Creamy Veggie Noodles

I know I'm becoming "that person" who keeps talking about the weather, but... it's COLD. And it's snowing... constantly. A couple weeks ago I had an early dismissal from school due to the snow and my drive home was, hands down, the scariest experience of my life. If you live in Jersey you'll understand- I had to travel about 10 exits on the parkway over the Driscoll Bridge. If you don't live in NJ, just imagine a big bridge and tons of snow. It took me over 2 hours for my normal 25 minute commute. I was so scared that I was literally praying most of the way home. When I finally walked in the door I grabbed my baby, kissed his little head, and decided dinner had to be comfort food at it's best. I wanted egg noodles and I wanted them creamy and cheesy. Ta-da! Here it is, creamy, cheesy, and delicious!

I made my own cream of chicken soup for this but you are welcome to use a can if you prefer. You could add some chicken, different veggies, whatever you prefer. I promise you you can't go wrong here!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
10 ounces wide egg noodles
1 tsp butter
1 cup diced mushrooms
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, water squeezed out
1 batch cream of chicken soup, or 1 can of cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350.
2- Meanwhile, cook the egg noodles according to packaging directions.
3- In a skillet heat the butter. Add the mushrooms and cook 5 minutes, until soft. Add the spinach and stir well. Add the soup, stirring until well mixed.
4- Add the noodles to the skillet and stir until evenly coated. Add the 1/2 cup cheddar, stir. Transfer the mixture to an oven safe dish. Top with the additional 1/4 cup cheddar cheese.
5- Bake 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and hot.

Garlicky Potatoes Au Gratin

A few weeks ago we had a decent snow storm and were home bound for dinner. I was disappointed because we had plans to go out but the weather had different plans for us. That night I ended up making perfect roasted chicken with green beans and these potatoes. They were truly heavenly. Is there anything better than potatoes? Yes... there is... and it's potatoes covered in cheese. Painfully obvious, but felt the need to clarify that one ::wink wink::.

I ended up baking these much longer than needed because my chicken took for-e-ver so I kept taking the dish in and out of the oven. Due to this some of the yummy sauce dried up in the cooking process but none the less they were cheesy, smooth, and decadent. I love the way au gratin potatoes have a crisp top and a soft center. Landon was interested, he watched me serving them and asked to try them, but after a barely-there lick of the potato he tossed the plate aside and decided they weren't for him. Silly baby... but more for mommy and daddy.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
2 large Russet potatoes
1/4 cup diced onions (I used frozen, you can use fresh if you prefer)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup Philadelphia Roasted Garlic Cooking Creme
1 cup whole milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 400.
2- Scrub the potatoes. Using a mandolin slice the potatoes into thin even slices. Place in an oven safe baking dish.
3- In a large skillet combine the onion and butter. Cook over medium heat until the onions are soft. Stir in the flour and stir until well combined.
4- Add the cooking creme and milk, heating over medium heat until a low gentle boil begins. Add the cheese and stir well until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5- Pour the sauce mix over the potato slices. Bake uncovered for about 1 hour. The top should be golden and crisp.

Lemon Chicken Pierogie Bake

I buy bags of frozen pierogies every time they go on sale (which is often). I really could eat pierogies weekly and never get sick of them. I've mentioned before that 95% of the time I just toast them in a pan with a little butter and parmesan cheese and serve them with roasted asparagus and tomatoes, but now and then I get a little bit more adventurous. After trying the bacon pierogie bake a year or so ago and then remaking it recently I was in the mood for some type of pierogie bake. Enter this meal! It was a warm(er) day, we had spent the whole afternoon playing outside but it was still cool out, the way mid-March can be, so I wanted something that felt like spring comfort. Enter this meal. It was so delicious. John and I both were fans and happily ate this up. Landon was skeptical but he enjoyed the pierogies. Anytime I snuck a veggie in he spit it out and said "yucky!"... but hey, Rome wasn't built in a day... The best part was the sauce. It had a subtle lemon taste, was perfectly coating each bite, and was truly just perfect.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

2 cloves garlic

1 cup broth

2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

4 garlic and herb Laughing Cow wedges (or 4 tbsp cream cheese)

3 green onions, sliced thin.

