Garlic and cheese potatoes

What a great summer we have had! I bought my husband a small grill for his birthday and it has gotten plenty of use. One of our favorite dishes that goes great with everything is this fantastic potato recipe. You can make it in the oven as well.

3 medium baking potatoes, cleaned and sliced (thinly-very thinly)

1 onion sliced

1-2 tablespoons butter

2-3 minced cloves of garlic

1/2 teaspoon parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese


Add all ingredients EXCEPT the cheese to a large microwavable bowl. Warm up in microwave 2 minutes or until butter is melted.

Mix well

Scoop mixture onto foil and make sure you have folded it well

Place on grill for 20-25 minutes

Take off grill and add cheese, close pocket again to allow cheese to melt.

When cooking in over, cook at 350 degrees

Sloppy Mias

I love making Sloppy Joes, but I'm not a huge fan of the canned sauce to make them. I always end up adding to it to make it taste better. Now I just use my own recipe! It's realllllly good.

1 package Morning Star Farm OR Boca crumbled soy (or use real meat)

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon of garlic salt or 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of yellow mustard

3/4 cup ketchup

3 teaspoons of brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste (I found that using the garlic salt, there was no need for additional salt)

Onion powder to taste



Directions:

Brown the "meat"

If using real meat, drain the fat

Add other ingredients and cook on low heat for about 20-30 minutes


Super easy and oh so good!

Twice Baked Butternut Squash

YUM-O! I made this as a side dish for our anniversary. I actually made DH a steak! This was so good and I plan on making it again.

1 butternut squash cut lengh wise

2 TBS. sour cream

1 TBS. butter

Salt

Pepper

Breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Scoop seeds out of squash (I used my melon baller). Sprinkle squash with some salt and pepper and put a dollup of butter on each slice.

Cook in oven for about 45 minutes. Let squash cool for 15 minutes and reduce heat on oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix sour cream, butter, salt, and pepper. Scoop inside of squash out into bowl, reserving the skins, and mix (I used my hand mixer to get it whipped). Scoop mixture back into skins, sprinkle top with breadcrumbs, and cook in oven an additional 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Spinach and Pasta Bake

I got this idea from another blog. You can find it here:

sotastysoyummy.blogspot.com

Anyway, I made some changes to it to meet my dietary requirements.

It was really good, but I think missing something (besides the meat). I added a small amount of milk to my bowl and it helped make it creamier. I think I'll add some to the entire batch next time I make this.

16 oz cooked pasta (I used rotini)

10 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained

14.5 oz diced tomatoes

8 oz onion and chive cream cheese

1 tsp basil

1 tsp Italian seasonings

1 tsp crushed red pepper

salt/pepper

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided

2 or 3 cloves crushed garlic


After pasta is cooked and drained, mix with all ingredients (only use 1 cup of the cheese). When it is mixed well, top with remainding cheese. If you like, you can sprinkle a small amount of bread crumbs to the top.

As for pan size, you can use one large pan or two smaller pans and freeze one of them. Bake, covered, at 375 degrees. Uncover and cook a little bit longer (until cheese is melted and dish is a little bubbly).

YUM!

Butter Bean Burgers

I'm trying my best to make more food from scratch. When I saw this recipe, I didn't think it would be that great, but I thought it was worth a shot. What I like most about it is you can add whatever you want. I have posted the original recipe (from allrecipes.com) and noted the changes that I made.

1 (15 ounce) can butter beans, drained

1 small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno pepper (I didn't have this, so I add red pepper flakes instead)

6 saltine crackers, crushed (I added bread crumbs instead)

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (I didn't measure this out, just added it until I thought it was good enough)

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil instead)

I also added a couple cloves of garlic. I have a garlic obsession!



1.In a medium bowl, mash butter beans. Mix in onion, jalapeno pepper, crushed crackers, egg, cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Divide into 4 equal parts, and shape into patties.

2.Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; use more or less oil to reach 1/4 inch in depth. Fry patties until golden, about 5 minutes on each side.



When I made these, it helped if I added a little more bread crumbs to each side of the patty. So I put the patties in the pan, sprinkled them with more bread crumbs. When I flipped them over, I added more crumbs to the other side.

When they are done, top them with whatever you would top a regular burger. Even my husband enjoyed these!

Nutella Wontons

These were really good and easy to make. I first saw this recipe here http://cooklikeachampion.blogspot.com/2008/10/nutella-ravioli.html.

When I made these, I only made six, so I didn't need to put them in the oven. I just fried them all up in a pan, placed them on a plate covered with a paper towel, sprinkled a bit of powdered sugar on them, and that was it! It took about 10 minutes total to make.


