Necessity is the mother of invention, and this is especially true at the lunch hour.

Our lunches run the gamut here– from lunch trays assembled to share while we do lessons, packed lunches on co-op or adventure days, YOYO days in which the kids are on their own for figuring out what they want to eat…

… and hot lunches that are both deliciously satisfying and simple enough that we almost always have the ingredients on hand.

These twisted breadsticks fit the last description. I can easily stir together a quick pizza dough, and twist together whatever mix of meat, cheese, and veggies is in the fridge. All done in about 30 minutes.

One portion of my homemade pizza dough can make 10-12 breadsticks. Last week for my crew of 6, I made 2 dozen breadsticks– half twisted with ham and half with spicy pepperoni. It was the perfect lunch to make when I really needed to get to the grocery store.

If you haven’t tried my pizza dough before, it’s hugely popular for a good reason. It comes together very easily and very quickly, making it perfect for lunches and simple family pizza nights. (I use it for Stromboli, too!) All you need is flour, sea salt, active dry yeast, and warm water.

Give these breadsticks a try this week! Lunch or dinner, they are sure to please. Serve them with dipping bowls of marinara sauce for extra tastiness. (My favorite homemade marinara recipe is in my Instant Pot cookbook. It’s super easy and SO good!)

Check out these other healthy and easy lunch ideas too:

• Garlic Orzo with Bacon & Greens
• Instant Pot Ramen Noodles
• Homemade Pigs in A Blanket
• Sheet Pan Nachos
• Our Favorite Tuna Salad
• Stovetop Popcorn

Twisted Cheesy Breadsticks

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

• Author: Lisa @This Pilgrim Life

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Description

A simple pizza dough twisted up with herbs, Italian meat, and cheese! Enjoy these delicious breadsticks for a quick lunch or snack!

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Ingredients

• simple thin crust pizza dough
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp Italian herbs
• 1 handful (about 1 C) spinach leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 C shredded mozzarella cheese
• Italian meat– salami, capicola ham, prosciutto, etc
• 1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 500° (to use with a baking stone/steel) or 450° (to use with a baking sheet).

2. Make the pizza dough. (One portion per 10-12 breadsticks).

3. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 10″x15″. Drizzle olive oil across the top of the dough, then sprinkle the salt, pepper, and spices on top. Distribute the chopped spinach, cheeses, and meat evenly across the dough.

4. Fold the bottom third of the rectangle up towards the middle. Fold the top third down, to form a sealed “envelope”. Use a dough scraper or knife to divide the dough envelope into 10-12 strips.

5. Twist each strip twice and place on a piece of parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 500°, or 12-15 minutes at 450°.

6. Let cool slightly and serve with marinara dipping sauce.

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It’s that time again! Time to look back at 2020 and remember all the new recipes of the year, and take stock of what were the most popular recipes on the blog.

This is always a fun exercise because even though I am the one testing and publishing the new recipes, I’m still amazed when I look back and remember recipes that have slipped my mind.

I’ve organized the new recipes (all thirty-nine of them) into categories so you can easily scroll through and find something new to try this year. I also looked back through which recipes were visited the most frequently in 2020, and compiled a list of those, too, at the end of the post. 

Thank you so much for trusting me with your meal times and trying so many new recipes with me this year! (I’d love to hear in the comments which were your favorites!) Your support and enthusiasm keep me going and mean so much!

Scroll through the list, check out which new recipes you missed this year, and save this post so you can come back for quick and easy links! 

New Recipes in 2020

MAIN DISH

1. Garlic Orzo with Bacon & Greens in the Instant Pot
2. Pan Fried Chicken Strips
3. Instant Pot Whole Chicken
4. Garden Fresh Pasta Primavera
5. Venison French Dips in the Instant Pot & Easy Sub Rolls
6. Herb Chicken and Rice in the Instant Pot
7. 5-Ingredient Easy Alfredo Sauce
8. Super Simple Summer Pasta Salad
9. French Dip Empanadas

SOUPS

1. Instant Pot French Onion Soup
2. Instant Pot Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
3. Loaded Cauliflower Soup in the Instant Pot
4. Potlikker Gumbo in the Instant Pot

SIDES

1. Maple Brussel Sprouts and Bacon
2. Roasted Carrot Fries
3. Blistered Garlic Green Beans
4. Crispy Potato Cakes
5. Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
6. Roasted Zucchini Spears with “Secret Sauce”
7. Sauteed Garlicky Greens
8. Rosemary & Parmesan Squash Casserole
9. Roasted Okra Fries