1 package frozen pierogies

1 cup cooked chicken, diced

1 cup cooked veggies, any kind

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

1- Preheat the oven to 400.

2- In a skillet melt the butter. Stir in the garlic and allow to saute until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and stir well. Slowly pour in the broth.

3- Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat. Add the lemon juice, zest, and Laughing Cow wedges. Stir until cheese is melted. Stir in the green onion.

4- In an oven safe dish lay the pierogies on the bottom. Add the chicken and veggies, and pour the sauce over the whole dish. Top with the parmesan cheese.

5- Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Chicken & Mushroom Pot Pie

I've mentioned before that John is a huge pot pie freak. It's his favorite food of all time. In our eight years I've made a few varieties for him, a lighter version, an easy version, a pot pie soup, and even a pot pie pasta. However in all these years I never made his favorite version- the kind with crust on top and on bottom.

After forcing John to eat baked ziti AND roasted veggie lasagna over the course of two weeks I decided to throw him a bone and make him his favorite. Boy was he pleased. I have to say that this was the first time I not only tolerated a pot pie but actually loved it. This recipe was awesome. All of us, including Landon, loved it. The leftovers were just as good as the original which was great since John took it to lunch for a few days. I don't know if I'll ever make another version again... this was for me is just the best pot pie!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:

2 pie crusts (I used Pillsbury)

1 tbsp butter

1 cup mushrooms

1.5 cups cooked chopped chicken

2 yukon gold potatoes, cooked and diced

1 cup peas/carrots

2 cups gravy

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup half and half

Directions:

1- Preheat the oven to 350.

2- Roll out one of the pie crusts into a pie pan. Set aside.

3- In a skillet melt the butter. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft. Stir in the chicken, potatoes, peas/carrots, gravy, salt & pepper, and half and half. Stir well and heat over low heat for about 5 minutes.

4- Pour filling into crust. Roll second crust over top, pinching the sides to seal the crust. Cut slits into the top for ventilation.

5- Bake about 40 minutes, until the crust is golden. After 20 minutes cover the edges with foil if needed to prevent burning.

6- Allow to sit 10 minutes before slicing. 

Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Truth be told when I found my true love of a homemade macaroni and cheese recipe, this classic macaroni and cheese, I assumed I was done. Done hunting and searching for *the one* of mac and cheese recipes. Lord knows I've tried many many varieties along the way! But... is there ever really a *the one* of macaroni and cheese? I mean really... can't our hearts love multiple macaroni and cheese recipes at one time? Some might say no... but I say yes.

In an effort to find a lighter version I tried this recipe and I was floored. It was perfect! It was healthier (win!), easy (win!), and full of flavor (win win win!!!). I added my own secret ingredient to the dish (don't worry... I'll share it with you below) and I really found this to just be the most perfect macaroni and cheese because nobody would ever know it was a lighter version. I have a tray of it in my freezer and I can't wait to make it again!

Source: Slightly adapted from Skinny Taste

Ingredients:

12 oz high fiber elbows like Ronzoni Smart Taste
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup minced onion
2 cups skim milk
1 cup fat free chicken broth
8 oz Sargento 2% reduced fat mild cheddar

2 tbsp Frank's Buffalo sauce (my secret ingredient!)
salt and pepper
4 cups baby spinach
1/8 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs

Directions:

1-Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Spray a baking dish with buttered flavor Pam. Preheat oven to 375°.
2- In a large, heavy skillet, melt butter. Add flour and cook over low heat stirring with a whisk. Add onion and cook another 2 minutes. Add milk and chicken broth and continue whisking, raising heat to medium-high until it comes to a boil and becomes smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper.
3- Once it becomes thick, remove from heat, add cheese and buffalo sauce and mix well until cheese is melted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, add cooked macaroni and baby spinach.Pour into baking dish. Top with grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more buttered flavor Pam on top.
4- Bake for 15-20 minutes, then broil for a few minutes to get the breadcrumbs golden.

