Roasted Veggies

Mmmmm! My cousin Robin made these YUMMY veggies for us once when we went to VISIT her and her little family. It's the PERFECT side and, as always, is super easy and FULL of flavor. Hope you like!

Roasted Veggies

Olive oil

1 russet potato or a couple reds
1 yam or sweet potato
1 sweet onion
Couple handfuls baby carrots
Garlic, minced (optional)

Herbs (use one or a combo of: thyme, oregano, rosemary, basil, etc.)

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a glass 9 x 13-inch pan with olive oil, just enough to coat.

Peel the potatoes and then cut all of the veggies into bite-size pieces. (I actually don't peel the red potatoes, but do what you want!) Toss veggies and garlic into prepared pan. Drizzle with a touch more oil and then sprinkle with herbs and salt and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes and toss veggies, checking to see if tender. Continue to check and toss every 5 to 10 minutes until done, probably about 45 minutes total cook time. NOTE: The time totally depends on how big you cut the veggies, so just make sure to watch them!

TIP: Make sure to cut all the veggies uniformly so they cook and get done at the same time. Mushrooms, zucchini, corn, Brussels sprouts, bell peppers, and basically anything else you can think of taste delicious cooked this way!

Meaty Spaghetti Sauce for the Crockpot

I know it seems too HOT to have a meal in the CROCKPOT, but it's actually smart to use the HANDY appliance during the SUMMER because it doesn't HEAT up your kitchen!

(P.S. I know the photo isn't amazing since it just looks like plain old spaghetti sauce, but I wanted to show how the sides of the crockpot get all toasty with sauce. I try to scrape it off and stir it into the sauce because those browned bits just taste sooooo good!)

Meaty Spaghetti Sauce for the Crockpot
1/2 pound ground beef, browned and drained
4 Colosimo mild Italian sausages, cut into bite-sized pieces
25 to 30 (or so) pepperoni slices, halved or quartered
1 jar meat-flavored spaghetti sauce (I prefer Prego)
1 can tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
Italian seasoning
Garlic salt

Put all of the meat in a 2- to 3-quart crockpot.  Pour the sauces and water over top. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and a few shakes of garlic salt. Stir everything together and then cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours. Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles or any other pasta.

TIP: If you can't find Colosimo sausages in your area, just brown 1/2 pound Italian sausage and throw it in instead. You could also slice up some polish sausage as a substitute as well. Also, if you prefer your sauce to be a little more liquidy, just add more spaghetti or tomato sauce!

Bestest Veggie Enchiladas Ever

OK, so I know I've posted VEGGIE enchiladas before, but I'm always EXPERIMENTING and coming up with different versions. My FAMILY voted this variation the BESTEST ever! Hope you like them. :)

Bestest Veggie Enchiladas Ever
1/2 sweet onion, sliced
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (I used mixture of red and green)

Extra virgin olive oil

1 russet potato, peeled and cut into shoestrings, matchsticks, or whatever you want to call them
Handful of baby carrots, thinly sliced
Handful of baby spinach
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced green chiles
Couple handfuls frozen corn
8 flour tortillas
Grated cheddar cheese

Bestest Sauce:
1 can medium enchilada sauce
1 can tomato sauce (I used Hunt's Garlic Roasted)
1 can petite diced tomatoes (I think mine had garlic and oil in it . . .)
2 to 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

In a large frying pan, saute the onion and bell pepper in oil until browned on the edges and tender; remove from pan and set aside. Add a touch more oil and saute the potato and carrots until mostly cooked through and tender. Toss the onion and bell pepper back into the pan. Stir in the spinach, beans, green chiles, and corn; remove pan from heat and set aside.

In a bowl, mix together all of the sauce ingredients. Lay the tortillas on the counter and evenly spoon veggie filling over each. Top with a little of the sauce and sprinkle with a little cheese; roll up. Scoop a large spoonful of the sauce into a 9 x 13-inch glass pan. Lay the rolled up enchiladas over top. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas (I didn't quite use it all, just until everything was covered and moist). Sprinkle more cheese over the top and bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbling around the edges. Serve this with lettuce, sour cream, and salsa like in the photo above.

TIP: Don't be intimidated by the number of ingredients in this recipe. The great thing about it is that you most likely have everything in your fridge and/or pantry already. If you're missing one or two of the veggies, just leave them out and add more of something else. I'm sure it will still be good!

Blackberry Cream Filling (for Cakes!)

This filling is so YUMMY, I just want to eat SPOONFULS of it. However, it does TASTE really good on cake too, so it's a toss up on how to EAT it!

Blackberry Cream Filling
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup blackberry pie filling
3/4 cup sweetened whipped cream

Blend together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Blend in the pie filling until thoroughly mixed in. Fold in the whipped cream. Use as the filling in the middle of your favorite cake!

