Recipes Archives - MommyLexi

Healthy Crockpot Lasagna

posted on : March 18, 2022 posted by : Chirag Diyora

Lasagna is one of the most comforting foods out there, and always a fan favorite! I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t love lasagna, and if I ever do, I’m going to seriously question their taste! 😉 The only thing I don’t love about lasagna is how much time and effort it takes to prepare. Well let me tell, you, this crockpot lasagna is way easier and super delicious! I made this for a family birthday gathering with 5 adults and 2 kids, and everyone raved about it! The bonus is we had lots of yummy leftovers, even though almost everyone had seconds. Scroll down for this recipe and the steps to make it yourself! Let me know what you think in the comments, and be sure to share with anyone you think would enjoy this – sharing is caring! 😉 Enjoy! xo

Instructions

2 24 oz jars of pasta sauce (low in sodium with a good amount of Italian spices)
9-10 lasagna noodles with wavy edges (raw/uncooked)
2 16oz containers of part-skim ricotta cheese OR cottage cheese (I used one of each for fun)
4 cups chopped vegetables of choice (I used pre-chopped/washed baby spinach)
Pesto (ready made works great)
Meatless crumbles or veggie sausage. This one is my favorite – just sauté before adding that layer. (optional but adds lots of flavor and heartiness)
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
Shredded parmesan cheese for the top
Fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

Spray the crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. I used olive oil spray and it worked well.
Spread about 1/2 cup tomato sauce to the bottom so the noodles don’t stick.
Break noodles so that they fit and mostly cover the bottom. Please note that these do not need to be “no boil” noodles. Regular lasagna noodles will work perfectly and they will cook without any issue. The noodles will not fit perfectly, which is totally fine! Cover them with about 1/3 of the ricotta/cottage cheese, spinach, pesto, meatless crumbles (if you choose to use them), pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, and lastly more noodles. Please note that if you use meatless crumbles, you’ll want to sauté them first. It is an extra step, so skip meatless crumbles to make it even easier. It’ll still be delicious once done.
You will repeat layers 2-3 more times for a depending on how many layers you want (and how much of each ingredient you have). You’ll want to end with a layer of noodles, top it off with a thin layer of pasta sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese.
Put on the cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5 hours. Turn the crockpot off (unplug it), leave the lid on to preserve the heat, and let it set for at least 1 hour. I let it sit in the crockpot for 2 to fully set, and it was still hot when we served it, but it held together beautifully. I added parmesan and fresh chopped parsley at the end, before serving. It looked beautiful and tasted even better!
If you serve it without letting it set, it’ll still be delicious, but it will fall apart. Not an issue if you have a hungry crew who wants to eat this delicious meal and doesn’t care if it’s pretty! 😉 Scroll down for photos of my process.
It keeps really well in a tupperware in the fridge. We reheated it in the microwave and had hearty, delicious, easy leftovers. I even packed it as a hot school lunch for my kids in a thermus. Definitely added this to the our weeknight dinner rotation. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Let me know how it goes in the comments! I’m excited to hear what veggies you use and love best! 🙂

Some of my favorite kitchen gadgets are below if you would like to snag your own! Happy cooking!

Family,Recipes

Easy Baking Sheet Pancakes

posted on : January 10, 2022 posted by : Chirag Diyora

Pancakes are a family favorite in our house. If you have a family member who absolutely loves pancakes, this is the recipe for you! Being a busy parent, I’m always looking for new recipes to add to my meal prep! This is one of the fastest and easiest recipes you’ll come across for breakfast – and you can customize it with whatever you have on hand! Total win! Add berries, bananas, small pieces of apple, cinnamon, apple pie spice, chocolate chips, sprinkles, or anything else you love! There’s a ton of delicious combinations, so have fun and find your favorite! Keep scrolling for the ingredients and step by step directions. I’ll add additional photos for the steps soon, but this is a very straightforward recipe so definitely give it a try and let me know how you like it with a comment! 🙂

Ingredients for 14 X 20" Sheet Pan

3 cups pancake mix – Trader Joes Buttermilk Pancake & All Purpose Mix is my favorite – Bisquick is a close second
1 1/5 cups milk
3 eggs
1 – 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini carob chips – chocolate chips work as well
Fruit – I used strawberries and blueberries
Sprinkles (optional)
5 strawberries, sliced or diced thin
1/4 cup blueberries
Syrup or agave – to taste

