel free to add a small yellow onion and a tablespoon (about 3 cloves) of garlic to the pot when you brown the meat, but certainly not necessary. This is the perfect meal to double or triple and freeze for a busy day in the future. Just let it cool, then store in freezer safe containers (don’t forget to label them or they will get lost in your freezer forever). Reheat in a pot on medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Best Cornbread:
1 cup of corn meal
1 cup of cream style corn
1 cup of cheddar cheese
½ cup of neutral oil
½ cup of buttermilk
1 teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 jalapeno chopped

Preheat the oven to 400, place a greased medium sized oven safe skillet in the oven while it’s preheating. While the oven and skillet are preheating, mix all of the cornbread ingredients in a bowl. Once the oven and skillet are preheated, carefully remove the skillet from the oven. Pour in the cornbread mixture into the skillet and return the skillet to the oven. Bake for approximately 20 minutes until brown on the edges.

Notes: If you don’t want to buy buttermilk, you can make it out of regular milk and vinegar. You can double and freeze the cornbread as well. I find that bread freezes best with two layers around it, so wrap it in foil or plastic wrap and store in a freezer ziploc bag.

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This Jambalaya recipe has been passed down from a dear friend’s mom and just keeps getting shared. It’s a one pan version of the classic rice dish, so put everything in a casserole or baking pan and throw it in the oven. It reheats like a dream, so feel free to make it ahead then just cover and warm at 350°F for about 20 minutes.

Our family has been making this shrimp etouffee recipe forever and it’s pure cozy nostalgia to me. It’s a simple spin on a classic Louisiana dish that’s perfect for a cold night in.

We make King Cakes every year and it’s the highlight of the season for so many of us. If you haven’t had it, think cinnamon roll vibes, but it can be filled with all different types of fillings. However, it’s a bit of a labor of love and definitely not something we throw together on a random Tuesday night. We’ve come up with this light and easy King Cake inspired pastry that doesn’t take all night, but will still feel like you’re letting the good times roll.

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

• 1 package puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

• 4 tablespoons brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• ½ cup chopped pecans

For the icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 3 tablespoons milk, plus more as needed

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½ teaspoon lemon juice

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• Purple, green, and gold sprinkles

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unroll both sheets of puff pastry on your work surface. In a small bowl, mix the softened cream cheese, brown sugar, and cinnamon until well combined. Spread this mixture evenly over both pastry sheets, then sprinkle the pecans on top.

Starting from one long edge, roll each pastry sheet into a log. Place both rolls seam-side down on your prepared baking sheet, leaving a few inches between them. Bake for 13-15 minutes until puffed and golden brown.

While the pastries bake, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt. Add more milk a teaspoon at a time if needed to reach a drizzling consistency.

Let the pastries cool for 5 minutes after removing from the oven, then drizzle with icing and immediately top with festive sprinkles.

Notes: Make sure your puff pastry is thawed but still cold—this usually takes 2-3 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge. If it gets too warm, it becomes difficult to work with and won’t puff as nicely in the oven. Feel free to experiment with your filling!

Filling variations: The cinnamon-pecan filling is delicious, but you can easily switch things up based on what you’re craving or what you have on hand.

• strawberry jam swirled with cream cheese for a fruity twist

• lemon curd with cream cheese for something bright and tangy

• melted chocolate with cream cheese for the chocolate lovers.

• softened butter with the cinnamon, brown sugar, and pecans instead of cream cheese for a more traditional cinnamon roll feel.

Know someone who needs a February pick me up? Share this post to bring a little joy amidst the winter blues!

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One of my life goals is to always find something to celebrate. As a Louisiana girl living in Colorado, Mardi Gras gives me the perfect excuse for a party and to bring a little Cajun flavor to the Rockies, and this jambalaya is one way I do it.

This recipe came from a dear friend back home, and it’s been passed around so many times I’ve lost count. What makes it special isn’t just the flavor, it’s that it’s almost entirely hands-off. You dump everything in a casserole dish, cover it, and let the oven do the work. Just mix, cover, bake, and walk away for two hours while your house fills with the smell of garlic and smoked sausage.

This is the kind of recipe that works whether you’re throwing a Mardi Gras party or just want comfort food on a Tuesday. It makes a massive batch, enough to feed a crowd or stock your freezer with ready-made dinners. And unlike traditional stovetop jambalaya that requires technique and timing, this version is forgiving. If you can measure and stir, you can make this.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked rice (I use Uncle Ben’s long grain—the orange box)

• 8oz smoked link sausage, sliced (andouille is traditional and my favorite, but any smoked sausage works)

• 1 cup cooked chicken, diced

• 1 bunch green onions, sliced

• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder

• 1 Tablespoon Tony’s seasoning

• 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

• 1 (10.5oz) can French onion soup

• ½ cup water

• 1 (15oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

• 2 cups (16oz) chicken broth

• 1 (8oz) can tomato sauce

• 1 stick butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.

2. Layer the rice in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Spread it evenly.

3. Add the proteins and aromatics: Top the rice with sliced sausage, diced chicken, green onions, garlic powder, Tony’s, and Italian seasoning. Don’t worry about mixing, just layer it on.

4. Mix your liquids in a large bowl: French onion soup, water, fire-roasted tomatoes (with their juice), chicken broth, and tomato sauce. Whisk until combined.