TIP: The picture above is a lemon cake with lemon-flavored whipped cream frosting. The blackberry filling was super yummy in this combo. It would also be delicious with white or chocolate cake. And, if you don't want to make a layer cake, I'm sure it would be good just spread over top of any cake baked in a 9 x 13-inch pan!

BONUS TIP: This might be kind of obvious, but you can make the same recipe using blueberry, raspberry, or cherry pie filling. Yum!

Wild Rice with Nuts and Veggies

OK, so I get tired of PLAIN old rice on my plate all the time, so when I'm BORED, I stir in some extras! This is another EASY recipe that tastes FANTASTIC!

Wild Rice with Nuts and Veggies
1 cup uncooked wild rice
2 to 2 1/2 cups chicken broth or stock
1 cup julienned spinach (thinly sliced strips)
1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup sliced almonds, coarsely chopped
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced

Cook the rice in the broth according to package directions. When there's about 5 minutes left on the time, stir in the remaining ingredients. Let time finish and then serve. See what I mean about easy?

TIP: The possibilities of adding extras to the rice are endless! Some other good combinations: diced green olives with pinenuts and sun-dried tomatoes; julienned spinach with garlic and grated fresh Parmesan cheese; caramelized onions with some drained canned tomatoes; bacon with just about anything; etc., etc.!

Easy Grilled Salmon

We LOVE salmon at our house, and this is one of the EASIEST ways to prepare it! I usually serve it with some sort of RICE and a veggie. In fact, my next post will be a YUMMY rice dish. There! Something for you to LOOK forward too!

Easy Grilled Salmon

Fresh salmon

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Remove salmon from fridge and brush all sides with a generous amount of olive oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper; let come to room temperature. Gently place on a hot bbq or grill pan and let cook on one side until cooked about halfway, and then flip. You'll get a nice crispy crust/edge that is SOOOO good!

TIP: I sometimes sprinkle some blackening spices on instead of the pepper. If anyone wants a recipe for the blackening spice mix, let me know and I'll post it for you!

Sweet and Spicy Meatballs

This is from a BOOK I edited once called 101 Things to do with Meatballs, although I converted it to the CROCKPOT and adjusted it slightly. Super EASY and serves a big crowd!

Sweet and Spicy Meatballs

1 (12-ounce) jar chili sauce

1 can jellied cranberry sauce

1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice

50 frozen, precooked meatballs

In a bowl, combine all but the meatballs. Put the frozen meatballs in a large crockpot and pour the mixture over top. Cook on low heat for 5 to 6 hours and then serve over rice when done.

TIP: You can also serve this as an appetizer with toothpicks!

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

These little BUTTERY beauties are so EASY to put together! They taste AMAZING and complete just about any MEAL. I hope your family LIKES them as much as mine does!

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
2 cups Bisquick
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix together the Bisquick, cheese, and milk. Mixture will be sticky. Drop by the spoonful onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Melt the butter and then stir in the garlic powder. Brush over warm biscuits and serve. Makes anywhere from 8 to 15 biscuits—it just depends on how many you want. You may have to adjust the cooking time for larger biscuits.

TIP: I found this recipe right on the back of the Bisquick box several years ago, but I've adjusted it slightly for my own taste (meaning I add WAY more cheese). Feel free to cut back if this amount seems like too much for you!

Pear, Pecan, and Gorgonzola Salad

My husband LOVES this salad and, honestly, I just can't get ENOUGH of it either. It's the BEST when we can use the ripe PEARS from our own tree, but it's too hard to WAIT until September!

Pear, Pecan, and Gorgonzola Salad
Chopped or torn lettuce
2 pears sliced or cubed
1 tub Gorgonzola crumbles
Cooked bacon, crumbled
Craisins
Candied pecans
Red Wine Vinaigrette (check Salad Dressing posts!)

Other options:
Grilled or cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
Sliced or cubed apple
Sliced or quartered strawberries

The prep for this salad is what takes the longest! When you have everything ready, just layer it all on dinner plates and top with the dressing. This salad is soooooo good, you'll want seconds for sure!

TIP: I love trying out different dressings, so don't feel like you have to stick with the Red Wine Vinaigrette. I recently tried a Pear Vinaigrette by Cardini's, and I think a good poppyseed or balsamic vinaigrette would be yummy on this salad as well. Or really, any type of dressing that is sweet and fruity!

Mexican Lasagna

This is a YUMMY dinner that my mom has made for us a few times, and we LOVE it. Obviously not your TRADITIONAL lasagna, but there's still lots of GOOEY layers!

