Asiago Mashed Potatoes

I love CHEESE. There, I said it. If I can add cheese to something, I will. And ULTIMATELY, I think it makes EVERYTHING taste better. So instead of plain old mashed potatoes and gravy, try this YUMMY recipe from my newest book 101 Things To Do With Cheese!

Asiago Mashed Potatoes
2 1/2 pounds russet or red potatoes, peeled and boiled (or Yukon golds are good too!)
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup milk
Garlic salt and pepper to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons sour cream
3/4 cup grated Asiago cheese

Using a potato masher, mash the warm potatoes with the butter and milk. Season with the garlic salt and pepper. Stir in the sour cream until desired consistency is reached. Stir in the cheese and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serves 4 to 6.

TIP: I leave the peel on my red potatoes because I love the rustic look it gives, and honestly, it saves time! Also try adding a teaspoon of Italian seasoning for a slightly different taste.

Cheesy Beef Tacos

I made these TACOS as an experiment and they ended up being pretty YUMMY, but not the healthiest thanks to the CHEESE sauce. Oh well! You've got to enjoy LIFE a little, right?

Cheesy Beef Tacos
1 pound hamburger
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup salsa, plus more if desired
Tostitos Queso Dip, plus more if desired
Flour tortillas
Toppings: lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, etc.

In a large frying pan, brown the hamburger and then drain. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the onion; let cook until onion is tender. Stir in about 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa followed by 1/3 to 1/2 cup queso dip. (If this isn't "saucy" enough for you, add more salsa, or dip, or both if you want!) Stir together and let simmer about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve in warm tortillas topped with toppings of choice. Serves around 4.

TIP: When I "drain" my hamburger, I actually put it in a fine strainer and rinse it with water to help eliminate a few more calories. Also, if these don't have enough spice to them for you, add a few shakes of crushed red pepper to the mix!

Peach Freezer Jam

OK, since I had a ton of PEACHES even after making the crisp multiple times, as well as SEVERAL batches of muffins, I ended up being ABLE to make several batches of jam too! I just use the RECIPE from the Sure Jell box, but I thought I'd SHARE it below just so you can see how EASY it is.

Peach Freezer Jam

3 cups chopped fresh peaches

4 1/2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3/4 cup water

1 box Sure Jell pectin

Measure peaches into a large bowl. Add the sugar and lemon juice and mix well. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix water and pectin in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute and then add to peach mixture. Stir 3 minutes or until all sugar is dissolved and mixture is no longer grainy.

Fill clean plastic containers with jam to about 1/2 inch from the top. Let sit at room temperature for 24 hours and then freeze or use. Makes about 6 (1-cup) containers.

TIP: Don't try to cut down on the sugar or your jam won't jell! Also, it sometimes takes a few days before the jam jells, so don't stress if it seems runny right at first. And don't forget to leave a container of the fresh jam in your fridge so you can enjoy it asap! :)

Peach Muffins

Did I already say I love PEACHES? Well, I do and I hate to see any from our TREE go to waste, so every YEAR I make up a few batches of these DELISH muffins. Hope you likes!

Peach Muffins

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

3 cups fresh peaches, peeled and chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare a muffin pan with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, spices, soda, and salt; set aside. In another bowl, mix together the oil, eggs, and sugars. Combine mixtures and stir in the peaches. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full and then bake for 18 to 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool about 5 minutes in the pan and then let cool completely on a wire rack. Makes about 2 dozen.

TIP: Because this makes so many muffins, I usually freeze about half a batch so I can pull them out a month or so later and enjoy them again! Also, I'm sure this would be great with canned peaches as well—just make sure if they are in syrup that you give them a rinse before putting in the batter.

Quick Peach Crisp

I love it when our PEACH tree is full of ripe peaches because it gives me the EXCUSE to make this dessert over and over! I love the CRUNCH of the "crisp" combined with the SWEET peaches. Yum!

