Cheeseburger Hash Brown Cups

These were a superbowl snack for us but cheeseburger hash brown cups would be a great non-grilling season dinner too! Mr. J grills year-round but a burger-ish app is great to use up leftovers, prepped as an app for a party, or as a twist to the format. These gave me another idea so stay tuned for that one too! 

The Three Bite Rule - Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cups

They weren’t perfectly intact, but still good. I think my muffin tin in a bit bigger than usual and maybe a bit more care forming them would have helped.

Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cups
Ingredients: 

~1/3 bag of tater tots (~4 per muffin cup) 
1/2 pound ground meat/meatless mix
1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional, or sub 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
3 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup cheese, shredded
toppings: pickles, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, etc!

Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (or as tot package calls for). Spray the muffin tin with non-stick spray and put 3-4 tots in each muffin hole. Bake for ~10 minutes and then press down to mold them into the cup shape. Spray again and bake for another 5 minutes until crispy.

The Three Bite Rule - Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cups

While the cups are crisping, pan fry the ground meat. When mostly cooked through, drain excess grease and add in liquid smoke, garlic powder, sesame seeds, salt and pepper.
Add in the crumbled bacon.

The Three Bite Rule - Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cups

Sprinkle each cup with ground meat, and cheese.

The Three Bite Rule - Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cups

Return to the oven to melt. Top with pickles and drizzles of ketchup and mustard. Enjoy!

I thought these were fun. It is easy to prep the cup part in advance and the rest comes together quickly!

The Three Bite Rule - Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cups

Chicken & Broccoli Lasagna Rolls

I make a lot of lasagnas. A lot. Most often they’re for Lasagna Love so I regularly see convos about alternatives. This time they’re getting a twist and only wanted a few portions for these chicken and broccoli lasagna, all rolled up. They use just a small amount of roasted chicken and get drizzled in alfredo sauce.

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna Rolls


Chicken & Broccoli Lasagna Rolls
Ingredients: (for ~4 servings)

8 lasagna noodles
1 1/2 cup roasted chicken (~1 chicken breast)
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup alfredo sauce
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna Rolls

Directions:
Boil water in a large pot for the lasagna noodles. Cook until fully cooked but not the full time listed on the package. For the last few minutes, add the broccoli into the water for ~2-3 minutes.
Drain noodles and broccoli and lay out the lasagna noodles.
Spread ~2 tablespoons of ricotta onto each noodle, then assemble with smaller broccoli pieces and chicken. Add a sprinkle of cheese.

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna Rolls

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
Roll them up and poke anything that falls out back into the rolls.

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna Rolls

In a 9×9 baking dish, spray with non-stick spray and spoon some of the alfredo onto the bottom of the pan. Add the rolls in.
Top with remaining alfredo sauce, remaining shredded cheese, parmesan, and sprinkle on any remaining broccoli.
Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes until warmed through, and bubbly. Remove foil for another 5 minutes until crisp at the edges.

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna Rolls

Enjoy! These are very comforting and a great way to use a small amount of chicken and ricotta instead of a full lasagna. I like the rolls for portioning and to not have to trim the noodles to fit a smaller pan. They reheat well and are a nice break from tomato sauce.

I make lasagnas a lot so if there’s a small amount of leftover ricotta, this would be perfect! I also use it in place of cream cheese sometimes too. Ricotta freezes fine, as does the roasted chicken (a la Costco).

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna Rolls

Chicken IN Waffles

I love a loaded waffle and for this traditional duo, I put the chicken into the waffle for the ease of eating it. The fried chicken balanced on top at a restaurant is beautiful, but this is the way to go when making at home. I topped with maple aioli and arugula.

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken in Waffles

Chicken IN Waffles
Ingredients: (serves 2-4)

2-3 chicken tenders
1 cup waffle mix + 3/4 cup cold water
2 teaspoons hot sauce (optional)
1 tablespoon mayo
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 cups arugula

Directions:
Cook the chicken (according to the package – mine went into the airfryer for ~10 minutes).
Mix up the waffle batter adding the hot sauce.
Preheat the waffle iron.