Baked Lemon Tortellini

Lemon is such a vibrant flavor. It's light, adds no calories or fat to a dish, but delivers a ton of flavor and tang to a meal. Some people find lemon to be too tart (like these babies- have you ever seen this youtube video of babies having lemon for the first time? If not you can thank me later!) but to me it's really one of the best ingredients. Some of my favorite lemon based meals are chicken with lemon basil pasta, lemon chicken, lemon cream pasta, lemon pepper shrimp scampi, shrimp in a Chinese lemon sauce, and lastly this delicious recipe for lemon pecan cookies. Can you tell I cook with lemon a lot? I had to really try to narrow it down to share just a few of my favorite lemon meals- there were tons more!

I will certainly be adding this baked tortellini recipe to the ranks of my favorite lemon-based meals. For starters I love stuffed pastas. I've discussed that love in depth many times so we'll move on. Beyond that it's a Weight Watchers friendly meal so you can have a creamy, cheesy, pasta-y dinner without guilt. Um, that deserves a YAY for sure. Plus, if you see the bacon sprinkled on top, you know you're in for a treat. Try this. It's so delicious.

Source: Emily Bites

Ingredients:
12 oz package of dry Cheese & Spinach Tortellini (I used Barilla – find in the dry pasta aisle)
2 slices center cut bacon
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T flour
2 c skim milk
¾ t salt
1/8 t black pepper
1 ½ t dried basil
¼ t crushed red pepper flakes
1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 t lemon zest
2 c fresh spinach, loose, not packed
1 ½ oz Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2/3 c reduced fat 2% shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Lightly coat an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Cook the tortellini in a large pot according to package directions.
3. Meanwhile, place bacon in a sauté pan or large skillet and bring over medium-high heat. Cook for 7-9 minutes until crisp. Remove bacon from the pan and place on paper towels to dry. Leave one tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan (if you have less than that like I did you may want to add a little butter to make up the difference. I counted one tablespoon of bacon grease in the recipe builder. If you want to make this vegetarian then just skip the bacon altogether and use butter). Add the garlic to the bacon grease and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour to the pan and whisk into grease. Add the milk slowly and continue to whisk until combined. Add the salt, pepper, basil and red pepper flakes and stir. Bring sauce to a simmer.
4. Once sauce is simmering, add lemon juice and lemon zest to sauce. Stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes and remove from heat.
5. Drain the tortellini and place back into the pot. Crumble the bacon and set aside. Add the spinach along with most of the Parmesan and the Mozzarella (reserve some of each to sprinkle on top). Add the sauce and stir everything together to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan, Mozzarella and bacon over the top.
6. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes.

**9 WW points plus for 1/6 of the recipe

Vegetarian Enchilada Pasta Bake

I am such a visual person. I am a visual learner- I need to see it in order to do it. Forget about putting anything together from reading an instructions manuel... it will never happen. But if I watch a youtube video? I stand a chance (a small...slim...barely there chance). When it comes to food I am also extremely visual. To the point where I see recipes and release audible reactions. John may or may not be embarrassed by my reactions to reading food blogs and prefer I don't do it when other people are over. I will neither confirm nor deny this fact. With that said, when I saw the picture of this recipe I immediately added it to my menu. I didn't even read the ingredients list! I just said "Ohhhh yesssss!" and added it to the list.

