Leftover Cheeseball Sandwich

Every year my family makes a cheese ball for our HOLIDAY party and even though it is delicious, we always have LEFTOVERS. After a while, the "ball" with CRACKERS starts to lose its magic and I search for other ways to consume it without throwing it away. This cheesy-with-a-hint-of-heat SANDWICH is definitely my new favorite!

Leftover Cheeseball Sandwich
4 slices good-quality wheat or grainy bread
Leftover cheeseball
1 jar nacho jalapeños
Gouda or Havarti cheese slices
Turkey slices (deli or leftover works great!)

Lay bread on work space and spread a light layer of cheese ball over each piece. On 2 slices, layers the jalapeños, cheese slices, and turkey and then top with remaining bread slices. Cook like you would a grilled cheese.

TIP: Try not to get too carried away when spread the bread with the cheese ball, too much really is too much and will be too heavy.

Pioneer Woman's Turkey Spring Rolls

I love Thanksgiving LEFTOVERS, but sometimes like more than just a plate of heated leftovers. These definitely fit the "DIFFERENT" category. I found this recipe from the Pioneer Woman to be quite tasty and REFRESHING after a weekend of super heavy eating!

Pioneer Woman's Turkey Spring Rolls
Leftover Turkey
Rice Paper Wrappers
Soy Sauce
Rice Wine Vinegar
Sesame Oil
Chopped Cilantro
Finely Diced Carrots
Strips of Cucumber
Leafy Lettuce
Alfalfa or Bean Sprouts
Cellophane Noodles, prepared according to directions

Mix together chunks of turkey with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, carrots, and cilantro. Taste and adjust whatever seasoning you'd like.

Follow directions to soften rice paper wrappers then layer in the softened noodles, lettuce, cucumber, sprouts, and turkey mixture.  Roll up and serve with soy sauce for dipping.

TIP: I served mine with cranberry sauce mixed with a little soy sauce.

Grilled Leftover Thanksgiving Sandwiches with BBQ Cranberry Sauce

I look forward to making recipes out of our Thanksgiving LEFTOVERS every year. And this SANDWICH is definitely one of my favorites. The GOOEY cheese holds everything together in the most PERFECT way possible. Mmmmm!

Grilled Leftover Thanksgiving Sandwiches with BBQ Cranberry Sauce
Leftover homemade or whole berry cranberry sauce
BBQ sauce
Sourdough bread, sliced
Butter
Leftover turkey
Baby Swiss slices
Leftover stuffing

In a bowl, stir together the cranberry sauce and BBQ sauce until well mixed, using roughly 2 parts cranberry sauce to 1 part BBQ sauce. (Or whatever tastes good to you!)

Lightly butter one side of each slice of bread and set them butter side down on your counter so you can "build" your sandwich. Spread each slice of bread with a layer of the BBQ Cranberry Sauce. Place a slice of cheese over top on half of the bread slices. Top the cheese with a layer of turkey and a scoop or two of stuffing. Top with more cheese, and the remaining bread. Grill like you would a grilled cheese!

TIP: You can leave the stuffing out and these are still pretty amazing!

Baked Spaghetti

SPAGHETTI almost always sounds good, but we get tired of having it the SAME way all of the time. This was fun and new for the KIDS, and my husband like it too. One of our two year olds even said "Mommy, this is my best dinner ever!" It must be GOOD with an endorsement like that, right?

Baked Spaghetti
8 ounces thin spaghetti, broken in half
1 cup cottage cheese
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup sour cream
Garlic salt and pepper
1 jar spaghetti sauce (just use your favorite!)
1/2 pound browned hamburger
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare an 8 x 8-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Cook the spaghetti in a large pot according to package directions; drain and put back in pan.

In a bowl, quickly mix together the cottage cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream with a few dashes of garlic salt and pepper. Stir into the warm noodles in the pot until thoroughly coated.  Spread the coated noodles in the prepared pan. Combine the spaghetti sauce and cooked hamburger an then spread over top of the noodles. Sprinkle a good layer of cheese, using the mozzarella and Parmesan, over top. Bake, covered with foil, for about 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Remove foil for last 5 minutes of cooking. Cut into squares and serve.

