Tuscan Mac & Cheese

My husband and I are recently on a vegetarian journey and found this recipe made with chicken. I altered it a little bit, took the chicken out and it was FABULOUS! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 small yellow onion chopped

• 6 cloves garlic finely diced

• 1/3 cup white cooking wine 

• 9 oz jarred sun dried tomato strips in oil (reserve 2 tablespoons of oil and drain the rest)

• 3 level tablespoons flour

• 2 cups vegetable broth

• 2 cups milk

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
• 2 teaspoons salt

• 10 ounces whole wheat pasta (elbows or shells), uncooked (3 cups!)

• 3 cups baby spinach leaves

• 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese shredded

• 1/2 cup grated cheese Cheddar or Gruyere

• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Add the butter and fry the onion and garlic until the onion becomes transparent, stirring occasionally (about 2 minutes). Pour in the white wine and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, or until beginning to reduce down.
2. Add the sun dried tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of the sun dried tomato oil from the jar and cook for 1-2 minutes to release as much flavor as possible.
3. Stir the flour into the pot and allow to cook for a further minute. Then, add the broth, the milk, the heavy cream, herbs, salt and pepper, and bring to a very low simmer (lower the heat if you need to). 
4. Add the dry pasta and stir occasionally as it comes to a simmer. Reduce heat down to medium low and stir regularly while it cooks (for about 9 - 10 minutes), or until the sauce thickens and the pasta is just cooked (al dente: tender but still firm). Add the spinach and stir through until wilted. 
5. Take the pot off the stove and stir all of the cheese in quickly. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce it too thick, add more milk in 1/4 cup increments, until reaching desired thickness. Keep in mind the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Serve immediately!

Adapted from Cafe Delites

Lindy's Easy Meatloaf

This is my mother-in-law's recipe and it's the easiest and most tasty I've ever made! If you're looking for a flavorful meatloaf... this is it!

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 slice of bread ripped into small pieces (or 1 cup of bread crumbs)
1 medium onion, chopped
8 oz tomato sauce
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Sauce to cover meatloaf

1/4 C water
2 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar or molasses

Instructions

Mix all meatloaf ingredients together and shape in a greased cake pan (it won't cook well or fit the topping in a loaf pan). Mix together sauce and pour it all over the meatloaf. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes, basting meat with sauce every 20 minutes or so. Enjoy!

Turkey & Sweet Potato Skillet

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 lbs extra-lean ground turkey

1 tsp clove garlic, minced

½ cup onions, diced

½ cup yellow pepper, diced

1 ½ cup sweet potato, diced

Salt and pepper

A pinch of chili pepper

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Fresh parsley for garnishing

Instructions

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat.

Add ground turkey and garlic. Stir occasionally and cook for about 10 minutes.

Add onions and yellow peppers and cook until onions are gold brown.

Add the sweet potato, cover the skillet and cook until they are tender. Don’t forget to stir occasionally. If necessary, add more olive oil or a little bit of water to cook the sweet potato.

While the sweet potato is cooking pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

When the sweet potato is tender, add shredded mozzarella cheese and bring the skillet to the oven to melt the cheese.

When the cheese melts, remove from the oven and garnish with green onions.

Original recipe found here. 

Sweet Potato Hash & Avocado Sauce

Ingredients

The sauce:

1 avocado, skin and seed removed

⅓ cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lime, juiced

2 tbsp minced cilantro

2 tbsp water

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground pepper

The potatoes:

1¼ lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice

¾ lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice

1 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ tsp salt

¾ cup black beans (cooked)

4 strips cooked bacon

¼ cup minced cilantro

Instructions

The sauce:

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the avocado, yogurt, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, water, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.

The potatoes:

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add sweet and russet potatoes and cook until just tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (preferably cast-iron) set over medium-high heat.

Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.

Stir in the cooked sweet and russet potatoes and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes start to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the black beans, bacon and cilantro.

Divide between 8 plates and top with each portion with 1 tablespoon of the avocado sauce.

Original recipe found here.

Chicken and Veggie Bake

Ingredients

-Skinless chicken breasts chopped into 2 inch cubes

-1/2 cup chicken broth

-1 lb red potatoes chopped into 2 inch cubes (you can do sweet potatoes instead, but you’ll have to extend the cooking time to an hour)

-1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces.

-Red and yellow peppers sliced into 1 inch pieces.

