#2,817: Loaded Tater Tot Bites

We enjoyed these so much I think I've probably made them four times.  We've eaten them as a side dish at dinner, as an after school snack, and for breakfast.  They freeze well too so you can make a whole bunch ahead of time and just reheat in the microwave! 

32 oz Tater Tots frozen

1 1/2 c. Cheddar Cheese shredded

This is a mini tart shaper

1 lb Bacon cooked and diced
about 1/2 package of fresh chives, finely chopped

Note: You can use any ingredients you like on your loaded baked potato. These are just suggestions!

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Grease a mini muffin pan and place five tater tots in each cup. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Remove the muffin pan from the oven and use a mini tart shaper (or a small glass or even a spoon) to press the tater tots down into each cup. This will create a tater tot cup.

Fill the tater tots with the cheese,bacon, and chives (or your desired loaded potato ingredients).

Place the tater tots back in the oven and cook for another 15 - 20 minutes until the tater tots become golden brown.  If they don't want to come out of the muffin cup pretty easily (you might need to use a butter knife to loosen the edges), then it's probably not done yet. 

Remove from the oven and let the tots cool for at least 5 minutes.

Let cool completely if you want to freeze them to eat later.  To reheat, place frozen tater tot cups on a microwave safe plate and reheat for 30-60 seconds. 

#2,802: Mashed Potato Puffs

So one of my kids is a self-proclaimed mashed potato hater.  Actually he hates all forms of potatoes if it's not a hash brown, a french fry, or a potato chips.  So when I told him we were having these mashed potato puffs for dinner he was not happy.  We told him he had to take one bite, and boy was I shocked when he said he liked these and asked for seconds (he had to dip it in catsup though).  These are a great recipe to use with leftover mashed potatoes.  Or, if you get the steam and mash frozen kind (that you microwave) from Ore Ida, you can whip these up super fast!  You know when these are done when they start to pull away from the sides.  If you can't get them out of your muffin tins, they probably aren't done.  As you can see from the photo, I used my square muffin tin, but any muffin tin would work! 

2 eggs

⅓ cup sour cream, plus more for serving

1 heaping cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons chopped chives

salt and black pepper, to taste

3 cups mashed potatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 8 - 9 of the wells of a cupcake pan - preferably nonstick.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk the eggs then whisk in the sour cream. Mix in both cheeses and the chives.  Season with salt and pepper. Add them to the bowl and mix well.

Spoon them into the pan filling the cups just to the top or a little below.

Bake 25 - 35 minutes until they pull away from the sides of the cup and are golden brown all over.

Remove from oven and let them cool 5 minutes in pan. Turn them out onto a platter. Serve with sour cream.

#2,780: Easy Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

I was looking for a super easy, Mexican side dish and this Restaurant Style Mexican rice was not only easy, but I really enjoyed it as well.  Personally, I thought this was great with some fajita veggies and sauteed chicken on top and eaten more like a "bowl."  My kids weren't big fans because they could SEE the cilantro in it.  That's fine...I didn't have to share as much then. 😉 I made this on the stove top, buy you could easily make this in the instant pot too.  I love making rice in my instant pot, however the last time I tried to make Mexican rice in the instant pot I kept getting the burn notice, so I figured I'd go the stove top route this time.   It turned out perfectly too.  

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 cup long grain rice, uncooked

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 cup tomato sauce

14 oz chicken broth

3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the rice and gently stir until rice begins to lightly brown.

Add the garlic, salt, and cumin and stir the rice til it looks golden.

Add the tomato sauce and chicken broth and turn the heat up to medium high.

Bring the mix to a boil then turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid.

Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from heat and fluff with a fork, then stir in chopped cilantro.

#2,679: Corn and Edamame Salad

Mmm....this corn and edamame salad was a big hit!  It was so easy to make and it makes quite a bit!!  I think I ate this for 3 meals straight!  This is good as a side dish, and with tortilla chips (ha!), or even added to tacos.  I'll definitely be making this again! 