TIP: This would be great with your favorite cooked veggies, chopped and tossed into the sauce, or noodles. Olives, peppers, zucchini, spinach, whatever!

Chicken Sausage Pasta

OK, so we buy stuff from Costco. And well, you get A LOT of whatever you buy. Soooo, sometimes I try to come up with different ways to use the bulk FOOD that we get, you know, instead of just preparing it as INTENDED. That is where this recipe comes in. And let me tell ya, it was DELISH, not to mention extremely easy!

Chicken Sausage Pasta
3 or 4 link chicken sausage links (mine are from Costco!)
Olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
Garlic salt and pepper
About 8 ounces or so of thin spaghetti, cooked according to directions
1/2 to 1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

Slice the sausage into rounds and then sauté in a large frying pan with a touch of olive oil. Remove from pan when browned and set aside.

In the same pan, sauté the veggies until crisp-tender with a little more oil and some dashes of garlic salt and pepper. Add the sausage slices back to pan, as well as the cooked spaghetti and toss to coat. Toss in the Parmesan cheese as well. Serve with more Parmesan on top if desired.

TIP: If pasta seems a little dry, toss in a bit more olive oil or some butter. Mmmmm! Also, if you want a stronger garlic flavor, add some minced garlic to your veggies toward the end of their cooking time. A clove or two would be perfect!

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Cakes

I've seen several recipes for these LITTLE "cakes" on Pinterest, so I finally broke down and tried my own version. They were so EASY to put together, and the kiddos thought they were pretty TASTY too. I was happy because combined with veggies on the side, they made a really yummy and HEALTHY meal!

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Cakes
1/3 large sweet onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon thyme (fresh or dried!)
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
2 cups cooked quinoa
Butter

In a frying pan, sauté the onions in the olive oil until tender and slightly browned. Stir in the garlic and thyme when the onions are almost done.

In a bowl, combine the onions, sweet potatoes, and quinoa. Form into small patties and then cook in frying pan with a touch of butter until browned on both sides. Serve warm.

TIP: I topped mine with a dollop of sour cream and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese, but they were wonderful without as well!

Honey Garlic Chicken

I'm always looking for EASY recipes that only take a minute or two to throw in the CROCKPOT. This is one of those recipes! It's sweet and TANGY and is perfectly rounded out with some rice and your FAVORITE veggie.

Honey Garlic Chicken
8 to 10 chicken tenders
1/2 sweet onion, sliced
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
Chili pepper flakes (several good dashes)
Black pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

Place the chicken and onion in a crockpot sprayed with nonstick spray. In a bowl mix together the honey, oil, soy sauce, ketchup, and seasoning until smooth and then pour over the chicken and onions. Cook on low heat for 6 hours or high heat for 3 hours. Remove chicken with a fork to a plate and set aside. In an airtight container, shake together the cornstarch and water until thoroughly mixed and then stir into liquid in the crockpot. Shred chicken on the plate using 2 forks and then put back into the sauce. Let cook another 30 minutes and then serve over rice.

TIP: Garnish with chopped parsley and toasted sesame seeds for some extra color. You can also add sesame seeds and/or a dash of sesame oil to the mix before cooking for a little different taste.

Southwest Turkey Sliders

I'm a firm BELIEVER that great things come in small packages, and these LITTLE sliders definitely confirm that theory. They are simple to make, HEALTHY to eat, and taste fabulous on the way down. If you like the idea of any of those three things, you will LOVE these! And so will your kids—mini things are just more FUN to eat!

Southwest Turkey Sliders
1/3 onion, chopped (red or sweet)
1/3 red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 green bell pepper chopped
1 pound lean ground turkey
Salt and pepper
Whole wheat dinner rolls
Avocado, thinly sliced
Lettuce
Burger toppers of choice

In a frying pan, sauté the onion and peppers in a splash or two of olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Put the cooked veggies in a bowl with the ground turkey, salt, and pepper, and mix thoroughly with your hands. Use mixture to make about 8 mini patties. Cook patties on a grill or a nonstick frying pan until done. Eat on dinners rolls and top with avocado slices, lettuce, and other favorite burger toppings.