-1 onion sliced

-1/3 cup fresh basil

-4 garlic cloves sliced thin

-1.5 tbsp Olive Oil

-1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary

-Ground pepper to taste

*Optional: Carrots can be added. 2 large or 1/2 cup of baby cut carrots

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and add chicken, potatoes, veggies, basil, garlic, chicken broth and olive oil (I mix it in a bowl first so it’s all evenly seasoned). Sprinkle with rosemary add pepper if desired. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender! ENJOY!

Original recipe found here. 

Cheddar Burger and Veggie Packet

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 medium green onions, chopped (2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon peppered seasoned salt
2 medium yellow Yukon potatoes, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups baby-cut carrots
12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half, if desired
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon peppered seasoned salt

Directions
1. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat. Spray half of one side of four 18x12-inch sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil with cooking spray.
2. Mix beef, cheese, Worcestershire sauce, 2 chopped onions and 1 teaspoon seasoned salt. Shape mixture into 4 patties, about 1 inch thick.
3. Place potatoes on sprayed sides of foil sheets. Top with beef patty, carrots, tomatoes and sliced onions; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt. Fold foil over patties and vegetables so edges meet. Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again. Allow space on sides for circulation and expansion.
4. Cover and grill packets 4 to 6 inches from medium heat 17 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Place packets on plates. Cut a large X across top of packet; fold back foil.

Original recipe here. 

"Healthified" Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 cups beef broth
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 jar (4 oz) mushrooms (I left these out, so they can be optional)
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
6 cups hot cooked medium egg noodles

Directions
1. Brown ground beef with onion and garlic in skillet; drain grease and return to stove.
2. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the broth, the Worcestershire sauce, basil, salt and pepper. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer. In small bowl, mix flour and remaining 1/2 cup broth with wire whisk until blended. Add to skillet. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
3. Stir in mushrooms and ketchup; cook until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream until well blended. Serve over noodles. ENJOY!



Adapted from original recipe here.

Homefried Kielbasa and Sweet Potato

I love this recipe! It's become a weekly staple in our house. We've recently started using sweet potatoes in place of regular potatoes wherever we can and this is one of those recipes that I swapped it out for. I hope you love it as much as we do!

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp coconut oil
14-16 oz kielbasa of your choice
1-2 large sweet potatoes
1 small chopped onion
1-2 tsp minced garlic (based on your preference)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp oregano

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel and chop your sweet potatoes into bite sized pieces. The bigger they are, the longer they will have to cook, so keep that in mind.
2. Chop your onion. Once this is done, throw the potatoes, onion, and garlic into your medium-high pan with your melted oil. You can replace the coconut oil with whatever you have on hand, but I love the flavor (and health benefits!) the coconut oil gives the potatoes.
3. Once the potatoes have started to absorb some of the oil, add the paprika, salt and oregano. Mix well in the pan.
4. Slice the kielbasa. If you have a lot of potatoes, it's best to cut each slice in half to distribute the meat further... but it's all your preference.
5. Turn down the head to medium/medium-low. Continue stirring the ingredients in the pan until your potatoes are soft and the meat has browned some. I sometimes cover the pan with a lid on a low setting to let the potatoes soften a bit more with a few stirs in between.
6. Serve hot and Enjoy!



Adapted and changed from here.

Thai Peanut "Noodle" Bowl

So sorry we’ve been absent from the blog for… years! I decided to pick it back up since I’ve found several recipes that are now staples at our house that needed to be shared. Tonight, however, we tried something totally new and it was great! So without further ado… how to cook a spaghetti squash in your crockpot and make an easy, tasty meal without heating up your entire kitchen this summer!

Ingredients:
1 Small Spaghetti Squash (About 3-5 lbs.)
2 C. Water
2 C. Broccoli, Steamed
1/2 Batch Prepared Skinny Peanut Dressing (Below)
1 Tbsp. Sesame Seeds

Optional/Suggested Toppings:
Chopped Peanuts
Sriracha

Directions:
Pierce your spaghetti squash all over with a fork (similarly to how you would with a potato before baking.)

Place the squash and 2 c. of water into a slow cooker. Secure the lid and cook for 8-9 hours on low. The squash will turn brownish and kind of dingy while cooking, but don't let that scare you. The insides are perfectly perfect! 

Once done, remove the squash from the crock pot and set aside to cool for 10-20 minutes. Discard the water. This would be a good time to prepare your dressing or broccoli! 