Ingredients for 12 X 16" Sheet Pan

2 cups pancake mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini carob chips – chocolate chips work as well
Fruit – I used strawberries and blueberries
Sprinkles (optional)
5 strawberries, sliced or diced thin
1/4 cup blueberries
Syrup or agave – to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prep your sheet pan with a sheet of parchment paper, and spray with non-stick oil. My favorite spray has flour in it and is amazing for baking as well.
In a mixing bowl, add pancake mix, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk your ingredients together until the batter is almost completely smooth with some small lumps.
Pour the batter onto your sheet pan and smooth it out evenly until it covers the entire pan.
Add your toppings to the batter in any way you like. You can add it in sections, do a mix of everything on top, leave some areas plain, etc.
Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Cooking times will differ depending on your oven, mix of choice, etc. so keep an eye on the oven as these do cook pretty quickly.
Let cook for a couple of minutes and then either cut into squares or use cookie cutters to make fun shapes. I made this batch as we are getting close to Valentines Day and thought my kids would enjoy the hearts.
Serve with butter, syrup, a dusting of powdered sugar, or whatever your favorite is on top of pancakes! Enjoy! XO

Recipes

Easy Instant Pot Chicken Thighs and Brown Rice

posted on : August 21, 2019 posted by : Chirag Diyora

It feels like Fall and it’s time for something warm, comforting and yummy! This recipe comes together incredibly fast, is healthy, and complete. You can add additional veggies if you like, or keep it simple with the ingredients below. I’m so sorry there’s a lack of photos! I threw this together in a pinch for the fam – and they loved it! I’ll take more photos when I make it again – and will update this post! One thing to note – I get my diced veggies from Trader Joes (mirepoix mix – see image below) and it pretty much takes away my prep! I threw this together in under 5 minutes – set the cook time – and it was done in a flash! Scroll down for the details and enjoy! xo

Ingredients

2 LB Chicken Thighs
1.5 Cups Brown Rice
1 Cup diced carrots
1 Cup diced yellow onion
1 Cup diced celery
2 TBSP Garlic Powder
2 TBSP All Purpose Seasoning (salt free)
1 Large packet ranch dressing (powder)
4 Cups water
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Gently place your chicken thighs into the Instant Pot – they should be equally distributed at the bottom of the pot.
Add water and all of the diced veggies (you can also use a package of mirepoix mix for convenience).
Next add the brown rice, ranch seasoning packet, garlic powder and the all purpose seasoning.
With a big spoon, gently give the rice, veggies and water a stir (it’s all above the chicken so don’t stir too deep). When it looks combined, you’re good to go.
Close the lid and make sure the vent is set to sealing. Cook on high for 20 min and let it slow release for 5 min.
After the slow release time is up, release the rest of the pressure by turning the valve to venting.
Use a clean large spoon or ladle to stir the pot well, season with a little bit of salt and pepper to taste and that’s it! You can also top with some fresh parsley, hot sauce, or chili flakes. My kiddos had it as is, but Dan loves to add some spice! 🙂 Enjoy!

NOTE: It has some extra liquid when you first serve it, like a thick soup. If you have leftovers, the extra liquid absorbs into the rice, so it has more of a risotto consistency on day 2. The kids and Dan loved it both ways – and I felt like the extra bit of “broth” on day 1 made it sort of like a different dish than on day 2. 🙂 Perfect for meal prep! Let me know what you think! xo

Recipes

Easy Frozen Rosé – “Frosé” Recipe

posted on : July 2, 2019 posted by : Chirag Diyora

If you are a rosé fan – you are going to love frosé! I’m a little late to the game with this trend – but I’m on board now and planning to make this recipe a lot this Summer! We were recently in Vegas with some of our best friends and discovered frosé at the pool! It’s cool, refreshing, and delicious! I wanted to make these at home and this is what we came up with! Scroll down for this super simple recipe and enjoy! xo

Ingredients

1 bottle rosé wine (doesn’t need to be expensive. Get one with a good rich pink color)
1/2 cup vodka
6 Tablespoons strawberry infused simple syrup

To make the strawberry infused simple syrup:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 8oz diced strawberries

Instructions

Pour rosé wine into a freezer proof dish or pan. We used a loaf pan which was the perfect size and easy to fit into the freezer. Freeze for 6-8 hours (or overnight).
For the strawberry infused simple syrup, combine water and sugar in a small sauce pan. Stir consistently until the sugar dissolves. Add the strawberries to the pot, turn off the heat, and let sit for 30 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a mason jar and chill for another 30 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and put back into your mason jar so you can save the leftovers in the fridge for later. You can toss the strawberries or use them in any way you see fit (on top of ice cream, blended with your frozé, etc.).
Put the frozen wine, vodka, and strawberry infused simple syrup to a blender. Quickly then blend until smooth – start slow. You want to do a couple of seconds at a time – you don’t want to over blend or it won’t stay nice and slushy. Serve immediately and enjoy!
NOTE: I plan on keeping a loaf pan of frozen rosé in my freezer just in case we have company or want to make this recipe on a hot day (without the wait). Truthfully, I would also make a double batch of the strawberry infused simple syrup if you plan to entertain or make this over a weekend. It goes fast and is worth making extra.

