I’ve challenged myself to make 52 new (to me) recipes in 2017. The recipes are not predetermined, but I’ll be listing them here as I make them. (Read about how I’m tracking this challenge in my planner here.)
- Grape Jelly Meatballs
January 1
Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars
I’d heard so many people rave about these easy meatballs. They seemed perfect for a holiday I didn’t want to spend in the kitchen. We both loved the unique barbecue flavor of these! We didn’t use the optional cayenne, but I probably will next time. They were a little too sweet without it.
- Cheesy Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake
January 3
Rating: 3 / 5 stars
I love making pasta bakes for dinner, because they make the best leftovers for lunch! This one had good flavors, but was a little dry. I used a little more pasta than recommended, so I’ll watch that closely next time. - Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup
January 9
Rating: 5 / 5 stars
I would have been happy to pay $8 for a bowl of this soup in a restaurant. It was amazing. Even better: It was finished less than 20 minutes after I stepped into the kitchen. This soup would be great with garlic bread, or grilled cheese. I ate it with leftover garlic knots from Papa John’s (because #reallife).
Note: I used a 19 oz bag of tortellini instead of a 9 oz bag. I’ll do that again. - Fajita Marinade
January 11
Rating 5/5 stars
I’ve made fajitas a few times, but I’ve never used a marinade. They were pretty good before, but this made them restaurant quality. They were seriously so good. I already had all of the ingredients in my pantry, which makes it even better. - Beef Veggie Soup*
January 22
Rating 4/5 stars
I think the weather plays a big role in how much you’ll love this recipe. I started craving something similar to this recipe during an ice storm. By the time I got around to making it a few weeks later, the weather was rather pleasant with temps in the 50s. It’s a very heavy soup, and I think I would have given it five stars on a snow day. It was still delicious, though!
*NOTE: I did NOT use a crockpot for this recipe. Instead, I seasoned the roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder before I seared it on both sides and slow cooked it in the oven with half a carton of beef broth at 275 for three hours.
Check back throughout the year to see what other recipes I try!
What are your favorite recipes? I would love to make some of your favorite dishes. Let me know in the comments.