Plus, I made it easier by just cleaning the fresh corn and then cutting it off the cob without cooking it.  I added some canned corn too because I wasn't sure I was going to have enough...(I had plenty!).  So easy, so healthy. 

2 ears fresh sweet corn, husks and silk removed (or about 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed)

1 (10-ounce) bag frozen shelled edamame (thawed)

1 pint (10 ounces or about 1 1/4 cup) cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 small red onion, diced

5-6 medium basil leaves, chiffonaded

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more to taste

I skipped this step: Set a large pot of water over high heat. Bring to a boil. Carefully add the corn cobs. Boil for three minutes. Remove with tongs and set aside to cool a bit. Add the edamame. Cook for three minutes. Drain and let cool for a bit.

Cut the corn kernels off the cob.  Add them to the bowl along with the thawed edamame. Add the cherry tomatoes, onion, and basil.  Drizzle in the olive oil and vinegar. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Toss well. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Keeps well for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

#2,656: Cucumber Tomato Salad

With the abundance of cucumbers and early tomatoes that I currently have growing in my garden, I knew I wanted to find a recipe to use them in when we were heading over to my in-laws for dinner.  I know his family isn't the biggest veggie fans, so I figured I'd probably be the only one eating it, but that's ok!  This is really good the day you make it!  I tried eating leftovers the next day and I wasn't nearly as impressed because the veggies start to get a little soft (obviously).  I think this would be kind of good with tortilla chips too...if you dice the cucumbers small enough.  I omitted the cheese cubes because I knew that wouldn't last more than for just that meal (soggy cheese...yuck!).  

DRESSING:

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

2 Clove Garlic Minced

2 Teaspoon Dried Italian Seasoning

1 Teaspoon Sugar

1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

SALAD

3 English Cucumbers Thinly Sliced

1 Teaspoon Salt

2 Cups Grape Tomatoes Cut in Half

2 Cups Mozzarella Cut Into Small Cubes

1 Cup Red Onions Thinly Sliced

In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss the sliced cucumbers with 1 teaspoon salt, then allow to sit 1 hour at room temperature to "sweat". Drain off liquid.

Add tomatoes, mozzarella, onions and dressing to drained cucumbers and toss until ingredients are evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Adjust seasoning and serve. Store leftovers in the fridge.

#2,641: Cowboy Caviar

I love cowboy caviar!  I love how how you can open up some cans of beans and corn and just add some fresh veggies and you've got a great appetizer or salad on your hands.  If you omit the avocado and add it on top of your serving this will last a lot longer.  If you add it to the dish and combine it throughout your avocado is going to start turning brown and getting mushy.  I ate this scooped up with tortilla chips, as a side dish/salad, and in my tacos.  This is super versatile to whatever your mood is!  

1 (15 oz.) can black beans drained & rinsed

1 c. corn kernels 

1/2 c. diced sweet onion

1 bell pepper, diced

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 avocado, cubed

1/4 c. chopped cilantro (optional)
I also added a jalapeno, chopped

1/4 c. olive oil

2 T. red wine vinegar

1 lime, juiced

Wash and prepare all vegetables and combine in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and lime juice. Pour over the salad and gently stir to combine.

Cover and refrigerate at least one hour, or up to 24 hours (add the avocado right before serving).  This also needs salt, so make sure do add it in! 

#2,640: Mediterranean Pasta Salad (GF)

I love my veggies and pasta, so I was excited to make this Mediterranean pasta salad.  Then I started making the recipe and couldn't believe how much tomatoes and cucumber this recipe called for, so I halved both of the ingredients.  2 cucumbers for 8 oz of pasta....that's insane to me! I really, really enjoyed this pasta salad.  I personally would have loved to add some feta to it too, but not everyone in our house is a feta fan (how is that possible?!)  I love the oil and vinegar dressing on this too.  I would definitely make this again!