16 wonton wrappers

1 egg, beaten to blend

1 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)

Vegetable oil, for frying

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:
-Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap.
-Place 1 wonton wrapper on the work surface.
-Brush the edges of the wrapper lightly with egg.
-Spoon 1 tablespoon of chocolate-hazelnut spread into the center of the wrapper.
-Fold the wrapper diagonally in half over the filling and press the edges of the wrapper to seal.
-Place the ravioli on the prepared baking sheet.
-Repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers, egg, and chocolate-hazelnut spread.
-Preheat the oven to 200° F.
-Add enough oil to a heavy large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches.
-Heat the oil over medium heat to 350° F.
-Working in batches, carefully add the ravioli to the hot oil and cook until they are golden brown, about 45 seconds per side.
-Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
-Then, transfer the cooked ravioli to another baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while frying the remaining ravioli. (The fried ravioli can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool them completely, then cover and refrigerate. Before serving, place them on a baking sheet and rewarm in a preheated 375 degrees F oven just until they are heated through, about 7 minutes.)
-Dust the ravioli with powdered sugar.

Broccoli Casserole

This recipe really looks odd, but trust me, it was good! I got it from all recipes.com

I did change some things, but I'll post the regular recipe and note my changes

1 cup uncooked white rice

5 tablespoons margarine (didn't measure this out)

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped celery

1 (10 ounce) package chopped frozen broccoli, thawed and drained (I zapped mine in the microwave for a while to speed up the thawing process and to make sure the broccoli would be cooked through)

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup (I used cream of celery because I hate mushrooms)

1 (8 ounce) jar processed cheese spread with jalapeno (my can was 9 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a saucepan bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Melt margarine in a medium skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and celery until tender.

In a 2 quart casserole dish combine onions, celery, cooked rice, broccoli, mushroom soup and processed cheese spread; mix well.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes (I cooked it less than this because my broccoli was already warm)

Enjoy~

Taco Soup

1 lb. ground beef (again, use 1 package of Morning Star Farms recipe crumbles for a vegetarian meal)

1/2 cup chopped onion

28-oz can whole tomatoes with juice

14-oz can kidney beans with juice

17-oz canned corn with juice

8-oz can tomato sauce

1 pkg. dry taco seasoning

1 to 2 cups of water

salt and pepper to taste

cheddar cheese

hard taco shells or corn chips

Disclaimer: I, of course, make this vegetarian. I also bought all low sodium items.

Brown beef and onions in skillet. Drain (when you use the vegetarian meat, there is no draining).

Combine all ingredients (except cheese and chips) in a slow cooker (although I made mine in a large stockpot).

Cover-cook on low for 4-6 hours (cooking it in a pot took about 20 minutes-I had the heat on high).

Ladle into bowls. Top with cheese and chips.

Spinach and Feta Pasta

1 (8 ounce) package penne pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jar (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes

2 cups spinach leaves, packed (I just used frozen and it worked fine)

salt and pepper to taste

1 pinch red pepper flakes

feta cheese, crumbled

While boiling your pasta, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic, and cook until golden brown. Mix in tomatoes and spinach. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook 2 minutes more, until tomatoes are heated through and spinach is wilted.

Prepare your plate and top with feta cheese. You can use as little or as much as you want.

It was sooooooooo good!!!

Nutter Butter Truffles

1 box of cream cheese

1 package Nutter Butters (take about five out of the package and set aside-you won't need them)

Semi-sweet Baker's chocolate

Place Nutter Butter cookies in a food processor and crush finely. Mix with cream cheese. Form into one inch balls and dip in melted chocolate. Place truffles on cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

I usually put my truffles in the freezer because they keep longer that way. But, you can put them in the fridge if you prefer them that way.

Nacho Bake

I saw this on the back of a Velveeta Shells and Cheese box. It turned out to be really yummy!!

1 package Velveeta Shells and Cheese Dinner

1 lb. ground beef (as always, I substitute this with soy crumles)

1 package Taco Seasoning Mix

3/4 cup Water

3/4 cup Sour Cream

3/4 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

3/4 cup Salsa

Tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare the Velveeta Shells and Cheese as you usually would. When this is done and you are adding the cheese mix also add ALL of the sour cream.

Brown meat (or soy) and drain fat if needed. Add water and taco seasoning mix. Simmer for 5 minutes.

In an 8 inch square baking dish, add half of the Velveeta mixture. Top with meat, half of the shredded cheese, and the rest of the Velveeta mixture.

