#635: Slow Cooker Layered Enchilada

Since it's so hot here right now I wanted to find a recipe for dinner that we could make in the crock pot.  So I decided to make this one.  I made the ground meat the night before and mixed it with the soup, then refrigerated.  Then today when I wanted to make it, I just layered everything together in the crock pot and turned it on.  So simple. 

This was really, really good.  It made enough for our family to eat it two nights.  The girls really enjoyed it too.  The shells got a little soggy, but we had no problem adding some sour cream and crushed tortilla chips to give it texture. 

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef (I used ground chicken)
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup  (I used cream of celery)
1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles (I omitted)
1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso® enchilada sauce
10 corn tortillas (6 inch)
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (12 oz)
Paprika (I omitted)
Chopped fresh cilantro (I forgot to add to mine!)

In 10-inch skillet, cook ground beef, onion and garlic over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in soup and chiles.

Spray 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Spread about 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce in bottom of slow cooker. Place 4 corn tortillas over sauce, overlapping and breaking in half as necessary to make an even layer. Top with 1/3 of beef mixture, spreading evenly. Drizzle with about 1/4 cup enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese.

Repeat layering twice, using 3 corn tortillas and half of remaining beef mixture, enchilada sauce and cheese in each layer. Sprinkle paprika over top.

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours 30 minutes.
(THIS DOES NOT NEED TO COOK FOR 5 HOURS! The tortillas will turn to mush!  I cooked mine for 3 1/2 hours and that was plenty of time!  Next time I might even check it at 2 1/2 or 3 hours).

Let stand about 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle individual servings with cilantro.

#634: Soy-Ginger Dressing

I made this salad dressing to go with my coleslaw one night for dinner.  I like coleslaw dressings that aren't made with mayo...I loved it.  It was really, really good!  It was a little salty, so next time I'll probably use a little less soy sauce.  But I'll definitely make this again.

1/3 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

2 tablespoons canola oil

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar and ginger. Slowly drizzle in oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Cover and refrigerate. Whisk or shake well just before using.

#633: Homemade Ranch Dressing

Here is a SUPER easy, 3 ingredient homemade ranch recipe I found on Pinterest posted on a friend's board.  My girls love ranch salad dressing and eat it with a lot of their veggies (especially Chloe).  So when I saw this had only 255 calories and 1.75 grams of fat for the entire jar, I was excited to try it.

The only differences I made to the recipe was that I used Kroger brand Greek yogurt and skim milk.  So ultimately I made it healthier (w/the milk) however I think that also made it a thinner/watery consistency.  Doesn't make a difference in the taste in my opinion though.  It doesn't exactly taste like a bottle of ranch dressing, but it still is quite good.  Plus, since it's thinner, it spreads easily over lettuce and veggies and I use less!

1 cup Dannon Oikos plain nonfat Greek yogurt (I used generic Greek yogurt)
1 packet hidden valley ranch (dressing, not dip)
1/2 cup 1% milk (I used skim)

Whisk together in bowl and chill for 1 hour before serving.  

#632: Make ahead Oatmeal Smoothie

The search for easy, quick, filling, healthy breakfasts continue.  So I was eager to try this recipe as soon as I saw it.  I made two different versions (shown below) both using ingredients I had on hand.  I did not enjoy the Orange, Pineapple, Mango Oatmeal Smoothie, but I really am not a huge fan of orange juice and that was very prominent in this drink.  However, I was very happy and a huge fan of the Apple, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Smoothie one!  It is super thick and you can definitely tell there is oatmeal in it, but because of the thick texture, this kept me full for a long time.  Plus, it took me forever to drink it!  I will definitely make this again and look forward to trying other versions.


Apple, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Smoothie
1/4 cup uncooked oats (old fashioned rolled oats recommended; do not use steel cut oats)
1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup low-fat yogurt
3/4 cup applesauce
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1-2 teaspoons honey, optional

Add oats and chia seeds to blender; blend on high until texture of flour. Add milk to blender; use spoon or spatula to stir in oats/chias from bottom. Add yogurt, peanut butter and applesauce. Blend on high until desired smoothness. Taste and add cinnamon and sweetener, if needed. Blend again. Transfer to pint (2 cup) jar or container; refrigerate overnight, or a minimum of 4 hours, so oats, and chias can soften. Will keep in refrigerator at least 2-3 days. Shake before drinking.

