Meg Goes Nom Nom

I’ve loved writing these posts the last few years. I use them as a resource for dinner ideas all year long. The guidelines that I use:

• The first time I made the recipe was this year
• It is an entrée recipe
• The recipe worked well and it tasted delicious!

Hope you enjoy – these tested recipes are the best of the best!

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Favorite Recipe of January 2013:

This month was a super tough choice! I tried lots of new recipes that I loved. But one recipe reigned supreme:

• Spicy Cheese Grits with Shrimp and Sausage – this dish, using quick grits and frozen peeled and cleaned shrimp, is surprisingly super quick and easy to make!

January Honorable Mentions:

• Cheesy Meatloaf Minis – a spoonful of horseradish gives these mini meat loaves a little zip
• Couscous Meatball Soup – Israeli couscous, kale, and lean ground sirloin meatballs seasoned with oregano combine to make this fantastic soup

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Favorite Recipe of February 2013:

•  Slow Cooker Chipotle Steak Quesadillas – tender, smoky beef from the slow cooker added to cheesy quesadillas, with a dollop of guacamole

February Honorable Mentions

• Gaucho Casserole – great for busy weeknights
• Cincinnati Turkey Chili – tasty spin on traditional chili with a warm, spicy kick, served atop spaghetti noodles

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Favorite Recipe of March 2013:

• Salsa Verde Chicken with Herbed Cornmeal Dumplings – comfort food at its best, with a little Southwestern kick

March Honorable Mentions

• Tex-Mex Calzones
• Corn Chip Chili Pie

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Favorite Recipe of April 2013

• Mexican Cornbread Casserole – zesty beef, tomato, and cheese topping are the perfect complements to a slightly sweet corn bread base beneath

April Honorable Mentions

• Buffalo Chicken Salad – your favorite buffalo chicken atop a bed of romaine, carrots, and celery, drizzled in blue cheese dressing
• Cheesy Beef Macaroni Scramble – a beefy, cheesy skillet meal with lots of wholesome veggies

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Favorite Recipe of May 2013

• Spicy Chicken Shawarma Wraps – the chicken bathes in a spicy marinade of herbed yogurt with lemon and garlic before being sautéed in a skillet.

May Honorable Mentions

• Grilled Chicken & Veggie Quesadillas – herbed chicken and veggies are charred on the grill before being chopped and served in a cheesy quesadilla prepared in a skillet
• Patty Melts – sweet caramelized onions, salty sliced green olives, Swiss cheese, and grilled beef burgers on buttery rye bread

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Favorite Recipe of June 2013

• Lil Cheddar Meat Loaves 

You may have noticed that this is the second mini meat loaf recipe in this post. Clearly I was on a mini meat loaf kick in 2013. While both recipes are fantastic, the former, above in January (Cheesy Meatloaf Minis from Cooking Light) are more suitable for a both special occasions and adult palettes, as they contain ingredients like white cheddar, fresh parsley, spices, and horseradish that are not present in this version from Taste of Home, and also take a bit more prep work.

When you’re in the mood for something that’s a bit quick and easier, with both fewer and more approachable everyday ingredients, this is a fantastic recipe.

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Previous “Best of” Posts:

• Favorite Dinner Recipes of 2010
• Favorite Dinner Recipes of 2011 – Part I
• Favorite Dinner Recipes of 2011 – Part II
• Favorite Dinner Recipes of 2012 – Part I
• Favorite Dinner Recipes of 2012 – Part II