5. Pour the liquid mixture over everything in the casserole dish.

6. Dot with butter: Slice the stick of butter into 8-10 pats and place them across the top of the dish, spacing them out somewhat evenly.

7. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. You want to trap all that steam to cook the rice properly.

8. Bake for 1.5 to 2 hours. Check at the 1.5-hour mark, if the rice is tender and has absorbed the liquid, you’re done. If it’s still a little firm, give it another 15-30 minutes.

9. Remove from the oven, uncover, and stir everything together thoroughly. The rice will fluff up, the butter will melt into everything, and it’ll look like actual jambalaya. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Pro tips:

• Chicken shortcut: Use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken from another recipe. No need to cook chicken from scratch for this.

• Bone broth upgrade: I use bone broth instead of regular chicken broth for extra protein and richer flavor.

• Sausage matters: Andouille is traditional and gives you that authentic smoky, spicy kick. If you can’t find it, any smoked sausage works, even kielbasa in a pinch.

• Spice level: If your crowd can’t handle heat, use mild sausage and cut the Tony’s to 2 teaspoons. If they like it hot, add a diced jalapeño or a dash of cayenne.

• Freezer meal gold: This makes a ton. Portion leftovers into freezer-safe containers, label with the date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through.

• Timing flexibility: The 1.5-2 hour range is real. Ovens vary, and rice brands absorb liquid differently. Just check it at 90 minutes and adjust from there.

Laissez les bons temps rouler. Whether you’re celebrating Mardi Gras, craving cajun food, or just need a foolproof dinner that feeds a crowd, this jambalaya has your back.

This isn’t your traditional étouffée (pronounced ay-too-fay) —it’s arguably better and definitely easier. Or at least, that’s what my family would tell you. While classic étouffée is loaded with the holy trinity of vegetables, tomatoes, and a dark roux that takes patience, this is a simplified version of buttery, paprika-rich broth with tender shrimp that is perfectly cozy.

This recipe has been a staple in my family for as long as I can remember. My mom made it on cold nights when we needed something warm and comforting but didn’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. My grandmother made it before her.

What I love about this version and what keeps me passing the recipe down is its simplicity. No chopping bell peppers and celery. No standing over a roux for 30 minutes hoping it doesn’t burn. Just butter, green onions, a quick blonde roux, and a warm, rich broth. It’s more soup than stew, which means it’s lighter than traditional étouffée but still satisfying. Serve it over rice or a baked potato, and you’ve got a meal that is perfect.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound peeled shrimp (medium or large work best)

• 1 stick butter

• 1 bunch green onions, sliced (white and green parts)

• 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 4 cups (32oz) chicken bone broth (or regular chicken broth)

• 1-2 Tablespoons paprika (start with 1, add more for deeper color and flavor)

• 1 teaspoon Tony’s seasoning

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Melt the butter in a large pot or deep skillet over medium heat. Let it get fully melted but don’t let it brown.

2. Add the green onions and sauté for 1-2 minutes until they’re softened and fragrant.

3. Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly to create a roux. You’re looking for a smooth, paste-like consistency with no lumps—this should only take 2-3 minutes. It doesn’t need to darken; a blonde roux is perfect for this.

4. Slowly add the broth while stirring constantly. Pour it in gradually (not all at once) to avoid lumps. Keep stirring until the mixture is completely smooth.

5. Add paprika and Tony’s

6. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broth thickens slightly—about 8-10 minutes. You want it thicker than regular soup but still pourable.

7. Add the shrimp and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re pink, opaque, and cooked through. Don’t overcook or they’ll get rubbery.

8. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add more Tony’s, salt, or pepper as needed. I usually add a some cracked black pepper at the end.

Serve immediately over white rice or split baked potatoes. Ladle it generously—you want plenty of that broth soaking into everything.

Pro tips:

• Make it a freezer meal: Double the recipe and freeze the broth base without the shrimp. When you’re ready to eat, thaw, reheat, and add fresh shrimp. This way the shrimp don’t get overcooked and rubbery.

• Bulk it up with veggies: This is intentionally simple, but if you want more vegetables, sauté diced celery, carrots, or bell peppers with the green onions in step 2.

• Rice vs. potato: Rice is traditional and soaks up the broth beautifully. Baked potatoes are a twist I experienced at a Cajun restaurant—break open the potato, ladle the étouffée over it, and it’s like a Louisiana-style loaded potato.

• Paprika matters: Use regular paprika, not smoked. You want color and mild sweetness, not smokiness.

• Bone broth upgrade: I use bone broth for extra richness and protein, but regular chicken broth works perfectly fine.

What makes this different from traditional étouffée: Traditional étouffée has tomatoes, the holy trinity (onions, celery, bell peppers), and a darker roux. This version skips all that for something lighter, faster, and honestly, easier to make on a weeknight. It’s more brothy, which makes it perfect for soaking into rice or potatoes. Think of it as étouffée’s approachable cousin.

This is Louisiana comfort food without the fuss. It’s what my family reaches for when we want that warm, familiar flavor but don’t have two hours to stand over the stove. And every time I make it, I’m reminded of my mom’s kitchen, cold nights, and the kind of food that makes you feel taken care of.

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