8 ounces penne pasta (I used 12 oz of gluten free fusili)

4 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (I used 2 cups...4 was A LOT)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt, adjust to taste

1 teaspoon fresh black pepper, adjust to taste

2 cups cucumbers, chopped small (I used 1 cucumber)

6 ounce can whole black olives, drained and halved

1/4 cup red onion, sliced very thin and chopped small

10 large fresh basil leaves, sliced very thin, about 2 tablespoons

2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped small

Bring a large pot of water to a boil along with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, but do not rinse the pasta.

While the pasta is cooking, combine the tomatoes, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium-size bowl. Stir and let sit while assembling the rest of the salad.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cucumbers, olives, red onion, and cooked pasta. Add the tomatoes and all of the juices from the bowl. Stir to coat everything in the dressing.

Sprinkle with basil and parsley and toss again. Taste the salad and add more salt and pepper as needed. Serve or refrigerator until ready to eat. Enjoy!

#2,639: Instant Pot Mexican Rice

I really struggled with this recipe!  If you've ever gotten a burn notice on your instant pot, you know how frustrating it is to know that you are too late in preventing your food from sticking to the bottom.  When I make instant pot rice with just rice and water (plus a little olive oil and salt), I have never gotten a burn notice.  But the second I add in a thicker liquid like tomato sauce, I get one every-time.  I got the burn notice on this recipe THREE times.  Thankfully, as long as I didn't scrape the bottom, I was able to salvage this rice and still able to serve it.  This recipe though needs a bit more seasoning...and liquid. 


Each time I got the burn notice (after freaking out a bit), I would release the pressure and take the top off and add about 1/2 cup (or more!) of water to this recipe.  After the 3rd time, I just gave up and let it sit with the top on in hopes that the rice would finish cooking.  The rice had a tiny bit of a crunch to it, but I was personally ok with that.  And it was good added into my tacos.  But on it's own, it needed a lot more chili powder, some garlic and/or onion powder, and personally, some petite diced tomatoes and jalapeno would have been good too.  This recipe is a good starting to point for Mexican Rice, but needs some tweaking for sure.  I'll probably try it again with some changes, but it was a good place to start.  

2 cups long grain brown rice, washed and drained

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

Plug Instant Pot in power and press Saute to heat. Add oil, once it is heated, add onion, garlic, cumin and cook for 2 minutes stirring. Stir in the rice and saute for about 4 minutes.

Add tomato sauce and stir to coat. Add vegetable broth and salt switch Instant Pot to the Keep Warm/Cancel button. Cover Instant Pot with the lid, make sure knob is set on the Sealing position. Now press the Manual button and the display will now say ON. Click the + plus button until it is 22 minutes on High Pressure. (That is a LONG time.  I set my instant pot for FOUR mintues, then let it do a natural release for 18 minutes....well that was my plan if it would have stopped getting the burn notice!) 

At the end of the 22 minutes let the Instant Pot Natural Release pressure for 5 minutes. Then you will turn the knob to Vent and allow it to Quick Release the remaining pressure. I usually put a damp dishcloth over the vent carefully as the final steam releases.

Once the steam releases you can now open the Instant Pot and flurry your rice.

#2,637: Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing

I made this healthy quinoa salad for lunch, and whipped it together in just a few minutes.  Don't you love recipes like that?!  I used leftover quinoa that I had in the fridge, chopped up some veggies, and then added some dressing on top.  I took the picture on a cute (long) summery tray and was too lazy to put it back in a bowl (I didn't want to get another bowl dirty) so I just ate it off the tray.  My husband looks over and starts laughing at how ridiculous I look eating this off a gigantically long tray.  Ha!  This salad is super light and the lemon gives it is nice refreshingly summer flavor, while the almonds, cucumber, and peppers give the texture the crunch I love.  I was out of parsley so I just used some cilantro instead.  I also decided to omit the mint, since all I have is chocolate mint in my garden and thought that might be too weird to a taste for this dish.   

