In The Group Chat: August Recipes

We're back "In the Group Chat"! As we dive into August, it's all about recipes that work during the back-to-school adjustments. Our mom tribe is sharing the meals that are fueling their families this month. Get ready to be inspired by these delicious, kid-approved dishes!. Let's see what everyone has been serving up.

In this group chat we have:

• Allie, a mom a 3 (1 girl, 2 boys)

• Kayla, a mom of 3 boys

• Sarah, a mom of 3 girls

• Lindsey, a mom of 2 boys

• Anna, a mom of 3 (1 boy, 2 girls)

• Racie, a mom of 3 (2 boys, 1 girl) + baby on the way

Allie -Mongolian Beef

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

• 1/2 cup soy sauce

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 1/2 cup green onions, sliced

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

• Cooked rice, for serving

• Sesame seeds, for garnish

-Mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and slice the green onion

-In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. Once browned, drain any excess fat from the skillet.

-Add the minced garlic and grated ginger to the skillet with the browned beef. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant.

-In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and cornstarch until well combined.

-Pour the sauce mixture into the skillet with the ground beef and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.

-Stir in the sliced green onions and red pepper flakes (if using).

-Serve the Mongolian Beef over cooked rice (or frozen cauliflower rice to make it even easier!!) and garnish with sesame seeds.

Kayla - One Pan Mexican Quinoa

"I make Mexican Quinoa from Damn Delicious blog weekly. It's easy to keep the ingredients on hand and the whole family loves it."

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 jalapeno, minced

• 1 cup quinoa

• 1 cup vegetable broth

• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

• 1 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• ½ teaspoon cumin

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

4. Stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro.

5. Serve immediately.

Sarah - Cheesy Sausage & Spinach Quiche

From Aunt Bee's Recipes

"Piggy backing on my breakfast for dinner (last month) this is my all time favorite quiche - it’s always on rotation as a dinner option. leftovers reheat amazing. I Get so many compliments on it when I’ve made it for dinners or brunches!!! You can add onions, tomatoes or any other veggies but the cheese, spinach and sausage is my fave! You can also make it a little “lighter” by subbing out the heavy cream for regular milk….but the heavy cream makes it 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻"

Ingredients:

• 5 large eggs

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 1/2 cups freshly chopped spinach

• 1/2 lb hot breakfast sausage, cooked and crumbled

• 1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese

• 1 9-inch Pillsbury refrigerated deep dish pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Allow pie crust to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before preparing you brown sausage, shred cheese and chop spinach.

3. Whisk the eggs together. Add heavy cream, salt, and onion powder.

4. Place crust in the bottom of a deep-dish pie pan and do not poke holes in it. Sprinkle half of the chopped spinach around the bottom of the crust. Top with half of the cooked sausage, and half of the shredded cheese. Repeat the layers again, beginning with the rest of the spinach, followed by the sausage, and cheese.

5. Pour egg and cream mixture into the pie crust over the layered ingredients. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until egg mixture is firm and the top is golden.

6. Cut into wedges and serve!

"Piggy backing on my breakfast for dinner (last month) this is my all time favorite quiche - it’s always on rotation as a dinner option." - Sarah

Lindsey - Sloppy Joes

"From the recipe book “Best Loved Slow Cooker Recipes” by Crock Pot. It’s Sloppy Joes! I love this recipe because it makes a TON! It’s also sure to get a “I made them extra sloppy!” Billy Madison quote from my husband, Matt. I always freeze half of it after it’s done cooking for a last minute or easy meal. The only drawback is that it is a little more work on the front end. I usually serve it up with some frozen French fries or tots and a veggie of some sort. I will often do “fried okra”. I heat some oil in a skillet (just enough to coat the bottom), pour in frozen okra, and give it a mix. Then dump corn meal on top with some salt and pepper, coating the okra. Let it brown up and you’re done."

anna - Lemon Basil chicken pasta

From @Jenneatsgooood on Instagram

"Packed with flavor, crowd pleaser, good way to get veggies in. I do broccoli instead of asparagus and it’s amazing. And can be prepped ahead of time. Win!"

lemon basil chicken:

- 1/3 cup olive oil

- juice of 2 lemons

- 2 tbsp coconut aminos

- 4 garlic cloves, minced

- 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil

- 1 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp pepper

- 1 + 1/2 lbs chicken breast

baked veggies/pasta:

- 1 lb asparagus, chopped

- 12oz cherry tomatoes

- 8oz feta

- 9oz pasta, cooked (I used TJs brown rice rotini)

- for topping: chopped basil & lemon zest

1. In a bowl, add the oil, lemon, coconut aminos, garlic, basil, salt, & pepper. Whisk to combine. Place the chicken in a container. Cover in the marinade (flip to coat), put the lid on, refrigerate for at least 20 mins, or overnight for best results.

2. Preheat oven to 400. Transfer the chicken and the marinade to a deep baking dish. Add the veggies and mix to coat. Clear an opening in the middle of the pan to place the feta block (recipe notes on this in the blog post).

3. Bake for 35-45 mins, until the chicken is at internal temp of 165, feta is soft, and veggies are tender. While it bakes, boil a pot of salted water and cook the pasta.

4. When the chicken is done, remove from the baking dish and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Mix the feta and veggies until there are no big chunks left. Mash the tomatoes slightly. Add back the chicken and add pasta. Mix to coat.

5. Serve immediately for best results, topping with basil and lemon zest. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Yum

We hope these recipes bring some extra ease and joy to your busy August days. Stay tuned for more tasty ideas in our next "In the Group Chat" installment, and don't forget to share your favorite recipes with us—we're all in this together!