TIP: You can also top the burgers with slices of pepper jack cheese for a gooey kick.

Salmon Taco Bowls

So I buy fresh SALMON from Costco, and since everything comes in bulk there, it is a rather large fillet. I typically cut it into 2 or 3 PORTIONS and freeze them, but last time I totally forgot and stuck the whole thing in the freezer! This meant I had to thaw the whole darn thing—all 3 pounds of it. So, we had a lot of FISH that week! This was one of my favorite versions and I will definitely be making these YUMMY taco bowls again soon.

Salmon Taco Bowls
1 pound or so of salmon fillet
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chili powder
Cumin
Cooked rice
Black beans
Bell peppers, red, green, etc., chopped
Red onion, chopped
Frozen super sweet white corn, warmed through
Shredded cheese
Shredded lettuce
Cilantro
Avocado
Sour cream
Salsa

Lightly coat salmon with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Also sprinkle with chili powder and cumin. (You can decide how generous you want to be. More chili powder = more heat!) Cook salmon as desired, either in a frying pan or bake it in the oven. Once it is cool enough to handle, flake it into chunks with a fork.

Layer your tacos in a bowl (or on a plate is fine too!) starting with some cooked rice, the salmon, beans, veggies, cheese, lettuce, cilantro, avocado, and sour cream and salsa if desired.

TIP: Layer in whatever you like on your tacos normally. It'll be good, I promise!

Baked Proscuitto Ravioli with Pesto Cream Sauce

Doesn't pasta always TASTE good? I know if my kiddos haven't been eating much of their recent dinners that I can make a YUMMY pasta dish and they will ask for seconds, sometimes even thirds. Luckily, this is just another EASY weeknight dish that is sure to make everyone HAPPY and full!

Baked Proscuitto Ravioli with Pesto Cream Sauce

1 bag frozen proscuitto ravioli (or any kind you prefer, mine was from Costco)

1 cup heavy cream

1/3 to 1/2 cup basil pesto

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray. Fill the baking dish with as many ravioli as needed for your family. (If the ravioli are large, you really only need about 5 per person.) In a bowl, mix together the cream and pesto. Pour over the ravioli in the pan and spread the mozzarella cheese over top. Sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese as well and then bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbling. 

TIP: I think another great addition to this recipe would be some chopped up veggies. You could layer in some onion or squash of some sort, or whatever you think sounds good!

Crockpot Chicken Curry

We love all sorts of CROCKPOT meals, and this one is definitely a TASTY one. So over the next few weeks as you are BUSY preparing for the holidays, throw this in the crockpot in the morning and by DINNER your house will smell pretty fab.

Crockpot Chicken Curry
10 to 12 chicken tenders
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/3 cup water
1 cup salsa
1 cup sour cream

Spray a 3- to 5-quart crockpot with nonstick spray. Place the chicken tenders in the bottom and sprinkle the curry powder over the top. Pour in the water and salsa and then cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours, or on high heat for 3 to 4 hours. When ready to serve, stir around to break up the chicken and then stir in the sour cream. Serve warm over rice.

TIP: I love the sweetness coconut adds to curries, so feel free to stir some coconut in towards the end of your total cook time for another variation.

Pesto Ditalini with Chicken and Portobello Mushrooms

If you are looking for a QUICK and easy dinner to prepare so you can take your little MONSTERS trick or treating this Halloween, this is it. They will LOVE it and so will you! It's full of flavor and PERFECT for little mouths. :)

Pesto Ditalini with Chicken and Portobello Mushrooms
2 1/2 to 3 cups ditalini pasta
2 uncooked chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1/3 sweet onion, finely chopped
4 ounces whole portobello mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 cup pesto (or more if you prefer)
1/3 to 1/2 cup cream
Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, cook the pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

In a large frying pan, cook the chicken chunks in a little olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. When cooked through; set aside. Add the onion and mushrooms to the pan, with a touch more olive oil if necessary. Saute about 5 minutes or until everything is nice and tender.

