Petite Lasagnas

I got this recipe from the Can You Stay For Dinner blog, a blog from a girl that managed to lose half her body weight!!!! I adapted it slightly by removing the mushrooms that she recommended (I haven't been able to eat them since getting pregnant for some odd reason) and using fake meat crumbles in place of ground turkey. They were an interesting and fun twist to the normal kind I make.... and very cute!  Next time I may add zuchini and more crushed tomatoes.

(above picture from the Can You Stay For Dinner blog)

Ingredients: (makes 12)
12 oz raw ground turkey (or fake meat crumbles from Boca or Morning Star)
¼ tsp salt, divided
¼ tsp pepper
1 cup chopped onion
14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes, or tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp dried oregano, divided
½ tsp dried basil
1 ½ cups part skim ricotta cheese
24 small square wonton wrappers (the kind near the tofu in the refrigerated section of the produce dept)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used about 2 cups)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground meat, onions, salt, and pepper. Crumble the meat and saute the mixture for about 10 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through.
3. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes and 2 tsp of oregano. Bring the pan to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, a pinch of salt and pepper, the remaining teaspoon of oregano, and the basil. Stir to mix well. Set aside.
5. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Place 1 wonton wrapper into each of the 12 cups, pressing firmly in the bottom of the cup and up the sides.
6. Using half of the ricotta mixture, divide it among the 12 muffin cups. Next, using half of the meat tomato sauce, spoon it evenly over each of the ricotta filled cups. Sprinkle with about 2 tsp of mozzarella.
7. Gently press another wonton wrapper on top of the mozzarella layer.
8. Repeat the process by distributing the remaining ricotta, then the remaining tomato sauce, and finally the rest of the shredded mozzarella.
10. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. For some reason, it took mine about 15 minutes.

   

recipe from http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/2010/11/04/petite-lasagnas/

White Chicken Enchiladas

I found this recipe on Pinterest and at first didn't jump at it but then started seeing it everywhere. So I read the reviews and they were raving! So I decided to give it a shot and I am super glad I did. These are ridiculously good. Seriously. I made a couple of small adjustments (add onion, extra cheese, and I used Morning Star chicken strips). You have to try these!!!!!

 

Ingredients:
7 or 10 soft flour taco shells (7 large sized, 10 medium sized)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (or 2 bags of Morning Star chicken strips, shredded)
2.5 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese 
1 onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth (I used vegetable broth)
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies
A couple dashes of garlic salt or garlic powder

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
2. Cook and shread the chicken. Also cook onions (until they are clear). Mix both together with 1 cup cheese and garlic salt. Spoon into tortillas then roll up and place in pan with the end facing down.
3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
4. Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.
5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.
User Suggestions
* Add a can of drained Rotel Tomatoes to the chicken mixture
* Add a cup of salsa to the chicken mixture
* Add cumin and a 4 oz can of diced jalapenos to the chicken mixture
* Add pinto beans or black beans to the chicken mixture.
* Add green peppers to the chicken mixture.

     

From Joyful Momma's Kitchen http://joyful-mommas-kitchen.blogspot.com/2012/01/its-still-all-over-pinterest.html

Bacon, Egg & Toast Cups

I have seen many variations of this recipe. Some suggest using bread just on the bottom of the muffin cup then lining the side of each with bacon. I changed things up a bit from this "Everyday Food" recipe and made the bread into a sort-of-bowl in the muffin cup. I found this to be very easy and yummy but next time I won't cook it as long because I like my eggs a little bit runny and when cooking this, the yolk was actually already hard when I took it out of the over (it didn't look cooked though..... very deceiving!!!).


Ingredients: 
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine
6 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread
6-12 slices bacon or sausage (I made some with Morning Star bacon and others with MStar sausage)
6 large eggs
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Cooking spray

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 6 standard muffin cups. Spread margarine or butter onto one side of the bread then press that side down into a muffin cup carefully (avoid any holes by pushing the bread down to close those gaps). The bread will hang over the sides of the muffin cup.
Alternate directions: Lightly butter 6 standard muffin cups. With a rolling pin, flatten bread slices slightly and, with a 4 1/4-inch cookie cutter, cut into 8 rounds. Cut each round in half, then press 2 halves into each muffin cup, overlapping slightly and making sure bread comes up to edge of cup. Use extra bread to patch any gaps. Brush bread with remaining butter.

2. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium, until almost crisp, 4 minutes, flipping once (or microwave Morning Star bacon or sausage until warm but not crispy). Lay 1-2 bacon slices in each bread cup and crack an egg over each. If using sausage, press it down into the bread cup. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until egg whites are just set, 20 minutes or so depending on if you like the egg runny). Run a small knife around cups to loosen toasts. Serve immediately.

You could also try cooked, crumbled sausage in place of bacon or sauteed spinach and mushrooms. Or dress things up with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

   

From Everyday Food, September 2010 - http://www.marthastewart.com/330179/bacon-egg-and-toast-cups?czone=holiday/spring-celebrations-cnt/celebration-mother-day

Crash Hot Potatoes

Mmmm! Let me first say that I LOVE potatoes. These Crash Hot Potatoes by "The Pioneer Woman" are healthier than frying a potato but not quite as healthy as a plain bakes potato with nothing on it! But they are DELISH and addictive! She didn't add parmigiano cheese but I thought it would add to the recipe.

Ingredients:
12 or so whole Small Round Potatoes
3-5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice)
Parmigiano cheese (grated, and fresh is best!)

Instructions:
1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender. Drain water.
2. On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.
3. With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again.
4. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.
5. Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)
6. Bake in a 450 degree oven for about 16-18 minutes until the sides start to get a little brownish. Remove from over.
7. Sprinkle on the parmigiano cheese and bake for another 5-7 minutes.

 

(above 2 photos from the Pioneer Woman's website  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/)

Pretzel Hugs

These have got to be one of the easiest snacks you can make and are super delish, especially if you like sweet and salty mixed together!!!!!!!!! I got this recipe from Pinterest and have made them several times since. They make an easy thank you gift or party favor (put in cellophane wrap with a bow).


Ingredients:
1 bag Pretzel snaps (square with a grid shaped pattern)
2 bags of Hersheys Hugs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 then unwrap the Hugs (this takes the most time from this recipe!)
2. Line baking sheet with waxed paper.
3. Lay one pretzel down for every Hug and top each pretzel with a Hug.
4. Pop in the oven for 2 min, just until they are glossy and softish. Do not leave them in too long!
5. Remove from oven and let sit for 1 more minute, to continue the softening process.
6. Now top each hug with another pretzel pushing down very, very gently, so it sticks together.
7. Put the baking sheet in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to cool them off.

Low Fat Buffalo Chicken Pockets

I was just playing around and came up with these because I was craving some buffalo chicken but wanted to do something different.

Ingredients:
Pillsbury crescent rolls (low fat)
Cooked and shredded chicken (a couple of breasts would suffice) or use a pack of the Morning Star fake chicken strips cut into small pieces
Blue cheese crumbles (low fat)
Buffalo hot sauce
Blue cheese dressing for dipping if you'd like.

Directions:
1. After the chicken is cooked and shredded, put it back in the pan and saturate it with the buffalo sauce. Cook for 2-4 minutes or so until the sauce has partially absorbed into the chicken.
2. Take the pan off the heat and put it aside for now. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.
3. Unroll the crescent rolls. One at a time, stretch out the cresecent roll then add a big spoonful of the chicken mixture to the wident part of the crescent roll then a small spoonful (about a teaspoon) of blue cheese crumbles to the top of that. Roll from the wide end to the small end then fold the sides over and put on a pan with the end of the roll (the flap) facing downwards.
4. Bake at 375 for about 16-18 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

 

Apricot Chicken

My mom gave me this easy recipe for an amazingly sweet and scrumptious chicken dish.