IF TOO THICK after the fridge soak, add more juice or milk and shake jar/container or return to blender to combine.
FOR A SMOOTHER CONSISTENCY, return to blender after the fridge soak and blend again.
TO FREEZE: May be frozen after the 4 hour soak in the fridge. To thaw, move to fridge a day ahead so it is thawed for drinking the next day. For faster thaw, place frozen jar/container in bowl of cold water on the counter for 1-2 hours. Shake before drinking.
Orange, Pineapple, Mango Oatmeal Smoothie

1/4 cup uncooked oats

1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds

1/2 c orange juice

1/2 c water

1/4 cup low-fat yogurt

1/2 c mango
1/2 c pineapple

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1-2 teaspoons honey, optional

Add oats and chia seeds to blender; blend on high until texture of flour. Add juice and water to blender; use spoon or spatula to stir in oats/chias from bottom. Add yogurt, mango and pineapple. Blend on high until desired smoothness. Taste and add cinnamon and sweetener, if needed. Blend again. Transfer to pint (2 cup) jar or container; refrigerate overnight, or a minimum of 4 hours, so oats, and chias can soften. Will keep in refrigerator at least 2-3 days. Shake before drinking.

#631: Veggie Lo Mein

So the original recipe is for Shrimp Lo Mein, but there was no way I was going to get the girls (or myself for that matter) to eat this.  So I omitted the shrimp and tried passing this off as "spaghetti."  Yeah, they didn't fall for it with the addition of all the veggies.  Overall the girls liked the noodles but not the veggies (and these are all veggies they eat...albeit with ranch dressing, but they eat it). 

I however, added some sesame seeds to mine and loved it.  I would definitely make this again and take to school for lunch.  Delicious!

12 ounces dried lo mein noodles (I used vermicelli since that's what we had)

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

1/2 pound medium shrimp in shells, peeled and de-veined  (I omitted)

5 cups shredded napa cabbage (I used A LOT less than that)

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen shelled edamame

1 red sweet pepper, cut into thin bite-size strips

1/2 of a medium yellow onion, thinly sliced (I omitted)

1/2 cup oyster sauce  (I omitted)

4 green onions, thinly sliced

Cook lo mein noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Return to pan; toss with sesame oil and set aside.

In a wok or large skillet heat peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp. Cook and stir until shrimp just turn opaque. Remove from wok or skillet to a bowl.

Add the cabbage, edamame, sweet pepper, and onion to wok or skillet. Cook and stir about 3 minutes or until tender. Add shrimp and oyster sauce to vegetable mixture; heat through. Add shrimp mixture to noodles and toss to coat. Heat through. Garnish each serving with green onions.

#630: Oven Fried Picnic Chicken

I have no idea why this is called picnic chicken.  I wouldn't really ever plan to bring this on a picnic.  Regardless, despite a change in the cook time, we really enjoyed this.  It reminded Allison of her favorite "Cornflake Chicken," but it has a nice taste to it with the ranch dressing in it. 

2/3 cup buttermilk
8 boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 1/2 lb)
1 cup corn flakes cereal
1 cup Original Bisquick® mix or all-purpose flour (I used Bisquick) 
2 packages (1 oz each) ranch dressing mix (dry)                                       
Cooking spray

Heat oven to 400ºF. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.  Pour buttermilk into shallow glass or plastic bowl. Add chicken; turn to coat. Let stand 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in 2-quart resealable food-storage plastic bag, crush cereal with rolling pin. Add Bisquick mix and dressing mix (dry) to cereal in bag. Remove chicken from buttermilk; discard buttermilk. Add chicken to cereal mixture. Seal bag; shake to coat.

Place chicken on cookie sheet. Spray with cooking spray. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F).  (Ours did NOT need 45-50 minutes to cook...30 minutes was plenty!)

#629: Panko Crusted Avocado

This recipe has been posted on my Pinterest board for quite a while now.  I rarely have leftover avocados when I use them so I kept putting this recipe off.  Well today I had quite a bit of an avocado left, and since I can never stop them from turning brown in the fridge I decided to make these quickly to use it up. 
These were definitely easy to make.  And make sure you use panko breadcrumbs with these because it gives it a nice crispy texture.  You have to absolutely love plain avocados if you plan to make this recipe.  I like avocados but I don't love, love, love them, so these were not my favorite panko-crusted food (I'd rather have eggplant).  They were good, and I'm glad I tried them but I won't be making these again for myself.

