Gluten Free Spaghetti alla Carbonara

My senior year of high school I made fast friends with an exchange student who was from Italy. She and I had a surprising amount of things in common, even joking that we were long-lost twins. While she was here in the states, my mom asked her for an authentic Italian recipe - because how fun is it to be able to make some nearly authentic Italian cuisine?! 

Bacon Avocado Tomato Salad

I love good old fashioned egg salad, but I can't say that I love what it's loaded with. All those calories love to try sitting right on my hips. No thanks. This bacon avocado tomato salad, although not very pretty, is a great alternative that is better for you and contains no dressings whatsoever. 

Tomato Pepper Pasta Toss

Looking for a weeknight meal that is quick, healthy and delicious? This Tomato Pepper Pasta Toss fits that description. I loosely followed a recipe I found online, and ended up with a dish that was mildly sweet and really good. 

Bacon Kale Pasta

Everywhere I turn lately, kale seems to be the "it" food. Labeled as the "queen of greens" and the "healthiest food on the planet", I had to wonder what all the hype was about. After doing a little research, I was convinced that my diet definitely needed more kale in it. Often times, a gluten-free diet is lower in essential nutrients, and not being one to want to take a multi-vitamin, I try to load up on fruits and veggies instead of processed foods. Since kale is loaded with nutrients and has many health benefits, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and give it a try. 

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Potato salad is a perfect addition to any summer grill out, but having the same thing over and over can get kind of boring; in my opinion at least. To mix things up a bit, I decided to do a twist on one of my favorite sides, a loaded baked potato, but turn it into a chilled salad for the warmer summer months. I have made this twice now for gatherings, and it has been a huge hit each time! It's super easy to put together, and pairs nicely with pretty much any main dish you want.

Bacon and Mushroom Risotto with Baby Spinach

My husband loves to grill no matter what the weather is doing outside. Even if it's snowing, sleeting, and windy, at the mere mention of grilling he's got the charcoal priming. Now that we have been blessed with some wonderful warmer weather though, I have actually been excited to have more grilled food, and I know Steven isn't complaining. Having him grill the meat significantly cuts my time in the kitchen down so I can make more elaborate side dishes, such as this risotto.

Loaded Baked Potato Pizza

There are no good words to describe how absolutely delicious this pizza is. It should almost be illegal...almost, but I really want to make it again so let's not go there. The idea came to me from a friend of mine who is just as obsessed with potatoes as I am. She couldn’t stop gushing about this baked potato pizza she had at a restaurant, so I made sure to get all the details from her to make my own gluten-free version. 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

Have you ever put your dish in the oven only to realize a minute too late that you either left out an ingredient or didn't prepare something right? That was me with this recipe. I had assembled the entire thing, put it in the oven, was feeling all good about myself and about how easy it came together, when I glanced at the recipe and saw that the chicken was supposed to be cooked prior to baking. Oops. Not to fret, I simply adjusted the time, crossed my fingers, and hoped it would still turn out tasty. 

Smothered Honey Dijon Chicken

This recipe is yet another Pinterest discovery, and I have to say, it's one of the best recipes I have ever tried. As my husband, Steven, put it: "If Heaven had a taste, this would be it". I know, that's pretty dorky, but seriously. This dish is SO good. Between the excellent marinade, the bacon, and the cheese - YUM. Who knew gluten-free could be so delicious??

Creamy Italian Chicken

Now that it's gotten a lot colder, I am definitely craving more comfort foods, especially on those blustery, rainy, gloomy days. Creamy Italian Chicken came about from something I found on Pinterest for a Crock-Pot. During the week, I simply do not have time for my Crock-Pot, so I took this recipe and decided to wing it and bake it in the oven instead. It turned out to be just what I have been craving - a delicious comfort food.

Crock-Pot Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

I love using my Crock-Pot on the weekends since it takes just a little bit of time to throw everything together, and then I can spend the rest of the day lounging around while dinner cooks itself. I found this recipe for Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole on Pinterest, although it originates from Brandie's blog "The Country Cook".  She also has many other recipes that look amazing and I can't wait to try (with gluten-free modifications, of course).

Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta

Steven loves burgers. He could probably eat them every day if I would allow him to. However, since I don't want him to actually turn into a burger, I like to find alternatives that are delicious, yet still satisfy his never-ending burger craving. Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta definitely does just that.

Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Pinterest is such a great resource for finding new and exciting dishes to try. I usually look for easy recipes that can be modified to be gluten-free by changing just a couple of the ingredients. My "Recipe Book" board is always growing with new things to try. This recipe is one of those that I found on Pinterest. The original recipe, "Kaytucky Chicken", is from Kayotic Kitchen's blog. I will be checking out more of her recipes since this one turned out fantastic!

Gluten Free Pasta Carbonara

Now that it is starting to get chilly out, my cravings for creamy comfort foods have increased. Go figure. I came across this recipe on Taste of Home's website and have made it several times. Steven and I agree that it's almost a restaurant-quality dish. It takes a little extra work due to having to cook the bacon and noodles and then mix everything together, but it's well worth the effort. The dish goes great with a good white wine and a side salad.