Quick Peach Crisp
1 heaping cup oats
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup butter
5 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except 1 tablespoon flour and the peaches, cutting in the butter until crumbly. Put the peaches in an 8-inch square pan and sprinkle with remaining flour. Top with crumb mixture and then bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!

TIP: This recipe can basically be made with any fruit! Try it with berries, cherries, pears, apples, etc. They all taste yummers! :)

Raspberry Scones

I love all SORTS of breakfast breads, and SCONES are one of my favorite. Raspberries are also another FAVORITE of mine, so I figured, why not put them TOGETHER?

Raspberry Scones
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 heaping cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold butter
1 egg, beaten
4 to 6 tablespoons milk or half-and-half
1 container raspberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in the egg and enough liquid to just moisten the dough. Gently fold in the berries. NOTE: I usually eat some out of the container before putting them in, so you might not need the whole thing!

Scoop 8 equal "blobs" and place on a baking stone or cookie sheet; flatten slightly if necessary. I like to shape my blobs into triangles, so feel free to as well. Bake for 14 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve warm.

TIP: What really makes these over the top is sprinkling them with large sugar crystals. They are seriously spectacular this way!

Grilled Veggie Pasta Salad

Experimenting with all my SUMMER produce is always fun and tasty, and this SALAD combo just seemed to be a NATURAL. Grilled veggies with cheese and PASTA, I mean, come on!!

Grilled Veggie Pasta Salad

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
1 yellow or red onion, sliced into rings
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 package spaghetti noodles, sticks broken into thirds, cooked, drained, and cooled
Asiago and/or Parmesan cheese, grated

Brush a grill pan with olive oil and heat. Place veggie slices in the pan and season with salt and pepper; grill until slightly browned and tender. Set aside to cool. When cool, cut veggies into smaller pieces (i.e., cut zucchini slices in half so they are easier to eat!). Toss veggies with pasta and a handful of cheese; drizzle with a little olive oil and toss again. Top with a couple more handfuls of cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled.

TIP: You can obviously add whatever veggies you want to this dish, as well as change up the type of pasta used. As usual, this recipe is so EASY, yet it tastes AMAZING! :)

Homemade Oreos

This is a RECIPE my sister-in-law makes all the time, and EVERYONE loves it! These little COOKIES are so CHEWY and chocolaty, and EASY to make, you'll want to make them ALL the time too!

Homemade Oreos
1 box devil's food cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 to 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 container store-bought cream cheese frosting

In a bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, and oil. Dough will be stiff. Roll the dough into small balls, about 1 inch, or use a small cookie scoop. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. The cookies won't look done, but leave them on the pan for 3 to 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool. They'll turn out perfect! Sandwich 2 cookies together with the frosting and enjoy!

TIP: Stir in some chocolate chips to make the cookies extra chocolatey. Also, feel free to use homemade cream cheese frosting too.

Peanut Butter Brownies

Another easy SWEET treat for ya! I've been so into BAKING these days and I'm not really sure why! Anyway, you can WHIP these up in a snap if you need a YUMMY dessert to take somewhere.

Peanut Butter Brownies
1 box brownie mix (for a 9 x 13-inch pan)
Ingredients on back of box
1/3 to 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 bag milk chocolate and peanut butter swirl chips (or just peanut butter would be fine)

Mix brownies according to package directions. Stir in the peanut butter and 1 cup of the chips. Spread mixture into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan and sprinkle remaining chips over top. Bake according to package directions. NOTE: I had to bake mine about 5 minutes longer than the max time on my brownie box, so just make sure to check them!

TIP: I'm sure you all know the trick of adding ingredients to brownie mixes. I just think that we forget sometimes! Some other good combinations to add to a regular brownie mix: mint chips or chopped peppermint patties, chopped peanut butter cups or Snickers, M&Ms, nuts, etc.

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

This is a recipe from my book, 101 Things to Do with Cheese. I love how EASY it is and that it tastes like you ordered it from the CAFE or bistro around the corner. YUM!