Canola oil for frying

1/4 cup flour

About 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

2 large eggs, beaten to blend

1 1/4 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

2 firm-ripe medium avocados, pitted, peeled, and sliced into 1/2-in. wedges

Preheat oven to 200°. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 1/2 in of oil.

Meanwhile, mix flour with 1/4 tsp. salt in a shallow plate. Put eggs and panko in separate shallow plates. Dip avocado in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, then panko to coat. Set on 2 plates in a single layer.

Fry a quarter of avocado slices at a time until deep golden, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer slices to a plate lined with paper towels. Keep warm in oven while cooking remaining avocados. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

#628: Loaded Cheddar-Corn Potato Patties

As I was going through my recent issue of Taste of Home magazine I found this recipe AND I had all of the ingredients on hand so I decided to make it for us to eat with our lunch. Sadly the girls didn't like these...I however, LOVED them.  I think I ate four with my lunch.  They are fantastic.  The recipe says to serve it with sour cream and green onions mixed together...I didn't think it would taste as good with this "dip."  I was wrong.  It is even BETTER with the sour cream mixture on top.  So good!

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 cups mashed potato flakes
1/3 cup cornmeal
1-3/4 teaspoons garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cups 2% milk
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn, thawed
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

In a small bowl, mix sour cream and 2 tablespoons green onion; refrigerate until serving.
In a large bowl, mix the potato flakes, cornmeal, garlic salt and paprika. Add the milk, corn, cheese and remaining green onions; mix until blended. Using 1/2 cupfuls, shape mixture into twelve 3-1/2-in. patties.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Cook patties in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve with sauce. Yield: 1 dozen (1 cup sauce).

#627: Melt-in-Your-Mouth Melon

I stumbled upon this recipe on Family Fun Magazine's web page and it was too cute not to try to make!  I'm going to tell you the one (and only) bad thing about this recipe: you have to pretty much make it and serve it immediately.  :( 

I prefer recipes that can be made ahead of time, but with this one, you have to freeze the melon for about 15 minutes, then fill with sorbet, cut and serve.  Not my ideal recipe, but this was a perfect, refreshing summer dessert. 

1 honeydew melon
Raspberry sorbet
Chocolate chips

Halve the honeydew, discard the seeds, and chill it overnight in the fridge.  (I did this in the morning and served in the evening)

The next day, put the halves in the freezer for 15 minutes, pull them out, and pack them with sorbet, gently evening off the top.  Using a chilled knife, slice each half into halves again (make sure the melon is sorbet side up).  Finally, insert a row of chocolate chip seeds and serve immediately.

#626: Summer Sangria

I think my pitcher was a little to big....don't you think?!

Normally I don't bring wine to book club because I'd rather use it as an excuse to try a new recipe, but I had a bottle of Be.Wines from my recent Bzzkit and I figured it would be the perfect group of people to try this out on. 

I used the Be.Fresh Chardonnay for this recipe (btw: I found my Be.Wines at Jewel and it was about $10 a bottle).  I am not a huge chardonnay fan and when I drank this just by itself it tasted like any other chardonnay (in my opinion) and I wasn't a super huge fan.  Not that the wine was bad, it was just not my favorite kind of wines to drink.  (Next time I'll be trying the Be. Flirty Pink Moscato!)  But this wine went perfectly with this sangria recipe. 

As far as the overall sangria recipes goes, I LOVED it.  Granted I added more Fresca to cut down on the alcohol taste, but it was soooooo good.  I will definitely, definitely make this recipe again. 


1 bottle of white wine (I used Be.Fresh from Be.Wines)
3 cans of Fresca (I used about 2/3 of a 2 liter bottle)
Fresh fruit (I used grapes, sliced peaches and halved strawberries)

#625: Berry Cobbler

I'm still trying to use up some frozen berries that I have in the freezer from last year's end of summer sales.  I knew this would be a perfect recipe to throw them in to and it's easy and relatively healthy!  It requires only 3 ingredients (all of which I had on hand!)