For the quinoa salad

3 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dry = 3 cups cooked)

1 large seedless cucumber, diced

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1 (15 ounce) can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 bunch of mint, finely chopped (I omitted)

1 bunch of Italian parsley, finely chopped (I used cilantro)

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 lemon, juiced (I used 6 drops of lemon vitality essential oil)

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (I omitted)

1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey

In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients from the “for the quinoa salad” portion of the recipe.

In a separate bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients. Drizzle over the quinoa salad and toss to evenly coat. 

#2,732: Instant Pot Corn on the Cob

We always make corn on the cob in a pot of boiling water, which is how I started to make this recipe. But we ran out of room in the pot (too much corn!) and we decided to try making the rest in the instant pot.  This corn was done before the ones in the pot of water and tasted the same to us!  It was super easy too!!

4 ears corn on the cob , husks and silk removed (We cut ours in half because we were serving it to kids, but you could leave whole if they fit inside your instant pot)

Pour 1 cup of cold water in the pressure cooker. Place a trivet in the Instant Pot, then place 4 ears of corn on the cob on the trivet. Close the lid and cook at High Pressure for 1 - 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and Quick Release. Open the lid carefully. Serve immediately with butter and salt (or however you like to eat corn!).

#2,731: Spring Quinoa with Honey Lime Vinaigrette

This recipe has all ingredients I love: quinoa, bacon, feta, peas, and almonds.  Seriously, I love everything about this salad!  It was SOOOO good, and I can't wait to eat the leftovers again today.  I debated about eating it for breakfast but figured I'd resist the urge and wait until lunch.  The feta and almonds get soft in this if it sits too long, so just keep that in mind!  This is SUPER good!  

For the salad

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2-3 cups frozen peas, thawed

1/2 cup feta cheese

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup freshly chopped basil and cilantro

1/2 cup almonds, pulsed in a food processor until crushed

For the dressing

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1-2 large juicy lemons)

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt (more to taste)

a few tablespoons honey (I did 3, but adjust to taste)

Cook the quinoa according to package directions. You can make this ahead of time and just let it chill in the fridge.

Toss the quinoa with the thawed peas, feta, bacon, herbs, and almonds.

Puree all the dressing ingredients in the food processor. Toss the dressing with the salad ingredients. Season generously with salt and pepper. 

#2,730: Grilled Watermelon with Cilantro and Lime

We love cold, juicy, fresh watermelon this time of year, so when I found this recipe that made it on the grill I was excited to try it.  Although it was good, it was weird to eat warm watermelon.  So we decided to put the leftover pieces in the fridge and try it again the next day. (update on cold grilled watermelon coming soon...)

8 Pieces of Watermelon

2 Limes

Cilantro

Olive Oil

Salt To Taste

To make this treat just brush each piece of watermelon with olive oil and lime juice. Season with salt and grill for 3 minutes on each side. Take off the grill and add more lime juice. Sprinkle with cilantro and a little bit more salt (if desired). 

#2,728: Cinnamon Sugar Apples

I was looking for an easy side dish to serve the many kiddos during our 4th of July family weekend and came across this recipe.  It was a huge hit with our crew (who doesn't love sugar on their fruit though?!) and we ended up making it twice.  I cut back on the cinnamon-sugar mixture to give it flavor but not be ridiculously unhealthy.  We will definitely be making this again with our crew. 

4 apples, sliced and cut into one inch pieces

2 tsp lemon juices

3-4 tsp cinnamon sugar. (I mix 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tbsp sugar) just sprinkle it on a little at a time and toss until all the apples have a light coating. 

NOTE: Do not make this ahead of time. It should be made right before serving.

Place sliced apples in a medium sized mixing bowl.  Sprinkle with lemon juice.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar one tsp at a time and toss until apples are all lightly coated.

#2,718: Zucchini Pico de Gallo Salsa

This pico/salsa recipe is such a great summer time recipe that uses summer fresh vegetables!  I can't wait to make this again once I have zucchini and tomatoes picked right from my garden.  I was afraid it would be a little too hot for my liking so I cut out the poblano pepper.  Next time I'm going to add in some bell pepper...cucumber might be good too!  I think this would be great on top of grilled chicken (or probably fish if I ate that) too!  

