Cassie DeNisco

New Posts Weekly

My Chicken Roaster Recipe!

This is definitely a newer recipe for me! I love this chicken roaster recipe because it’s not only good the day of but I love the leftovers. Chicken is just about the only meat I’ll eat and making a roaster like this ensures I’ll have leftovers to use in so many ways!

I like to think of this recipe as my own at home rotisserie chicken. It’s essentially the same thing but I can season it how I want and it gets so fresh and delicious! You can serve with potatoes and gravy or really however you want to! It’s so easy it’s become a staple in my meal rotation!

chicken roaster recipe

Ingredients

Whole Chicken Roaster

1 tsp thyme

4 tbsp melted butter

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp rosemary

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425 and decide what pan you’re going to use. Sometimes I use my dutch oven and others I’ll use a throw away aluminum foil.
  2. Prep your chicken by patting it dry from the extra liquids.
  3. Melt butter and then mix in minced garlic, garlic powder, thyme, and rosemary. Pour mixture over chicken in pan and make sure it coats completely. (sometimes I add more, sometimes I need less)
  4. Cooking time will depend on weight of your roaster.. typically it’s 2-3 hours for a young chicken and sometimes you can even get the one with the pop up timer!
  5. While it’s cooking, baste with the drippings occasionally to keep it moist!
  6. Carve & enjoy!

This is the easiest chicken roaster recipe to make for dinners! If you loved this recipe, be sure to check out more recipes like this here! You can follow me on Pinterest @cassiedenisco for even more content!

My 2023 New Year’s Resolution!!

I can hardly believe another year has passed and I’m writing out new year’s resolution! It’s crazy how quickly the years go by and how fast we get to the next one. This year I wanted to share my new year’s resolution in a different way.

Instead of picking multiple things, I just wanted to choose a word that everything falls under. I started this last year with the word wellness and I truly think I got to live that word out. This year I’m doing the same because I feel like sometimes resolutions can be too limiting and put too much pressure on yourselves.

Patience

new year's resolutions

Now people always say patience is a virtue but I feel like a lot of my anxiety comes from jumping to the next thing or next worry. I want to really slow down in 2023 and try to get everything back in check. 


In the times we live in we can really just feel out of control a lot. Life flies by us and if we’re not moving as fast as everyone we feel like we’re missing out or not doing something right. For me, I want to try to break this habit next year.

A slower lifestyle and mindset doesn’t put me behind others, if anything it’ll set me up for success because I’ll be able to make decisions based on thinking things through. I want to be so intentional with my time so I think having patience will help with that.

One other aspect of patience is with purchases. We live in a world where it’s so easy to order exactly what we want and have it delivered right away. Financially, you can only do that for so long so I just know being patient and thinking through purchases on clothes and other non-necessities will boost my finances as well.

As you can see, choosing one word that encompasses your mood instead of a resolution changes your mindset. I never followed through on resolutions because they always felt like too many unattainable goals. With choosing a word to live by, you can find it in all areas of your life and mold it to how you’re feeling.

If you have a word for 2023, share it down below! I love hearing how other people approach the new year with their mindsets. You can read more resolutions posts here! And don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest here!

My Italian Pasta Salad Recipe!

It wouldn’t be summer without a pasta salad recipe on the blog! Last year I shared a super easy recipe for a light, refreshing pasta salad here. This year I have a revamped, Italian pasta salad. This recipe is fresh but also has that anti pasta feel.

Pasta salads are great at a barbecue but also a great lunch for the week. It’s super easy to meal prep and stores so well in the fridge. This recipe is easily my go to when I have guests or just need a quick lunch idea for the week!

italian pasta salad

Ingredients:

1 box cavatapi pasta

Container of grape tomatoes

1 medium red onion

Log of salami

Half an english cucumber

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 tsp basil

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

Directions:

  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta according to the package. Let the pasta cool completely! This is essential.
  2. Finely dice your tomato, onion, cucumber and salami. This is up to you but I like mine about half an each chunks.
  3. Mix together olive oil, red wine vinegar, and all spices.
  4. Once pasta is completely cooled, mix in veggies, salami and dressing! Enjoy 🙂

Pasta salads are seriously my favorite meal of summer! They’re easy to bring to an event or just great to store in the fridge! Let me know some of your favorite recipes below!