This went over really well at book club.  It isn't my favorite warm cobbler recipe, but it certainly was easy.  I would definitely make this again, however I would absolutely, positively serve it with vanilla bean ice cream next time and maybe some cool whip.  That's all this recipe was missing.

Two 12-oz bags frozen mixed berries (I used frozen strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries)
1 box white cake mix (without pudding in the mix)
1 can of diet 7-up or sierra mist (I used about 18 oz)

Place frozen fruit in a 9x13 baking dish. Add dry cake mix over the top. Pour soda slowly over cake mix. DO NOT stir the cake mix and the pop - this will give you a 'crust'. If you stir the two, you will have a cake like topping. (Make sure to get as much of the cake mix as wet as possible). 

Bake 350 for 45-50 min.

#624: Avocado Chicken Salad

So I've been told I have to make this recipe from my sister and some friends.  I'll admit, although I love all of the ingredients listed in this recipe, I don't know if I would have tried it had they not persuaded me.  But since avocados are in season and I LOVE them, I figured I'd give it a try.  Besides, I love the blog that this recipe comes from so I knew it had to be at least OK!

Okay this recipe is not pretty (as you can tell from the photo above) but I really, really, really liked it.  In fact, I am eagerly anticipating my lunch for tomorrow already.  Unfortunately this recipe does not have ingredient amounts listed so you pretty much make it all to taste.  But that could also be a good thing if you add more of things you like and less of things you don't like as much.  (I liked it all). 

The recipe suggests serving it in/on a pita (which we happened to have on hand for pita pizzas (we make them a lot here!), but otherwise I think this would be delicious on a croissant, any bread, or even sandwich thins (which is probably what I'll use next time). 

chicken, cooked and shredded (I used a large can of canned chicken)
avocado (I used a little more than 1/2 of an avocado)
mayo, just a little (I used about 1 tsp)
green onion, sliced (I used 1 green onion sliced)
cilantro (I used about 2 tbsp chopped)
lime juice to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp)
salt/pepper to taste

#623: Pineapple Ginger Smoothie

I found this recipe on a friend's Pinterest board (Pinterest has been getting a lot of kuddos from me lately!) and since I have some extra Greek yogurt in the fridge I ran out to get some pineapple to make this for breakfast. 

Although this was okay, I wasn't a huge fan of it.  There are a lot more smoothie/drink recipes that I prefer over this one.  It was a little too tart for my liking.  Sadly I won't be in much of a rush to make this again.

1 1/2 c diced fresh pineapple
1 banana
1/2 c Greek yogurt
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 c ice
1/2 c pineapple juice or water (I used water)

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.  Serve immediately.

#622: Nutella Fudgesicles

If you haven't bought/tried Nutella yet, you really, really need to get to your grocery store and buy some right away.  We LOVE Nutella...how could you not, it's chocolate and hazelnuts!  Mmmm!  Love it!  Somehow I stumbled upon this recipe through Pnterest and immediately made it for the girls and I. 

The recipe says to make it with hazelnut chocolate milk, but that was not something I wanted to run around looking for, so I just used regular skim milk.  Didn't make one bit of difference in my opinion.  Super, super yummy popsicles!
For us, this recipe made 6 popsicles.

1 1/2 c milk (I used skim)
1/2 c nutella

Combine in a blender and pour into popsicle molds.  Freeze until firm. 

#621: Lasagna Cupcakes

I had something very similar to these at a recipe swap a few months ago at a friend's house.  I decided my family would probably like them too since we love lasagna in this house!  I was not wrong!  These are fantastic, easy to put together and best of all, can be frozen and reheated!  One batch made 24 muffins which is enough for 2 meals for us plus a few leftover for lunches.  So good!  And if you don't like meat, just leave it out...it would still be delicious!

1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 jar (25.5 oz) pasta sauce (any variety)
1/2 lb frozen Italian sausage-style soy-protein crumbles (yeah right...I used 1 lb ground turkey)                              
36 round pot sticker wrappers (I couldn't find round so I used square wonton wrappers)                                          
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray. (I put a little bit of sauce in the bottom so they wouldn't stick).  In small bowl, mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg. In another small bowl, mix pasta sauce and soy-protein crumbles (or in my case, cooked ground turkey).