Recipes

Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Veggie Rice

posted on : June 28, 2019 posted by : Chirag Diyora

A complete meal that the whole family will love? Yes please! My kids and husband devoured this dish – and it was so easy to make! It has chicken, brown rice, lots of veggies, and comes together into a wonderful dish that has the consistency of risotto. It’s creamy without the cream – so it’s healthy too! Did I mention it makes great leftovers? You can see Gabe taking it down in the photo above and another at the bottom of this post. Both kids asked for seconds – I may need to make a double batch next time! 😉 In any case, scroll down and give this one a try! I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did! xo

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small chopped yellow onion
4 medium carrots – diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 ½ cups uncooked long grain brown rice (be sure to rinse and drain)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp dried Italian herbs/seasoning
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
1 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 cup frozen peas
10 ounces steamed broccoli
Salt/Pepper to taste

Instructions

Hit the sauté button on your Instant Pot. Add the olive oil, onion and carrots to your pot. Stir until the veggies start to soften, 3-5 minutes.
Add garlic, garlic powder, brown rice, mustard, and Italian seasoning. Stir and cook for about more 1 minute. Turn off Instant Pot so nothing burns.
Stir in the chicken broth and make sure it is combined well. Use your big spoon to scrape any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot or it may not pressurize.
Scrape the bits off the sides and make sure that all of the rice and veggies are covered by the broth.
Place the chicken thighs on top of the rice mixture and do not stir the pot. They should remain on top.
Close the lid and make sure the pressure valve is set to sealing. Cook on high for 20 minutes.
After the timer goes off, turn the pot off and allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 10-15 min (or you can let it fully release on it’s own if you have time).
If only waiting 10-15 min, you can quick pressure release the remaining pressure but make sure to use a towel or something to protect your hand/arm from the hot steam when you turn the valve to venting.
Open the Instant Pot and use 2 forks to shred your chicken. You do not need to take the chicken out to do this step. It will be falling apart easily and should shred with no effort using two forks.
Once the chicken is shredded, add your frozen peas. You do not need to cook them before adding them. The heat from the rice and chicken will cook them after you stir them in.
Take your broccoli and lightly steam it before adding it to the pot. I use a microwave steamer, but you can use your preferred method. Add the steamed broccoli to your rice mixture and stir.
Serve with grated Parmesan and add salt/pepper to taste.
Enjoy!

Recipes

Making Truffles at Home

posted on : June 3, 2019 posted by : Chirag Diyora

Brunch with friends, a bridal shower, baby shower, birthday party, or just a tea party with someone you love – all great reasons to make these easy little truffles at home! Sofia wanted to have a tea party, so this turned into a fun at home project on a Saturday morning. We enjoyed them after we got home from the park. They are super easy to make, so cute, and a lot easier than you think! Scroll down for the quick and easy way to make truffles at home! Enjoy! xo

Ingredients & Tools

1 – 12 ounce bag Chocolate chips – the type is up to you, but it must be able to melt (I used semi-sweet)
Sprinkles, peanut butter, sun butter, freeze dried berries, nuts/seeds, crystalized ginger or anything else you may want to fill the truffles with
You need molds for your truffles, and some like a double boiler to melt the chocolate. If you want to melt chocolate in the microwave, I added the instructions below. Bonus of the molds is that you can use them to make cute little (less junky) candies, to make little soaps, candles, crayons, or even super cute ice cubes! 🙂