Cover and bake for about 15 minutes. When it is done, top with salsa and the remain shredded cheese (I actually added the other half on top of the mixture before baking it).

In your own bowl (or plate) top with some crushed tortilla chips.

The actual recipe says to add it to the dish, but if you have leftovers (and we did because it is only the two of us!) the chips will get soggy.

Enjoy!

Baked Mostaccioli

YUM!!! So tasty! I love this stuff!!

1 box (1lb.) mostaccioli

1 jar (26oz) spaghetti sauce

1 package (8oz) shredded Mozzarella cheese

Cook mostaccioli as directed on package. Warm up spaghetti sauce over warm heat. After pasta is cooked, combine with sauce. Mix it up well so the pasta is coated in sauce. In a large glass casserole dish (I use 13 X 9in) put a layer of pasta and cover with cheese. Then another layer of pasta and cover with cheese. Continue until all pasta is in the dish. Top with cheese. Cover with foil.

Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 10-15 minutes (just until the cheese is melted). I usually remove the foil after this and bake for a few more minutes (like 3 minutes).

Serve with some garlic toast and you are set! A perfect Lenten meal.

Cream Cheese Wontons

These wontons are really easy and very tasty. You can find wonton wrappers in the produce section of your local grocery store. These are an appetizer, but my huband and I can eat them like a meal. We are BAD!

18 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 C. Monterey jack cheese, shredded

1 tbs. fresh minced garlic (or more. I didn't really measure out the garlic. My husband and I are garlic freaks, so the more is better for us.)

5 green onions, diced (this is how many I used. You can use as much as you like!)

Black pepper to taste

1 16 oz. package wonton wrappers

Vegetable oil for frying

DIRECTIONS
Mix cream cheese, Monterey jack cheese, garlic, green onions, and black pepper in a small bowl.

Spoon about one tablespoon of the mixture into a wonton wrapper.

With damp fingers, fold the wonton wrapper in half to make a triangle. Make sure that all edges are sealed.

Quickly fry wontons in vegetable oil until golden brown.

I used my Fry Daddy and it made it a quick job.

DO NOT put ALL the wontons together when frying them. Just fry about 7-10 at one time.

Peanut butter suprise cookies

These are my all time FAVORITE cookies. YUM! I gain about five pounds just thinking about them.

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling dough

36 mini peanut butter cups, chilled and unwrapped

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using an electric mixer, cream peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl until smooth.

Add brown sugar; beat until combined, scraping down bowl as needed.

Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until incorporated.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

With mixer on low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture in two batches.

Scoop off dough by the tablespoon; roll into balls.

Place granulated sugar on a plate; roll balls in sugar, coating completely.

Place 2 inches apart on a nonstick insulated baking sheet.

Bake until cookies begin to puff up slightly, about 7 minutes.

Remove from oven.

Press one peanut butter cup in center of each cookie.

Return to oven; continue baking until cookies are golden brown and chocolate has begun to melt, about 6 minutes more.

Let cool at least 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring cookies to rack to cool completely.

Baked Potato and Broccoli Soup

This is a recipe from myrecipes.com

You can look at the link to see their recipe. I modify it a little since I'm a vegetarian. Nestie mrspresley also has a potato soup recipe just like this!

It is SUPER yummy.

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 (14 ounce) cans vegetarian vegetable broth

3 cups peeled, cubed potato (about 1 1/4 pounds)

2 cups broccoli florets, chopped (I just bought the frozen kind-less work)

1 small onion, chopped

1 1/4 cups milk

Shredded 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese (I bought the pre-shredded bagged kind)

7 teaspoons chopped green onions (optional)

1 or 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Whisk together flour and 1/3 cup broth until smooth. Set aside.

Combine remaining broth and next 3 ingredients in a Dutch oven or large stock pot.

Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Gradually stir in flour mixture. Cook, stirring often, 5 minutes.

Stir in milk and 8 ounces shredded cheese.

Cook mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese melts.

Top each serving with green onions or more cheese!

Cheesy Chicken Biscuit Cups

I have made this before for my husband. He seemed to really enjoy them. You can also modify the recipe by adding in broccoli or whatever other veggie you like!

1 (7.5oz) can homestyle or buttermilk biscuits

15oz Chicken breast, cooked and diced

1 can cream of chicken soup

2/3 cup shredded fat free cheddar cheese

1 tsp dried parsley flakes

1/4 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Place biscuits in muffin pan, pressing dough into the pan to form cups.

In a bowl, combine chicken, soup, cheese, parsley, and pepper.

