May 2024 Recap

May is a marathon with lots of fun things, true feelings of spring to summer, and also, work is so busy so the month is FULL. We had some fun food and got outside much more.

I made a Street Corn Pasta Salad which felt like familiar flavors in a unique format.

Then I gave a refresh to the beloved Ranch Chicken Burgers we’ve been repeating 4x a year, since 2012!

I turned sausage & peppers subs into burrito-ish wraps. They had great cheesy and mustardy flavors!

My love for rice bowls runs deep so I did a Chicken Parm rice bowl theme.

Chicken Parm Rice Bowl - The Three Bite Rule

June will include a my bffs trip, that busy end of the school year, the end of the fiscal year at work, and of course flag day which is only a big deal in our town. I’ll make a birthday burger, a redo is on the menu, and some other spring/summer ideas.

The Big Kid:
We’re wrapping up the baseball season and school is a max capacity. There are so many field trips, spring concert, field day, the art show, and so much more. We keep hoping we’ll have the last spelling homework packet but eventually it has to be the last one! He got a new bike and is obsessed. It was shocking to see him this spring on his old one where he looked like a clown on a tiny one!

The Little One:
She had her dance recital to wrap up the year and really loved it this year. Her class is huge and I loved that she wasn’t nervous this year. She too had a field trip and will have another one coming up. We got a load of hand-me-down dresses and she’s in her glory with more sequins. She loves playground time during the baseball games and is very into egg salad for quick or picnic dinners.

Goals for this year:
Year of small businesses/artisans/writers: I didn’t get to it this month.
More meatless meals: We had peanut sesame noodles & edamame recently!
sandwiches and salads: salad bar dinner one night & a few salad kits were a nice change!
a focus on going to new or places we don’t get to all the time: Mom and I hadn’t been to lunch at Legal Seafoods for chowder in a very long time!
redo photos – Ranch Chicken burgers got a refresh since 2012 and apartment life!
what I’m reading: I read Sunshine Nails which was pretty good- it’d be perfect for vacation. The List was kind of a letdown…it was not really worth it. Alternatively, I was very captivated by First Lie Wins which I sought out for a page-turner I could undo the last two I hadn’t loved. I’m pretty obsessed with some others and should finish any day.

Chicken Parmesan Rice Bowls

Will. It. Rice bowl? Of course! Anything can become a rice bowl! I took a few of our favorite flavors and turned them into a very quick rice bowl. Rice bowls are filling from the rice, with protein from the chicken, and a big veggie serving.

Chicken Parm Rice Bowl - The Three Bite Rule

This would be great with risotto or orzo but I had leftover brown rice so I went with that. If by chance you don’t love arugula as much as I do, sautéed veggies or roasted broccoli or any veg!

Chicken Parmesan Rice Bowls
Ingredients: (for 2)

1 1/2 cups prepared rice (or other grain)
4 tablespoons parmesan cheese
4 chicken tenders or ~8 chicken chunks
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups arugula
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup fresh mozzarella

Directions:
Cook or warm the rice and stir in 1/2 the parmesan.
Cook the chicken (mine was airfried).

Top the chicken with sauce and shredded mozzarella. Return to the oven/airfryer/toaster oven to melt the cheese.
Toss the arugula with Italian dressing or oil & vinegar.
Assemble the bowls with rice in the bottom and top with chicken, fresh mozzarella, arugula, and sprinkle remaining parmesan on top.
Enjoy!

Chicken Parm Rice Bowl - The Three Bite Rule

This is really good and nicely filling. I love the melty cheese with the chicken, and the fresh arugula with a little bit of dressing adds brightness.

Some of our other fav grain bowls are:
Pineapple Coconut Rice Bowls
Winter Veggie Grain Bowls
Chicken, Bacon, & Avocado with Honey Mustard

Ranch Chicken Burgers

{originally published in 2012 and updated in 2024}

These are possibly the most-repeated dish from the blog. We’ve been having these since using a grill pan in our apartment way back when and now have them regularly in the spring and summer. They’re so good and such a crowd-pleaser.

