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.

Orzo with Boursin and Sundried Tomatoes

This is absolutely the most simple side dish – orzo, boursin, and sundried tomatoes. The 80s are calling – they are all for sundried tomatoes, just not in every single dish!

I loved the deep but simple flavors – the cheese adds herbs and creaminess and the sundried tomatoes are juicy with a great chew. We had this with some grilled chicken and brussels sprouts.

Orzo with Boursin & Sundried Tomatoes
Ingredients: (serves 4-6 as a side)

1 1/2 cups orzo
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 wedge of boursin
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon sundried tomato oil

Directions:
Boil the orzo in salted water – about 9 minutes.
When fully cooked and drained, add back to the pot with butter. Stir well.
Add in the boursin, sundried tomatoes, and oil.

Stir well to melt and incorporate the cheese.
Enjoy!

The kids weren’t into the sundried tomatoes and mostly picked around those but ate everything else. Add extra sundried tomato oil to the leftovers and eat cold or warm! If you love the cheesiness, add the whole block in. If the tomato part interests you most, add in the whole jar! If sundried tomatoes aren’t your thing – swap for bruschetta mix!

Lemon Dijon Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is packed with serious flavor and is anything but forgettable. There’s nothing worse than pasta salad that has some dressing but doesn’t actually taste like anything. This has lots of lemon and mustard. There are a bunch of herbs and pancetta too.

The Three Bite Rule - Lemon Dijon Pasta Salad

These are some starting points but customize as you like!

Lemon Dijon Pasta Salad
Ingredients:

1/2 pound of pasta
1 cup raw pancetta
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of ~1/2 lemon
lemon zest
1-2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt & pepper
herbs – chives, basil, and mint.

Directions:
Boil the pasta and let cool. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil as it is cooling so it doesn’t stick together.
Pan fry the pancetta and drain.
Mix up the mayo, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, dijon, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt & pepper to taste. Taste it and see substitutions below if it is too strong.

The Three Bite Rule - Lemon Dijon Pasta Salad

When the pasta is fully cool (don’t rush it, let it truly cool) mix in the dressing and the pancetta.

The Three Bite Rule - Lemon Dijon Pasta Salad

Refrigerate until serving and then top with herbs.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Lemon Dijon Pasta Salad

This was a really great lunch and it packs well. Swapping dijon with honey mustard would mellow it out a bit or adding something sweet – like a teaspoon of honey or sweet relish or maple syrup would make it a bit more mild and less lemon.

May Recap 2023

May is full – we come to life when spring is here. We’re back full-swing into baseball (see what I did there?) and we were kept on our toes for our first dance recital (haha, I can’t stop!).

In the kitchen, I was obsessed with these taco beans and they’ll be on repeat for sure.

The Three Bite Rule - Taco Beans

I made a dairy-free lasagna because I’ve somehow become the go-to person for recipes accommodating dietary restrictions for my volunteerism at Lasagna Love and this option is so cheap and easy without unfamiliar ingredients.

The Three Bite Rule - Dairy-free Lasagna

We went with lots of toppings on Sesame Noodle Bowls as a new way to see pulled pork.

Sesame Noodle Bowls - The Three Bite Rule

Again with the beans, what can I say…these Greek Beans were a fun dish and good alternative to a lettuce-based salad.

The Three Bite Rule - Greek Bean Salad

I have been thrilled to have comfortable weather and get outside more. Work has been very busy with reunion. We got to see Thomas’ art at the school art show. I wish some of these cool school events fell in March or April too. There’s a culture night, fun run, parent-teacher conferences, a book fair, and so many end of the year festivities. I’m off for a girls weekend and cannot wait. June will bring a special birthday burger!

The big kid:
He had a field trip (and did not get carsick…winning!), and several more birthday parties, and baseball. He took an after school class for building with all different materials. He’s thoroughly into Plants versus Zombies. He followed along with NBA playoffs and it really makes me love the juxtaposition of imaginary play seeming so cute and little with a mature knowledge of pro basketball player names.

The little one:
Her dance recital was so cute! She loved the rehearsal and did so great. Then the recital night came and she was so worried – tears! – and I was shocked. We watched the video clips I had from the night before, talked about what it would be like, and made a plan that we’d get ready and go but if she decided not to do it, we’d just clap for her class. She was all set when we got there. They were very long nights, but she loved it and wears the ballet costume regularly. The tap one was tight and harder to get on so we haven’t played in that one.

Goals:
Year of workwear! I got a 3/4 length sleeve shirt which helps bridge the spring workwear gap. Working all weekend for Reunion at work was a good reminder of what other clothes I’m looking for!
Salads or side-dishes: Greek bean salad!
prep ahead bfasts or lunches for weekdays: I made some savory waffles and they’re one of my fav on-the-go breakfasts. During a busy week at work I had quiche ready which was so helpful.
Monthly dates: We didn’t really make this happen.
Declutter/cleaning: I bagged up lots of tiny 18 month shorts and 2T swimsuits.
Workouts as a routine: Yes! I did a Sweat & Sculpt series that has been great.
What I’m reading: I read Coronation Year which was only ok, especially after how amazing I thought her book ‘The Gown’ was. I enjoyed a memoir Fatty Fatty Boom Boom by Rabia Chaudry. The best one I read was The Measure by Nikki Erlick.