Place 1 round wrapper in bottom of each muffin cup; top each with 1 heaping tablespoon pasta sauce mixture and 1 tablespoon cheese mixture. Repeat layers, ending with pasta sauce mixture. Sprinkle each with mozzarella cheese.  (I did wonton wrapper, cheese mixture, pasta meat sauce, wonton wrapper, meat sauce, mozzarella).

Spray large sheet of foil with cooking spray; place sprayed side down over pan. Bake 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 15 minutes longer. Let stand about 15 minutes before serving.

#620: Grilled Fruit Packets

As we've been pretty much grilling several times a week this summer (as everyone should!) I decided to make these fruit packets to go with one of our meals.  We loved them and Allison is still talking about them!  So easy to put together and you can basically throw any fruits you like (or have on hand) in to it.  Definitely making these again!

3 bananas, sliced 3/4-inch thick (I used peaches instead)

1 pound strawberries, stemmed and halved

3 oranges, peeled, cut into segments

1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

16 whole cloves  (I omitted)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup rum, optional (I omitted)

Lay out 8 12-by-12-inch pieces of heavy-duty foil on a counter top. Divide fruit evenly among foil pieces, placing it on bottom half of foil pieces. Mix sugar and cinnamon together. Put 2 cloves on each square and sprinkle with sugar mixture. Dot each with 1/2 Tbsp. butter and 1/2 Tbsp. rum, if desired. Fold top half of foil over fruit and roll edges to seal.

Preheat grill to low. Place packages on grill and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Carefully open packages, pour into bowls and serve with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired. 

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#619: Skinny Vanilla Mocha Frappe

I love frozen coffee drinks.  I haven't had one in a VERY long time because of being pregnant and nursing Matthew.  But when I found this recipe on my friend Cheryl's pinterest board I couldn't resist running to the store for some decaf coffee and taking my chance that it wouldn't keep Matthew awake for hours because I drank it. 

Here's the downfall to this recipe: you have to freeze the coffee before making it.  That's too long to wait when you really want to drink this.  (I'm currently freezing 2 in my freezer right now)

Besides having to wait to drink this though, this is FANTASTIC.  I LOVED this drink.  Oh it is so refreshing.   If you like coffee, make this today!

1 heaping teaspoon instant coffee

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup skim milk

3 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 packet stevia or 1 tbsp. sugar (to taste)

In a cup mix coffee and water and stir until combined. Place in a shallow container, cover and freeze for 4 hours or overnight.

Once coffee is frozen, place in a blender with the milk, vanilla, stevia and cocoa powder. Blend until combined.

#618: Summer Porridge

My friend Erin mentioned that she pinned this recipe to her pinterest board.  I love looking for make ahead meals for breakfast so I have something fast, easy and healthy to take with me when school starts again (shudder). 

This recipe is very versatile because there are so many different versions of this recipe you can make and you can basically throw anything together that you have on hand.  I decide to make a very easy version with applesauce. 

Although I liked this (quite a bit actually), the greek yogurt is very overpowering in this recipe.  I wonder if I could make it using regular yogurt instead...I plan to try that when I make this again tonight. 

I look forward to trying different versions of this recipe too.  Yeah for having a go-to easy breakfast when school starts.

1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon honey, optional (or substitute any preferred sweetener)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, or enough to fill jar

In a half pint (1 cup) jar, add oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, cinnamon and honey. Put lid on jar and shake until well combined. Remove lid, add applesauce and stir until mixed throughout. Return lid to jar and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Eat chilled.

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Updated 10/2012: Okay, I've made this a few other ways and I LOVE it!  I always use a flavored yogurt now and it makes the taste so much better.  The combinations of this recipe are endless, but here are some of my favorites:
Chocolate Cherry Porridge:
1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup low-fat cherry yogurt
1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
1 teaspoon honey, optional
2 tbsp mini chocolate chips

Pina Colada Porridge:
1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup low-fat pineapple or pina colada yogurt
1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
1 teaspoon honey, optional (or substitute any preferred sweetener)
1/8 cup diced (or crushed) pineapple


Cherry Walnut Porridge:
1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup low-fat cherry yogurt
1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds

2 tbsp chopped walnut pieces

#617: Tac-aroni

This does not have a good title for the recipe.  When I hear "tac-aroni" I expect it to have some sort of Mexican twist to it and it doesn't. 