When it came time to food shop I saw the sauce was enchilada sauce. Now, I'm new to Mexican cuisine. It's rising in the ranks of my favorites, but I do not love enchilada sauce. I figured I could get over it, that I'd love it because it's soooooo pretty, and to just go with it. Well... guess what? I STILL don't love enchilada sauce! I ate this, I enjoyed it, but being that I am not sold on the key ingredient I can't say this is a favorite. Typically I will only share recipes I love, but I am making an exception for this. There is nothing wrong with the recipe, in fact I'm pretty sure you will love it, so therefore I will bend my own rules. The only reason I didn't love it was because I allowed myself to be swayed by a pretty picture and not by the ingredients. I still think this recipe is excellent for other people. Just not me. So if you're into enchilada sauce go with it- this will be a huge hit!

Source: Sunny Side Up in San Diego

Ingredients:
1/2 pound pasta
1 tsp oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 medium jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp taco seasoning (homemade version here)
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups enchilada sauce
1 cup cheese (I used Mexican blend)
2 tbsp cilantro, plus 1 for garnish
10-20 tortilla chips, crushed

Directions:
1- Preheat over to 350. Prepare pasta according to packaging directions, set aside.
2- In a large skillet heat the oil. Add the onions, jalapeno, peppers, and garlic until tender, 6-7 minutes. Stir in seasonings, black beans, and one cup of the enchilada sauce. Cook 5 minutes.
3- Stir in the pasta, cilantro, and 1/2 cup cheese. Cook until cheese is melted. Transfer the pasta mixture to a 9x13 baking dish.
4- Top with the remaining sauce and cheese. Bake 15 minutes or until sauce and cheese are bubbly. Top with tortilla chips and remaining cilantro.

Pesto Chicken Alfredo Casserole

I mentioned before that I have a list of recipes I am dying to make in the fall. This recipe comes from that list of "must makes." When I saw it over the summer I knew we'd love it but it felt too... heavy... for summer. So as soon as September hit (even though it was still over 80 degrees out...) I busted out this recipe and got to work. You see, dinner on weeknights has before a huge hassle. I'm tired, I don't even care if I eat let alone what I eat, and often I am just so ready to get the whole cooking thing over with. Recipes like this are perfect for those situations. This meal was delicious. We both loved it and thoroughly enjoyed the meal. I froze most of it for after the baby comes and I'm already quite excited to eat it again.

Just a tip, if you are going to use jarred alfredo sauce I love Classico's alfredo sauce. I typically make my own but that would defeat the purpose of this easy meal so I did some internet research and saw Classico's sauce gets the best ratings. I really liked it and didn't feel it tasted fake or overly heavy either!

Source: Adapted from Cassie Craves

Ingredients:
1 pound uncooked rotini
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 7 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained and diced small
1 cup pesto sauce
1 jar Alfredo sauce (small/medium sized- not too large)
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and return to the pot. Stir in the chicken, red peppers, pesto, and alfredo sauce.
2- Spoon the ingredients into a large oven safe dish. Sprinkle the cheese over the top.
3- Cover and bake for 35 minutes. Serve hot

**Freezer tip- assemble up to step 2. Allow to cool completely and freeze. When ready to bake, defrost and complete step 3.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

I mentioned in my last post how I roasted a huge tray of veggies to use for several meals. After the stromboli, the next meal I used the veggies for was this lasagna. Last weekend during Hurricane Irene we became a bit of a refugee camp for our friends that didn't have power. They came here to shower and for a hot meal. I found out at about 4 that I was going to be making dinner for more than just John and I- luckily I had a pot of sauce on the stove so dinner was easy to throw together.

Being that John doesn't love lasagna I save it for events when there's other people around so John has to suffer silently doesn't have to have it too often. This lasagna was great- I really liked the flavor the vegetables offered. Best of all the vegetables held their consistency so there was a nice texture to the pasta dish. Easy to put together, delicious, and a balanced meal... can't beat it!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
2-3 cups marinara sauce
15 oz low fat ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 tsp Italian seasonings
12 lasagna noodles, cooked
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup pecorino romano cheese
3 cups roasted vegetables

