If there is one thing I love to do it is cook! I do not like cooking the same thing over and over again so I am always on the hunt for new recipes. I probably have hundreds if not thousands of recipes I have either tried or want to try. I finally came up with my top ten recipes everyone should try at least once. I hope you find something on this list to inspire your inner chef.

1. Pad Thai – My husband loves Pad Thai and likes it to taste very authentic. After doing some research online I found this recipe and decided to give it a try. My husband was instantly hooked and is always asking me to make this dish. However, if you do not cook a lot of Thai food the ingredients in this list can be a little extensive. I had to go to a Thai grocery store to get most of the stuff I needed. I should also note that this recipe is a little spicy for most people. 
2. Pan Roasted Chicken – I personally love chicken but my husband complains when we eat chicken all the time, so I’m always on the look out for new ways to make chicken. The reason I love this recipe is it is super easy to make, does not require a lot of ingredients and you cook a side dish at the same time. This is one of my go to dishes when I am not in the mood to cook. The chicken and veggies have a ton of flavor and even the kids eat this without complaining.
3. Parmesan Tilapia – I love fish and salmon happens to be my favorite but feeding a family of five salmon can get a little pricey. I was recently introduced to tilapia and just fell in love with how versatile it is. Not only is tilapia cheap but it cooks super quick making this one of my go to foods when I am not really in the mood to cook. This recipe is amazing and cooks up really quick. My kids love it and usually ask for seconds. Serve this over some white or brown rice and you will have a complete meal.
4. Braided Spaghetti – This is a recipe I was going to do for this blog but let’s just say my version did not come out as pretty. After looking at the picture you might think this is going to be a time-consuming recipe, but it is actually pretty easy to make. I’m not a big fan of traditional spaghetti so having a new way to eat it was a nice change. Pair this up with a crisp salad and you will have a happy family.
5. Bacon-Jalapeno Cheese Ball – This obviously isn’t a recipe for dinner but it is worth being on my list of top ten recipes to try. This was the first cheese ball I had ever made and I was surprised at how simple it really was. This was really easy to make but does get your hands a little messy.
6. Authentic Tamales – Mexican food is by far my favorite type of food. If it was up to me we would eat Mexican food every single night. Growing up my friends mom would always make tamales at Christmas time. It never really understood why she only made them at Christmas time until I attempted to make them a few months ago. These were a lot of work but the end result was amazing and I would defiantly make these again. Something about making homemade tamales in the kitchen with my daughter just brought a sense of happiness to me. I should note that the instructions in this recipe are extremely easy to follow so if you are going to attempt to make tamales for the first time this is an excellent recipe.
7. Easy Taco Salad – This is one of those dishes we normally include in our weekly menu. We used to Taco Tuesdays now we do Taco Salad Tuesdays. This is another really simple recipe and you can change it up to fit your families personal tastes.
8. Crock Pot Rotisserie Chicken – Most people love those pretty Rotisserie chickens you can buy at the grocery store but thanks to Pinterest I can now make a beautiful Rotisserie in my crock pot. I usually make this on the weekends and then shred it and use it in different recipes throughout the week. I must say I was skeptical when I first saw this recipe but after trying it I am hooked and no longer buy over priced Rotisserie Chicken’s at the store.
9. Cherry Beer Margaritas – Let me first start off by saying I do not really enjoy alcohol but this drink is delicious! I was looking on Pinterest for an easy drink for a BBQ we were having last summer. I came across this pin and thought this sounds easy, yummy and refreshing. Everyone that had it really enjoyed it and I would highly suggest making this at your next BBQ.
10. Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries - No top ten recipes list is complete without a desert and what better than a quick and easy one. Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries is genius! I mean who doesn’t love cheesecake and strawberries? Not only is this delicious but you are bound to impress your guest with this desert.

I hope you found some recipes on this list that will get you in the kitchen and trying new things. Do you have favorite recipe? If so leave a link in the comments!

Baked Potato Soup is a favorite in our family and prior to finding this amazing recipe on Pinterest. I have always cooked baked potato soup with flour, butter and lots of milk! The recipe I am now using contains no milk! Yes, you did hear that correctly…NO MILK! Not only does this recipe contain no milk but it is so easy to cook. I will also admit that this recipe taste a lot better than the one I was using before.

Ingredients:

5lb bag of potatoes

1 white onion

2 tbs. of fresh garlic (powdered works fine as well)

64 oz. of chicken broth ( I use two 32 oz. boxes of chicken broth)

Cream cheese 16 oz.

Sour Cream

Bacon

Green Onions

Shredded Cheese

Salt

Pepper

Instructions:

Dice up potatoes into small pieces. The recipe calls for 5 pounds of potatoes but I find that 2.5 to 3 is more than enough for my family of 5.

Chop up onion and garlic.

Add the potatoes,onion and garlic to the crock pot.

Pour chicken broth over the potato and onion mixture until onions and potatoes are completely covered. Don’t worry if you didn’t use all 64 oz. but be sure to save it for later.

Put the lid on and cook on low for six hours. I then cook the potatoes on high for an additional hour to two hours or until potatoes are soft.

Add chicken broth to the crock pot as needed. I usually ended up needing to add a few more ounces throughout the cooking.

Once the potatoes are tender you will transfer the potatoes and broth to the food processor. You may have to do this in several batches depending on the size of your food processor. Puree the potatoes and onion mixture while adding the cream cheese. Once puree top with bacon, shredded cheese, sour cream and green onions. We usually eat this with fresh sourdough bread.

Tip: I reserve some of the potatoes and manually mash them up and add them to the puree. I like my baked potato soup a little lumpyand this does the trick.