Casseroles & Comfort Foods

Taco Hand Pies with Southwest Ranch Sauce

August 16, 2017 by Laura Tucker 2 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BackToButterball #CollectiveBias

School is already back in session here, and parents everywhere have been busy adjusting to new schedules, figuring out how to fit in those extracurricular activities, and relearning how to balance the busyness of home and school life while keeping it all together simultaneously. I’ve always loved the back to school season, but it can certainly make you feel like you’re living in a whirlwind during that first month.

When a new schedule is thrown my way, I always find that it helps to have a few go-to recipes in my super-mom arsenal that are balanced, kid friendly, easy to throw together, and can be eaten on the go (in case we’re running behind for something…which we usually are!)

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Easy Parmesan Meatball Sliders

August 14, 2017 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cooked Perfect® Meatballs for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

I love back-to-school season. I absolutely adore watching my social media feeds fill up with adorable photos of kids attending their first day of class, the sales in retail and grocery stores are always out of this world, and I get so excited to fill out my calendar with exciting events that are happening at the local school here in my community.

Because it’s typically a busier time than usual, a lot of parents are scrambling to find the time to attend all of the extracurricular activities their kids are involved in while also finding the time to make sure the family is fed a decent meal during those busy weeknights. The weeknight dinner struggle can be real sometimes, you guys!

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Easy Chicken Salad – Ready in 20 Minutes!

July 10, 2017 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

I received a Power Pressure Cooker XL as compensation in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed here are 100% my own!

Does anyone else’s life seem to speed up during the weekend instead of slow down? Weekends are supposed to be a time to unwind from the busy work week, but my family is currently in a season of life where it seems like the only rest we get is when we close our eyes at night to get a little shuteye!

Because we’re still in the home building process, so much of my husband’s time is poured into working at the construction site. It seems like he works from sun up to sun down every chance he gets, and this past Saturday was no different. He’s a hard working man, that’s for sure!

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Cheesy Chicken & Rice Burrito Dip

June 22, 2017 by Laura Tucker 1 Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #UncleBens #FlavorInfusions #CollectiveBias

Now that summer is in full swing, my daughter and I have been a pair of busy bees attending all of the fun children’s events that have been taking place in the area. Just the other day I had to grab my calendar and schedule all of the activities taking place because it had gotten to where I couldn’t keep track of it anymore! On top of all of our weekly outings, I decided to enroll her in a baby gymnastics class that meets once a week. I feel so lucky to live in an area that has put such a big focus on children’s learning and physical activity. Living in a very rural part of the state, all of these free public events are a rare treat that are really making our summer extra special!

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Southern Fried Chicken (Without the Guilt!) Power Air Fryer XL Review

June 14, 2017 by Laura Tucker 54 Comments

I received a Power Air Fryer XL™ as compensation in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed here are 100% my own!

When you think of southern style food, what are some of the first things that come to mind? Casseroles? Sweet tea? What about fried chicken? If you automatically thought of something battered and fried, you’re definitely not alone! It’s no secret that we love our fried foods here in the south. Heck, we even fry our vegetables! Just walk into any local diner around here and you’ll find that the majority of the menu items are fried – and if they’re not, the cooks will be more than happy to fry it for you!

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How to Host a Kid Friendly Fiesta Fry Bar!

June 5, 2017 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

“This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of McCain Foods. The opinions and text are all mine.”

With the summer months officially here, it’s time to kick off your shoes, roll up your sleeves and enjoy these beautifully warm days with friends and family by your side! Even though the temperatures here in south Alabama keep climbing higher and higher, nothing is stopping me from creating memorable moments for my family to enjoy together! One of my favorite things to do during the long summer days is to get my creative juices flowing and put together a special food-filled evening that my entire family will be sure to enjoy.

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How to Freeze Yellow Squash

June 1, 2017 by Laura Tucker 12 Comments

This tutorial for How to Freeze Yellow Squash is simple and effective at preserving those beautiful golden veggies from the garden this summer!

Over the last 4 years since we moved out to the country, my husband and I have planted a vegetable garden in our backyard. Planting a garden is a true labor of love, but the fruits of the labor always make the effort SO so worth it. If for nothing else, I love summer because of all of the delicious fruits and vegetables that are so abundant during this time of year. One of my very favorite vegetables is summer squash. Two years ago we planted extra squash in our garden so I could make baby food for our daughter. Our squash plants always tend to do very well, and by the end of the summer it usually feels like we have squash growing out of our ears!

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Southern Style Salmon Croquettes

February 8, 2017 by Laura Tucker 1 Comment

Recently my husband and I were talking about meals that we used to eat frequently as a child that we still love to eat as adults. My mind immediately drifted back to my dad fixing us scrambled egg sandwiches and grilled cheese’s on a regular basis. I still make both pretty frequently (and luckily Kyle likes both of those!) I expected to hear him mention meals along those same lines, but my ears perked up a little when he told me that he used to love for his mom to make him salmon croquettes.

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Easy Weeknight Meal: Cheesy Polish Casserole

February 1, 2017 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

I’m always on the prowl for a quick and easy dish that my family will love. My husband and I are crazy about pasta, and earlier this month I caught a really good deal on some smoked Polish sausage at my local Publix. While thumbing through a local magazine that recently came in the mail, I noticed a recipe submitted by a fellow Alabama native for “Polish Casserole,” which just so happened to be a pasta recipe that called for, you guessed it, Polish sausage. Win/win for me!

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Easy Cheesy Breakfast Pizza

January 9, 2017 by Laura Tucker 2 Comments

This blog post has been compensated by Borden® Cheese. All opinions are mine alone. #BordenCheeseLove #CollectiveBias #Ad

Now that the hustle and bustle of the holidays are over, I’ve decided to make it a point to find a moment for myself where I can sit down, relax, and jot down a few important things that I want to prioritize a little more as we start the new year. There’s something so exciting and promising about staring at the very first page on the calendar and seeing a whole new blank slate in front of you ready to be filled with the things life hands us. I always love to write down my goals for the year in the very beginning of my calendar.

2017 is going to be a very big year for us. Construction has just begun on our brand new home, and my husband will be building many parts of the house on his own. Things are going to get very busy, very quickly this year. That’s why one of my biggest priorities on my list is to create more home cooked meals that draw our family together around the table.

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