Directions:
1- In a 9x13 pan spread a thin layer of marinara on the bottom.
2- In a small bowl combine the ricotta, egg, and Italian seasonings. Stir well.
3- Layer one layer of noodles over the sauce. Top with 1/3 of the ricotta, 1/3 of the mozzarella, 1/3 of the pecorino, and 1 cup veggies. Spoon marinara over the layer. Add an additional layer of noodles.
4- Repeat the layers from step 3, ending with a top layer of just noodles and marinara.
5- Refrigerate at least 1 hour, up to 24 (optional- I prefer to do this so the flavors meld).
6- Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Allow to sit 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Chicken Pot Pie

Last Sunday my husband turned 30! We spent the weekend snowboarding in Vermont and got home just in time for dinner Sunday. I was honestly a bit sick of eating out so I wanted to make dinner at home. I decided to make my husband's FAVORITE food of all time- chicken pot pie. I spent time scouring for recipes the whole way home from Vermont and ended up decided on using this recipe.

It came together easily and quickly. John was in heaven- he could live off of pot pie. While it isn't my favorite food in the world I do enjoy it and found this recipe to be quite delicious. It wasn't as heavy as a typical pot pie and was a very healthy alternative to a comforting classic. This will definitely be repeated in our house!

Source: Slightly adapted from WeightWatchers.com

Ingredients:
Cooking Spray
1 tsp. butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 cup chopped raw carrots
1 cup frozen peas
3 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 cup reduced fat evaporated milk
4 triangular reduced fat crescent rolls, 1/2 a tube

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a 9-inch round pie baking dish with cooking spray.
  
• Coat a large pot with cooking spray. Add butter and melt over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms and cook, until tender, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Stir in paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Add vegetables, broth and chicken. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
  
• In a small cup, combine flour and 1/4 cup of evaporated milk; stir into chicken mixture. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup of evaporated milk and cook until mixture is slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes more.
  
• Spoon chicken mixture into prepared baking dish. Unroll crescent rolls and arrange dough around inside edge of baking dish to form a border (there will be a hole in the middle). Bake until rolls are golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 15 minutes. Cut into 6 pieces and serve.

** 6 PointsPlus per 1/6 of the recipe

Revolutionary Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese... the classic comfort food. I have made several macaroni and cheese recipes in the past and have enjoyed all of them for different reasons. I am still on the hunt for "my" macaroni and cheese recipe, the classic recipe I will make over and over again. When I saw this recipe I thought it was so interesting that the macaroni was cooked IN the milk. That's the element that makes this "revolutionary."

This recipe came out really well. It was flavorful and cheesy. I particularly liked the addition of the Garlic Gold nuggets because they added some serious garlicy crunch. I've raved about Garlic Gold before and I still stick to my original sentiment- that stuff is amazing.

If you are looking for an easy and tasty macaroni and cheese I'd suggest trying this out. It was a hit here and it even warmed up nicely.

Source: Adapted from Cate's World Kitchen

2 cups dried pasta 
2 cups 1% milk
1 cup loosely packed shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese1 tsp salt
1 tbsp. Garlic Gold nuggets
Parsley


Directions:
Combine the pasta and milk in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring, with the heat low for about 20 minutes (until the pasta is soft). Make sure the milk doesn’t boil!

Stir in the salt and cheese, reserving about 1/4 cup of cheddar. Stir well.


Pour into a greased baking dish. Top with 1 tbsp. Garlic Gold and parley.


Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes.

Tomato and Zucchini Lasagna

If you've been reading my blog for some time now you have heard of my problems with produce. At the end of the week I'll have a bit of this and a bit of that- like 1/2 a tomato, 1/2 an onion, 2 heads of broccoli, and a 1/3 of a squash. Yup. This is my average week. Right after I dig through the produce draw I immediately try to figure out something to make with this randomness.

