Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch

Cajun Shrimp Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner

2026-07-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

Cajun Shrimp Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner is an easy to make dinner recipe our whole family loves. The homemade cajun butter is what brings this simple Cajun Sheet Pan Dinner together with so much flavor. Tender shrimp, sausage, potatoes and corn bring all the classics of a Seafood Boil together in this simple sheet pan recipe.

I love how quick this dinner recipe is to make. A few other quick and easy dinner recipes we love are One Pot Cajun Shrimp Sausage Pasta, One Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta, and Shrimp Sausage Jambalaya.

Chocolate Zucchini Coffee Cake With Chocolate Crumb

2026-06-23T13:49:00.000-07:00

When the bumper crop of summer zucchini is overflowing a favorite Zucchini Cake recipe is this moist Chocolate Zucchini Coffee Cake with a buttery chocolate crumb topping. This cake sneaks in 3 cups of shredded zucchini but you would never know unless someone told you. A great way to eat more veggies.

Mixed Berry Pie Recipe

2026-06-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

Mixed Berry Pie or we also call it Very Berry Pie is a favorite pie recipe anytime of the year since it can be made with fresh or frozen berries. Blackberries or Marion berries, Blueberries, Raspberries and Strawberries are mixed with brown sugar for a delicious berry filling recipe then placed in a flaky buttery crust.

Mixed Berry Pie is a favorite in our house for the holidays including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and 4th of July.

Who can resist a slice of Mixed Berry Pie with blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries? Not anyone who's been in our house!

This recipe for Mixed Berry Pie is a year around favorite. It can be made with frozen berries when fresh isn't available or a mixture of both like I used.

It's a must for just about every holiday and a must have for the Thanksgiving Pie table and 4th of July when the berries are ripe.

I think I was lucky to get a picture before the last piece was gone. I think the rules of food blogging no one eats until the pictures been taken is ignored on a regular basis in our house.

I love all the berries that are in season right now and I couldn't think of a better treat to make than a Verry Berry Pie and a large scoop of vanilla ice cream! Colt and I enjoyed our pie on The Fourth Of July on our rooftop watching the fireworks once the kids went to bed. It's a yearly tradition.

I was lucky to have a slice of Mixed Berry Pie left for a photo, and to enjoy for breakfast with my coffee.

Here's how I make Mixed Berry Pie using frozen berries or fresh depending on what's available.

Marinated Korean BBQ Beef Bulgogi

2026-06-03T19:18:00.000-07:00

Grilled Beef Skewers with a well balances Beef Bulgogi Marinade with just the right balance of acid, sweet, ginger, plenty of garlic, and toasted sesame seed oil. A delicious dinner recipe that is even great for a busy weeknight since the beef is even better if marinated the night before. Serve with rice and your favorite veggies, Asian Cucumber Salad or Asian Coleslaw.

This Marinated Korean BBQ Beef Bulgogi recipe is an adaptation from a sweet Korean woman who was our neighbor many years back when we lived in our townhouse and only had 2 tiny tots running around. For the life of me I can't seem to remember her name anymore.

I think Lorna was just barely 3 at the time and LJ was just learning to walk, climb stairs and belly slide down them at 90 miles an hour while I had a heart attack. Little boys are fearless from an early age! Needless to say we moved to a rambler after that for my own sanity before Mas came along.

She would bring over Marinated Korean Beef Bulgogi from time to time and homemade Kimchi to serve along side. We usually BBQ or stir-fried the Bulgogi Beef and all I can say is I was hooked but she never would share her recipe, so when we moved I had to adapt my own.

This is very similar to her recipe for her Beef Bulgogi according to my taste buds, and always receives rave reviews from the kids.

We always prefer it when we BBQ it so they can eat it straight off the skewer, but its also delicious quickly stir fried on the stove-top.

This recipe is great prepared ahead of time and frozen or left in the fridge for a day to marinate.

Creamy Parmesan Vegetable Pasta Salad

2026-05-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

A favorite summertime Pasta Salad recipe around our house is this deliciously easy Creamy Parmesan Vegetable Pasta Salad.A homemade creamy parmesan dressing is drizzled over your favorite noodles with garden fresh veggies like zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, artichoke hearts and olives.

One Pot Taco Pasta Helper

2026-03-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Homemade One Pot Taco Hamburger Helper Pasta filled with ground beef, pasta, mexican seasoning and cheese making it a favorite easy weeknight dinner recipe in under 25 minutes.

Other easy Homemade Hamburger Helper style recipes our family love is Homemade Cheeseburger Helper, Tuna Helper and Chicken Macaroni and Cheese Helper.