Chop the cooked chicken into small pieces, about the size of the pasta. Add the cooked chicken and pasta to the pan with onion and mushrooms. Stir in the pesto and cream and warm through. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese to garnish.

TIP: Feel free to adjust measurements in this recipe—it is very forgiving! I think I would like even more onions and mushrooms, so next time I'm definitely adding more.

Sweet and Tangy Meatloaf

I found this YUMMY recipe on Six Sisters Stuff, and I was not disappointed. The meatloaf was TENDER and moist as well as sweet and TANGY—just as promised! Even the kiddos enjoyed it, which is saying something because they have not been to keen on DINNER these days. :)

Sweet and Tangy Meatloaf (from Six Sisters Stuff blog)

1 pound ground beef
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apricot preserves

Glaze
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apricot preserves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic powder, worcestershire sauce, ketchup, brown sugar and apricot preserves.  Place in a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.  Cook for 40-50 minutes.  In a separate bowl combine ketchup, brown sugar and apricot preserves.  Remove meatloaf from oven after it has cooked, spread on glaze and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

TIP: I didn't have apricot preserves, but I did have peach freezer jam. It worked out great! I'm sure some chopped onions would also be a great addition. And if you have any leftovers, try heating up a slice and make a sandwich. Super yum!

Toasted Beet and Goat Cheese Sandwich

Over the last year or so I've been OBSESSED with beet and goat cheese salad. One night I decided it was time to make it into a SANDWICH. That turned out to be a really good IDEA! The cheeses melt together and make it GOOEY and warm, and the toasted buttered bread gives it just the right touch.

Toasted Beet and Goat Cheese Sandwich
4 sliced bread
Butter
Fresh mozzarella (I just break mine into little pieces)
Goat cheese (I just crumble this)
Sunflower seeds
Pickled beets, thinly sliced
Romaine lettuce (use the crunchiest parts!)

Butter one side of each slice of bread and put the butter side down on the counter. (Yes, it's messy, but way easier in the long run!) Layer the mozzarella, goat cheese, sunflower seeds, and beets on 2 slices of bread. Top with the lettuce and a little more cheese so the sandwich "sticks" together. Place on a medium heated pan with the cheese and beet layer on the bottom first (this way the lettuce won't get soggy!). Flip when bread is brown and brown other side. Cut in half and enjoy.

TIP: I think some yummy artisan bread of some sort would make this sandwich really fabulous as well.

Healthy Alfredo Sauce (AMAZING!)

Pasta is always a tasty and QUICK dinner at our house. But there are so many recipes loaded with calories—and they are DELISH, don't get me wrong! Now our new favorite is this much HEALTHIER version of an alfredo sauce. It really is yummy and can be eaten totally GUILT FREE!

Healthy Alfredo Sauce (AMAZING!)
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 tablespoons butter
2 to 4 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup milk
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Angel hair pasta, cooked (I used around half a package, though it was pretty saucy!)

Boil the cauliflower florets in a pot of water until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. While cauliflower is cooking, saute the garlic in the butter a minute or two and then set aside. Use a slotted spoon to drop cauliflower into a blender and add the garlic butter mixture, salt, pepper, and milk along with 1 cup of the cooking water. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture in a saucepan and add desired amount of Parmesan cheese and let simmer while you cook your pasta. (I added about 1/3 cup and topped with a little more to garnish along with some green onion).

TIP: The sauce tasted fab without the cheese added, so feel free to leave it out if you want to cut even more calories. I also still had zucchini from the garden, so I shredded it and added it to my angel hair pasta the last minute or two it was cooking. I drained it all in a colander and then tossed it in the sauce. (That's why you see green mixed in!) It was nummy!

Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich

If you can't tell, I've totally been obsessed with SANDWICHES this summer. So maybe they are all variations of each other, but they sure all taste SUPER yum. This is the result of the huge basil plant in my GARDEN. I just love the flavor and want to incorporate it into everything!

Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich
Artisan bread of your choice, sliced
Roasted red peppers (I just grabbed a couple at the olive bar at my local Smith's)
Fresh basil
Fresh mozzarella, sliced
Fresh Parmesan, shredded
Balsamic glaze (you can make your own or buy some!)

