#518: Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I had a much better picture of this, but realized after dinner was cleaned up that the flash drive was never in the camera when I took the picture.  So sadly, you get a picture of the leftovers. 

I made and froze this meal so we would have a quick dinner to throw together once Matthew arrived.  I cooked my noodles for about 11 minutes so they would still have a bit of a bite to it and hopefully wouldn't get mushy in the freezing/thawing/baking process.  (I'm glad I did that!)  I was also a little worried my family (especially Brian) wouldn't eat this because you can really taste the mustard in it.  However, no one noticed there was mustard in it.  Now, Allison and Chloe were not fans of this.  Brian and I enjoyed it and would eat it again, but we both agreed it wouldn't make a good one dish meal.  It is definitely a better side dish...and the top layer is much better than the bottom layer (which isn't as crispy/crunchy).

1/2 cup butter

5 cups whole milk (I used skim)

1/2 cup flour

2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tsp dry mustard (I used yellow prepared mustard)

4 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterrey Jack, etc.)

1 lb ziti pasta (I used rigatoni)

bread crumbs

grated Parmesan cheese

Set a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta according to package directions while making the cheese sauce. Drain and keep warm.

In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter with the salt, pepper and dry mustard. Add in the flour and stir until it becomes a "roux", 2 to 3 minutes.

Heat the milk, but not to boiling, in a saucepan or in the microwave and add to the roux. Continue to heat over medium heat until it begins to thicken.

Remove from heat and quickly add in the cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted.Put the ziti in a large casserole dish, pour the cheese mixture over the top and stir until all of the pasta is coated with the cheese mixture.

At this point, you can cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

When ready to eat:
If casserole has been frozen, remove from freezer and allow to thaw out.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.  Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until bubbly.

#517: Sesame Shirataki Noodles

Now that Baby Matthew is here I'm looking for healthier meals and snacks to make.  I'm trying to love shirataki noodles because they are extremely low calorie (and made of tofu).  An entire bag of noodles is 40 calories.  You can't beat that.  I found a website that has a TON of shirataki noodle recipes and decided to try this one first.

Good news, I didn't hate this.  Bad news, I didn't love this.  The taste is good, it's the texture that is hard to get past.  It's got a big chewy bite to it.  The grocery store closest to us only sells the fettuccine noodles so I'm hoping if I can find the spaghetti type noodles the consistency will be easier to eat.  The sauce itself for this recipe is fantastic.  Just got to get past the texture of the "noodles."

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon red pepper sauce (I omitted)

2 cups julienned cooked chicken (I omitted)

3 carrots, shredded

1 1/2 sliced green onions  (I omitted)

2-8 ounce packages Shirataki Noodles

1/2 cup chicken broth, heated  (I omitted)

Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, olive oil, and red pepper sauce in a serving bowl.  Add the chicken, carrots and green onions. (I sauteed the carrots with some diced bell pepper).

Drain the Shirataki Noodles. Rinse under hot water for 2-3 minutes. Rinse well. Place on paper towels to dry. Stir in 1/2 cup chicken broth. Toss sauce with the hot pasta.

I topped mine with sesame seeds.

#516: Grands Mini Pizzas

I'm on the hunt to compile a long list of potential lunch ideas that we can use for Allison's lunch box when she goes to Kindergarten in the fall.  I'm hoping to put together a long list that is more than just PB and J sandwiches. I came across this recipe a few weeks ago and figured my pizza loving family would enjoy it.  But I'm also hoping Allison will enjoy this cold or at room temperature too so she can take it in her lunchbox. (She did)

These were super, super easy to make and we all really enjoyed them!  Of course I only made them all as cheese pizzas but you could totally adapt this to any pizza toppings you like.  Score for mommy...let's start adding recipes to our Lunchbox list!  :)

1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury Grands refrigerated biscuits

1 cup pizza sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)

1 package (3.5 oz) sliced pepperoni (I omitted)
Press each biscuit into 6-inch round. Place on 2 large or 3 small greased cookie sheets. Top each round with pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni.  Bake at 375°F 10 to 15 minutes or until bottoms are deep golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

#515: Baked Ziti

I intended to make this before Matthew was born, but he came the day before I planned to make this.  Fortunately my mom made it for us to freeze when she was staying with us for a few days.  We finally had a chance to defrost it and eat it last night (and again for leftovers tomorrow!)  2 for 1 dinners always make the best meals. 

We really enjoyed this...all of us did.  Brian thought there was a lot of meat in this, and I had to agree. Although he liked it because of the meat, I personally picked around some of it.  :)  Regardless, it was really yummy, easy to put together and a wonderful freezer meal.  One word of caution though, ours was not 100% defrosted and took 1 1/2 hours to cook/heat all the way though.  If you don't have time to defrost ahead of time, make sure you put this in your oven way in advance of dinner.  I had some very hungry little girls.
1 pound box ziti pasta, uncooked (we used Penne b/c that's what we had) 1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup Kraft Grated Three Cheese Blend (you can substitute Parmesan cheese)
1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
 
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, ricotta cheese, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture.  Top with grated Three Cheese Blend.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until cheeses are melted.