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches
Olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 small onion, cut into strips

1 package good-quality roast beef lunch meat, cut into strips

2 to 3 hoagie or deli-style buns

Provolone cheese slices or Cheez Whiz

Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and add the veggies. When tender and slightly browned, stir in the beef. Let the meat heat through and brown slightly as well. Open the buns and place cheese on both sides, whether using slices or spreading on the "Whiz." Divide the hot meat mixture evenly among buns and then let the cheese warm and melt slightly. Serves 2 or 3.

TIP: You can add sliced fresh mushrooms to the veggies when you are sauteing them, or stir in some drained canned mushrooms with the meat. It's really good!

School Lunch Peanut Butter Bars

School is BACK in session! Who doesn't love this peanut butter COOKIE and chocolate combo? These dessert bars always REMIND of school back in the day, so I figured this was the PERFECT time of year to feature this YUMMY recipe!

School Lunch Peanut Butter Bars 
1 1/2 sticks butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (creamy works fine too)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups oatmeal

Chocolate Icing
1 stick butter, room temp
2 cups or so of powdered sugar
Around 1/2 cup cocoa
3 or 4 tablespoons milk
1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla
Dash of salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream together the butter and sugars. Blend in the egg, pb, soda, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the flour and oatmeal. Spread mixture onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes; let cool completely. Don't overbake!

To make the icing, blend together the butter, powdered sugar, milk, cocoa, and vanilla. Taste and adjust if necessary. Spread over bars and then cut and serve!

TIP: The measurements on the icing aren't exact, but that's because I think it turns out better when you mix it all together to taste. I always start with 1 stick of butter, and then blend in the rest of the ingredients until it looks and tastes right. This frosting should be more on the thin side and easy to spread—almost like a glaze, but not quite!

Grilled Cherry and Steak Salad

Another CHERRY recipe! I wasn't kidding when I told you we had a lot of EXTRA cherries on hand! This salad was pretty SIMPLE, and extra tasty. Especially if you like SWEET cherries, salty cheese, and tender STEAK . . .

Grilled Cherry and Steak Salad

1 steak, cut of choice

Balsamic vinegar

Olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 onion, sliced into thin rings

20 to 25 cherries, halved and pitted

1 head romaine lettuce, torn or chopped

Gorgonzola cheese crumbles

Girard's Champagne Dressing (I use the light version!), or my Red Wine Vinaigrette (see Salad Dressings)

Brush steak with vinegar and oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper; let come to room temperature. Grill to desired doneness in a grill pan or on a BBQ; slice into thin strips and set aside. In a grill pan, grill the onions and cherries, cut side down, until the onions are browned and the cherries are tender and warm, about 5 minutes. Divide the lettuce onto two plates and then top with equal amounts of steak, onion, cherries, and cheese. Serve with dressing of choice!    

TIP: This is a pretty simple salad that is loaded with flavor. Try to go easy on the dressing so you don't drown the great taste of the grilled ingredients. Also, a number of dressings would taste yummy paired with this salad, so don't feel like you have to stick with my two suggestions above!

Banana Split Bread

We all know BANANA bread is yummy, but how about with the addition of FRESH cherries, chocolate chips, and NUTS? This recipe is a must try when there are fresh CHERRIES around!

Banana Split Bread
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 to 4 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (firmly packed AND heaping)
1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
12 to 15 cherries, pitted and roughly chopped
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the butter, bananas, sugars, vanilla, and eggs. Stir in the salt, baking powder, and flour until well mixed. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Divide into two loaf pans and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until done. When done, let cool in the pan 10 minutes and then remove and finish cooling on a baking rack.

TIP: This bread is so good straight from the oven with a little butter, but try topping a slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and then drizzle with chocolate sauce and caramel. Sooooo delicious! Make it even more of a "banana split" by adding fresh banana slices, whipped cream, and nuts on top of the ice cream!

Chicken Cherry Lettuce Wraps

I've had a ton of cherries on hand lately and decided to figure out some fun things to do with them, so be prepared for some really yummy cherry recipes over the next week or so!

I actually found a recipe on allrecipes.com that sounded delicious, but I wanted to make it even simpler than it already sounded, so I made a few adjustments. It turned out soooo good that I can't wait to make them again!