Instructions

Melt your chocolate! I melted my chocolate chips on the stove by bringing about an inch of water to a boil in a saucepan. Set a heatproof (microwave/oven safe) glass bowl on top of the mouth of the saucepan and ensure that it fits well so it doesn’t move around. Use potholders to protect your hand and to make sure the bowl is secure while you stir. See photos below for a visual. Make sure the bowl and water are not touching. You want the steam below the bowl to melt the chocolate. Stir the chocolate as it starts to melt. When there are a couple of small unmelted chocolate chips, remove the bowl from heat (still using potholders) and put onto a heatproof surface. The residual heat will melt the rest of the tiny pieces, so simply stir until smooth.
If you are more comfortable melting chocolate in the microwave, put your chocolate chips into a medium glass microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 20-30 seconds at a time (depending on the strength of your microwave), stir with a spatula, and repeat. When the chocolate chips are mostly melted but you can still see a couple of pieces remaining, set it aside and stir well until smooth.
Once you have your chocolate melted, use a small spoon to fill your molds. If you are making them solid, you can fill them all and simply chill them in the fridge for an hour (or until solid). To make the transfer of the molds to your fridge easier, place the molds on a plate or sheet pan before you fill them.
If you plan to fill them, only add enough chocolate to fill about 1/3 of the mold shape. Add your filling (we used chocolate candy coated sprinkles and sunbutter). Do not overfill them – start slow and you’ll get a feel for how much to add. Top your filling with more chocolate. You can see I overfilled a couple of ours and they still worked, were still delicious, but weren’t as professional looking. 🙂
Chill for an hour or until solid.
Eat, share, enjoy! 🙂

Recipes

Instant Pot Chicken Chili

posted on : May 14, 2019 posted by : Chirag Diyora

Who doesn’t like an easy meal that pleases the whole family? Well this chicken chili is a total win! It’s super easy to make, involves ingredients that you can keep on hand in the pantry and freezer, and it takes almost no prep at all. Did I mention it makes fantastic leftovers? My 3 and 5 year old love this recipe – and so does my hubby. By all accounts, this recipe is a must try. Now, if you’re like me and don’t eat meat, you can skip the chicken and add some extra veggies, like bell peppers, to hearty it up a bit more. You’ll cut the time in half as well – so another win! 🙂 Keep scrolling for the full recipe – and after the photos you’ll find some of my fave tools for meal prep (more budget friendly than many name brands). Enjoy and happy cooking! xo

Ingredients

1 small yellow onion (chopped)
2-4 cloves of garlic – more or less depending on preference (minced)
1 cup frozen mushrooms (Whole foods frozen mixed mushrooms is the BEST)
1 cup frozen corn (Whole foods frozen fire roasted corn is my favorite)
1 15 ounce can pinto beans (drained)
1 15 ounce can great northern beans (drained) – Any white bean will work
1 cup low sodium chicken broth/stock
1.5 pounds chicken thighs
1 28 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
2 Tbsp Chili Powder – I love the Simply Organic blend best and Whole Foods does carry it
2 Tbsp Olive oil

Instructions

Put the olive oil into your Instant Pot or Multi Pot, press sauté and heat for 30 seconds or so. Add your chopped onion and stir.

Sauté until translucent and then add minced garlic. Continue to sauté for another minute but don’t walk away for long or your garlic will burn.

Press cancel so the heating element stops so you can add your other ingredients without anything burning onto the bottom of your pot.

Add corn, then mushrooms, drained beans, and half a cup of chicken stock. Stir well.

Place the chicken thighs on top of your veggie mixture in a single layer (see image below).

Top the chicken with the entire can of fire roasted tomatoes. Gently mix 2 Tbsp of chili powder with the tomatoes (only the tomatoes) on the top of the chicken.

Pour a half cup of chicken stock on top of the tomatoes to help create steam.

Close the lid of your Instant Pot and make sure the valve is set to sealing not venting.

Pressure cook for 16 minutes and let the steam slow release for 10 minutes.

Release the remaining pressure by turning the valve to venting (make sure to protect your arm from the steam).

Use a large spoon to mix well and break apart the chicken. It will shred as you stir the pot, giving you a shredded chicken chili.

Enjoy and top with cheese, sour cream, cilantro, diced jalapeños, tortilla chips, etc. So many fantastic options! My kids love shredded cheese on theirs – and you can see Sofia in action below. Both kiddos devoured this chili tonight! 🙂

Keep scrolling for my fave multi pot – which is a lot cheaper than the name brand one – and it comes with a lot of accessories without paying extra. I’ve also included a couple other fave items to make your meal prep or just general cooking easier. If you’re new to the Instant Pot or Multi Pot world – read my post with the Top 5 Multi Pot Issues and How to Troubleshoot them.

Happy cooking! xo

Recipes

Instant Pot Sesame Ginger Chicken

posted on : April 2, 2019 posted by : Chirag Diyora

Anyone else always on the hunt for easy weeknight recipes? Raise of hands! Well, I sure am! 🙂 This is a very easy recipe that can be pulled together quickly with items that are in the pantry and fridge. I try to pick up chicken thighs with my regular groceries each week, even if I’m not sure what I’m going to make with them yet.