#514: Southwest Chicken Soup

I found this recipe on Panera's website...I LOVE Panera.  So I decided to give this recipe a try and to eat for lunches for the next few days...although I made a few additions and changes to make it more hearty and easier. I thought it was good, but just as good as some of the other versions of chicken tortilla soup I've made on this website too.  They are all pretty similar though.
Crispy Corn Tortilla Strips (not pictured)
6 corn tortillas (6-inch), cut into ½-inch-wide strips

½ teaspoon chili powder

Pinch of salt, plus ¼ teaspoon

1 tablespoon olive oil

Soup

6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in ¼-inch pieces (I used chicken breast tenders and threw them in the crockpot whole)

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped (I omitted) 

½ cup chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 can (14 ounces) petite-cut diced tomatoes, drained

1 can black beans

1/4 c frozen corn

1 can (14 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

4 lime wedges

Preheat oven to 400ºF.  Place tortilla strips on a baking sheet, coat with cooking spray, and sprinkle with chili powder and pinch of salt. Bake until crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes.

My version: I threw all of the soup ingredients in a crockpot and cooked on low for about 6 hours.  Remove the chicken and shred with 2 forks.  Add to soup once shredded.  Divide soup among bowls and top with tortilla strips and shredded cheese if desired.

Original directions: Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sauté chicken thigh pieces until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, onion, and garlic, and cook until onions are tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook 1 minute.

Add broth, water, cumin, oregano, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Divide soup among bowls and top with tortilla strips, cheese, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

#513: Bibb and Radish Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

I found this recipe in one of my Real Simple Magazines.  I've had it bookmarked for a while because I was always missing one ingredient or another.  But since it is so simple, I figured it would be a great addition to my lunch or dinner this week. 

I was a little leery of the radishes in this dish.  I like radishes but usually eat them roasted and not fresh.  However, I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this!  I will be making it for lunch or dinner again tomorrow. 

The only thing you need to make sure to do is make the salad and the dressing ahead of time so it can chill in the fridge (just don't pour the dressing over the lettuce or it will get soggy).  I thought the salad was a little too warm for my liking, but if it would have been cold it would have been fantastic. 

4 ounces (2 cups) country bread, cut into 3⁄4-inch pieces (I used store-bought croutons)
1 tablespoon olive oil (I omitted)
kosher salt and black pepper (I omitted)
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 head Bibb or Boston lettuce, torn (about 6 cups)
4 radishes, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced (I omitted)
I also added real bacon bits and some shelled edamame to mine

If making real croutons: Heat oven to 400° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the bread with the oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bake, tossing once, until golden, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool.                   

In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, parsley, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the lettuce, radishes, shallot, and croutons and toss to coat.                                        

#512: Chili Coke Roast

 
First of all, this is the easiest recipe to make and throw together.  I put the roast in the crockpot still frozen and let it cook ALL day on low.  However, we must have gotten a bad cut of meat because after 10 hours this still was not super tender, so I kept it in the crockpot for several more hours and we ate it reheated for dinner the next day.

Personally, this would have been 100 times better fresh and not reheated, so for that reason I didn't love it.  However, I would definitely try this again with meat that specifically says "pot roast" (also from Kroger b/c they label their meat well!).

Regardless, Brian and I enjoyed this but the girls did not.  They aren't pot roast fans though.
1 beef roast, 3-4 lbs.
1 can Coca-Cola
1 package onion soup mix
1 bottle chili sauce (I used about 1 tbsp hot sauce) 

Place all ingredients in crock-pot and cook for 7-10 hours depending on size of roast. The meat will flake apart when done. Serve over mashed potatoes.

#511: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cocoa Krispie Treats

I decided to make this recipe for book club because I had all of the ingredients on hand and was looking for a recipe to use up our vast abundance of marshmallows leftover from Christmas activities. This was super yummy!  I loved the addition of peanut butter into the rice krispies!

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
10 ounces marshmallows
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
6 cups cocoa krispies

Melt the butter over low heat in a large pot. Stir in the marshmallows and cook until fully melted and no marshmallow white remains. Stir in the peanut butter until combined, then remove from heat.

Stir in the cereal until distributed evenly through the marshmallow mixture. Pour out onto a lightly greased rectangular baking dish (9 by 13 inches). Smooth out the top of the treats by spraying a spoon with baking spray.

