That’s exactly why I put together this list of easy back to school dinner ideas – Not only to help you guys out, but to help myself out too!

These are ten recipes that come together fast, use simple ingredients, and won’t leave you scrambling on a busy weeknight. Whether you need a 20-minute meal or something you can prep ahead, these dinners are here to make the back-to-school transition a little easier on your whole family.

If you like these, be sure to check out my other easy dinner posts: Five Easy Dinner Ideas, Easy Back-to-School Dinner Recipes, and Easy One-Pot Recipes.

Easy Enchilada Pasta

Creamy Beef Noodles

Easy Monterey Chicken

Slow Cooker Southern Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Loaded Skillet Nachos

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin Tacos

White Bean Chicken Soup

Skillet Covered Burritos

Be sure to check out my other easy dinner ideas:

• Five Easy Dinner Ideas
• Easy Back-to-School Dinner Recipes
• Easy One-Pot Recipes

You can find more MAIN DISH RECIPES HERE.

You can find ALL RECIPES HERE.

For more ideas, follow me on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, AND TWITTER.

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I, too, was a Biscoff cookie newbie at one time. I still remember the first time I tried them was when a student gave a pack of them to me along with a jar of cookie butter for a Christmas gift one year. It was from then on that I became a life-long Biscoff cookie fan.

And I am happy to see that when I brought this easy dessert to a family gathering recently, we pretty much demolished the pan and there was little leftover to bring back home. This is how you know you have a winning dessert.

And if you are looking for other similar winning desserts that leave a clean pan after a gathering, check out this Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding, this Patriotic Dirt Pudding, and this Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sandwich Cake.

This Easy Biscoff Layer Dessert is the ultimate no-bake treat with layers of Biscoff cookies, dreamy cookie butter, and vanilla cream cheese pudding. It comes together in one irresistible dish. Perfect for make-ahead gatherings!

You can make this in a 13 x 9 dish, but I really love my 10 in square casserole dish. Here is one similar to mine.

Recommended for this recipe:

10 in. Square Baking Dish

I use a square baking dish for so many things! It is perfect for desserts, layered casseroles, baking chicken, etc.

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Easy Biscoff Layer Dessert

Yield: 12 servings

A no-bake layered dessert featuring crushed Biscoff cookies, cookie butter, and a vanilla cream cheese pudding filling. Rich, creamy, and so very easy to make ahead.

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Ingredients

• 2 8.8 oz packages of Biscoff cookies
• 13.4 oz jar of Biscoff cookie butter
• 5.1 oz box of instant vanilla pudding mix
• 3 cups of 2% milk
• 1/2 cup of butter, softened
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 12 oz whipped topping or homemade whipped cream

Instructions

1. Lay Biscoff cookies into the bottom of casserole dish into a single layer.
2. Spoon cookie butter into a microwavable glass measuring cup or bowl. Microwave in 15-20 second intervals until it is melted, stirring between each time.
3. Drizzle a little of the cookie butter over the cookies.
4. In a large bowl, add the vanilla pudding mixture, Whisk in 2% milk for about 30 seconds or until combined. Set aside.
5. In another bowl, beat together butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar until combined - about 2 minutes.
6. Vanilla pudding should be set up at this time. Now whisk in whipped topping until combined and add cream cheese mixture. Beat this all together until well blended.
7. Add half of this pudding mixture over the layer of cookies.
8. Repeat layer of cookies, drizzle of cookie butter (which you may need to heat up a few seconds if it has cooled), followed by other half of pudding mixture.
9. To a large storage bag, add 16 cookies. Seal bag and crush cookies with a rolling pin or a canned good. Sprinkle these cookies over the top of the pudding and drizzle remaining cookie butter over the top.
10. Refrigerate for about 4 hours or more before serving. Enjoy!

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As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps us keep our blog running efficiently and allows us to create more recipes for you.

• 
  Kitchen Aid Hand Mixer
• 
  Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowl Set (3-Piece)
• 
  10 In Baking Dish with Lid

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 497Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 20gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 320mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 0gSugar: 37gProtein: 6g

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You can find ALL RECIPES HERE.

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From all the AI generated nostalgic videos and the Goo Goo dolls music on social media, it’s clear that the decade of TGIF TV, Lisa Frank, and dial-up internet has officially had its cultural comeback. And if TikTok has taught us anything, it’s that nostalgia is a powerful thing, especially when it comes to food.

90’s recipes were simple, crowd-pleasing, and made with ingredients you could find at any grocery store. No fancy techniques, no obscure ingredients. It was just good, comforting food that people actually got excited about.