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 medium zucchini, finely chopped

1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped (I omitted although next time I'll probably throw a bell pepper into this instead)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 seeded and diced jalapeno pepper, optional

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons lime juice

Combine first nine ingredients. Add lime juice; toss to coat.  Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

#2,712: Instant Pot Baked Potatoes

This "recipe" took me three tries to get right!  I was about to give up on trying to make baked potatoes in the Instant Pot, but figured I'd give it one more try!  I don't know if it's the fact that I added more water, or that I didn't stack any on top of one another, or I just got lucky, but this time it finally worked!  The first two times the potatoes were under cooked and I had to finish them in the microwave or sauteed on the stove.  Tonight though they were fluffy and cooked all the way through (thank goodness!) 

6 medium potatoes scrubbed clean, and pierced with a fork several times

1 1/2 cups cold water

Pour the cold water into the bottom of the Instant Pot.  Place a trivet inside the pot and arrange the potatoes on top of the trivet (I suggest NOT stacking them).  Place lid on instant pot and seal the valve.

Set to high pressure for 15 minutes for medium potatoes. After the 15 minutes are up, do a natural release for another 15 minutes, then let out any remaining pressure.  
Carefully remove from the Instant Pot, being careful to take them out because the skin will sometimes start to tear off if you aren't careful.  Serve with whatever toppings you desire.  

#2,710: Bean, Corn, and Tomato Salad

Mmmm....look at the freshness of that salad!  I found this recipe in a recent issue of Better Homes and Gardens and it just yelled summer, so I was excited to try it.  I didn't happen to have any chickpeas on hand, so I just used canellini beans instead.  Still good!  The basil is fresh from my garden...I have mint growing too, but it's chocolate mint so I figured I better just omit that ingredient.  

PS...this is also really good with some bacon as part of a BLT sandwich.  LOL.  I am obsessed with BLT's since I have lettuce growing in my garden.  So I figured I'd add some of this to my sandwich too.  Delish!  However, it does tend to fall off the bread, so some sort of roll would probably be better than the toasted wheat bread I'm currently eating it on.  

4 ears fresh corn
2 pints grape and/or cherry tomatoes
15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (I used canellini beans)
1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1/2 c finely chopped red onion
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c cider vinegar
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c torn fresh mint leaves (I omitted)
1/3 c torn fresh basil leaves

For salad:
Remove husks and silk from corn.  Cut kernels from cobs; place in a serving bowl.  Add tomatoes, chickpeas, edamame, and red onion. 

For dressing:
In a screw-top jar, combine olive oil, cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper.  Cover and shake well.  

Pour dressing over salad and toss.  Top with mint and basil.  

#2,708: Ginger Green Beans

I'm still puzzled about this recipe and these green beans.  This is meant to be a cold side dish, but I'm not sure I liked it cold (and this is coming from someone who often doesn't reheat leftovers!!).  But the flavors were better cold!  When I ate this hot, it was WAY too salty from the soy sauce, but when it chilled that saltiness definitely was cut back and the flavors were better.  

So I decided to jazz this one up a little bit and added some crumbled bacon and some toasted slivered almonds...there you go!  I enjoyed this WAY more with those additions.  :)

So...if you are going to eat this hot, cut back on the soy sauce.  If you are going to eat this cold, add some bacon.

And every once in a while you get a little bite of the ginger in this recipe....yes!

1-1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed

1 tangerine, peeled, segmented, seeds removed (I used about 8 drops of tangerine vitality essential oil)

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

1 garlic clove, peeled and halved

1 teaspoon packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon white vinegar

(I actually made mine in my instant pot.  Add 1 cup of water to the green beans.  Set the timer to high and ZERO minutes.  As soon as it pressurizes release the pressure and put the green beans into an ice water bath.) In a 6-qt. stockpot, bring 12 cups water to a boil. Add green beans; cook, uncovered, 2-3 minutes or just until crisp-tender and bright green. Quickly remove and immediately drop into ice water. Drain and pat dry.