Chicken Cherry Lettuce Wraps
Olive oil
2 large chicken breasts, cut into smaller-than-bite-size pieces
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 cups matchstick carrots, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onion
25 fresh cherries, pitted and then chopped (I quartered each half)
1/3 cup slivered almonds, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon honey
Lettuce leaves (iceberg, big leaves of romaine, leafy green, etc.)

Heat the oil in a frying pan and then add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Toss around until starting to brown and then sprinkle with the ginger and cook completely, stirring with your spatula; remove from heat. Stir in the veggies, cherries, and nuts. Mix together the three liquids and then pour over mixture in pan and stir to coat. Serve with lettuce leaves to wrap. Yum!

TIP: Experiment with the ingredients! You could add chopped water chestnuts or cashews instead of almonds. I'm sure some chopped bell pepper would be a nice addition as well, along with cucumber or even a small amount of leftover rice. This filling, including the lettuce, would also taste fab rolled up in a tortilla!

Healthy Veggie Lasagna

I'm still trying to use up some of my SUMMER squash! This easy lasagna really hits the SPOT, and it's a great way to sneak in TONS of veggies. :)

Healthy Veggie Lasagna

1 zucchini, halved and then sliced

1 yellow squash, halved and then sliced

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 to 3/4 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 cups chopped fresh spinach or Swiss chard

1 jar (1 pound 10 ounces) spaghetti sauce

4 ounces light or fat-free cream cheese, softened

1 container cottage cheese (I think it's the reg 16-ounce, not the "tall" container)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 box lasagna noodles

1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a frying pan, lightly saute all of the veggies together until just tender. Spread a spoonful of sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan and set aside.

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, cottage cheese, Italian seasoning, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Place 3–4 lasagna noodles over sauce in bottom of pan. Top with half of the cheese mixture, half of the veggies, 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, and some of the sauce. Place 3–4 noodles on top and repeat layers. Cover with 3–4 more noodles and remaining sauce. Top with remaining cheeses. Cover and bake for 45–50 minutes, then uncover and bake 5–10 minutes more. Let stand 5–10 minutes before serving.  Makes 8 to 10 servings.

TIP: Other great veggies in this dish? You can substitute or add in any of these: chopped red or green bell pepper, sliced or diced black olives, corn, sliced mushrooms, chopped broccoli, kale, etc. Also if you have more leftovers than you know what to do with, freeze individual slices in a plastic Ziplock container and save them for lunches or another dinner!

Easy Chicken Teriyaki Bowls

Here's another way to use up some of that EXCESS zucchini you might have this time of YEAR. The base of this RECIPE comes from my sister-in-law, Amanda. It is SOOOO good. Thanks for sharing!

Easy Chicken Teriyaki Bowls

1/2 onion sliced

1 zucchini, halved and then sliced

1 other summer squash (I used a yellow)

1 cup sliced carrots (this time I had the matchstick variety)

1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh or frozen peas 

1 large can good-quality chicken

Black pepper

Favorite teriyaki sauce (I use Soy Veri from Costco)

Warm cooked rice

Saute the veggies in olive oil in a large frying pan until tender. Stir in the chicken and season with some black pepper. Gradually add the teriyaki sauce to taste and then serve in bowls over warm rice.

TIP: This recipe is soooo versatile. You can make it according to whatever you have on hand. During the winter when there's a little less fresh produce around, I usually throw in some bell peppers and broccoli instead of the squash. But like I said, put in whatever your family likes and I'm sure it will be good!  

Stuffed Zucchini

Zucchini is on! How are you using up your EXCESS? I love zucchini brownies (hmmm, upcoming post?) and ZUCCHINI bread, and I especially love this STUFFED zucchini that I discovered while watching the Food Network. Giada DeLaurentis came up with this TASTY dish and, with just a few little tweaks, I'm sharing my VERSION with you below! (P.S. I apologize for the very "red" photo. I should have used different plates!)