Homemade Sloppy Joe

2026-02-06T15:56:00.000-08:00

Easy to make Homemade Sloppy Joe recipe in a thick and hearty simple sauce from scratch. Ground beef is cooked in a tangy tomato based sauce that is naturally gluten free thanks to the use of quick oats to thicken the sauce. We love Sloppy Joes on our Homemade Hamburger Buns toasted but you can always grab the good ole soft white buns from the store that remind us of childhood to save time.

With Fall quickly approaching there is nothing quite like a warm hearty sandwich for an easy dinner after a long day whether its our Italian Sloppy Joes, Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, hearty Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches, or this classic Sloppy Joe recipe you can't go wrong.

I made this Sloppy Joe recipe last Thursday, because they are always a hit in our house. The kids request them all the time.

I love how easy homemade Sloppy Joes are to make. It's an easy dinner for a busy weeknight, or when I need to feed the Hubby and his friends when they're watching football. No slaving here!

I have met a few people who detest Sloppy Joes. However, I have yet to have a chance to make them try these delicious babies. I have yet to understand what's not to like about ground hamburger with all sorts of goodies smothered with cheese over top on a toasted bun but if I figure it out I'll let you know.

These taste so much better then even Manwich. Just for the record my kids will picket if I serve the Manwich.

This recipe could be totally gluten free if using gluten free buns. They are totally delicious either way.

Here's how I made these Sloppy Joes:

Chicken Noodle Skillet

2026-01-23T15:33:00.000-08:00

Chicken Noodle Skillet is an easy to make one pot chicken and noodles recipe that everyone loves for dinner. It is filled with chunks of chicken breast, carrots, celery and peas with a butter panko bread crumb topping.

If you love easy one pot dinner recipes you will also love Cheeseburger Helper, One Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta, and One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff.

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

2026-01-09T17:12:00.000-08:00

Rich, chocolaty Double Chocolate Banana Bread is moist with plenty of chocolate chips and the perfect fudgy chocolate taste. It's the perfect use for ripe bananas. Serve it warm with butter, topped with a scoop of ice cream for dessert or enjoy it plain.

Chicken Fajita Stuffed Bell Peppers

2026-01-07T17:14:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite versions of Stuffed Bell Peppers is Chicken Fajita Stuffed Bell Peppers with a homemade chicken fajita seasoning rubbed on the outside of the bell peppers for a burst of flavor. The Chicken Fajita filling has chicken, rice, and black beans cooked in a tomato based with the delicious flavors of fajitas then stuffed into bell peppers and topped with melty cheese. If you're looking to reduce carbs the black beans can be left out and cauliflower rice substituted for the rice.

We also love traditional Stuffed Bell Peppers and Quinoa Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

2025-12-16T14:39:00.000-08:00

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies have a chocolate cookie dough base with semi sweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips for a chocolate lovers dream. These are the best Chocolate Cookies that are soft and chewy with a crispy edge making them a favorite Christmas Cookie recipe or a chocolate fix anytime.

For more delicious Chocolate Cookie ideas make sure to try Brownie Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies, Double Chocolate Mint Cookies, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, and you can't miss Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Colts Cheesy Garlic Bread

2025-11-18T12:14:00.000-08:00

Colt's recipe for Cheesy Garlic Bread is a family favorite in our house. French Bread is topped with garlic butter and then fresh grated cheese mixture. It's a super easy side dish recipe to make and a must for Italian night at our house.

Other bread recipes we love for a side dish are French Bread Dinner Rolls, Pizzeria Style Cheesy Breadsticks, Cheesy Garlic and Herb Breadsticks and Garlic Butter French Bread Rolls.

Chicken Chili Verde

2025-10-29T12:29:00.000-07:00

Chicken Chili Verde is a favorite fall lunch and dinner recipe. Roasted tomatillo and jalapeños with chunks of chicken breast makes this Chili perfect for your next football party.

Other Chili Recipes we love are Darn Good Chili, Chicken Sweet Potato Chili, and One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

2025-10-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic is an easy way to eat your veggies and super addictive. The secret is a hot oven to make roasting quicker and prevent the brussels sprouts from becoming mushy or dry. A favorite easy side dish recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Juicy Roasted Chicken

2025-10-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

Roasted Chicken that is deliciously seasoned with an herb butter rub that is rubbed under the skin. It's makes the juiciest baked whole chicken including the breast meat and has so much flavor. The chicken is roasted over the top of leeks for extra flavor. The leeks turn out so addicting and make a great side dish to serve with the chicken.

Spinach Artichoke Pasta

2025-10-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite one dish meals is Spinach Artichoke Pasta it's so quick and easy to make. It's like our beloved Spinach Artichoke Dip covered in pasta and takes only 25 minutes to make. You could always add cubed chicken breast once the onions are caramelized for Chicken Spinach Artichoke Pasta. So easy, so good! A must make easy dinner recipe I think you'll love.