#510: Butter Chicken

When we took this to the table Allison exclaimed, "Yeah, Cornflake Chicken!  My favorite!"  Well, not quite Allison.  It did look a little like cornflake chicken and it certainly reminded me of cornflake chicken, but I have to admit, I liked it a lot more!  The cracker crumbs really stuck to the chicken better and gave it a nice crunch.  We all enjoyed this and will definitely make this again.

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup crushed buttery round cracker crumbs
½ teaspoon garlic salt
ground black pepper to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
½ cup butter, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place eggs and cracker crumbs in two separate shallow bowls.  Mix cracker crumbs with garlic salt and pepper.

Dip chicken in the eggs, and then dredge in the crumb mixture to coat.  Arrange coated chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place pieces of butter around the chicken.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

#509: Slow Cook Chicken Stirfry

We made this for dinner this week and I am SO happy with how this turned out AND how easy it was.  I had to ask Brian several times if he really liked it because I LOVED it and plan to make this again very, very soon. 
 
The only change(s) I would make next time is to throw the chicken in the crockpot whole and probably still frozen so it could cook longer during the day.  Then when ready to serve, I'll just pull out the chicken and cut into smaller pieces and add back into the liquid. 
3-4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crystallized ginger, minced (I used fresh ginger)
1 cup celery, sliced
5 ounces water chestnuts, sliced and drained
1 onion, sliced
2 cups low sodium chicken bouillon
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (It needed a lot more!)
1 cup mushrooms, sliced (I omitted)
1 pound bean sprouts, drained (We used 1/2 can)
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup almonds, slivered (I used Chinese Rice Noodles instead)

Cut chicken into strips about 2-inches long and 1/2-inch thick. Place chicken in slow cooker with salt, ginger, celery, water chestnuts, onions, bouillon, and soy sauce.  Cover and cook on low five to six hours.

Turn control to high. Add mushrooms and bean sprouts. Cover and cook on high 15 minutes.  Serve over hot rice. Sprinkle with almonds. Serve with extra soy sauce, if desired.

#508: Ham and Cheese Calzones

This is another recipe where the title is a bit misleading.  Shouldn't it say something about pepperoni in the title too?? 

Unfortunately I had to make some last minute changes to the recipe because I forgot to get the ricotta cheese at the store this week.  Personally, I think my family enjoyed it more because I left that part out.  Brian was opposed to the ham, so I only put it on half.  He wasn't a huge fan of that side, but I thought it gave the calzone good flavor.  Just make sure you slice your ham very thin (I did!) so it isn't so overpowering. 

If you are serving this as a side dish, or as an accompaniment to something else like soup or a pasta salad, then you probably can get away with making half of this recipe.  If this is all you are eating, you'll probably want to make both tubes of pizza crust because you fold the pizza dough in half. 

2 tubes (13.8 ounces each) refrigerated pizza crust

1 cup ricotta cheese (I omitted)

4 to 6 ounces sliced pepperoni

2 cups diced fully cooked ham

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Dried basil, optional

Spaghetti sauce, warmed (optional)

Unroll one pizza crust onto a greased baking sheet; shape into a 14-in. x 11-in. rectangle. Spread half of the ricotta cheese lengthwise on half of the dough to within 1 in. of the edges.

Sprinkle with half of the pepperoni, ham and mozzarella cheese. Fold dough over filling; press edges firmly to seal. Repeat with remaining crust and filling ingredients.

Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. (I brushed a little olive oil on first and then) Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and basil if desired. Cut into slices. Serve with spaghetti sauce if desired.

#507: Italian Basil Pasta Salad

I made this to eat with our Ham and Cheese Calzones and also to eat for lunches this week.  I made some adjustments though because I didn't have all of the ingredients on hand, nor do I like all of the original ingredients listed.  The original recipe makes a HUGE batch (serves 18), so I cut this down a lot. 

I really, really enjoyed this.  It's lacking a little seasoning, so it could use a little more garlic, basil and salt, but other than that I thought it was good!

Salad:
1 package (16 ounces) bow tie pasta

2 cups grape tomatoes

7 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed (I used shredded mozzarella)

1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped (I used red pepper)

1 small red onion, chopped

1/2 cup pickled banana pepper rings (I omitted)

1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained

4 thin slices hard salami, diced

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Dressing:

3/4 cup olive oil

3/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water.

In a large bowl, combine the pasta, tomatoes, cheese, yellow pepper, onion, pepper rings, olives, salami and basil.
In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

#506: Overnight Oatmeal

This recipe is very easy.  However there is some last minute morning prep, so I figured I better make this on the weekend and not just before going to work on Monday. This was very easy to make and I loved it.  My only complaint was that it was dry and some of the edges burned a little, but I ran out of steel cut oats, so it's possible I never added enough milk in the first place.  But I just added more milk (probably at least another 1/2 cup) and stirred in the toppings and it was delicious.