After the squash has cooled, cut it in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp. It should all come out pretty easily. Mine even separated from the meat of the squash on it's own. With the pulp removed, use a fork to shred the insides into spaghetti like noodles. Feel free to get all the way down to the flesh of the squash. 

Place the 'noodles' into a bowl and top each with 1 c. of broccoli, 3 tbsp. dressing (below), 1/2 tbsp. sesame seeds, and peanuts if desired. Enjoy! 

SKINNY PEANUT DRESSING

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tbsp. Light Brown Sugar, Packed
3 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
3 Tbsp. Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp. PB2, 1 Serving Prepared
1 Tbsp. Ginger Root, Grated
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 Tsp. Sesame Oil
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Sriracha (Optional)
1/2 Tsp. Sesame Seeds (Optional)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl until well blended.

Original recipe found here!

Crock Pot Nacho Chicken Dinner

What you need:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can nacho cheese soup

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (with juice)

1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies

1 cup dry macaroni elbows 

What to do:

Place all ingredients except macaroni in crock pot for 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. Once chicken is cooked, shred it and add the cup of macaroni. Cook another 30 minutes or until noodles are to your liking. Serve and enjoy! 

Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie Cups

This was another recipe I found thanks to Pinterest! I am in LOVE with cupcake recipes because it makes serving sizes easier to calculate since I'm trying to lose baby weight and they're less messy for an entire meal! I hope you enjoy as much as I did...

- 1 can of reduced fat biscuits (I actually was able to use TWO cans at a total of 16 biscuits)

- 1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced (I used a *large* canned chicken - no cooking!)
- 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
- 2/3 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
- 1 cup of frozen mixed veggies
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Separate biscuits and place each biscuit in a cup of a lightly greased 12-hole muffin pan, pressing dough up sides to edge of cup.
3. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, chicken soup, veggies, cheddar cheese, onion powder, parsley flakes, and black pepper. Mix well to combine.
4. Evenly spoon chicken mixture into prepared biscuit cups.
5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Remove from oven. Place muffin pan on a wire rack and let set for 2-3 minutes. Serve at once.

*Original recipe found here

Healthified Lasagna

Holy yummo! This healthified recipe does not sacrifice taste! My family pretty much downed the entire thing. I think I definitely found a winner lasagna recipe to use for years to come!

9	uncooked lasagna noodles (I used whole wheat lasagna noodles)
1	lb extra-lean ground beef
2	cloves garlic, finely chopped
1	jar pasta sauce
1/8	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2	teaspoons dried basil leaves
1	egg
1	container (15 oz) reduced-fat ricotta cheese
2	cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
1/3	cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1.	Spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package. Place in cold water.
2.	Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, cook beef and garlic over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in pasta sauce, ground red pepper and 1 teaspoon of the basil. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
3.	Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, beat egg slightly. Stir in ricotta cheese and remaining 1/2 teaspoon basil until blended. Drain noodles. Spread about 1/2 cup sauce mixture over bottom of baking dish. Top with 3 noodles, 1 1/2 cups of the sauce mixture, half of the ricotta mixture and 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and mozzarella cheese; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Spray 15-inch piece of foil with cooking spray. Cover lasagna with foil.
4.	Bake 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. *recipe found here: http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/recipes/healthified/healthified-lasagna.aspx

Philly Cheese Steak Casserole

This recipe was absolutely out of this world! Everyone enjoyed it (including my picky eaters!). The only thing my husband said he would change would be more seasoning. I would definitely have to agree. Next time I'll try some salt-free seasoning.

3	cups uncooked wide egg noodles (I used whole wheat)
1	lb beef boneless sirloin steak, about 3/4 inch thick
1/4	teaspoon pepper
2	medium onions, chopped (1 cup)
1	small green bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 3/4	cups beef broth
1/4	cup all-purpose flour
1/2	cup fat-free half-and-half
1	tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4	cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1.	Heat oven to 350°F. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package.
2.	Meanwhile, remove fat from beef. Cut beef into 3/4-inch pieces. Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook beef and pepper in skillet 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown. Stir in onions and bell pepper. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon into baking dish.
3.	In medium bowl, beat broth and flour with wire whisk until smooth. Add to skillet; heat to boiling. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens; remove from heat. Stir in half-and-half and mustard. Spoon over beef mixture. Stir in cooked noodles.
4.	Cover and bake 40 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered about 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly (next time I plan to let everyone sprinkle a little cheese on their plates). Recipe found here:

http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/recipes/global-flavors/philly-cheese-steak-casserole.aspx