So in honor of the decade that gave us Spice Girls, blockbuster video nights, and some truly great casseroles, I’m rounding up some of my favorite recipes straight out of a 90s recipe box. Whether these bring back a memory or you’re discovering them for the first time, I think you’re going to love them just as much as we did back then if not even more.

Let’s Start with some 90’s appetizer recipes:

Veggie Squares – These are better than a veggie tray!!!

Cajun 7 Layer Dip – The 7 Layer Dip got a little upgrade with a few cajun additions.

90’s Inspired Dinners:

Sloppy Joes – I remember having sloppy joes on our dinner rotation quite often.

Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Scampi – Olive Garden was the place we always went out to eat, and I always got this!!

Crescent Chicken – I love this recipe! It’s an oldie but a goodie!

One Pot Cabbage Casserole – This was one of my first recipes on my blog, and it is still insanely popular!

Copycat Spicy Chicken Romano – Do you guys remember Johnny Carino’s restaurant? This was my favorite dish!

Rice Cooker Jambalaya – While this isn’t your traditional jambalaya, it is great weeknight version!

Baked Enchilada Casserole – What 90’s recipe post would not be complete without a casserole?

90’s inspired breakfast recipe:

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole – I could eat this one for dinner too.

90’s inspired dessert recipes:

Peach Pie Filling Fruit Salad – This was introduced to me by my college roommate’s mom. She made it for us all the time.

Strawberry Daiquiri Pie – Perfect for a 90’s summer!

Chocolate Sheet Cake – I’m sure this goes back way before the 90’s, but a good old chocolate sheet cake had to be included!

Old Fashioned Syrup Cake – This is what my kids would call a “Nauna Dessert” – Nauna is what they call my mom 🙂

Strawberry Wet Cake – I adore this recipe!

Leave a comment below and let me know what your favorite 90’s recipe was!

You can find more MAIN DISH RECIPES HERE. You can find ALL RECIPES HERE. For more ideas, follow me on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, AND TWITTER. Get FREE recipes delivered to you by email: SIGN UP HERE!

The post 15 Nostalgic 90’s Recipes appeared first on Diary of A Recipe Collector.

All of these dinner recipes are quick and easy and perfect for busy families. I’ve included a few of my favorites including a few one-pot recipes and a popular slow cooker dinner idea in our house.

Just click on each link and it will take you right to that recipe! Enjoy and let me know what you’ve been making!

Recipes for Your week ahead:

Skillet Covered Burritos

Easy Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Simple Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Sandwiches

One Pot Cajun Sausage Pasta

Easy Monterey Chicken

You can find more MAIN DISH RECIPES HERE. You can find ALL RECIPES HERE. For more ideas, follow me on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, AND TWITTER. Get FREE recipes delivered to you by email: SIGN UP HERE!

The post Five Easy Dinner Ideas appeared first on Diary of A Recipe Collector.

This One-Pot pasta is one of those easy dinner recipes I love to make because it saves the night. I also love how one-pot means way less clean up time! The Cajun seasoning brings that signature kick we love, the cream brings it all together into the most delicious sausage pasta.

If you’re loving one pot dinners like me, don’t miss my One-Pot Cajun Pastalaya, the ever-popular One-Pot Sausage and Red Rice, or my weeknight One Pot Sausage Spaghetti . They all bring that same easy, comforting vibe to your dinner time!

Recommended for this recipe:

Caraway Non-Stick 12 in Skillet

This skillet has become my go-to for many of my one-pot recipes! It is now one of my favorite kitchen items.

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What can be used to substitute Cajun Pork Sausage?

• I know in some parts of the country, smoked sausage can be harder to find.
• You can pretty much use any smoky sausage you’d like. Sausage is unique in that there are many different kinds with many different flavors. That being said, you want to use a flavor you love, because this will flavor your whole pasta.

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Easy Creamy Cajun One Pot Sausage Pasta

Yield: 6 servings

This One Pot Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta is packed with Cajun flavor, smoky sausage, and a divine parmesan cream sauce. It's an easy dinner that comes together fast with just one pot.

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Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs smoked pork sausage, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 1 1/2 tsp creole seasoning
• 32 oz low sodium chicken broth
• 12 oz fettuccine
• 8 oz heavy cream
• 3 tbsp grated parmesan

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, brown sausage.
2. Remove sausage to a bowl and set aside.
3. Add sliced peppers and onions to skillet. Season with creole seasoning. Saute peppers and onions for about 7 minutes.
4. Add sausage back to skillet. Stir to combine.
5. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.
6. Once boiling add in fettuccine. I break mine in half. Stir pasta every few minutes as it cooks and liquid is reduced. This takes about 20-25 minutes.
7. Once pasta is cooked, add in heavy cream and stir.
8. Stir in parmesan cheese and serve.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps us keep our blog running efficiently and allows us to create more recipes for you.

