Parrish Ritchie - Halfway Homemade: Meals in a Jiffy

Copyright 2017 by Parrish Ritchie All rights reserved For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book,
write to Permissions, The Countryman Press,
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110 For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact
W. W. Norton Special Sales at specialsales@wwnorton.com or 800-233-4830 Book design by Chin-Yee Lai
Production manager: Devon Zahn
COVER DESIGN: CHIN-YEE LAI
COVER PHOTOGRAPHS PARRISH RITCHIE The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows: Names: Ritchie, Parrish, author.
Title: Halfway homemade : meals in a jiffy / Parrish Ritchie.
Description: New York, NY : Countryman Press, a division of W. W. Norton & Company, Independent Publishers Since 1923, [2017] | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016058311 | ISBN 9781682680704 (hardcover)
Subjects: LCSH: Quick and easy cooking. | LCGFT: Cookbooks.

Classification: LCC TX833.5 .R56 2017 | DDC 641.5/12dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016058311 ISBN 978-1-68268-069-8 (e-book)
The Countryman Press www.countrymanpress.com
A division of W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110 www.wwnorton.com TO SAM & DEAN my boys,my babies,my heart,my greatestaccomplishments.

W hen I was younger I imagined myself as a mom. I would picture myself wearing heels and an apron in the kitchen, mashing potatoes before pulling a roast out of the oven and topping it with homemade gravy. The kids are in the living room coloring while my husband sits at the table, ready to carve up the roast. And then we all sit down to this fabulous dinner, ending with a slice of pie I made completely from scratch.

Then I grew up, and I had kids, and life took a different turn. At 6 oclock I find myself scrambling to get dinner on the table. The heels and apron from my fantasy have been replaced with leggings and a messy bun. The kids are in the kitchen pulling at my legs, adamantly refusing to eat anything besides dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets. While my reality may be a little different from my fantasy, I wouldnt have life any other way. And thanks to a little help from the grocery store shelf, I can get delicious meals on the table in no time.

I have been cooking since I was 13 years old, when I watched my first episode of Martha Stewart Living. I started creating recipes then. The dishes in this book are tried and true recipes, some from my family and some that I created myself. As a busy mom, I love to take long or hard recipes and figure out how I can make them easier. In a world where so many dishes call for quinoa and spiralized vegetables, I wanted to share my easy recipes with everyone. So I started my blog, Life with the Crust Cut Off, embracing canned biscuits, condensed soup, and whipped topping.

These are real recipes for real families: recipes anyone can make and everyone will love. Just because a recipe calls for premade ingredients doesnt mean it cant create a beautiful dish, and just because a dish is beautiful doesnt mean its hard to make. The recipes on my blog and in this book are how I am able to get delicious home-cooked food on the table every day. They are simple, gorgeous, and above all delicious.

Serves 4 to 6 W ho doesnt love chili cheese fries? They were a huge craving of mine during my first pregnancy, which resulted in many late-night excursions for a large chili cheese fry and a cherry limeade. This dip is a delicious spin on chili cheese fries that everyone will love.

I serve it with waffle-cut fries or waffle-cut chips. Sometimes on the weekend my husband, Dan, and I will settle down with a few movies and this chili cheese dip. It is the perfect binge-worthy food. If you have any leftovers, they make a great topping for tostadas at lunchtime (). 1 pound lean ground beef One 1-ounce packet chili seasoning mix One 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies One 8-ounce block cream cheese, softened 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese Waffle fries or waffle chips, for serving You can make this easy dip even faster by using canned chili! It is also a great way to use up leftover chili. Preheat your oven to 350F.

Brown the ground beef in a medium skillet, drain when cooked through, and then add in the chili seasoning, beans, and tomatoes. Spread the softened cream cheese across the bottom of a pie plate. Top the cream cheese with your chili mixture and with the shredded cheese. Pop the pie plate into the oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Serve with crispy waffle fries or waffle-cut potato chips.

Serves 4 to 6 I t is no surprise that people love chicken Alfredoit is creamy, cheesy, and of course delicious! It is my sisters favorite, so one night, when we were having Italian at my grandparents, I wanted to bring an appetizer that fit with the theme, andNext page