This Italian pasta salad seriously is my go to. It’s so fresh and refreshing but filling! This is great as a meal or just on the side! I love the protein from the salami and the freshness of the veggies. It’s truly a great recipe that everyone will love!

Be sure to subscribe here to the blog so you don’t miss a post!

My Cooking Favorites to Make Life Easy!

For this month’s bonus post, I wanted to share my cooking favorites that make life easy. I kid you not, these products have completely changed the game for me cooking. They help make the process go smooth and not be stressful.

I think for a lot of us 20 somethings cooking seems like such a daunting task. Between prep, cooking, and cleaning, it takes a lot of time. Having products like these to cut down cleaning and prepping time, you’re cooking time can actually become fun!

Our Place Always Pan- Shop Here

cooking favorites

My Always pan has seriously made cooking and cleaning so easy. This is a non toxic non stick pan that seriously does it all. You can boil water, sauté or even steam in it with the steamer it comes with. I absolutely love this pan and honestly it does so much that it has replaced a lot of my other pans!

Rice Cooker/Steamer- Shop Here

I’m not going to lie to you, at first I was like I totally don’t need a rice steamer. Once I got one, I can’t live without it. It seriously makes the best rice ever for whatever you’re eating. It reminds me of the perfect sticky fluffy rice. I also like this one because it comes with a steamer tray so you can cook your rice and veggies at the same time.

Silicone Strainer- Shop Here

I love this strainer for not only cleaning my rice but pasta too. It’s so nice to not have a million pans to clean after you cook so this little gadget is great. You just fasten it on the side of your pot and then pour out the water. It seriously makes life so much easier.

Mini Chopper- Shop Here

Not exactly sure how I lived my entire life with out this but a mini chopper seriously is so helpful. You just have to throw in whatever you want to chop and press the power button. It seriously does it for you and makes cooking faster. I also love this to chop up my onions so I don’t have to tear up while doing it!

Glass Containers- Shop Here

cooking favorites

This was something that I recently invested in but glass containers for storage are amazing. I really love them because you can put them back in the oven to reheat food which I prefer. I also like them because I feel like they keep the food better then the flimsy plastic ones.

Utensils- Shop Here

cooking favorites

My final favorite is new utensils. I think we all look over our utensils because they still function but new ones just hit differently. I have tried expensive ones in the past but find that the cheap ones do the job they need to. We all end up throwing them out anyway so why bother investing in super expensive ones.

With these cooking favorites in your kitchen, cooking will become your new favorite hobby. As with anything, having the right tools makes such a difference. I love cooking on nights when I have the time to make a meal because of these things!

If you loved this post, check out some recipe posts here! Be sure to subscribe here so you never miss a post!

My Healthy Dessert Recipe!

This healthy dessert recipe is delicious!! I used to not like dates but making them this way has changed my dessert game forever. I find myself always craving something sweet to finish off the night but I just wanted a healthier alternative.

This recipe uses dates to make a healthy version of a candy similar to a snickers bar. I know you might be thinking dates are kind of weird but they actually give off a caramel vibe paired with this chocolate and peanut butter treat!

Anyone can make this recipe because it is just that simple! Here’s the recipe for my favorite healthy dessert!

healthy dessert recipe

Ingredients

Pitted medjool dates

Peanut butter

Chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Open up the date and put some peanut butter in the middle.
  2. Melt some chocolate and completely cover the date in it.
  3. Let the dates set in fridge for about 30 minutes and enjoy!
healthy dessert recipe

As you can see this recipe is so simple and only had 3 ingredients! I’ve seen some people take some flaky salt and add it to the top for a sweet/salty vibe. I personally am just all for the sweets so I leave it just like that.