Butter the bottom of each slice of bread and then set butter side down. Drizzle balsamic glaze over other side and then layer half of them with lots of peppers, mozzarella, basil, and parmesan. Top with remaining pieces of bread, balsamic side down and grill over low to medium-low heat like you would a grilled cheese.

TIP: My husband likes meat on his sandwich so I layered some turkey and pastrami on his. :)

Peach, Brie, and Basil Sandwich

Peaches happen to be my FAVORITE fruit. So naturally, we have a large box of them. And even though I'm happy to eat the peaches in all their fruity glory, I also like to venture out and explore new FLAVOR combinations. My basil plant is huge and almost done for the SEASON, but there are still plenty of tender leaves for me to pull from it. So with an abundance of both those two fab foods, this delightfully REFRESHING open-faced sandwich came to be!

Peach, Brie, and Basil Sandwich
Sliced artisan bread (just use your favorite!)
Fresh peach, thinly sliced
Brie
Basil, cut into ribbons
Kosher salt and pepper
Honey

Place slices of bread on a work surface and top with peaches and brie. Sprinkle basil over top as well as salt and pepper. Drizzle with honey. Broil in the oven until edges of bread are brown and toasty and the cheese is melted.

TIP: Don't be shy with the toppings—stack them on there! Mint would also be a tasty replacement for the basil.

Easy Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

I typically use a jar of spaghetti SAUCE when we have spaghetti for dinner. I know, silly, but if I make my own, it defeats the purpose of one of my easy, go-to QUICK dinners. However, this sauce is so easy and so UNBELIEVABLY delicious, that I may not buy "those" jars anymore! And you can make it so MANY different ways, it's crazy!

Easy Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
1/2 small sweet onion, minced
1/3 red bell pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small zucchini, minced
Olive oil
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 cans tomato sauce
Fresh chopped basil, oregano, and thyme (you can use dried in place of fresh)
2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar
Garlic salt and pepper, to taste

Saute the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and zucchini in oil until tender and lightly browned. Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

TIP: You can mince up just about any veggie to make this your own. Or leave the bell pepper and zucchini out if you prefer. It's tasty no matter what!

Salami, Mozzarella, and Fresh Basil Sandwich with Balsamic Glaze

So I know that the picture of this SANDWICH isn't amazing by any means, but it tastes FABULOUS! It's one of the tastiest ways to use your FRESH basil, and can be super versatile if you want it to be. I've made it NUMEROUS ways and have loved every combo!

Salami, Mozzarella, and Fresh Basil Sandwich with Balsamic Glaze
Ciabatta rolls
Fresh mozzarella
Sliced salami
Fresh basil
Balsamic glaze (boil 1 cup balsamic vinegar down to about a third)

Slice rolls in half and top with little pieces of the fresh mozzarella and stick plenty of basil leaves in between. Top with desired amount of salami and then top that with more cheese and basil. Drizzle the balsamic glaze over top (I like a lot!) and then broil open-faced until cheese is melted and bread is toasty. Put top on and eat away. :)

TIP: I've made this with turkey on regular bread and just grilled it like a grilled cheese. Also SUPER yum! I like the balsamic with it so much I may have drizzled some extra while I was chowing down. And for tomato lovers, I'm sure adding a slice or two would taste great!

Spinach and Feta Pasta

This recipe is so DELISH, and so easy it is actually pretty embarrassing! Either way, those recipes are always good to have on hand, RIGHT? It is a great way for KIDDOS to eat some green veggies too. They don't seem to WORRY about the "green stuff" so much when it is mixed with pasta!

Spinach and Feta Pasta

2 to 3 cups curly pasta of your choice

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup Feta cheese crumbles

1 to 2 cups chopped or julienned spinach

Dash of garlic powder and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain. Return pasta to cooking pot and stir in the butter until melted and the pasta is coated. Stir in the spinach and feta until the spinach just starts to wilt. Sprinkle with pepper to taste.

TIP: If you only do 2 cups pasta, you can probably get away with 3 tablespoons butter. I also use the reduced-fat feta and it is still delicious.