• 
  Caraway Nonstick Ceramic Sauté Pan with Lid (4.5 qt, 11.8") - Non Toxic, PTFE & PFOA Free - Oven Safe & Compatible with All Stovetops (Gas, Electric & Induction) - Cream
• 
  OXO Good Grips Nylon Spaghetti Server

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You can find more MAIN DISH RECIPES HERE. You can find ALL RECIPES HERE. For more ideas, follow me on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, AND TWITTER. Get FREE recipes delivered to you by email: SIGN UP HERE!

The post One Pot Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta appeared first on Diary of A Recipe Collector.

Corn, in a tomato broth, seasoned with cajun flavors reminds me of my childhood. This new soup recipe reminds me so much of this Cajun Shrimp and Corn Soup. It was just the kind of soup we always had growing up.

If you’re a fan of a creamier Cajun soup like my Creamy Cajun Chicken Chowder, or heartier baked dishes such as my Cajun Baked Chicken and Rice, this soup fits right in with those flavors — just in a lighter, soup form.

Recommended for this recipe:

6 Qt Dutch Oven

A dutch oven is one of my favorite kitchen items. It’s great for soups, one pot dishes, browning, and sauteing. It goes easily from stove top to oven.

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How to Make this Cajun Chicken and Rice Soup:

1. Chop your chicken, season it, and cook in olive oil. Remove from pot.
2. Saute your veggies and add in corn, beans, and rice.
3. Add chicken back to pot with chicken broth and simmer.
   See full list of recipe ingredients and detailed recipe below.

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Quick Cajun Chicken and Rice Soup

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

This quick and easy Cajun Chicken and Rice Soup is packed with chicken, fire-roasted tomatoes, corn, zucchini, beans, and rice, full of Cajun flavor, and a Creole kick.

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1.5 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut up into 1 in pieces
• 2 tsp creole seasoning, divided
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 11 oz can fiesta corn, drained
• 15 oz great northern beans, undrained
• 15 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1/4 cup rice
• 32 oz low-sodium chicken broth.
• chopped green onions for topping (optional)
• diced avocado for topping (optional)

Instructions

1. In a soup pot or dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat.
2. Season chicken breasts with 1 1/2 tsp creole seasoning and add to pot. Saute for about 15 minutes. Remove from pot.
3. Add 1/2 tbsp olive oil to the pot. Add diced onion, diced bell peppers, and sliced zucchini. Saute for about 5 minutes.
4. Add in drained corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, great northern beans, and rice and stir to combine. Season with remaining 1/2 tsp creole seasoning.
5. Add chicken back to pot. Add in chicken broth and bring to a simmer for about 20 minutes.
6. Serve warm and top with green onions and diced avocado.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps us keep our blog running efficiently and allows us to create more recipes for you.

• 
  Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. Blue Enamel Dutch Oven (Blue)

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 410Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 1169mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 8gSugar: 7gProtein: 46g

DID YOU TRY THIS RECIPE?

I WANT TO SEE! Follow JAREN_DIARYRECIPECOLLECTOR on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag @jaren_diaryrecipecollector and #diaryofarecipecollector. I would love to know what good stuff you are making!

You can find more MAIN DISH RECIPES HERE. You can find ALL RECIPES HERE. For more ideas, follow me on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, AND TWITTER. Get FREE recipes delivered to you by email: SIGN UP HERE!

The post Easy Cajun Chicken and Rice Soup appeared first on Diary of A Recipe Collector.

Crock Pot Sausage and Potatoes

One Pot Cabbage Casserole

Easy Chicken Tortellini Pasta Bake

Best Protein Pancakes

Low Carb Tuscan Chicken

You can find more MAIN DISH RECIPES HERE. You can find ALL RECIPES HERE. For more ideas, follow me on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, AND TWITTER. Get FREE recipes delivered to you by email: SIGN UP HERE!

The post 2025 Reader Recipe Favorites appeared first on Diary of A Recipe Collector.

We spent 10 EPIC days in France on a trip that I honestly never thought we could afford. You can see all the fun from our First 3 days in Paris and Days 4-9 in the South of France. I also breakdown exactly how we earned all these points in my Beginner’s Guide to Reward Travel.