I love this healthy dessert recipe because it really is a great alternative dessert. I never am one to deny cravings but I also know that I should sometimes try to swap it out for something healthier. Let me know in the comments below your favorite healthy dessert recipe!

Check out more recipes here! Be sure to subscribe to my mailing list here to never miss a post!

A Delicious Korean Turkey Recipe

This Korean turkey recipe is definitely something out of my comfort zone but it’s actually delicious! As many of you know, for the most part I am plant based. Once in awhile I will incorporate meet into my diet and Iove this recipe for that. The protein from the turkey makes this meal filling and somewhat healthy. Keep reading to learn how I make my Korean turkey recipe.

Ingredients:

3 lbs Ground Turkey

4 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 yellow onion

2 tbsp of minced garlic

1/4 c brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground giner

Red chili flakes (add to your liking)

Sesame seeds

3 c cooked rice

korean turkey recipe

Directions:

  1. I like to first dice up my onions and set aside. Next, I will start to cook the ground turkey in a large frying pan until cooked thoroughly.
  2. While the turkey is cooking, I add all the other things together to make my sauce except for the sesame seeds.
  3. Once the sauce is mixed and the turkey is finished, I’ll add the onions and sauce to the frying pan and let both sit covered for about 10 minutes. This step really helps the onions to soften and the sauce and meet to mix.
  4. When that is finished, I plate this with some white rice and top with sesame seeds!

I think you can see why this is one of my favorite recipes. I absolutely love how fast and easy this korean turkey recipe is. This makes for a really great meal prepped dinner or lunch if you want to prep this ahead of time. I prefer turkey over beef but you can obviously swap the turkey for ground beef, chicken, or even a plant based option!

Let me know in the comments below your favorite meal prep dinner! Check out my other recipes here!

My Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

As summer begins to wind down, I thought sharing my favorite chicken noodle soup recipe is fitting. I love the chillier weather that comes with fall and my go to dinner is usually a soup. I am obsessed with this chicken noodle soup recipe because it’s delicious and filling! Here’s how I make it:

Ingredients

2 cups of cooked rotisserie chicken

1 can of sliced carrots

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1 white onion chopped

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2-3 tablespoons of garlic (i love more garlic)

8 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 package of egg noodles

Directions

  1. I start by heating a large pot with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. I then place the onions in and sauté until cooked down then add the garlic and carrots and cook until fragrant.
  2. Add the 8 cups of broth, cooked chicken, potatoes and spices to pot and cook for 30 minutes on a simmer covered.
  3. After 30 minutes, I remove the lid and cook uncovered for 10 more minutes with the uncooked noodles. You really just have to make sure the potatoes are soft enough for you and that you boil the noodles to your liking.

This is literally one of my favorite chicken noodle soup recipes because I cheat and use rotisserie chicken. It makes life so easy and the soup I swear tastes better. Rotisserie chicken is a serious life hack because you can get it and use it so many different ways throughout the week!

I hope you enjoyed this delicious chicken noodle soup recipe. Weather you’re trying it out this summer or holding off until the fall, let me know how you liked it! Soup is always a favorite meal of mine because of just how easy it is to make and how yummy it tastes every time!

You can see more recipes of mine here!

My BBQ Chicken Salad Recipe

As we head further into summer, I am all about a light and easy dinner. This BBQ chicken salad recipe is delicious and so easy to recreate. This not only is a great dinner, but it’s also easy to prep for lunches for the week. By spending a little time prepping everything on a Sunday, you can have healthy salads all week long that you can mix and match ingredients. Keep on reading for how to make my favorite BBQ chicken salad recipe.