Ranch Chicken Burgers
Ingredients: (for 4)

1 pound ground chicken
1 packet dried ranch dressing/dip mix (~2 teaspoons)
3 tbs ranch dressing
4 rolls

Directions:
Preheat the grill.
Mix together the ground chicken, ranch mix, 1 teaspoon of ranch dressing – reserving the rest for topping.
Form into 4 patties.

Sprinkle with salt & pepper then grill until cooked through 165-degrees being careful not to flip too often. These cook well on a griddle.
Serve on buns with more ranch and any toppings you like!
Enjoy!

We have these often but hadn’t yet this year. The kiddos didn’t remember them and each ate it all! There’s the lesson – repeat a previous dinner, nobody remembers how often you serve something! We each added ranch on the buns and these are great with lettuce, tomato, pickles, or anything! I think the kids add ketchup.

Street Corn Pasta Salad

Street Corn becomes a whole new side and is so addicting. There’s sweet corn and salty cheese that wakes up with lime. I love elotes as a side but gave it a whole new personality.

This stores so well and is great later. Turn it into a full meal with a scoop of black beans or chicken on top. I added a mound of arugula and it was so nicely balanced.

Street Corn Pasta Salad
Ingredients: (for ~4 side servings or 2-3 meals)

1-1 1/2 cups pasta (Ditalini or small elbows)
1 cup corn
1/4 cup cheese (feta or cotija)
3 tablespoons mayo
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder/chili lime/smoked paprika/cayenne

Directions:
Cook the pasta and the corn and allow to cool.
Mix up the mayo, lime juice, and chili seasoning.

Add the dressing to the corn, pasta, and the cheese reserving just a sprinkle for the top.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top with another sprinkle of chili powder. Refrigerate until serving.
Enjoy!

I love the combo here of sweet corn and salty cheese. Make it yours by increasing the lime, or spice, or corn, or dressing. The dressing could be half mayo and half Greek yogurt or half sour cream.

This keeps well for days or is great made the day before. This would be perfect alongside tacos and seems ideal to make freezer tamales or taquitos into a meal.

April 2024 Recap

April was such a whirlwind with school vacation getaway to Mystic & Legoland, a few social plans, a few dr’s appts, and the start of baseball season!

In the kitchen, I made a few fun things! I took inspiration from Tacobell and made a Taco Pizza – which is kind of a quesadilla pizza? That gets confusing but whatever you call it, it was delicious and was such a meal from the refried beans and ground meet middle layer.

I made a red velvet waffle that is so good and could also be pancakes! I froze the rest and toast them to order!

The Three Bite Rule - Red Velvet Waffles

A chopped Greek salad rounded out the blog posts and is perfectly hardy to pack for lunch, dinner on the go, or for a group.

Chopped Greek Salad - The Three Bite Rule

May is another full one – lots of baseball and the last dance classes and recital! At work reunion is coming up. Foodwise, it’ll mean some quick or packable dinners, likely more grilling, and more salads. I love this change of seasons and am glad for more time outside.

The Big Kid:
He is getting into the baseball season. We loved seeing him follow the map at Legoland! He thought the vending machines were one of the best parts of staying at a hotel. He’s had lots of birthday parties lately. He is still into bananas and loves a bacon, egg & cheese.

The Little One:
She is our adrenaline junkie – she LOVED the roller coaster at Legoland. It was great to see her eat really well on vacation. She went to a Taylor Swift Dance Party birthday party and loved it. I was happy to see her have fun with girls in her class. There was about a week on and off of her under the weather – she had a headache and was better, then tired and was better, wasn’t hungry, then was better.

Goals for this year:
Year of small businesses/artisans/writers: It was time for a springy scent from Paperback Candles.
More meatless meals: Hmmm.
sandwiches and salads: Chopped Greek salad!
a focus on going to new or places we don’t get to all the time: We went to dinner at Jinny’s Pizza in Newton and looooved it. Our trip to Mystic & Legoland counts too!
redo photos – none this month.
what I’m reading: I read The Cuban Heiress which was pretty good but I think some of her other titles have more Cuba in them! I also read Hey Ladies! which was also ok. Then I read You, Again which again was entertaining but not amazing. I read The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and thought it was cute.