SNACKS & TREATS

1. How to Make Stovetop Popcorn
2. Simple Honey Cake
3. Quick Cinnamon Sweet Breads: Cinnamon Raisin Swirl & Dark Chocolate Chunk
4. Monster Cookies
5. Spiced Apple Butter in the Instant Pot
6. Russian Tea Cakes
7. Italian Icebox Cookies
8. Homemade Apple Cider in the Vitamix
9. Oat & Nut Bread

BREAKFAST

1. Stone Ground Grits in the Instant Pot
2. Strawberry Muffins with Sweet Cream Surprise
3. Easy Sourdough Pancakes with Discard
4. Healthy Chocolate Cereal
5. Easy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
6. Easy Chia Seed Jam
7. Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits

16 Most Popular Recipes in 2020

1. Pan Fried Chicken Strips
2. Instant Pot Cinnamon Apples
3. One-Hour Focaccia Bread
4. One-Hour French Bread
5. Best Old Fashioned Pound Cake
6. Instant Pot Shepherd’s Pie
7. Instant Pot Ramen Noodles
8. Simple Thin Crust Pizza Dough
9. London Broil on a Cast Iron Griddle
10. Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Soup
11. How to Make Box Mac’n’Cheese in the Instant Pot
12. Instant Pot Chocolate Pudding Cake
13. Simple Honey Cake
14. Cauliflower Au Gratin in the Instant Pot
15. Amazing Thirty Minute Cinnamon Rolls
16. Easy Instant Pot Chicken Breasts

Don’t forget to come back and let me know how you enjoyed a recipe after you try it by leaving a comment and/or a rating! It helps a ton and I love to hear your thoughts. I also LOVE to see your dishes when you share on social media, so be sure to tag me @thispilgrimlife!

Sharing is caring! Don’t forget to pin and share. Thank you!

The post New & Most Popular Recipes from 2020 appeared first on This Pilgrim Life.

The links below may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a small compensation at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure policy here. 

5-Ingredient Easy Alfredo Sauce

One of the great things about Alfredo sauce is that it only requires a handful of ingredients that we always have on hand. I like to use whole milk instead of cream because we always have it, and the milk makes the sauce a lot lighter than using cream.

We also always have parmesan cheese on hand. I highly suggest only using block parmesan cheese for this recipe. It’s not expensive and will last a long time in the fridge. Pre-shredded cheeses can have trouble melting smoothly into sauces because they are coated with anti-caking ingredients. Freshly shredded cheese will taste infinitely better than shakers of parmesan-like cheese, too.

As for the garlic, you can use pre-minced garlic in a jar if that is what you like to have on hand. I typically use fresh (again, it just tastes better), but either will work in this recipe.

The Alfredo sauce comes together very quickly, so I suggest preparing all the ingredients before you start. (Basically, this just means don’t wait to shred the cheese until you get going).

You start by mincing garlic, then making a roux in the pot with flour. This step only takes a couple of minutes, tops. You then pour in the milk and whisk the entire time because (A) you don’t want lumps, and (B) you don’t want the sauce to scorch or stick to the bottom.

Once the sauce begins to thicken, you can reduce the heat, stir in the cheese, and VOILA! you are done. Simply add pepper and (maybe, but probably not) salt to taste.

Of course, this easy Alfredo sauce is perfect on pasta. My FAVORITE combination is roasted broccoli (yes, ROASTED. The flavor is phenomenal), and roasted/sliced chicken. It’s so good, and if you cook a whole chicken on the weekend, and maybe even roast the broccoli ahead of time, this becomes a very quick and easy dinner idea.

We also like to make white pizza with Alfredo sauce and toppings like greens and bacon. YUM!

Related posts :: 

• Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot 
• Simple Thin Crust Pizza Dough 
• Fresh Pasta

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5-Ingredient Easy Alfredo Sauce

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews

• Author: Lisa @ This Pilgrim Life
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes

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Description

Creamy Alfredo sauce is so quick and easy to make on the stovetop with just a handful of ingredients! Serve it with pasta, as a pizza sauce, in between lasagna layers, and more.

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Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter, kerrygold if possible
• 4-5 garlic cloves, about two tablespoons minced
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• salt to taste

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Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté briefly until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Sprinkle the flour across the top of the butter and garlic. Use a whisk to stir the mixture, then to slowly pour in the milk. Whisk so there are no lumps, and increase the heat slightly to bring the sauce to a simmer with slow bubbles across the top.
3. After the milk comes to a simmer, cook until it thickens slightly, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat after a couple of minutes and stir in the shredded parmesan.
4. Add the pepper and salt to taste. (I usually do not need much, if any salt, due to the saltiness of the cheese).
5. Serve with pasta, pizza, lasagna, etc.

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The post 5-Ingredient Easy Alfredo Sauce appeared first on This Pilgrim Life.