HOLY Guacamole…. It’s been a busy week around here. The little boys birthdays were this week (soon I will have to start calling them “big boys” now that Jaden is officially 10 and Rowan is 6!) and we started it all off with a bang last Saturday. We had a double birthday party for Rowan and Jaden with lots of food, friends, and family. Oh, and don’t forget the music. Jaden’s band “Fever Pitch” rocked the house and our awesome friend, Lee Foster had us dancing all night accompanied by his amazing band “Leeside Riders”! We also happen to have my incredible and inspiring Aunt and Uncle staying with us for their annual visit. My Aunt Mary is my mom’s only sister and I love her and my uncle so dearly. It’s always wonderful to have them both here and my Aunt fills my home with a  “mom” presence that I miss so much; someone who loves you, helps you and wants you to be ok. There’s no other feeling quite like that…  So, thank you Aunt Mary and Uncle Dean for always being here for us; you are both priceless.
So anyhow; on to my Go To Recipes!! Â The point of the paragraph above is to lead into the fact that yes, my life is busy; constantly busy, and when I’m not working on the next book, or out promoting the last one, or traveling for workshops, or keeping up with my boys, I have to make sure we are all fed. Â Below is a list with links to various recipes and ideas for leftovers; etc. What you see below is how we stay alive, healthy, happy, and somewhat sane. The secret? Make a lot of food. Eat leftovers. Use your slow cooker. Keep it simple; and as always ENJOY!
1. Beanless Chili – Chili can be made a million ways and this recipe can be found not only on the blog but in my first book Everyday Paleo. Here’s another chili created by our very own Rachel Zanger and our family makes both quite often! Leftovers are great for breakfast topped with a fried or poached egg.
2. Easy and Amazing Roasted Chicken – I’ve been making this chicken for a few years now and we never ever ever ever get tired of it. Want a secret? Make more than one bird at a time, roast a bunch of sweet potatoes, make a huge salad, and you’ll have leftovers for lunches that you can make into salads or lettuce wraps or stir frys or scrambles and even better? You can make my next go to meal which is #3 on the list!
3. Chicken Soup – Nourishing and delicious, this soup can be the base for a million different soups, and like I say in the blog post for this recipe; get creative!  Here’s an example of how to get creative with this recipe for Caldo De Pollo.
4. Meatloaf – This recipe continues to be a family favorite and if I do not make this for a month or two, my children start to threaten to move out. Not kidding. It’s super simple and it’s that good. I usually make baked Brussels Sprouts which you’ll find accompanying the link recipe for the meatloaf or roasted root veggies (awesome recipe found in Everyday Paleo) or some sautéed aspragus or just a salad or any other veggies I might find hiding in my fridge. Tip – make two meatloaves, especially if you have a large family and have leftovers for lunch or breakfasts for the week!!
5. Taco Night – I could live off of this meal alone and yes, we make some variation of Taco Night every single week. Want a tip? Double the meat and the next day make my next go to meal which is #6!
6. Southwestern Frittata – Jaden, Rowan, and Coby all equally love this frittata and it makes a ton of food which if you haven’t caught on yet, is kind of the secret to NOT having to cook all the stinking time. When I make this frittata, the boys will literally eat it all day. I cut it into squares, pop it in the fridge, and it will slowly (I kid, with lightening speed) disappear during the course of the day. Yum. It’s good. It’s easy. You’ll love it and it will be your go to meal of the week I’m sure.
7. Beyond Easy Pulled Pork – The name of this dish does not do it justice. It’s not just beyond easy. It’s BEYOND beyond easy and thank goodness for that. You can also find a variation of this recipe in the Everyday Paleo Family Cookbook,
in the same section right before the main recipe section (along with several other meals all that can be made in 30 min or less and all with minimal ingredients and all that are truly delicious, time tested, and family approved.) I like to make some sort of coleslaw with this pulled pork. I have a couple of my favorite coleslaws also in the Everyday Paleo Family Cookbook and you can also create your own! I recommend making my homemade mayo, shredding some cabbage, adding some lemon juice, shredded cabbage, and green onion or get crazy and throw in some diced apple and sliced almonds, and EAT darn it, just EAT!
8. “Spaghetti” – The kids love it, John loves it, I love it, it’s easy, I can make a double batch, and life goes on. Simple as that. Make it with some baked green beans also found in this same blog post. BAM!
9. Lamb Sliders – This is a bit more labor intensive than the other recipes but it’s so so good and we all crave them. Seriously, it’s bad. I have to have them or it gets a bit depressing around here. When the boys know what we are cooking it’s like Christmas. I don’t know, maybe we need to get out more but heck, these make us happy and happy is good. Thank you so much to my amazingly awesome Brother Mark for coming up with these and subsequently being the guy who often makes them for us.
10. Chili Verde – Another award winner in this house is my Everyday Paleo Chili Verde. I like to make this on a Saturday and usually make double what’s recommended in the recipe and again LEFTOVERS people, leftovers… Please. Eat. Leftovers. This is another great one accompanied by eggs in the morning, some homemade salsa, fresh cilantro, and avocado slices. Doesn’t get much better than this!
11. Smokey Roast –Â I was going to stop with 10 but than I remembered this one, which goes in the slow cooker and it’s yummy. I also suggest that on the homepage of my site, type “slow cooker” or “crockpot” into the search bar and you’ll find a bunch of other awesome recipes. Slow cooker options are literally life saving, a big reason why they are in my books!
12. Meatballs – So let’s end this on an even number. How could I forget meatballs!?!? Rowan especially LOVES meatballs. How could you not? They are fun, cute, yummy, and easy. My new book, Everyday Paleo Around the World Italian Cuisine is home to two of my favorite meatball recipes ever but the one linked to this post is awesome as well!
Alright, now you have a list of my go to meals and I hope you can adopt some of these as your families favorites as well. Let me know in comments what I might have missed or what you and your family rely on during the crazy weeks that make up what is better known as life.
As always, enjoy!
Thanks for your post this morning! It was just what I needed to get my food supplies for this week! I have your books, however, this list of your favorites makes my planning/shopping easy!
This is super helpful, thank you! Sometimes I find a new blog and don’t know where to begin. If you can, please consider adding a pinterest button to your blog posts. That’s how many of us archive recipes. Thanks again.
Hi Pamela! There is a pinterest button at the bottom of each blog post under where it says “sharing is sexy” : ) thank you so much!!
I love your Smokey Roast – it’s cooking away as I write, in fact!
Thanks for posting. I sure needed this to stay on track.
I make your pulled pork almost weekly! It is so easy and SO good that I can’t help keep it on the regular. it is my go to dish when I wasn’t to impress dinner guests. I normally serve mine on top of baked sweet potatoes topped with cole slaw I make with a dressing of a little honey, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar, s&p.
it is amazing!!!
***oops, “when I WANT to impress”… not wasn’t.
and ps, I can’t wait to see you on Creative Live today 🙂
great stuff…thanks for posting!
You are very welcome!
printing all of these! haha. I can’t wait to try the meatballs, who would have thought to put apples in there!
Awesome! Hope you enjoy!
And this is why I LOVE you and your blog! Thanks so much. This sums up the food part – grocery list in hand and meal plan for 2 weeks. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thank YOU Gail and you are very welcome!!
My husband has been begging for a meatloaf. It looks like we have a few new things to try! Keep up the good work!
Sarah, how did you find organic ink for your tattoo?
I didn’t. My tattoos are just what they are, tattoos.