You guys, we did it! We’ve cleared up a long-standing kitchen debate: what’s the difference between “dinner shortcuts” and “shortcut dinners,” and which is more important. Because we know you’ve been dying to know. AND… not only did we finally get the job done, but we also enlisted special ops dinner expert, Kelsey Nixon. So we’re pretty sure our answer is definitive: They are, in fact, different, and you need both. Get the deets and also each of our favorite shortcuts — both kinds.
This week’s episode is made possible by Banza Chickpea Pasta.
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Which Came First?
We’re not sure which came first — or which is more important in your kitchen — we just know that both dinner shortcuts and shortcut dinners save us on a weekly basis.
If you’re not sure the difference between the two or how to best use either, this episode is for you. Not only do we hash it out, but we also enlist quick dinner expert extraordinaire, Kelsey Nixon, to help us too.
Yup, we pulled out the big guns.
If you regularly find yourself with just 20 or 30 minutes to whip up a meal for your entire family, hit play NOW! Help is just a listen away.
Here are the recipes, products, and resources mentioned in this episode:
Dorot Gardens: Kelsey’s favorite frozen garlic and basil
Kelsey’s Baked Ziti recipe
Kelsey’s Pork and Pineapple Stir Fry
Kelsey’s Chili Lime Yurkey Tacos recipe
Stacie’s best, easiest Everyday Vinaigrette
5 Cheap and Easy Meals That Start With a Bag of Frozen Meatballs
Kelsey’s favorite meal prep containers: Rubbermaid Brilliance Containers
Also, you liked this episode, here are some other Didn’t I Just Feed You episodes you’ll also love:
About Our Guest: Kelsey Nixon
Kelsey Nixon is an Emmy-nominated TV personality, author, wife, mom, and cooking show host. She hosts Kelsey’s Essentials and Kelsey’s Homemade on Cooking Channel and was a finalist on season 4 of Food Network Star. Kelsey’s cookbook Kitchen Confidence and her exclusive product line with HSN help home cooks navigate the kitchen with confidence. You can also catch Kelsey dishing about her favorite sweet treats on Unique Sweets and judging on Food Network favorites like Guy’s Grocery Games and Chopped Junior.
Kelsey’s newest show Dinner Takes All premiered in 2019 and can be watched online! You can also find Kelsey on Instagram as @kelseynixon. Kelsey lives in Portland, OR with her husband Robby and 2 kids Ollie and Nora.
I Love It!
This week, Stacie is participating in another year of Bake It Happen to help raise awareness and money for metastatic breast cancer research. If you’d like to help, too, we have good news: it’s super easy and delicious too!
Grab your favorite eligible recipe from the Bake It Happen website (think Banana Chocolate Chip Loaf, Black Bottom Cupcakes, Pumpkin Chip Brownies, and Chocolate Chip Meringues!), bake it up (get the kid involved), and tag or send photos of your experience to Facebook (@ubakeithappen), Instagram (@bakeithappen00) or via email (send to ubakeithappen@gmail.com) with the hashtag #bakeithappen.
Every time you share a photo, Bake It Happen with donate $5 to The Cancer Couch Foundation.
Meghan’s excited to participate since she’s been in a particularly bake-happy mood: this week, she’s loving Julia Turshen’s one-bowl Applesauce Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting (pictured).
Get Social With Us!
Be sure to join our Listeners’ Group, which you can access via the Didn’t I Just Feed You Facebook page. You can also follow us on Instagram as well: we’re @didntijustfeedyou together, @staciebillis and @meghan_splawn.