I would definitely make this again, and look forward to eating it for breakfast this week.
Oatmeal
3 cups 1% milk

1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats

1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

Topping

2 apples (such as Gala or Granny Smith), cored and diced

2 tablespoons packed dark-brown sugar

3 tablespoons sweetened dried cranberries or raisins

3 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Coat a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Combine milk, 3 cups water, the oats, 1/4 cup of the brown sugar and the salt in slow cooker. Cover and cook overnight on LOW for 9 1/2 to 10 hours.


Uncover and stir in remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar. Set aside.


Topping. Coat a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add apples and cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add brown sugar, 1 tablespoon water and dried cranberries. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in nuts.
Stir oatmeal in slow cooker until smooth. Spoon about a cup into a bowl and add a few tablespoons of the topping. Serve warm.

#505: Pizza in the Crockpot

This name is very misleading.  This has NOTHING to do with pizza except some of the toppings you would find on a pizza.  Regardless of the name, it was quite an easy, yummy dish to make.  I undercooked the noodles slightly so it wouldn't get mushy in the crockpot and I only cooked it for about 2 1/2 hours. I forgot to add the cheese so we just sprinkled some grated Parmesan on top instead.  I'll definitely be making this again.

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 medium green pepper, chopped (I omitted)
1 medium onion, chopped
15 oz tomato sauce
14 oz pizza sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 cups Rotini shaped pasta, cooked and drained (I used penne instead)
6 oz sliced pepperoni
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

In a skillet, cook beef, green pepper, and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomato sauce and tomato paste; mix well. In a slow cooker, layer pasts, beef mixture, pepperoni, and cheese. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or until heated through.

#504: Quinoa Pizza Bites

I've been dying to make these for about 2 weeks now, ever since I saw them on a friend's Pinterest Board.  I didn't have quinoa in the house, so it got bumped back.  Then Meijer didn't have any fresh basil and I really didn't feel like running around to another grocery store, so it got bumped back again.  Well, I'm not bumping this recipe any more! 

These really need to be packed down and cooked thoroughly or they fall apart when you try to get them out of the muffin cups (as you can tell by some in the photo).  I also found it needed to be cooked for at least 20 minutes...or at least mine did. 

I made some with pepperoni and some without.  Allison and Chloe loved the ones without the pepperoni best (and I really didn't think they would want to even try them), although they did eat both kinds.

Here's the bad news...there are going to be NONE left to take for lunches this week. 

**Update: I HATE cleaning out mini muffin tins, so I made a second batch of this in a 9x13 pan and just cut it into little squares.  Worked just as well and SO much easier to clean up!

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 large eggs
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup chopped pepperoni slices (1/2 of a 7 oz bag)
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried crushed oregano
pizza sauce for dipping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together all ingredients, except pizza sauce, in a medium mixing bowl.  Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping Tbs each), and press down gently to compact.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.

#503: Raisin Walnut Quinoa

Months ago, I ripped out a recipe from one of my magazines that had mix-in ideas for quinoa, barley or bulgur.  Originally I kept it because I had some barley in the pantry.  But I never made this recipe.  Well today, I had some leftover cooked quinoa so I figured it would be a great way to try it out.  The original recipe called for adding in raisins, almonds and scallions, but since it's still before 7 am and I'm looking for breakfast ideas, I figured I'd change it up a bit and make it more early-morning friendly.

I loved this and had 2 bowls.  This would be an easy breakfast to have on hand and eat warmed up in the microwave or cold...I'm not that picky!

1 c cooked quinoa
1/8 c raisins
1/8 c chopped walnuts
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp honey
juice of 1 orange

Mix all ingredients together and stir to combine. 

#502: Waldorf Salad

I'm looking for healthy side dishes to add to my lunch menu this week, so I figured I'd give this recipe a try.  I've had it bookmarked on Pinterest for quite a while, so it was about time to make it.  It was definitely easy to throw together, and I love all of the fresh fruit and ingredients.  The girls weren't big fans of it because I put the walnuts in it.  :(  I love walnuts too much though to leave it out. 

I thought this was really, really yummy.  I'm not sure if it's going to last until Monday when I need it for my lunches, but that's okay because I can quickly throw together another batch.

1/2 Cup Celery, chopped (I omitted)
2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and cubed (I kept the skin on)
1/2 Cup Grapes, halved or quartered depending on size
1/4 Cup Dried Cranberries, chopped
1/4 Cup Walnuts, chopped
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1/4 Cup Plain or Greek Yogurt
2 Tbsp Orange Juice
2 Tsp Honey
1/4 Tsp Salt

Combine the celery, apples, grapes, cranberries and walnuts in a bowl.  Set aside. 
Stir the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl until combined and pour over the apple mixture.  Stir until the fruits and nuts are evenly coated.