Let’s start with Transportation:

• Positioning Flight to Dallas from LCH – 12,000 points + $11.20 (6K + 5.60 each) – We flew American Airlines, so we used points from our Citi AAdvantage card. We also have Barclays Aviator Cards.
• DFW to Paris (CDG) – 75,000 points + $276.40 (37,500 points + $138.20 each)
• Positioning Flight Marseille to Paris – 17,000 points + 87.90 (8,500 points + $43.95 each)
• Paris to Houston: 40,000 points + $486.10 (20K points + $243.05 each)
• Train Tickets: Paris to Nice: $249.51, Nice to Aix-en-Provence: $115.22, Aix-en-Provence to Marseille: $26.68- All Booked through Trainline and paid cash*
• Car Rental -Houston to Home: $217.58 paid cash – Cancelled our late flight.
• Ubers: 134.66 and Metro: $159.84 (includes transporation from Airport)
• Here’s the summary: Flights for 2 were $861.60, Trains for 2 were $391.41, Car Rental was $217.58, and Ubers/Metro were $295.50.
• Our total cost for Transporation for all 10 days in France was $1547.51.

Let’s Breakdown Accomodations:

• In Paris, we stayed at a great location, Hotel du Louvre (a Hyatt property)- Cash Value: $2,967.00 – We paid $0 and used a total of 105,000 points for 3 nights (35K points per night).
• In Nice, we stayed in another great location right on the Promenade des Anglais: Hyatt Regency Nice Palais de la Mediterranee – Cash Value: $714.00 – We paid $0 and used 70,000 points for 2 nights (35K points per night).
• In Aix-en-Provence, we stayed in an Airbnb for $272.47 for 2 nights and used 27,247 points to erase purchase on Capital One.
• In Marseille, we stayed in an Airbnb for $206.57 for 2 nights and used 12,607 points to erase our initial payment on Capital One. We paid $80.49 cash for the remaining balance.
• DFW Airport Hotel- The night before our big flight, we stayed close to the airport at the Hyatt Place DFW. Cash Price: $147 – We paid $0 and used 8,000 points.
• Paris Airport Hotel – The night before our return flight home, we stayed close to the airport at the Hyatt Place CDG. Cash Price: $115 – We paid $0 and used 6,500 points.
• Total Cost for Accomodations for 11 nights: $80.49

Other Expenses:

• Admission Tickets: $113.44 – Things like Louvre, Arc de Triomphe
• Food/Drinks: $1,834.71
• Souvenirs/Misc: $557.33
• Tours: $1363.13 – We were able to do so much more tours because we saved so much using points. We would not have been able to spend this on tours without those savings.

Want to see how earned all of our points? Here is our Beginner’s Guide to Reward Travel which breaks down exactly how we EARN and then TRANSFER our points!

Follow along on Instagram where I’m always sharing tips and travels!

Check out all our TRAVEL content!

The post France Trip Points Breakdown appeared first on Diary of A Recipe Collector.

Trifle recipes are often one of my go-to desserts. They always look gorgeous and people normally can’t wait to dive into them! Who doesn’t love layers of sweet goodness! Plus I love how forgiving they are. They don’t require the precision of a beautiful layer cake! And they can be made ahead of time! So let’s look at some yummy trifle recipes!

Chocolate Praline Trifle

Pumpkin Praline Trifle

Chocolate Dream Trifle

Mini Cherry Cheesecake Trifles

Caramel Pecan Parfaits

Patriotic Dirt Pudding

I’ve found some gorgeous trifle dishes to help you create your showstopper dessert!!

You can find more MAIN DISH RECIPES You can find more MAIN DISH RECIPES HERE. You can find ALL RECIPES HERE. For more ideas, follow me on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, AND TWITTER. Get FREE recipes delivered to you by email: SIGN UP HERE!

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FIrst things first, I’m going to share our London Points Guide with you. This breaks down exactly what we used our points for, how many points we transferred, and where we got most of our points. It also breaks down additional cash costs from our trip. Read below for itinerary details of our whole trip to London, Oxford, and the Cotswolds plus other helpful links!!

Want to see Exactly what we did each day of our London trip?

• For Days 1-3, go here.
• For Days 4-6, go here.
• The above links break down each day, where we stayed, what tours we did, and where we ate.
• If you are interested in seeing my London videos, visit here on Instagram or here on Tiktok.

Other London Links I love:

• Covent Garden Walking Tour
• Historical Pub Tour
• Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace Tour

Want to know how we earned a ton of points and saved Thousands for this trip? Click the image below to see our beginner’s guide to reward Travel.

Here’s a link to the guide on how we earned a ton of points!

Here’s a walkthrough video on How we Transferred our Points!

Be sure to follow along on Instagram or Tiktok where I’m always sharing our favorite travels and tips!

Epic France Trip: Paris Days 1 to 3

Epic France Trip: Days 4-9 South of France

London Trip Days 1-3

London Trip Days 4-6

Beginner’s Guide to Reward Travel

Grand Hyatt Baha Mar Bahamas Trip

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