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken in Waffles

Chop the chicken and add 1/4 of it onto the bottom waffle plate, pour waffle batter on top, add another 1/4 of the chicken. Close the iron and flip.
While the waffle is cooking, mix up the mayo and maple syrup.
Cook the waffles for ~4 minutes (or as your waffle iron suggests).

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken in Waffles

Repeat for another waffle.
Serve waffles with a little maple aioli and greens.

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken in Waffles

Add another drizzle of aioli and enjoy!

I loved this. Waffles reheat fantastically so make some ahead of time and keep warm in the oven, or reheat in the toaster! It seems so decadent but ~1 chicken tender in each waffle isn’t all that much. The chicken going directly onto the waffle iron keeps it crispy and well distributed. Swap the maple aioli with hot honey for a spicy twist.

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken in Waffles

Black Bean Soup

This soup is so so easy and comes together quickly. It is a great weeknight dinner and a great one for anyone who may not love soup or want soup for dinner. I served with quesadilla dippers which meant everyone had a part to fill up on. We topped it with cheese, salsa verde, and sour cream.

Soup is annoying to photograph – trust me that the flavor is fantastic. It is dairy-free and easy to be vegan, if needed.

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

Easy Black Bean Soup
Ingredients: (for 4 servings)

1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped or grated
1, 29oz can black beans
2 cups broth (chicken, beef, vegetable)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
toppings: shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, guacamole, tortilla chips

Directions:
In a large pot, cook the carrots and peppers in olive oil for about 7 minutes over medium heat until soft and mostly cooked through.

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

Add in the black beans, broth, garlic, and cumin. Stir well and cook for ~30 minutes over low heat.

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

Add half or 3/4 to a blender or food processor and carefully blend. Repeat in batches for the texture you prefer. (I blended almost all of it.)

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

Add more broth if desired. Serve with toppings as you like. Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

One kid ate mostly soup and no quesadilla and the other ate mostly quesadilla and only a few bites of soup. I blended it a lot but wonder if they would have been more into it with more recognizable beans since they really like them. Sour cream is a good way to mellow it out a bit.

Make it ahead of time, or make in smaller batches. It would be great alongside a taco feast and has chili-ish vibes with all the toppings.

January 2023 Recap

I enjoy January for the freshness and re-set since I don’t get a post-holiday letdown I know others feel. Once the holidays pass I love to usher in the snowy decor and prep for our guy’s birthday!

This is the ultimate breakfast sandwich is on Texas toast with maple bacon aioli and gooey cheese.

Treats don’t have to end come January so we had some Snickerdoodle Muddy Buddies.

As the only mushroom-eater, I made these Forager Flatbreads as lunch.

The Three Bite Rule - Forager Flatbread

We had fun going to the pool and ice skating and we definitely are awaiting real snow. We are outside less and wishing for more daylight. I’m very over the colds we seem to pass along. I love the snacks of the superbowl ahead and maybe we’ll create some pink Valentine’s day dessert.

The Little Girl:
She’s still in her Elsa dress daily. She builds magnatiles and colors non-stop. We are very into the books that read-aloud themselves from the library. I’m so impressed with how well she can use scissors. She cannot wait for kindergarten and riding the bus.

The Big Guy:
His birthday was so fun. We had a family dinner party and he had some friends meet him at the trampoline park. I love seeing his friendships blossom. Of course we had pasta and caesar salad. He is very into How to Train your Dragon and transformers. He’s taking an Animals around the World class after school and he’ll play baseball in the spring. He’s interested in the football playoffs and superbowl.

Goals:
Year of workwear! I got a few shells for under blazers or cardigans
Salads or side-dishes: Hmm.
prep ahead bfasts or lunches for weekdays: this makes getting to the office so much easier. I made some chickpea/tomato/cucumber/feta bowls with hummus and pita.
Monthly dates: We didn’t make this happen, but will.
Declutter/cleaning: I passed along all the pjs that the big guy is always be too hot for!
Workouts as a routine: ehh. Too many days of colds meant this didn’t happen regularly.
What I’m reading: I read The Nineties which was interesting but felt like I’d already read it. Bookclub read The Ten Thousand Doors of January which wasn’t for me.