The flavors in this recipe go really well together and make for a family friendly meal. I served this Sesame Ginger Chicken over white rice (easy to sub out for brown rice), and steamed edamame. My kids loved it and it took almost no time to prepare. I would normally add some sesame seeds and green onion as a garnish, but my little one’s like it without. No matter what – this is a big win! Let me know what you think! xo

Ingredients

2 lb Boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 Tsp Minced ginger
3 Cloves garlic (minced)
1 Tsp Sesame oil
1/4 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp Brown sugar
Water

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, honey and brown sugar together. I used a fork to mix it together, though a whisk works just as well.

Press sauté on the Instant Pot and pour in your mixture. Let it heat up for a minute or two so that the honey and brown sugar can dissolve. Once it’s combined well, you can hit the cancel button.

Next add your chicken thighs to the pot. They nestle nicely into the sauce. Add the water on top of the chicken, which helps the Instant Pot to have enough steam to pressurize.

Put the lid onto the Instant Pot, close, and ensure that it’s on sealing (not venting). Pressure cook on high for 7 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, I usually steam some edamame and rice. Something I love is organic edamame from the frozen section of the grocery store. It’s fast, easy, healthy, and my kids love it! I can also control the salt level, which I add once it’s steamed. I keep frozen organic white and brown rice on hand as well, which speeds things up when I’m low on time.

Once the chicken is done, quick release the steam (venting). Be careful to guard your hand/arm when moving to venting – the steam is very hot and comes out fast. I usually use a dish towel or something to move it to venting.

Use a slotted spoon to take the chicken out of the Instant Pot. If serving it all that night, you can put it on a nice dish. I put the chicken into an airtight container as part of my meal prep, and take out a couple of pieces for the kids to eat right away. Hit the sauté button and reduce the sauce for 5-7 minutes. Pour over the chicken for additional flavor and deliciousness.

Serve chicken with rice, edamame or your other favorite side dishes. Enjoy!

Optional garnish: sliced green onions, sesame seeds

Recipes

Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

posted on : March 5, 2019 posted by : Chirag Diyora

Are you a meal prepper or maybe just aspiring? No matter where you’re at with preparing meals, this is a super easy chicken recipe that is sure to please! Let me start by saying, I don’t eat meat. I know! Funny that I’m posting this chicken recipe – huh? Well, my hubby and kids love chicken and this is a very simple way for me to make them happy and reduce the amount of time I spend cooking all week long.

Scroll down to see the extremely short ingredient list, and super simple steps. The best part of this recipe is that you’ll have 3lbs – 4lbs of shredded chicken that can be used in chili, soups, tacos, burritos, on salads, in sandwiches, with pasta or quinoa and more. It’s fast, easy, healthy, and kid approved. Talk about meal prep heaven! Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

Ingredients

3 – 4 Lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (You can mix thighs and breast meat if you prefer)
1 Cup water
1 tsp Veggie Bouillon
2 Tbsp All-Purpose Seasoning (salt free)

Instructions

Put 1/2 cup of water into your Instant Pot and add 1 tsp bouillon.
Hit the sauté button and let the water and bouillon heat and dissolve for 3 minutes. It’ll become a quick and easy broth. If you have broth on hand, you can sub that out for the water and bouillon.
Add all of your chicken into the pot.
Sprinkle 2 Tbsp of All-Purpose Seasoning on the top of the chicken.
Pour another 1/2 cup of water on top of the chicken.
Secure the lid of the Instant Pot, then ensure the pressure valve is on sealing and not venting.
Push the Poultry button and cook for 15 minutes for 3 lbs (add 2 minutes for each additional pound of chicken).
Once the timer goes off and the Instant Pot is done cooking, hit the cancel button, and move the pressure valve to venting.
Once the pressure is fully released, open the lid and use 2 forks to shred the chicken in your pot.
Use a slotted spoon to take out the chicken. You can serve it immediately, or put into an airtight container as part of your meal prep (we do both in our house).

TIP: You’ve just made some flavorful broth – so don’t let it go to waste! Toss in some noodles or quinoa to make a side dish! I used veggie noodles and made quick and delicious pasta for my kids. I poured the pasta into the broth (a little less than one package to make sure there was enough liquid to cook it), closed the lid again, and pressure cooked it for half the cooking time listed on the box.

For pasta, if the package tells you to cook for 8-10 minutes, pressure cook it in the broth (or water) for 4 minutes. It’s a great way to reduce waste, continue your meal prep, and make a side dish that has the same flavors as your protein. Enjoy!