A few weeks ago I had a sad little zucchini and half an onion. Not too shabby considering my normal odds and ends but that zucchini was definitely on it's last leg. Enter this lasagna. To make this lasagna I used ingredients I had laying around and we were both happy with the results. I also like to "healthify" lasagna by adding veggies- it definitely makes it more appealing. I wish I had some spinach- that would have made this even better. Definitely a nice, easy lasagna recipe.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. EVOO
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 zucchini, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 14oz can diced tomatoes with Italian Seasonings
1 cup tomato sauce
8 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 egg white
1 tsp. Italian seasonings

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2- Add the onion and saute until tender. Add the zucchini and garlic. Saute until cooked though.
3- Add the canned tomatoes and tomato sauce- heat thoroughly.
4- In a separate bowl combine the ricotta, 1/4 cup mozzarella, egg white, and Italian seasoning. Stir well.
5- In a square glass dish, spread an ever layer of the sauce/zucchini mixture. Top with one layer of noodles.
6- Top with a layer of cheese. Begin layering sauce, cheese, and noodles. Once you are done layering top with the last 1/4 cup mozzarella.
7- Bake for about 30 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the lasagna is heated through.
2- In a small skillet saute the olive oil with the onion

Quick Quiche

This year I kept Easter really simple. I only made a few dishes but I made a point to really make them well. When I saw this quiche had a five start rating with over 100 reviews I figured it had to be good. It came together so quickly and really has endless options. I made one version pretty close to the recipe and another with bacon and cheddar instead of spinach and swiss. You can get fancy with this and really make any combination you would like.

I do have to tell you that these quiche were a hit! One person said it was the best quiche she ever had. The leftovers were in demand as well. John even asked me to teach him how to make it because he liked it so much! So if you need to make quiche I think this is a serious winner.

To my WW friends, I didn't calculate points because I don't eat quiche. Also, if you look at the ingredients list, you know it's high, but based on the reactions, worth it!

Source: Adapted from my text

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup minced onions
Salt and garlic powder
8 ounces shredded Swiss
1/3 cup cooked diced mushrooms
1 package frozen chopped spinach
1 (9-inch) unbaked deep dish pie shell

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Hand whip eggs, milk, mayonnaise, and flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into an unbaked 9-inch, deep pie crust. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the top is golden brown.

Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

One comment I get often when people I know in real life discover my blog is "Wow! I wish I had time to cook that much!" I give this comment the side eye. Doesn't everyone have 24 hours in the day? The next comment I get often is "I like to cook- I just don't have the motivation." Now this comment I understand! I love cooking and baking and will elect to spend a whole weekend in the kitchen. But a Monday night after working all day, writing a paper, cleaning the bathroom... ugh... no thanks! Most of the time I'll force myself to just make what I had planned but sometimes we do end up with take out or at Blue Wasabi, our absolute FAVORITE sushi restaurant.

When I made this macaroni and cheese it was one of those "just get your butt in the kitchen and stop moaning" kind of nights. I had practically dialed the pizza place and hung up 5 times as I argued with myself on whether or not to cook. Then I remembered this recipe and rushed to the freezer to make sure I had frozen broccoli. Sure enough I did so off to cooking I went. This macaroni and cheese is some seriously cheesy stuff! It was delicious. The broccoli really infused the taste and every bite had a hint of broccoli- delish. I will say this is much better as a side dish than a main course. I made it as a main course and I personally felt it was a little heavy even when using all reduced fat ingredient and cutting the butter in half. If you love macaroni and cheese and broccoli give this a shot- its quite tasty.

Source: Adapted from Joelen's Culinary Adventures

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 (8-ounce) package shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1 (10-ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed and coarsely chopped
8 ounces pasta, cooked
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs or 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, and whisk in all-purpose flour; cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes.

Whisk in milk gradually; cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Add shredded cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in broccoli and pasta. Pour into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs or parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes.

