What I Cooked for Dinner Last Week

I’m excited to introduce a new series on Merrick’s Art called What I Cooked for Dinner Last Week! I’ll be sharing our family’s favorite recipes and some new ones we’re trying.

There’s a new weekly series on the blog all about what I cooked for dinner

I usually cook six days a week. On Saturday’s we go out to eat as a family, go out for date night and leave the kids with a babysitter and mac and cheese, or order a pizza.

But the other six days, I cook.

I’ve had a lot of you request that I share these recipes, so I’m excited to introduce a new series on Merrick’s Art called What I Cooked for Dinner last week.

Recipes and reviews of our family’s favorite recipes, and new recipes we’re trying

I’m not particularly creative in the kitchen — I just follow the recipe. So I’ll be sharing links to other sites where I got the recipes, and then telling you if I made any modifications. Easy peasy.

Here’s what I cooked for dinner last week.

Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil

This is one of my family’s favorites. Easy and everyone gobbles it up.

In the recipe she tells you to pre-boil your potatoes to soften them, but I just put the diced potatoes on the sheet pan by themselves and cook them for 10 minutes, then add everything else and cook for the 12-15 minute recipe time. Save yourself an extra pot to wash.

Sweet Potato Foil Packet Tacos

I’ve been making these for years and they’re one of my favorite meals. Leftovers are insanely good. Also make sure you make some fresh guacamole for the top cause that completes the dish for me.

Philip isn’t a huge sweet potato fan, so I sometimes swap his out for baby golden potatoes or red potatoes.

Spicy Italian Panini

Panini’s, or sandwiches in general, are great for dinner because you can modify everyone’s sandwich just the way they like them. No mayo for B or Philip, extra meat for Philip, extra pepperocini’s for me, etc. Then everyone eats their dinner — woohoo!

Also I don’t have a panini press machine, so I used a waffle iron and it was so easy and effective.

Chicken Roll Ups

These were my favorite dish growing up and I’d always request them for my birthday. My mom used to make them without the bread crumbs — just the plain crescent roll dough with a dash of paprika on top — but Philip’s mom made them with breadcrumbs. So I make a huge batch (3-4 cans of crescent roll dough) and make half breadcrumb and half paprika. We all love and eat both!

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

This is one of Philip’s favorite dishes, and it’s an easy one to toss in the crockpot before church on Sunday.

A few modifications I make every time:

• Add WAY less creole seasoning. The recipe calls for 3 TB, I use about 1/2 tsp. Otherwise it’s way too spicy and your children won’t touch it. Also your mouth will burn off.
• Add the sausage to the crockpot about an hour before it’s done. Otherwise it sits in there for seven hours and gets overcooked and isn’t as good.

German Pancake / Hootenanny

I’ve eaten these before, but never made my own. So this was really fun to make, and it turned out beautifully! The boys loved it and gobbled it up with maple syrup. I love mine with powdered sugar or raspberry jam and plain yogurt.