Ingredients:
1 Lipton packet
1 1/2 bottles Russian dressing
1 jar of apricot preserves
6-8 chicken breasts depending on size (bone in for juicer chicken)

Directions:
1. Combine the lipton packet, russian dressing and apricot preserves to a bowl and mix well.
2. Place chicken in a 9x12 pan and pour the marinade over it. Put it in the fridge to marinate for a couple of hours. I typically then put the chicken breasts in individual ziplock baggies with sauce in each in the freezer until the night before I am going to eat one. I am usually only cooking chicken for one person since my husband is a vegetarian so it doesn't make sense for me personally to cook all of the chicken at once! So on the night before I take one of the ziplock bags out and put it in the fridge to defrost overnight so it is ready that following night to cook as per below.
3. Preheat over to 350 and bake for 30 minutes or so (until the chicken is no longer pink on the inside so the time may be more or less).

  

Breakfast Egg Muffins

I found a similar recipe on Pinterest and revamped it completely to suit what I had in the kitchen and what I like. The great thing about these are that they are super easy to grab in the morning and take with you on the go. You can also freeze them so you can portion them out and take them out the night before to let them defrost in the fridge then just grab them in the morning. The other great thing about these are that you can completely customize them to your liking. So use what veggies you like. If you don't have Egg Beaters, use a combo of 8 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, and 1/2 tsp of baking powder.

Ingredients:
Sausage (sweet, mild, hot variety or vegetarian sausage depending on your preference)
Green Pepper - diced
Tomato - diced
Breakfast potatoes - diced  (I bought the precut potatoes from the grocery)
.... Use any combo of ingredients you may like though (mushrooms, brocoli, spinach, bacon, etc)!!
Egg Beaters
salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Grated Cheese (parmesan, cheddar, or whatever you like)
Bread slices (I used wheat)
Butter (a couple of pats) or non-stick spray

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In a large saute pan, over medium high heat, brown Sausage for about 5 minutes, or until the sausage is no longer pink. Put in a bowl.
3. In that pan, add the oil then brown the potatoes. Remove from the heat.
4. Using a cookie cutter or a drinking glass, cut the wheat bread into circles.
5. Spray a 12-cupcake pan with spray or use a small tab of butter to coat each cupcake hole.
6. Push the bread circles to the bottom of the cupcake mold. Add veggies and sausage to each hole. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7. Pour the egg mixture over ingredients. Let it sit for a couple of minutes so the egg mixture can soak into the bread.
6. Sprinkle with cheese.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Let it cool for a bit before trying to remove them.

Note: I tried one round with the bread circles in the bottom and one without (just veggies, sausage and egg). They both came out well!

Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup and Praline Topping

OH. MY. GOODNESS. This was amazing. My husband's favorite food is french toast and said this is one of the best he has ever tried. I adjusted the recipe slightly based on some reviews I read. It is super easy to make and amazingly decadent! I highly recommend this!

Ingredients
1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping (below)
Maple syrup

Praline Topping:
1 stick of butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each.  Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices at an angle. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. After a couple of hours, flip the bread slices over so the mixture saturates both sides of the bread (or flip that night and again before baking). Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


Directions for topping: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. 

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 60 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/baked-french-toast-casserole-with-maple-syrup-recipe2/index.html
Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

Croissant French Toast

My husband's favorite food is french toast so I thought I'd experiment and try some different recipes. I found this recipe and, despite it being a tad on the unhealthy side, whipped it up one morning! It was very yummy but very sweet (in case you like the savory type of breakfasts). I made a bunch so ended up freezing some of them and just defrosting and baking to reheat and they still tasted good.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup half and half or milk
3 eggs
1/3 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon grated orange peel (I omitted this as I didn't have any oranges)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 1-day-old croissants, halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
Powdered sugar
Maple syrup


To make:
Whisk first 8 ingredients in medium bowl. Add croissants to egg batter and turn until thoroughly coated.
Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add croissants and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3-5 minutes per side. Sift powdered sugar over. Serve with maple syrup.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Croissant-French-Toast-1857#ixzz1kJzkhrb4
Originally from Bon Appétit, May 1991