Chicken Pot Pie

My husband loves chicken pot pie the way I love pasta and cookies. That my friends is some serious love. He drools a little bit at the thought of it. Really. The weather has been getting cooler, the air crisper, and even some leaves are starting to change colors. This inspired me to make a chicken pot pie for the hubster. I had honestly never had chicken pot pie before so I didn't have high hopes and expectations. I know this isn't the traditional form of chicken pot pie since it doesn't have crust on the bottom but it was seriously tasty. John gobbled up his plate so quickly. He even had seconds which he never ever does. The chicken was so tender from cooking in the crock pot- I really think that added a lot to the recipe. I really enjoyed this too and look forward to trying other varieties.


Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1 pound of chicken breasts, frozen or fresh
1 bag of mixed veggies
1 tube of 10 refrigerator biscuits
1 can of 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup of chicken broth
1 cup of chicken gravy
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375.

1- Place the chicken, cream of chicken soup, and chicken broth in the crock pot. Cook on low 5 hours or until the chicken is cooked, shred and set aside. Don't drain the chicken- you will use the gravy.
2- In a 9 inch pie dish combine the chicken and the gravy it is sitting in, the bag of frozen veggies, and the chicken gravy. Stir to evenly coat.
3-Open the biscuits and slice each biscuit into 4 pieces. Evenly distribute the biscuits over the chicken and veggie mix. Top with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Sprinkle on the cheddar cheese.
4- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the biscuits are golden and the gravy is bubbling.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake

This past weekend was a real preview of the early days of fall. The air was crisp, the wind was brisk, and I didn't feel like I was sweating just from standing outside. While I am sure that fall isn't here yet and summer will heat up the days again soon, I really enjoyed this sneak peak. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to make a fall food- a casserole. Typically I am not a huge fan of casseroles. There isn't any real reason, I just don't love them. My mom never made casseroles so they weren't something I grew up on. However now and then I run across a recipe for one that intrigues me. This recipe is certainly one of those.

I have been meaning to make this recipe for a few weeks now. I finally forced myself to make it since I knew the ham only had a few more days left before it joined the rest of my fallen fridge friends in the garbage. I really am so bad with wasting- I am striving to improve on this. So even though I wasn't feeling this I made it and I am glad I did. It was really quite tasty. I loved the pepper and onion flavor in the dish. Below is my version- I halved the original recipe and altered a few other measurements, but I am linking you to the original as well. Overall a must try for the fall!

Source: Adapted from Picky Palate

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1/4 lb diced ham
1 Cups cooked shredded chicken breast
1.5 Tablespoons butter
1/8 Cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 2/3 cups of chicken broth
2 Cups cooked rice of choice
1/4 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 Cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat oil into a large 5 qt rimmed skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in garlic, ham and chicken. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Melt butter then stir in flour, salt and pepper until combined.

Slowly stir in chicken broth until well combined. Stir in cooked rice then transfer to a baking dish.

Top with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cover the dish with foil the last 10 minutes for oozing cheese.

French Toast Souffle

I know this is a very unpopular opinion among many people but I really like Rachel Ray. Once I was watching her and someone asked her what her guilty food pleasure was and she said she doesn't associate guilt with food. I have to say I very much agree with this. Sure, some foods aren't healthy and aren't to be eaten daily. Or even weekly, monthly, etc. But everything in moderation, right? BUT (and there's always a but) if I was going to feel some form of guilt this would definitely be a guilty pleasure food. Just read the ingredients list! They are all delicious, decadent, calorie-ridden, ingredients. Of course with this list of ingredients the results are heavenly! In my defense I did cut out a couple eggs and a 1/2 cup of cream... I figure every bit helps!

I did not have the pleasure of tasting this recipe because I made it for John's work meeting. However, John received 8 emails praising this thing up and down. One of his coworkers even Twittered that I was a genius. Therefore I am led to believe this is a hugely successful meal! It's so easy to make, taking about 15 minutes to prep, and then just bakes away in the oven. Definitely try this if you need a breakfast dish for a brunch!