Well my family definitely enjoyed this meal, but it isn't something extraordinarily different than things I've made before for them.  It's basically meat, tomato sauce and cheese.  With that said, this was definitely good (at least to us).  Nothing special, but cheap and easy to make.  Would we eat this again, definitely.  Would we eat this every week, no. 

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
1/2 lb. elbow macaroni
1 1/2 c. beef stock or broth
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 c. frozen corn
1 c. shredded cheese

Brown ground beef and onion. Drain. Stir in seasonings.

Add noodles, stock, tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes to the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Cover skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender, about 15 – 20 minutes.  Stir in corn until heated through. Top with cheese and serve.



#616: Grilled Pepperoni Pizza Sandwiches

When I saw this recipe, I thought it was going to be made on the grill.  I figured my pizza-loving family would be all over this recipe.  Then I started making it and realized it was more like grilled cheese...and I started to get nervous that my non-grilled cheese eating husband would NOT eat this for dinner. 

Not only was I proven wrong, he (we) not only ate it he (we) loved it!  Allison even wanted to save a piece for tomorrow to see if it could be a lunch box meal for Kindergarten! 

This would also be a great snack/appetizer if you made them using small bread slices.

Not the healthiest thing we've eaten lately, but it sure was good!

4 slices Italian bread

2 tablespoons marinara sauce

16 slices pepperoni

1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Spread bread slices with marinara sauce; layer two slices with pepperoni and cheese. Top with remaining bread. Combine butter and garlic powder. Spread over outsides of sandwiches.

In a small skillet over medium heat, toast sandwiches for 2-3 minutes on each side or until cheese is melted. Yield: 2 servings

#615: Pina Colada Popsicles

Oh how I wish I could be sitting with my family on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean drinking a non-alcoholic pina colada.  (I just prefer the non-alcoholic ones because they taste better!).  Since that is not even remotely a possibility anytime in the future (near or far) I'll have to settle for these pina colada popsicles instead. 
The girls and I enjoyed these (although it had a little too much banana taste for my liking).  Regardless, these were good frozen as popsicles or still thawed as a drink.  Yes, I'd definitely make these again.

1 can pineapple chunks, in juice
1 banana (I used 1 1/2)
1 can coconut milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Blend in blender until smooth and then pour into popsicle molds and add sticks before freezing.

#614: Beef with Orange Glaze

This recipe was supposed to be made as kebabs, but personally I think that's an added unnecessary extra step.  So I just marinated our beef in this mixture for a few minutes before grilling then had Brian add more of the marinade to the beef as it cooked on the grill. 

We could not taste the orange juice/glaze at all.  To us, it was just grilled meat and like I said, I even marinated it for a while first!  It says to serve the meat with the remaining glaze, but since I marinated it in the mixture we did not do this.  Could that have made a difference, maybe.  Regardless, would I make this again, no.  It wasn't bad, it just lacked flavor.

1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 pounds boneless sirloin, cut into 1-inch cubes

Salt and pepper

Preheat broiler or prepare a charcoal fire and let burn to a gray ash. Stir orange juice concentrate with soy sauce, mustard and butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until smooth, 2 minutes.

Brush orange mixture evenly over meat and season with salt and pepper. Bring any remaining glaze to a boil in saucepan, then remove from heat and reserve.

Set broiling pan or grill about 6 inches from heat source. Broil or grill skewers for 6 to 8 minutes, turning often, until meat is browned. Serve kebabs warm with remaining glaze on the side.

#613: Playgroup Granola Bars

I made these for the girls in their lunchboxes this week.  Although they are a little bit crumbly, the girls both really, really enjoyed these.  In fact, Allison has dubbed these "the best granola bars ever!"  Personally they probably would have preferred them with chocolate chips instead of raisins but either way, these are delicious.  And it's hard to stop eating after just one.  We prefer these better at room temperature because they are a little softer but straight from the fridge is fine too!  I'll be making another batch VERY soon.

2 cups rolled oats

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup wheat germ (I used wheat bran)

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup raisins

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup honey

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/4 c veg oil and 1/4 c natural applesauce)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.