Pumpkin Bread with Streusel

2025-09-30T18:24:00.000-07:00

Homemade Pumpkin Bread is a fall favorite around our house. It's such a moist loaf of bread with lots of pumpkin, maple, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and a delicious brown sugar streusel topping. It's a favorite for breakfast, brunch, midday snacks or a dessert.

If you love this Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Recipe you might also love Banana Bread Coffee Cake, Lemon Poppy Seed Bread, and this flavorful Zucchini Bread with Brown Sugar Crumb.

Taco Soup with Ground Beef

2025-09-24T17:58:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite Taco Soup Recipes is Hamburger Taco Soup because it's so easy, healthy, packed with flavor and inexpensive to make. It's ready in 45 minutes and is great for a crowd since everyone can choose their own toppings.

If you're hosting like a football party or gathering Shrimp Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers, Chili Con Queso Dip, Nacho Cheese Dip, or Pico De Gallo are all favorites to appetizers or to serve along side the Taco Soup.

Chicken Sweet Potato Chili

2025-09-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

Falls here and Chicken Sweet Potato Chili has all the flavors we love about fall. A little sweet from the sweet potatoes with a delicious smokey spiciness from chipotle peppers and chipotle sauce make this a delicious dinner recipe.

With the cooler weather comes a regular rotation of chili. A few other Chili recipes we love are Chicken Chili Verde, Darn Good Chili, and Chipotle Black Beans. If you have leftover chipotle peppers you need to use from making this recipe Crock Pot Chipotle Ham and Bean Soup is another favorite.

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake With Caramel Icing

2025-09-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Bundt Cake with a delicious caramel icing drizzled over the top is a fall favorite dessert recipe and great alternative to pie at Thanksgiving. This moist Pumpkin Cake is perfectly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and of course vanilla.

If you happen to have leftover Pumpkin Puree we also love to make Pumpkin Cheesecake Crumb Bars, Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes and Pumpkin Bread with Streusel.

Caramel Pineapple Sauce

2025-09-06T16:47:00.000-07:00

Caramel Pineapple Sauce is a delicious syrup recipe with chunks of pineapple. We love Caramel Pineapple Sauce for breakfast served over French Toast, Pancakes or Waffles and for dessert over ice cream or anything else your heart desires to coat with it.

Other favorite ways we love to use up fresh pineapple include Fresh Pineapple Upside Down Cake and Habanero Pineapple Blueberry Salsa.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2025-07-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread recipe is an easy loaf of quick bread to make. Chocolate Zucchini Bread is moist with plenty of chocolate and you'll never feel like you're eating your vegetables.

Homemade Refried Black Beans

2025-07-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

How to make Homemade Refried Black Beans recipe from scratch made using dried black beans but could also be substituted with canned black beans. Ham hock gives these black beans a delicious smokey flavor but could also be omitted for a Vegetarian recipe. Refried Black Beans are easy to make and a favorite side dish to go with all your favorite Mexican Recipes.

No Bake Banana Pudding Cheesecake

2025-07-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

A delicious combination of two favorite desserts from scratch Banana Pudding and Cheesecake making this No Bake Banana Pudding Cheesecake a family favorite in our house. A graham cracker crust is filled with an easy Banana Pudding Cheesecake filling filled with fresh banana. Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream and sliced banana for a show stopping dessert.

For more delicious from scratch Banana Pudding recipes make sure to try traditional Homemade Banana Pudding, Baked Banana Pudding Cheesecake, and Mini Banana Pudding Cheesecakes.

This weeks Sunday Supper theme is a Big Virtual Picnic and I couldn't think of something better to bring to a picnic than a Banana Pudding Cheesecake.

For the the banana cream pie lover I don't think dessert gets much better than this.

Banana cream pie meets no bake cheesecake. Colt said it's so good it doesn't even need the whip cream.

Just for the record Colt already put in his order for another Banana Pudding Cheesecake for our Birthday, it's that amazing! Since we share a Birthday it was a huge relief we both agreed on dessert this year.

Banana Cheesecake is a favorite dessert recipe for the Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert table. The cream cheese cuts the sweetness of the banana pudding from scratch recipe making it a favorite after dinner dessert. We actually make this recipe for Banana Pudding Cheesecake year around.

Asian Coleslaw

2025-06-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

An Asian Spin on classic coleslaw this Asian Coleslaw is filled with green cabbage, red cabbage, shredded carrots, green onions, and cilantro. It's tossed with a perfectly balanced sweet and sour asian dressing made with plenty of toasted sesame seed oil, honey, rice wine vinegar, and just a little heat from crushed red pepper flakes for a delicious Cole Slaw recipe without mayo.

Asian Coleslaw goes well with just about any barbecue recipe, fish or chicken. We love to serve it with Sticky Sweet and Sour Ribs, Orange Peel Chicken, these easy Crock Pot BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

or Crock Pot Bourbon Peach BBQ Pulled Pork.