Mexican Lasagna
1 pound ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
2 (16-ounce) cans refried beans
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 package queso fresco, sliced
1 (4-ounce) can sliced olives, drained
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
1 cup corn
1 large can enchilada sauce
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until browned; drain. Combine with the taco seasoning and beans. Spread half of the mixture in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Top with 3 tortillas and trim to fit. Spread half of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas along, with half of each the olives, green chiles, and corn. Top with all of the queso fresco slices. Repeat layers, ending with the grated cheese. (Or hold off and add it the last 10 minutes or so of cook time.) Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until heated through. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

TIP: If you aren't sure about the queso fresco, just use a cheese you're comfortable with. I'm sure they'd all be good! Also, try garnishing this tasty dish with some chopped tomatoes and sliced green onions. My family loves it with some sour cream and salsa, and sometimes we even throw on some shredded lettuce.

Chicken Caesar Pizza

This is so REFRESHING to eat in the spring, and the perfect COOL dinner for hot summer nights! NOTE: My husband calls this "CHICK FOOD," but totally downs it when I make it!

Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza

1 refrigerator pizza crust

2 to 3 chicken breasts, cooked

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 to 3/4 cup Caesar salad dressing

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

1/2 garlic clove, minced

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

4 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce

1 small can sliced black olives, drained

Fit pizza crust on a baking sheet with sides and bake according to package directions; let cool. Slice or chop the chicken; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, salad dressing, lemon pepper, and garlic.

In a separate bowl, mix together the cream cheese and half of the dressing mixture. Spread cream cheese mixture over cooled crust. Arrange the chicken pieces over the cream cheese layer. Toss together remaining dressing mixture, lettuce, and olives and then spread over the pizza. Makes 6-8 servings. 

TIP: Since it's just me and my hubby that eat, I just toss together enough lettuce and dressing for the two of us and top each individual serving. That way we can eat more the next day and not have soggy lettuce!

Sweet Potato Fries

Mmmmm! These FRIES are probably not too bad for you, or they may even BORDER on the side of slightly GOOD for you! Very tasty plain or served with Some Dude's Fry Sauce. YUM!

Sweet Potato Fries

2 sweet potatoes

Olive oil

Season salt

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Wash and peel the potatoes, then cut into thin wedges or strips (like fries!). Put in a large ziplock bag and drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil over top. Sprinkle a good amount of the season salt over top as well and then seal the bag and shake to coat. You may need to add a little more olive oil and seasoning until there is a nice even coating on all of the fries. Go easy though—you can always add more, but you can't take any away! 

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Spread the fries evenly over the pan, trying to stick with just one layer. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender, tossing the fries at the halfway mark and seasoning with some salt and pepper. NOTE: Bake time will vary depending on how thick or thin you cut the fries, so make sure you keep an eye on them while baking! Serve with a yummy burger or the Ham Dandies I posted a few days ago! :)

TIP: Sweet potatoes can be pretty starchy and your fries may seem limp or even soggy. If so, turn your broiler on and toss the fries every so often and they should firm up. I think they taste extra good with a little brown around the edges anyway!

Red Wine Vinaigrette

So it might seem SILLY to post such an easy salad dressing, but I sometimes forget about this little GEM of a recipe! This dressing is so YUMMY and super fast to make. And, it TASTES good on just about any SALAD, especially my favorite with pears, candied pecans, and gorgonzola! (Hmmm, maybe I'll post that recipe a little later . . . )

Red Wine Vinaigrette
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4–1/2 cup sugar (to taste, but start with 1/4!)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2  teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients in a jar with a screw-on lid. Shake vigorously and serve over your favorite salad.

TIP: I found a recipe once very similar to this one that used raspberry wine vinegar instead of red wine. I'm sure you could experiment with all sorts of different vinegars and get some very tasty variations!

Ham, Pecan, and Blue Cheese Pasta Salad

I discovered this RECIPE while editing a book a few years ago, the Ivy Bake Shoppe Cookbook. It's very SIMPLE but is full of FLAVOR. It's also a great way to use any LEFTOVER ham you might have hanging around!

Ham, Pecan, and Blue Cheese Pasta Salad

2 cups cubed cooked ham

1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted or not

4 to 6 ounces blue cheese (I prefer Gorgonzola)

3/4 cup snipped parsley

1/2 cup olive oil

4 tablespoons fresh rosemary or 1 to 2 teaspoons dried

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 to 1 teaspoon black pepper

Salt and pepper

1/2 to 1 pound cooked bow-tie pasta, cooked according to directions and cooled (I usually use rotini)

Combine all ingredients except the pasta in a large bowl. Cover and let stand 30 minutes. Add the pasta to the mixture and then toss and serve or chill until ready to serve. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

TIP: If it seems a bit dry, toss in a bit more olive oil.  Oh, and you can also serve this salad on lettuce leaves for a pretty presentation!  