Stuffed Zucchini

Olive oil

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon dry parsley leaves

1 large egg

3 tablespoons ketchup

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1 pound ground turkey (or ground beef would be fine)

2 large zucchini, ends removed, halved lengthwise and crosswise (so 8 total pieces)

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1 jar marinara sauce (I prefer a chunky veggie type)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle olive oil over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan; set aside.

In a bowl, mix together the onion, parsley, egg, ketchup, garlic, salt, pepper, cheese, and breadcrumbs; stir in the turkey. Use a small spoon or melon baller to hollow out the centers of each piece of zucchini and remove the seeds. Fill zucchini with meat mixture and set in prepared pan. Sprinkle the bell pepper pieces over top and then pour marinara sauce over all. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until meat is thoroughly cooked and zucchini is tender. 

TIP: I don't always use all the meat mixture, so I cook it up and freeze it for another use—like adding to my spaghetti sauce. Also, try spooning the extra sauce from the pan over top of each serving of this dish to make it extra juicy!

Zucchini

Quick Cookies (or No-Bake Cookies, or Monkey Poos!)

Whenever I ask my husband if I should I make these cookies, his response is almost always the same—no! But I make them anyway because I love them, and, lo and behold, he goes on and on about how good they are and says "why don't you make these more often?" What a nut!

Quick Cookies

1 stick butter, melted

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

4 tablespoons cocoa

2/3 cup peanut butter (I like crunchy)

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 to 4 cups oats

In a large saucepan, mix together the first 4 ingredients and bring to a boil; boil for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until thoroughly mixed in. Stir in the oats until desired consistency is reached (I usually do around 4 cups) and then drop spoonfuls onto wax paper. Let set for a while and then they're ready to eat!

TIP: My friend and I always made these cookies when we were growing up and could never wait for the cookies to completely set, so we'd scoop the warm gooey cookie into a mug and pour a little milk on top—try it and you'll love it!

Soft Chicken Tacos

These are pretty easy to throw together, especially if you have some leftover rice or buy the rice that you just stick in the microwave for a few minutes. We like to eat ours with sour cream, cheese, and salsa, of course!

Soft Chicken Tacos
1 to 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (or a large can of good-quality chicken, drained)
Black beans, rinsed and drained
Corn
1/2 to 1 cup chicken-flavored rice (or regular will work just fine too!)
1 can diced green chiles
Red and green bell pepper, diced
Onion, diced
Couple scoops of salsa or Rotel Tomatoes (the kind with chiles/jalapenos)

Combine all ingredients in a large frying pan and saute until heated through and thoroughly mixed. Serve on flour tortillas with desired condiments.

TIP: The great thing about these tacos is that you can add how much of whatever you want, and they always taste good! I usually throw these together when I don't use a whole can of black beans or have a little leftover rice. I usually have everything else, so it makes it extra easy!

Egg White Omelets

These can be a pretty HEALTHY breakfast (or dinner) depending on what you CHOOSE as your "fillers." We LOVE it with veggies, but bacon, sausage, and CHEESE do always taste good!

Egg White Omelets

8 egg whites

2–3 tablespoons milk

1/4 cup cottage cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup or so of toppings, such as cooked bacon or sausage, diced ham, peppers, onions, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, grated cheese, etc.

Mix together the egg whites, milk, and cottage cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Pour half of the egg mixture into a heated saucepan that has been sprayed generously with nonstick spray and let cook, swirling the pan occasionally to move uncooked egg to outer edge. Just before the egg is almost cooked and starting to brown slightly underneath, top half of it with desired toppings, and then fold the remaining half of cooked egg over top. Let cook a couple minutes longer to finish off and then serve. Makes 2 omelets. 

TIP: Don't try to fold the cooked egg over the toppings too early or it will just fall apart! Run your spatula along the edge of the egg to loosen it up and take a peek to see if it is starting to brown. When it is, then flip it over the toppings. Also, if you want to try the exact combo above, I used sliced Canadian bacon, bacon crumbles, sauteed onion, julienned fresh spinach, and grated cheddar. SUPER GOOD!