Ingredients:

bbq chicken salad recipe

1 Red Onion

2 Tomatoes on the Vine

1 Can Corn (I roast mine on top of the stove until blackened)

2 Cups Rotisserie Chicken

2 Hard Boiled Eggs

1 Cucumber

1/2 Cup Shredded carrots

Greens of your choice

Barbecue Sauce

Ranch Dressing (I love this Boathouse Greek Yogurt one!)

Assembly:

I love to grab a big bowl and put my greens down first. I always pick a mixed greens with baby spinach but that is totally up to you. Next, I just throw everything in the bowl and finish off with a drizzle of barbecue sauce and then some ranch dressing. My top trick is to cover your giant bowl and give everything a good shake so it all gets covered.

As you can see, this BBQ chicken salad recipe is so quick and delicious. It makes the perfect summer dinner or lunch recipe and is great for meal prep. Salads aren’t always my top choice but when you have so many yummy toppings, it helps you not even realize you have greens in it!

Let me know your favorite salad combo below!

Click here to check out my other salad recipes.

My Yummy Shrimp Taco Recipe

As many of you know, I’m not the biggest meat or fish eater but I am trying to incorporate more into my diet. I recently was craving a taco and decided to create this yummy shrimp taco recipe that came out so great. It is a great twist on the traditional recipe and has so much flavor!

Ingredients:

shrimp taco recipe

1 lb. of Shrimp

Chile Lime Seasoning from Trader Joes

Tortillas

1 Red Onion

3 Tomatoes

1 Japepeño

1 Lime

Fresh Cilantro

Taco Toppings of your choice ie. sour cream, cheese, hot sauce

  • shrimp taco recipe

Directions:

  1. The first thing I like to do for this recipe is make my fresh topping. I finely dice the onion, tomatoes, cilantro and jalapeño. I add them to a container and then squeeze half of the lime in it. Salt & Pepper it and let it sit in the fridge while you prep everything else.
  2. Clean and take off the tails of you shrimp. Sprinkle the chile lime seasoning on it (or seasoning of your choice) and let it marinate for 20 minutes.
  3. Add your shrimp to a pan and cook thoroughly.
  4. While they are cooking, you can warm your tortillas in the oven by broiling for 2 minutes.
  5. Once shrimp are finished, assemble your tacos, top & enjoy!

This yummy shrimp taco recipe is seriously delicious! It was so easy to make and is a great lighter meal option for spring. I love stepping out of my comfort zone with recipes and this one was so easy to make!

Let me know if you try this recipe! I have my latest recipes linked here and make sure you’re following me on Pinterest @cassiedeniscofor more of my favorite recipes!

My Favorite Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe

One of my major New Years’ resolutions was to go dairy free. This hasn’t been too hard but I definitely needed to find ways to make my favorite recipes. Mac and cheese has always been one of my favorite comfort foods and this vegan mac and cheese recipe is so good. With only 5 ingredients, this recipe is fast and vegan!

Ingredients

2 tbsp Vegan Butter

2 tbsp flour

Box of shells (or pasta shape of your choice)

1 cup unsweetened dairy free milk

8oz bag of plant based cheese

Directions

  1. Start by adding the butter to the pan to melt. Once melted add in the flour and continue to stir. It will get clumpy so slowly start adding in the milk to break up the flour mixture. Mix until smooth.
  2. Once smooth, add the plant based cheese. This will take a bit to melt completely but don’t give up until it’s smooth and creamy.
  3. Cook the pasta based on the instructions on the box and then drain the water.
  4. Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and mix!

I was not kidding when I said this recipe is so easy! I love to top vegan my mac and cheese with bread crumbs and some red pepper flakes for a kick. This recipe would also be good with some buffalo sauce in it.

One thing I’ve learned on my dairy free journey is that you don’t have to give up on your favorite recipes. Get creative and find ways to continue to make them with your own twist.

If you liked this recipe, don’t forget to like this post and check out other recipes from me here!

Follow Me!