Mix well.

Spoon mixture into cups.

Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes.

My kitchen gadget wishlist

I finally found a small cookie scoop on Pampered Chef! I NEED one of those. Badly.

For some odd reason, I feel like I need a spreader. Why I can't just use a butter knife, I don't know. But I'm sure I put the spreader to good use!

This egg separator is really neat. I think I may need it.

Do cookie presses really work? If they do, I think it would be neat to have one.

I also need a new set of pots and pans. Ours are all old and not in the best shape. I'm not even sure which brand I would purchase, but something good.

This is totally unrealistic to have, but I think it is pretty cool! It's a pizza oven! How fun!

Why in the world do I want these? I am a nerd.

Easy Bake Brownies

Who doesn't like a warm brownie with a cold glass of milk? YUM!

My brownie recipe is EASY! Don't tell anyone, but I just buy a box of brownie mix (the kind that you use a 13x9 pan with).

What I do to make it so tasty is to ADD things to the mix. I add things like chocolate chips, Andes mint, M&Ms, and our favorite, Reese's Pieces!!! They are some melt-in-your-mouth good.

I don't have an exact measurement, as it is really a consistency thing. You can tell when you have enough. I think I may use about 1 1/2 cups or 2 cups? Pictured are my Andes Mint brownies (This is just the batter. They weren't cooked yet). I just layer the top of the mix with them. I used about 12 pieces for this batch.

My favorite things

I love kitchen gadgets. I really do. I can go to Bed Bath and Beyond and just look and look at all the neat gadgets they have. My kitchen is cluttered with gadgets. This is why I need a house. So I can have a bigger kitchen to fill with even more gadgets.

Back to Basics Egg and Muffin Toaster-You can toast, cook an egg, and fry up meat for your egg sandwich. This is the coolest invention. It will also cook it all on a timer, so that everything finishes at the SAME time! How cool is that? You can find it at Sears or Bed Bath and Beyond.


Presto Fry Daddy- My husband bought mine at Walmart. It is seriously the neatest little thing. It makes frying potoatoes and other food easy. It holds up to four cups of food and has a plastic lid for storage of the oil. It also came with a metal spoon to life the food out of the fryer.

Rival Crock Pot-How I love thee. I cook lots of things in my crock pot. Soups, chili, etc. I know they make some with a timer, I wish mine had one. I also like to use the crock pot bags so clean up is a breeze.


Back to Basics Hot Cocoa Latte Maker-if you like hot chocolate this is a MUST. It makes all sorts of hot drinks, but I use it for hot cooca. All you do is fill it with milk and add your hot cocoa. Turn it on and it will heat and stir it for you. Then it shuts of when it is ready to go. It makes your drink very frothy and so yummy! It also comes with a guide on other hot drinks you can make using it. What I also like about it is you can wrap the cord around the bottom. That is why you can't see the power cord in this picture.

Home Trends Mini Chopper-I got this from my mom. She's had this chopper for many years and gave it to me when she bought a new one. It works like a charm! It chops up onions and other vegetables quickly and with ease. I have also used it to chop up cookies to make truffles. It's tiny, but okay for now.

Sunbeam Heritage Standmixer-This was a Christmas gift from my husband. It comes with two different sized bowls and a few mixers. I've used it to make my butter cookies and it really mixed up the butter like a pro. I have also used it several other times to make different things and I really like it so far. I think a stand mixer is a must for everyone who enjoys baking.



A cookie scooper! How I love thee!!! Makes cookie baking and tuffle making soooo much easier! If you see one that is smaller than this, PLEASE let me know. I got this one at Bed Bath and Beyond, but I've even seen similar ones at Walmart.

Last but not least is this measuring cup. I like it because the clear part moves. You bring it to the measurment you need, fill it up, and push the bottom part up to remove what is inside. It is nice when you are making peanut butter cookies, because the peanut butter will slide right out.

Butter Cookies

These butter cookies are really good. My mom loves them, my aunt loves them, my husband loves them, etc. I first made them with my aunt and got the recipe from her. You can make them with a hand mixer, but it is much easier if you use a stand mixer. It beats the butter a lot better than a hand mixer and makes the job a quick one!

1 lb. butter

1 cup and 2 Tbs. sugar

3 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp. vanilla

Sprinkles (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Beat 1 lb. of butter until creamy.

Add 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat well.

Add 3 1/2 cups flour and beat slowly at low speed.

Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla.

Divide into 50 balls (I just use my cookie scooper)

Place on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten. Add sprinkles if desired.

Bake at 325 degrees for 15-18 minutes.