Source: Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen



8oz cream cheese softened
1 tablespoon of butter
1 cup maple syrup
1 1oaf of Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl Bread
10 eggs
1.5 cups half/half
1 tsp vanilla

Optional:
Powdered sugar
Fresh fruit

Microwave the cream cheese, butter, and syrup for 30 seconds and beat until smooth.

Break the bread into 1 ½ inch pieces and put in a 9 by 11 inch baking pan. Pour cream cheese mixture over the top of the bread.

Beat eggs, cream, and vanilla together until frothy, pour over cinnamon bread in pan.

Bake at 350 for 60 minutes.

Dust with powder sugar, fruit, or syrup. Serve hot.

Corn Casserole

This recipe was the hit of Easter dinner! My picture doesn't do it justice, you should really look at Elizabeth's blog to get a better idea of how amazing this stuff is. I assumed it would be good, but I didn't think it would be THAT good. But oooooh it was. I doubled the recipe and it almost all disappeared. I can't wait to make this again!

ngredients
1/4 cup egg substitute or 1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, drained
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added cream-style corn
1 (8 1/2-ounce) package corn muffin mix
1 (8-ounce) carton fat free sour cream
Cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well. Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish ( or 9x13 if you double it) coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until set.

Use a spoon to stir and mash the bread until it is the consistency of mashed potatoes (you could slice it and serve it like corn bread but I think it is better all mashed up).

Broccoli, cheese, and rice casserole

Since I have begun cooking mostly from scratch and using less and less already made, processed foods, one of the hardest transitions I have had is finding interesting and new side dishes. I am constantly looking for things to make that are not baked potatoes, orzo, etc. I stumbled across this Cooking Light recipe on this blog and though it sounds interesting. We loved it!! It kind of reminded me of broccoli and cheese soup. I only used 1 box of broccoli, the original recipe calls for 2, and it was still a lot of food. Overall, a real winner and I will definitely make this again.

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked instant white rice
1/2 cup chopped onion (I used onion powder- about 1 tablespoon)
1/4 cup fat-free milk (I used 1/3 cup of milk based on reviews)
4 ounces light processed cheese, cubed
2 (10 oz.) packages of chopped broccoli (I only used 1 box and it was still a lot of broccoli)
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can of reduced sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
3. Mix all ingredients and spoon into casserole dish.
4. Bake for 45 minutes.

Chicken and Biscuits- YUM!

Ok, tonight's dinner was GREAT! When I got the Kraft Food and Family Fall 2008 magazine I knew I had to make this recipe for John. His favorite food is chicken pot pie. I had never had it before (I know... I live under a rock) so I wasn't sure if I would like this at all. As the sole cook in our house I don't often make things that I assume I won't like at all... but this was shockingly good. John actually kept saying things like "This is amazing" and "MMMMMM." I have to agree- it was great. Now I did make some changes and I put them in bold. After eating this the one thing I might change in the future is less sour cream in the chicken mix. BUT I don't love sour cream, if you do- keep it there! The best part of this was the biscuits. I make Bisquick drop biscuits often, but the addition of sour cream made them so moist and yummy. So make this recipe, make it soon! It's goooooood and perfect for this Fall weather!



Ingredients:
1 can cream of chicken soup (I used 98% fat free)
3/4 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat)
2 cups cooked chopped chicken (I seasoned my chicken with garlic powder and cracked black pepper and grilled it)
1 pkg (16oz.) frozen mixed vegetables (I used sliced potatoes and sliced carrots)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup baking mix (I used Bisquick)
3 TBSP milk

Directions:
- Heat oven to 375. Mix soup and 1/2 cup sour cream in 8 inch square baking dish. Add chicken, vegetables, and cheese. Mix.
- Place baking mix in medium bowl. Add remaining 1/4 cup sour cream and milk. Stir until stiff dough forms.
- Drop by heaping spoons into 6 mounds over chicken mixture. Bake 35 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. (I cooked it on the bottom rack of the oven. The biscuits would have definitely burnt before the rest of the food cooked on a higher rack.)