This Week’s Dinner Recipes

Happy Monday! There were so many nice comments about the weekly dinner menu I shared this morning that I thought I’d share all of the recipes in one post. Most of these recipes are already on my blog, but this will save you from having to search for them. I hope it helps!

Balsamic Pork and Roasted Vegetables

What You Need

• 1 pork tenderloin
• 1 pound Brussel sprout, rinsed and halved
• 1/2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced (I purchase the pre-cubed squash that you can find in the produce section at your grocery store)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Parmesan cheese for garnish
• Fresh parsley for garnish

What You Do

• Preheat your oven to 450. Season pork tenderloin with salt and pepper.
• Whisk or blend the following in a food processor to make the sauce: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, rosemary leaves, Italian seasoning, honey, and pepper.
• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the pork tenderloin and cook, turning frequently until brown on all sides, about 10-12 minutes.
• In the meantime, line a sheet pan with tin foil. Spread Brussel sprouts and diced butternut squash, season with salt and pepper and toss with a tablespoon of olive oil. Push veggies to the side to make room for the pork tenderloin.
• Once browned, transfer the pork tenderloin to the sheet pan. Baste the tenderloin with half the balsamic sauce and drizzle on the Brussel sprouts with the sauce as well. Roast in oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the pork is done and Brussel sprouts are nicely browned.
• Cut the pork tenderloin into thick 1/2-inch slices and serve with the other half of the balsamic sauce on top. Sprinkle the roasted Brussel sprouts with Parmesan. Garnish the whole dish with chopped parsley.

I served this with a side of brown rice.

HelenMary’s Chili from A Life From Scratch

This recipe was a big hit with my family because it calls for more meat and less beans.

What You Need

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons Lawry’s Season Salt
• 2-4 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1/2 jars of Rao’s Marinara Sauce
• 1 small can of red kidney beans

What You Do

1. In a large pot, sauté 2 pounds ground beef in a little olive oil until mostly browned. Add in onion and continue to sauté. Season generously with chili powder, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, Worcestershire, Lawry’s season salt, and paprika.
2. Pour in Rao’s sauce and let bubble together. Add in a small jar of kidney beans, if you’d like. Taste to season. Throw in more of what you like.
3. Roast up some Italian sausage (425 for 25 minutes or so). Chop up and stir in the chili.
4. Serve with your choice of fixings!

Lemon Pepper Chicken & Grandma’s Onion Rice

What You Need

• Chicken breasts or thighs (as many as you need to feed your crew, but for this recipe I will assume 6)
• 1 stick of melted butter
• 1/2 cup of bread crumbs
• 1 T. garlic powder
• 1 T. lemon pepper seasoning
• Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Coat chicken breasts in melted butter and then bread crumbs and then place on foil-lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle garlic powder, lemon pepper seasoning, and salt to taste on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until chicken has that nice crusty, brown top. I’ve even been known to do this with frozen chicken breasts and then just use the Convection setting on my oven at 350 for just a little bit longer…maybe 35-45 minutes total.

For a side, Grandma’s rice casserole is the best.

Grandma’s Onion Rice Casserole

What You Need

• 1 cup regular rice
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1 can French onion soup
• 1/2 stick butter

I usually double this recipe for my crew.

What You Do

Combine the ingredients in a casserole dish and bake at 350 for one hour.

I serve this dish with a side of asparagus and a mixed greens salad. 

Have a great week!

xo,