Chicken Divan

This recipe is soooo YUMMY! My best friend's mom used to make this ALL of the time when we were KIDS. I've loved it all these YEARS!

Chicken Divan
2–3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2–3 cups broccoli florets (or more if you want!)
1 can cream of chicken soup (I always use the low-fat version)
1/2 cup mayo (again, I use light!)
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Grated cheddar cheese

Toss the chicken and broccoli in a 9 x 13-inch pan that has been prepared with nonstick spray. Combine the soup, mayo, curry powder, and lemon juice and spread over chicken and broccoli. Sprinkle cheese over top to cover. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked through. (It depends on how big you cut the bite-size pieces.) Yum!

TIP: Cover with foil for the first 20 to 25 minutes, and then remove so the cheese melts without becoming too hard to cut! Also, try serving this dish with rice and garlic bread. It's SUPER good!

Chocolate Chip Caramel Oatmeal Bars

These sound WAY more complicated than they are. So EASY, and so good, and, since today is my birthday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me! I LOOOOOVE this dessert!

Chocolate Chip Caramel Oatmeal Bars
2 cups flour

2 cups oats

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, melted
12 ounces chocolate chips (I like to do half semisweet and half milk)
1 jar Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch Caramel Topping, warmed

In a bowl, combine all but the chocolate chips and caramel topping; mix with a fork until moistened and crumbly. Press half of the mixture into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes; remove from oven and then sprinkle chocolate chips over top and let melt slightly. Pour warm caramel topping over chocolate and then sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes more, or until golden brown and slightly bubbly around the edges. Let cool and then serve!

TIP: These are easier to cut when slightly chilled!

Ham Dandies

If YOU are looking for something QUICK, these little BEAUTIES are the best DINNER you can make! 

Ham Dandies

1/2 red or green bell pepper, diced

1/4 onion, diced

Olive oil

10 slices ham lunchmeat, diced (about any kind that's better quality than Budding!)

Mustard

4 slices bread 

Grated cheddar cheese

Saute the bell pepper and onion in about a teaspoon of olive oil until tender and slightly browned. Toss in the ham pieces and stir until lightly browned. Spread mustard on all 4 pieces of bread. Sprinkle cheese over 2 of the mustard-covered pieces. Top with the ham and veggies and sprinkle more cheese on top. Cover with the remaining bread, mustard side down. Butter the top and bottom of the sandwich and grill in a pan like you would grilled cheese. Makes 2 sandwiches.

TIP: Another great addition to this sandwich would be sliced mushrooms or olives. You can saute them with the other veggies. I prefer it this way though. So easy and soooo good!

Chunky Chicken Pasta

This salad is soooo GOOD and always a crowd PLEASER. Even though it's great for POTLUCKS, it's even better for a weeknight DINNER so you can just have a big bowl all to YOURSELF!

Chunky Chicken Pasta Salad

8–12 ounces large shell pasta, cooked according to package directions

2 large chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

1 large gala apple, cut into bite-size pieces

1 1/2 cups halved red grapes

1 cup sliced or diced celery

1/4 cup finely diced red onion

1 heaping cup cashew pieces

1/2–1 cup coleslaw dressing (I just use Kraft)

1/4–1/2 cup mayonnaise

Salt and pepper

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine 1/2 cup dressing with the mayonnaise. Toss with salad ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Stir in more coleslaw dressing until salad is moist according to your desire.

TIP: You can also add pineapple tidbits or mandarin orange slices. It's all good!

Avocado English Muffins

Soooo EASY, but oh so good! I've been telling all my FRIENDS about these yummy English muffins for years I think. It's embarrassing how SIMPLE these are, but they are full of flavor and taste AMAZING!

Avocado English Muffins
1 whole wheat English muffin (or regular if you prefer)
Butter
1/2 ripe avocado, sliced
Salt and pepper

Split your English muffin and toast to desired "toastiness." Spread with a little butter, and then top with avocado slices. Gently mash with a fork to cover. Sprinkle salt and pepper over top and enjoy!

TIP: To make sure your avocado is ripe, hold it in your hand, wrap your fingers around it, and gently press. It should be slightly soft to the touch. The avocado is also good on whole wheat or multigrain toast!

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

This recipe is a FAVORITE among the folks in my family (and neighborhood!) because it's just LIKE the dressing they serve at this local super YUMMY restaurant—Cafe Rio. This is by far the BEST copycat recipe I've tasted.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
3 to 4 fresh tomatillos (or 1 can whole tomatillos if you can find them!)
2 to 3 jalapeños (seeded or not)
Juice of 1 lime

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Soooooo yummy!!!

TIP: Serve it over shredded pork, chicken, or beef tacos, enchiladas, or any sort of Mexican-type salad. It's also great on the side of some cheesy quesadillas for dipping!