In a blender or food processor, combine the next eleven ingredients; process until well blended. Pour dressing mixture over beans; toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 8 servings

#2,707: Blueberry, Corn, and Feta Salad

I was a little scared to try this recipe because I am not a fan of fruit mixed with my veggies.  My mom "apparently" makes a great strawberry kiwi spinach salad, but I hate having those fruits in with my spinach.  I end up picking out all of the fruit and eating around it.  So when this recipe called for blueberries I figured I'd probably pick them out too.  But in order to really get a good feel for this recipe I decided to push past my initial reaction of avoiding them and gave it a real effort.  I'll admit, although I still prefer no fruit in my salad, this was really good.  The berries aren't overpowering and give this corn salad a tiny bit of sweetness.  The berries soften up a little bit too from the heat of the corn so you don't notice them as much as you'd think.  I would definitely eat (and make) this recipe again.  Oh, and although I like chives, I didn't have any on hand, so I just substituted green onion instead.  Still good!  

8 medium ears sweet corn

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon minced fresh chives, plus more for garnish (I used green onion)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Carefully peel back corn husks to within 1 in. of bottoms; remove silk. Rewrap corn in husks; secure with kitchen string. Place in a stockpot; cover with cold water. Soak 20 minutes; drain.

Grill corn, covered, over medium heat about 20 minutes or until tender, turning often. Cut string and peel back husks. Cool slightly. Cut corn from cobs; transfer to a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, chives, salt and pepper. Pour over corn; toss to coat. Gently fold in blueberries and feta. Garnish with additional chives if desired. Yield: 10 servings

#2,704: Mango-Edamame Asian Slaw

The recipe below is for an entire bag of coleslaw mix and an entire bottle of salad dressing.  Personally I think that is A LOT of salad dressing, for one bag of slaw, but I can't tell you if that was too much or not because I cannot find that specific dressing!  I went to 2 stores and finally gave up and got a bottle of Skinny Girl Poppyseed dressing instead and just used that.  I also only made one serving of this, so I just guessed at all of the amounts in my bowl to what looked good to me.  After I took this picture I decided to add some crushed up ramen noodles to it to give it more crunch...I highly recommend.  :)  This was a great salad and I look forward to eating it again!

1 pkg. (16 oz.) coleslaw blend (cabbage slaw mix)

2 cups frozen edamame (shelled), thawed

2 mangos, chopped

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1/3 cup chopped fresh mint

1 bottle (8 oz.) KRAFT Mango Chipotle Vinaigrette Dressing (I couldn't find it at 2 stores so I gave up looking.  I used Poppyseed Salad Dressing instead). 

Combine all ingredients and serve.  

#2,697: Baked Spanish Rice Balls

I had a little more than 1 cup of the leftover Instant Pot Spanish Rice we had for dinner a few nights ago and I wasn't sure what to do with it.  It wasn't enough to serve my family again for dinner, but too much for one person to eat for lunch.  So I decided to see what would happen if I tried to make a baked rice ball out of it.  I'm obsessed with peas lately so I figured I'd just throw some of those in there too.  :)

Personally I loved these.  It probably could have used a little more seasoning (chili powder, garlic salt, and black pepper maybe??), but otherwise it was so good.  No one else in my family will even try these...their loss!  

1 cup leftover Instant Pot Spanish Rice
1/3 c shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs
¼ c thawed peas
½ cup plain breadcrumbs

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place breadcrumbs in a small bowl, set aside.  In a second bowl, beat one egg, and set aside. 

In a separate bowl combine the leftover rice, cheddar cheese, 1 egg (lightly beaten), and peas. 

Form the rice mixture into golf ball sized balls.  Dip each rice ball in egg mixture and then coat in breadcrumbs. 

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the rice balls and continue baking for an additional 10 - 15 minutes or until they are golden brown. Serve hot with or without a dipping sauce.